This 1,000 books project seems to be turning into a "places to go" list. My only complaint with this book was the arrangement of the towns. Greggio's divided them up by region, which was fine, but the regions were presented alphabetically. Given the geographic diversity of France, it was a bit strange to read about towns in Lorraine (north-eastern France near Germany) and then read about towns in Midi-Pyrénées (southern France near Spain). If there had been an introductory page for each region that might have made the literary voyage across France easier, especially for the geographically-challenged like me.
Towns I've visited (from the book):
- Sarlat: Muse of Montaigne
- Amboise: also mentioned is Da Vinci's house at Clos Luce and the ancient estate of the Duke de Choiseul with the Pagoda of Chanteloup.
- Chartres: Stories in stained glass
- Reims: Champagne's sparkling heart
- Versailles: The Sun King's Marble and Mirrors
- Rocamadour: Vertiginous beauty
- Giverny: Monet's Garden. This is my favorite place to visit. The house isn't as interesting as the gardens. The house and garden's are open from April to the end of October. It is impossible to take a bad picture in the gardens. I like going at different times during the year because the flowers in bloom change as does the light. The gardens illustrate what Monet sought to capture on canvas: the fleeting nature of light and nature's impressions.
Towns I'd like to visit (from the book): I seem to prefer towns in the Northern part of France, especially in Alsace, Lorraine, Brittany, and Normandy.
- Colmar: Alsatian Arts
- Obernai: Painted Roofs and Pilgrims' Prayers
- Riquewihr: Storks, Cellars, and Scenery
- Beaune: the Best of Burgundy
- Cancale: the World is Thine Oyster
- Concarneau: Brittany's Museum
- Dinan: Breton Beauty and the Beast
- Pont-Aven: Painters and Bons Vivants
- Gien: Famous Faience
- Fontainbleau: France's Most Royal History
- Provins: Roses and Ramparts
- Aigues-Mortes: Between Dog and Wolf. Aigues-Mortes was established during the thirteenth century. Saint Louis organized his first crusade, was poor and unarmed. Since Montpellier belonged to the Counts of Toulouse, and Marseilles to the Roman Empire, Aigues-Mortes was his only option for a port. The town is especially suited to the colors at twilight--"between dog and wolf."
- Carcassonne: A Colossal Fortress
- Metz: Architecture, Acoustics, and Art
- Verdun: Valiant Survivor
- Honfleur: Impressionism's Source
- Lille: Tapestries and Traditions
- Annecy: Crystalline Pools
- Pérouges: A Walk Through the Middle Ages
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