We left Paris and found our way North despite the sat nav being slightly confused by the French capital. Since it has given up working when plugged into the car to charge (for some reason it thinks it’s plugged into a computer and sits patiently waiting for an update) we have to play an elaborate game of charging it when we don’t need it and hoping the battery will last when we do!
Since we were on the A16 which follows the coast we stopped for a lunch of fresh crab at Le Touquet but the cold wind and squally rain drove us back to the car without much further exploring. We popped into Auchan in Boulogne for the all important shopping, with small lists from Mum and Rachel and some ideas of my own. John restrained me from going too mad and the wine prices are such nowadays that there isn’t much point in filling the car with stuff that we could as easily buy in Majestic. However, we did get the confit de canard and the tinned pommes dauphinoise which are not so easy to find in Sainsbury’s!
For the final night of our epic trip we’d booked a room at L’Escale owned by the Bourdon family (bumblebee in English) and just a stones throw from Cap Blanc Nez and the channel tunnel. It’s something of a Chambers family tradition, since Mum and Dad first discovered it many years ago as a VFB stopover hotel and has been revisited many times. I last went there two years ago with Mum and Isobel for my birthday and we keep coming back as the food is excellent and the hotel provides exceptional value for money. We had a room in the old building which had a separate small bedroom attached in case we wanted to invite a guest!
We went for the full gastronomic menu – a fish starter, foie gras, duck, cheese and crème brulee and I had a glass of Cadillac and we had a bottle of Tavel which was great since we’ve stayed in both places on the trip. Then we retired to watch the new series of ‘New Tricks’ on a BBC1 satellite channel.
They are clearly still doing very well as the hotel and the restaurant were both packed with returning English and Belgians as well as French.
It was a great finish to what has been the most wonderful trip. Looking back I can’t believe the number of places we’ve managed to visit and how lovely it’s all been. I don’t think we could ever buy a place in France as I don’t think I could possibly choose one place, just about everywhere we’ve been I’ve thought ‘it’d be nice to have a place here’. We have enjoyed exploring it together and, whilst it’ll be good to go home and see our families and get things organised in Manchester, I’ll never be fed up with wandering around France with John by my side.
Monday, 27 September 2010
Michelin stars for a birthday dinner
The Hotel Cambon was a super place to stay, the location was perfect and it had a modern design to the furnishing and friendly staff. We had a room up near the top of the building with an elegant bathroom which was really comfy. John asked them to recommend somewhere really special for my birthday dinner and they came up with an amazing place with two Michelin stars (plus food and prices to match)!
It was only a short walk from the hotel on the Rue Castiglione and achingly cool with a real reverence for fine food. It soon filled up, including obligatory old French couple complete with small dog (who just had a box of water to drink, even French dogs don’t get dinner at these prices!) I can’t imagine Heston Blumenthal allowing dogs into his restaurants!
We had a glass of champagne and a pre starter of poached fish with celery and red pepper pate. My starter of a huge prawn came with tiny melon balls encased in jelly and was followed by quail with Lyonnais potatoes with slices of foie gras. We didn’t have cheese which was just a well as the puddings which followed were many and sumptuous – never mind two puddings Perkins, in this instance we had five separate sweet treats! I’d ordered poached figs but before this we were given a small chocolate ‘bombe’ which they poured green tea over to melt the chocolate casing. Then we a special birthday cake as the hotel had told them it was my birthday – luckily it was the kind of place where the waiter just brought it quietly and waited till I’d discreetly blown out the candle (thankfully no singing or tambourines!) The cake was a speciality of the house made with chocolate and pistachio and we were given a leaflet explaining its history. We also had some fruit jellies on the side and chocolates with the coffee so it was with some difficulty that we waddled back to the hotel. However it was all very light and delicate so it didn’t feel too overwhelming.
We drank a bottle of very special Chablis which was enough to make anyone rekindle their love for white wine, being rounded and tasty but very smooth.
All in all it was one of the most amazing meals I’ve ever eaten and a fabulous end to a really lovely birthday.
It was only a short walk from the hotel on the Rue Castiglione and achingly cool with a real reverence for fine food. It soon filled up, including obligatory old French couple complete with small dog (who just had a box of water to drink, even French dogs don’t get dinner at these prices!) I can’t imagine Heston Blumenthal allowing dogs into his restaurants!
We had a glass of champagne and a pre starter of poached fish with celery and red pepper pate. My starter of a huge prawn came with tiny melon balls encased in jelly and was followed by quail with Lyonnais potatoes with slices of foie gras. We didn’t have cheese which was just a well as the puddings which followed were many and sumptuous – never mind two puddings Perkins, in this instance we had five separate sweet treats! I’d ordered poached figs but before this we were given a small chocolate ‘bombe’ which they poured green tea over to melt the chocolate casing. Then we a special birthday cake as the hotel had told them it was my birthday – luckily it was the kind of place where the waiter just brought it quietly and waited till I’d discreetly blown out the candle (thankfully no singing or tambourines!) The cake was a speciality of the house made with chocolate and pistachio and we were given a leaflet explaining its history. We also had some fruit jellies on the side and chocolates with the coffee so it was with some difficulty that we waddled back to the hotel. However it was all very light and delicate so it didn’t feel too overwhelming.
