Category : France

French Journal Day 171 (Travel Diary Day 251) “Yes, officer” I replied. 2 other police officers looked on while two more searched our bags. I looked over at the lowering sun and wondered if the GB sticker on our car was the reason we’d been pulled over. It was the second time that French police […]

French Journal Day 164 (Travel Diary Day 244) With the snow subsiding and the promise of a beautiful sunset, Rachel and I scaled the steps of the Arch de Triumph with a friend of ours, Wendy. Earlier we’d visited the grave of Jim Morrison. Although a tiny, unassuming grave amongst huge structures, this was clearly […]

French Journal Day 157 (Travel Diary Day 237) I’ve spent day after day recently creating an advanced HDR photography course that will include 32 bit processing, luminosity/luminance masks, and getting the most out of ACR, amongst other things. I actually started designing it immediately after creating my beginner’s HDR tutorial. I also teach how to […]

French Journal Day 141 (Travel Diary Day 221) The streets were predictably busy. Thousands of tourists flocking to see one thing – the Eiffel Tower – we were no different. Until I came to Paris I’d pretty much avoided taking photos of monuments that have been captured literally millions of times. There’s little scope in […]

French Journal Day 140 (Travel Diary Day 220) The biting cold that gnawed at my un-gloved fingers was enough for me to call an early end to my night-shoot with a few locals yesterday.  I’d been shown some great spots by Robbie, a French photographer who isnot from Paris originally. We spent most of our […]

French Journal Day 139 (Travel Diary Day 219) Our first French pub quiz ended in failure. I had my eye on the prize – a dartboard that I would never use. The competition proved too tough, sadly. We met our Parisian friend at a subway. It’s the third time we’d met up – each occasion […]

French Journal Day 138 (Travel Diary Day 218) We’ve installed ourselves nicely in Paris now. Our neighbourhood is lovely, right along the canal. It’s incredibly bohemian with cool cafes and jazz bars everywhere. We also live near a lively, clean park full of runners, families out for a stroll and dog walkers. It’s a breath […]

French Journal Day 134 (Travel Diary Day 214) This is my final journal entry from Arcy-Sur-Cure in Burgundy, Northern France. We’ve spent the best part of today packing and cleaning Betsy. I found 4.27 euros under my seat – a definite bonus. Since I didn’t know this money existed, it’s bonus cash, which means you […]

French Journal Day 128 (Travel Diary Day 208) I’ve been staring my computer screen for an hour in the vein hope of writing something interesting. Usually the words flow out of my mind and onto the screen without too much energy. This, I imagine, is a sign that we need to inject more adventure into […]

French Journal Day 125 (Travel Diary Day 205) The 18 foot steel gates were open – a sight I never thought I’d see. Rolling gently up the gravel path, we pulled over long before we reached the chateau. Somehow it didn’t seem right to enter the ancient grounds with Lucien’s car. We got out and […]