Bring Me Some Sunshine: Four Great Spring Breaks in Europe
Amiens, France
As my family and I cross the wisteria-adorned iron bridge to our private island, the scent of jasmine wafts on the breeze and the water laps against the moorings of the boats rowing. The tranquility suggests that our stay will be as relaxing as I had hoped, although I am surprised to feel so instantly at ease when the buzz of a bustling northern French town is only a 20 minute walk away. .
This is Amiens, where a 300-hectare estate of floating gardens called Les Hortillonnages comes to life with the arrival of spring. It's a colorful mix of generous housing estates, tangled flower gardens and intriguing sculpture paths. The area has existed since the 12th century, when locals began extracting peat for fuel from land near the Somme River.
They built raised gardens on the ensuing network of canals. , on an ideal land for the cultivation of vegetables. For centuries, life in this town remained largely the same, but by the end of the 20th century, with its supermarkets and mass farming practices, the number of hortillons had plummeted. in a spectacular way. There are only eight market gardeners today, compared to around 900 in the 19th century.
The leaders of the city of Amiens understood that it was necessary to preserve this exceptional environment. They did this through art and creativity - mainly an annual international garden festival, which starts every May - as well as tourism, which is how we threw ourselves in for a short break in a tiny cabin on one floor. It is one of seven accommodations of this type currently offered by the holiday rental company D'Une Île à l'Autre.
Our host, Océane, guides us to La Cabane Bleue, which we reach by crossing several footbridges connecting other islands. Arrived on site, we have the impression of having stumbled upon the cabin of the three bears: its wooden clapboards are painted turquoise, with purple shutters and doors. Océane shows us around: a kitchenette, a large shower room and an upstairs bedroom for three (the sofa bed fits four, but that's a little tight).
There is no porridge for Goldilocks, but especially no wifi or TV either. A photograph of a soldier hangs in the sitting area.
"He was a French soldier ", says Océane. "He hid in this cabin for six months during the Second World War."
Later, we explore the waterways in a boat, a small flat rowing boat long used by gardeners to get around. Paddling the calm waters is bliss; we see herons and great crested grebes and ducks nesting. Then, in a flash of blue, a kingfisher zooms by as the late afternoon light filters through the trees. Back at the cabin, we dined alfresco before heading back out onto the water with two kayaks to the...
As my family and I cross the wisteria-adorned iron bridge to our private island, the scent of jasmine wafts on the breeze and the water laps against the moorings of the boats rowing. The tranquility suggests that our stay will be as relaxing as I had hoped, although I am surprised to feel so instantly at ease when the buzz of a bustling northern French town is only a 20 minute walk away. .
This is Amiens, where a 300-hectare estate of floating gardens called Les Hortillonnages comes to life with the arrival of spring. It's a colorful mix of generous housing estates, tangled flower gardens and intriguing sculpture paths. The area has existed since the 12th century, when locals began extracting peat for fuel from land near the Somme River.
They built raised gardens on the ensuing network of canals. , on an ideal land for the cultivation of vegetables. For centuries, life in this town remained largely the same, but by the end of the 20th century, with its supermarkets and mass farming practices, the number of hortillons had plummeted. in a spectacular way. There are only eight market gardeners today, compared to around 900 in the 19th century.
The leaders of the city of Amiens understood that it was necessary to preserve this exceptional environment. They did this through art and creativity - mainly an annual international garden festival, which starts every May - as well as tourism, which is how we threw ourselves in for a short break in a tiny cabin on one floor. It is one of seven accommodations of this type currently offered by the holiday rental company D'Une Île à l'Autre.
Our host, Océane, guides us to La Cabane Bleue, which we reach by crossing several footbridges connecting other islands. Arrived on site, we have the impression of having stumbled upon the cabin of the three bears: its wooden clapboards are painted turquoise, with purple shutters and doors. Océane shows us around: a kitchenette, a large shower room and an upstairs bedroom for three (the sofa bed fits four, but that's a little tight).
There is no porridge for Goldilocks, but especially no wifi or TV either. A photograph of a soldier hangs in the sitting area.
"He was a French soldier ", says Océane. "He hid in this cabin for six months during the Second World War."
Later, we explore the waterways in a boat, a small flat rowing boat long used by gardeners to get around. Paddling the calm waters is bliss; we see herons and great crested grebes and ducks nesting. Then, in a flash of blue, a kingfisher zooms by as the late afternoon light filters through the trees. Back at the cabin, we dined alfresco before heading back out onto the water with two kayaks to the...
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