What can be learned from ancient ruins in glanum, france

We wandered through the ancient ruins of Glanum today, a site which had been populated as many as 500 years before Christ by people drawn to the area by a sacred spring. We were impressed with the advancements made in architecture and engineering in the span of the 800 year history of Glanum. On the […]

Roman Orange, Provence

The Celtic settlement of Arausio (cf. the local Celtic water god Arausio), existed on the site; a major battle, which is generally known as the Battle of Arausio, was fought in 105 BC between two Roman armies and the Cimbri and Teutones tribes. Arausio was refounded in 35 BC and settled by veterans of the […]

Roussillon, Petit Luberon, France

We made a lunch stop at a delightful cafe with a wonderful view today in the reddish-ocher village of Roussillon. There’s nothing like a protein-filled omelet with ham and cheese to keep you going for an afternoon of sightseeing. In our case, we took the road up to Sault and then the drive through the […]

Aigues Mortes, France

The foundation of the city is attributed to Marius Caius, around 102 BC, but the first document mentioning a place called “Ayga Mortas” (dead waters) dates from the 10th century AD. We made a stop here on our way from Carcassonne to Gordes. Louis IX of France (Saint Louis) rebuilt the port in the 13th […]

Carcassonne and the Kingdom of Aragon

Carcassonne, a medieval fortress town is one of the most popular stops in the former Kingdom of Aragon, which lasted from 1035 to 1707. We’ve spent two nights in a lovely hotel just outside the gates of imposing Carcassonne. Saturday was forecast to rain all day. What to do on a rainy day? Rub shoulders […]

Tours anywhere, anyway, anytime

That’s what makes European Focus Private Tours so unique, and so special in the world. We custom design tours for singles, couples or groups of friends for locations all over Europe.

Lunch on the way from Barcelona to Carcassonne

With help from a suggestion from a new friend who owns a B&B near Leon, we stopped in the delightful seaside town of Begur, Spain today where we found lunch at the wonderful hotel and restaurant “Galena,” located on the edge of the village but with a wonderful view of the rolling landscape to the […]