Carnet de Voyage: Diary of Two Francophiles

Travel notes from the real France. Carnet de Voyage is a weekly personal travel story in France sent in by readers. If you’d like to write a story for Carnet de Voyage, head here for details on how to submit.

This letter was originally published in the Jun/Jul 2025 edition of France Today Magazine.

As lifelong admirers of all things French, we take every opportunity to vacation in France. Each visit leaves us wanting more, and this past September was no exception. From crisscrossing the Île de Ré on rental bikes in the pouring rain, to spending an entire day wandering the 45 spectacular garden plots that comprised the Festival international des jardins in the grounds of Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire, to hiking the Sidobre’s surreal forests littered with giant granite boulders and crossing the impressive suspension bridge near Mazamet, we were once again awed by the beauty and diversity of France.

Meandering the tiny rural roads of the Loire Valley is a favourite part of each visit. This time we were enchanted by the discovery of the romantic gardens at the Château de Pesselières. We arrived on a cool, sunny morning with a heavy dew that made the majestic box hedges shimmer, and, with the entire estate all to ourselves we were captivated by the stunning views and charming topiary shrubs at each twist and turn.

France Today is a fantastic source of inspiration and we are already counting the days to our return visit.

Read our other Carnet de Voyage entries here.

Lead photo credit : The Château de Pesselières