We drank a bottle of very special Chablis which was enough to make anyone rekindle their love for white wine, being rounded and tasty but very smooth.
All in all it was one of the most amazing meals I’ve ever eaten and a fabulous end to a really lovely birthday.
Birthday treat in Paris
If it hadn’t been for the fact that John had arranged an amazing trip to Paris, as a birthday treat for me, I would have been very sorry to leave our little spot of total luxury and escape at the Villeray. However, I was very excited to be going to Paris again after so many years. We’d chosen the Hotel Cambon, a small four star in a perfect location between the Rue de Rivoli and the Faubourg St Honore. With help from the sat nav we found our way into Paris and managed to unload the bags and get the car parked without causing too much trouble. After so many peaceful places it was amazing to suddenly encounter massive crowds. We’d decided to head to Paris via Giverney and pay a visit to Monet’s house and garden. It was another incredible day and the garden looked absolutely stunning with summer dahlias, gladioli and sublime autumn crocuses on the lawns. There were even some water lilies still flowering in the famous ponds. However, we had to queue (though not for long) to get in and fight our way through a great many people which just took the edge off the magic of the place. However, I was delighted to have seen it and in such amazing weather.
Paris was similarly heaving with people, predominantly Japanese tourists in great parties though a fairly large range of other nationalities as well. Still Paris full of people adds to the atmosphere and we enjoyed some huge long walks through the city, again in the most delightful sunny Indian summer. Galeries Lafayette was packed but John found a lovely birthday card and bought me some Chanel Cristalle as a present. We got to The Musee d’Orsay just after opening so the queue was negligible and it wasn’t too crowded. However, I was disappointed to fine that they were renovating the fifth floor galleries so the impressionists and post impressionists had had to be squashed into some downstairs temporary galleries. They are still fabulous paintings and it was lovely to see them again but it did lose some of its magic. There was very little Monet as they were starting a new Monet exhibition at another gallery, actually on the 22nd, so 53 of them had been moved! Still we prefer the Cezanne, Degas and Gauguin anyway. The queue for the Sainte Chappelle just looked too slow and too long – I had planned to take John to see the stained glass, which is amazing and I haven’t seen it for over 30 years but there was so much else to see and do I didn’t want to spend hours of my birthday queuing for something which doesn’t take long to look at!
We wandered off to look at Notre Dame, the Hotel de Ville and the Pompidou Centre before stopping for a fabulous and light birthday lunch at the Vaudeville brasserie in the Place de la Bourse – oysters and prawns for me, lobster for John, fresh raspberries and a bottle of champagne. It was brilliant.
The next day was pretty cloudy and the French were on a general strike. The streets did seem quieter but everything seemed to be much as normal. We walked up to Montmartre and admired the view from the steps of the Sacre Coeur, dodging the portrait painters and walked down to see the famous vines. Then we walked back through the streets of the real city, away from the tourist buses and found a little brasserie recommended by lonely planet for lunch. We enjoyed a typical French meal with a whole bottle of red wine since no-one had to drive but it did mean we spent the afternoon resting in our hotel and missed the demonstrations on the Champs Elysee! In the evening we stayed in and watched an American film dubbed into French which was quite a challenge but I think I managed the main twists of the plot once I’d got over John Travolta speaking French!
Paris was similarly heaving with people, predominantly Japanese tourists in great parties though a fairly large range of other nationalities as well. Still Paris full of people adds to the atmosphere and we enjoyed some huge long walks through the city, again in the most delightful sunny Indian summer. Galeries Lafayette was packed but John found a lovely birthday card and bought me some Chanel Cristalle as a present. We got to The Musee d’Orsay just after opening so the queue was negligible and it wasn’t too crowded. However, I was disappointed to fine that they were renovating the fifth floor galleries so the impressionists and post impressionists had had to be squashed into some downstairs temporary galleries. They are still fabulous paintings and it was lovely to see them again but it did lose some of its magic. There was very little Monet as they were starting a new Monet exhibition at another gallery, actually on the 22nd, so 53 of them had been moved! Still we prefer the Cezanne, Degas and Gauguin anyway. The queue for the Sainte Chappelle just looked too slow and too long – I had planned to take John to see the stained glass, which is amazing and I haven’t seen it for over 30 years but there was so much else to see and do I didn’t want to spend hours of my birthday queuing for something which doesn’t take long to look at!
We wandered off to look at Notre Dame, the Hotel de Ville and the Pompidou Centre before stopping for a fabulous and light birthday lunch at the Vaudeville brasserie in the Place de la Bourse – oysters and prawns for me, lobster for John, fresh raspberries and a bottle of champagne. It was brilliant.
The next day was pretty cloudy and the French were on a general strike. The streets did seem quieter but everything seemed to be much as normal. We walked up to Montmartre and admired the view from the steps of the Sacre Coeur, dodging the portrait painters and walked down to see the famous vines. Then we walked back through the streets of the real city, away from the tourist buses and found a little brasserie recommended by lonely planet for lunch. We enjoyed a typical French meal with a whole bottle of red wine since no-one had to drive but it did mean we spent the afternoon resting in our hotel and missed the demonstrations on the Champs Elysee! In the evening we stayed in and watched an American film dubbed into French which was quite a challenge but I think I managed the main twists of the plot once I’d got over John Travolta speaking French!
