Month: March 2019

Our last few days in Bordeaux have been beautiful – clear skies, mild temps and NO crowds. On Friday we visited La Cité du Vin – interactive exhibits, displays and information, all around the theme of wine.

First off, the building is 8 stories tall and includes restaurants, bars, seminar spaces, a library and two floors of wine information – not really a museum but more of an interactive wine education center. All this is contained in a swirl of glass and gold and silver metal, rounded like a wine decanter. Nearly the entire globe is covered and you need several hours (we spent about 6 altogether) to go thru the entire museum.

Media images and the quality of the exhibitions is fantastic. Wearing the headset allows you to hear everything in your native language.

In addition to the wine information there was a special exhibit about glassware – with a focus on wine- during our visit.

Both exhibits were well worth the cost and time spent.

We broke up the “learning experience” by going to the seventh floor for lunch at Le 7. This place has a fantastic view of Bordeaux along the La Garonne River and the Pont Jacques Charles Demas Bridge.

We had our lunch on the outside terrace to enjoy both the views and the breeze. As you can imagine, this place has an extensive wine list but we limited ourselves to one bottle of Taittinger Brut Champagne.

Continuing our tour of the wine experience we didn’t finish

up until close to 5:30, as we needed to get to the 8^th floor for our complementary glass of wine. The 8^th floor is for those who have paid the price for the wine experience and they give you a glass (I’m sure you could buy another if you wanted) from a selection of about 10 French wines as well as wines from 8 or 9 other countries! It was not easy to choose, but Corsica, Greece, Spain and Brazil were tried.

The following day we drove to Podensac – about 53km from our apartment to visit and taste Lillet.

Lillet is a French aperitif and is technically not a wine – it is 85% Bordeaux region wines (Semillon for the Blanc and the Rosé and Merlot for the Rouge) and 15% macerated “secret herbs”, mostly citrus and quinine bark, liqueurs.

This ends up being 17% alcohol, a bit higher then most wines for sure. Our tour was in French, but all of the information was printed in English along the way.

Lillet has been made basically with the same ingredients since 1887 in the same place. They source the finished wine from various places throughout Bordeaux, but the bulk of it is Semillon. Our guide, Emma, was able to answer questions and share experience in English as well.

After our tour, we cruised over to Cadillac

for an al fresco Menu de Jour at L’Entrée Jardin, and walked through city center to post a card. David programed the GyPSy to take us on the green and blooming back roads back toward Bordeaux. Not only is wisteria in full bloom everywhere, and Janeen had her first lilac sightings, both white and lilac.

 

 

Bordeaux – our next stop on the adventure is the current home of Ryan and Chris. We had rented an apartment not far from the center of the city and we connected with them as we coordinated with the Owner for access. It’s a two-bedroom place on the third floor – no view to speak of but it includes parking which is a must.

We have been in Bordeaux previously so we have already visited many of the significant sites.

Our goal here was to visit with Ryan and Chris, eat a few nice meals

and venture down to Sauternes to sample Château d’Yquem.

Of course there are open markets and we tromped around a couple just to see what is out there.

It amazes me the amount of stuff that gets put out at one of these markets. There were tables and tables of old photographs, silverware, furniture, lamps, clothing, door hardware, books, bottles of all sizes – an amazing assortment of things.

 

Of course there was several different churches

to go into, places to eat, shopping walkways (there is even an Apple Store)

to avoid and beautiful weather. We have been very fortunate, thus far, to be on the cusp of spring with clear skys and lovely weather (hopefully that will come with us as we venture north to Belgium and the Netherlands).

However, the one thing I had mentioned to Ryan I wanted to do was visit Château d’Yquem.

While Sauternes are certainly not the main adult beverage we enjoy, from time to time it is nice to have something different and Château d’Yquem is just that special thing.

The last time we were here the chateau was closed, as were many of the chateau in the district as it was May Day – a National Holiday.

