As I close in on 100 countries visited in a lifetime of roaming and working abroad, this feature follows my route towards that exclusive 100 Club and shares some impressions I collected along the way.

A short hop across the Channel and an obligatory day trip for many English schoolchildren, it’s no surprise that France was my first foreign country, providing an early glimpse into all that has united and divided our proud nations over the centuries.

There are of course too many iconic sights in France to choose from, but I find Mont-Saint-Michel truly magical at low tide: arising from the midst of glistening sandbanks, its gothic abbey perched atop a rocky islet from where medieval dwellings spill down winding cobbled streets until restrained by town walls that kept invaders and tides at bay throughout the centuries.

Photo credit: Gilles Derot on Unsplash