Lovely days out in Normandy
Villeray made a good base for some exploring and the weather was so beautiful we were able to make the most of it. On Saturday we headed for Honfleur, which was rather further than we’d anticipated but it was well worth the effort and the drive through the countryside was also lovely. The place was buzzing, with a large Saturday market and all the shops open. The many restaurants lining the picturesque quayside were full to bursting and there was a large wedding going on in the church, though the bride was having to wait in the car while a van carried out some unloading in the narrow streets. Mindful of a large dinner waiting for us at the Moulin we avoided the temptation to go for a huge lunch, I had some delicious oysters and John half a lobster, washed down with a couple of glasses of Muscadet.
On Sunday, another stunning day, we drove over to Alencon which was a really pretty town, dominated by a large castle and an uninspiring river. We had a good wander around before driving through exquisite countryside to St Generil, which is billed as one of the most beautiful villages in France. Hard to live up to quite such aggrandisement but it certainly was very pretty, set high up above a bend in the river and surrounded by woodland and steep limestone gorges. Many people were enjoying such a fine Sunday to picnic by the river and take in the scenery. We drove with the top down through lots of other pretty places and across rolling farm land though I was trying to use the back roads so spent rather a lot of the drive looking at the atlas rather than the scenery! The classification of the roads in the atlas – red, yellow or white, seems to bear no resemblance to the actual size and state of the road which led us more than once into tricky situations on very narrow tracks but John is such a good driver that he managed it all without a scratch.
Monday we went over to Chartres and had a really good walk around the old town and look at the cathedral. I couldn’t persuade John to climb the hundreds of steps to the North tower – he isn’t keen on heights or steps but the view from the hilltop was still pretty amazing. Monday is closing day in France – it would appear that apart from bread, cakes and flowers, no-one needs anything from Saturday lunchtime to Tuesday morning no matter how large the town. Chartres is really quite a big place but it was still amazing how much was shut and Nogent le Rotrou was almost completely closed down when we moved on there for another look round! However, we enjoyed Chartres without the need for much shopping – I managed to buy a jumper in Monoprix as my summer wardrobe has been struggling to cope, especially in the mornings where the temperature starts off around 3 degrees, despite the sunshine. In Nogent we were after a bottle of local cider to drink on our terrace, as the restaurant wanted more euros for that than the wine! We did manage to find one in Leader Price, which surprisingly was open (the one in Vertus didn’t open on Mondays), for just over one euro. It was lovely sitting in our little garden, surrounded by fruit trees drinking it.
On Sunday, another stunning day, we drove over to Alencon which was a really pretty town, dominated by a large castle and an uninspiring river. We had a good wander around before driving through exquisite countryside to St Generil, which is billed as one of the most beautiful villages in France. Hard to live up to quite such aggrandisement but it certainly was very pretty, set high up above a bend in the river and surrounded by woodland and steep limestone gorges. Many people were enjoying such a fine Sunday to picnic by the river and take in the scenery. We drove with the top down through lots of other pretty places and across rolling farm land though I was trying to use the back roads so spent rather a lot of the drive looking at the atlas rather than the scenery! The classification of the roads in the atlas – red, yellow or white, seems to bear no resemblance to the actual size and state of the road which led us more than once into tricky situations on very narrow tracks but John is such a good driver that he managed it all without a scratch.
Monday we went over to Chartres and had a really good walk around the old town and look at the cathedral. I couldn’t persuade John to climb the hundreds of steps to the North tower – he isn’t keen on heights or steps but the view from the hilltop was still pretty amazing. Monday is closing day in France – it would appear that apart from bread, cakes and flowers, no-one needs anything from Saturday lunchtime to Tuesday morning no matter how large the town. Chartres is really quite a big place but it was still amazing how much was shut and Nogent le Rotrou was almost completely closed down when we moved on there for another look round! However, we enjoyed Chartres without the need for much shopping – I managed to buy a jumper in Monoprix as my summer wardrobe has been struggling to cope, especially in the mornings where the temperature starts off around 3 degrees, despite the sunshine. In Nogent we were after a bottle of local cider to drink on our terrace, as the restaurant wanted more euros for that than the wine! We did manage to find one in Leader Price, which surprisingly was open (the one in Vertus didn’t open on Mondays), for just over one euro. It was lovely sitting in our little garden, surrounded by fruit trees drinking it.
Golden Normandy
We left Champagne and made our way across country where John coped well with a busy peripherique and headed for southern Normandy. The place we’d chosen was hardly in Normandy at all – just over the border but it was absolutely idyllic. The Moulin de Villeray is a family run hotel with a real warmth and friendliness that we very much enjoyed. In a tiny village in a converted water mill surrounded by rolling, wooded hills and lush farmland, it made a perfect spot to sit back and relax. Because we were staying for 5 days they upgraded us to a little suite in a building across the road from the mill which was delightful. We had a sitting area, a bedroom and a Jacuzzi bath as well as a little private terrace in a small garden with apple, pear and plum trees. The extra occupant of the room, a large and evil looking spider, had a wander round the first evening but I didn’t see it again which I was thankful for!
