The Loire Valley in central France is dotted with elegant, large, stone structures, or manors. Many of these “chateaux,” flanked by rows and rows of fertile vineyards, have been handed down through generations of families.
Linda Kovic-Skow, author of French Illusions
Who was Marcel?
May 19, 2019 by 2 Comments
Marcel was one of the most unexpected characters in my memoir, French Illusions, My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley. From our first encounter, it was hard to reconcile that this quirky, enthusiastic man was my employer’s brother, but even Marcel suggested he was the “black sheep” of the family. He loved America, the language and the country music scene. As you will see in the following excerpt, his English was a bit rough too.
Nanny Anxiety
April 6, 2019 by 2 Comments
Looking back at my life choices in 1979, when I was twenty-one, I still can’t believe I pretended to speak French to acquire a nanny position in France. Aside from the obvious fact that this deception was wrong, I didn’t have a lot of experience with childcare, especially infants. The bulk of my knowledge on this subject came from some unexpected sources during my youth, which you will read about below.
French Butcher Shop Blues
January 5, 2019 by 2 Comments
In 1979, while I worked in France as a nanny for the Dubois family, I experienced many unusual situations, but my visit to the fromager volaille in Songias was one of the most “memorable.”
A Visit to Notre-Dame Cathedral
May 6, 2018 by Leave a Comment
I first toured the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris in 1980. 
Having been raised in a Catholic household, I was anxious to see this famous sight and as you will see in this excerpt from my memoir, French Illusions: From Tours to Paris, my tour of the structure on a rainy spring day, didn’t disappoint.
