Author: Bob

While living in North, Central and South America, in the middle of the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean, and now in Europe, my passion has remained the same: travel and meeting new friends.
Life in France

Little choices, big impact

Team Farmers!
Team Farmers!

You’ve seen several posts on this blog about markets. In Carcassonne we have the open-air fresh fruits and vegetables market on the square three days a week; inside the heated/air-conditioned Les Halles covered market you can buy meats and seafood all week-long; and every other week or so there seems to be a fair that highlights the local wine, honey, nuts, cheese, and other products made here. In other words, we’re faced with an embarrassment of choices. Continue reading “Little choices, big impact”

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Life in France

Angels’ feet

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An afternoon snack of Morbier, St. Nectaire, & Tommes des Pyrenees cheeses.

Today we were in a supermarket and I noticed a display for an air freshener. I didn’t bother trying to translate the words since the pictures told the whole story. The product’s maker wanted you to know that their freshener would handle the strongest odors from dogs, shoes, and since this is France, cheese. Yep, a big ‘ole hunk of stinky cheese was right up there as a common household smell. Continue reading “Angels’ feet”

Unknown's avatarBob
Life in France

Worth its weight in chocolate

One of 3 chocolate shops around the square
One of 3 chocolate shops around the square

Carcassonne has three chocolate shops around the main square plus a fourth one about a 5-minute walk away. These are not your ordinary salt water taffy and fudge candy stores but artisanal workshops with many of their treats created on the spot. You may have read an earlier post about the annual Chocolate Fair and these folks carry on the tradition daily. Of course, that does come at a price and now I know why these confections are so highly prized. Continue reading “Worth its weight in chocolate”

Unknown's avatarBob
Life in France

The Home Show, French style

Home Show ad from their website
Home Show ad from their website

We used to watch a lot of Home Garden Television (HGTV) where our favorite show was House Hunters International. When they would feature a location in Europe we would always record it so that we could later pretend that we were the ones that were looking for a home overseas. Every spring in Atlanta there is a huge 3-day home improvement exhibition that always features one or more of the hosts from this TV network and we usually went just to see what was new and maybe catch a glimpse of a “star”. This weekend at the exhibition hall that’s a 5-minute walk from where we live was the Salon de l’immobilier et de l’habitat de Carcassonne (short version: Home Show) so we just had to go. Continue reading “The Home Show, French style”

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Life in France

Induction into induction

Cooking curried vegetables outside
Cooking curried vegetables outside

We bought something recently that had all of the following and many more warnings: Don’t use this if you have a pacemaker, wear hearing aids, have reduced physical, sensory, or mental capabilities, lack experience and knowledge, are under age 8, live in a farmhouse, on and on. With all of this cautionary advice I’m surprised that we were even allowed to make a purchase. Welcome to induction cooking. Continue reading “Induction into induction”

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Life in France

Accidental vegetarians

At the open air market
Walking towards the open air market

One of the many reasons that Bill and I moved to southwest France was the cost of living. For the quality of life we were seeking we were unable to find it affordably in the US, if it even exists there. Walking to the open air market two or three times a week to pick up fresh produce from near by farms is something we really appreciate. Next to the this square is Les Halles, the huge covered market built in 1768, where some of those same farmers also sell their meat and fishermen display their catch from the Mediterranean Sea that’s about 30 minutes away. That’s probably where we’ll be buying everything that we eat from now on, and here’s why…. Continue reading “Accidental vegetarians”

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Life in France

When east is west

The Dome, 1728, in Carcassonne
The Dome, built in 1728 in Carcassonne

Today we took a city bus for the first time in years. Living in Chicago and LA, that’s how we got to work or anyplace else we couldn’t walk to since we didn’t have a car. Now that we’re back to foot transportation we opted for a bus since it would have otherwise taken an hour to get to the store, it was cool and rainy, and we anticipated carrying back a 40-pound (18 kg.) box. It was worth a euro each way. Continue reading “When east is west”

Unknown's avatarBob