France September 2017

LEFT: A giant puppet at the
festival in Charleville-Mézières;
BELOW: The Tour de la Chaîne and
Tour Saint-Nicolas at the harbour
in La Rochelle; BELOW LEFT: Stalls
at the Grande Braderie in Lille
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PHOTOGRAPHS: PHILIPPE MANGEN CC BY SA 3.0; OT LILLE/M.DUFOUR; DREAMSTIME; CC BY-SA 3.0
What to do in...
September
MOVIE MANIA
The resort of Deauville in
Normandy gets its annual
sprinkling of Hollywood
stardust for the 43rd
American Film Festival from
1-10 September. More than
100 films, from blockbusters
to documentaries and TV
shorts, are shown round the
clock in three venues: the
International Centre, the
Lucien Barrière Casino and
the Le Morny Cinema. In
addition to the screenings,
American-themed events are
held in the Festival Village.
A day pass costs €35.
Tel: (Fr) 2 31 14 14 14
festival-deauville.com
BARGAIN HUNT
Find a bargain or two at the
Grande Braderie de Lille
on the weekend of 2-3
September. More than two
million visitors descend on
the capital of the Hauts-de-
Franc region to browse 100
kilometres of stalls run by
10,000 traders, with antiques
and second-hand books
among the range of items for
sale. The market’s layout has
been redesigned this year to
provide more space for
vendors and visitors.
Tel: (Fr) 8 99 49 01 75
braderie-de-lille.fr
PUPPET POWER
Puppets take centre stage as
the town of Charleville-
Mézières in the Grand-Est
region holds its biennial
Festival Mondial des
Théâtres de Marionettes
from 16-24 September.
The event highlights the
important part puppetry
plays in many of the world’s
cultures, with around 250
troupes of puppeteers –
glove, string and shadow
–– performing in theatres
and on the streets.
Tel: (Fr) 3 24 59 94 94
festival-marionnette.com
COASTAL JAZZ
The Atlantic port of La
Rochelle is the setting for the
20th Jazz entre les Deux
Tours from 30 September to
7 October. The festival,
which this year includes
a homage to American
saxophonist John Coltrane,
welcomes around 100
national and international
musicians, representing all
major trends in jazz.
Concerts, a number of which
are free, take place in
a dozen venues, and other
highlights include
educational workshops and
photographic exhibitions.
Tel: (Fr) 5 46 27 11 19
jazzentrelesdeuxtours.fr
CANAL LUXURY
The Canal du Midi is a Unesco World
Heritage site and you can cruise it
in style on board the luxurious
hotel barge Clair de Lune, which
accommodates up to six
passengers. Looked after by a crew
of four, guests on the six-night
cruise enjoy first-class food and
drink, and visit historical locations
including Minerve, with its
12th-century Cathar fort; the
Roman town of Narbonne; and the
walled city of Carcassonne. Prices
start from €4,350pp, and include all
meals, drinks and excursions, and
return-trip transfers by minibus.
Tel: (Fr) 6 86 27 81 66
hotelbargeclairdelune.com
MOUNTAIN CYCLING
Explore the French Alps on two
wheels during a long weekend
based in Morzine in Haute-Savoie.
Cycle rides include the classic Tour
de France climb of Col de Joux
Plane and a long endurance test on
the Col de la Colombière. Rides end
with a dramatic descent back to
Morzine, where evenings are spent
unwinding at a cycle-friendly lodge.
The holiday from Much Better
Adventures is suitable for
intermediate and experienced
cyclists. Prices start from £199pp
including three nights’ half board
and transfers to and from
Geneva airport.
Tel: 0200 333 1176
muchbetteradventures.com
18 FRANCE MAGAZINE www.completefrance.com