Explore the south of France, the Pyrenees and northern Spain

A smiling man wearing sunglasses, a helmet, and a colorful neck gaiter, standing outdoors in front of a metal structure and building, likely at a sporting event or outdoor activity.

About this site

Based in the south of France for 25 years, I am an author who specialises in history, landscapes and gastronomy on both sides of the Pyrenees.

There are three main ways to explore my website: (i) use the interactive map (ii) browse the list of selected articles (iii) choose a topic.

Cover image of the book 'Menu from the Midi' by Colin Duncan Taylor.

Cover image of the book 'Lauragais' by Colin Duncan Taylor.

Clickable map of locations covered in articles by Colin Duncan Taylor.

Latest articles

The first tourist bus crossed the Pyrenees in 1913. Ten years later, it brought Ernest Hemingway to Pamplona and the Cafe Iruña. A century after that, some residents had had enough. READ MORE
There are four parts to the story of Le Bibent, and together, they make it the most historically interesting cafe in Toulouse: outstanding architecture, catering innovation, political journalism and an assassination conspiracy. READ MORE
Loarre was built by the Christian kings in the 11th century as a secure base from which to launch their attacks on the Moors. In 2005, it provided a backdrop for Ridley Scott’s movie ‘Kingdom of Heaven’. READ MORE

This week’s photo

The Tower of the Burots (customs officials) sits astride the Franco-Spanish border at the eastern end of the Pyrenees.

What was the purpose of this tower?

The Torre dels Burots sits astride the border between France and Spain near Le Perthus/El Pertús at the eastern end of the Pyrenees. Numerous loopholes gave the defenders a wide field of fire, but its purpose was not military. A ‘burot’ was a nineteenth-century Spanish customs official, and this forbidding tower tells us these officers of the state were deeply unpopular. Curiously, the tower was built 20 metres inside French territory.