Out and About in Bordeaux
Bordeaux is called the Paris of the South. It’s not as large, of course, and notably lacks a tower or pyramid. But it’s elegant, beautiful,… Read More »Out and About in Bordeaux
September 2023
Château LaTour-Martillac
Have you toured a winery? If so, you’ll see a lot that’s familiar in this post. Winemaking is like many other things – brain surgery,… Read More »Château LaTour-Martillac
Le Tour de Géants
Pau is a small town just north of the Pyrenees often used as either the beginning or the end of a stage of the Tour… Read More »Le Tour de Géants
Pigs and Fishes
The main reason that we came on this trip, the founding principle if you like, was to visit the Basque Country. We’ve been in and… Read More »Pigs and Fishes
Among the Basque
We cruised through Euskal Herria (Basque Country) today. The Basque are an ethnic group that lives in an area that spans France and Spain on… Read More »Among the Basque
Bilbao – This and That
Excusez-moi, Président Bush, mais vous envahissez le mauvais pays! France Tomorrow we return to France. Mary Anne and I love France, but many ‘mericans don’t.… Read More »Bilbao – This and That
Guggenheim – Bilbao
Everybody talks about the Guggenheim art museum in Bilbao. Designed by Frank Gehry, the same guy who gave us the Experience Music Project (now MoPop)… Read More »Guggenheim – Bilbao
Pamplona
Bullfighting. Meh. Look, I get it. Bulls are big, have pointy things on their heads, and can be dangerous if provoked. If you want to… Read More »Pamplona
Zaragoza
Zaragoza dates back to 14 BC when it was established by the Romans. There’s little left from that period, but there is a spectacular basilica,… Read More »Zaragoza
Barcelona Cathedral
There is a claim that this cathedral dates to the fourth century, but I think that’s kind of playing with numbers. The current structure was… Read More »Barcelona Cathedral
OK, OK, OK
We decided that we couldn’t leave town without taking another look at this amazing place. 125 years or so since construction began, it’s still going… Read More »OK, OK, OK
Where Ya Going?
Thanks to road construction, police blockades, and loss of GPS signal, it took forever to escape Andorra. It was worth it to return to lovely… Read More »Where Ya Going?
On the Road to Andorra
Andorra is a tiny country of about 80,000 souls tucked into the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain. It has a reputation as a place… Read More »On the Road to Andorra
Not Collioure
There’s a joke about places that are quiet in the evenings and on weekends, it goes: “I went to xxx once, but it was closed.”… Read More »Not Collioure
Perpignan
This is La Mas Bresson, a former stable that will be our home for the next three days. As you can see, it’s been improved.… Read More »Perpignan