Recent articles for The Times / Sunday Times
As a regular contributor to The Times and Sunday Times, I have been proud to dig out some unusual stories and be the first to report on certain subjects in the UK media. These include: A family travel piece about the Atlantic Riviera, on the Pays de la Loire coast. It featured a visit to […]
Rennes and Nantes
Wanderlust magazine has a neat little feature called Double Bill, where they cover two different destinations as a suggestion for a two-centre trip. And for those heading to west France, you can’t beat both Rennes and Nantes. Set in the north-west of France, the cities of Rennes and Nantes are fiercely proud of their Breton […]
A mini-capital weekend in Rennes, Brittany
The Breton capital has every bit the same swagger as other smaller capitals in Europe and it was great to be in Rennes in the September sunshine to explore it for the first time in years and then write about it for the Financial Times. Read the story here. Photo by Baptiste MG on Unsplash
Brittany’s Wild West
The rumble of the Atlantic ocean as it beats against the rocks on the Ile d’Ouessant is deafening, even on a clear, bright day, and it’s one of the most intoxicating places I’ve ever been in France. The Pointe de Pern is the island’s (and so France’s) westernmost spot and I covered it in a […]
Five under-the-radar areas of France
Five great places to visit in France that are off the beaten track
Brittany’s beautiful Emerald Coast
Desert Island Discs, Robinson Crusoe, Castaway, they all have a lot to answer for when it comes to finding the perfect beach; the ideal is that there should be nobody there, and you can stroll along on the soft white/yellow sand enjoying the turquoise sea all by yourself. There are plenty such beaches in France, […]
Best stopovers en route south
“Where do you stop when you drive south?” is possibly the number one question I get asked… and it’s so good to have dozens of suggestions up my sleeve. Whether you want to just enjoy a bit of luxury and switch off at a beautiful boutique hotel, or have a more adventurous stay in a […]
30 best B&Bs in France
I love a chambres d’hotes – the French answer to a BnB gives you a chance to chat to the owners, get the inside track on what the best places to visit, best restaurants, and the history of an area. This made it a joy to put together my favourite 30 in France for The […]
Weekender in Northern Finistere
For Britain, it’s Land’s End. In Spain, it’s Finisterra. And where France swirls its Breton arm into the wild Atlantic, it’s Finistère. The end of the earth. On parts of this most north-western coast of France the waves can be ferocious, but so too can this coastline be temperate, gentle and exotic thanks to the […]
Best places to stay in Brittany
If you clicked onto this post from the map, you might have noticed there are a lot of stories about Brittany… I’m rather in love with it at the moment. And if you’re going, you’ll need somewhere lovely to stay. There are 20 in the article – click here to read it – to […]