After a dismal walk round Nogent le Rotrou looking for a launderette with a very large bag of dirty washing, the son of the family said they would do it for us which was splendid. All the food was amazing so we had breakfast and dinner every day, something we’ve not done before but there was an amazing selection, even for me, with duck, pigeon and guinea fowl and a huge range of desserts with lots of lovely fruit. The wine list was a bit scary, it’s quite amazing what French restaurants charge for there own provenance, you could buy a decent Burgundy for less in The River Room at the Lowry in Manchester! However, John managed to find some very decent wines to accompany our lovely dinners without breaking the bank.
The countryside was so lovely we went on some super walks, again the helpful son of the family printed us off little maps to follow and we thoroughly enjoyed roaming the environs in the beautiful golden autumn days. Everywhere there were apple orchards, beautiful woodland with the trees just beginning to turn and pretty villages and it helped us to work up an appetite for dinner. We did feel it was a bit cold for the pool though, despite assurances that it was well heated!
The other guests were returning English couples, Belgians and a large party of work colleagues who were clearly on a team building event – a fantastic location for team building. At the weekend it was also clearly a favourite spot for Parisiennes wanting to head out of the city for some country air.
After a dismal walk round Nogent le Rotrou looking for a launderette with a very large bag of dirty washing, the son of the family said they would do it for us which was splendid. All the food was amazing so we had breakfast and dinner every day, something we’ve not done before but there was an amazing selection, even for me, with duck, pigeon and guinea fowl and a huge range of desserts with lots of lovely fruit. The wine list was a bit scary, it’s quite amazing what French restaurants charge for there own provenance, you could buy a decent Burgundy for less in The River Room at the Lowry in Manchester! However, John managed to find some very decent wines to accompany our lovely dinners without breaking the bank.
The countryside was so lovely we went on some super walks, again the helpful son of the family printed us off little maps to follow and we thoroughly enjoyed roaming the environs in the beautiful golden autumn days. Everywhere there were apple orchards, beautiful woodland with the trees just beginning to turn and pretty villages and it helped us to work up an appetite for dinner. We did feel it was a bit cold for the pool though, despite assurances that it was well heated!
The other guests were returning English couples, Belgians and a large party of work colleagues who were clearly on a team building event – a fantastic location for team building. At the weekend it was also clearly a favourite spot for Parisiennes wanting to head out of the city for some country air.
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
A Sparkling few days in Champagne
The journey North from Burgundy to Champagne took us through the amazing vast plains in the East, huge prairies as far as the eye could see and lots of sky. The sat nav managed to find motorway for most of the journey so we arrived early to find the hotel abandoned apart from a lot of cats, which weren’t very good at check in! For once it was a hotel which didn’t welcome dogs, probably due to the number of cats in residence. We were victims of the French weekend in the little French town of Vertus, where the Hostellerie de la Reine Blanche was situated and everything was shut up on Saturday lunchtime. We wandered around for a bit and had to make do with some cheese biscuits for lunch until the lady arrived to welcome us. As it happened they had another guest by the name of Perkins so the first room we were shown did not seem to match the description or the price – quite a coincidence but then most of the guests were English or Belgian (with one Swedish car one day which seemed a long way to come). Eventually we got the right room, situated in an annexe building across the courtyard with a little balcony with views over the vine covered hillside and a nice seating bit to watch the TV. We had BBC 1 and 2 on the satellite so we watched Breakfast news but there didn’t seem to be much else of interest so we carried on with French TV. John has no problem with it but then his French is better than mine. However, I managed a film and an Agatha Christie and felt quite pleased with myself. I can’t do the dubbed programmes because the mouths don’t match the words but I am getting better at original French films and programmes.
We went to Reims on a couple of days and once to Epernay and enjoyed wandering around. We went on the Mercier tour. Being great marketers, they’d made a great experience out of it with a panoramic lift to descend 90 feet to the Caves and a laser guided train to take you through the passages whilst the guide explained about the manufacture and history of the brand. We enjoyed a glass at the end of it as well. We ensured that we drank a little of the local product here too, though not to excess, as it’s no cheaper than in Sainsbury’s. What was really surprising was the cost of the local red wine – we didn’t bother to find out whether it was worth it since we couldn’t see the point in paying over 40 Euros for a bottle of Vertus red when you could drink a very nice Cotes de Bourg for 19 and a Gigondas for 27! We had lunch in a very fine old brasserie in Reims, Le Brasserie de Boullingrin, which was just like you imagine a French bistro to be like and another lunch in Epernay at Le Cave de Champagne, both recommended by lonely planet and lovely. We had supper in the hotel a couple of times, avoiding the champagne menu, which delighted in cooking everything in champagne and was clearly geared for the tourist market and stuck to the more traditional things like Confit de Canard and Jambonneau which were lovely.
