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T hroughout the EU the countries of the Council of Europe hold annual open days to celebrate their history and people, culture and skills etc. Sadly these “European” Days are held on different dates in different countries – so for France is is the weekend of 18/19 September 2010 (but various dates in September in the UK).
The weekend provides endless opportunities to discover and explore a wealth of France’s cultural and sometimes industrial treasures – history, archictecture, arts and crafts, museums and galleries – wherever you are that weekend look out for the local programme from the local tourist office. The themes for 2010 is Grands Hommes (Great Men and Women).
Amongst the visits on offer in 2010 are:
Caen’s Memorial (15 Calvados, Normandie) – free audio tours of this musuem dedicated to the cause of world peace – Caen suffered immensely during the War and then was virtually obliterated by the D-Day invasion and its aftermath, but unlike other historical museums and exhibits in Normandy, Memorial tries to focus on the wider cause of peace and the impact on civilians rather than the military story.
Maison du Pain d’Alsace in Selestat (67 Bas-Rhin. Alsace) – the Museum of Alsace Bread is offering free entry on Sunday 19 with a tasting of 3 new breads including ones made with tea and onion!
Visit the best preserved Medieval Castle (12th Century) in the Franche-Comté at Oricourt (70 Haute-Saone) north east of Besancon
Try a visit to a restored 19th Century windmill at Thoaurs – Moulin de Crevant – 79100 Thouars (Deux-Sevres< Poitou-Charentes) south of Saumur.
See the medieval Aubusson Tapestries (23 Creuse, Limousin)
For more info see www.journeesdupatrimoine.culture.fr/ – and the local tourist office – and check locally for dates, times and prices.
 The Cjateau de la Bourdaisiere near Montlouis-sur-Loire (32 Indre-et-Loire, Centre) the 12th Annual Festival de la Tomate et des Saveurs is being held on 11 and 12 September 2010.
Clearly for all tomato lovers and connoisseurs, the chateau is owned by the Prince de Broglie – the château’s unique tomato conservatory features over 630 varieties of heirloom tomatoes in every imaginable size, shape, and color. De Broglie—a passionate gardener—has been collecting tomato seeds since 1995, searching out unique varietals in markets around the world to plant in his garden.
This year’s theme concerns the dietary benefits of the tomato for your health. Amongst the attractions will be some cookery demonstrations, a slow food display, 35 or so stands of exhibitors. The chateau also boasts a new Dahlia Garden.
For more info see www.labourdaisiere.com
Chateau de Labourdaisiere, 37270 Montlouis sur Loire
 The northern French city of Lille is one of my favourites for a weekend break – medieval old town (Vieux Lille) together with all the vibrancy, restaurants, shopping and other delights – all in one quire compact package within easy reach of the English Channel and the cross-channel ferry ports.
It also has its share of cultural and historical heritage with Vauban’s citadel and the art-nouveau art gallery “la Piscine” in adjacent Roubaix amongst a richness of art collections, significant amongst these being the Lille Metropolitan of Modern and Contemporary Art (musée d’art moderne, d’art contemporain et d’art brut) in Villenueve d’Ascq, part of the Greater Lille conglomeration.
Although opened as relatively recently as 1983, the museum has had a major architectural facelift and is due to reopen to the public on 25 September 2010.
So another good reason to visit this lively city – and of course there is always the Lille Wine Fair each November just to make it more irresistible!
See our ideas for a Weekend in Lille
 Get a taste of the Languedoc Roussillon region in the heart of London on Friday 17 September 2010 when the Sud de France festival launches a series of events.
Running through until the end of the month there are numerous tastings, including Cassoulet at Borough Market and a Food & Wine market with Sud de France producers who will take part in Duke of York Market SW3 on Saturday 18 September 2010.
The Sud de France Festival will kick off with a fantastic, one-day, southern French food and wine extravaganza in central London’s Cavendish Square. Food and wine producers from the sunny Languedoc-Roussillon region will be presenting their wares and bringing some Mediterranean vibes to the UK capital.
For a lunch break with a difference or a fun way to spend time with friends and family, this is your chance to discover the southern French region of Languedoc-Roussillon. Sample local food delicacies from Sud de France, such as creamy cod-and-potato brandade de morue, tangy olive tapenade or rich and tasty cassoulet, paired with some of Languedoc-Roussillon’s wines from across with wide range of styles and colours. Come and enjoy the Sud de France Market, where a mouth-watering selection of food and wine from the south of France will be available in a laid-back setting enhanced by Mediterranean music.
The Festival is run by the Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon.For more info see www.festival-suddefrance.com
 Chartres (28 Eure-et-Loir, Centre) is rightly renowned for its spectacular Gothic Cathedral which can be visible for many miles over the north/central region of France. The Cathedral has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Every summer the town floodlights the Cathedral and other impressive buildings in the town (Chartres en Lumière) providing a wonderful and free entertainment for visitors and locals – at nightfall nightly from April to September). For 2010 there is a grand finale at the end of the season (18 -19 September 2010) with the Festival of Lights (Fete de la Lumiïere):-
This magical event comes to a close with the Festival of Light, the highlight of the season : more colored lights in additional locations, concerts, street shows and exhibitions.
The work on illuminations and sounds installed in the city of Chartres is meant to reflect the city’s contemporary, attractive cultural identity.
The area of the project is vast; the work is enhanced by the very surroundings provided by the historic city for the illumination systems and by the opportunity it gives to an artist for creating an overarching work comprising separate elements, applying a coherent concept of an original work on a city-wide scale.
