Tag Archives: stone buildings

A Frolic Through Foix

A medieval hilltop chateau with ‘fairytale’ towers? Check. Picturesque and twisty cobbled streets? Check. Ancient abbey church? Check.
 

Chateau overlooking the town of Foix in the Midi-Pyrenees in the South of France


 
Welcome to Foix — a beautiful and historic town in the Midi-Pyrenees of France. It’s a small and truly lovely place for a day out and it is easily traversed on foot.
 

Medieval chateau overlooking the town of Foix in the Midi-Pyrenees in the South of France


 
Beseiged repeatedly during the 13th Century, the medieval town of Foix was built in part on the earlier foundations of the hilltop Roman fortifications.
 

Top floor ornamentation flanking windows in a historic building in Foix, Midi-Pyrenees, France


 

Foix building ornamentation close-up


 

Burgundy Citroen parked in the medieval town of Foix in the South of France


 

Views of the Chateau de Foix, looming over the town of Foix in the South of France, can be seen through many of the streets and passageways of the town.


 

In tomorrow’s post, part 2 of A Frolic Through Foix, we pay a visit to the medieval abbey church of St. Volusien.

Hope you have enjoyed this taste of Foix!

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Charming Coutances in Normandy, France

Mentally, if not physically, I’m headed back to Coutances in Normandy today to share some photos of this lovely town.
 

Mairie (mayor's office) in Coutances, Normandy, France


 

Cathedral tower in Coutances, Normandy, France


 
It is hard to imagine when you walk through the tranquil streets that 70% of the town was bombed out during World War II.
 

Streetscape in Coutances, Normandy, France


 

Cathedral in Coutances, Normandy, France


 

Chapel attached to the Centre D'Accueil Diocésain C.A.D-Diocesan Offices and Retreat Centre on Rue Daniel in Coutances, Normandy, France


 
This beautiful town could be an excellent place to base yourself for travels throughout the English Channel coastline and the World War II battlefield areas.

Hope you have enjoyed this tiny peek at a lovely town in Normandy!

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©Deborah Harmes and ©A Wanderful Life
Please respect the words and images on this page.
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The Gentle Beauty of Granville in Normandy, France

It was late in the afternoon and the appearing-then-disappearing sunlight streamed through each intersection in sporadic bursts. The two main streets of the Haute Ville section of Granville are lined with beautiful old stone houses, many dating back to a period between the 15th to 17th Centuries.
 

Stone buildings line the Haute Ville (high town) section of historic Granville in Normandy, France


 
The upper portion of the town is surrounded by an ancient fortified wall from the 15th Century and is perched high atop a hillside overlooking the latter portions of Granville built on reclaimed seafront.
 

The jumbled rooftops of the lower town section of Granville in Normandy, France


 

Coastal overlook with World War II bunkers visible in Granville, Normandy, France


 
This part of Normandy hugs the curving coastline and has some of the loveliest towns in all of northern France. Granville has much to recommend it both historically and visually and can easily be visited on a one-day outing.
 

Pastel colours of the seacoast on a sunny day at Granville in Normandy, France


 

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©Deborah Harmes and ©A Wanderful Life
Please respect the words and images on this page.
All rights reserved.