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We had a conversation with NOTES 82; rising star Independent Hip Hop Artist (Recently reach 20K streams with single; "Line It Up") #MyCreatives we get to it, and went there in this EPISODE!!!! We Touched on: - How come artists are not doing research for their brand in Hip Hop Culture? - How he feels about his art vs his life? - Who are the Hip Hop Artists that influence him? - What is his insight on the independence scene for Hip Hop? - How did he do with the game; "EITHER OR??!!!" FOLLOW US: @c.u.t.s__ YOU TUBE CHANNEL: [[SUBSCRIBE]] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbVNj5NtHbfenXkoxa3xAKg?view_as=subscriber GUEST: Notes 82 - https://www.instagram.com/notes82_/ ***Go Check out "LINE IT UP" single on all streaming platforms!!!! *****FOR SERIOUS INQUIRES & FUTURE GUEST(S) APPEARANCES - CutsPodcast1@gmail.com ******Please LEAVE COMMENTS, FEEDBACK, and [[SUBSCRIBE]] the PODCAST on ALL MAJOR STREAMING PLATFORMS!!!!! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/cutspodcast/support

Categories: Burgundy Area, French Culture, French Food & Wine There is no doubt that Burgundy wine and gastronomy are some of the best in France. That's one of the reasons my guest, Ellen Shaunessy, decided to visit this part of France with a friend. Plus it's easy to get to from Paris on the TGV train and driving in this part of France is easy. Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | BookingPatreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking Ellen has a great advance over most visitors to France because she speaks French fluently from her work in Paris years ago. She knows how to ace a trip to France and has taken several trips with friends who trust her good advice. Let's hear what she has to say! To see the day-to-day details click on Guest Notes below. Tips for New Visitors to France Start your trip in Paris because that's when you have the most energy. If you have budge constraints stick with trains (car rentals, gas and tolls add up fast in France). Use the site Gite de France to find accommodations with locals outside of Paris (this is especially great if you intend to use your French!) If possible it's best not to plan anything on the day you arrive somewhere. Use the time to explore and get your bearings. In Paris you'll probably feel like you're always missing something because there is so much going on. Pick one activity for the day. For example a vineyard tour day or a cooking class day. Burgundy Wine and Gastronomy Tours Ellen selected a tour company called Authentica Tours so they could see some of the countryside without renting a car. This is a small company that runs their tours in a small van. There were only 4 or 5 people that day, so it's almost like a private tour. They drive you around the countryside, tell you about the history of the region (there is a lot of Roman history in this area). They do both wine and cheese tasting tours. Ellen and her friend also took a free walking tour of Dijon offered by the Tourist Office. Even if you don't find a free walking tour, going to the Tourism Office is always a good idea because they have a lot of information for you. Wine Tasting and Cooking Class in Beaune While staying in Dijon they took an early train to Beaune to be there in time for their market tour that started at 11 AM. This tour is only offered on market days. They had a chance to browse the market before they met up with the Cook's Atelier ladies. The ladies introduced them to local vendors. They cooked the food and shared a meal with them which was wonderful. Following the cooking class they went to the exhibit called Cave des Aromes. They learned a lot even though they mostly enjoy wine without being trained. They also went to the Hospices de Beaune, which is a must-see. What's interesting is that there used to be a boulangerie in Corgoloin (where they were staying at a gite), but it's now been replaced with a boulangerie truck! Have you ever seen one? They are common in rural France. This gite is an easy walk to the train station and provides bikes for people who want to explore on a bike. They went to Nuit-Saint-Georges on the bike. The area is pretty flat, so it's doable even if you're not an avid biker. Must Try Burgundy Regional Specialties Bœuf Bourguignon Coq au vin Poulet de Bresse Œufs en meurette Charolais beef – hamburgers are amazing here Gougères Escargot Anything with crème de cassis, including Kir (an apératif) Pain d’épices Époisses cheese More episodes about Burgundy FOLLOW US ON: Email | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter   Discussed in this Episode Dijon Châteauneuf-en-Auxois Vercingétorix Monument Semur-en-Auxois Tonnellerie Francois Frères [29:00] Château de La Rochepot Puligny-Montrachet Meursault Châteauneuf-en-Auxois Kir and Kir Royal Castelsarassin (Occitanie) Subscribe to the Podcast Apple Google Spotify RSS Support the Show Tip Your Guide Extras Patreon Audio Tours Merchandise If you enjoyed this episode, you should also listen to related episode(s): The Rules of Driving in France, Episode 16 Wine Touring in Beaune, Burgundy, Episode 128 The Saint Vincent Tournante Burgundy Wines Festival, Episode 98 Southern Burgundy, Episode 61 Burgundy Region and Wine, Episode 57 Ellen (middle) and two of her friends in Burgundy. Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/337

This episode of the podcast is a trip report about running a trail race in the Alps with lots of details about how trail races go in France. We also talk about learning French as an adult and how to put together a great family vacation in France. Annie's Favs on Amazon   My guest is Mollie Cummins from the beautiful alpine city of Park City, UT. She's used to running trail races at altitude, and yet the Trail du Tour des Fiz in the French Alps was definitely a challenge. Let's talk about what made it so. Hint: the weather had something to do with it! Mollie's Trail Race in the Alps Mollie would love to circumnavigate around the Mont Blanc aka Tour du Mont Blanc. But that was difficult to organize with children because it takes 5 days and the kids are too young for it. They knew they could only come to France in July, so she looked for races taking place in the Alps in July and found the Trail du Tour des Fiz that starts in a ski resort called Passy. It's in an area just north west of Chamonix. The race itself is at very high altitude. You shuttle to the start of the race from a large store and parking area (Mountain Store Decathlon). There Are Multiple Distances Offered There are multiple distances you can enter. There is a lot of vertical gain, more than what runners in the US are used to, it's very steep.  But if you're not up to a long steep race, they also offer a kid's race, a 15K (9 miles) up to 84K (50 miles) which is the full tour plus other races in between. Those Races Fill Up Fast! Mollie normally runs ultra races, she intended to run one of the longer races but it was full. So, she had to go with the 15K. This is a popular event, the longer one fills up within a day or two of opening up for booking. She was on a wait list for the 8 refuge tour (39 miles or 64K), but she didn't manage to get in, possibly due to a computer problem. Balcon des Fiz 15K Race But there was still space in the Balcon des Fiz race, a 15K. Her husband decided to join her for that race as well. It's nice because it doesn't take up the whole day. It's still very steep, you run up the ski slopes and go the various chalets. It's lovely, for instance you get to see the cows with the bells around their necks. Bad Weather Bad luck, it was a muddy and rainy day. Mollie doesn't mind running in the rain and playing in the mud, but she didn't get to see the scenic landscape because it was overcast that day. Mollie and her husband Brendan were the only two Americans in the race. It is uncommon for Americans to sign up for this race so they fussed over them when they crossed the finish line, which was lovely. When you finish the race they give you a special beer for racers and there's a meal catered by a local restaurant called La Poêle Géante that was the best post-race meal she ever had. It was cheap too around 10€. Mandatory Certificat Médical for Racers In France you need medical clearance to enter a race. They take this very seriously. If you don't submit the medical paperwork you will not run. Mollie found the form here. Some of these races also have mandatory lists of gear. In this particular race they had a list of gear but they didn't get checked. But in the longer races they do get checked and if they don't have the gear that will keep them safe they are booted out of the race. Rating the Organization of the Race The race is really well organized, well-marked. There are a good number of people ready to jump in just in case runners experience difficulties. But this is a long race, anyone who stops running for any reason needs to get dry clothes and stay warm. Runners should not abdicate their own responsibility when it comes to running this trail race safely. They shouldn't rely only on markings. They need to look at maps  and get familiar with the turns and terrain. They must have proper equipment. Ravitaillement: Water, Fruits, Small Cakes In the shorter race there were points where you could get water, drinks to replenish electrolytes, fruits, small cakes (gâteaux). For longer races they probably provided hot drinks and hot food. This was similar to what you normally get in an American race. Trail Races Are a Great Way to See France and Mingle with Locals Mollie recommends English-speaking runners sign up for races in France for the following reasons: Trail races in France are affordable Running such races puts you around locals Races give you an opportunity to practice your French It's a great way to see a lot without worrying too much about the logistics Pay attention to how steep those races are in the Alps if you're not used to it (the terrain was similar to the Wind River Mountains in WY). You may need to power hike up with poles. Unlike what Mollie has seen in the US, hiking poles are allowed in the Alps. Learning French as an Adult Mollie's daughter is in a French dual immersion program at school. But it seemed strange that the only person who could speak French in the family was only 8 years old who is in the 4th grade. So, Mollie decided to learn French too and she started listening to the Michel Thomas French language learning series while she runs in the morning. Learning was really enjoyable and she kept it up. She also hired an on-line tutor. She learned enough French that the people she talked to in French in France did NOT switch to English. That was encouraging and she has continued with her lessons through the University of Utah where she works as well. All the Alliance Française classes in the US have switched to Zoom lessons and you can take classes from all over the country now. French Learning Resources There are so many resources to learn languages now! You can read French newspapers from anywhere in the world and if you get stuck you copy and paste into Google Translate. You may want to listen to News in Slow French that you can get as a podcast as well and they provide transcripts. France Inter podcasts are great. For example Le 7/9, a morning show with news and music. Hondelate Raconte is true crime. Ça peut pas faire de mal which Annie has since started to listen to and is WONDERFUL! Actor Guillaume Galliene reads classic novels. Family Vacation in France Their daughter wanted to visit Paris and see the Eiffel Tower. Her husband and sons wanted to see the landing beaches in Normandy. In the end everyone loved the landing beaches in Normandy. The kids were enthralled by the stories and the magnitude of the events. The capability of human beings to do unfathomable things in horrible circumstances. They hired a private guide who came along with them in their car and was fantastic. His name was Christophe Rault. Mollie and her husband read Steven Ambrose's D-Day so they were familiar with the events, but the guide brought so much more to it! They were staying at a small farm and the guide met them early in the morning and stayed with them all day.  This allowed them to accommodate the kid's needs. The children were tired after 9 hours of touring Normandy, so they dropped off the kids at the farm and the adults kept going with the guide. The farm was called Englesqueville-la-Percée – Ferme de la Rouge Fosse. Canicule in the Loire Valley The day they were in the Loire Valley was really HOT and they were staying in the 3rd floor attic of an old house. They went looking for a swimming spot and they found one called "Baignade Naturelle" it was a wonderful cold spring fed pool. They couldn't let them in the pool with board shorts, so the boys swam in their underwear. Pools in France mandate tight-fitting swimwear. At the beach nobody cares, but public swimming pools do care. This is definitely a French idiosyncrasy: no board shorts or baggy shorts in French public pools. About the Mont-Saint-Michel The Mont-Saint-Michel is mobbed during the day and it is not a pleasant experience. They arrived late in the day, toured the monastery right before it closed. They spent the night on the Mont and left in the morning. They expected that the food wouldn't be the best of the trip. Mollie realized starting at 2 in the morning why this is so. People have to haul hand-trucks full of food and drink up the mountain for thousands of visitors each day. It's great to experience walking around the ramparts for the kids. Annie recommends people do not sleep on the Mont because it's difficult to haul a suitcase up there. But for Mollie and her family that was not going to be a problem. It's also mobbed and noisy. There's a bus that will take you to hotels off the Mont until midnight. They walked on the sand in the evening and enjoyed it. They found a fairly hard surface. Favorite Place in Paris The kids loved the Musée de l'Armée and it's walking distance to the Eiffel Tower and it's good to combine the two. The collection of armor is amazing there! Ask for the treasure hunt for the kids, it's fun! The WW2 exhibit is wonderful too. As is Napoleon's Tomb.   More episodes about active vacations in France Email | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter   Did you get my VoiceMap Paris tours yet? They are designed for people who want to see the best of Paris neighborhoods and put what they are looking at into historical context. There are so many great stories in Paris. Don't walk right past them without having a clue what happened there! You can buy them directly from the VoiceMap app or click here to order activation codes at the podcast listener discount price.   Discussed in this Episode Tour des Fiz Balcon des Fiz French learning resources Swimming in France Support the Show Tip Your Guide Extras Patreon Audio Tours Merchandise If you enjoyed this episode, you should also listen to related episode(s): Tour du Mont Blanc, Episode 206 Read more about this episode Guest Notes  Category: Active Vacations in France

