Discovering Franche-Comte’s ‘straw’ wine

I’ve decided to republish some of my earlier articles that may not be easily found online anymore. Here I explore one of the lesser-known regions of France, Franche-Comte. Enjoy! Better known for its famous yellow wine, laughing cow cheese and as the birthplace of chef, Raymond Blanc and author Victor Hugo, Franche Comte is still…

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First steps back to normality

katy dartford France-based journalist

Now that we can travel in either direction between the UK countries such as France, Italy and Spain without having to self-isolate afterwards, we can finally enjoy some of the outdoor activities we’ve been craving after weeks of isolation and confinement. And since the lockdown, the appeal of pursuits such as hiking, climbing and cycling…

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The joys of (de)confinement in France

katy dartford France-based journalist

Yesterday, French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announced that from June 2, bars, restaurants, parks, and museums will begin opening in France. We will also be allowed to travel more than 100km within the national territory. As a travel writer, and someone who lives in the center of Lyon, France’s capital of gastronomy, this should have…

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A change of plan

The coronavirus pandemic meant this years ski season was cut short. So, whilst in lockdown and missing the snow, I was inspired to put a little film together about one of the few ski touring trips I managed to get in this year. It was around the time I was writing about climate change in…

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Central America- taking the ‘ non gringo’ trail…..

Political and civil unrest in the 1980’s kept many tourists away from Central America for a long time… Then there was the eruption of Guatemala’s Volcán de Fuego and civil unrest in Nicaragua this year …. not forgetting Donald Trump’s infamous description of El Salvador as a “shithole country”… With much ‘bad press’ it was with…

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(Non) Chamonix Spring / Summer 2017

Chamonix spring and summer didn’t really happen for me this year. Once last year’s achilles tendentious eased off, the pain moved to the calf, with muscle tears in exactly the same place each calf. So running has mostly been out. From March for 3 months I’ve been in intensive French lessons. Having lived in Chamonix…

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Chamonix. Giving up on the Dream?

I’m not usually one for writing massively personal stuff on my website, but some occurrences of the last week have stirred me into action. A few people have been asking what’s going on – especially if you’ve been following me on Twitter- as I’ve mentioned I cannot now return to Chamonix. Well, perhaps I’ve been…

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