Our time in Europe was growing ever so short. We had one week left before we needed to be in Barcelona to catch the cruise ship to Florida. Last year we spent a month in Perpignan and made friends that we were anxious to see again. Perpignan just happened to be on the way to…
Category: France
Languedoc, France: Wine, Cheese, Oysters, and Scenery – The Perfect Place?
I Probably Should Keep This Magnificent Part Of The World A Secret, But… I just can’t. OK, having been born in the south of France makes me a bit prejudice, but Languedoc has to be the most perfect place in the world. Why? Well, let’s start with an amazing landscape, ancient mountainside villages, both bathed…
There’s Nothing Boring about Bordeaux
No proper wine romp through France would be complete without a stop in Bordeaux. It’s a mecca for wine drinkers and certainly recognizable by abstainers. In preparation for our assault on the fine vintners of the region, Pat did some googling. “Did you know that there are 38 sub-regions in Bordeaux?” he asked me. “Thirty-eight?”…
Beaujolais and Lyon, France: Vin et Balades
French 101: Vin means wine and Balades means – literally- walks, but really it means hikes. So what better title for this blog? After all, we are VinoHikers and, as the cover photo suggests, Beaujolais is replete with balades. But with the opportunity to experience this beautiful countryside and experience some wonderful wines – wines,…
Côtes du Rhône: The Great French Wine Binge
The day finally arrived. The Great French Wine Binge was about to begin. Four weeks of toodling about in the French countryside. Visions of vineyard cloaked hills and tasty tipples danced in our heads. We were ready and more than willing. First stop, a week in Côtes du Rhône. Getting from Point A to Point…
Nice & Montpellier: Should We Stay or Should We Go?
Venice, Ljubljana, Zagreb, and Budapest were a blur, but we made it to France with plenty of time to see what we wanted to see. Namely, Nice, Montpellier, then four weeks exploring the different wine regions before wrapping up our little adventure in Perpignan. It’s hard to believe the end is near. A Nice Promenade…
Perpignan, France: Apero-Time!
What Were We Thinking? As much as you can plan in advance, you still never really know what’s going to happen until it happens. Perpignan was planned while we were still in Asia. Flights were purchased, an overnight accommodation was reserved in Barcelona, bus tickets were bought, and a month-long rental was confirmed in Perpignan…
Girona, Spain: On the Road to Les Temps de Flors
Disclaimer: This blog is a partially fictional account of our recent visit to the city of Girona, Spain and is not a completely accurate representation of the events as they transpired. This blog was written tongue in cheek in a Gonzo journalistic style, a la Hunter S. Thompson (albeit poorly) with the hope of being…
Céret, France: Art Moderne
Le Bus for 1€ If there is one thing I’m a sucker for, it’s art. I love sculptures in parks, graffiti in alleys, carefully plated food, fountains, gardens and, of course, art museums. Luckily for us, Céret was on a “Le Bus for 1€” route and just happened to have a highly recommended modern art…
Languedoc-Roussillon-Catalan, France: A Stranger in a not so Strange land
It is said that you can’t go home again, meaning that a return to the place you grew up cannot possibly live up to those youthful memories stored away in that happy place of the brain. I am of the opinion that it’s only partially true; dependent on expectations and just how much the place…