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The Saussignac appellation in the western part of the Bergerac vineyard (24 Dordogne, Aquitaine) seems to be pioneering organic (bio) vineyards - interesting for an appellation which has only recently been revitalised. Saussignac wines are sweet dessert wines made from Semillon grapes subject to botrytis “noble rot”.

However on 8 May 2008 you could indulge in a full day ramble of about 5 miles around the 5 organic vIneyards with the opportunity to taste on the way! Take a picnic lunch and it could be a wonderful day - accompanied by winemakers and finishing at Chateau Haut-Garrigue aka Wild Earth Vineyards run by an Irish couple, Sean and Caroline Feely:-

Saussignac Dessert Wine Seduction 2006 The saussignac botrytis dessert wine is truly a labour of love. The yield from a hectare of Saussignac is about 25% of the yield the same hectare would deliver of dry white. Unfortunately the price is never 4 times but fools like us continue to make it because it is truly exquisite. The grapes are hand-picked (sometimes individually) and deliver up a juice that is golden and heavenly. Once fermented a complex set of aromas develop… I’ll let our tasters give us an inkling of the future… Tasting Notes June 2007: Golden and unctuous. Honey, passion fruit and a hint of almond on the nose. Notes of honeysuckle and orange blossom. Apricot and passion fruit the palate with an intense, long finish. Our tasters also wrote ‘Outstanding’ & ‘this is a €100 a bottle wine’

For more info on the walk see www.hautgarrigue.com

Pauillac (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) celebrates a wonderful pairing - Spring Lamb and claret - well the wines of the commune of Pauillac AC - a small village and port in the Medoc which also has the distinction of hosting 3 of the 5 “first growths” in the 1855 classification of Bordeaux wines - Chateaux Lafite, Latour and Mouton-Rothschild! I somehow doubt if the celebrations will include liberal samples of these elixirs!!

The event takes place on Sunday 18 May 2008 and includes a banquet, sheep dog demos, “meet the sheep”, sheep shearing, a Spring market, boat trips, an art exhibition and a chance to buy a beret!

Lamb is a specialty of the area, as there are marshy areas near the river which are totally unsuitable for vines, but excellent for rearing saltmarsh lamb. It makes Pauillac quite a contradiction and rather more lively than much of the Medoc - especially as there is the incongruity of an industrial port and oil terminal juxtaposed with some of the most valuable and celebrated vineyards on the planet.

For more info see www.pauillac-medoc.com

Paris always evokes the nostalgic image of the lonely and tortured artist toiling away in his or her studio with a view over the rooftops and chimneys of Paris.

It was probably never quite like that, although certainly there were studios with panoramic views but designed mainly to supply plenty of light.

In the 10th arrondisement, the artists of Belleville have an annual festival when they throw open their doors (portes ouvertes) to allow all and sundry the opportunity to view their creations - and hopefully purchase too!

More than 250 artists will be showing their work in over 170 locations - courtyards, gardens, streetside for 4 days from 16-19 May 2008 from 2pm - 9pm (rather reinforces the idea of artists leading a dissolute life!).

So there should be something there to please most art lovers - and a unique opportunity to see another side of Parisian life.

See our map of Paris for the location

See the website for Les Ateliers d’Artistes de Belleville

Albas (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees) holds its annual Fete du Vin de Cahors on Saturday 3 May 2008 - situated in the heart of the Cahors vineyard to the west of Cahors, the day goes under the banner of “open our cellars to the fresh air!” - another celebration of the arrival of Spring and the start of the growth of the vine for another vintage.

The day includes open tastings, music, a banquet and other attractions such as a barrel-maker (tonnelier) - and amongst the wines will be Impernal, Prieuré de Cénac, Château d’Anglars, Château Beauvillain-Monpezat, Château Carrigou, Château Eugénie, Château Leret-Monpezat, Clos Triguedina and Domaine la Borie.

If you can tear yourself away from the festivities in the town, it is worth taking a trip to the “Point-de-Vue” on the hill above the village for a spectacular view of the river Lot and its vineyards. Take the D37 south west from th village and follow the signs.

There are many ways of getting to Paris from London, but doing it by rowing boat is not the obvious one - but that’s what teams of rowers are doing starting on 2 May 2008 on the London 2 Paris Rowing Challenge. Leaving from Westminster Bridge in the centre of London at 11.00am and rowing down the Thames, then to Dover. From there they strike out diagonally towards Fecamp and Le Havre at the mouth of the Seine - in the process crossing the busiest stretch of water in the world - before heading into the calmer waters of the Seine to Rouen and on to Paris. But even on this stretch there are some big boats and less room to manoeuvre.

There are two teams of 10 rowers of all ages and both sexes, and they are going to tackle this fearsome ordeal which covers 420 miles and will probably take 6 days before arriving at the Pont d’Iena near the Eiffel Tower in central Paris sometime before 8th May 2008. One team is called Le FigaROW!

The most daunting part of the whole trip must be the lengthy English Channel crossing to Le Havre with the risks of heavy seas and merchant shipping. But Le Havre is only about half-way in terms of distance, a little deceptive as the Seine meanders in anything but a straight line after the Pont de Tancarville between Le Havre and Rouen. They will of course pass under 2 impressive bridges before reaching Paris - le Pont de Normandie which takes the A29 autoroute from the north to south banks of the Seine near its mouth; and the new vertical lift bridge - the Pont Gustave Flaubert in Rouen.

Clearly the Channel section will not offer much in the way of a spectator sport,but you may be able to catch sight of them on the Thames and Seine.

See London 2 Paris Rowing Challenge - but personally I think I’d go by Eurostar!