Category Archives: Travels in and out of France

A lovely, four-hour, end-of-March ride

Posted on March 31, 2012 by

In this posting I’m going to share a lovely, four-hour ride that my wife Jan and I took on this beautiful, sunny day — including a lot of photos of the Greater Daglan Area and the Dordogne Valley as it … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling in the Dordogne, Flora and fauna, French food, Life in southwest France, Restaurants in France, Restaurants in the Dordogne, Tourist attractions, Travels in and out of France, Weather in the Dordogne | Tagged , | 4 Comments

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place

Posted on December 5, 2011 by

Congratulations if you recognize the title as belonging to a melancholy short story by Ernest Hemingway, in which a tipsy old man is reluctant to leave a café late at night. Halfway through the story, one of the waiters says … Continue reading →

Posted in French food, Life in southwest France, Restaurants in France, Travels in and out of France | 2 Comments

5 things about the Riviera

Posted on September 19, 2011 by

My wife and I are now back in the Greater Daglan Area, having spent more than a week on the French Riviera — our first visit to that wonderful spot. Before the memories fade with my tan, here are five … Continue reading →

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Paris on the run

Posted on July 28, 2011 by

We’re now back in Daglan after a two-day, one-night trip to the City of Light to see   Toronto friends Michael and Anna — Michael having just finished a bicycle tour that shadowed the Tour de France through the Alps (and … Continue reading →

Posted in French food, Paris restaurants, Restaurants in France, Tourist attractions, Travels in and out of France | Leave a comment

Shadows and reflections: Driving in Daglan

Posted on July 25, 2011 by

Scraped bumpers, broken wing mirrors and dented side panels are among the most common design features of cars and trucks in the Greater Daglan Area. It’s small wonder. In fairness to the village planners of the Middle Ages, it was … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in southwest France, Travels in and out of France | 3 Comments

We descend into pre-history

Posted on July 23, 2011 by

You may not know it, but the GDA (the Greater Daglan Area) is one of the crucibles of mankind. No kidding. In southern France and northern Spain, limestone caves provided homes to our ancestors tens of thousands of years ago, … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in southwest France, Tourist attractions, Travels in and out of France | 2 Comments

My Spaghetti Pinerolo

Posted on July 20, 2011 by

It’s often been said that the French don’t really “get” Italian food. They overcook pasta, not quite believing that al dente makes sense. They clearly have no idea that Pizza Margherita is topped only with tomato sauce, white mozzarella cheese … Continue reading →

Posted in French food, Life in southwest France, Travels in and out of France | 2 Comments

Front row at the Tour de France — Part 3

Posted on July 14, 2011 by

Today is Bastille Day — or La Fête Nationale, if you will. Since the morning was nice and sunny, my wife and I headed out for a bike ride to Castelnaud, having decorated the front of the house with several … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in southwest France, Sports, Travels in and out of France | 3 Comments

The place for Italian food — in Prague

Posted on May 11, 2011 by

Last week, we ventured far beyond the Greater Daglan Area, and flew (via Toulouse to Paris, and then Paris to Prague) into the Czech Republic. I had visited Prague many years before, but it was a brand new treat for … Continue reading →

Posted in Travels in and out of France | 3 Comments

Two stops in the Périgord Blanc

Posted on March 8, 2011 by

Yesterday I wrote about our “push into the Périgord Vert,” where we visited Excideuil. Today I’ll continue describing our travels, with our two stops in the Périgord Blanc. According to The Most Beautiful Villages of the Dordogne, “In the verdant … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in southwest France, Travels in and out of France | 3 Comments