Part of What Makes a Place Special and Beautiful Is Being Able to Share It
I often try to get at least a short ride in wherever I visit. So this morning after breakfast in the kitchen, I borrowed a one-speed and pedaled off down the road. As I was advised, I took the quick left and the road soon became quite narrow, passing by […]
Two French Women Who Make Food for the People
We drove out into the countryside today to meet two people who are very involved with the local gastronomy. This is a big part of the appeal of France, that there are so many people who love food and live lives that are involved with producing great food. Our first […]
Learning About Life as a British Expat in the Lovely French Countryside
Tonight at the Chateau La Thuiliere, dinner was served table d’hote. Which means, all of the guests assembled in a grand banquet room to dine at one big table. There was a couple from Japan, reticent and on the far end, a French couple from Toulouse making their first foray […]
At Chateau La Thuiliere, a Cooking Lesson with Foie Gras
This morning I took one of France’s regional trains out to Mussidan, on a hot sunny day. The station was busy, but most of the people were boarding the TGVs heading to Paris, not as many taking my line inward that ends up in Lyon. Few things can compare to […]
Chateau d’Yquem: The Man Among the Boys of Sauternes
In the village of Sauternes, there are dozens of wine producers who focus on the same sweet white wine, known by the same name. It’s pale yellow and as it gets older, it turns slightly darker. It’s hard to chug more than a small glass because it’s very sweet. But […]
Bordeaux is an Exciting, Gleaming City with Residents Who Are Proud of It
Today the pedestrian-only streets in the prosperous city of Bordeaux were mobbed, people were wall to wall because it’s one of the only two times per year that stores in France are allowed to have sales. For the first two weeks of July and again in March, stores can lower […]
In the Palombiere, Over Escargots, We Learn about a Tough Hunt
We met a man the other night named Eurl Jean-Marie Bitaube, who is a traiteur. His specialty is summer escargot parties, and we followed him in his little white truck to a trail in the huge Foret du Landes, which is a 2.4 million acre planted pine forest, the largest […]
Screw Top Wines in France? Oui, Oui!
We had a date to go canoeing today but I inquired about getting my own solo vessel instead. To me a kayak on a small river is better than trying to manage a two-person canoe. Plus, it allowed me to go ahead and enjoy the silence of the narrow Citron […]