Monthly Archives: October 2013

The veal deal

Posted on October 31, 2013 by loren24250

There are two types of meat that my wife Jan and I enjoy more in France than we did in Canada — veal and pork. That’s because in France, veal and pork actually taste like something meaty, rather than a … Continue reading →

Posted in French food, Life in southwest France, Recipes, Wine | Tagged beef, Daglan, desserts, espresso sauce, food, gluten-free sauces, gremolata, Italian food, mushrooms, osso buco, polenta, pork, Sauceline, semifreddo, veal, veal shanks | 6 Comments

Gonzo! (Or, farewell to the circus)

Posted on October 29, 2013 by loren24250

You may remember my surprise at seeing a circus camped in the field next to Daglan’s Stade Municipal recently. See for yourself, with this photo taken last week. And yes, that is indeed a bactrian camel walking gracefully past the … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in southwest France, Tourist attractions, Travels in and out of France | Tagged bactrian camels, circus, circuses, Cirque Piccolino, Daglan, Piccolino, Stade Municipal | 3 Comments

We manage to score — a pumpkin!

Posted on October 26, 2013 by loren24250

Almost a year ago, I wrote a real tear-jerker about our difficulties in trying to find a suitable pumpkin for Halloween in the Greater Daglan Area. (There’s early talk about the story becoming a major motion picture, which would star … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture in the Dordogne, Flora and fauna, Holidays in France, Life in southwest France | Tagged Daglan, Halloween, Halloween in France, jack-o-lanterns, nature, plants, pumpkins | 5 Comments

The circus comes to town (sort of)

Posted on October 25, 2013 by loren24250

Small travelling circuses are a regular feature of summer life in villages throughout the Greater Daglan Area. They move in trailers and trucks from place to place, usually performing just one or two shows, and then packing away the tents … Continue reading →

Posted in Holidays in France, Life in southwest France, Tourist attractions | Tagged bactrian camels, bicycling, camels, circuses, Cirque Cancy, Cirque Piccolino, cycling, Daglan, Dordogne weather, dromedary camels | Leave a comment

Starred restaurants, head-to-head

Posted on October 23, 2013 by loren24250

You may think that my wife and I eat at wonderful French restaurants every single day, but that would be just silly. Why last week alone, we ate lunch at home on Thursday! And only two of the four restaurants … Continue reading →

Posted in French food, Life in southwest France, Restaurants in France, Restaurants in the Dordogne, Wine | Tagged Beynac, Champagne, desserts, entrées, food, L'Essentiel, La Petite Tonnelle, Le Diabolo-Fraises, Le Vieux Logis, michelin starred restaurant, mushrooms, Nabirat, Perigueux, restaurants, Sarlat, seafood, Trémolat | 17 Comments

Walnuts — You’re going down!

Posted on October 20, 2013 by loren24250

Walnuts are one of the major crops in the Greater Daglan Area, and a tasty treat they are. If you’ve been wondering how this year’s walnut harvest has been going, don’t fret. It’s going very well, and very quickly to … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture in the Dordogne, Flora and fauna, Life in southwest France, Weather in the Dordogne | Tagged bicycles, bicycling, cycling, Daglan, Dordogne weather, nature, plants, St. Cybranet, St. Laurent la Vallée, walnut harvesting, walnuts, weather | 4 Comments

Winterizing 2013/14 — Step One

Posted on October 14, 2013 by loren24250

In the Greater Daglan Area, you know that winter is around the corner when the plane trees start being pruned. And right in Daglan’s heart, today (Monday, October 14) was the day the work began. To be clear, it doesn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Flora and fauna, Life in southwest France, Restaurants in France, Restaurants in the Dordogne, Weather in the Dordogne | Tagged cold weather, Daglan, Dordogne weather, le petit paris, nature, plane trees, plants, pruning, rain, weather, winterizing | 4 Comments

The haul of the wild

Posted on October 5, 2013 by loren24250

You probably know how tricky it can be to eat wild mushrooms — up to and including the point where you become ill, or deceased. For example, a friend of ours recently spent the entire night being sick after eating … Continue reading →

Posted in Flora and fauna, French food, Life in southwest France, Recipes, Weather in the Dordogne | Tagged Daglan, Dordogne weather, food, mushroom hunting, mushroom omelette, mushrooms, nature, rain, weather, wild mushrooms | 6 Comments

A wee whine about wine

Posted on October 4, 2013 by loren24250

It astounds me that it’s taking so long for so many French wine makers to understand the marketing power of good labels — labels that are not only attractive but are designed to communicate what consumers actually care about. For … Continue reading →

Posted in French food, Life in southwest France, Restaurants in France, Restaurants in the Dordogne, Wine | Tagged Daglan, French wines, La Petite Tonnelle, Lalande de Pomerol, Plaisir de Siaurac 2011, restaurants, wine labels | 3 Comments

A day to savour — and save

Posted on October 2, 2013 by loren24250

Today has been one of those days I wish I could capture in a bottle, so I could spoon out bits of it over the coming year. Here’s why: Breakfast was a perfect French treat — a warm croissant and … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling in the Dordogne, Cafés in France, Camping in the Dordogne, Exercise and fitness, Flora and fauna, Holidays in France, Life in southwest France, Travels in and out of France, Weather in the Dordogne | Tagged bicycles, bicycling, Camping Maisonneuve, Castelnaud, Céou River, cycling, Daglan, dordogne river, Dordogne weather, Fabrice le Chef, nature, weather | 4 Comments