La Belle France
A musical look at one of the most romantic countries of the world — La Belle France! Beautiful France! We carried a camera on our annual musical tour of France and this is the result. The great impresario of Omaha, Nebraska, Dick Walter who's been putting on travel films for decades, deemed it: "As good a travelogue as my audience has ever enjoyed."And that's just for starters, as they say in England.

This excursion includes five regions of France. We'll visit Normandie and its famous beaches, monasteries and the two-headed cow. We will see the sights of Paris — the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame, the Metro, the Seine and the Louvre.

Then it's on to Vendée on the Atlantic coast and its ruins, canals, and the Isle of Noirmoutier. Also the theme park, Puy du Fou and a chateau with an American connection. The next region is Poitou, with the Valley of the Frescoes, Medieval chateaux, music and jousting.

Our final stop is in Provence, home to Roman monuments, Van Gogh's most productive year, and some Lipizzan horses. We'll witness the Running of the Sheep at St. Rémy (see France Video Clip), the Tour de France, take a boat ride through Marseilles harbor, and wind up at a country music festival.

We keep coming back to Mont St. Michel. (Bottom Left). It is such a magical place, overrun by tourists and yet strangely accessible. We stay at a campground on the mainland, and walk across the roadway to the Mont. The French say they will eventually get rid of the permanent causeway and let the tide come swirling in again, all round the island. We've featured the Mont in two of our films, now: "La Belle France" and "La Manche/The English Channel." It's hard to ignore it.

Below: we came upon the Roger Morand Cajun Band, a French group, playing at the Country Roque Festival in La Roque d'Antheron in Provence. They seem pretty natural with Cajun music. To see them on You Tube, click the link below for our videos.