Welcome to the Summer 2009 issue

Historic cities, beautiful chateaux, great abbeys, spectacular seaside, enormous works of art and giant mechanical elephants... just a few of the attractions of the Pays de la Loire

There's something for everyone this summer in Chatilly. Gillian Thornton visits Picardy's 'Town of Princes' that's also France's 'Capital of the Horse'

Robert Louis Stevenson published his book 'Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes' in 1879 – 130 years on Solange Hando follows in his footsteps

Acclaimed cook and Francophile Fran Warde captures the flavours of contemporary French food – including dishes from some of the best bistros – in her book New Bistro

It's closer to Jamaica and Cuba than Paris, but the island of St Barthélemy is French through and through, as Carmen Konopka discovers

A look at this year's sand sculpture exhibition in Le Touquet, with pictures by Pascal Maillet Contoz

Seeing the movie 'Monsieur Hulot's Holiday' as a child made a profound impression on author-actor Michael Simkins. So when he set off to research his latest book, 'Detour de France', he took inspiration from the famous film character...

Terry Brown travels in and around the Pays Basque, discovering why it's different from other parts of France