At first glance, La Place aux Fleurs in Dole, France, seemed a serene little square bordered by trim limestone block houses. But on closer examination, I decided there was more to the story. On one side of the plaza, three naked bronze figures huddled on a bench. The bronze sculpture was created in 1982 by … Read more
Ask any Frenchman to name his favorite cheeses and Comte will undoubtedly be at the top of his list. To a large degree, however, the rest of the world doesn’t yet know about this delicious, semi-hard, nutty-flavored cheese. I was one of the lucky ones. Several years ago, during one of my many wanders around … Read more
I came face to face with this giant Montbeliarde cow at the fruitère (dairy farm) of Marie Roy in Poligny, France. I was curious why she was the only cow who wore a bell around her neck. Marie explained that certain cows just naturally become leaders of the herd. They lead others between fields or … Read more
In ancient times, the water flowing from this cave near Nans-sous-Sainte-Anne, France, was believed to be the source of the Lison River. Today geologists know that the river starts much further up the mountain, disappears into the porous Karst limestone that lies beneath the river, and re-emerges much further below, through this cave. The waterfall … Read more
The Franche-Comté region of France may be most famous for the Comté cheese produced there, but it is also home to specialty vintners who produce distinctive wines. One of these is Ludwig Bindernagel and his wife Nathalie, who welcomed me into their home to sample some of the best of Poligny wines. The Bindernagels, who … Read more