The making of sauternes is not easy – the grapes basically have to be infected by a fungus – Noble Rot – grapes typically become infected with Botrytis when they are ripe.

When it is determined that it is time to pick, the crews go through the vineyards and only pick those grapes that are ready – this is very demanding, hand work and results in multiple passes through the vineyards.

As many as 5 or more different pickings can be required to get all the fruit from the vines during the season.

Once the grapes are picked it is a traditional wine making process – press the grapes, age the juice in oak barrels, blend to make the right flavor profile and bottle it. Château d’Yquem, as I’m sure most producers in the area, age the wine in barrel (new French oak) for two years before making the final blend and bottling the juice. Needless to say all the labor involved results in some hefty pricing for the really good stuff. The average price for a standard bottle of Château d’Yquem is over $300 and goes even higher depending on the age of the bottle.

Our tour was enjoyable – visiting the aging caves, learning the history of the Chateau (another wine widow 19^th century as in Champagne), seeing vines, a flower and herb garden –

but of course the final stop – the tasting room was the highlight. We tasted both the still (non-sweet white wine they make, also very pricy) as well as the 2017 vintage of the good stuff. It was quite nice and a second pour was offered and accepted!

Along the way we have had some great meals and more to come. We are in Bordeaux for another few days flying to Brussels on Sunday.

After we completed our adventure in Avignon and Saint Remy, we needed a direction to go. Having received several recommendations from friends to visit the New Aquitaine region and more specifically to visit cave paintings, we headed for Sarlot in the Perigord area close to the Dordogne River.  Spring weather, however, changed our days in the Dordogne Region to garden adventures instead of caves as the Lascaux caves have been carefully reproduced for touring, but the actual caves are closed to protect them and the small tram that allows visitors to view the actual painted walls at Rouffignac does not start up until April we shifted gears and went to two different gardens. No regrets.

Marqueyssac gardens perched on sandstone cliffs above the fertile valley of the Dordogne overlooks

Beynac castle, Fayrac and Castelnaud and was abloom with fruit trees and green fields. Six kilometers of shaded walks are lined with 150,000 boxwood trees and rockeries.

The topiary art maintained by 5 gardeners by hand offers surrealistic mounds and mazes as well as “stone blocks” near the mansion.

The Holm oaks, often limned in moss and lichen, are dark foliaged, and are the reason this is called Perigord Noir.

Returning to Sarlat, center of Perigord Noir, we dined on duck, foie gras, confit, grilled duck breast, and strolled past multiple shops with shelves lined with goose liver. One of the things David had wanted to do was visit a geese farm – alas we couldn’t find any that were open and had an English tour – darn.

When a second day of warm spring weather, blue skies and sunshine greeted us, David wound his way across the back roads of Perigord Noir to Eyrignac Gardens,

privately owned estate for 22 generations. Bright green carpets of lawn are edged with gravel paths to let one wander the 200-hectare estate viewing 6 gardens.

The defining walkway of yew and hornbeam pruned into architectural shapes was in “recovery” mode.

It required a postcard to in vision.

Formal French gardens are adorned with topiary, benches set in meditative alcoves, and 17^th century water features.

Italian influence is also viewed down an arcade of terra cotta planters and overlooking this arcade, a small English “natural” garden that leads to the family chapel.

The White Garden, newest of developments, is entered through a crimson Tori gate and graced with multiple fountains, including bronze frogs.

Seasonal hyacinth, tulips and narcissus defined spring White. Red viewing benches overlook the topiary farmyard, espalier orchard in process, and four meadows: wildflowers, grape varietals, decorative grasses, and “roaming square” being planted.

Both of these gardens were a joy to visit and we had them virtually ours to explore without anyone around. There “might” have been 3 other couples in the garden while we explored.

While we didn’t get to either of the historic caves, we certainly had a wonderful time staying in Sarlat and venturing out to the surrounding villages.

