Explore the south of France, the Pyrenees and northern Spain

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.

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

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

A stroll through the Roman ruins of Lugdunum Convenarum and up to the cathedral of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges on its hilltop allows us to visualise the transition from worshipping Roman and pagan gods to embracing Christianity. READ MORE
The mysteries of Rennes-le-Château have inspired enough books to open a bookshop. At the root of this phenomenal success was a master of creative marketing who had a brainwave in 1956. READ MORE
This village in the south of France is famous for transforming ewe’s milk into blue cheese worth €350 million a year. Commercial success has left its mark on Roquefort, but not in a way you would expect. An interview with the mayor explains why nearly all the dwellings in his commune are uninhabited. READ MORE