by Anne Swardson | Jan 4, 2022 | France, Paris
Even though I like to write about Paris’s ethnic neighborhoods, a recent walk showed me that’s not really the right term. It implies boundaries and separation, when in fact many flow into each other, almost without warning. In three-plus hours, my sister... 
by Anne Swardson | Dec 6, 2021 | France, Paris
“Let’s walk around the 13th arrondissement,” said my sister Christine. What a good idea! Even though I gravitate toward Paris’s funkier neighborhoods for my blog-reporting walks, this one was mostly unknown territory for me. But Christine had recently moved... 
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,...