Returning to the same place over and over again is not something most visitors do, but my guest today, Carl Carlson, has been to Sancerre many times. He and his wife Christine are from Hawaii, but have been going back to Sancerre for at least a couple of weeks almost every year since 2004. We've talked about Sancerre before on the podcast because that's where the language school Coeur de France is situated. It turns out that Carl knows Gérard and Marianne who own the school. They've been introduced to many other people in the village and it's almost a second home to them, even if they rent a different accommodation each time. Sancerre is world famous because of the wine they produce there. It is one on my favorites! It's easy to get to by car, but also by train. The nearest train station are in Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire, Nevers or Bourges. Carl likes to rent a car at Porte-Maillot so he avoids driving inside of Paris. That's a good idea for most people actually. What Makes Sancerre Special Carl and his wife like the fact that few people in the village speak English, therefore forcing them to practice their French. It's not touristy per se. There are visitors that come for the wine business and for the language school, but it's not a destination that so many people flock to. What Do You Do for 3 Weeks in Sancerre? Carl's idea is not to have much of a schedule. He enjoys settling in to the rhythm of the village and not rush anywhere. They like to go to the local café to the Auberge Joseph Mellot for dinner the day they arrive. The next day they go to the village café for breakfast. There's a nice open-air market in Cosne on Sunday and Wednesday mornings. You'll find the list of all the establishments they like to visit in the Guest Notes. There's also a dairy truck that comes by and they sell wonderful yogurt and butter. Café Librairie is a favorite too. It's about getting to know people and getting to know their schedule. You need to have the mindset that you will go with the flow. If you're too uptight, you won't get along. The village is picturesque, there is a central square with boutiques, wine  establishments (aka "caves"), cafés, a one star restaurant. There are a lot of wine tasting and wine buying opportunities. The vintners in the area do well. Sancerre wines sell for a minimum of 12€ at French grocery stores. Most are around 20€ per bottle, which is expensive for France. Why Not Every French Wine Is Sold in the US It's difficult for small wine producers to get into the US market because there are a lot of mandatory steps, paperwork and taxes to pay along the way. They must go through specific brokers in France, then importers and licensed agents get involved on the US side. And then it goes to the many retailers. Many hands touch that bottle of wine and the price increases every time. It may only be worth it if a producer can ship wine by the container-full. Local Wines Carl enjoys the wines of Jean Reverdy et Fils in Verdigny. It's only a 15 minute drive from Sancerre. They've become friends. Those wines are now availble in Hawaii where the Sauvignon Blanc sells for around $20 a bottle. They also make a rosé with their Pinot Noir. Chavignol is another wine producing village near Sancerre. André Bourgeois is a large producer there and they export a lot to Hawaii and the US in general. There's a nice little restaurant there called Au Ptit Gouter. This is also where they produce the cheese called Crotins de Chavignol. Great Places to Visit Around Sancerre Carl recommends the pottery village of La Borne. Guédelon aka Château de Guédelon is an amazing experiment. They are constructing a medieval castle and village with the tools and methods they had in the Middle Ages. They do everything themselves, including cutting the stone, growing and cutting the timber, etc. The work is done by hand, the workers wear period costumes. It's been going on for over 25 years and it's really interesting to visit. It's like a science experiment with archeology. La Charité-sur-Loire is a book seller's village. There are also a lot of chateaux in the area. Sancerre is far east on the Loire so the big famous chateaux of the Loire Valley are about 2 hours away. But there are smaller ones that are worth a visit. Nevers is a nice city, and so is Bourges. Bourges has a magnificent Cathedral and some good shopping too! When you're in the area you should go visit a goat dairy. Search for "visite élevage de chèvres" and the name of the town where you're staying to find them. Or ask at the tourist office, they can tell you where the great visits are. Le Trial de Sancerre is challenging, there is also one in Bourges as in many other parts of France. The one is Sancerre is beautiful because you run  through the vineyards. Walking the Chemin de Compostelle Carl also talks about his experience walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain and the Portuguese Way. They also did a section around Le Puy-en-Velay, Aire-sur-l'Adour to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port via Bayonne. In the French part they were mostly around French walkers and they had a great time with it. They bought the Miam Miam Dodo book and love it. More episodes about the Loire Valley area Email | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter Did you get my VoiceMap Paris tours yet? They are designed for people who want to see the best of Paris neighborhoods and put what they are looking at into historical context. There are so many great stories in Paris. Don't walk right past them without having a clue what happened there! You can buy them directly from the VoiceMap app or click here to order activation codes at the podcast listener discount price. Discussed in this Episode Sancerre Coeur de France language School Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire Verdigny Chavignol Crotins de Chavignol Pottery village of La Borne Château de Guédelon La Charité-sur-Loire Nevers Bourges Goat farms Trial de Sancerre competition Camino de Santiago Portuguese Way Le Puy-en-Velay Chemin de Compostelle Aire-sur-l'Adour Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port Bayonne Support the Show Tip Your Guide Extras Patreon Audio Tours Merchandise If you enjoyed this episode, you should also listen to related episode(s): Loire Valley Castles You Shouldn't Skip, Episode 168 Paris Small Group Tours with Annie and Elyse, Episode 152 French Wine Regions and Loire Valley Wines, Episode 28 French Immersion Programs, Episode 288 Carl and his wife Christine enjoying some Sancerre wine Category: Loire Valley

On today's episode, Annie chats with Ira about her favorite day-trips around Bordeaux. Ira is in a great position to tell us about that because she moved to Bordeaux full time a few years ago and has gotten to know the area very well. We talk about several wine routes you can drive, about the Bassin d’Arcachon which is dear to my heart as I explain in the episode, the Entre Deux Mers area, and about general tips about visiting this area. Ira publishes a blog called Lost in Bordeaux that I can heartily recommend. Day-Trips Around Bordeaux There is a fair bit of information about Bordaux and Saint-Émilion on-line, but not so much about the other gems in the area. The purpose of this episode is to make you aware of the many wonderful places you can visit around Bordeaux! Before you get going around Bordeaux, it's worth repeating that Bordeaux itself is worth a full day. The city has a lot to offer. If you land in Paris from North America and take the TGV to Bordeaux directly from the CDG airport, you'll arrive in Bordeaux by the middle of the afternoon France time. It would be ideal to spend that first half-day in Bordeaux and then at least one more full day. It's worth it just for the gastronomy and all the great wine bars! Places You Can Visit Around Bordeaux Bordeaux is in the Gironde department, in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region. One of the things that make it special is that there are so many different types of activities to do in this part of France. Having said that, many of the attractions we'll discuss are hard to get to without a car. You should book your car in advance, especially if you need an automatic. Understand that in France last-minute car rentals are terribly expensive. Wine Activities You can't come to Bordeaux and ignore the wine. There are 5 sub wine regions in Bordeaux and you could do a wine route dedicated to each of them. Each would look different, taste different, have a different history. Saint-Émilion Do understand that Saint-Émilion is the most "touristy" wine area of the Bordeaux region, especially during "vendange" season which is Sept and Oct. This town is the easiest to visit by train. The train station in Saint-Émilion is a 15-20 minute walk to the center of the town, but there are taxis, it's easy to do. In Saint-Émilion you MUST take the tour that they offer at the tourist office otherwise you won't get into the monolithic church that is so interesting there. You should plan ahead and book a tour, they have them available in English as well. There are a lot of wineries to visit around Saint-Émilion and for some of those you need a car. If you come in the summer or harvest season, book in advance, they don't like people just showing up. But, if you didn't book in advance, at the Tourist Office they have a list of 3 or 4 chateaux that are open that day for drop-in visitors. Also book your restaurant in Saint-Émilion unless you just want to get a sandwich at a boulangerie because all the good places are full. This is more important than ever because with the pandemic all venues are limited to how many people they can host and this will probably be the case going forward to some time. Pomerole Pomerole is another lovely wine village and area you can visit. It's not as touristy. The town itself if tiny, not much to see. But there are lots of wineries around there including Château Pétrus but most of us can't afford that because it is priced in the thousands per bottle. A more approachable chateau there is called Château Beauregard and it's also very nice. Médoc The Médoc area includes some of the most expensive wines in the world, but it's not as touristy as the others. Médoc is more spread-out all over the Médoc peninsula. They are all along this road with beautiful châteaux sprinkled throughout. You'll see many family-owned wineries, much smaller labels you've probably never heard of. Again, it's important to select a few places you want to visit and book them in advance because, like many popular wine-producing areas in France, they are a bit stuck up in Bordeaux (not as much as in Beaune, actually) and they don't like surprises. It's a different matter in the Fronton, Gaillac and Corbières areas closer to Toulouse. You could spend more than a day exploring the Médoc. On the estuary side of it is the wine and on the other side is the Atlantic Ocean that is so loved by surfers. One place stands out in the north of the Médoc called Soulac-sur-Mer, it's referred to as the "mini Arcachon". Graves-Sauterne If you prefer sweeter white wines, this is the area for you! This is south of Bordeaux. If you look at the Bordeaux area on a map, you have two rivers that flow through it: the Dordogne and the Garonne. Graves-Sauterne is left of the Garonne river on the map.   The Garonne and Dordogne Rivers around Bordeaux   The Graves area is considered the birth place of the Clairette, which is a name British people use for Bordeaux wines. There are a lot of amazing chateaux in this area, including Château Pape Clément that you can get to using the Bordeaux tram system! If you only have two days in Bordeaux, this is a beaufitul chateau with excellent wines also! Les Sources de Caudalie is another place that's worth a visit. It's a famous luxurious hotel in the vineyard. An amazing place with a great restaurant, and the whole package. Entre Deux-Mers If you're going to take some day-trips around Bordeaux, don't forget to include the "entre deux mers" area. Most people don't know about this Bordeaux wine area, but it's the biggest one and it's wonderful! They produce white wines mostly. It is the Tuscany of Gironde, hilly, vineyards, beautiful medieval towns. This part of the Bordeaux area has a lot of Bastides towns. There's usually a beautiful square with arches, you'll find cafés, restaurants, and shops all around. This is between Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne. Cadillac One such a place is Cadillac which is famous for its château, the man who gave the name to the car is from there. The chateau is a great visit. It was a prison at one point. On the second floor you can see the prison. Saint-Macaire Saint-Macaire is also interesting. It is also an old bastide that was once on the river, but now there is some distance between the town and the river. There are fortification walls. You could spend a half day there because it's an amazing town with a beautiful church, some nice restaurants. If you come at the end of August there is a great medieval festival  in Saint-Macaise. Other worthwhile towns are Rions which has a Michelin restaurant. You'll also find Castelmoron d'Albret the smallest village in France by square footage. But every street is lovely and it's wonderful to visit at Christmas because they decorate it beautifully. Abbaye de la Sauve Majeure, the abbey is wonderful, but there's also the Maison du Vin of the area is in this town and they do some wine tasting. Beach Activities Bassin d'Arcachon Bassin d'Arcachon. If you've had enough of the wine, let's go to the beach! Arcachon is a resort destination for French people as well as foreign visitors. It is 60 kilometers west of Bordeaux. If you don't have a car you can take a train from Bordeaux to Arcachon city. This is not a fisherman's village but a bigger town that's intersting in terms of architecture. The "ville d'hiver" part of the city has beautiful villas from the 19th century. The central beach in Arcachon is packed in the summer. You could either get away from that by renting a bike or by taking bus #1 that goes along all the beaches of the south of the Bassin d'Arcachon. Cap Ferret Ira likes to go to the Plage de Pereire because it's good with kids. Or continue on to Plage du Moulleau, another resort little town. Cap Ferret is also really popular. There is a bus to get there but it takes forever. It's better to take a ferry between Arcachon and Cap Ferret. There are oyster farmers, it's not quite a fisherman's village any more, but it's nice. Most restaurants there are "cabanes à huitres" where they serve oysters and that's about it! You'll get your choice of size of oysters, you want #2 or #3, they are the best! L'Herbe in Lège Cap Ferret is a favorite of Ira. Dune du Pilat From Arcachon you can either take a bus or rent a bike to go to the Dune du Pilat. Going by bike is recommended because they have a lot of great bike paths in this area. The Dune du Pilat is the biggest sand dune in Europe, it's amazing. You can climb it year-round. The tourist season there is May through the end of September. At that time they have stairs for everyone to use. The rest of the year you have to climb it in the sand and it's not easy! When you get to the top you see the ocean on one side and the forest on the other, it's wonderful. If you're making a day of it, you could buy a picnic in Arcachon and take it to enjoy while watching the view at the top of the Dune du Pilat. Soulac-sur-Mer Normally they have a wonderful festival in Soulac in July, it's a great place to enjoy for the week-end. Of course, this was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, but it will come back! More episodes about the Bordeaux area As you can see, if you're looking for day-trips around Bordeaux you'll have plenty to choose from. We didn't have time to get to all the day-trips around Bordeaux, click on Guest Notes (blue button) to read all the wonderful day-trip Ira recommends! Email | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter Did you get my VoiceMap Paris tours yet? They are designed for people who want to see the best of Paris neighborhoods and put what they are looking at into historical context. There are so many great stories in Paris. Don't walk right past them without having a clue what happened there! You can buy them directly from the VoiceMap app or click here to order activation codes at the podcast listener discount price.   Discussed in this Episode Saint-Émilion Pomerol Médoc Surfing Cadillac Saint-Macaire Rions Castelmoron d'Albret Abbaye de la Sauve Majeure Bassin d'Arcachon Dune du Pilat Plage de Pereire Plage du Moulleau Cap Ferret Cabanes à huitres Support the Show Tip Your Guide Extras Patreon Audio Tours Merchandise If you enjoyed this episode, you should also listen to related episode(s): Bordeaux, France a Historical Perspective, Episode 44 Hiking Around Bordeaux, Episode 144 Category: Bordeaux Area

