Gascony & the Pyrenees

Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls (facarospauls.com) have lived in France's Lot Valley since 1989, and over the decades have uncovered all the ins and outs (and quirks) of the region and wider southwest France. Attending school here, their children have even picked up the local twangy accent and know how to make garlic tourain soup, pommes de terre sarladaises and cassoulet with the best of them. Facaros and Pauls have been to nearly all of the festivals at least once, climbed the Dune de Pilat, and poked around every single Romanesque church at least once. After all these years, what they don't know about the region isn't worth knowing. Known as the 'dynamic duo of travel writing', Facaros and Pauls have been writing guidebooks since 1977, producing more than 40 titles alongside smart phone apps and numerous newspaper articles. Their oeuvre includes four previous Bradt guides, covering destinations in Italy and Greece. James Taylor (jamestaylortravelwriter.com) is an experienced Australian travel writer who has spent several years traveling and working around Europe, specializing in writing about culture and adventure. His current home in Barcelona has provided a convenient base from which to thoroughly explore the French Pyrenees and Gascony, often with the help of local contacts. Before moving to Spain, Taylor lived in Iceland, where he completed the entire update for the fifth edition of Bradt's award-winning guide to the country. Since living in Catalonia, Taylor has gained an appreciation of the kaleidoscopic scope of culture present in his corner of the world, including those found just across the border in France. In Gascony, he has become lost on trails in the Pyrenees, felt the warm welcome of the Pays Basque, surfed up and down the Côte d'Argent - and probably drank too many glasses of good wine along the way.