Brendan Kavanagh: 10 books

Tourists have long enjoyed the sunshine and the French “joie de vivre” in Nice, the elegant city on the French Riviera. The city is the second-most visited tourist destination in France with four million arrivals a year. Its Mediterranean beaches stretch for miles along the famous “Promenade...

Bordeaux evokes rich sensations with many.  At the heart of the region is Bordeaux, the city that wine built. It’s a place that reflects its elegant inheritance through its art, architecture and love of the good things in life. The fine wines of Bordeaux have exerted an important influence...

Provence’s natural beauty endures as resiliently as its Post-Impressionistic artwork now featured in faraway galleries. Fields of purple lavender and vivid sunflowers have been splashed across many a canvas in an attempt to capture the region's natural beauty. Paul Cezanne was born in Provence and...

Lyon’s “Vieux Lyon” (Old Town) is a gourmand’s delight that is located at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone rivers. This city of beautiful Renaissance houses is one of the most important in France and has many historical attractions to see including the Roman City and the Notre Dame de...

In the southwestern corner of France on the Atlantic Ocean is the French Basque region where you can visit a number of beautiful seaside resort towns.  Most famous is Biarritz, which was a favourite of Sir Winston Churchill as well as both French and English Royalty. Nearby is the city of Toulouse,...

Marseille is a major city in southern France and is the largest port city in the Mediterranean and the French Riviera. The city is a popular port of call for cruise ships and has many differences from Paris. You may even think you are in another country with its cliffs, fjords (clanques), sea views,...

The historic French province of Champagne is located 160 kilometers east of Paris and has a long-standing tradition of viticulture dating from the first century. Indeed, there is no other place in the world to legally name a drink “champagne.” Cavernous chalk tunnels stretch for kilometers under...

Burgundy is the hilly area of eastern France and is known worldwide for its fine wines. One-third of the region’s wine is red (“rouge”) and two-thirds white (“blanc”). The Burgundy region has five villages distinguished as “the prettiest villages of France” as well as three World Heritage...

The French Riviera (Côte d’Azur) is stunningly located on the beautiful coast of southeastern France.  Adjacent to Monaco and bordering the Mediterranean, the French Riviera delights vacationers of all ages. Tourists visit the upscale resort towns as well as special events like the Nice...

A visit to Brittany will leave you feeling like you’re in a Celtic fairytale with many towns retaining their medieval architecture.  Its dramatic windswept coastline changes with the weather from hauntingly, beautiful to utterly sublime – made all the more mysterious when you learn about...