Today I bring you a conversation with Cindy McBrayer about Le Chambon-sur-Lignon a place of refuge. During WW2 this small town and neighboring villages became a heaven for Jewish children who were on the run from the Germans and from French authorities who collaborated with them. Would you like to be a recipe tester for Annie's cookbook? Email her! I’m always surprised by how many novels get released today but are set in WW2! This is a fascinating time period when humanity’s best and humanity’s worst had to battle it out and decide who was going to come out on top. The folks of Le Chambon sur Lignon made the most generous and courageous choice and we talk about it today. It’s also a lovely place to visit and definitely off the beaten track. I should mention that we often refer to it as Chambon in the episode, but it’s Le Chambon-sur-Lignon that we’re talking about, there’s another town 2.5 hours drive away called Chambon, don’t go to the wrong place! Recommended in this Episode Lovely inn in Rochepaule, 30 minutes away from Le Chambon.  Hotel L’Escapade (converted private school).  Owners live on site, and have a well-known, lovely small restaurant “Restaurant Maryse et Eric”.  Reservations recommended. Books About Le Chambon The latest, and an EXCELLENT book about Le Chambon, then and NOW….is The Plateau, by Maggie Paxon. If you can only read one, make it this one! Article about Le Chambon from Time Magazine Village of Secrets, Defying the Nazis in Vichy, France, by Caroline Moorehead A Good Place to Hide, How One French Village Saved Thousands of Lives during WWII, by Peter Grose. This one is easy to read. Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed, by Phillip Hallie Hidden on the Mountain, by Karen Gray Ruelle. (stories from surviving children)   More episodes about French History Email | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter   Did you get my VoiceMap Paris tours yet? They are designed for people who want to see the best of Paris neighborhoods and put what they are looking at into historical context. There are so many great stories in Paris. Don't walk right past them without having a clue what happened there! You can buy them directly from the VoiceMap app or click here to order activation codes at the podcast listener discount price.   Discussed in this Episode Le Chambon-sur-Lignon WW2 sites in Lyon Izieu Les Cevennes Tence WW2 book recommendations Driving in France Support the Show Tip Your Guide Extras Patreon Audio Tours Merchandise If you enjoyed this episode, you should also listen to related episode(s): Wine Touring in Beaune, Burgundy, Episode 128 Top Attractions in Lyon, Episode 113 Chamonix, Annecy, and the Alps, Episode 121 Cindy McBrayer in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon Read more about this episode Guest Notes  Categories: Active Vacations in France, French History, Lyon Area

On today's episode Annie Sargent and Lisa Wylie talk about walking the French Chemin de Compostelle. Lisa started her walk late April, which is the beginning of the hiking season in France. The end of the hiking season is October. On average there are about 100 people walking the French Chemin de Compostelle per day. But as we'll see in the episode, the Spanish part of the Camino is a lot busier with around 1000 walkers per day. It's still perfectly safe, even for a solo woman traveler. There are many ways to get to Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle or Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Lisa took the Puy route or via Podiensis, which is the most popular route in France. But she could have taken the route that starts in Paris, or the one that starts in Vézelay or Arles. You'll get to use your French on the Chemin! Lisa had a wonderful time in part because her French is quite good and she can have entire conversations in French. Knowing French is not a must, but if you can speak French you'll have a better time. Won't English be enough? Not everywhere. Remember, you'll be in rural France where most people aren't comfortable speaking English. One instance where speaking French is particularly helpful is when reserving rooms for the next night. It's possible (and sometimes advisable) to plan it all out and make your reservations weeks in advance from home, but what do you do it there's a rain storm that delays you? How about a blister that forces you to slow down considerably or even stop for a day? If you're comfortable speaking French on the phone, all of these things will be a lot easier for you. And speaking of making reservations, find out when holidays and school vacations are because those nights will often be booked up in advance! Walking the Chemin in Sections On this particular trip in 2019 Lisa walked between Cahors and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. 4 years prior she had done the section between Le Puy and Cahors, so she just picked up where she left off. Walking in sections is the most popular way to walk the chemin because most people have to go back to work and can't do it all in one trip. Practical Considerations when Walking the Chemin It took Lisa 3 weeks to complete the section between Le-Puy-en-Velay and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. That was walking 12 to 14 miles per day every day (which is 16 to 20 km per day). It takes some training to do this comfortably even if you're used to walking an hour with your dog every day. But the chemin is not technically difficult, it's just about building stamina. Are you thinking about backpacking it? Lisa carried her backpack and did not use a service to move her belongings around. But, when walking the French chemin de Compostelle you can travel light. You don't need to take a tent or cooking implements, there will be grocery stores and restaurants many places along the way. You won't be  walking in the wilderness but rather in the French countryside. There will be  villages, cafés, shops, pharmacies, at least in the bigger villages. There are transport services that will shuttle your bag between stops. They can also drive a person to the next stop if a walker in your party needs a break from walking. You'll find business cards for transport services at all the gîtes, so this is not something you need to arrange in advance. This is nothing like walking the Appalachian trail where you might be in the wilderness for days. The availability of frequent places to stop also means that you could decide to walk just 10 kilometers per day if that's more comfortable for you. But be aware that not every village has places where you can buy food, always carry some with you just in case. Le "sac à viande" aka sleeping bag liner You do need a change of clothes, a jacket, toiletries, a towel, and a "sac à viande" or sleeping bag liner. You'll use it when staying places where they don't give you sheets. But if you're planning on staying at regular hotels rather than "gîtes"  (youth hostel-like guest houses), then you won't need one. There are many places along the way where regular hotels are not available, so you'll need to make-do with basic accommodations such as gîtes. On the French side even the cheapest accommodations provide blankets, and you can often rent sheets for a few euros. But do bring your own toiletries and a light-weight bath towel. Choosing the right backpack Walking with a backpack is more difficult, but if affords more flexibility in your schedule. A general rule of thumb is a pack that is no more than 38 liters. That's enough to hold a change of clothes and some flip-flops. You'll probably also carry some snacks and maybe a lunch to hold you over until the next stop, but that's never more than a few hours away. Walking sticks help Walking a long way every day can be hard on your knees. Walking with poles can help a lot, especially if you get poles that fit your needs well. Consider poles that you can take apart and put in your backpack. There are poles made for women that fit their hands better. Annie prefers aluminum poles because they don't tend to vibrate when hitting the ground. The Miam Miam Dodo book and app This book is the Bible of the Chemin in French, it lists all the places you can sleep and eat and it's a favorite of French walkers. The app will show you where you are on the map. You can download the map when you're on-line so it'll work even if you're in the middle of nowhere. The book and app will also tell you how far to the next place to fill up your water bottle. Unfortunately it is only available in French. What sort of shoes do you need? You probably don't want simple sneakers, but you don't need heavy hiking boots either. Light hiking shoes are good, something like Merrels. French people and their blisters French walkers are concerned with taking good care of their blisters (ampoule in French which also means lightbulb). To do so they run a thread through the skin and it acts like a wicker. If you don't have the thread the skin will heal itself and the blister will not empty for a long time. Alternatively any French family doctor can cut out the thick skin and it'll allow the blister to heal within a couple of days. Be really mindful of meal-times You'll be walking through rural France so you must pay attention to meal times. Restaurants stop accepting customers after 1:30 PM for the lunch service. Rural grocery stores may close for lunch, they may also be away on vacation. Again, it is wise to carry some food with you. Lisa's stops along the way 17 minutes into the episode Lisa starts explaining the path she walked and where she stayed. They are also listed in the Guest Notes (blue button below). The whole point of walking the French chemin de Compostelle is to walk. There are no particular attractions along the way, although you will run into some gorgeous churches and abbeys you'll want to visit. And there are, of course, beautiful rural vistas. Be aware that many of these really scenic villages are dead unless you happen to be there on a week-end or school vacation. These are also places where it might be hard to get a meal because there aren't grocery stores. Pack ear plugs because you will run into snorers and at a hostel you can't always get away from them! Walking the French Chemin de Compostelle as a solo female traveler Lisa has traveled around the world by herself sometimes as was the case for her 2019 trip to walk the Camino. She never felt unsafe while walking or at any of the stops. Everyone was considerate and friendly. You will probably keep running into the same people and will get to know them quite well so it won't feel lonely. Some parts of the Camino are really busy Whe you're walking the French Chemin de Compostelle you'll run into 90% French people. As soon as you get to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port you'll suddenly be surrounded by a lot more people from all over the world. There are 10 times more people hiking the Spanish side than the French side. What's the best part of walking the French Chemin de Compostelle? The best part of this walk is hanging out with other walkers at the gîte at night. French people love to socialize around a meal and most gîtes provide the evening meal. Most are great cooks, one wasn't (see guest notes). You'll meet a lot of like-minded people and chat about all sorts of things. Wine will be served with dinner, but you probably won't run into much wild partying. Restaurant Recommendation Le Fromage Rit in Moissac is a lovely restaurant where you can eat a good meal for under 20€ More episodes about active vacations in France Email | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter   Did you get my VoiceMap Paris tours yet? They are designed for people who want to see the best of Paris neighborhoods and put what they are looking at into historical context. There are so many great stories in Paris. Don't walk right past them without having a clue what happened there! You can buy them directly from the VoiceMap app or click here to order activation codes at the podcast listener discount price. Support the Show Tip Your Guide Extras Patreon Audio Tours Merchandise If you enjoyed this episode, you should also listen to related episode(s): Basque Country, Episode 60 Lise Wylie on the chemin de Compostelle Categories: Active Vacations in France, France How To

When visiting France and important part of the experience is the food, isn't it? This is particularly true for my guest on today's episode, Michael Groves. He spends a lot of time in France and loves to try new restaurants. What are the best ones? He shares his method for finding them with all of us today. But you have to know that most French people (like Annie) are not restaurant critics. We don't spend that much time worrying about where to eat. That's probably because we live in France full-time. We do go out for special occasions, but home cooking is still huge in France. Nevertheless, while touring around France you might as well look for wonderful restaurant experiences. Listen to this episode to find out how you might go about doing that. In this episode we also go through a round of "is it true that in France you can't"... Please don't make those incorrect assumptions even if you've heard them a million times! Do you want to eat like a local in France? Here's how you do it! Have you ever heard of the Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants? These are the restaurants below one star, maybe working their way up to a star. Whatever they may be trying to achieve, they are definitely great places to eat! On that site you'll also find the "Table Simple" with an "assiète" (plate) symbol. David Lebowitz is a great resource in English, so is Patricia Wells, their advice is very reliable. In French it's worth checking Gilles Pudlowski and Simon Says who writes for Le Monde. More are listed in the Guest Notes. The Guide Vert is always a great resource and they have different guides for different parts of France, but most of them have not been translated into English. Websites like Yelp or Trip Advisor are not ideal for France Americans like to read reviews and they use Yelp and Trip Advisor a lot. But French people don't choose restaurants like that, at least not in 2020. So who ends up leaving reviews of restaurants in France on Yelp? Americans and other visitors. There's nothing wrong with that, but how do you know if they know anything about French food? Do they know what classic French dishes are supposed to taste like? They might give an average restaurant 5 stars because the staff was friendly. Again, there's nothing wrong with that, but you're not getting the local perspective. There are some reviews in French on those sites, if you read them you'll have better luck. How about historical restaurants? There are some wonderful historical restaurants in Paris such as Les Deux Magots, Brasserie Lipp, Café de Flore, Le Banaparte, Le Procope are in Saint Germain des Prés also. Sometimes they are a little bit overpriced, but it's worth it for the atmosphere. In Montmartre at the confluence of Boulevard Raspail and Boulevard Montparnasse you'll find several other classic restaurants such as Le Dome, La Rotonde, Le Select, La Coupole, etc. There's also an Entrecôte Restaurant nearby. The Luxembourg Gardens are also walking distance from there. The Bouillon restaurants are also classic. There are different ones in different parts of Paris. The most famous one is Bouillon Chartier (faubourg  Montmartre, 9e arrondissement) where several movies were shot , but Annie likes Bouillon Racine (6e arrondissement), Bouillon Chartier Montparnasse (also 6e arrondissment), Bouillon Julien (10e arrondissement). Bouillon Pigale is fairly new unlike all the other ones. How to eat like a local outside of Paris When in Lyon you must try a "Bouchon" restaurant and go to Les Halles. In Toulouse you must try the Victor Hugo market and restaurants upstairs. Le Pyrénéen a great seafood place in Toulouse. Have you ever tried Cassoulet? There are many great restaurants that serve it all over France. Remember that not every delicious restaurant is Instagram-worthy. In Marseilles you must try a Bouillabaisse as well as Tunisian and Moroccan food, couscous is a favorite. Michael likes a restaurant called Toinou for seafood. Chain restaurants ARE popular with French people Many Americans love TGI Friday's, Olive Garden and the Cheesecake Factory, right? Well, it's the same in France! French people patronize chain restaurants too. We don't have as many chain restaurants as what I saw when I lived in America, but have have a few that are pretty good. So if you want to eat like a local, you can't count them out, especially if you're driving in France. L'Entrcôte has several restaurants both in Paris and outside of Paris and they all serve great steak-frites with a secret sauce. Chez Léon is a place for French fries, beer and mussels.  You'll find it mostly in the north of France. Other chains that are good for people who are driving through France are Buffalo Grill, Hippopotamus, Courte-Paille, Autogrill, L'Arche, etc. You'll find them at freeway rest-stops and in the suburbs. These are places French people really enjoy because the food is predictable and good. They are the Applebee's or Denny's of France! Are these things true about eating in France? More episodes about French food and wine Email | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter   Did you get my VoiceMap Paris tours yet? They are designed for people who want to see the best of Paris neighborhoods and put what they are looking at into historical context. There are so many great stories in Paris. Don't walk right past them without having a clue what happened there! You can buy them directly from the VoiceMap app or click here to order activation codes at the podcast listener discount price.   Discussed in this Episode Is it true that you shouldn't eat anywhere that has a menu in English? [29:29] You shouldn't eat at a restaurant that has photos on the menu? [30:14] Some say that in France you should not ask for a doggy bag. Is that true? [31:31] People say you shouldn't order red wine with fish and white wine with meat. Is that correct? [33:32] Is it true that you don't need to tip in France? [35:48] Should you try traditional French foods when you're in France? [39:52] Is it true that you must pay for bottled water at a restaurant in France? [43:43] Must you speak French or you'll get terrible service? [45:48] Subscribe to the Podcast Apple Google Spotify RSS Support the Show Tip Your Guide Extras Patreon Audio Tours Merchandise If you enjoyed this episode, you should also listen to related episode(s): A Cornucopia of Bizarre French Foods, Episode 193 French Wine Q&A for Beginners, Episode 162 Category: French Food & Wine

