Life is a journey.
So I want to travel as much as I can.
Gap
Gap is a city of 41,000 people, located 2 hours drive north from Avignon or Aix=en=Provence. Not too far from the Provence, and not too deep into the Alpes - it has a very mild climate during spring, summer and fall, and has a little bit of snow in winter. Since I live here, I do not write about my "travels", but will share some beauties of this city here - I consider myself very lucky to have met someone who is from this beautiful town.
City Center
One of the best things about Gap is that you have almost everything from this town, in about 20 m2 area, which is the city center, you will find lots of shops (clothes, accessories, shoes, souvenirs, grocery), hair salons, cafes, restaurants, post office, banks, city hall, churches, office of prefecture, court, police station...and so on! Most streets are pedestrians only, or one way for cars. Cars move very slowly for the pedestrians as well, so it is very comfortable walking around the area. It's a small city too - when I go out, I usually bump into 2-3 people that I know each time. Open cafes are the best places to talk to friends. The city offers enough kind of different cuisines such as Vietnamese, Chinese and Indian, but of course, the best ones are French...!
View of the other side of the mountain.
Charance Mountain
Charance Mountain, Montagne de Charance is a 6,243 ft / 1,903 m mountain peak near Gap. There is a chateau of Charance only 10 minutes drive from the city center of Gap - and it is surrounded by beautiful gardens and ponds, best suited for running and walking. The chateau itself is not much like a castle but looks more like a large old school, but its garden has beautiful roses that may please people who love flowers. You can hike the mountain as well, it takes about 2 hours to go to the top area with the best view of the city. Hiking roads are not steep, so it's suitable for beginner hikers. The view from the top is simply amazing - you can take amazing photos looking like you own the world (of Gap).
My favorite cafes/restaurants in Gap:
I will be honest, I only drink a cup of espresso there. Every time. It costs €1.20, and it's the best to just meet with friends and chat for a bit! Sitting by the fountain in the plaza, zipping a coffee, looking at the blue sky...love it.
2. Crêperie FEST NOZ
Well it is owned my good friend Audrey - but without that I would still go there and eat delicious (and huge) crepes! My favorite is vegetarian crepe! Don't forget to order apple cider.
3. l’Oregon (located at Camping Alpes Dauphiné)
My mother-in-law goes there every Friday. I love it because they have fish menu - do you know how hard it is to eat fish here?