France Travel News 08/23/2011

Includes Camino Frances/El Camino de Santiago St. Jean Pied de Port, France, to Compostela, Spain More often than not, hiking entails high trees, rocks, poisonous plants, tents and the daunting task of cooking over a fire. If this sounds more like a nightmare than a vacation, consider the Camino Frances, one of the more popular routes in the famous pilgrimage known as El Camino de Santiago. What was once a popular religious expedition, this 780-kilometre trek has become a huge attraction for anyone – young, old, athletic, outof-shape, religious or not – looking for a challenge. Spend your days winding through the quiet towns of France and Spain, and stay at a friendly pilgrim hostel, sleep in a comfy bed and enjoy a hot shower.

In the latest edition of his column on French music, David McKenna chats to High Wolf about the way his instruments gather both personal and collective memories.

PLANNING a holiday? Most travellers look to travel websites, family and friends or the latest magazines for inspiration when arranging their next trip. However, consulting the Cosmos might open up a whole new world of options for even the most experienced traveller. Believe it or not, your star sign influences how and where you travel. For instance, Cancerians are best to steer clear of action-filled holidays like Las Vegas, whereas Arians thrive on busy and bustling destinations. And, not only can your star sign influence your choice of destination but, by looking at your travel compatibility with other star signs, it can also give clues to who you should holiday with and who you should be leaving at home.

Google paid tribute to French mathematician Pierre de Fermat on what would have been his 410th birthday by doodling "Fermat's Last Theorem." Fermat, born on Aug. 17, 1601, was a lawyer and amateur mathematician. While he made breakthroughs in calculus, probability, geometry and number theory, the UK Telegraph stated he is best known for what possibly was the greatest mathematical mystery of all time. The Google doodle features the symbols x n + y n ≠ z n. The symbols are written on a blackboard with the word "Google" faintly showing as it if was erased earlier.

Blue eyes smouldering at the camera, sultry lips pouting, hair coiffed, lanky legs outstretched and dainty feet clad in stilettos, lying prone on a leopard print couch. This is an image we're used to seeing in top international fashion magazines – except the image in question, which appeared in the January edition of French Vogue, is that of a 10-year-old girl. The pictures of Thylane Blondeau have caused a stir, despite claims by Vogue that the offensiveness is intentional.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama gave a public talk Monday, August 15, in Toulouse, France. According to Tibet.net, His Holiness spoke to an audience of over ten thousand about the importance of ethics. Speaking from a secular perspective in order to reach a wide audience, His Holiness said that it is wrong to do wrong at others' expense. He emphasized that actual physical well-being can be harmed by fear and stress, and that inner peace and calm are essential for both a healthy body and a healthy mind.

France has long been admired for its gourmet food culture and the, seemingly contradictory, thin frames of its people. But, that's changing. Fast food is growing increasingly popular in the land of Le Cordon Bleu, and obesity rates are on the rise.

It’s vacation time here in France and next year’s presidential elections seem as remote as some good economic news. Yet, it’s precisely because of the sluggish economy and the continuing military imbroglio in Libya that French President Nicolas Sarkozy is taking absolutely nothing for granted politically in his run for re-election in 2012. So while the country is en vacances, the politicians are all posturing for the elections in nine months.

Picasso invented the beach. Well, maybe not single-handedly. But if French 19th-century artists such as Degas defined the traditional seaside, it was Picasso in the 1920s who gave a visual form to the modern hedonism of sand and sensuality sur la plage.

The best of the smaller museums in France, from Cézanne's studio to an imitation ancient Greek villa.