'Your English is Better than My French' by Eric Kirchmann

I know that I promised you the last in my Pyrenees series; however, my recent chat with Eric Kirchmann was too exciting to delay this review. Eric and I recently found each other on Instagram and Eric quickly contacted me through my website. From that small connection, I felt like I had found an old friend. Email exchanges lead me to read his new book, ‘Your English is Better than My French’. Then we chatted on Zoom for ages, cementing our connection. We found that our lives are similar in many ways. Our conversation revolved around our mutual love of travelling independently in France with the desire to integrate with the locals and absorb the French lifestyle. I would like to share with you some of Eric’s story, without revealing too much detail, because that would spoil your delight when you read his book. I’ll let Eric’s photos entice you with just a few words from me.

Eric and Courtney spent many years dreaming of a visit to Paris. A lovely selfie with Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris.

Eric Kirchmann lives in North Carolina, USA, with his wife, Courtney. They have 3 adult children and a beautiful little granddaughter. Their story is a true romance. Having met in junior high school French class, they dreamt of visiting France and, in particular, Paris. However, their commitment to their family and study took precedence so it wasn’t until 2014 that they were able to travel to France for 2 weeks. Unfortunately, they still didn’t make it to Paris.

In 2014, Eric and Courtney enjoyed their first holiday to France. They arrived in Nice and spent 1 week based in Antibes. They explored the Côte d’Azur and took a guided tour across the border into Italy.

Antibes, one of Eric and Courtney’s favourite towns in France will feature in their 2023 trip.

During our Zoom chat, Eric explained how he was prompted to record their travel journeys following the recollection of family holidays to Maine. Although there were photographs of these holidays, the family had forgotten many of the details of the trips. In addition, Eric shared a story of his great-great grandfather who had fought in the American Civil War. Eric’s great-great-great aunt had written a poem about her brother and his exploits. This record has been passed down through the generations. It was important for Eric to create a written account of his and Courtney’s first trip to France in 2014 as a lasting memory. Eric decided to do justice to his notes and memory by writing a book about their trip. It began with a prologue, telling how he and Courtney had originally met and then detailed the trip. Only five copies were printed. These were for immediate family members as a keepsake for future generations. Eric wrote his second book following their 2018 trip to Italy for the same purpose.

The second week of their 2014 trip was based in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. They hired a car so that they could explore many of the beautiful villages of Provence, like Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. 

In 2022, Eric and Courtney were able to take their second holiday to France. What began as recording some tips for their friends who were travelling to Paris soon became a new book project.

The church in Bonnieux. Chris and I love this village and have been fortunate to visit several times, including staying here in 2019.

I asked Eric about his writing and publishing processes. Eric likes to capture his memories by writing his trip notes on various scraps of paper at the end of each day. He has been promoting the use of this reflective writing technique, using paper and pen rather than a computer, to his medical students for the past 20 years.

Eric is a self-taught publisher. He explained that he found the process a little challenging and enlisted the help of friends as well as outsourcing some of the tasks.

I’m very happy to announce that Eric published his third book in early 2023. It is available to purchase in both paperback and e-book. You can find both on Amazon. 

‘Lost in Provence’ enjoying the lavender fields

Eric and Courtney’s 2022 trip started with 10 days in Paris, fulfilling a dream that had begun back in their French class in junior high school.

Eric and Courtney finally made it to Paris

They purposely planned their days to make the most of their dream destination. Each day had a full itinerary and they had even booked a few special dining experiences. They visited many of the iconic sites and also incorporated some very different experiences; such as, eating with a local person via Eatwith and cycling through the gardens at the Château de Versailles. They spent plenty of time wandering the streets and absorbing the atmosphere and history that make Paris so special.

Tour Saint-Jacques from the top of Rue Nicholas Flamel

Rue Cremieux, 12ème

Eric said “the best thing I have ever put in my mouth”. Cherry wood smoked caviar topping a mound of special French potatoes pureed with chives and pressed into a mould with a crispy chip in between, all bathed in a sumptuously thick, buttery white sauce made with the renowned Brittany butter of Monsieur Bordier. Boutray restaurant in Paris.

Delicate flakes of smoked salmon with passionfruit, mango, pureed sweet potatoes, spicy greens, pickled red onion, sea asparagus and a ‘mind-blowing’ sauce! Boutray restaurant in Paris. Eric took the time to make special dining reservations ahead of their trip.

Eric found the amazing property, Les Bruhasses, whilst searching a map of the Gers countryside near Condom. They stayed in the bed and breakfast accommodation, which is located in the tower section of the house. The property also has self--contained accommodation with air conditioning.