Categories: Lyon Area, Provence Today’s episode is a trip report with Deepa Seonie about her family vacation in Provence and the French Alps. She came to France with her husband, daughter and son. Best Destinations in Provence and the French Alps We talk about Aix-en-Provence, Cassis, the Calanques, Nimes, Pont du Gard, the Haribo candy museum, Sault, Lavender fields, Notre Dame de Sénanques and lots more in Provence. They also went to Annecy, Chamonix, Yvoire, Mer de Glace (and how they wish they had done Aiguille du Midi instead). Deepa talks about three things that haven't come up often on the podcast: Why you shouldn't pay so much attention to Yelp reviews in France because it doesn't work the same way here. How you can get your VAT tax refunded when you get to the airport to fly home, be sure to follow those steps or it won't work! This discussion starts 42 minutes into the episode. How to find a doctor in France In general Deepa has great recommendations for restaurants, how to conduct yourself in France, and how you shouldn't pack too much in! A Few Restaurant Recommendations To see all her restaurant recommendations go to the Guest Notes page (blue button below). Divan d'Antioche and Chez Charlotte in Aix-en-Provence Nino (for Bouillabaisse) and Le Bonaparte in Cassis Le Lilas Rose, Les Chineurs de la Cuisine, Le Pekin for Chinese, Le Poivrier in Annecy General Tips for Visiting France Always say "bonjour" and "au revoir" Pack your swimming suits! Don't pack too much in a day Every place is unique, take the time to enjoy it Don't paid too much attention to Yelp ratings, some of their best restaurant experiences had few reviews and yet were fantastic! Many French people don't know what Yelp and Trip Advisor are, they don't use those sites! Shopping in Le Marais in Paris is wonderful How to get your VAT tax refunded step by step More Episodes About Provence and the French Alps Email | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter   Did you get my VoiceMap Paris tours yet? They are designed for people who want to see the best of Paris neighborhoods and put what they are looking at into historical context. There are so many great stories in Paris. Don't walk right past them without having a clue what happened there! You can buy them directly from the VoiceMap app or click here to order activation codes at the podcast listener discount price.   Discussed in this Episode Why Deepa loves France so much [04:44] Young son loves paragliding [08:28] What they loved in Aix-en-Provence [09:27] Restaurant recommendations in Aix [11:56] Calissons d'Aix [12:43] A visit to Cassis [13:30] Bouillabaisse in Cassis [15:42] Plan enough time for the Pont du gard [17:56] Haribo museum and store [19:14] When are the bull fights in Nîmes? [20:50] In Nîmes don't miss La Maison Carrée [21:28] Lavender fields in Sault [22:23] La Garde Adhémar and Parc naturel régional des Baronnies provençales scenic drive and lavender fields [22:30] Vallon Des Lavandes Lavandin and Lavandor [23:51] Sault is a good place to buy lavander souvenirs [24:40] Watch out for opening times at Notre Dame de Sénanque! [24:54] A visit to Annecy [25:30] Airbnb in Annecy: La Perle de la Vielle ville d’Annecy [26:00] Seeing a doctor in Annecy [27:37] Annecy is picture-perfect! [28:47] Coffee truck in Annecy [29:18] How much French do you need to know? [30:15] Paragliding in Annecy [31:07] Boating on the lake in Annecy [32:46] Most beautiful village of Yvoire [34:05] Mer de Glace or Aiguille du Midi in Chamonix? [35:19] Chamonix or Annecy? [36:12] How to behave in France [37:14] Don't pack too much in each day [38:00] Should you pay attention to Yelp in France? [38:34] A few things about Paris and shopping in Le Marais [41:30] How to get the VAT tax back [42:12] How patrons can get rewards automatically on their smartphone [46:08]

Part 2 of Guest Notes! We finish up 20 guestions with Max, then discuss the games we played this week, including Darkest Dungeon and Wolfenstein: Youngblood. Follow Max on Twitter! https://twitter.com/MaxMoeshTimestamps:00:00:13: 20 Guestions Part 200:21:54: Max's Recent Plays00:35:05: Destin's Recent Plays00:41:06: Sabmerk's Recent Plays/Hatreds

My guest on today's episode, Jessica, is from Toronto where she is a professional photographer. Her daughter is 9 and her son is 6. This was a first time in France for the kids who are in French immersion school at home. Jessica hadn't been in France since 2000 when she was an exchange student in Montpellier, so a lot of things had changed in the meantime. Their trip took place in Oct 2018. They stayed at AirBnB most of the time. That worked out well because they needed 2 rooms and having a kitchen is always wonderful when traveling with children. See the complete list the specific properties where they stayed in the Guest Notes (blue button below). Great Destinations in France for Families Paris with Kids What they enjoyed most overall in Paris was walking around, stopping at parks, riding carousels, using playgrounds, and enjoying every-day life in the City of Light. They also loved to stay on rue Montorgueil, a wonderful pedestrian street in Paris. It's the small things, you know? Eiffel Tower Update The Eiffel Tower security plexiglass is now up. Remember, if you don't buy your tickets in advance for the Eiffel Tower, you will have to go through THREE lines: security line first, then ticket line, then elevator line. You can go under the Eiffel Tower without paying, but you have to go through the security line first. Time-Saving Hack for the Eiffel Tower One hack to not wait so long at the Eiffel Tower is to check the closing time for the day you're there and go an hour or 90 minutes before closing time. This works even in the summer. If you're there so late that there aren't any RER or Metro any more, you can always count on the night bus called Noctilien in Paris. Walk Down to the First Level of the Eiffel Tower! There are no lines to use the bathroom on the first level of the Eiffel Tower and those bathroom are usually a lot cleaner! This is where the kids can enjoy the glass floor, there is room to sit down, you can watch a short movie about the building of the tower. Also, when you walk down you experience the stairs of the Eiffel Tower up-close and personal without having much of a workout. The first level is worth a stop! Montpellier with Kids Montpellier is a very walk-able city and has a lovely downtown. Exploring the  streets and hidden plaza is wonderful there!  Montpellier also gets a lot of sun (anybody who looks at weather averages can see that!) but what I didn't know is that it also has wonderful toy stores. Wonderful for a family with young kids! Provence, Pont du Gard, Roussillon, Le Lavandou From Montpellier they rented a car and drove to Provence. Their favorites there were running around Roussillon, the French red-rock country AND Accrobranches where they got to do dare-devil stuff like climbing trees and doing zip lines. Le Lavandou was also a great find. They hiked Le Sentier du Littoral and loved it! There are hikes all over the place along the Meditarranean, you should look them up! To find one near where you are search "chemin du littoral" in Google. Annecy in the French Alps The had only planned for 2 days there and they wish they had more because it was one of their favorite places this whole trip. They loved renting little boats on the lake, the scenery, going up to a ski resort called Semnoz. What Would You Do Differently? They would spend more time in Annecy. That could have been achieved by spending one fewer days in Montpellier and/or Le Lavandou. Is It a Good Idea to Bring the Kids to France? France is a wonderful family vacation. Don't assume that just because your kids don't even like walking through a supermarket at home they'll complain in France. In France everything is different! Every day is a new day!They will probably really enjoy little treats like crêpes or tarte au citron, use those motivators to get them exploring. Not So Much Time Looking at Screens In France they also don't have their PlayStation or whatever screen entertainment they usually keep themselves busy with. That is a HUGE change for kids! Be aware that they are probably going through withdrawals! AirBnB Is Great for Families Staying at AirBnB is good because you can cook foods they like. Don't plan too much, be prepared to take it easy. French restaurants can't always accommodate kids the way you are used to in the US. French kids are used to eating what's in front of them even if they're not happy about it. Plan Things Out, But Be Flexible When traveling with kids it's good to know about a few possibilities for activities every day and then play it by ear depending on how everybody feels and the weather, etc. But do have suggestions for activities every day! France Has a Lot of Windy Roads If your kids have a tendency to get car sick, make a plan for that because we have a lot of winding roads in France! Part of the charm of France is that we don't have straight roads that cut through the landscape, but it can become a problem. What About Driving in France? Driving in France is great. There was a mix-up at the car rental company and they ended up giving them an automatic for the same price as a manual, which worked out great. Be sure to book your car rental in advance and get a vehicle that will fit your needs! Don't assume they'll have lots of cars on the lot and lots for you to choose from. If using a GPS (and you should!) you will have to ignore it sometimes when it tries to save you 200 meters of driving by taking you on a ridiculously narrow "shortcut". Generally speaking, if you're seeing signs for your destination, follow the road signs. Road signs will take you the safest way whereas GPS will take you the shortest way. You can also work with the preferences in your GPS settings to make this less likely to happen. A Few More Important Points from this Episode Paris is full of pleasant neighborhoods. Make sure you stay in one of them so you don't have to spend so much of your day getting to the most wonderful areas. If you're going to take the train, bring your own food on. They have a restaurant car on the TGV, but selection is limited and it's expensive. The TGV between Paris and Montpellier takes less time than flying between Paris and Montpellier and a train is also a lot more comfortable than a plane. Book your TGV tickets in advance, prices go up as the date gets closer!

Sarah had never been to France, but she found herself planning a 4-week trip around France for 7 people. Scary, right? An Itinerary for Families with Kids Sarah used this podcast to get inspired on what to do and where to stay. I think that her itinerary is one of the best I've ever heard of! Listen up, she’s sharing a great itinerary here! About This Trip Report This trip took place June 2018 and they stayed the whole month going around to different places. This is a family of 7: mom, dad, twin girls (9 years old) and a son who is 11, plus grandma and grandpa who joined for part of the trip. This was a first trip to France for Sarah and the kids, but her husband had been to France before. They mostly stayed at Airb&b and VRBO properties. The podcast helped them decide where they wanted to go and what they wanted to see and do. They had been planning this trip for a couple of years and their itinerary was outstanding! A Week on the Mediterranean They looked for places that were off the beaten path because they wanted to avoid places that were too crowded or too touristy. Because they were staying so long, they also wanted to watch their budget. They started their month with the Mediterranean and didn't find it crowded in early June. Staying in Hyeres They wanted to stay on the Riviera but not Nice or Cannes. Hyeres was perfect for that! They enjoyed the islands near there at Porquerolles. They took the ferry from Giens, rented bikes right off the ferry and enjoyed the beaches. It wasn't fancy or crowded. It would definitely get a lot more crowded in July and August or on week-ends. Hyeres is a lovely little town, it has an old town with a tower that's related to the Knight Templars. There's a tour for kids in French in Hyeres. There are also beautiful parks, a botanical garden called "Parc Olbius Riquier". Great bakery in Hyeres: Boulangerie Duhaut Le Lavandou It's sandy beach and a little more crowded. They liked the Bistr'Eau Ryon and enjoyed a lot. Parking was tight, but doable in early June. In general the best restaurants are a little off the main drag or main attraction in a town. As soon as you walk away from the main attraction a little bit, you are more likely to find a nice place to eat. If you can't find street parking remember to look for underground parking lots! Sète On their way out of Hyeres they stopped in Sète. When you drive into Sète you are driving through an industrial area that doesn't look nice at all. But once you get to the city center it's wonderful. They ate on the canal and walked around to see the little fishing boats. One Night in Carcassonne Contrary to Sète, Carcasonne is spectacular with you drive up to it. They decided to stay overnight at a hotel within the medieval walls. They had the city to themselves the next morning. They visited the Chateau Comtal and enjoyed the audio guide. The walked along the old ramparts. Because Sarah's father had to use a walker several places gave them easier access via doors that are not usually open to everyone. In Carcassonne they stayed at this hotel and loved it. Renting a Walker for Grandpa at the Pharmacy Because Sarah's father had been injured he needed wheelchair assistance in the airports and they rented a walker in France for him. You can do that easily at any pharmacy. Two Weeks in the Dordogne They stayed the whole two weeks in the Dordogne which meant a fair amount of driving. The Dordogne is large enough that it is a good idea to stay in two different places. Maybe Sarlat and Bergerac? When we go, we like to stay at a wonderful chateau on the north end of the Dordogne for that very reason. They stayed at a place called Belvesin the Dordogne. It had a swimming pool, but they didn't use them a lot because this June was not particularly warm. They wanted to go to La Forêt des singes near Rocamadour, but that was too far. They wanted to go to Font-de-Gaume cave, but they couldn't get in. Favorite Places in the Dordogne Belves: The troglodyte dwellings in Belves. Lascaux IV: They loved their visit to Lascaux IV. Plan you visit in advance, if you need a visit in English you can't usually walk in and get one. Castelnaud Castle: Gorgeous views! Les Eyzies: They enjoyed kayaking on the Vézère from Les Eyzies. From there you can look up at at the Abri de la Madeleine. You can also visit the Musée National de la Préhistoire. Annie would rather not stay in Les Eyzies, it's not that scenic. River Beaches along the Dordogne: They had a few hot days and they went to Bouisson de Caudoin where  there's a nice river beach. Great for a picnic. Two Nights in the Loire Valley The Loire Valley was very different from everything else they had seen on this trip. They stayed at a B&B near Blois, but they mostly went to restaurants in  Amboise. Chateau de Chenonceau Beautiful, has furniture. The children enjoyed it. The little farm was also nice for the kids. Chateau Clos Lucé:  Da Vinci's Final Home This is where Da Vinci spent the last few years of his life. It was their favorite chateau that they saw through all of this trip because of all the things you can see on the grounds. This is a hands-on chateau that will spark children's imagination. Winery in Vouvray where they make great white wines. Four Nights in Paris It's only a 2.5 hour drive between the Loire Valley and Paris. They dropped their car at Gare de Lyon. They stayed in the Marais. They weren't sure they wanted to go to Paris but they were really glad they did. They went to the Eiffel Tower in the morning, then to the Jardin du Luxembourg for a picnic and the kids enjoyed sailing the little boats. They also had a picnic. They used the bus a lot. They showed the point where they wanted to go on the map to the driver and he would tell them yes, that's right or tell them to get on a different bus. Needing to Go to the Hospital in Paris They Stayed at Hotel L'Antoine one night where their daughter got electrocuted touching the magnifying mirror. The hotel reacted very proactively and called the paramedics. They decided to take her to the children's hospital where she was seen. The doctors were wonderful and helpful. Difficulties Getting Back to the Airport They had trouble getting to the airport because it was a busy morning because there was a World Cup game and the Pride Parade that day. The hotel where they were staying  couldn't find them a taxi (which is really unusual in Paris!). They had to pay $200 for an Uber. Driving in France They used Apple maps a lot on their phones and it worked great, even in rural areas of the Dordogne. Join Us in France on Pandora If you'd like to use your Pandora account to listen to podcasts, apply here. Great Itinerary for Families Sarah shared a great itinerary for families visiting France, if you want to see all her notes, visit the Guest Notes page (blue button). And be sure to thank Sarah by commenting below and sharing this episode! Learn More: Family Travel in France {Recommendations} Best Western Le Donjon

