Nice places to go in France during May-June

Most of France is lovely in May and June. Chestnut trees are blooming in early May and that continues for a month, depending on where you are. They are huge trees covered with white or pink blossoms. Love 'em.

Hm . . . historic places with lots of nearby charming villages. Let's see . . .

The Loire Valley is good and the weather will be perfect then. You could base yourself near Tours, perhaps in Amboise, and then tour the various chateaus in the area. Most are in utterly charming small villages. There are easy visits to Clos Luce as well as the chateau in Amboise; Chateau Chenonceau built over the river Cher in the quaint village of Chenonceaux, Chateau Villandry with its famous gardens, Chateau Azay-le-Rideau which is a small but perfect chateau in a perfect little village on a river. You could visit Chateau Chaumont on the Loire and the fun gardens created during their yearly garden competition. They are always interactive and lots of fun in addition to being beautiful. There is Chateau Chambord, the largest of the Loire chateaus and a great equestrian show on the grounds. There are also many lesser-known chateaus that are a marvel and in delightlfully quaint villages. Among these would be Langeais, Montrichard, Luynes, Montpoupon (in the ocuntry) and Loches. You could also take a day trip to Chartres, a charming small city with a magnificent cathedral, an excellent art museum behind the cathedral, a stained glass museum, several other beautiful churches and a town walk through the medieval section along the river.

Another possibility would be Provence in the south of France. It gets pretty hot in the summer but May and June are lovely. You could base yourself at St. Remy or Arles and visit Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Aigues-Mortes, the Camargue and choose one or more of the cobblestoned perched villages. There are also chateaus in Provence including one at Lourmarin in a charming village. You could visit Daudet's Mill (of literary fame), several abbeys including Montmajour near Arles and Silvacane near Charleval. There is also Les Baux perched on a mountain with views to die for.

If you want a German twist to your French visit, you could visit Alsace. Strasbourg, France is a very cosmopolitan city on the Rhine River. There is a lovely Old Town section and a Little France area. It's fun to start your visit on a boat tour of the city. You start just below the gorgeous cathedral. The tour gives you your bearings for a walking tour. We usually stay in Barr, southwest of Strasbourg. It's one of many wine villages. There is a restored castle called Haut-Koenigsbourg that is a great visit and there are views for at least 40 miles from the top. The area wine villages are treasures. They nearly define the word "quaint." You travel through fairy-book countryside from village to village. Favorites are Barr, Ribeauville, Riquewihr, Selestat and Obernai. Mont Ste. Odile is another treasure. It's an abbey on top of a mountain. There are hiking trails surrounding and going through the grounds. You can stay at the abbey and it's very peaceful.

Brittany (Bretagne), Normandy and Burgundy are also possibilities but you have enough to get started with your planning. For a first visit, I'd strongly recommend the Loire area.

We've never been to an area of France we didn't like so don't stress too much over your choice. There will be lots to do, great beauty, fine food and helpful people wherever you choose to go.