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- Weathering the Burns Day Storm: 25-26 January 1990 November 18, 2013
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- Westwards to Wales: January 1990 October 31, 2013
- Musical Micropause: P October 30, 2013
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- To Brittany and beyond: January 1990 October 25, 2013
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- Last train to Lannemezan: November 1989 October 14, 2013
- Musical Micropause: M October 3, 2013
- You have to laugh – mishaps and misadventures in France October 2, 2013
- From the Basque Country to the Holy Waters: December 1989 September 25, 2013
- Musical Micropause: L September 20, 2013
- Rocamadour and the Black Madonna: December 1989 September 15, 2013
- Musical Micropause: K September 10, 2013
- Cave paintings and Chocolate croissants: November 1989 September 4, 2013
- Musical micropause: J September 3, 2013
- Keep on Running – back to Bordeaux: November 1989 August 29, 2013
- Musical micropause: I August 23, 2013
- Amsterdam in installments: 1989-2008 August 20, 2013
- Musical micropause: H August 14, 2013
- Blacklisted in Bordeaux: December 1987 August 10, 2013
- Musical micropause: G August 4, 2013
- Searching for Snow in the Pyrenees: December 1987 July 31, 2013
- Musical micropause: F – voices from down under July 16, 2013
- Christmas in Bordeaux, December 1987 July 12, 2013
- Musical micropause: E July 9, 2013
- Bonjour Bordeaux! – December 1987 July 5, 2013
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Tag Archives: france
Weathering the Burns Day Storm: 25-26 January 1990
Is this really a typical Winter’s day in the UK? I’ve heard bad stories, but this is a bit extreme. It’s been a long day and I’m supposed to be in France by now. I feel the need for a … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged amiens, arras, bloody weather, burns day storm, calais, daria, Dover, England, eurail, france, hurricane, paris, storm, travel, United Kingdom, wind
2 Comments
To Brittany and beyond: January 1990
Maybe it’s the sheep jokes, but for some reason I feel a certain affinity with Brittany. I wasn’t aware that Brittany enjoys a similarly unfounded reputation for their hospitality to sheep as my homeland. The younger crowd in Bordeaux do … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged angers, apocalypse tapestries, brittany, chateau villemaurine, france, jersey, lorient, nantes, new years eve, pontorson, rennes, st emilion, st helier, st malo, train, travel
2 Comments
Last train to Lannemezan: November 1989
When three french heads simultaneously stop their conversations and look at you, you know that something is up. In fact, I’m up – up in the Pyrenees, when I should be getting closer to Bordeaux. How did that happen? And … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged Bob Dylan, bordeaux, Carcassonne, eurail, france, Lannemezan, Toulouse, train, travel, walkman
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You have to laugh – mishaps and misadventures in France
Have you ever had that feeling that you’re stuck inside a phone booth in Bordeaux at 11pm with only a beer for company? I think I may be one of the few – it was an interesting way to finish … Continue reading
From the Basque Country to the Holy Waters: December 1989
When I visited France in late 1987, ETA, an armed group of Basque nationalists, were active in Spain with 44 deaths in the previous twelve months from car bomb attacks in Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza. Almost 200 others have been … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged Basque, Benesses-les-dax, Boulevard des Pyrenees, Dax, france, holy water, Lourdes, miracles, Pau, pyrenees, St-Jean_de-Luz, travel
3 Comments
Rocamadour and the Black Madonna: December 1989
There isn’t much that can be said about the origins of Rocamadour with certainty, but it can’t be denied that the setting is stunning. I’ve taken the train from Bordeaux to Brive-la-Gaillarde, and then on to Rocamadour Padirac station. From … Continue reading
Cave paintings and Chocolate croissants: November 1989
One advantage of Google Maps is that I finally have a map with enough detail to show me exactly where I was on my travels over twenty years ago. Places in France like Bénesse-lès-Dax or Condat-le-Lardin; I’ve always known which train … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged cave paintings, chocolatine, condat-le-lardin, france, lanterne des morts, lascaux, montignac, sarlat, travel
8 Comments
Searching for Snow in the Pyrenees: December 1987
Life in Condom can’t be fun. I’m sure the most photographed attractions are the town’s welcome signs. Being a bunch of teenage boys, my french brothers have made a detour here for my benefit, so I have to show my … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged 1987, col du portet, espiaube, floc de gascogne, france, lac de l'oule, new years eve, pyrenees, saint lary, simple minds, skiing, snow, st lary, travel
2 Comments
Christmas in Bordeaux, December 1987
Just call me Lord of the Flies. My new family must be wondering who they’ve invited into their home after tonight’s behaviour. We’re having a quiet drink while watching the french version of Wheel of Fortune, when someone asks me … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged bordeaux, Cathédrale Saint-André, Christmas, Fève, france, Galette, Henri Leconte, Ishtar, La Fête Des Rois, Meg Ryan, Pineau, trabel, Wheel of Fortune
4 Comments
Bonjour Bordeaux! – December 1987
Oh dear – I think I’ve broken this girl’s nose. This isn’t good. I can’t see blood but she’s still clutching it like it may fall off and roll into the Bordeaux gutter. Maybe we’ll laugh about this later? I’ll … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged bise, bordeaux, france, france gall, joe le taxi, johnny hallyday, travel, vanessa paradis
12 Comments
Discovering Paris, December 1987
There is something exhilarating about crossing to the Arc de Triomphe at night, while a squadron of blaring Citroëns and Renaults bears down upon you. The initial observation that French headlights are a different colour to those in New Zealand … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged arc de triomphe, champs elysees, france, paris, place de la concorde, toilet, travel
3 Comments
No Sleep Till Paris, December 1987
“You are sweet” said the policeman. I can’t imagine a New Zealand police officer saying that, but this is my first time in France, and maybe things work differently here. “Thanks”, I reply, and quickly catch up to the group. … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged champs elysees, Eiffel Tower, france, metro, Orly, paris, police, Tour Eiffel, travel
5 Comments
onlylivingboyintitirangi 