Travel Around The Clock

From rustic cuisine to gourmet meals, the Dordogne is renowned for its tasty traditional cuisine, typical of South-West France, widely appreciated for its simplicity and the great quality of local products. Fruity sweets, natural treasures and good agricultural production colour the weekly markets, delight gourmets and celebrate the richness of this exceptional terroir. Here are some of the most delicious specialties of the Dordogne, that you should absolutely taste while visiting the region! Foie gras Absolute reference in the gastronomy of Périgord, foie gras, both from goose and duck, pan-fried or semi-cooked, is always a delicious temptation. An IGP (French acronym for PGI meaning Protected Geographical Indication) that guarantees and protect the local production, has been obtained in 1992. The majority of the production is carried out from duck, the goose having unfortunately been a little neglected in the years 80's-90's, even if the demand for goose has been slowly maki...

The Puuc Route is an extraordinary itinerary road that connects five main Mayan sites : Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil, Xlapak and Labnà. Most of these cities were vassals of Uxmal, and were linked together by Sacbé, white paths of piled stones that were more than a meter high to be sheltered from the vegetation and to remain passable in case of rain. Some archaeologists believe they also had an astronomical role.  On the road, Yucatan The Mayan-Yucatec term Puuc has acquired various connotations; it is used to designate a geographical area, an archaeological region and an architectural style, as well as a period in the history of the Mayans. That is, in essence, it has a geographical-cultural meaning. The Puuc region shows specific and peculiar architectural and decorative elements such as the multi-storey structures, the finishing of the stones that cover the buildings, assembled like a mosaic, the insertion of columns on the facades and on the base, the complex decoration with anthropomorp...

The Chateau de Puyguilhem is located in the northern part of the Dordogne department, near the town of Villars (north-east of Brantome and west of Saint-Jean-de-Cole). The castle is set in an enchanting landscape, with an open valley in front and oak woods, typical of the Perigord region, in the back. Unfortunately, the lake that was once in the valley below the castle, no longer exists, but the view remains very picturesque. Chateau de Puyguilhem Chateau de Puyguilhem It was Pierre Mondot de la Marthonie , a wealthy magistrate from the region and first president of the Parliament of Paris, that acquired the stronghold of Puyguilhem, around 1510. The house was to be the family's second home, as well as a hunting lodge. Thus, he transformed it into a Renaissance residence by deploying a decor of great finesse on popular themes. Abandoned and looted in the 19th century, at the beginning of the 20th century the castle began to fall into ruins. It was then acquired by the State in 19...

The Convents Route is an extraordinary, off-the-beaten-path, itinerary that crosses the central-western part of Yucatan, passing through some of the most magnificent colonial convents and various Mayan villages. It is also intertwined with the Ruta Puuc, where you can explore Mayan archaeological sites and some beautiful  cenotes . Most of these churches were built by the Franciscans who reached this part of the world in 1524, to evangelize the local population. This is the perfect route for those who want to immerse themselves in the life and traditions of less touristy Mexico and learn about the history of the Yucatan . TICUM Ticum church Not much information can be found about the Ticum church, but it was the first one we came across while driving from the Caribbean coast to Uxmal, and we loved it. It has the typical charm of the abandoned places where nature has gradually integrated with architecture. Ticum church TEKAX The parish of San Juan Bautista, located in the center of...

About twenty kilometers from Brive-la-Gaillarde , on the border between Limousin and Quercy, Collonges-la-Rouge offers an original and unusual spectacle, both for the splendor of its buildings in purple sandstone, against the contrasting green of the valley and for the wealth of its heritage. Collonges-la-Rouge Mornings are probably the best time to visit it; sitting for a moment on the terrace of a café, listening to the village gradually awakening and admiring the sunlight that magnifies this architectural gem. Collonges-la-Rouge The village has very ancient origins. Indeed, the monks of the Charroux abbey in Poitou founded a priory here in the 8th century following a donation from Count Roger de Limoges. The priory was integrated by the Viscount de Turenne in 844 that attracted, under his protection, a population of peasants, artisans and traders. Around its buildings, protected by a fence, the community thrived on pilgrims, heading to Compostela via Rocamadour, as a source of incom...

WARNING! This is quite a long post.  My list of movies to watch before visiting Rome should have been a Top 5, but then I kept adding and adding, and finally I could not make a choice! So here it is my personal selection of... 10 MOVIES TO WATCH BEFORE VISITING ROME ROMAN HOLIDAY 1953 This is one of my favourite movies of all times. Maybe because I love Audrey Hepburn, or just because this movie, filmed in 1953, is a sequence of splendid images of Rome as it was almost 70 years ago: beautiful, elegant and much less chaotic than it is now! But also because this is a great classic romance and the legendary tour in Vespa in central Rome is epic! Here the city offers its most wonderful locations: Piazza di Spagna, Piazza Venezia, the Lungotevere, the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Imperial Forums and, again, Via delle Quattro Fontane, Largo Argentina and the Vittoriano.  UN AMERICANO A ROMA 1954 Can a Roman be so fascinated by American culture that he wants to give up his own...

Friuli Venezia Giulia is a region that brings together very different populations and cultures that go far beyond the traditional dichotomy between Trieste and Udine .  This border region, still far from the flows of mass tourism offers nonetheless an infinite number of good reasons to be visited. From cities of art to nature, from typical gastronomic products to wine tourism, Friuli Venezia Giulia is the ideal place to practice slow and respectful tourism. Here is our suggested  14-days itinerary that should give you an idea of what to visit and how to organize your time in this beautiful region.  TRIESTE AND THE KARST - 3 DAYS Trieste Trieste , forced into a thin strip of land between the Adriatic Sea and the Karst, has the typicality of a border town with a Habsburg atmosphere that makes it seem suspended in time. The city offers many historical landmarks, starting with the iconic Piazza Unità d'Italia with its famous cafés and the Molo Audace and continuing with t...