In Chapter 11: Gascony. Je t’aime, of his book, Eric and Courtney took the TGV from Paris south-west to Bordeaux where they collected their rental car and continued through the countryside to the Gers region. They based themselves in a stunning bed and breakfast, Les Bruhasses, close to the town of Condom. They were able to explore the countryside in the car fuelled by Eric’s passion for Armagnac!

In the grounds of Les Bruhasses

Pigeonnier (dovercote) in the grounds of Les Bruhasses. Pigeonniers were introduced to France by the Romans who used the pigeon droppings as fertilisers for their crops. The oldest pigeonniers still remaining in France date back to the 14th-century.

Eric’s love of Armagnac began when he was reading Ernest Hemingway’s ‘Garden of Eden’. From here, Eric’s quest began and he finally tracked down a bottle in the USA. Upon his arrival in France in 2014, he discovered a whole wall of Armagnac in the wine shop in Antibes. Eric purchased one bottle that he savoured during the trip and a second bottle to take home. Whilst he was excited to share this second bottle with family and friends, he still felt inclined to save it for himself given the difficulty of obtaining further bottles. Eric began searching for more Armagnac in the USA. Google revealed one possible source in France and he sent an email using Google translate. He quickly received a response. It was from Jérôme DeLord who advised that the U.S distributor of their product was in New York City. The U.S distributor was only able to direct Eric to a ‘local distribution point’ that was 9 hours drive away! Continuing his quest, he petitioned the state of North Carolina and was granted permission to purchase a case of Armagnac. Eric told me that there are different alcohol laws across the USA and North Carolina is quite restrictive. Eric was able to visit DeLord Armagnac in Lannepax in 2022 and meet Jérôme DeLord in person.

Eric in their suite at Les Bruhasses with the Armagnac bottles collected on the 2022 trip

Courtney at Château de Ravignan (site of one of their Armagnac visits)

Two of the villages Eric and Courtney visited in the Gers were Fources and Larressingle. The latter is one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France and, for a peek at many of the other villages in this category, watch this quick video.

Duck served by Hélène at her Table d'Hôtes at Les Bruhasses. One of the many dining experiences that were special on their trip.

In his book, Eric references Martin Walker’s Bruno book series. Eric writes: “The main character, Bruno, a likeable, small-town police chief solves fictional crimes though the settings and sights described in the book are real Dordogne locations. Fast and easy summer reads, they provide a nice window on local sites, customs, and culture.” Eric has enjoyed some of these books and was even inspired to make his own vin de noix like Bruno does. You can find out more about these books at this website as well as information on restaurants, wineries, accommodation in the Dordogne. Eric and Courtney enjoyed some interesting sightseeing in the area, including a visit to the enchanting Les Jardins Suspendus de Marqueyssac.

Sarlat-la-Canéda at night. The colour of the beautiful evening sky is just magical.

When I spoke to Eric, he and Courtney had just been making some more bookings for their May 2023 trip. They are excited to return to Paris for 1 week and will be staying in an apartment in the 12ème. Then they will head back to the Gers to stay with Hélène and Jean at the lovely Les Bruhasses bed and breakfast. Whilst there, they plan to visit more Armagnac estates and explore the Roman ruins in the villages of Éauze and Montréal-du-Gers. From the Gers, they will make their way to Toulouse for a few nights on the recommendation from a French couple that they met during their stay at Les Bruhasses last year. Finally, they will revisit Antibes where their first French holiday began in 2014. Eric asked me about Biarritz and Monaco as he had read my previous posts on both towns and was considering possible visits. Just like me, Eric enjoys the research and planning part of the holiday almost as much as the actual trip. Eric and Courtney use an app for their trip planning called Bublup. They can both add places of interest as well as shops and restaurants to complete their itinerary.

Eric’s new book ‘Your English is better than My French’ is available now on Amazon

I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Your English is better than my French’. It was a great mixture of lively travelogue with snippets of history and lots of great travel tips. Although we’ve travelled to France many times, I picked up tips like the etiquette of eating your bread in a restaurant, deciphering the rules for obtaining a seat in a café and the mysteries of paying the restaurant bill. Eric has covered these and many more travel tips. Most importantly is his emphasis on incorporating as much of the French language to really enhance your holiday experience.

Whether you are planning your first trip to France or you are a seasoned traveller, I highly recommend Eric’s book. It’s fun, frank and informative.

Merci beaucoup Eric for sharing your story and photos with me. I look forward to meeting you in person for a glass of Armagnac.

Next time we will definitely return to the Pyrenees.

À bientôt