Pilgrims’ (Pained) Progress

Not so bad. The Charlemagne slope, while sloppy, made our shoes muddy but not our spirits. “I might have broken a little sweat,” said a triumphant Gina at the summit. Above the forest with the smile of the sun upon us, our nearly four hours of steep up-and-up gave us...

We the Slow Peoples

  There are two types of Camino pilgrims. Whether outdoorsy and sporty or fresh from the office and soft, the first shoulders a massive backpack weighted by bedroll, air pillow, and similar backcountry/wilderness explorer-gear, and nightly bunks mostly dressed in...

The Camino Less Traveled, with Gato

Since we weren’t on walkers, why not walk? No one needed a knee replaced, a new hip or two, so why not make our 70th birthdays something to remember? Friends since pre-school, Gina and I wanted Europe, we wanted adventure, we wanted to return home after an athletic...

Mastering the Art of (Liking) French Cooking

In cooking, you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude. – Julia Child “It’s the big gray bird, Madame.” The waiter flaps his elbows to describe the word on the menu I have never before seen in my life. “On the farm.” On the farm? Is it turkey? No. An especially large...

Lunching With Renoir’s Boating Party

I never think I have finished a nude until I think I could pinch it. – Pierre Auguste Renoir “This way, please, Mesdames, Monsieur.” I scoot along behind the maitre d’, who’s moving fast. Vite, vite, step quickly, before the crush of lunchtime crowd separates us...

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