Written by 2012 was a pretty hectic year for me with trips to Brazil, the Caribbean and Europe. Here are the posts made on the spot: live blogging from several countries. After my usual January detox, first it was Switzerland in February: The Engadine valley with posts like Swiss Romansch, Unfortunate Swiss names , Scuol: Hom Strom [...]
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The church of Notre-Dame-des-Malades, Vichy
The clear highlight of my last visit to the Auvergne was the church of St-Blaise/Notre-Dame-des-Malades in Vichy. Vichy was for centuries France’s prime spa centre with sulphurous and mineral waters which are still prescribed – to be drunk or to be bathed in – for many maladies. Indeed, it was the town’s number of hotels [...]
READ MORE »Franglais or Just English?
I can still remember the time, when, even in Paris, a simple ‘Parlez-vous anglais?’ would be met with the annoyance hat-trick of raising the eyebrows, pursing the mouth and looking up at the sky with an expression of distaste for the foreigner who comes to France not speaking Dieu‘s own langue. How times have changed. [...]
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