When experts list the ten most famous painters in the world, van Gogh is usually included, even though he didn’t sell many paintings during his lifetime. He indeed resides in the #1 spot on my list. I recently wrote about visiting the Orsay Museum in Paris and being captivated by van Gogh’s The Starry Night. Not that I didn’t enjoy some of the other famous works on display painted by Manet, Monet, Gaugin, and Renoir, to name a few of the artists. The sculptures were incredible too. And thanks to an articulate guide, I learned more art history in a few hours than I’d learned over the preceding decades. Sculptures and paintings comingle (Photo courtesy of Canva) But after our

During the holiday season, I found several interesting stories and videos that I’d like to share with you. No Dry January in France For the fourth year in a row, France’s government under Emmanuel Macron’s leadership has refused to participate in or promote Dry January, a month when citizens agree to consume no alcohol. No Dry January in France (Photo courtesy of Canva) A British charity, Alcohol Change UK, came up with the idea in 2013 as a health promotion to get people to cut back on their alcohol consumption—at least for one month. Abstinence, even for a month, however, is inconsistent with the interests of the massive wine industry in France, which instead promotes moderation. Perhaps France doesn’t need

A girlfriend with whom I share a forty-year-plus friendship visited me in France in October. I was excited to see her after a long hiatus. My friend flew from San Francisco to Paris and then took the high-speed train to Montpellier. When my grandson and I picked her up at the train station, she had been up about 24 hours. Consequently, she was a tired puppy! I gave her a light supper and she went straight to bed. The only event planned the next day was a long talk session! We had so much to catch up on. Her husband had died unexpectedly five months before my husband died. Living four hours apart, we’d never had a face-to-face opportunity to

In August, a girlfriend from the United States visited me with an ambitious plan to go sightseeing in southern France. Since she was willing to drive, we rented a car and took off for Marseille, Cassis, and Aix-en-Provence. We also wanted to go to Monaco, Cannes, and other areas as the mood struck us and as time permitted. With Google Maps to help us navigate, we were confident we could find our way. Silly us! The Yacht Cyos We’d booked our first night on the yacht Cyos, smack dab in the middle of the harbor of Marseille. We anticipated a glamorous evening in a spectacular setting. At least we got the second part right. After a terrifying drive through unmarked

I’ve previously commented on how many new tools, systems, and devices I’ve had to learn to use in adjusting to life in France. One that made a good impression was induction stovetop cooking. Over the decades of living in the United States, I had kitchens equipped with electric or gas stoves and ovens, sometimes both in the same kitchen. For example, in my last home, the kitchen had an electric oven and a gas stovetop. I loved the stovetop gas burners because the heat was immediately responsive to changes in the controls. I never quite figured out how to achieve the same effect with an electric burner when working in other kitchens. I tended to overcook or undercook whatever was

When I was preparing to move to France, my brother expressed concerns that I might not be able to get adequate medical care. Like other Americans, he and I had heard stories about how terrible socialized medicine is. With mostly bravado (because I didn’t know otherwise), I assured him I’d be fine. Sometimes, a person has to be willing to change their point of view. In my case, I no longer argue that free-enterprise medicine is best. I now argue for universal healthcare. I’ve made the shift because of my experience in France. Arguments against Universal Healthcare One major reason cited by opponents of socialized medicine or universal healthcare is that “the science of medicine under free enterprise in the