Leaving France After two months of travelling through France, I could easily have continued my tour around the country and have been quite happy. But the plan was to travel in Spain, so after a brief lunch overlooking the mediterranean sea, we drove up the steep hill that marks the border between France and Spain…
Having a permanent bed would be really really nice. So there. Every evening we have to take the table down and unfold the bench seats. There’s usually some kind of commentary about how dirty the floor is. I wait in the back to hand over the additional foam pieces we lay on top of the…
So what are a few ideas for managing illness on the road? In short, try not to because it’s a real pain. Cheekiness aside, I was ill a few times and as someone dealing with ongoing gallbladder issues, anticipating a full blown attack while travelling caused me a lot of anxiety. On this occasion, though,…
Yes. Well, sort of. While France has banned the traditional bullfight where the bull is killed in the ring, there are still ten departments in the south and southwest of France where it is allowed to continue. Why? Because it is considered a longstanding, uninterrupted tradition. Hm. As if saying, “well we’ve always tortured and…
Person A: Are you the kind of person who, prior to going to a new place, does a whole pile of research? Do you type in things like, “The best things to buy in Paris,” or “ What is the best restaurant in Toulon?” Do you make lists and read endless blogs by digital nomads…
Just a note that if you missed my last post on January 17th, it’s cuz it somehow didn’t get sent out. Click here to read it. Sorry. We were tired of the cold nights and it was time again to see the ocean. It was October and after we drank some yummy wines in Côte…
For as long as I can remember, my husband has been talking about Côte du Rhône wines. While you may think of them as on the lower end of the scale of good French wine, you’d be wrong. Before moving to France, sure, I knew that there was Bordeaux and Burgundy wines but I didn’t…
Leaving le Puy de Dôme with sore legs, we travelled up and down beautiful mountainous roads and into cheese land. Since moving to France, I’ve tried so many different cheeses but never really knew where they came from save for my husband’s beloved raw milk Camembert de Normandie. I’d tried and enjoyed St. Nectaire, Mont…
The lessons I learned from my parents as I was growing up during the 1970s were simple. 1)Don’t litter 2)Clean up after yourself 3)Never arrive empty handed 4)Offer to help when you’re an invited guest 5)Say hello, please and thank you 6)Don’t be a pest And finally, 7) Don’t overstay your welcome These rules have…
A few years ago I read an article about how many of the olive oils we buy today are fake or altered. That’s to say that where people can get away with using crap oil and then colouring it with chlorophyll or what have you, they’ll happily scam whomever they can to make a buck….