On Valentine’s Day, did you know that there is a little village called Saint Valentin in Indre, in the Val de Loire?
Roman Emperor Claudius II wasn’t against a bit of love in the ranks, but actual marriage was forbidden in his army, as he believed that married men did not make good soldiers. Along came Saint Valentine, patron saint of lovers, but also of bee keepers, plague victims and epilepsy sufferers! (It’s a hard job but somebody has to do it!)
Love and War in the Pyrenees by Rosemary Bailey is available in paperback, the cover glowing with the colourful stripes so familiar to lovers of the Catalan fabric of St Laurent de Cerdans.
Rasiguères and rosé – the alliteration is a fortunate coincidence for this village of vignerons. Though the quality of the wine speaks for itself.
Son or daughter at uni or working in another region or country? Worry about them losing their phone or getting into financial trouble?
Rugby is a massive part of the P O culture, but where did the game originate, how did it evolve and why is it so popular here?
Test your French and have a giggle with this tongue in cheek joke about Ikea flat pack furniture. Vocabulary provided at the end.
Asparagus has been around for many hundreds of years, cultivated originally by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, and many ancient herbal textbooks mention it as both, food and medicine
Thuir, dynamic little town in the Aspres, is well worth a wander. Plenty of good restaurants, cafés and shops to while away a pleasant few hours, colourful and lively market….
Charles Rennie Mackintosh id well known in Port Vendres but have you heard of his artist friends, Edgar Hereford and Rudolph Ihlee?
