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We went to a palace yesterday devoted to a certain spirit. That would be B&B, Benedictine liqueur, which is actually manufactured in a 1900s gothic/romanesque palace in the oceanside town of Fecamp. “Everything here is about the drink,” our guide Danielle told us as we glided from room to room, […]

Have you ever heard of the Norman Hole? It has to do with the cherished apple digestif Calvados, which has been made in towns here in Normandy for centuries. Our guide Jean-Paul Herbert educated us about this tradition while we ate fish at a beachside restaurant in Le Havre this […]

Up and down the coast of Normandy there are high chalk cliffs that sometimes go as high at 200 meters. We got a chance to see these impressive natural barriers up close today as we had lunch in front of the large-pebbled beach at Fecamps. This town of about 10,000 […]

Last night for dinner we choose the oldest Inn in France. It was opened in 1345 and through the centuries the owners at La Couronne have compiled the ultimate walk of fame up and down their staircase and in the upstairs dining room. A panoply of French stars and old […]

I’m in my hotel room in Rouen France and the sunlight is streaming in the window. Outside the sun feels like it’s about 5:30 pm, but shockingly, it’s just after 8. Here we are so far north and it’s just one day past the longest day of the year. I […]

Last night we joined a throng of more than 100 men, women and children at the Camp Keewanee in the sticks north of Greenfield to celebrate a milestone in the Valley. Joe O’Rourke turned 50, with a full stage of musicians, dozens of family members in special green tee shirts, […]

I was excited when I asked Shoul where he was going tonight, Friday, my usual going out night. He said he was going to the ‘soft opening’ of a new wine bar and upscale restaurant in Easthampton, called Venus & the Cellar Bar. I hopped into the truck and made […]

I sent out a letter to some of the Iranians I met on my trip there in November. I asked them to tell me about the situation there as they see it, and wished them the best from me and from all Americans. I told them that we supported them […]