ManonM

Take the time to stop in this little town. Hike the Sentier des Tours, which overlooks the city and connects the Pierregourde turret to the Virgin Mary statue. Along the way, you can keep going to the lookout if you feel like it... and if you have the energy, because it is a climb! You will have a nice view of the Rhone valley, the surrounding vineyards, and the Tournon castle. As for the castle itself, we were not exactly blown away. On the other hand, the Cite du Chocolat is on the other side of the Rhone, and you can cross over using the Marc Seguin footbridge. It would be a shame to miss it... The footbridge, that is...^^

Rock, paper, scissors! The rock seemed invincible. Well, paper, scissors! The water did not give up. 20,000 years went by and the Fier, proud and stubborn, inexorably carved its path. Scissors, paper, rock! In 1869, man managed to attach a 252-meter walkway to the side of the cliff, 25 meters up. The beauty of this place lies in the strength of the elements. While the Fier splashes around, tumultuous down below, we marvel at walking along the vertical wall, with the sun winking at us through the vegetation that thrives way up top. Everyone has found their place here. A lovely break near Annecy.

If we were to translate the name, welcome to Beautiful Little Water… Just an hour from Lyon by car or train, its turquoise waters surrounded by mountains will definitely win you over. Think hiking, water sports, paragliding… On foot, take the Roman road that winds along the heights of the east bank. Head toward the Rocher du Corbeau and the Belvédère des Voies de l’Epine. This path, restored by the Sardinians over 77 years (those Romans are crazy!), is still largely paved. It used to connect Vienne and Lyon to Milan!

You do not walk away from this small museum the same way you came in, even though it does not look like much from the outside. Here lies Juanita, a very young girl found in 1995. The mummy of Ampato. The visit is divided between a film tracing her probable history and a room where you discover her personal belongings and, through them, her culture. The Incas were fascinating in their ingenuity and their mathematical, astronomical, and medical knowledge. You gradually imagine her existence, that of a beautiful little girl, healthy and loved by her people. Adored and sanctified to such a point that she was sacrificed. Her journey on foot covered about 600 kilometers, and then she climbed 6,300…

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Stay in Puno. At dawn, head toward the reeds that line the lake. You will likely meet a merchant sailing between our world and his. Or between sky and earth, because once you leave the shore, the calm and clear waters of the lake reflect the sky that mirrors itself and drowns within them. The boat moves through the rushes, the totora. You land on a small island with spongy ground. The Uros islands. The men will soon be busy with a technical inspection of their home foundations. As for the women, they knit wool and weave economic ties with the city world. Here, you can board a Peruvian longship. The buoyancy of the plastic bottle, which has become an endemic species, is second to none. So, re…

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Everything has been said. In that laid back Reunion Island style... Getting there means waking up well before dawn and heading to the Pas de Bellecombe. It means walking through the breaking dawn and the freezing cold. Then suddenly, the sun shoots out its first rays and the whole environment transforms. The peak stands tall, proud to be so beautiful and so ferocious. The white markers will probably guide you on the way back, which you should plan for late morning, before the sea of clouds rolls in and swallows you whole.

How can you not think of Rimbaud? It is a remote spot in Picardy where the silence is heavy. A green hollow where the light rains down on the headstones. The memorial rests on 16 pillars that symbolize the great battles of the Somme (1914-1918). 72,000 names are engraved in the white stone. Those who disappeared into the mud... An arch that stands tall to shelter their names, to bring together the British, the South Africans, and the French. A 25-meter arch to lift them all to the heavens.

Amidst the density of the streets in Lyon, Place Bellecour offers a breath of fresh air and blue sky. 62,000 square meters! So in the winter, while Louis XIV sits tirelessly atop his steed, a Ferris wheel is set up. Everything is there: cotton candy, beignets, candied peanuts... Regressive pleasures... Well... You are not necessarily going to be in seventh heaven! It is difficult to take good photos from the cabin... If you have the Lyon City Card (I recommend it if you like sightseeing!), take advantage of it, it is included.

Sometimes certain stops are impromptu. Reims wasn't planned. To make the most of this stopover, the Navaway app guided us. (For less than €4 (about $4.30), you follow a well-optimized circuit with plenty of audio you can share, or short texts to enjoy on the spot or take with you.) The cathedral is majestic, imposing, and solemn. Buildings like the City Hall, the Palais du Tau, the Porte de Mars, and the Place Royale still shine with their glorious historical past.