Join Us in France Travel Podcast, Episode 206 Thinking about doing the Tour du Mont Blanc? On today's episode I bring you  a great conversation with Lachlan Cooke his experience doing the Tour of the Mont Blanc. This is an active vacation: it's not super technical mountaineering, but you need to be in good shape to do this. This is a great hike around the Mont Blanc that takes several days to complete. You'll be able to make it more or less arduous depending on choices you make as explained by Lachlan. Make Your Own Tour du Mont Blanc What's intimidating about a trip like this is figuring out where you can stay, how you can organize your hike, what you need to know in advance, possible pitfalls, etc. Lachlan has great suggestions on all of those. Take a look at the Show Notes, Guest Notes and Lackan's own blog for all the details. Active Vacations in France and the French Alps This is a great episode for those of you who are interested in the Mont Blanc and organizing a visit to the French Alps. Whether you make it a 2-hour hike or a 2-week hike, you'll be able to enjoy the striking vistas and peaceful feeling of the French Alps. Let yourself be inspired and start planning your own! Annie was a guest on Welcome to my Box Chatterbox #6, you should give it a listen!   Subscribe to the email extras and bonuses Ask a question or leave a voicemail comment: +1 801 806 1015 To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France Click here to support the show when you shop on Amazon Show Merchandise including shirts, totes, phone cases and more! Click here for show notes with time stamps for this episode. http://old.joinusinfrance.com/171 (apple podcast app does not display links embedded in words) Click here to review the show on iTunes. See Annie's photos of France on Instagram Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook

Season Three: The Time-Travel Season Our Guests+David Fisher+James PozenelShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesDavid FisherShinobi 27 Games, publisher of such fine products as:Feast of the PreserverTrolls of MistwoodRevelation of MulmoAngels, Demons & Beings Between (in print!)James PozenelSerious contributor to the Gongfarmer's AlmanacThese guys have a Kickstarter up for Angels, Daemons & Beings Between: Volume II RIGHT EFFING NOW! (Until 10/26. After that, you're on your own.)Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners. Loading...

Focus on the bit wolf Our Guests+David Fisher+James PozenelShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesDavid FisherShinobi 27 Games, publisher of such fine products as:Feast of the PreserverTrolls of MistwoodRevelation of MulmoAngels, Demons & Beings Between (in print!)James PozenelThese guys have a Kickstarter up for Angels, Demons & Beings Between: Volume II RIGHT EFFING NOW! (Until 10/26. After that, you're on your own.)Show NotesDrinkNutBandit, Oddside Ale, Grand Haven, MichiganMeester Quadrupel, Brouwerij De Meester, Kruune, Belgium (not Netherlands!)Founders Porter, Founders Brewery, Grand Rapids, MichiganUnfinished Business, Perrin Brewery, Grand Rapids, MichiganMalted Milk Ball Imperial Porter, Perrin Brewery, Grand Rapids, MichiganSpinBITWVLF's cover of Taylor Swift's "Remember Me"BITWVLF, "Ivory"Spaceslug, "Mountains & Reminiscence"Stoned Meadow of DoomHobbs & Friends of the OSRGuardians of the Galaxy soundtrack... you know how to find this.Hawk the Slayer soundtrackTalking Heads, "77"KuedoReadLarry Niven & Jerry Pournelle, Mote In God's EyeER Burroughs, Warlord of MarsNorman Bogner, SnowmanJeff Lindsay, Dexter novel seriesWS Burroughs, Naked LunchNK Jamisin, The Fifth SeasonRE Howard, A Devil In IronCA Smith, The Ultimate Weird Tales CollectionOliver Poetzsch, The Hangman's DaughterRunDonn's still running DCC, James is one of the players in that game. Running "The Emerald Enchanter."Adam is running DCC at work and just ran "The Portal Under the Stars." He recommends "The 13th Skull." He's also running Blades In The Dark still, the Murder Gangs of Ur-Hadad! He's also about to start running Uncharted Worlds (PbtA Hard Sci Fi). Vampire, The Dracula, The RPG is happening.David is also running DCC, mostly funnels for his family.James has a long-running lunchtime game running... you guessed it... DCC. He also plays in a game run by his kids and is playing "The Abbot In The Woods" with his kids and their cousins.Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners. Loading...

It's gotta be a slackwagon. Our Guests+Bob Brinkman+Andrew ShieldsShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesBob BrinkmanSanctum Secorum podcastAndrew ShieldsFictive Fantasies blogShow NotesCall of CthulhuAdam plugged the company he works for: The Murder Mystery CompanyAndrew suggests three levels of "scope" so that the mystery can wrap up into an interesting and satisfying end.The Three Clue Rule (Justin Alexander, The Alexandrian): when the PCs must know something, sort out three ways to introduce the same information.Four Points of Failure: Bob thinks it's really two points of failure.Andrew: "Don't hold on to your mysteries too tightly. There's always a mystery behind it."Blades In The DarkThanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners. Loading...

Our Guests+Bob Brinkman+Andrew ShieldsShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesBob BrinkmanSanctum Secorum podcastAndrew ShieldsFictive Fantasies blogShow NotesDrinkGlenlivet Archive 21-Year-Old ScotchMacWizard, Brewery Vivant, Grand Rapids, MINegra Modelo, MexicoSpinThe NecksDeru, 1979CongosAWOLNATION21 PilotsReadGaston Leroux, Phantom of the OperaRobin W. Bailey, Swords Against the ShadowlandsDoc SavagePoul Anderson, Three Hearts and Three LionsL. Sprague DeCamp, Fallible FiendJack Kirby, Kamandi the Last Boy On EarthPopcorn Sutton, My and My LikkerAndre Norton, Eye of the MonsterJethro Wall, Threat-N-Ink #7: Kreature Kompendium (with Mario Torrez & Chris Stieha)L. Frank Baum, Oz: The Complete CollectionFritz Leiber, Swords of LankhmarRobert Bloch, Mysteries of the WormRunLasers & Feelings becomes Ghostbusters in Andrew's handsYoon-Suin + Mad Monks of Kwantoom + Maze Rats (I totally misunderstood this as "Amaze Rats" at first. Oops.)Cyborg Commando. Turns out, it's playable!Call of Cthulhu via Mountain Monsters1e AD&DDonn wants to run The Emerald Enchanter for his DCC groupAdam explains DWIMMERMARS (OD&D-ified Barsoomian Dwimmermount via Warriors of the Red Planet)At GaryCon, Adam ran The Revenge of CHUD Strikes Back Again, The Musical, The RPGThanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

Shut up! Let's keep talking. Our Guests:+Jarrod ShawShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesJarrod Shaw of MYTHOARD!Show Notes+Tim Callahan -- friend of the show, all-around awesome guy and author of Age of  Undying and Bizarre Tales (mentioned in this episode, a ton of other awesome stuff as well)Tome of Horrors 4 & Monstrosities by Frog GodEverything Is DolphinsAnd lots and lots of +Tim Shorts because daaaaaamn, dude is prolific.Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

In this episode, Adam tears his finger open with pliers. How? Listen and learn, folks.Our Guests:+Jarrod ShawShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesJarrod Shaw of MYTHOARD!Show NotesDrinkA dude on a turtleJarrod was drinking what sounded like an awful mess that Donn thinks should taste like a peach cobblerHop Cocoa, Wicked Weed, Asheville, NCNosferatu Imperial Red Ale, Great Lakes Brewing, Cleveland OHOctoRock Semi-Sweet Cider, Starcut Ciders, Elk Rapids, MISpinArchers of LoafMary Halvorson Octet Nurgle, Me and That ManNick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Murder BalladsReadOpenQuest 2Chaosium's The Hastur CycleMysteries of the Worm, Robert BlochRunJarrod has been running OpenQuest 2Modded into "Arena Trent"Donn ran his DCC campaignCheck out Adam's RuneQuest6 Elder Wilds game [HERE]Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.Loading...

Adam knows just how full of it he is.Our Guests+Kiel Chenier+Daniel BishopShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesKiel ChenierBlood in the Chocolate [[Print & PDF]] [[PDF]]Dungeon & Donuts blogDaniel BishopOMG all this stuff on RPGNow.com [[RIGHT HERE]]Raven Crowking's Nest blogShow NotesDrinkFrench Press Vanilla Stout, Double Trouble Brewing Company, Guelph, OntarioNo Rules Vietnamese Porter, Perrin Brewery, Grand Rapids, MINew Crustacean Barleywineish Imperial IPA Sorta, Rogue Brewery, Ashland ORVerdun Biere de Garde, Brewery Vivant, Grand Rapids, MISpinWeedcraftSpaceslugSome Podcasts Kiel was listening to: The Comedy Button & Cool Games, Inc.We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service, A Tribe Called QuestMoana soundtrack (seriously Daniel?)Storybots Super Songs (on Netflix)The Unexplained podcastReadUzumaki, Junji ItoThe Mucker, Edgar Rice BurroughsThe Lies of Locke Lamorra, Scott LynchThe Hastur CycleRunKiel: Some play tests of Reynaldo Madriñan's 'BREAK!!', also a bunch of D&D 5e.Daniel: Fire in the Mountain, Frozen in Time, Gnome Jambalaya...5 games at Gary Con!Donn: Bronze Age DCC!Adam: Runequest 6! Loading...Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

Daniel's Cat-in-the-Hat voice is the stuff of nightmares. Our Guests+Kiel Chenier+Daniel BishopShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesKiel ChenierBlood in the Chocolate [[Print & PDF]] [[PDF]]Dungeon & Donuts blogDaniel BishopOMG all this stuff on RPGNow.com [[RIGHT HERE]]Raven Crowking's Nest blogShow Notes+Stacy Dellorfano's Zaya's Promise [[HERE]]+Harley Stroh's Bride of the Black Manse [[PDF HERE]] [[PRINT HERE]]+Pearce Shea's In The Woods [[HERE]]Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners. Loading...

Something clever goes hereOur Guests+Erik Jensen+Ben DjarumShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesErik JensenWampus Country blogDaydream Tiger PressWampus Country Tome 41: Theriospheric TransfigurationsBen DjarumYngarr zineCodex Apocrypha blogShow NotesDrinkTree Bucket (previously "Trebuchet") Belgian-Inspired Double IPA, Brewery Vivant, Grand Rapids, MIGosling Ginger Beer + FireballBoris the Crusher, Hopping Frog Brewery, Akron, OHDistorter Porter, Greenbush Brewery, Sawyer, MISpinAmebix radio on PandoraWindhandWeird AlXTCLoretta LynnHexvesselWanda JacksonVoidcrawlerMulatu AstatkeKult of the WizardIn the Company of SerpentsOdd Future & Tyler, the CreatorReadElric series by Michael Moorcock... chronologicallyRE Howard (obviously)WH PugmireSavage Sword of ConanAfghanistan: A Military History, Steven Tanner (Adam couldn't find a link)Quag Keep, Andre NortonWell World series, Jack ChalkerPlaying At The World, Jon PetersonInvisible Cities, Italo Calvino (again)Yngarr zineGongfarmer's Almanac zinesThe Night Land, William Hope HodgsonRunDonn ran some DCC.Erik was getting ready to run WAMPUS COUNTRY!Erik was planning to run Ghost Tower of Inverness using the Marvel Super Heroes RPG at Legacies Game Day.Ben had run some Into The Odd.Adam went to GaryCon and only played in two sessions and ran them both. He ran +Pearce Shea's Monster Parts (not to be confused with Monsterhearts) and Torchbearer. Adam's wife Katie ran "MuppetMorphosis Alpha," Metamorphosis Alpha set on the Swine Trek.Our intro bumps were graciously provided by the one and only +Gabriel Perez Gallardi.Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

