We’re back in France, this time in the Dordogne Valley to revisit the bastides. We were first here in 2015. These are hilltop fortress towns that were fought over for centuries. Now tourists fight over limited parking spaces in these towns. Our home base, as it was seven years ago, is Domme. This is a …
April 2022 archive
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/04/28/back-to-the-bastides/
Apr 24
More on Pintxos
Pintxos are small portions of food, called tapas in other parts of Spain. You can have hot or cold pintxos. Some are on skewers, others on French bread. They’re often inexpensive, because the bar makes most of its profit on alcoholic beverages. Here’s a spread of pintxos we got at one of the oldest bars …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/04/24/more-on-pintxos/
Apr 23
Never Been to Spain…
Until now. A more appropriate question might be, what took us so long? We’re in San Sebastian, the heart of Basque country. The Basques may be the oldest civilization in Europe, with a distinct language that bears no resemblance to other tongues in Europe or elsewhere. San Sebastian and Bilbao were industrialized cities in an …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/04/23/never-been-to-spain/
Apr 18
Love Finds a Way
You may recall the story of the Pont des Arts in Paris. Couples would attach padlocks to the wire grates on the bridge to signify their love. Unfortunately, the weight of the padlocks caused several of the bridge railings to crash into the Seine. I wrote about it in this post. This is what the …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/04/18/love-finds-a-way/
Apr 17
Easter in Paris
Easter is a big deal in Paris. It’s a religious holiday, and the kids are out of school tomorrow. Today’s a big deal for me as well, as it was 40 years ago today when I was nearly killed in an auto accident. Most years the day goes by without my remembering, but this year …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/04/17/easter-in-paris/
Apr 17
Laundry à la Française
Doing laundry is inevitable on a lengthy vacation. While having a washer and dryer in a rental apartment seems to be the ideal situation, French home laundry appliances are inscrutable to these two Yankees. The dryers are rarely vented to the outdoors, so it takes forever to get even the smallest load dry. Our apartment …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/04/17/laundry-a-la-francaise/
Apr 16
Under Reconstruction
Paris is in a constant state of reconstruction. Centuries-old buildings have been retrofitted over the years with indoor plumbing, electricity, telephones, and internet connections. Some buildings need to be strengthened as old bricks and mortar deteriorate. The building we’re staying in will undergo a renovation after we depart. By far the biggest construction project in …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/04/16/under-reconstruction/
Apr 16
Not Quite Haute Couture
I think the pandemic has affected French fashion much as it has American. We’ve always been amazed that the average Parisian dresses in black and dull-colored clothes, even though the clothing racks in department stores here show eye-popping hues. This year the populace has doubled down on dullness. I haven’t seen many stiletto heels strolling …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/04/16/not-quite-haute-couture/
Apr 15
More Gallows Humor
Several years ago in Lyon I saw the following: On Wednesday we went to the Musée Carnavalet, which focuses on the history of Paris. One whole floor is devoted to the French Revolution. Julian took this picture of earrings that were made after Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette lost their lives. Even 200+ years ago, …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/04/15/more-gallows-humor/
Apr 13
Unplugged – Sort Of
Because I haven’t had more than a week of vacation per year in the last two years, I decided to be offline from work for the duration of this break. I told a coworker that I should only be contacted via my home email if there’s a zombie apocalypse or similar disaster at work. How’s …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/04/13/unplugged-sort-of/
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