Mostly we walked or drove through the little hills covered in vineyards which were lovely and provided fabulous vistas. On Tuesday they began the vendange and where the hills had been pretty much deserted, they were suddenly dotted with white vans, tractors and even buses, bringing in the pickers. We had to crawl along behind tractors carrying crates of grapes to the pressing places so it was all very interesting. John thought it might be fun to pick grapes but we agreed it was probably only fun for about half an hour and then after that it would just be hard work! I was most interested by the marketing, since champagne must be a very early example of creating brands and persuading people to pay to a premium because of the label! The local news carried a daily profile of various local champagne families – nearly always a father, son and daughter, with the girl doing the marketing. Fascinating though the Taittinger family did admit that they are actually owned by the holding company which also owns Louis Vuitton!
We went to Reims on a couple of days and once to Epernay and enjoyed wandering around. We went on the Mercier tour. Being great marketers, they’d made a great experience out of it with a panoramic lift to descend 90 feet to the Caves and a laser guided train to take you through the passages whilst the guide explained about the manufacture and history of the brand. We enjoyed a glass at the end of it as well. We ensured that we drank a little of the local product here too, though not to excess, as it’s no cheaper than in Sainsbury’s. What was really surprising was the cost of the local red wine – we didn’t bother to find out whether it was worth it since we couldn’t see the point in paying over 40 Euros for a bottle of Vertus red when you could drink a very nice Cotes de Bourg for 19 and a Gigondas for 27! We had lunch in a very fine old brasserie in Reims, Le Brasserie de Boullingrin, which was just like you imagine a French bistro to be like and another lunch in Epernay at Le Cave de Champagne, both recommended by lonely planet and lovely. We had supper in the hotel a couple of times, avoiding the champagne menu, which delighted in cooking everything in champagne and was clearly geared for the tourist market and stuck to the more traditional things like Confit de Canard and Jambonneau which were lovely.
Mostly we walked or drove through the little hills covered in vineyards which were lovely and provided fabulous vistas. On Tuesday they began the vendange and where the hills had been pretty much deserted, they were suddenly dotted with white vans, tractors and even buses, bringing in the pickers. We had to crawl along behind tractors carrying crates of grapes to the pressing places so it was all very interesting. John thought it might be fun to pick grapes but we agreed it was probably only fun for about half an hour and then after that it would just be hard work! I was most interested by the marketing, since champagne must be a very early example of creating brands and persuading people to pay to a premium because of the label! The local news carried a daily profile of various local champagne families – nearly always a father, son and daughter, with the girl doing the marketing. Fascinating though the Taittinger family did admit that they are actually owned by the holding company which also owns Louis Vuitton!
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Wine and water
On our trip to Burgundy we stayed in the delightful village of Bouilland, just across the hillside from the Hauts Cotes de Nuits and here you see it nestled in its valley. It looks from this angle as though we had this whole little house to ourselves but certainly our room, seen here, had a fantastic view up the valley and overlooked the mill stream. Finally, proof that we didn't just visit the wine producing regions, a picture of the Badoit source which was close to our hotel in St Galmier!
A fine time amongst the vines
We've been enjoying our trips around the vineyards though we've done just as much walking as drinking I promise! The first picture does show me enjoying a glass of Chateauneuf in the place itself though! John is pictured walking through the Tavel vineyards. The final pictures show Vertus, where we are staying in Champagne as seen from the hillside through the vines and finally the lovely village of Gigondas which wins our prize for the loveliest of all.
Sunday, 12 September 2010
Superstars of the wine world
Another trip up the autoroute du soleil brought us to the tiny village of Bouilland, about 10km North of Savigny les Beaunes and 17km West of Nuits St Georges, so truly in the heart of Burgundy and arguably the finest wines in the world.
Naturally we had to spend some time visiting the famous vineyards and admiring the perfect Burgundian villages with the familiar names. It absolutely poured with rain on our first day so we admired them from the relatively dry inside of the car though we did make a foray into Beaune protected by umbrellas and waterproofs so that we could admire this lovely town (and find a laundry!). Despite the rain the villages were so charming, lying on the hillsides and completely surrounded by vines. Volnay, Montrachet, Pommard, Vatenay and of course Newts and Geffries (Nuits St George and Gevray Chambertin as they have long been known in the Chambers family!), were all lovely, even without the golden sunshine on the South facing slopes for which they are famous.
The next day it had mainly stopped raining but was windy and cold so we headed into Dijon for a good look round this interesting city, home to mustard and the dukes of Burgundy. We found ourselves at a quirky little hotel, which offered one of the best restaurants in Burgundy, the Hostellerie du Vieux Moulin, with prices to match, so we decided that lunch would be a good idea rather than pay their prices for dinner every night. We did enjoy a very fine meal on the first evening, as we’d booked in advance but we decided it was a special treat kind of place with a very limited menu and at 60 Euros a head would remain a one off. We therefore enjoyed discovering Oeufs Meurette (eggs cooked in red wine with bacon), Jambon Persille (ham terrine with parsley) and the obligatory boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin and snails. Naturally we also had to enjoy some local grape product to go with, including a tasting in Dijon of 3 wines (Aligote, Savigny les Beaunes and Gervray Chambertin). We also tried a local rose, which tasted OK but being the colour of tizer, was a bit off putting!