Drink Spin Run... that kind of podcastOur Guests+Jobe Bittman+James RaggiShow Notes after the jumpGuest Notes+Jobe BittmanHas written for Dungeon Crawl ClassicsMetamorhposis AlphaD&D 5eLamentations of the Flame PrincessHost of Spellburn! podcastRenaissance asshole+James Raggi Writer/publisher of the Lamentations of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy RPGLots of top tier adventures!Grinding GearDeath Frost Doom (original!)Weird New WorldWriter of the Random Esoteric Creature Generator For Classic Fantasy Role-Playing Games and Their Modern SimulacraShow NotesYes, we are officially on between-season break. We'll resume recording in September, but are thinking about doing some Actual Play podcast in the intervening months. +D.j. Chadwick, +Mike Evans, we're looking at youJobe is hoping for Metamorphosis Alpha, but won't run it for us"Random Esoteric Creature Generator For Classic Fantasy Role-Playing Games and Their Modern Simulacra" is like a Tribe Called Quest, you've got to say the whole thingFavorite Monster BooksJames - Fire on the Velvet Horizon by Patrick Stewart & Scrap PrincessJobe -Field Guide to Encounters - Judges GuildFiend Folio - TSRAdam - honorable mention for Chaosium's All The Worlds' Monsters bookDonn - Lusus Naturae - Raphael Chandler & Gennifer BoneThen we talked a whole lot of crap. Listen to it. We didn't end up making a monster, but we did discover the Jobe Bittman/Joe Rogan "A Florida man..." monster generation method.For monster ideas, click here: https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=florida+manJobe's daughters did a good job of listing all of Jobe's special abilities Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. We'd love to read your comments on the show, suggestions, where exactly we can stick what and other thinly-veiled threats. Send us your thoughts at dsr@kickassistan.net. Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

Our Guests+Alex Mayo+Chris KutalikShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesChris KutalikHydra CooperativeHill Cantons blogSlumbering Ursine DunesFever-Dreaming Marlinko[NEW!] Misty Isles of the EldAlex MayoLayout and illustration for lots of OSR products!Penetralia blog - No longer availableShow NotesThis is the second half of our conversation with Chris & Alex. The first part (Episode 7.1) aired on 3/24/16.Talking about pushing boundaries.Chris messes with form a lot, specifically the point-crawl.Problem: "Where are these things in the hex?" Instead of "What's in the hex?" the point-crawl strips out the empty space and instead moves between interesting things. (Then Adam kind of missed the point and got corrected by Chris)Alex pushes boundaries in art.A common thread in this conversation (but that Adam doesn't realize until the end) is that better decisions, better innovations and better gaming happens when we are authentic and genuine to our own thoughts and experiences. Alex: "One of the things that I love about the OSR is that it's an aesthetic movement as much as a movement about mechanics." [Paraphrase]"Where is the innovation in the OSR?" was a trolly thread that circulated on G+ in the beginning of 2016. While the folks behind that thread claimed they asked their question in good faith, they promptly shut down many OSR innovators who contributed to the conversation.Adam: "The innovation & boundary pushing in the OSR isn't about the rules, it's about form, structure and content."Donn seems to experience a degree of dissonance when he exposes himself to too many rule sets.Alex: "Boundaries are pushed in the community at large as a hive mind."Adam: "It's as much incubation as innovation."Our favorite boundary-pushers:Alex - James Raggi & Lamentations of the Flame Princess lineChris - Hydra Coop stuff, especially Jason Sholtis's Operation Unfathomable, and Patrick Stewart & Scrap Princess's Broken Fire RegimeDonn - Zzarchov Kowalski's Scenic Dunnsmouth & Thulian EchoesAdam - Jason Lutes's Perilous Wilds, Zak S.'s Red & Pleasant Land and VornheimWho are we most excited about their next creation?Alex - Zzarchov KowalskiChris - Gus L. (not sure how he spells his last name)Donn - Mike Evans (specifically Hubris)Adam - Erik Jensen (Wampus Country forever!)Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

Adam feels better about being liked by Wayne than he feels about liking Wayne in the first placeOur Guests+Dan Sandberg+Wayne SnyderShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesDan SandbergAtom Switch, Inc.Infinitas DM on Kickstarter now! (Adam screwed up the order of the terms "DM" and "Infinitas")https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atomswitch/infinitas-dm?ref=nav_searchWayne SnyderMetal Gods of Ur-Hadad zineMore independent gaming projects than I can rememberShow NotesRoll20.netDonn doesn't like online gaming because he feels like he has to spend too much time setting these up.Online gaming tools have to support on-the-fly gaming and improv styleAdam preemptively makes useful macros & conflict maps/mats to improv conflictsAdam's Torchbearer conflict mapDrawing in Roll20 sucksWayne uses Twiddla in hangouts insteadInfinitas DM + a big screen TV laid down with a sheet of acrylic over top = Dan's ideal gaming set up (and Adam plans on making it happen)Make the things you need for your game, share the things you make. Basic DIY ethics.None of us had used Fantasy Grounds or MapTool or any of the other Roll20 alternatives, Dan has reservations about complete rule integration in Fantasy Grounds. Adam doesn't appreciate the $$$ barrier to entry.Crawler's Companion for DCC RPG by Purple Sorcerer GamesACKS treasure generator on Autarch's website: http://autarch.co/treasureMega.co.nzWayne & Donn are curmudgeonly about pdfs. Everyone prefers books.Wayne talked about random generator websites:WizardawnAdam mentioned AbulafiaRememberdismove http://henrycjc.com/rememberdismove/dungeon.cgi?rooms=10Last Gasp GrimoireVHS Title Generator http://www.memento-mori.com/vhs/Donn brought up 3D printing for minisShapewaysHeroForge (but actual minis are cheaper)Adam talked about 3D modelling with Google SketchUpDonn says that using music in games is good at the beginning of sessions, but can be ignored as you start to get into stuff (his Sound Cloud stuff can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/pollyworg )Adam mentioned TableTopAudio.comMusic was a point of contentionDMDJ appObviously, Google Drive is a thingAdam has been using his iPad a lotTrello app for smart stuff (hierarchical note storing, can add pictures!)Obsidian Portal (Adam's OP page: https://fromkickassistan.obsidianportal.com/)Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

Let's learn about North Kovacistani customsOur Guests+Dan Sandberg+Wayne SnyderShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesDan SandbergAtom Switch, Inc.Infinitas DM on Kickstarter now! (Adam screwed up the order of the terms "DM" and "Infinitas")https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atomswitch/infinitas-dm?ref=nav_searchWayne SnyderMetal Gods of Ur-Hadad zineMore independent gaming projects than I can rememberShow NotesDrinkTrois Pistoles, Unibroue, Chambly, QuebecCurmudgeon Old Ale, Founders Brewery, Grand Rapids, MIOld Rasputin Imperial Russian Stout, North Coast Brewing, Fort Bragg, CAFat Tire, New Belgium Brewery, Fort Collins, COJackhammer Old Ale, Arbor Brewing Company, Ann Arbor, MI (Adam managed to pawn off the rest of his Jackhammer on his ACKS group this past Sunday)SpinDisenchanterYidhra, "Hexed"Black PyramidBlind GuardianGrave DiggerJag PanzerFrederico Durand (?)BiosphereBlue Snaggletooth, "Beyond Thule"Electric WizardDead Games Society's GaryCon Podcast Panel PodcastReadLord of the Rings appendicesCA Smith, The End of the StoryNeuromancer, William GibsonThe Troll King Trilogy, John VornholtPlaying At The World, Jon PetersonPeril on the Purple Planet Boxed SetRunWayne has taken over the reins of the Metal Gods of Ur-Hadad campaignDan was playing D&D 4eApes Victorious is on its way from Goblinoid GamesAdam has been running Torchbearer and will run it as part of the "DSR Actually Plays" series of livestreams on 4/10/16 & 4/24/16RuneQuest 6Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

Something clever goes hereOur Guests+Alex Mayo+Chris KutalikShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesChris KutalikHydra CooperativeHill Cantons blogSlumbering Ursine DunesFever-Dreaming MarlinkoAlex MayoLayout and illustration for lots of OSR products!Penetralia blog - No longer availableShow NotesDrinkScallywagger, Oddside Ales, Grand Haven, MiGrapefruit Sculpin, Ballast Point, San Diego, CAHeavyweight Zinfandel, Scotto Cellars, Walnut Creek, CABean Flicker, Oddside Ales, Grand Haven, MISpinKylesa[Adam couldn't figure out the band that Chris mentioned. If you know what it was, let us know!]Low & Beck got a little depressing for KatieOld time radio shows on SpotifyReadTunnels of Chuchi [Adam couldn't find a link to this book]World War Z, Max BrooksAn Unquiet Mind, Kay Redfield JamisonMatt Fraction Hawkeye collected hardbackThe Complete Guide to Making Mead, Steve PiatzKill the Dead, Tannith LeeThe Mushroom Handbook, Louis Charles Christopher KriegerRunMutant Year ZeroHill CantonsDCC RPGDungeon of the Unknown, Geoffrey McKinneyRandom Esoteric Creature Generator blah blah blahTome of Adventure DesignTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other StrangenessBad Myrmidon, Rafael ChandlerDonn STILL needs to design his minis rules!Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

I'll do my Donn voice. "Hi, I'm Donn."Our Guest+Clint KrauseShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesRed Moon Medicine ShowVacant Ritual Assembly zineDon't Walk in Winter WoodStygian Garden of Abelia PremDriftwood Verses (upcoming)Show NotesClint talks a bit about his Driftwood Verses supplement (1:42)Adam makes up a definition of Weird Horror (4:30)Clint: You can't force creepy, it happens on its own (8:50)Adam: dissonance between player agency and terror (12:00)Clint: build up and absence of a creature (Hitchcock effect?) (13:00)Donn: the unknown! (16:00)Adam: the seductive allure of the unknown (17:50)Donn: ghosts! Give 'em stuff they can't fight! (19:10)Clint: Keep players wondering (20:23)Donn still hates Adam's Senior Sugarskull (21:25)Clint: what's mechanical, what's scenery? (23:00)Clint is prep-heavy. Donn finally has an ally.Adam: ever good GM has a moment of self-doubt right before a game starts (26:00)Clint & Donn: prep makes a session real for the GM (26:30)Adam: communicating a feeling is more important than communicating a fact (28:20)Donn takes over (30:43)Adam talks about reality & phenomena again (35:00)Donn: immersion means presenting things to the characters rather than the players (39:00)Clint: if everything's weird, nothing is; mundane stuff creates essential contrast (41:00)Adam: when you name a thing, it ceases to be unknown (45:40)Clint makes Adam's points coherent (48:00)The Third Rail: Is The "Quantum Clue" worth the loss of failure?Clint: No. The chance of failure is a small issue.Donn: Has never played either.Adam: It's complicated. It solves a problem that isn't one. Rather, its answer is more useful for everything other than the question that it attempts to answer.Mythoard is awesome. You should do it. (Not a paid advertisement) http://www.mythoard.comThanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

"We can play it as hard as you want"Our Guest+Clint KrauseShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesRed Moon Medicine ShowVacant Ritual Assembly zineDon't Walk in Winter WoodStygian Garden of Abelia PremDriftwood Verses (upcoming)Show NotesDrink (2:02)Remnant of Dragon Imperial Red IPA, Greenbush Brewing Co., Sawyer MIClint was boring and drank coffee, but I wish we had a picture of his dragon mug he got from a 1996 Ren FaireEdmund Fitzgerald Porter, Great Lakes Brewing, Cleveland, OHSpin (7:00)HexvesselTech N9neKasey ChambersBlack BlightVoidcrawler by the awesome +Ben DjarumMammoth Weed Wizard BastardAdam's Spotify playlist based on MWWB's Top Ten Metal AlbumsKapela ze Wsi WarszawaSeu Jorge, "Life Aquatic Studio Sessions"Danzig II: LucifugeRead (16:44)"Jade Man's Eyes," Michael MoorcockMan & His Symbols, Karl Jung (has nothing to do with cymbals)Ships of Oak, Guns of Iron, Ronald UttOak Island Quest, William CrookerSinister Stone of Sakkara, Michael SkailRun (22:30)Adam was running the DSR Actual Play of Beyond the Wall from Flatland GamesClint runs two Lamentations of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy campaignsWhispering Vault! POD on Lulu.comDonn was playing 5e (note that this episode was recorded before Donn started his new DCC game)Adam dislikes the Underdark so much it makes him say things he wish he hadn't saidThanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

Donn only talks on a fumbleOur Guests+Noah Stevens+Tim CallahanShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesTim Callahan - the man, the myth, the legendHNIC of Moon Dice GamesNoah StevensHounds of Halthrag Keep Show NotesDonn & Adam would like to apologize for the crappy quality of the audio on this episode. Long story.Donn loves dice.Tim's most stolen mechanic: from Questlandia - put narrative spaces on index cards, then have the players determine how they connect.Adam steals -- from King of Dragon Pass -- a mechanism for defining a group of people based on the myths they tell themselvesNoah -- from Adventures in Oz -- conflict doesn't need to be deadly. The focus on murder is problematic as a dad. Why all the death?Noah -- from Gangbusters -- non-cooperative narrative? Characters not working toward the same ends.Adam hates rewarding players for rolling well (this happens in many old school games in their original form; players are already rewarded for rolling well by succeeding).Adam steals dice success distributions from HeroQuest. The good one, not the RPG.Noah & Adam both use lots of ApocalypseWorld-inspired dice mechanics.Donn uses reaction rolls all the time. Adam suggests you pay attention to the one Jobe Bittman put in the Monster Alphabet.Adam suggests "Jaquaying" dungeons.Then it got all murky.DungeonWorld instincts are cool.Tim -- Marvel Superheroes -- award characters in-game benefits for enacting character motivations/beliefs/etc.Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