Carcassonne – A medieval city in the south of France was our next stop. This medieval walled city sits in the luscious valley of the Aude River – the gap between the Pyrenees and the Massif Central mountains of southern France. Slate roofs glint in the sun atop 13^th century towers that dominate the horizon.

Surround by mountains and vineyards this fortified city surrounds 2500 years of history. Carcassonne became identified when the Romans fortified the hilltop around 100 BC. Over the next 1000 years or so it continued its prominence. In 1067 it became the property of Raimond-Bernard Trencavel the viscount of Albi and Nimes. Located along the then French boarder with Spain, it was a central spot for defense of the region. In 1659 this all changed. The Treaty of the Pyrenees moved the boarder well south and Carcassonne’s military significance was greatly reduced.

The fortifications were abandoned and left to decay. Napoleon basically struck Carcassonne off the map when he declared it not worth caring for. This caused such an uproar that the local mayor convinced the Inspector of Ancient Monuments to reconsider and Carcassonne was made a historical monument allowing it to receive funds and be restored.

The use of internal Wells and food storage is reminiscent of Moorish fortification more than Western Europe or Roman construction, including the double walls.

Shops provide child size shields, swords, helmets and other fantasy of the knight objects. The actual Knights who chose this fortification were cruel defenders of the Inquisition of the Cather’s, a religious group which questioned Papal authority, or rampaging armies who sought land and wealth for smaller kingdoms. (Battle of Crecy).

Despite the 1659 border change, the Catalan/Spanish influence remains in the language of visitors, the food specialties, and the Pyrenees visible on a clear day.

Carcassonne is the second most visited National Monument of France, right behind Mont Saint Michel, which we visited in December.

The stained glass in the Basilica of Saint-Nazaire is dazzling, even on an overcast day.

The Museum of schools offered an opportunity to try out the pen and ink,

and the class pictures were reminiscent of photos of farm schools such as my father attended in the 20s and 30s, with all ages lined up in one room.

We chuckled a bit at the sign on the Chateau, closed for the day.

Ten years ago we completed our first riverboat cruise that ended in Arles. After we got off we actually had to go back to Avignon to pick up our car (rental place was closed on Sunday in Arles) and cruised to Saint Remy to stay at L’Hotel Sous les Figuiers – The hotel under the fig trees. This nice little place has only 14 rooms and it seemed like a good place to return while we were in the area.

Saint Remy has a population of about 10,000 and a lovely city center. After we arrived, and before we checked in to our Hotel, we stopped at the Tourist Office to check out the Van Gogh Walk.

This is about a 1KM walk that starts in the City Center and ends at the psychiatric institution. Over the course of the walk there are some 20 stops to learn about various paintings

that he did while in Saint Remy and to view a representation of the actual locations. It was a pleasant walk and we learned quite a lot about Vincent’s time in Saint Remy.

When we got to the hospital (still in use) we couldn’t figure out how to visit his actual room so we headed back to the city center for some lunch.

After lunch, we headed to our Hotel and were greeted warmly by new Owners. Seems writing something on the reservation about coming back 10 years after our first visit to celebrate our 50^th anniversary pays off! When we got into the room (the same one we had 10 years ago) there was a chilled half bottle of champagne! Very nice.

The following day, after a Petit déjeuner breakfast, we headed out to the markets of Isle-sur la-Sorgue.

This village is famous for its market with LOTs of vendors selling just about anything you could want. We wandered around for a couple of hours but were restricted from buying anything (Where would we stow it?)

Do  we carry it around for the next 2 months in Europe?) So we bought only some olives, and other consumables. At one part of the walk we were clearly in more of the ‘flea market’ area with tables covered with all kinds of stuff – dishes, door hardware, old post cards, clocks, furniture and LOTs of things.

 

Our stay in Saint Remy and the visit to Isle-sur la-Sorgue were both very pleasant.

