Janet Joanou Weiner

Our little town of St. Hippolyte du Fort boasts not one but two old-fashioned cemeteries. There's a reason for this: one was for...

The Nooooorth Several years ago, my husband and I watched a popular French film called Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'tis. The basic plot revolves...

Winter brings a subtle beauty, one that can easily be missed. Do we see muted skies and think, oh no, another overcast, gray day? Or do...

Last Sunday, puffy white clouds drifted overhead through a sparkling blue sky. A lovely winter day to take the small hike up the mountain...

The tradition of resistance runs deep in the Cévennes and in our little town of St. Hippolyte du Fort. We're situated at the southern end...

After two long days of (good, but intense) meetings, I managed to get outside for a walk. Later than usual but still before dark. In...

The snowflake icon appeared all night on my weather app. Yet the windows opened only to rain, no white in sight. Same thing this...

The week between Christmas and New Years' is one of my favorite times of the year. While I love the holiday season and truly enjoy...

Our lives unfold as stories, scenes of seasons, events, places, and people woven into the fabric of our lives. When I think back over my...

The Château de Planque, our home and ministry center, came with an extensive terrain of 2.5 hectares (6.5 acres). Most of the land lies...

Almost every day, I go on a walk with my trusty little companion, Snicket. The fresh air and movement while soaking in sights, sounds,...

What is it about autumn that is so appealing? So surprising? The glory of green leaves turning golden, amber, ochre, and crimson never...

Waiting is never easy. At least not for me. In this season of a worldwide pandemic, a prolonged election, mounting terrorism, and so much...

The name Fig & Vine came to me over a year ago as I walked through our garden thinking, listening, praying about starting a blog (does...

If you took a stroll through our little town, you’d be pleasantly surprised by the sound of water as it spills through fountains on many...

Our little town boasts many bridges. Since a river–actually two–run through St.Hippolyte du Fort, we need ways to cross over the waters....

Early fall means it's time to harvest wine grapes or as it's called here:"la vendange". Yes, it involves picking grapes but it is far...

Like many European towns, large and small, St. Hippolyte du Fort grew up around a river. While we tend to take water for granted, coming...

What's behind that door? Not that I'm overly interested in today's occupants–that feels too nosy, invasive. What intrigues me is who...

For a town of our size, we have had more than our fair share of dramatic events. The population has hovered around 4000 for centuries,...