The Good Life France Magazine




The Good Life France Magazine brings you the best of France - inspirational and exclusive features, fabulous photos, mouth-watering recipes, tips, guides, ideas and much more...


Published by the award winning team at The Good Life France

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2 years ago

Issue No. 25

In this issue, visit France from home - Gascony, and Provence, fabulous day trips from Paris, captivating Toulouse and charming Northern France. Recipes, guides and a whole heap more to entertain and inspire...

You could continue on

You could continue on the D940 all the way to Le Tréport in Normandy where the road then becomes the D925 and runs around the coast through Dieppe before reverting to its original number to reach Le Havre. But we stayed in Picardy and headed inland to the city of Amiens where we swapped the bike for a boat. Les Hortillonnages is one of the best kept secrets of France. These watery arteries give Amiens a unique atmosphere. You really have a feeling that you are in the most beautiful countryside right in the centre of a busy metropolis. The hortillonnages are a major heritage site - marshland gardens, cultivated for centuries, created on manmade islands and on the land which lines the waterways. In fact the gardens are so old that no one knows when they began. But, legend has it that when the city’s Cathedral was built in the 13th century, it was on a field of artichokes managed by the gardeners of the hortillonnages. All tours are by eco-friendly electric boats which glide silently across the tranquil waters. Mark said it made him feel like a kid again, steering the boat round islands, stopping off at jetties to look at artworks dotted around. The only disturbance was the cooing and calling of birds and the croaking of frogs, you’d hardly even know you’re in a city if it wasn’t for the fact that you can see the spire of the great Gothic cathedral in the distance. Amiens is so amazing – it deserves an article all to itself – see page 56.

Gorgeous Gerberoy In complete contrast to the metropolis of Amiens, an hour’s drive on traffic-free roads brought us to gorgeous Gerberoy close to the border with Normandy. It’s a “Plus Beau village de France”, one of 159 villages recognised for their outstanding beauty and charm, classified as the most beautiful villages in the country. Cobbled streets covered in roses and hydrangeas, flowers dripping from every window box, the gardens of artist Henri Sidaner, a beautiful old church and one of the most gorgeous restaurants I’ve ever seen, Le Jardin des Ifs (with a listed Jardin Remarquable), made this a knockout stop off and an easy half day visit. What to do in Gerberoy