 

 

Avignon – our next stop on this adventure. Avignon is on the Rhone River and we visited here while on a River Cruise in 2009. It was July when we were here and it was HOT and it was the peak of the annual Avignon Festival. This Festival has been going on since 1947 and showcases all kinds of entertainment – all of which spills out onto the streets of this small town and made our visit difficult. This time, being in March, the town is quiet – not a lot of tourists and the weather is lovely.

Avignon has a little more than 90,000 residents (FYI, Alhambra, where we lived for 40 years has about the same number) and has been around for a LONG time. Between 1309 and 1377 Avignon was the residence of the popes – seems there was some political problems in Italy and Pope John XXII moved there and started construction of the Palace in 1316.

Construction continued by succeeding popes through the 14^th century with the Palace being completed in 1370. The historic center, which includes the Palace of the Popes, the Cathedral and the Pont d”Avignon became a UNESCO site in 1995.

The Ramparts, built by the popes in the 14^th century still encircle Avignon. They are one of the best examples of medieval fortifications still standing. Originally it had 39 massive towers with several gateways.

Much has changed but the walls still remain a tribute to the strength when the popes  were in residence.

We spent three days exploring, visiting museums, riding the mini train and generally having a very relaxing time.

One of the first things we discovered was the free parking lot that had a free bus into the city center! That certainly solved the parking problem and made the visits much more relaxing.

Most of the streets are narrow and provide for one-way traffic only.

Shops range from the local neighborhood stores providing basics for those that live near by to larger markets towards the city center.

Quite close to where the bus dropped us off, was Les Halles – a large indoor market that offers fresh produce,

meats and fish along with a variety of other goods. On the outside of the building is a “green wall” with some very mature plants. Beautiful.

We went to the Popes Palace but didn’t go it.

It is a huge 14th century building and we have been into large places with lots of rooms before, so it didn’t have a huge pull to get us inside. Plus any of the original furnishings are long gone so it’s really just a big building with lots of rooms.

On the river side of Avignon is the Pont d’Avignon. The original bridge, built in 1171 by a shepard in answer to a vision went across the river for a length of almost 3000 feet. Unfortunately, over the years, various troubles impacted the bridge and the river has destroyed much of it either during various battles or and it was abandoned in 1669. However, a section still juts out into the river and was made famous a French song, “Sur le Pont d’Avignon – On the bridge of Avignon in the mid 19^th century.

On the recommendation of our friends Tony and Gloria we booked into a restaurant called Les 5 Sens (The 5 senses). It took a bit of hunting to find the place as it is situated off a clothing shops street in what might have been a patio in earlier times.

To make things more difficult, the entire street was closed off with all the shops putting sales racks on the sidewalks and lots of people about.

It was well worth finding, as the meal was wonderful – see pictures.

 

All in all we had a nice visit and now it’s time to head on down the road.

On Saturday Ryan and Chris few in from Bordeaux to spend a couple of days with us and explore the area. After picking them up from the airport in Nice we ventured to Antibes. Antibes is one of many Mediterranean resorts along the coast. Situated between Cannes and Nice, the place sticks out into the Mediterranean and has a long history.

After finding a parking place, we wandered through the old town taking in the views, visiting the Market and generally having a lovely time. As with all villages and towns the old section is filled with lovely winding streets, colorful buildings, small shops and hidden treasures.

Walking through the market, it is always a colorful experience. Fresh fish, meats, cheeses, spices, flowers all the things you need. For some reason I am always drawn to the display of spices.

After a tasty lunch we walked along the coast taking in the views of the water and beaches.

Once we were done with Antibes, we headed back to Vence to the apartment to get ready for dinner at The Bacchanles Restaurant. This is a one star Michelin place very close to our apartment. If we had walked it would have only been about 10 or 15 minutes (but a LOT of up and down) so we drove. No big deal. We arrived about 15 minutes before our reservation and relaxed prior to heading to our table.

I was unaware that Ryan and Chris had never been to a Michelin Star Restaurant. It was great to see their reaction to the place.

