In a house in France (boatless)
With Hoop Doet Leven sold to new owners the beckoning call of the soon-to-be-eaten snails still haunts us. We returned …
With Hoop Doet Leven sold to new owners the beckoning call of the soon-to-be-eaten snails still haunts us. We returned …
One does not truly “own” a 95-year-old boat. At best you simply take your turn with the boat, following in …
Here we are passing a lighthouse and a fully-rigged schooner on the Canal du Centre in Burgundy. Not quite. We’re …
We’re working our way down the Canal du Bourgogne through Southern Burgundy at a snail’s pace. But, of course, French …
Sure. Right. Everybody’s so depressed because the world is coming to an end. Iran. North Korea. Stormy. Blah. Blah. Blah. …
With just a bit more than a week until we leave for four months in France on our canal barge …
Yawn. Stretch. Breathe deeply. We’re easing out of winter hibernation and updating our six years’ lists of Things To Do …
So while Sandra was off in Italy for two weeks painting clouds, I was painting the barge in a town …
We’re approaching the midpoint of this, our sixth summer on Hoop Doet Leven in France (and the Netherlands. And Belgium. …
We’re at one week and counting down to our return to France. (Our actual return to France will be brief …
The post-election question at breakfast today was “do we still fly the U.S. flag on Hoop Doet Leven next summer?” …
WOW. In all capital letters. WOW, I’m back in the Netherlands, back after three weeks home in Massachusetts. Back at …
The aft cabin on HOOP DOET LEVEN is where the Dutch family – mother, father and two daughters – who …
The rain stopped. The sun shone. And we travelled as slowly as we could – which, on a barge is …
We are so fortunate this year. What with the weeks of torrential rains we’ve saved an absolute fortune on sunscreen. …
The world is topsy turvy. Migrants fleeing war, famine and poverty are pushing Europe to reexamine its generosity. And morality. …
Oh boy. Its that time of year again when thoughts turn to things French. Warm baguettes. Stinky cheese. Placid canals. …
The print version of the none-too-creatively-titled, but nonetheless entertaining, ON A BARGE IN FRANCE is now available from Amazon. The …
Aaaah OOOOOOOO. Aaaah OOOOOOOO. The horn moaned out of the fog enveloping the boat. Fog so dense the boat’s bow …
Back in my newspaper reporter days one of the fundamental axioms of journalism was that things – fires, school bus …
An entire winter is a long time to hold your breath. Especially this past arctic winter in New England. Walking …
We’re back home. Or we’ve left our new home. Its all a matter of perspective. Relativity is everything, as Einstein …
The River Doubs (rhymes with “dew” – has anybody French ever pondered whether there is any redeeming social value in …
This has been the summer of being flexible, of rolling with the punches. And of things, as they seem to …
With some trepidation I surreptitiously checked out the guy standing on my right in the cable car taking us up …