When I ask people what they pair with port, the first response is usually chocolate. Deep, dark, silky and smooth, it’s wonderful with many port wines. But people not fond of chocolate want something different. A few years ago, I set out to find an offering when chocolate gets thrown out. What I found will be nice to enjoy on… Read more »
On Saturday morning I took the regional train from Bordeaux Gare St. Jean to Libourne, (a quick 25 minute, 8 euro ride) where I met up with my new friends. From there it was a mere 10-minute drive to Saint Émilion (and their secret parking spot). I met Laetitia at a recent wine class where we immediately connected. She lives… Read more »
Some people asked what I’m doing while Mark is buried in chateau visits, vineyard soil pit analysis, and research papers. So here you go, a general update from the other half. I decided early on tackling the French language, at least having the ability to conduct daily activities was tops. I attended classes three mornings a week with a rotating… Read more »
Up early on a rainy Sunday, Tram C to Gare Saint-Jean, Chinon was waiting. Mark remained home working on a paper and oodles of statistical analysis. Wow, did I just call Bordeaux home?!? It takes 4 to 5 train-bus hours to get to Chinon from Bordeaux. (TGV or regular train to Tours Centre or Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, then bus to Chinon). As… Read more »
Jeanne d’Arc, declared a national symbol of France in 1803 by Napoleon Bonaparte, and one of the nine patron saints of France, greets us daily as we come an go from our new apartment. We recently moved to this location: it’s cuts down Mark’s school commute by 10 minutes, and puts us closer to the main down town area of… Read more »
This is a continuation of our holiday Carcassonne adventure focusing on wine. After hiking and exploring, we were off to learn more about the wines of the Languedoc-Roussillion. Since we didn’t have a car, and we were smack in the middle of the holidays, visiting wineries was a bit harder. Research uncovered Vins et Vinos, a small wine shop in… Read more »
Carcassonne was a planned stop on our way home from Ille sur Tête. How could one not stop in such a town, so much history and wine?!? To set the stage, Carcassonne draws about 3 million visitors annually. People primarily come to see the Cité de Carcassonne, a medieval fortress that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s basically a… Read more »
Lights and tinsel, spirited gatherings and regional specialties– the Bordeaux holiday market comes alive in December and lasts up to the new year. Strolling through the isles marked with brilliant decorations whose intentions are to lure you in, it’s tempting to stop and mingle with every vendor, to learn the history and story behind his or her door. … Read more »
Biscotti refers to a specific type of Italian cookie derived from the Tuscan “biscuit” called “cantucci”. (In Italian the word biscotti means biscuit.) For a while I thought a biscotti was a biscotti was a biscotti. That is until a friend threw a cantucci at me. His homemade cantucci so transported my sweet tooth I asked for the recipe (thinking… Read more »
“Had She oones Wett Hyr Whystyll She couth Syng full clere Hyr pater noster.”- 1386 Towneley Mysteries There was Sideways, then Bottleshock. How about French Kiss (a wine movie of sorts), or the classic many people may not know, The Secret of Santa Vitoria. And there was Somm which came out a few years ago showing viewers the intensity (and… Read more »