Once you step through the door, you might get the feeling that the cathedral is pulling you inexorably into its depths. A flight of spiral stairs carries you up to the rose window. Between its 36 feet of diameter towering over you and the view of the square below, you are not far from turning into a gargoyle yourself! The climb continues and the cathedral releases you at 187 feet up. 360 degrees of photos on a clear day. Finally, you tumble back down the 302 steps and the cathedral spits you out from behind the scenes.

When you arrive in the city, you think of boulevards, asphalt, shops, pedestrians, exhaust fumes... Yet at platform 9 3/4 of Boulevard Beauville (well, 54 actually...) there is another reality. Unsuspected. A space where time has committed itself to languor. So you board the boat. The lapping of the water calms your heart rate. Your mind gets lost in the winding, shaded waterways. The light plays between the leaves of the trees... Scents of humus. Birdsong. An immersion into a Monet painting, all your senses awakened... Along the water, your guide, who is passionate, teaches you a little more about this vast 300 hectare expanse and its ecosystem.

Visiting the Groupama Stadium museum feels a bit platonic after having seen actual matches there! I recommend opting for the combined OL museum and stadium ticket, which is more complete. Admittedly, it lacks the excitement, the euphoria, and the cheering crowds. Nevertheless, getting access to the locker rooms, sitting in Jean-Michel Aulas's seat, and walking along the edge of the pitch is enough to delight die-hard OL fans and soccer lovers! For everyone else, there is still the appeal of the grand scale. For example, the screens used to broadcast the match are 88 square meters!

It is a descent into the tunnels dug during the First World War. It is a journey back into dark times. You might think that one gallery is just like another. It is much more subtle than that. As the tour progresses, you discover the entire ecosystem of the New Zealand tunnelers. As you move forward, the walls seem to close in. This labyrinth is staggering, dark, cold, and dripping wet. You feel its hostility, its sheer scale, and at the same time its protective and strategic side. You touch upon everything that humans are capable of imagining and deploying when it comes to their survival. The tour is very well conducted and finishes with the highlight, which is the film.

Here, the Lyonnais athlete goes for a run, especially on Sunday mornings. The hobbyist grabs a bit of bench to dive into a novel. Groups of young people chill on the lawn. The tourist rents a pedal boat and sets off in search of the golden head that allegedly sank. Newlyweds immortalize their union at the rose garden. Children roughhouse on the play structures and imagine themselves living the life of Robinson Crusoe. Their parents call them back, impatient to break open their piggy banks for the pony rides, the carousel, and the famous Guignol from the cradle of Lyon. Grandparents are in awe of the specimens in the botanical garden. And the giraffes, with their weary expressions, gently ign…

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Dating back to before Christ, they have been part of the UNESCO heritage since 1994. When you arrive, you cannot make them out. You need the help of a plane or an observation tower. But. How do you trace a shape on the ground so large that you have to get some altitude to see it? How do you trace a shape on the ground that neither rain nor wind will erase? How do you trace a shape on the ground that even erosion and the centuries will not fade? How do you trace a shape on the ground despite the elevation changes the Earth presents? How do you trace several of these shapes on the ground so that they share a common elegance and soul? These are the Nazca lines. It is these mysteries as much a…

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From a distance, the "house with the tower" is sure to pique your curiosity. And indeed, visiting Jules Verne's home is like stepping into his work. It is a chance to rediscover the quintessence of his genius, the sciences, and progress. The colorful, the incongruous. The magic and the imagination. You wander through the different rooms as if you were diving into his novels. The winter garden, the smoking room, the library, the attic, all reveal curiosities that we will keep quiet about here to let you enjoy the extraordinary journey yourself. Come in and take a tour of his world in 80 minutes.

Huacachina, an oasis in the Ica desert (about 4 hours south of Lima). A source of life in the heart of the dunes. But life in the 21st century is no longer just about water, vegetation, and wildlife. Yet man still has a thirst, now as always. Contemporary life feeds on tourism, thrills, and anything flashy. So, from a haven of peace, Huacachina has turned into a spot for dune buggies and sandboarding. Be vigilant, Huacachina, and do not let expanding urbanization strip away your true nature. If you are passing near Ica, go see for yourself this little jewel where an emerald glimmers.

Marcahuasi, 4,000 meters. The site is worth the effort. There is a bit of driving from Lima, then the dirt road, which is sometimes along the mountainside. And finally, a few hours (2 to 4) of hiking. Out of breath (you do not know if it is the climb, the altitude, or the view!), you emerge onto a huge rocky plateau. The geological structures surrounding you are imposing. Because of their size, because of their uniqueness. To the point where you wonder if the Earth alone could have given birth to them. Whether it is the silence or the echo of the wind whistling between the rocks, you are petrified in your turn. If the telluric forces present and the cold do not faze you, you can sleep there…

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