It is time for the grape harvest, in the south of France. The summer has been fairly warm, and the grapes are ready to go — about a month sooner than they were a year ago. This is a big annual event in the Languedoc and surrounding regions, which produce a third of France’s win. […]

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A few weeks ago we wrote about an open house at a local winery. It was a fine affair, with friendly workers and a food truck and cart rides through the vineyards. There was another one today, even more local to us than the other — just at the end of our road, a five-minute […]

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Little towns in the south of France have more spirit and energy than unwitting visitors might expect. Especially if the visitors happened into a village in the winter. Ah, but the summer … A different story.

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This is odd. When the French take vacations, they nearly always take them in late July and August, and they overwhelmingly take them in their own country. Which means those of us in the south of the country, where the dependable sun is, can expect a major influx of visitors from the north choking the […]

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This is the sort of thing that boggles the minds of Californians. Well, actually, just about anyone from America, the land of mediocre $30 bottles of wine, as well as tasting sessions that offer five tiny pours for $15-to-$25. Imagine a local winery that lets visitors taste as many as seven wines. Less than a […]

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Cicadas are not just a Midwest U.S. thing. They are common around the world, and we can vouch for their presence, in large numbers, in the south of France. How do we know they are here? Because these particular insects make a heck of a racket, and we have been hearing it day after day […]

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We like to think weather can never be severe, here in the Languedoc, in the south of France. That mindset took a hit tonight. A strong storm blew through the area, and five mature plane trees were snapped like matchsticks by powerful winds in the nearest “big” town to us. Some local anglophones were talking […]

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Ikea exists to test me. The Swedish masters of flat-pack furniture seem to have been designated by the universe to ask hard questions of me. “We know you are not a home-improvement guy. Not mechanical at all. Ignorant of electrical workings. Not to be trusted with anything plumbing-oriented, aside from (perhaps) a plunger. “But can […]

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No one looks good in the “booking” mugshot. Well, except for this guy. The booking photo taken at the police station is the one you do not want anyone to see. As Tiger Woods can attest to, this week, after his arrest for “driving under the influence”, in Florida. It looks like he is having […]

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In 1999, a U.S. team led by Landon Donovan got to the semifinals of the Fifa Under 17 Championship, in New Zealand. The young Americans played Australia to a 2-2 draw but lost the shootout 7-6 when Kenny Cutler missed his penalty and Oz’s Joshua Kennedy converted. Brazil won the tournament and the Yanks finished […]

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