The pleasure of sharing a petit rouge with Terrance in Paris is multiplied six-fold – France, after all, is a hexagon – in these pages. His travels take him from the vineyards of Burgundy and Bordeaux to the châteaux of the Loire and the delights of the Riviera, with a visit to Normandy’s D-Day beaches as an aside. And, no surprise, his stepping stones are meals, all described in succulent detail, accompanied by an opinion on the chosen wines. With his inimitable voice, he is a good guide for the best possible reason: he wants us to enjoy this bucolic land as much as he does.
–Alan Riding, author of “And The Show Went On: Culture in Nazi-Occupied Paris
Terrance, many thanks for sharing your traveler’s tales. Although a vast number of “guide” books on France already exist none of those have what only you can provide – you, always an inimitable raconteur. Your connaissances, your bonhomie, your joie-de-vivre enliven these singular anecdotes. TRAVELS IN FRANCE WITH TERRANCE is informative, entertaining and sans pareil . . . Chapeau
–S Rosenberg, book-buyer Brentano’s-Paris 1984-2009
Extract from the book
I have been very fortunate to sample much of the varied richness of France outside of Paris–food, wine, culture and a wonderful group of new friends, colleagues and partners. From the green, rain-soaked pastures of Normandy providing cheese and butter for both eating and cooking; to the confit de canard and goose fat of the southwest and ending up in Provence where olive oil is king, it has been a challenge to keep the weight off and the smile from my face as I pinch myself to verify that this life is not a dream.
This collection is my way of saying thanks and sharing with you my memorable experiences.
Day Trips from Paris
Ever since the arrival of the TGV the idea of a day trip from Paris has greatly expanded. You can visit a chateau or two in the Loire and be back in Paris in time for dinner. A lunch in Lyon is only 2 hours away. But for this chapter I will concentrate on those destinations that are an hour or less away.
Thirty years ago Belgian businessman Dominique Janssens and his family were passing through the village of Auvers-sur-Oise when they were rear ended-right in front of the Auberge Ravoux where Vincent Van Gogh spent the last days of his life. In this village of 7,000 souls Van Gogh produced an astonishing 80 works in the last 70 days of that all too brief life that he took on the 29th day of July 1890….
