Pau is 50km from the Pyrenees in southern France and stands on a 200m elevation, making it the perfect travel destination for splendid views to the Pyrenees from the Boulevard des Pyrenees. Alphonse de Lamartine said: “Pau has the world’s most beautiful view of the earth just as Naples has the most beautiful view of the sea.”
The Chateau de Pau is located in the centre of Pau and was built during the 14th century. Here the museum of Bearnais architecture is housed where you can see architecture, furnishings and other aspects of Bearnais life.
Pau is featuring today because Stage 16 of the Tour de France is finishing here.
Limoges is the capital of the region known as Limousin in central France and is 390km from Paris. It is situated on the Vienne River and has two beautiful bridges spanning it. The St Etienne Bridge and the Bridge of St Martial.
It is featuring today because not only is it acknowledging Bastille Day (14 July) but Limoges is hosting the start of Stage 10 of ‘Le Tour de France’. So it stands to reason that Limoges deserves this spot today!
Limoges is most well known for its fine porcelain trade since the 1770s. It is often referred to as the “ceramics capital” and excels in other areas including enamel and stained-glass windows. Limoges was also the birthplace of the leading Impressionist painter of the 1800s, Pierre-Auguste Renoir. He is most well known for his painting ‘Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette’.
You may be planning on cycling around France. Perhaps you want to ride the route of Le Tour de France? This is certainly a good way to see France and much better than from the window of a tourist bus or the woes driving can create, BUT you need to be physically prepared for this. I can recommend an excellent and affordable ebook by ‘Cyclesport Coaching’.
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