The restaurant is small – maybe 24 seats – as we entered the place it was clear there is a relationship with local artists. Modern art was displayed throughout the lobby and again upstairs around the dining room.   Welcoming us as we came up the stairs was an older golden lab – must be the Owner’s dog as he just hung out in the dining room the entire time hoping for a treat to find its way to the floor for him to clean up.

The food and presentation where outstanding.   Our reservation was for 7:30 and I don’t think we left much before 11 – just about right for a Michelin star restaurant in my opinion. Each of us had several amuse bouche, a couple of starters and at least one main plus dessert.

All in all it was a delightful evening and a treat to show Ryan and Chris was a Michelin star restaurant is all about.

The last two years, Janeen has spent her birthday in Macomb Illinois – first for her dad’s 100^th birthday and the following year for his 101^st. When asked where she wanted to be in 2019, she chose the Violet Festival in the south of France. Early spring seemed a nice remembrance of Dad Harold. As reported in prior posts, we are in the village of Vence about 14 miles from Nice. So to celebrate her birthday I found a lovely 2-star Michelin restaurant in Nice called Flaveur.

Flaveur is really a story of passion and family. Gaël and Mickaël Tourteaux, two brothers, share the kitchen and create wonderful foods.

They are both different and yet complementary bringing different approaches to the kitchen. We left Vence with lots of time to find the restaurant and find parking. After we spotted the location, and got ourselves parked, we found the street of the restaurant to be filled with construction equipment.

Across the street from the restaurant is a major construction project but access was still possible to the restaurant. Arriving for at 12:45 for our 1:00 reservation, we found a small room decorated with figurative wooden sculptures, reminiscent of fish shapes, chic table art with beautiful glasses and a relatively camouflaged bar area behind which we surmise is the micro kitchen.

The menu had two options – the first was a menu that included starter and main or main and dessert or a tasting menu that covered a 6 or 7 different dishes. We opted for the all inclusive lunch menu.

The pictures tell the story of the meal – so I won’t speak too much about them expect to say it was wonderful. I would say, however, that the number of amuse bouche was amazing. There must have been 6 or 7 different little bites that were where served before the first course.   Very nice.

 

We were in the restaurant for almost 4 hours! Certainly not rushed and the pace of presentation of the various things was relaxed and quite enjoyable.

Our waiter guided us on what we had and suggested an approach to eating them when there where multiple items at the same time.

At the end of the meal we asked to have a picture taken with the Chefs’ who joined our gallery of gourmand. All in all Janeen had a wonderful birthday in Nice.

The Violet Festival has taken place in Tourrettes-sur-Loup since 1952. Violet production became this village’s main agricultural activity in 1880. Today, only the Victoria variety is cultivated in Tourrettes-sur-Loup.

Every year in March, the Violet Festival rounds off the violet season and celebrates spring. The village streets are full of activity from in the mid morning with serenades and local dances. The whole village is full of flowers and the sweet scent of early spring. A Floral Procession starts in the early afternoon. This is why we came to this part of France – to see and be part of the celebration of violets in this little village.

Tourrettes-sur-Loup is small with only about 4,000 folks.

Many of these have come to be part of the artisan community – potters, weavers, wood carvers, jewelers, painters, and sculptors – lots of people creating interesting things through the town. In fact, the City Council has encouraged artist by providing work areas within the old city.

We visited on a couple of days – just prior to the actual festival and again over the weekend during the actual event. On our first day it was quiet with little activity throughout the area. On Saturday, the first day of the festival, it was much busier with tents set up in the parking lot, musicians performing,

strolling groups of performers Rose, Violet and Lily of the Valley dancers on stilts, and flower bedecked music float. While Violets are the reason, flower decoration was happening in several areas using local flowers. It reminded me of float building for the Rose Parade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK, not so much as what happens in Pasadena on New Years Day but people decorating structures with pretty flowers was nice to see.

