A Slice of Life in the Hilltop Village of Sancerre, Episode 304

<p>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.</p> <p>We've talked about Sancerre before on the podcast because that's where the language school <a href= "https://www.coeurdefrance.com/">Coeur de France</a> 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.</p> <p>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.</p> <h2>What Makes Sancerre Special</h2> <p>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.</p> <h3>What Do You Do for 3 Weeks in Sancerre?</h3> <p>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 <a href= "https://joinusinfrance.com/guest-notes/304/">Guest Notes</a>.</p> <p>There's also a dairy truck that comes by and they sell wonderful yogurt and butter. Café Librairie is a favorite too. It's a