Nov 15 - JL's Wine Making Class

I spent the weekend of Nov 15 with my good friend Jean-Louis Brelet and his family. He's been trying to get me to visit for years and when he planted his own vineyard and invited me to a party to taste the first wine from his vineyard, well, you know I just had to go!

Roquefort le Pins (near Nice)

In addition to tasting his wine (very good), we spent time enjoying the French way of life (slurping coffee out of large bowls, eating well, drinking even better) and had time for a quick trip up to the French Solar Observatory located in the mountains behind Jean-Louis. It was a great weekend. Jean-Louis, I will be back to visit again!

Nov 3 - School Starts

I've made my way to Ludoexpression School, a very small school located in the village of Villegailhenc, 10km north of Carcassonne.

http://www.ludoexpression.com/

http://maps.google.fr/maps?f=q&hl=fr&q=&jsv=139e&sll=47.15984,
2.988281&sspn=8.666759,18.457031&ie=UTF8&geocode=FT06lAIdNu0jAA

The school is run by a couple, Dominique (the teacher), and her husband, Luc (administration and publicity). Part of my objective was to live with a French family, thereby increasing my exposure to the French language and the French culture. No problem, says Luc, come stay with us! I have to say, this is the first time I have lived with the professor.

Villegailhenc (near Carcassonne)

It was a very positive experience. I was able to learn from Luc and Dominique as well as their two chilldren, Fabien and Cyril.

The village of Carcassonne was nearby and is a must see if you are in the area. I also became friends with John, a retired RAF pilot who lives in this area, and Jenny & Will, an American couple who spend most of their time in France now. Everyone I met here was very kind.