We drove up to Chablis, which was not quite a glamorous as the Southern grand crus villages but again the rolling hills covered in vines were lovely. John had done his home work with Lonely Planet though and discovered that Noyers, a small village a bit further south was worth a visit. It certainly was, almost like a mini version of Cahors, enclosed totally in a bend of the river with a castle up on the hill to protect it from the North. We walked round the town, ate another delicious lunch, then spent the afternoon climbing the hill and admiring the view from the site of the castle which is being restored.
By Friday the sun had come out again, though not nearly as warm as last week and with more of a feel of autumn in the air. We took the opportunity of fine sunshine to take a long walk around the Bouilland valley, which is steep and wooded with limestone escarpments so no vines there. It was a fabulous walk, the trees still so green and our huge climb was rewarded with a view to the west across to the Massif Central and what felt like half of France spread out before us. We rewarded ourselves with a small beer at the bar in the village, presided over by a fierce Madame who does not encourage customers to linger!
Naturally we had to spend some time visiting the famous vineyards and admiring the perfect Burgundian villages with the familiar names. It absolutely poured with rain on our first day so we admired them from the relatively dry inside of the car though we did make a foray into Beaune protected by umbrellas and waterproofs so that we could admire this lovely town (and find a laundry!). Despite the rain the villages were so charming, lying on the hillsides and completely surrounded by vines. Volnay, Montrachet, Pommard, Vatenay and of course Newts and Geffries (Nuits St George and Gevray Chambertin as they have long been known in the Chambers family!), were all lovely, even without the golden sunshine on the South facing slopes for which they are famous.
The next day it had mainly stopped raining but was windy and cold so we headed into Dijon for a good look round this interesting city, home to mustard and the dukes of Burgundy. We found ourselves at a quirky little hotel, which offered one of the best restaurants in Burgundy, the Hostellerie du Vieux Moulin, with prices to match, so we decided that lunch would be a good idea rather than pay their prices for dinner every night. We did enjoy a very fine meal on the first evening, as we’d booked in advance but we decided it was a special treat kind of place with a very limited menu and at 60 Euros a head would remain a one off. We therefore enjoyed discovering Oeufs Meurette (eggs cooked in red wine with bacon), Jambon Persille (ham terrine with parsley) and the obligatory boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin and snails. Naturally we also had to enjoy some local grape product to go with, including a tasting in Dijon of 3 wines (Aligote, Savigny les Beaunes and Gervray Chambertin). We also tried a local rose, which tasted OK but being the colour of tizer, was a bit off putting!
We drove up to Chablis, which was not quite a glamorous as the Southern grand crus villages but again the rolling hills covered in vines were lovely. John had done his home work with Lonely Planet though and discovered that Noyers, a small village a bit further south was worth a visit. It certainly was, almost like a mini version of Cahors, enclosed totally in a bend of the river with a castle up on the hill to protect it from the North. We walked round the town, ate another delicious lunch, then spent the afternoon climbing the hill and admiring the view from the site of the castle which is being restored.
By Friday the sun had come out again, though not nearly as warm as last week and with more of a feel of autumn in the air. We took the opportunity of fine sunshine to take a long walk around the Bouilland valley, which is steep and wooded with limestone escarpments so no vines there. It was a fabulous walk, the trees still so green and our huge climb was rewarded with a view to the west across to the Massif Central and what felt like half of France spread out before us. We rewarded ourselves with a small beer at the bar in the village, presided over by a fierce Madame who does not encourage customers to linger!
A petillant weekend in Badoit
We headed up the motorway from Avignon – the autoroute du soleil, which was pretty busy with Belgians and Germans heading home from the South but we made pretty good time and turned off just before Lyons for St Etienne. We chose St Galmier for a 2 night stopover to avoid too long a journey, mainly because it was half way between Avignon and Dijon and because we like the look of the hotel. St Galmier is far enough away from anywhere interesting to make it a good place for a completely restful weekend. Its main claim to fame is that it is the source of Badoit and, since we’ve drunk more Badoit than wine in terms of quantity, we thought it made it worthy of a visit. It was a very ordinary, but nevertheless very pretty little place built on a small hill with a real mix of both modern and medieval buildings and great views from the top of the hill. We spent both days walking up and around the hill, admiring the town and the views.
Our hotel, La Charpiniere, was clearly popular for business meetings in the week and weddings at the weekend, but it seemed as though the whole of St Galmier was getting married the Saturday we were there! On arrival we were told the restaurant was fully booked but they relented and found us a table in a room they’d set up for the few diners as the wedding party were in the main restaurant. The food was delicious (Michelin starred) so we were glad they’d managed to squeeze us in. Sunday lunchtime we headed up the hill for another fine meal in a small local restaurant which was equally lovely.
The hotel itself was well appointed for a 3 star with a great bathroom, full length windows leading onto a fine lawn with red squirrels scampering between the trees, a fridge and satellite TV. All in all it was a perfect weekend and we finished it off on Sunday night by drinking a half bottle of Mercier sitting at our window admiring the garden after really enjoying the small break in our journey.
