In English, isatis tinctoria is commonly known as woad. In Toulouse it was pastel. Extracting the blue dye from these green leaves was a long and complicated process, but it generated enormous wealth for south-west France during the Renaissance. #FrHistory www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/the-sec...

Raimon de Miraval was a troubadour who truly lived his art. This poor knight fell hopelessly in love with the wives of the two brothers who owned the bigger château next door, and in his old age, he tried to save the Cathars from the Crusaders. www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/raimon-... #Frhistory

In 1910, Armand Viguier built a pedal-powered aeroplane in his village church. When war broke out in 1914, he served successively as cavalryman, bomber pilot and fighter pilot. Learn more about his extraordinary career. #Frhistory #aviation www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/astonis...

If you travel through the gorgeous countryside of the south of France with your eyes open, you will soon spot plenty of pigeonniers, or dovecotes. But you can also find some fine examples in the urban landscape of Toulouse. #FrHistory #Toulouse #pigeonniers www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/pigeonn...

WHO WON THE BATTLE OF TOULOUSE IN 1814? On a hill overlooking Toulouse stands a memorial to a pointless and bloody battle. There are two plaques beside it, one in French, one in Occitan, but there is an intriguing difference between the two texts. www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/who-won... #FrHistory

When is an English cemetery not an English cemetery? Two places to the east of Toulouse are known as le cimitière des anglais, or the English cemetery. The question is, are any Englishmen buried there? #FrHistory #Toulouse #history www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/when-is...

At 10.17 on 21 September 2001, Toulouse was shaken by an explosion which killed 31 people. The cause? A fertiliser factory run by AZF. #Toulouse #sculpture #memorial www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/toulous...

Naurouze is one of those places that seems to attract legends and history, as well as being notable from a geological and geographic perspective. #FrHistory www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/so-many...

During the Hundred Years’ War, English and French armies clashed frequently on the battlefield. At the Battle of Montégut-Lauragais, a French count confronted a French duke. #FrHistory www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/july-13...

Discover how ice cream helped a young Italian establish a cafe in 1686 that was frequented by Voltaire, Rousseau, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Danton and Robespierre. #FrHistory www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/the-old...

Celebrating signing my publishing contract with Yale University Press. Another reason to love the Pyrenees! #FrHistory #Pyrenees #pyreneeshistory #lovepyrenees www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/proud-t...

Soult and Wellington never met face-to-face during all the years they spent fighting each other, but according to a tale I was told during a visit to the Château de Soult-Berg, this long-overdue encounter took place at the coronation of Queen Victoria in London. #FrHistory #Napoleon #Wellington

In a forest clearing halfway up a mountain in the French Pyrenees, five granite figures stare into the distance and dream of freedom. Who carved them, and what do they represent? #FrHistory #pyreneeshistory #lovepyrenees www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/the-res...

THE PIG FARMER, THE ROMAN TILEMAKER AND NAPOLEON’S COMPANION IN EXILE. Most people visiting Las Cases barely glance at the château. Instead, they dive straight inside the farm shop to buy dried hams, sausages or fresh pork. And they never discover its curious story. #FrHistory #Napoleon

Discover the FORTERESSE DE SALSES, built in 1497, besieged many times until it was made redundant in 1659 by the Treaty of the Pyrenees which moved the border 40 kilometres further south. www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/fortere... #FrHistory #lovepyrenees #pyreneeshistory

A DRAMATIC TOMB FOR A FORGOTTEN PLAYWRIGHT With a poet’s eye for drama, Henry Bataille knew exactly how he wanted to be buried. Although his dramatic output has passed into oblivion, his tomb is unforgettable. It may even give you nightmares. #FrHistory

Take a stroll in the French Pyrenees and discover a wide range of Neolithic monuments in the space of 5km, including examples of menhir, dolmen, rock shelter and bridge. Can't go there yourself? Enjoy my photos and description. www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/a-famil... #FrHistory #lovepyrenees

In 1859, Empress Eugénie climbed a mountain called La Rhune in grand style. Most modern visitors climb it with the help of a scenic mountain railway. Eugénie also did much to develop tourism in Biarritz and the western Pyrenees. www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/eugenie... #FrHistory #pyreneeshistory

Mostly based in the abbey of En Calcat, south-west France, Dom Robert’s tapestries were inspired by nature in general and the Montagne Noire in particular. Find out more about his life and work. www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/in-the-... #Frhistory

King Wamba and the Castle of the Vultures...discover a remote castle with splendid views and read the story of a rebellion against the last great king of the Visigoths. www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/king-wa... #frhistory #lovepyrenees #pyreneeshistory

Discover Romans, Christians and Saints at Lugdunum Convenarum in the French Pyrenees. #FrHistory #pyreneeshistory #lovepyrenees #lovehistory www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/romans-...

Excavations carried out inside a cave in the Spanish Pyrenees between 2011 and 2013 found silos which had been used to store grain around 7,000 years ago. Ever since, silos have made an important contribution to food security. www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/give-us... #pyrenees #frenchhistory

The French village of Durfort devoted itself to copper for six centuries. Today, there are many reminders of this industry, and the village council has recently signposted a 3.5km walk along the river where you can learn more. www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/from-br... #Frhistory #copper

Analysis of culinary remains – burnt and unburnt – that were discovered in a mountain village in the Montagne Noire, south of France, provides a fascinating insight into what people were eating seven or eight centuries ago. #Frhistory www.colinduncantaylor.com/blog/burnt-o...

This afternoon's writing activity: a 15km run up the Montagne Noire with a purpose - delivering copies of my book to Suzanne and Mark, and signing them too, of course. You don't get that kind of service from Amazon. Oh, and I passed through the ruins of Castlar on the way.

Château de Montfa stands on a hill between Castres and Albi in southern France. First mentioned in 1275, it belonged to the family of the painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec-Montfa. Sadly, when Henri signed his paintings, he often used his initials: HTL, or even TL, with no sign of an M for Montfa.

On Mahé in the Seychelles, a trip to the Takamaka Rum distillery is obligatory for all visitors. This picture was taken after tasting nine different rums. #seychelles

Spot the difference: (i) sailing a catamaran around the Seychelles in 2024 (ii) preparing to cross the Atlantic on HMS Fearless in 1982. #seychelles

All at sea in the Seychelles #seychelles

One of those days in the Pyrenees when you can't see what's at the bottom of the precipice. Probably just as well! #Pyrenees

French Pyrenees: Pic du Midi de Bigorre. The summit is clearly visible from far away and the view from the top is stunning on a clear day. You can enjoy an observatory, a cafeteria, a restaurant, and even a hotel. Dare you take a selfie? #Pyrenees #picdumidi

The Cathar castle of Roquefixade, captured by the Crusaders in 1212 and still guarded by one of them in 2024. A big thank you to the organisers of the Trail des Cascades for organising a perfect race through Pyrenean history. #pyrenees #catharcastles #trailrunning