Tag: France

Fish Sauce in Rural France

Since Vietnam is a former French colony, it makes sense that one can find Vietnamese food in Paris and other large cities. We didn’t expect to find a Vietnamese restaurant in Domme. Our host at the hotel highly recommended the restaurant, Comptoir d’Annam. The restaurant opened the year after our first trip to the Dordogne. …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/05/12/fish-sauce-in-rural-france/

Two Side Trips

On the last leg of our journey, we had two side trips – one intentional, one accidental. Julian noted that our route from San Sebastian to Domme passed near Lourdes. We were game to see it, so off we went. For those unfamiliar with the story, this article can bring you up to speed. Miracle …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/05/11/two-side-trips/

Back to the Bastides

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 …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/04/28/back-to-the-bastides/

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 …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/04/18/love-finds-a-way/

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 …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/04/17/easter-in-paris/

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 …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/04/17/laundry-a-la-francaise/

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 …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/04/16/under-reconstruction/

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 …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/04/16/not-quite-haute-couture/

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, …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/04/15/more-gallows-humor/

Paris, Days One and Two

We landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport around noon on Sunday. We took a cab to our rental apartment on Ile St. Louis. The apartment is small, but serviceable for the two of us. The biggest drawback of the building – no elevator, and we’re on the third floor. The stairway is in a semi-spiral …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2022/04/11/paris-days-one-and-two/

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