The other morning I awoke with a shock. I had made the classic gaffe–forgot to ask for a wake-up call, thinking hey, I get up at 7 every morning. But in those high thread count sheets, with the light blocked, and a late night watching French TV, I was jolted […]
I’ve settled into the Sofitel in Dijon, and after another classy meal, and all the email read, it’s time once again to share some slices of La France. I haven’t been in France since 1989, and it’s still got that same je ne sais quois–is it the narrow streets? The […]
Chef Marc Meneau in Burgundy France, a Michelin-star chef who served us a quartet of exotic potatoes, all cooked in different ways.
After breakfast at Marc Meneau, I borrowed a bike to go out and see the countryside. I pedaled around a bend and into the small village of St. Pere, where trucks carefully navigated the narrow streets and forced pedestrians up onto the sidewalk. I rode over a bridge and out […]
France to me has always been symbolized by that classic Life magazine photo of the kid looking back from the bike holding the giant baguette. He is bicyling on a road like this, straight, and bordered by rows of trees. Here we head toward our next stop in Burgundy. Today […]
I asked my guide if there was a signature food that symbolized the town of Auxerre. She didn’t hesitate, and brought me inside a yellow awning, into a chocolate shop by the name of Jarry, on the main square. Madame Jarry gave us her famous ‘Bourguignottes’ rum and raisin flavored […]
I arrived at Montbard and met my driver–he knew the train schedule so I wasn’t stranded–and we began our trip to Auxerre. This town of about 45,000 is rich with architectural history; there are three hills and two famous cathedrals here. We toured the cool dark world of the crypts […]
I’m sitting in the Gare de Lyon in Paris, waiting for an 11:45 am TGV train. I arrived after a pleasant flight, watching a silly movie about a plague in Paris that was spread by fleas shaken off of dead rats by a misunderstood lad who watched his father plunge […]
I’m in the terminal at Logan with way, way too much time on my hands. I thought I should get here early, but this is ridiculous! So I’ve finished the NY Times, and there are many stories that are worth sharing. First was a piece by Matthew Wald about a […]
I am a nervous nellie when it comes to the day of departure. I’m sure my fellow GoNOMAD Travelers can relate to the intensity of travel fear—forgetting something, hitting traffic en route to the airport, not having the right papers etc, all usually unfounded but nonetheless unsettling. I got to […]
I’ve always loved Jacques Pepin, the easygoing and talented French chef. He was quoted in today’s Boston Herald, disputing a recently published book that said his pal Julia Child was a homophobe. He also talked about cooking. “It is so much more satisfying cooking for friends and family who are […]