Our hotel, La Charpiniere, was clearly popular for business meetings in the week and weddings at the weekend, but it seemed as though the whole of St Galmier was getting married the Saturday we were there! On arrival we were told the restaurant was fully booked but they relented and found us a table in a room they’d set up for the few diners as the wedding party were in the main restaurant. The food was delicious (Michelin starred) so we were glad they’d managed to squeeze us in. Sunday lunchtime we headed up the hill for another fine meal in a small local restaurant which was equally lovely.
The hotel itself was well appointed for a 3 star with a great bathroom, full length windows leading onto a fine lawn with red squirrels scampering between the trees, a fridge and satellite TV. All in all it was a perfect weekend and we finished it off on Sunday night by drinking a half bottle of Mercier sitting at our window admiring the garden after really enjoying the small break in our journey.
Monday, 6 September 2010
The wines of the lower Rhone
We couldn’t stay so close to this great river without visiting some of the stars of the wine world so we drove across the valley to Gigondas which was a really charming place. Hanging onto the hillside with the ‘Dentelles de Montmirail’ above the village and a view of vineyards as far as the eye could see, it was a wonderful place. We admired the post lady, delivering letters to all the houses up almost vertical streets but still smiling and looking like she was enjoying her job. The village was preparing for several days of festival to wish for a good harvest but it was still quiet early on the Thursday morning when we were wandering round. They’ve made a lovely garden in the grounds of the ruined castle high on the hillside with rosemary, lavender and other scented herbs and rising above the village were even more vineyards.
We drove through Beaumes de Venise, which wasn’t nearly as pretty (but then it’s never been my favourite amongst the sweet wines) and across to Chateauneuf du papes, where we had intended to stay. Another lovely town on the hill and we climbed up for the view and walked round what was left of the castle before having a delicious lunch high up on the hill with a half bottle of the 2006 vintage of the local beverage.
Friday we decided to give the car a rest and enjoy the local scenery and admire the Tavel vineyards, since we had been testing the produce. We spent the morning with boots on walking some of the route du vignobles du Tavel and also visiting the neighbouring village of Lirac and exploring the hillside in search of the troglodytic house (which we never found it was so well hidden). Lirac is not for the purists as they make red, white and rose wine with their grapes, whereas in Tavel they stick to the pink. It is the only pink wine allowed in the 2 and 3 star restaurants of France! The farmers were starting to prepare the vines for the grape picking and, when we left on Saturday morning, they had already started picking some.
I feel so privileged to visit the places where this wine comes from and I think of the pleasure to come. Every time we open a bottle of Gigondas, or Tavel, or Pauillac or any of the other fine wines, I shall have a wealth of happy memories about the charming villages on hillsides or the sunny days spent walking through vineyards and it will make them taste even better.
We drove through Beaumes de Venise, which wasn’t nearly as pretty (but then it’s never been my favourite amongst the sweet wines) and across to Chateauneuf du papes, where we had intended to stay. Another lovely town on the hill and we climbed up for the view and walked round what was left of the castle before having a delicious lunch high up on the hill with a half bottle of the 2006 vintage of the local beverage.
Friday we decided to give the car a rest and enjoy the local scenery and admire the Tavel vineyards, since we had been testing the produce. We spent the morning with boots on walking some of the route du vignobles du Tavel and also visiting the neighbouring village of Lirac and exploring the hillside in search of the troglodytic house (which we never found it was so well hidden). Lirac is not for the purists as they make red, white and rose wine with their grapes, whereas in Tavel they stick to the pink. It is the only pink wine allowed in the 2 and 3 star restaurants of France! The farmers were starting to prepare the vines for the grape picking and, when we left on Saturday morning, they had already started picking some.
I feel so privileged to visit the places where this wine comes from and I think of the pleasure to come. Every time we open a bottle of Gigondas, or Tavel, or Pauillac or any of the other fine wines, I shall have a wealth of happy memories about the charming villages on hillsides or the sunny days spent walking through vineyards and it will make them taste even better.
Roman Provence
Tavel was a good place to explore Provence and we spent a fabulous day walking round the Pont du Gard, climbing to the view points above the bridge and walking along the river. The Mistral was blowing so there weren’t many other people around so we were lucky to avoid the crowds. A handful of hardy souls were braving the river, swimming or in canoes but it was pretty cold and the water was low so it didn’t look very inviting! It’s a great site though and they’ve made it into a really good visitors centre with nice paths and displays. The bridge and the Gard River are the real stars and amazing to think how they managed to build the bridge so long ago. We went on to Uzes and had a good walk round the old town and admired the castle.
Wednesday we went to Arles, another lovely old town with the amazing Roman arena and theatre. We took a small lunch at the cafe where Van Gogh used to take his morning coffee in the main square, which is on the site of the forum. It was a very ‘real’ place which didn’t seem to have been taken over by it touristic interests. The lunch at Van Gogh’s coffee place was very reasonable and the river frontage, although full of Rhone cruise boats visiting Arles, still felt a bit edgy and dock like. We went on to visit the Camargue, which was so beautiful, with lots of white horses, some bulls (though the taureau on the menu in Arles came from Spain) though I didn’t see any flamingos. We went to St Marie de la Mere for a last swim in the Med – as freezing as ever though it was a beautiful sandy beach. I persuaded John into the water so that he could say he’d swum in the sea once but he didn’t stay in for long and I don’t blame him!
