Author Archives: John

La France est compliquée!

Life can be complicated here, even in simple things. When I say that to people who have lived here a long time, I sometimes get some pushback: “No, it’s not that bad. Not so complicated. Used to be worse,” etc. … Continue reading

Posted in Around Us, Food and Drink | 3 Comments

An Amble West of Cahors

We found a suggested route to the small towns on the Tarn River west of Cahors, so off we went. I’ve mentioned that we like bridges; here’s an old suspension bridge across the Tarn River. See, nothing very special on … Continue reading

Posted in Ambles | 1 Comment

Cahors

To wrap up our first ramble, we went to the town of Cahors. There’s nothing particularly enticing about Cahors, but it is a good place to see some local sights. Yet, Cahors itself has some charms, among them, wine made … Continue reading

Posted in Rambles | Leave a comment

An Amble Around Monpazier

Monpazier sits in the Lot River valley, a beautiful area. Most Americans visiting France keep themselves to the Paris area, or maybe Nice, on the Mediterranean coast. These are big cities, and so those tourists never see and enjoy rural … Continue reading

Posted in Ambles | 1 Comment

Monpazier

Eight years ago we came to Monpazier and have wanted to return ever since. We were able to arrange it this year and we are so glad we did. This is an amazing town, with quite a history, situated in the … Continue reading

Posted in Rambles | 1 Comment

Fronsac and Le Clos D’Iris

From Bordeaux, we drove to Fronsac. Now, Fronsac is not exactly a world-famous destination; with a population of about 300, it hasn’t exactly made a name for itself. But Fronsac has something that makes it worthwhile for any visitor to … Continue reading

Posted in Rambles | Leave a comment

Ramble #1, Part 2

After we left Bordeaux, we drove to the rather smallish town of Fronsac (population: 300). Fronsac is near the famous wine-growing region of St. Emilion, home of some of the finest (and highest priced) wines in the world. Here we … Continue reading

Posted in Ambles | 1 Comment

Ramble #1, Part 1

We’ve been on a ramble for the last week, and I’ve been remiss in posting about it. The first week has been in the Bordeaux region: two days in the Pauillac area, two days in Bordeaux itself, and two days … Continue reading

Posted in Rambles | Leave a comment

Things Automotive

A few years ago I wrote about parking in France. It has not changed. My conclusion about parking in France is that a driver can park a car anywhere as long as 1) the car doesn’t block traffic or a … Continue reading

Posted in Bois-le-Roi | Comments Off on Things Automotive

A Ramble to Sancerre

Today we drove with Mary and Gilles to Sancerre, about an hour and a half south of Bois-le-Roi. The motivation for making this trip was simple: buy some Sancerre wine from a small winery that we know and appreciate. So … Continue reading

Posted in Rambles | 2 Comments