by Anne Swardson | Nov 24, 2021 | Paris
Let’s get one thing straight: The sidewalks of Paris are not littered with dog poo. Hefty fines have curtailed most déjections, as they are called. A while back, a Paris woman who not only failed to clean up after her two Jack Russells but also insulted the cops who... 
by Anne Swardson | Nov 11, 2021 | Gredos, Horses, Riding, Spain
This is a departure from my usual post topics, but I hope the appeal is universal. Ignore it only if you don’t like any of the following: Spain, wine, adventure, mountain views, gourmet meals or horses. This riding vacation was a year and a half in the making. We –... 
by Anne Swardson | Oct 20, 2021 | food, France
I grew up in a country that had four seasons, and later lived in Canada, which locals say has two seasons: winter and construction. Neither of those experiences prepared me for France, which has seasons not just for weather but for produce, school vacations, sales,... 
by Anne Swardson | Oct 4, 2021 | France, Paris, Parisbiking
My sister, Dr. Christine Swardson Olver, is spending four months in Paris doing canine cancer research, her second spell as a scientist in France. She has already mastered the place, or at least the transportation part. By Christine Swardson Olver I decided to live... 
by Anne Swardson | Sep 20, 2021 | covid, France
I recently returned from the U.S., where the talk was of breakthrough infections, vaccine reluctance, rising cases and unmasked citizens coughing on the masked. It was a relief to get back to France, which, after some false starts, seems to have gotten the balance...