We had to fight the sat nav the whole time as it was determined to take us back to Tavel via the autoroute when I wanted to go up the Rhone and see the viaduct south of Avignon for the TGV line. Naturally I won!
Wednesday we went to Arles, another lovely old town with the amazing Roman arena and theatre. We took a small lunch at the cafe where Van Gogh used to take his morning coffee in the main square, which is on the site of the forum. It was a very ‘real’ place which didn’t seem to have been taken over by it touristic interests. The lunch at Van Gogh’s coffee place was very reasonable and the river frontage, although full of Rhone cruise boats visiting Arles, still felt a bit edgy and dock like. We went on to visit the Camargue, which was so beautiful, with lots of white horses, some bulls (though the taureau on the menu in Arles came from Spain) though I didn’t see any flamingos. We went to St Marie de la Mere for a last swim in the Med – as freezing as ever though it was a beautiful sandy beach. I persuaded John into the water so that he could say he’d swum in the sea once but he didn’t stay in for long and I don’t blame him!
We had to fight the sat nav the whole time as it was determined to take us back to Tavel via the autoroute when I wanted to go up the Rhone and see the viaduct south of Avignon for the TGV line. Naturally I won!
The Computer finds a hotel!
After the luxury and unique comforts of St Maxime we were managing our own expectations about our next stop, L’Auberge du Tavel, especially as the computer chose it rather than us! Struggling with a dodgy wifi in Cabris, we thought we were booking a hotel in Chateauneuf du Pape but somehow we’d booked this one instead. Since it was in the right area we decided to leave it and see what the computer choice was like – and the computer chose well!
A tiny place with just a few rooms in Tavel village, famous for its rose wine, of which we managed to try several during our stay, each room was decorated differently – ours was red and orange with a large window looking over the vineyards and absolutely delightful. We had a bath and a shower, a fridge (handy for the tiny bottles of sparkling for our aperitif) and dressing gowns (in orange to match the room). Breakfast was included so we enjoyed the fresh bread in the morning and the food was quite amazing and very reasonably priced. On the last night we let them decide the menu for us and had quite a feast – a fish salad, warm parsley tart with poached snails, monkfish ‘lollipops’, guinea fowl, mandarin granite and a sort of crumble and custard made from speculoos biscuits (they knew John well) as well as 3 types of cheese (chevre, vache and brebis) each written on a small stone next to the cheese so that we knew! On Wednesday night all the staff had a night off so we ate at a little restaurant in the village itself.
The first day the Mistral was blowing so although it was incredibly bright and clear it was far too windy for the pool but by Friday it had got warm and sunny again so we spent the afternoon by the pool by ourselves so it was like having a private pool. The staff were very friendly and it was truly a delightful place. The guests were a mix of French, German and Dutch. Although it felt like the middle of nowhere we were actually only a few minutes from an autoroute interchange so it presumably makes a good stopping off point it you were driving up from Spain or the far South West.
Perhaps we’ll allow the computer to choose hotels again!
A tiny place with just a few rooms in Tavel village, famous for its rose wine, of which we managed to try several during our stay, each room was decorated differently – ours was red and orange with a large window looking over the vineyards and absolutely delightful. We had a bath and a shower, a fridge (handy for the tiny bottles of sparkling for our aperitif) and dressing gowns (in orange to match the room). Breakfast was included so we enjoyed the fresh bread in the morning and the food was quite amazing and very reasonably priced. On the last night we let them decide the menu for us and had quite a feast – a fish salad, warm parsley tart with poached snails, monkfish ‘lollipops’, guinea fowl, mandarin granite and a sort of crumble and custard made from speculoos biscuits (they knew John well) as well as 3 types of cheese (chevre, vache and brebis) each written on a small stone next to the cheese so that we knew! On Wednesday night all the staff had a night off so we ate at a little restaurant in the village itself.
The first day the Mistral was blowing so although it was incredibly bright and clear it was far too windy for the pool but by Friday it had got warm and sunny again so we spent the afternoon by the pool by ourselves so it was like having a private pool. The staff were very friendly and it was truly a delightful place. The guests were a mix of French, German and Dutch. Although it felt like the middle of nowhere we were actually only a few minutes from an autoroute interchange so it presumably makes a good stopping off point it you were driving up from Spain or the far South West.
Perhaps we’ll allow the computer to choose hotels again!
Friday, 3 September 2010
Spectacular views from our hotels
The hotels we chose in Provence and the Cote d'Azur both had absolutely amazing views. L'Horizon at Cabris was so far up in the hills that it felt like being on top of the world, though the small village was just along the road and there was room for a pool on the hillside. The Belle Aurore at St Maxime felt like being on a boat as all you could see from our terrace, the pool or the restaurant was the sea. We never got tired of enjoying these views.
Amazing bridges
Across the ages human beings are quite incredible at not letting natural obstacles get in their way. It struck me as we marvelled at three bridges - all built hundreds or thousands of years apart and all miraculous. The almost new viaduct at Millau which takes the motorway across the gorge, the medieval bridge at Cahors (which was actually built for defensive reasons to protect the city rather than to cross the river) and the Roman acqueduct at the Pont du Gard.
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