For more info see www.chartresenlumieres.com
On 17 September the Côtes du Brulhois celebrated its Fete des Vins at Donzac (82 Tarn-et-Garonne, Midi-Pyrenees – see map). Styling itself the “black wine of the South West” (Le Vin Noir du Sud Ouest), this is a VDQS appellation (i.e. between a Vin de Pays and a full Appellation Controllée) which stretches along the banks of the Garonne river near Agen (in the Oc language “Brulhès” means wooded riverbank. This is reputedly an ancient vineyard, which got rather lost in the 20th Century and today remains a small and little-known region covering only about 200 hectares. They are known as “Black Wines” because of the deep coloration of the reds, made from cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, fer, merlot, cot et tannat. They also produce rosé wines from the same grape varietals.
The more famous black wine is that from Cahors, where the Auxerrois or Malbec grape dominates. In truth I suspect both Cahors and Brulhois wines were used in Bordeaux in earlier times to add body to poor vintages.
There appears to be no importer of Cotes du Brulhois wines into the UK, and I cannot recall having tasted them – bit suspect that they are not dissimilar to the wines from adjacent Buzet.
The other claim to fame of the Côtes du Brulhois is that they organise and host the annual Grape Picking World Championship (Championnat du Monde des Coupeurs de Raisin) Apparently 80 pickers took part, the winner being a 20-year old local girl. The pickers are judged not only on the volume/weight of grapes picked in the allotted time, but also on the lack of damage to the grapes, absence of leaves and other debris. I’m not sure if they are allowed to use the electric secateurs these days which would certainly help to make the task easier, but it remains a skilful task to pick fully and cleanly.
However, you have to admit these French are clever – hold the competition and get your vines picked for free!!
For more info see www.vigneronsdubrulhois.com
St Nectaire is one of those french delights which sounds very familiar, but it was a surprise to find that it comes from the Massif Central – indeed from the village of St Nectaire (63 Puy-de-Dome, Auvergne) south of Clermont-Ferrand.
The French are proud of their local produce and celebrate with festivals and competitions – and even “knighthoods” to protect and promote the products. In truth these are predominantly modern creations probably designed as a marketing ploy, but nevertheless they impart a certain ceremony and pomposity – and make for good entertainment. And besides, why not promote something which is special and unique to an area – and shout its virtues.
St Nectaire celebrates with a 2-day festival on 10 & 11 June 2006 when the village hosts numerous events including a gastronomic market and a competition for the best cheese.
(See www.ville-saint-nectaire.fr/)
St Nectaire certainly falls into the “smelly cheese” category – a softish textured round unpasteurised cow’s mike cheese from Salers cows, which is matured for 6-8 weeks to develop its distinctive smell and complexity of taste – and it acquires a bloomy rind displaying white, yellow and red mould. The best are “fermier” – i.e. made in a proper dairy on the farm, although it is also produced on a more industrial scale for the supermarkets.
Cheesemaker Paul Dischamp has a good website showing the production process at www.saintnectaire.com/
For a really useful and comprehensive guide to French Cheese see the DK Eyewitness Guide to French Cheeses
For more on France, French Wine, Food & Travel try our SEARCH feature
Also see our calendar of events in France
Vins de Pays Charentais, mainly white wines from grapes that also serve as the basis for Cognac. Ugni Blanc and Columbard are the traditional varieties but more Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc are evident, which add body and richness to what otherwise can be rather thin acidic wines (ideal for Cognac!).
The Vin de Pays Charentais accounts for 40% of the Vins de Pays wine production in the Charentes/Aquitaine area. Produced in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime, these wines contribute toward a diversification of use for the vineyards of the Cognac region. White wines are produced mainly from Ugni-Blanc which gives them acidity and freshness, and the Ugni-Blanc is blended with aromatic grape varieties such as Colombard, Sauvignon and Chardonnay.
For the reds and rosés Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Tannat (Cot or Auxerrois) are the principal grapes, which have the potential to produce rich, full-bodied wines, especially in good summers.
I have tasted some very good light, fresh whites from the region. I cannot say the same for the reds which I’ve always found a little disappointing. However if you want to try some of the best wines from the area, Swallow Fine Wines in Salisbury and online are offering a mixed case of wines from Domaine Gardrat.
See map of Pamproux where there is an annual musical grape harvest festival)
For more info on Vins de Pays Charentais see www.swfrance.com/vdpc/
 Sadly LD Lines has announced it will discontinue the Dover – Boulogne cross-channel ferry route for non-freight from 5 September 2010.
The company added a second ship to the route earlier this year, but the route seems unable to generate the traffic volumes needed. LD Lines introduced the route 2 years ago, which followed the demise of the Speedferries venture.
The competition with the Dover-Calais route must be one factor – fares have been low this summer if you can book ahead – and Norfolkline Dover – Dunkerque has also been good value for many sailings.
However the Boulogne route has always been one of my favourites – the ferry terminal is very close to the heart of the town, rather then in the middle of an industrial landscape; Boulogne itself has many super shops and restaurants and feels somehow more “French” and less of a transit area; and on a fine day the ferry route offers great views of a longish stretch of the French coast.
Alternatives include Norfolkline and P&O Ferries – or check out one of the ferry booking sites such as Ferrycheap
LD lines continue to operate services from Newhavem to Dieppe, Ramsgate – Ostend and Portsmouth – le Havre.
Passengers booked on Dover-Folkestone route after 5 September 2010 will be offered alternative crossings.
Albi, Carcassonne & the Dordogne – by air - 8 days from £729 with Page and Moy
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hroughout the EU the countries of the Council of Europe hold annual open days to celebrate their history and people, culture and skills etc. Sadly these “European” Days are held on different dates in different countries – so for France is is the weekend of 18/19 September 2010 (but various dates in September in the UK).