This episode spends most of its time under the dumpster.Our Guests+Noah Stevens+Tim CallahanShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesTim Callahan - the man, the myth, the legendHNIC of Moon Dice GamesNoah StevensHounds of Halthrag Keep Donn & Adam had a great time at U Con Gaming Convention in Ypsilanti, MIShow NotesDrinkNaughty Belgian Style Dark Ale, Flying Dog Brewing, Frederick, MDTim didn't drink... againWillpower Artisanal Pale Ale, Right Brain Brewery, Traverse City, MI (Scroll waaaaaay down)Dark Penance Imperial Black IPA, Founders Brewery, Grand Rapids, MINosferatu, Great Lakes Brewery, Cleveland, OHWaterKeeper Catch & Release Seasonal Ale Hefeweizen, SweetWater Brewing, Atlanta, GASpinHandel's MessiahSanctum Secorum Podcast with our friends +Jen Brinkman, +Bob Brinkman & +David BaityNoah has been inundated with Mary Poppins due to his kidsThe Great Old Ones, "Tekeli-Li"Adam gushes about the Warsaw Village Band (Kapela ze wsi Warszawa)Brownout, "Brown Sabbath"Sulfur Aeon, "Swallowed by the Ocean's Tide"ReadHounds of Halthrag Keep, Noah Stevens (you know, that guy in this episode)Sailor on Seas of Fate, Michael MoorcockGraymantle, John MorressyEmpire of the Imagination, Michael WitwerGilliamesqe, Terry Gilliam (memoir)Paradise Lost, John MiltonThe Glass Hammer, KW JeterHitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas AdamsRunNoah had a good time at Trident Con, running Into the Odd and playing in Black Powder, Black Magic and a bunch of other stuff including +Reynaldo Madriñan's Break!Castle GargantuaBarrowmaze/Black Powder Black Magic mashupTim: still running FFG EotE, campaign and a 5-hour block at a 24 hr game-a-thonDCC for 6-7 graders (mostly girls) who are mostly Minecraft-generation kids5e was-Forgotten-Realms (until it bored Tim, so, like five minutes) via Punjar and Goodman Games 4e stuff mixed with Renaissance (and Northern Renaissance) Christianity through the lens of a non-ChristianAdam ran the DSR Actual Play of Beyond the Wall in December (done already! Watch for links to the show soon!). Other systems in the hopper: Paranoia, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness, Dungeon World, Torchbearer and more!Adam & Donn were at U Con the weekend before we recorded this episodeAdam ran "A Night In Ur-Hadad" via DCC RPG (improvised session & emergent characters!); 007 James Bond RPG (too much fun!); "Quasquetherion" via Delving Deeper with tons of fun folks! Adam also played in +Bill Webb's "Character Killing Session" on Thursday night (an unofficial event)Donn hung out at U Con, mostly, and didn't play much.Above & BelowDonn was playing 5e with +Jason Hobbs as DMThanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

Your new in-joke: "the Vampire's wife."Our Guests+Nathan Panke+Stan ShinnShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesStan & Nathan are part of the creative team behind Rogue Comet Games (http://roguecomet.com/)Rogue Comet is currently Kickstarting their "Dungeonesque: World of Redmark" line of adventures at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/stanshinn/dungeonesque-world-of-redmark-5e-adventures-and-maShow NotesWe Play "This Old Module"Here's the premise:Adam picks a module from a stack of classic TSR modulesEach panelist picks three ways in which they would do one of the following:Update itImprove itMake it your ownThe Modules In PlayC2: Ghost Tower of InvernessT1: The Village of HommletX1: The Isle of DreadN1: Against the Cult of the Reptile GodWhat would you do with these modules? Send us your three things and we'll try to post them on the website soon. We might even broadcast them!Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

Continuity be damned!Our Guests+Nathan Panke+Stan ShinnShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesStan & Nathan are part of the creative team behind Rogue Comet Games (http://roguecomet.com/)Rogue Comet is currently Kickstarting their "Dungeonesque: World of Redmark" line of adventures at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/stanshinn/dungeonesque-world-of-redmark-5e-adventures-and-maShow NotesDrinkOarsman Ale, Bell's Brewery, Kalamazoo, MISnow Roller Hoppy Brown Ale, Magic Hat Brewery,South Burlington, VTDirty Bastard, Founders Brewery, Grand Rapids, MICast Iron Oatmeal Brown, Four Hands Brewery, St. Louis, MOChocolate Milk Stout, Four Hands Brewery, St. Louis, MOTasmanian IPA, Schlafly, St. Louis, MOSpinThe "Berlin Period"David Bowie"Low""Heroes""Lodger"Iggy Pop"The Idiot"Brian Eno"Before And After Science"Star Wars: The Force Unleashed SoundtackGlam rock Christmas music!Downfall of Nur, "Umbras de Barbagia"Vince Guaraldi TrioSnarky PuppyReadWeird of the White Wolf, Michael MoorcockStar Wars: The Force Awakens, Alan Dean Foster (!!!)Leviathan Wakes, James SA CoreyNathan was listening to audiobooks of the following:Shattered Sea Trilogy, Joe AbercrombieThe Dark Tower Series, Stephen KingAmerican Gods, Neil GaimanRunStan's been running a lot of games, including:An Apocalypse World game based on Rush's album "2112" Star Wars via Savage Worlds Classic Traveller5e D&D (where the KS came from)Adam just got done running Beyond the Wall for the DSR Actual Play Live Stream and is gearing up to run Paranoia 2e in January!Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

Let's all talk about why the mainstream sucks togetherOur Guests+Mike Evans+Ripley StonebrookShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesMike EvansBlogs at https://wrathofzombie.wordpress.com/Creator of the Hubris Campaign Setting for the DCC RPGAt the time this was recorded, Hubris was on Kickstarter. The Kickstarter was very successful and in a few months, we should have more info to share on it!Ripley StonebrookCreator of the Lair of Sword & Sorcery zine, game & blog found here: http://lairofswordandsorcery.blogspot.com/Show NotesDonn was eating a pawpawYoon-Suin by David McGrogan (art by Matthew Adams)Adam has some serious opinions of NumeneraAnother shout out to David McGrogan and his blog Monsters & ManualsScrap Princess and Monster Manual Sewn From PantsWe talk about Zak Smith a bitTrey Causey & Strange StarsWarband InquisimundaWhiteHackDelving DeeperZzarchov Kowalski's Scenic Dunsmouth and Thulian EchoesThird RailWhat's the worst thing to come out of mainstream gaming in the last decade?Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

"Sternum" isn't a dirty word... yet.Our Guests+Mike Evans+Ripley StonebrookShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesMike EvansBlogs at https://wrathofzombie.wordpress.com/Creator of the Hubris Campaign Setting for the DCC RPGAt the time this was recorded, Hubris was on Kickstarter. The Kickstarter was very successful and in a few months, we should have more info to share on it!Ripley StonebrookCreator of the Lair of Sword & Sorcery zine, game & blog found here: http://lairofswordandsorcery.blogspot.com/Show NotesDrinkDr. Thirty's Blonde, Wychwood Brewing, Oxfordshire, UKMike was unapologetically drinking PBRMaple Bourbon Barrel Black Beer, Dark Horse, Marhsall, MIBell's Best Brown, Bell's Brewery, Kalamazoo, MISpinGhost BC, MelioraBrian Eno, Here Come the Warm JetsBeastie Boys, Check Your HeadNazarethUriah HeapJethro TullThe Dead Weather, Dodge And BurnKMFDM Carrie Nation & the SpeakeasySoggy Bog of Doom is on Mixcloud!Kings Go Forth, "One Day"Warsaw Village Band, "Nord" -- Not at all like Wardruna, but heyThe Sorcerers, s/tReadHellboy In Hell, Mike MignolaCopperhead, Jay FaerberFear Agent, Rick RemenderWhite Star, James SpahnStrange Stars, Trey CauseyWyatt Earp Speaks, Wyatt Earp & John Richard StevensHouse of Leaves, Mark Z. DanielewskiFilth, Irvine WelshA Red & Pleasant Land, Zak S.Death Frost Doom, Zak S & James RaggiWhiteHack, Christian MehrstramPerilous Wilds, Jason LutesSaga/Hellblazer/Fire Upon the Deep (see last episode)Run+Jason Hobbs ran 5e for Donn(Donn never ended up running DCC for that Saturday night group)Ripley is running LoSS on Roll20.net!Mike enjoyed running Beyond the Wall by Flatland Games (Adam ran this as our first Actual Play session of the season!)Adam was about to start running Metamorphosis Alpha 1e, running +Jobe Bittman's module "Death Ziggurat In Zero G"Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

Stanley is this episode's Waldo.Our Guests+Tim Callahan+Stephen NewtonShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesTim CallahanMoon Dice Games & CrawljammerStephen NewtonThick Skull AdventuresShow Notes(If you listen closely, you can hear Adam's baby Stanley making cute little sounds throughout the episode.)Stephen expressed what pretty much is the best KS advice: "Don't ask for money until it's at least 90% done."More from Stephen:"...[W]rite the thing, outline the story..."Figure out the channels (Print? Pdf?)Later on, Stephen says that you should get into print even if it's Print On DemandPOD means you don't have to do any warehousing/fulfillment/handling distributorsPOD also makes it easier for overseas shipping customersWhat's your format? (Letter? "Digest?" - "digest" size is really half-letter)Adam adds: "your audience isn't everyone"Adam wants to see print/pdf bundles to work the opposite way that they work now: if you buy the PDF, you should get a discount on the print product. [Note: "One Bookshelf" or "OBS" is the company that owns & operates the websites RPGNow and DriveThruRPG. Most of the panel members use these terms interchangeably because they are.] One of Adam's reasons for self-publishing is that he wanted to continue to own his work. Most publishers own the work that is produced under contract. LIGHTNING ROUND: The panel all agrees that if you buy something in print, you should get it in pdf for free. If you can think of a way to make this happen, let us know your strategies!Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

We start as werewolves, and we turn into more impressive werewolves like Altered Beast.Our Guests+Tim Callahan+Stephen NewtonShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesDonn now works at Unity Vibration BreweryAdam had a baby named Stanley back in JulyTim is still the Crawljammer & Moon Dice Games guyStephen is still the Thick Skull Adventures guyShow NotesDrinkStephen didn't bring any drinks to his office for some reasonWhistlepig RyeSnozzberries IPA with Cherries, Oddside Ales, Grand Haven, MIWarlock Pumpkin Imperial Stout, Southern Tier Brewing, Lakewood, NYBellaire Brown, Short's Brewing, Bellaire, MIAdam visited Brewery Vivant in Grand Rapids, MI - not just great beer, great food, too.Tim was actually drinking this time, but it was Kahlua, so he was taking it easySpinThe Sword, High CountryDepeche Mode got yanked at Tim's hipster weddingYuggoth RecordsAnechoic, Leng JinJohn Carpenter, Lost ThemesReadAdam was cheating, listening to CA SmithJack Vance Treasury (can't find a current link to the Gumroad page)Adam loved "the Dragonmasters"Clive Barker, The Scarlet GospelsVernor Vinge, Fire Upon the DeepHellblazer vol. ISagaJack Vance, Demon Princes novelsSadly formulaicWilliam Gibson, NeuromancerMichael DeForge, LoseChuck Forseman, RevengerDonn's re-reading DCC, wishing he was reading White StarStephen is re-reading his old TSR modules from back in the dayTim was getting into the FFG Star Wars games & tried to read Forgotten Realms but it sucked (even the 1e stuff)Adam tried to read Shadows of Esteren and was bored to tears Adam also got really into +Nathan Paoletta's World Wide Wrestling and +Clint Krause's Don't Walk In The Winter WoodRunTim ran +Jeff Talanian's Rats in the Walls in AD&D 1e5e D&D, running +Harley Stroh's 4e Punjar modules from Goodman gamesFFG's Star Wars RPGsStephen has been writing a bunch of stuff for DCC and playtesting itDonn made a bunch of excuses for not gamingAdam started running Metamorphosis Alpha 1e Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. If you like what you've heard, share us with your friends, leave us an iTunes review or send us an email at dsr@kickassistan.net. You can also support us at http://www.patreon.com/DSRCast. Our theme music was generously provided by the band Blue Snaggletooth (http://bluesnaggletooth.bandcamp.com). Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

What's at the end of Jobe's rainbow? Listen to find out.Our Guests+Jobe Bittman+James RaggiShow Notes after the jumpGuest Notes+Jobe BittmanHas written for Dungeon Crawl ClassicsMetamorhposis AlphaD&D 5eLamentations of the Flame PrincessHost of Spellburn! podcastRenaissance asshole+James Raggi Writer/publisher of the Lamentations of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy RPGLots of top tier adventures!Grinding GearDeath Frost Doom (original!)Weird New WorldWriter of the Random Esoteric Creature Generator For Classic Fantasy Role-Playing Games and Their Modern SimulacraShow NotesDrinkCurmudgeon Old Ale, Founder's Brewery, Grand Rapids, MILegal, Marijuana sodaFinnish farm-fresh skim milk... no joke. It was 4am in FinlandDragon's Milk, New Holland Brewery, Holland, MICoconut Brown, Black Rocks Brewery, Marquette, MISpinBlood Ceremony, "the Eldritch Dark"Cradle of Filth, "Cruelty and the Beast"Danzing, s/tThe Exploding Eyes OrchestraTelevision, "Marquee Moon"Rocket From the CryptMinor ThreatBlack FlagBad BrainsReadJames was reading the 99 monster entries sent in for the LotFP monster contestYoon-Suin, David McGroganLusus Naturae, Rafael Chandler & Gennifer BonePlaying at the World, Jon PetersonThe Grand Medieval Bestiary (Adam spells it "b-e-est")Snow White & Russian Red, Dorota MaslowskaSkyrealms of Jorune RPG (Adam incorrectly identified his recent purchase as 1e, but it's 2e)RunJobe is playing 5eMacho Women With GunsFree RPG DayFanfare Games, Kalamazoo, MIThanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. We'd love to read your comments on the show, suggestions, where exactly we can stick what and other thinly-veiled threats. Send us your thoughts at dsr@kickassistan.net. Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

