France

Introduction and things to do

Oh la France! Always in the middle when you want to go from or to Barcelona to anywhere else! And this time is not an exception! Almost straight after Luxembourg we will find very early the city of Nancy, historial capital of the Lorraine region, with its inmense and famuous (I don't know why it's famous) place Stanislas, that surely deserves a little visit.

Some kilometers after we will arrive to Dijon, famous, this one, for it mustard. I seems that also for being a very pleasant city to spend a day. It is also the historical capital of the Burgundy region, and talking about the mustard, it seems that a 90% of the total quantity that is made here comes from importated products... so we don't have much more than the name, for the Dijon Mustard...

Next day, after some kilometers on the road, we will have our last french stop before ending with this first leg of our trip, and it will be almost at the border between France and Catalonia, in Collioure, village that everybody praises, and neither of us have been yet. Considering this will be our last day of solitude and intimacy as a couple for a long, long time, all looks like it will be a lovely spot to spend it.

Collioure is a small mediterranean village in the North Catalonia, and besides being known for its undoubtly beauty and charms, it is also for being as the inspiration place of many french and spanish artists at the beginning of the XXth century, like Antonio Machado, Picasso or Matisse.

Accomodation

The first night we will spend in France will be very likely in the car, problably somewhere outside Dijon, and getting ready to continue our journey. In Collioure I think we deserve to stay in a beautiful hotel. Sadly, many of them seem to be closed from November to March, so, after some research, we have found a nice option in the Bon Port Hotel

Getting there and away

Nancy is about 100 kilometers from Luxembourg, and to Dijon there are 215 more. This is what we will do the first day. After spending the night on the road, I don't know how far away from Dijon, we will have to drive one of the longest ways of this first leg of the trip. From Dijon to Collioure there are about 700 kilometers, so it seems we will spend the most of the day on the road. Collioure is almost at the border with Catalonia, and less than 200 kilometers from Granollers, so we will get up fresh and drive this last stretch.

External links

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dijon
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collioure

Pictures taken there