It was my miracle trip. The first was that I made my train with only two minutes to spare, the cut off for any TGV (high-speed train) departure in France. At 9:46 a.m., I had six minutes to climb to Voie (track) 6 from the barrels of Gare Montparnasse, which involved sprinting up escalators, across…
French Travels
Buttery Peninsulas — Saint-Malo, France
I came to Saint-Malo and did everything backwards from my visit last year. It was raining this time and the fortressed town, founded in the 1st century B.C. and now a mixture of pirate legacy, salted butter, and savory buckwheat galettes, was under a continuous mist. I borrowed a long umbrella from my hotel and climbed…
A Return to France and Memories of Chenonceau
It is only a matter of days now until I am back in Paris — only miles from this view at the majestic Chateau de Chenonceau on the River Cher. The last time I was in the Loire Valley, I enjoyed deep, restorative lungfuls of air and sweet mouthfuls of this sunkissed Pêche Melba on…
Lemons, lilies, and silky white pillows in Arles, France
An Escape to Arles from Paris I exited my Paris apartment at 6:29 am, leaving 14 minutes later than schedule, but in time to escape the jackhammer drilling that would soon begin. Unbeknownst to me at booking, my first apartment — before moving to a quieter street near the Marais — was window to Parisian…