Walking Tours of France

This large, folded map, a part of IGN's Découvertes Regionales (Regional Discoveries) series, is basically a road map (1:125,000 scale) of the Dordogne department (southwest France northeast of Bordeaux). It is heavily marked by symbols that reflect the area's major highlights. This includes prehistoric sites (very popular in this area), castles, chateaux, abbeys, monuments, museums, gardens, and scenic panoramas.

For hikers and outdoors people, the GR trails are boldly listed in red on the map, with the location of gîtes détapes, chambre d'hotes, rental homes, campgrounds, hotels, and railroad stations. It also notes with symbols where other recreational pursuits takes place, from hang gliding to canoeing to fishing and horse riding.

We normally sell this title for $12.95, but it is on sale this month for 10.95. Offer expires 05/31/2008.

Trail Guide of the Month: Parcs et Jardins de Paris à pied (FFRP)

Did you know that there are over 400 gardens (jardin) in Paris? It is one of the reasons that Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. All this green space puts an oasis of beauty nearby for most residents. And if you dare go by your stateside definition of a garden, it differs in France. A garden in France can vary from a small square with some pretty flowers and plants to the massive forested Parc Bois de Boulogne on the west edge of Paris.

In this FFRP title, there are 27 guided tours through the parks of Paris. Some encompass a single park, while others string several together over the course of 2-4 miles. So, if you only have an hour, you can choose one of the smaller parks to explore. But, if you have more time, you can traipse around hilly Montmartre which is dotted with several small parks or take in fully one of the larger parks such as the Tuileries, which is not only filled with natural beauty, but the object of great historical importance. If you thought you knew all the parks in Paris, think again. This book will surprise you with some interesting choices.

The FFRP (Féderation Française de la Randonnée Pédestre) is the government agency that oversees the trail system of France. It is also a trail guide publisher with nearly 200 guides in print.

We offer a 15% discount off his title, which was released in August 2007. Recent prices for it, due to the high euro-dollar conversion rate, have been around $30.00. The discount gives you a $4-5.00 savings. Offer expires 05/31/2008.