Radishes and Butter: Baba Périgourdin

THE STORY:

If you're French, you will not even be able to understand why I'm writing about radishes and butter; its a pairing as common as cheese and bread, coffee and cream, croissants and jam. For the Americans, it's like peanut butter and jelly, cheese and crackers, nachos and salsa. In other words, they just go together.

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Those Roamin' Romans: Lingot de Gâtine

THE STORY: 

And speaking of megalithic stones (having recently written about them in a post about our trip to Malta)... One day while visiting my friend's house in the tiny town of Apremont, I leave the house with my camera to see what I find. What I find is a very well-educated history buff of a French gardener who takes it upon himself to send me on a  walk to a local Roman megalith.

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The Rainbowfication of the Marais: Tomme au Génépy

THE STORY:

You may know of the Jewish history of the Marais, especially prevalent on the Rue des Rosiers (end 19th, beginning 20th century). You may know of the history of the Marais as a place for nobility (13th-16th century, and especially 17th century) or artists (latter 20th century). And while you still have people who are rich, artsy, and Jewish living in the Marais (and sometimes all three), there's no mistaking one of the newest and biggest identity markers in the Marais nowadays, thanks to the quick and complete rainbowfication of the neighborhood: it's been the gay neighborhood of Paris -- the LGBQT center since the 1980s.

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