In Roussillon: Stilettos and Misericordes at Fort Saint Elme
We are now accustomed to the tools of the trade of character assassination. But medieval warfare required tools of more penetrating assassination such as the stilettos and misericordes on display among other medieval weaponry and armor at Fort Saint Elme, overlooking the Mediterranean just north of the Spanish border at Collioure in Languedoc-Roussillon.
Languedoc Trails: When a Dream of a Horseback Ride Turns into a Nightmare
Horseback riding in southwest France with a stunning view of the Pyrenees over their shoulders was a dream come true for Judy and Dave Kashoff… until they mistakenly left the trail and Judy’s white Arabian horse sank into a bog. Judy tells the horrifying tale of a dream ride that turned into a nightmare.
Great Encounters: Blois
Even without knowing much of the historical bla-bla about Blois, this Loire Valley town is a place of fascinating, magical, entertaining and tasty encounters. So before describing why Blois is considered the linchpin of understanding the history and architecture of the Loire Valley I’d like to introduce you to some of the people and characters that I encountered during a day of research throughout the town.
Chambery Revisited: Reflections on a Pre-Alpine Valley Town
In which the author visits and revisits Chambery, the capital of Savoy in the Rhone-Alpes region, remembers old stones and water slides, tries to see the mountains through the mist, contemplates reading Rousseau, going cycling and visiting a museum, takes a cruise on Lake Bourget from Aix-les-Bains, goes skiing with Italians on Grand Revard, and reports on hotels and restaurants in and around Chambery.
Nasti Business in Kaysersberg, Alsace
Olivier Nasti may sound like the name of a villainous cartoon character, mean, bony, bitter and solitary, but the Olivier Nasti I met in the town of Kaysersberg in Alsace is a charming, round-cheeked chef and businessman with a strong sense family. Seven miles northwest of Colmar, in one of the small, colorful tourist-friendly towns along the Alsace wine route,...
Just a Glimpse: Colmar, Alsace
A brief stay in Colmar, capital of the Upper Rhine department of Alsace. The Hotel Marechal, the Unterlinden Museum, the Bartholdi Museum.
5 Days in Auvergne, Part IV: Château La Canière, a Luxury Hotel
10 miles from the spa town of Chatel-Guyon (Puy-de-Dôme, Auvergne), Château La Canière, the only luxury hotel within many miles, stands out in the plain. Lavoisier awaits inside, everywhere.
“New Wine From France”: Documentary By American Jeanne Bernard Examines Biodynamic Vineyards in the...
An interview with Jeanne Bernard, an American from Louisiana living in Paris, author of “New Wine From France,” a documentary about biodynamic wine in France.
5 Days in Auvergne: Part III, Chatel-Guyon
In Part III of the series "5 days in Auvergne," the author visits the spa town of Chatel-Guyon on the edge of the Regional Nature Park of the Volcanoes.