Friendly? Local? Gaming? All of the above, please.Our Guests+Nathan Panke+Todd BunnShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesTodd BunnGateway Games & MoreShow NotesTodd mentioned some posts from Adam's blog, Dispatches From KickassistanLet's Talk About RailroadingLet's Talk About Prepping To ImproviseFantasy Shop, St. LouisAdam can't find any online details about the old MAGI gaming club in Elkhart, INVault of Midnight, Ann Arbor, MIVallejo Paints List Android App Todd's niche: the stuff that the other folks don't do. "The only way you can sell the independent or obscure stuff is if you know something about it."Todd's Recipe For Success:Listen to your customers and pay attention.Give them a reason to want to be loyal to you. Be passionate about what you're doing.RetroNHoL - Human Occupied Landfill(aff)Supplement: BUTTery wHOLesomeness(aff)Tabletop Game & Hobby, Kansas CityAdam thinks that an RPG resurgence will follow the current tabletop revivalTodd says there's a retro-wave, but not a full-on resurgence"We're in the classic rock period for RPGs." - Todd "[But] RPGs will never be the top of the heap again."Donn thinks it's just boardgames and doesn't expect an RPG boomThanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. We'd love to read your comments on the show, suggestions, where exactly we can stick what and other thinly-veiled threats. Send us your thoughts at dsr@kickassistan.net. Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

Todd & Nathan are a Gateway drug.Our Guests+Nathan Panke+Todd BunnShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesTodd BunnGateway Games & MoreShow NotesSwords & Wizardry Appreciation Day 2015 - DSR Live Stream!DrinkDark Penance, Founders Brewery, Grand Rapids MIFlat Branch BreweryQuasar Dank, Short's Brewery, Bellaire MIDonn is much better at knowing things about beer than Adam isBoffo Brown Ale, Dark Horse, Marshall MISpinTodd was listening to the Rolling Stones' live albumsFishbone24-7 SpyzScreaming Headless TorsosDavid FiuczynskiHiromi's SonicbloomHiatus Kaiyote PJ Harvey, again.SWaG on WIDRDavid Bowie, Diamond Dogs & Aladdin SaneYear of No Light, Vampyr & Nord  Chuck soundtrackThe ThermalsIdiotbox Guitar EffectsDungeonmaster Pedal - Watch the videos on that page for brain-melting sound!ReadGentlemen of the Road, Michael ChabonSailor on the Seas of Fate, Michael MoorcockJoe Abercombie comes up againNathan recommends the audiobook version of the First Law seriesYes Please, Amy PoehlerGI Joe vs. Transformers+Casey G. 

We talk about how to identify, prevent and repair GM BurnoutOur Guests+Stacy Dellorfano+Mike EvansGuest NotesStacy DellorfanoContessaRandomocity zineFrivology blogMike EvansWrath of Zombie blogHubris campaign settingShow NotesThanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. We'd love to read your comments on the show, suggestions, where exactly we can stick what and other thinly-veiled threats. Send us your thoughts at dsr@kickassistan.net. Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

WSG Stacy Dellorfano & Mike EvansOur Guests+Stacy Dellorfano+Mike EvansGuest NotesStacy DellorfanoContessaRandomocity zineFrivology blogMike EvansWrath of Zombie blogHubris campaign settingShow NotesDrinkMike's Hard LemonadeCrunkle Sam, Clown Shoes Brewery, Ipswitch, MAQueen City Common, Red Clay Ciderworks, Charlotte, NCCulinan's Revival Irish Red, Roc Brewery, Rochester, NYSingle Chair, Magic Hat, Burlington, VTSpinPJ HarveyNick Cave, Murder BalladsLocrianSleater-KinneyBikini KillReel Big FishNirvanaPearl JamKing CrimsonCaptain BeefheartLouis ArmstrongBarrows, Imprecari IslandIn the Company of Serpents, Merging In LightReadSwords Against Wizardry, Fritz LeiberRed & Pleasant Land, Zak SmithLamentations of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy RPGSwords & Wizardry RPGStrange Stars, Trey CauseyNova Express, William S. BurroughsRunAdam & Donn are playing in Stormbringer 1e with +Mark Donkers & +Shawn GatesDonn is running D&D 5e for his family & friendsStacy is running her developing RPG, Precious DarkMike is running the final playtest for his Hubris campaign setting Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. We'd love to read your comments on the show, suggestions, where exactly we can stick what and other thinly-veiled threats. Send us your thoughts at dsr@kickassistan.net. Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

Our Guest+Rafael ChandlerGuest NotesRafael Neoplastic PressPandemonioRoll XXOld school productsTeratic TomeSlaughtergridLamentations of the Flame PrincessNo Salvation for WitchesObscene Serpent ReligionWorld of the LostNovelistAstounding AntagonistsHexcommunicatedShow NotesEmail from +Pete Schwab:Hey Adam/Donn,I was just listening to the episode about running con games and I'm finding it very informative. If there's an opportunity, could you guys do a show covering how you approach developing material for campaign settings from scratch? What are the essential ingredients for getting started, and how much do you feel like you need to have on hand before you begin? Also, what are considerations in terms of rules sets and how much do you feel like you need to tailor aspects before hand based on player temperament/style?  Thanks, I am really enjoying the show! Keep up the good work!Rafael likes to do a brainstorming session with his players about what the campaign setting is going to be like.Rafael: "I believe, as did Zuul, that the players should choose the implements of their own demise."Adam uses the term "campaign sufficiency" to mean "enough detail to start a campaign."Adam: "I give them the object then let them paint it."Rafael on improvising creatures: "I roll 2d8 and multiply them for the monster's hit points. I take the higher die and add 10 to it to get its armor class. The lower number +1d6 is the amount of damage it does." Then he uses a chart for special details.Adam: "Don't cheat yourself! Come up with a new way to do stuff every time."Donn brings up GM Burnout... we think that's such an important topic that we devoted Episode 10.2 to the whole topic.Donn: "There isn't a 'doin' it right.'"Donn: "World building adds confidence because I know the answers."Rafael: (Great anecdote about campaign play) "Let your players' decisions count and help them add meaning to your campaign."Adam: "Look for the opportunities your players give you and make them deal with the consequences of the things they do or don't do."Rafael: "I don't want to make things that make people flip through a book."Tables and Random Generators are pretty much the most useful thing you can have for improv.Adam: "I only want enough to run the first session. Everything else comes out of that one session."Donn: "How much do you give the players?"Adam: "If you make a thing, why would you hide it from your players?"Rafael: (Blind men & the elephant) "Failing at gathering information should never happen, that's not the risk of the game."Rafael: "Part of your obligation as a DM is to take these random bits of data and interpret them and turn them into something meaningful."Rafael: "Part of the job is figuring out 'What is the best way to turn this into a bad situation for the players?'"Donn: "You want the game to flow, not to sit around anticipating the next 'story arc.'"Rafael: "If I can't remember it, it doesn't matter."Adam's session sheet is based on +Brendan S from the Necropraxis blog, which you should all be reading. [Brendan's session sheet]MEAT DWARF!Third RailDo the skills that a thief class brings to the game justify the existence of the thief within that game?Rafael: "The game would be incomplete without a specialist in the environment. Fighters are combat specialist, wizards are magic specialist, why not a specialist in the dungeon itself?"Donn: "It's in the source material, so it's not even a question for me."Adam: "I'm more interested in the narrative that the players are telling, so I'm less worried about having to have skills and a class that does things that a player could just narrate, but it's fine to me if players want those elements. Is the Grey Mouser a thief or a fighter? Depends on how you look at it."Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. We'd love to read your comments on the show, suggestions, where exactly we can stick what and other thinly-veiled threats. Send us your thoughts at dsr@kickassistan.net. Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

1234 1234 POD-CAST, POD-CAST!Our Guest:+Rafael Chandler(+Mike Evans was also supposed to be on, but he got a promotion and needed to celebrate. Congratz, Mike!)Guest NotesRafael Neoplastic PressPandemonioRoll XXOld school productsTeratic TomeSlaughtergridLamentations of the Flame PrincessNo Salvation for WitchesObscene Serpent ReligionWorld of the LostNovelistAstounding AntagonistsHexcommunicatedShow NotesDrinkDirty Bastard Scotch Ale, Founders Brewing, Grand Rapids, MIHell's Belle Belgian Ale, Big Boss Brewing Co, Raleigh, NCHell's Half Mile German Style Helles Lager, Tri-Cities Brewing Company, Bay City, MISpinThe Ocean, "Precambrian"Tom Waits, "Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards"Inanimate ExistenceBeyond CreationWu-Tang ClanToots motherfuckin' Hibbert & the Maytalls (know it, son!)ReadHellboy: Library EditionsPerfidia: A Novel, James Ellroy Incas And Their Ancestors, Michael MoseleyRunDonn will be running D&D 5e for his family & some friends & their family. Multi-generational play!Rafael is running LotFP & Hot WarAdam is still running ACKS & DCC, but RQ6 is about to go on hiatus for awhile (by now, it has) ViewScream!Adam's Emergent DCC Sleeping Place of the Feathered Swine by +Logan Knight Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. We'd love to read your comments on the show, suggestions, where exactly we can stick what and other thinly-veiled threats. Send us your thoughts at dsr@kickassistan.net. Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

Something something something podcastOur Guests+Shane Harsch+Andrew LenoxShow Notes after the jumpGuest NotesShaneLegendsmithsNarosia campaign settingHERO systemD&D 5eU Con Andy20 Minutes of Filler podcastShow NotesAndy started a conversation on the OSR...The OSR doesn't matter, but it totally mattersNostalgia can be a component but isn't the end all and be all of OSR gamingThe OSR isn't a monolithIs OSRIC a disaster that adds nothing to the community or does it preserve a gaming legacy that might get relegated to the past?Playing D&D vs. Gaming D&D?The challenge of 5e (as Adam sees it): can 5e live up to its promise of bringing everybody back to the same table? Or will it fail and under-deliver like 3e did?Narosia - Village of Gilkas (sp?)... watch for it!D&D 5e Starter Set - Lost Mines of PhandelverBad beginning, great sandboxNo character creation rules in the Starter Set, just pregens (then Shane had some nonsense to say about faking it)Free "Basic D&D" is a good ideaOSR publishers already do that (Swords & Wizardry, Labyrinth Lord, LotFP, etc.)No more excuses!Adam talks about WinterCon over here.And then talked about Marmalade Dog con over here.Advantage: roll 2d20, take the higherDisadvantage: roll 2d20, take the lowerDCC Dice Chain: If things are harder, reduce the die you're rolling one or two steps on the dice; if easier, improve the die one or more steps. A d20 can become a d16 or d14 if unfavorable, d24 or d30 if favorable.Backgrounds - How much depth do narrative mechanics like this add within the game? Is it a crutch? A straightjacket? A useful tool?5e DMG - pretty damn greatAdam says 1e DMG is better, Shane & Donn say 5e DMG beats itGame customization options in the DMG are essential to AdamDonn: It's all in there!Donn: Will this DMG make better DMs?Andy: Lack of specific rules for specific situations creates more opportunity for better rulings-logicAndy: Creative hand-holding is helpful5e PHB - pretty damn awfulAdam doesn't think that the 5e PHB is inclusive from a racial standpointAdam and Shane disagree on what counts or not as inclusion#halflinggateAdam's going to get up on a soapbox for a moment: All of this stuff is fantasy. If you're going to hide behind a veil of "historical accuracy," you're in the wrong place. The big point of fantasy is that we're making this shit up anyway, so why not take the opportunity to make things more open and accepting? What's the point of not making things more inclusive? What does that gain you? Nothing whatsoever. Player Skill vs. Character Skill?Adventure Arcs/Seasons - Tyranny of Dragons, etc.Adam gets it as a marketing decision, but doesn't like it. Zak Smith's "My Advice to WotC Now That 5e Has Rolled Out" Andy: Give me the modules, but make the world surrounding them vague. I'm here for the world building.Adam: It's disingenuous to write continuity rather than teach how people how to make it for themselves.Shane: Wizards only has to do one thing, let everyone else figure out how to serve the rest of the market.Glass Door rating of Wizards of the CoastThanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. We'd love to read your comments on the show, suggestions, where exactly we can stick what and other thinly-veiled threats. Send us your thoughts at dsr@kickassistan.net. Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.

Here come the podcastOur Guests+Shane Harsch+Andrew LenoxShow Notes after the jump!Guest NotesShaneLegendsmithsNarosia campaign settingHERO systemD&D 5eU Con Andy20 Minutes of Filler podcastShow NotesDrinkBlack Rye, Founders' Brewery, Grand Rapids, MIDirty Bastard, Founders' Brewery, Grand Rapids, MIDragon's Milk, New Holland Brewery, Holland, MIBuffalo TraceAnderson Valley Bourbon Barrel Stout, Anderson Valley Brewing Co., Boonville, CAAllagash Curieux, Allagash Brewery, Portland, Maine Spin4skins - [Edit: thanks to +Jobe Bittman for setting Adam straight on the spelling of "4skins"]Sham 69CocksparrerSpotify - duhHawkwindStrayFlower Travellin' Band, SatoriPallbearerKvelertakGhost BCAncient WarlocksDjango ReinhardtReadThe King in Yellow, Robert Chalmers5e books - Donn phoned this one inBossy Pants, Tina FeyGeorge Washington's Secret Six, Kilmeade & YaegerBook of the New Sun, Gene WolfeA Whack on the Side of the Head, Roger van OechRunWorld of Dungeons x Delving DeeperDonn was HubbsedD&D 5e playtesting of NarosiaLost Mines of Phandelver... plus kids!Storyteller CardsThanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. We'd love to read your comments on the show, suggestions, where exactly we can stick what and other thinly-veiled threats. Send us your thoughts at dsr@kickassistan.net. Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.