The tents had various vendors showing off their wares and selling stuff, including a contingent from Japan. We picked up some local olive oil and balsamic both of which are lovely. When we first got into town on Saturday it wasn’t all that busy yet so we stopped at the boulangerie for a Coffee Long and a taste treat.

When we came back on Sunday, admittedly it was later in the day and Sunday was the “big day”, the place was mobbed!

The decorations around the square where beautiful, the stilt walkers were doing great and other musicians were pleasing the crowds.

On Monday we went back to this little village for lunch at Clovis. To say the place was quiet would be an understatement for sure. Many shops were closed, no crowds, all the tents in the parking lot had been removed and most of the flower decorations had been removed. However, our lunch at Clovis was wonderful.

Chef Julien Bousseau, opened the restaurant in February 2012, dedicated to a creative, fresh and tasty cuisine. All the products he uses are chosen with the utmost care. They work as much as possible with local producers and our fruits and vegetables are largely from organic farming. The wine list was a surprise with some local and little known wonders and will also with renowned big estates.

 

The menu is created on a two-week cycle to be able to capture all the seasonal variations that occur during the year. This is a Michelin 1-star restaurant and has been on the list for the last 7 years.   We had a delightful lunch and would certainly consider returning for another menu.

Vence is our home village for our stay for the next couple of weeks.  Located about 14 miles from Nice in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in southeastern France Vence is home to about 19,000 folks.  The history of the place goes back to a Roman settlement of Vintium and subsequently became the bishopric and domain of the Villeneuve family.  The remnants of a Roman triumphal arch still remain including several “Marsellais Columns”

Within the historic village, a medieval walled village, there are numerous interesting sights and monuments.

The Peyra Gate was remodeled in 1810. The fountain was rebuilt in 1822 replacing an older one dating from 1578.   Strolling through the area are various courtyards, dining areas and art displays.

 The castle is today the Fondation Èmile Hugues,  a modern and contemporary art museum.

The cathedral was built in the 4th century on the site of a Roman temple. The stone of the western façade dates from 239. Another, on the right, was engraved in December 220. Other stones in the external walls represent funerary dedications.

Also on the western side of the church, the Pierre du Tauroble evokes the cult of Cybele  and also the Great mother of the Gods of Mount Ido.  A chapel in the cathedral has a mosaic by Marc Chagall, dated 1911.

The rue des Portiques is a section of the old Roman road.

After our stroll, we stopped for lunch across from the Plaza du Grand Jardin.  This Plaza is where the local markets are held plus various events.  Surrounding the Plaza are a number of restaurants and shops – well mostly restaurants actually.  Sitting on a wide sidewalk enjoying the afternoon sun was a treat.  After our lunch we headed back to the apartment to drop off the car and walk to the Chapel of the Rosary.

The Chapel of the Rosary, or also know as Chapel Matisse is a small place just a 5 minute walk from our apartment. 

After major surgery in 1942, Henri Matisse went too Nice to recover.  During his recovery he met Monique Bourgeois who was his night nurse.  During his recovery they became quite close and she modeled for Matisse on several occasions.  However, she felt the calling and entered the convent and became Sister Jacques-Marie. 

Once she took her vows, she and Matisse continued to communicate and when she came to Vence he visited often.  During one of his visits he learned the sisters were beginning the design for a chapel – a small chapel due to the facilities available.  Matisse offered to help design the interior and he was granted the commission.  Over the next four years of intensive and exclusive work in collaboration wit the Dominican community a final design was created and built.  Henri Matisse is quoted as saying “Despite all of its imperfections, I see it (the chapel) as my masterpiece…It is the result of a life devoted to seeking the truth”…”What I have done in the chapel is create a religious space…To take an enclosed space of very reduced proportions and give it, solely by the play of cloys and lines, the dimensions of infinity.”

The Chapel is quite small and he created a space filled with light and color. 

In addition to the Chapel there is a small museum of his work – many sketches for the Chapel as well as other subjects.

The entire day was relaxing and filled with new sights and sounds.  All in all another wonderful day in the South of France.