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Two of the lesser-known wine appellations of Southwest are Marcillac AOC and Entraygues-et-Fel VDQS both of which are in Aveyron (12, Midi-Pyrenees) in the Upper Lot Valley. One way of getting to know the region (and its wines) is by renting one of three charming 200+ year-old restored cottages nestled on the hillsides near the Lot River. These rental cottages offer beautiful interiors, lovely views and relaxing ambiance.All of the “Sweet French Cottages” are located in the area that boasts 10 of “The Most Beautiful Villages in France,” more than any other region so you can just imagine how beautiful it is! Many historic sites, castles, forests, walking paths, hiking trails, wine tasting, restaurants, horseback riding, kayaking, canoeing and golf or just sit and enjoy the views! Gorgeous village of Entraygues-sur-Truyere offers full services and is only minutes away.
All cottages are newly renovated to a high standard by the owner-designer, and are fully outfitted for self catering. Each has beautiful, comfortable interiors with antiques and quality furnishings. Many original features including stone exteriors, slate roofs, wood beam ceilings, fireplaces, handmade terracotta tile floors or pine floors. Delightful river, castle and forest views.
The owners are a Californian couple , Lance and Rain Odeja who have embraced the French way of life with great enthusiasm and will offer you a warm welcome and give you plenty of advice on what to do and where to go in this region.
See our customised map of the Aveyron
Angouleme (16 Charentes, Poitou-Charentes) joins an ever growing list of budget airline destinations when Ryanair starts flying to Angouleme’s Brie-Champniers airport from 1 April 2008. This small airport is just about 6km north of the city.
I like Angouleme - it is one of those very French market towns largely without pretension. Its main claim to fame is the annual Bande-Dessine (adult comic story books) Festival, very popular in France.
However to explore its attractions I recommend that you look at the www.viamichelin.co.uk website.I find the site very helpful in planning car trips in France (and the UK) offering a variety of route choices, timings, distances and costs including autoroute tolls. So you can discover that Angouleme is 733km from Calais, a journey taking 6 hours 49 minutes and costing €40.70 in autoroute tolls. By comparison, the journey from Caen (Ouistreham) is 485km, takes 4 hours 56 minutes and costs €21.40.
Ryanair is currently offering midweek flights in June from Stansted to Angouleme for under £44.00 return in June (including taxes and charges).
Alternatively you can reach Angouleme by train (Eurostar to Paris) and TGV to Angouleme which is on the GV Atlantique line to Bordeaux. The cheapest midweek price from London in March is £49.50 one-way, the journey time being about 6 hours.
If you explore the www.viamichelin.co.uk website further and search on the Tourism tab for Angouleme you;ll discover information on the town’s attractions and download some audio tours of some of the main sights!
In the east of France and to the east of Burgundy adjacent to Switzerland, the Ain is probably a little overlooked by most visitors.
With Bourg-en-Bresse as its principal town it is a region of gentle hills and river valleys - which is one of the hidden parts of France.
The departement includes Bugey and the wines of Bugey. These are VDQS wines (Vins Délimité de Qualité Superieure) - a classification between full Appellation Controllee and VIns de Pays. As such there are restrictions on grape varieties used and planting and harvesting techniques - and the grapes must be grown in the designated region. White wines from Chardonnay, Roussette; Rosé wines from Gamay and Poulsard; Reds from Gamay, Pinot and Mondeuse; and sparkling wines from Chardonnay. Seldom seen in the UK.
For an opportunity to taste some of these wines there is an open tasting in Lyon from 25-26 January 2008 - click here for more details
For more on the wines of Bugey see www.vinsdubugey.net
One of the highlights of the year is the celebration of the famous yellow corn-fed chickens from Bourg-en-Bresse - the Glorieuses de Bresse held every December shortly before Christmas (for 2008 it runs from 16-21 December 2008 - in the form of a market and other festivities held in Bourg-en-Bresse, Louhans, Pont de Vaux and Montrevel-en-Bresse - see www.glorieusesdebresse.com
More info - see the Ain Tourism Office
For an English run B&B in the region with a knowledgeable host and guide see B&B Burgundy
| July 27, 2008 |
The Tour de France 2008 (21 stages, 3500 km) Stage 21, the final day is usually a gentle ride through the outskirts of Paris (the overall winner is usually known by now), but there are still points to be won for the sprints and the glory of a stage win on the Champs-Elysees - so the last 5 laps around central Paris can be very exciting. Sunday 27 July 2008 starting from Etampes (91 Essonne, Ile de France) and finishing 143 km later on the Champs Elysees (75 Paris, Ile de France)
For more on the Tour de France 2008 see www.letour.fr/
For details of coverage on ITV see www.itv.com
| July 26, 2008 |
The Tour de France 2008 (21 stages, 3500 km) Stage 19, the penultimate day is a team time trial on Saturday 26 July 2008 and starts from Cerilly (03 Allier, Auvergne) and runs for 53 km to finish in St Amand Montrond (18 Cher, Centre)
For more on the Tour de France 2008 see www.letour.fr/
For details of coverage on ITV see www.itv.com
| July 25, 2008 |
The Tour de France 2008 (21 stages, 3500 km) Stage 18 is on Friday 25 July 2008 and starts from Roanne (42 Loire, Rhone-Alpes) and runs for 165.5 km to finish in Montlucon (03 Allier, Auvergne) via (Vichy (03 Allier, Auvergne) and Lapeyrousse (63 Puy-de-Dome, Auvergne).
For more on the Tour de France 2008 see www.letour.fr/
For details of coverage on ITV see www.itv.com
| July 24, 2008 |
The Tour de France 2008 (21 stages, 3500 km) Stage 18 is on Thursday 24 July 2008 and starts from Bourg d’Oisans (38 Isere, Rhone-Alpes) and runs for 196.5 km to finish in St Etienne (42 Loire, Rhone-Alpes)
For more on the Tour de France 2008 see www.letour.fr/
For details of coverage on ITV see www.itv.com
| July 23, 2008 |
The Tour de France 2008 (21 stages, 3500 km) Stage 17 is on Wednesday 23 July 2008 and starts from Embrun (05 Hautes-Alpes, Provence), and runs for 210.5 km up some of the most testing mountain passes in France such as the Col de la Galibier (73 Savoie, Rhone-Alpes) to finish on the punishing climb to Alpe d’Huez (38 Isere, Rhone-Alpes)!
For more on the Tour de France 2008 see www.letour.fr/
For details of coverage on ITV see www.itv.com
| July 22, 2008 |
The Tour de France 2008 (21 stages, 3500 km) Stage 16 is on Tuesday 22 July 2008 and starts from Cuneo on the Italian side of the Alps and runs for 157 km through the mountains to finish back in France at Jausiers (04 Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Provence) via Isola (96 Alpes-Maritimes, Provence).
For more on the Tour de France 2008 see www.letour.fr/
For details of coverage on ITV see www.itv.com
| July 20, 2008 |
The Tour de France 2008 (21 stages, 3500 km) Stage 15 is on Sunday 20 July 2008 and starts from Embrun (05 Hautes Alpes, Provence) and runs for 185 km through the Alps to finish in Prato Nevoso, Italy
For more on the Tour de France 2008 see www.letour.fr/
For details of coverage on ITV see www.itv.com
