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With their usual flair for artistic extravagance, the French are launching a massive summer art exhibition along the 25 miles of the banks of the Loire estuary between Nantes and St Nazaire this summer.
Although we tend to think of Nantes being at the mouth of the Loire (the longest river in France), there is another 40km until St Nazaire where the last bridge crosses the river before it enters the Atlantic.
From June to 1 September 2007 (and again in 2009 and 2011) the Loire Estuary Project 2007 will link St Nazaire and Nantes with a series of 40 art installations along the river bank (some even in the water) including a massive duck (25 metres high) experimental architecture, dramatic water features and a floating house, all of which can be viewed free of charge - or take to the river for a 3-hour boat cruise with audio tour.
Visit the website (below) for a good video of the stretch of river between these two locations.
LINKS
For more info see www.estuaire.info
Nantes Tourism
St Nazaire Tourist Office site for lots of maritime history
RECOMMENDED READING
Brittany Green Guide (Michelin Green Guides)
Tour 2- Beaumes de Venise, Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Cairanne and the Côtes-du-Rhône
After a gentle first day, this second outing is rather longer, but should be worthwhile. For here you will get a taste of essential Southern Rhône wines - and again pass though some great countryside and villages en-route.
An early-ish start is recommended to head east from St Remy on the D99 to Cavaillon - an otherwise unremarkable Provencal town, excepting for its deserved reputation as the centre of melon production!
(If you have time, you could make a small detour before reaching Cavaillon and the A9 autoroute - to another interesting wine and olive domain - Domain de Valdition - take a right (head south) off the D99 about 10km from Saint Remy-de-Provence to Eygalières, and .then left (east) onto the D74 towards Orgon - the domain is a few kilometres along on the left) - here they have some very well-made classy wines (despite being classified as Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhône) - in a delightful chateau and tasting room. Unfortunately the website is over-engineered and does not work properly - but otherwise fully recommended - you could always do this as a short side-trip from St Remy if you have an hour to spare some other time)
From Cavaillon you need to find the D31 heading north towards Carpentras - the road network and signposting is not brilliant, so I would suggest going through “Centre Ville” as otherwise you may find yourself heading for Avignon, which is not be advised.
The D31 takes you past L’Isle-sur-Sorgues - a delightful town surrounded by the river Sorgue - and now famous as an antiques centre - excellent Provencal market on Thursday and Sunday mornings, although Sunday now gets very crowded with a major Antiques and Bric-a-Brac market. Worth a visit - but time may not allow on this day’s itinerary.
Continue on the D31 (ignore a right to Carpentras) but keep on through Monteux and Sarrians towards Vacqueyras. The D31 becomes the D21 which you need to follow through to Beaumes-de-Venise. Turn left(north) onto the D7 towards Vacqueyras, and on the outskirts of the village you will find on your left the Co-operative of Beaumes de Venise. It is admittedly not an inspiring sight, but it is a good place to get a sense of these wines, the prices are good and the staff are helpful. Beaumes-de-Venise is best known for its very delightful dessert wine made from Muscat, sometimes in a distinctive bottle shape. However, don’t overlook the fact that Beaumes-de-Venise is one of the Côtes-du-Rhône Villages AC and produces some excellent reds and rosés as well. Opposite the winery you’ll see the Dentelles de Montmirail - the jagged mountains which dominate this part of the Vaucluse as an extension of the Mont Ventoux range. “Beaume” apparently means grotto or cave. The “Venise” part of the name does not refer to Venice, but to the town Venasque (84 Vaucluse, Provence) which was previously the local capital of the area known as the Comtat Venaissin.
Back on the D7 head on to the village of Vacqueyras, and continue beyond the village on the D7 Route de Bollène. You will pass a right hand fork to Gigondas, but continue on the D8 for a few hundred yards where you will find Domaine la Fourmone on your right. This is to my mind one of the best wineries in the area, featuring Côtes du Rhône AC, Vacqueyras AC and Gigondas AC - and a Muscat de Beaumes de Venise AC - Cuvée Souleu. I am not alone - Robert Parker awarded their Gigondas 93/100 in 2007! Madame Combe is very welcoming to wine enthusiasts, and you will be treated to an excellent tasting in their small tasting room. If you like BIG reds, then you must try the Gigondas AC l’Oustau Fauquet - Cuvée Cigaloun has been my favourite - very rich and intense, but probably not to everyone’s taste.
As an added bonus Marie-Therese Combe also has an art gallery and studio on the Domaine with some excellent acrylics.
(One option could be to make this a 2-centre trip, as in Gigondas there is an excellent hotel at Hotel Montmirail (no website) Téléphone : 04 90 65 84 01 Fax : 04 90 65 81 50 E-mail : hotel-montmirail@wanadoo.fr )
From Domaine la Fourmone I would suggest heading north on the D8 to Cairanne - another Co-operative Wine Cellar just after the main road takes a sharp left turn in the village - Cave de Cairanne is on your right. Again a good selection of good value wines from this Côtes du Rhône Village AC - their Reserve red is silky and smooth.
Beyond Cairanne on the D8 for a couple of kilometres take a left (south) on the D978 towards Orange and then a left after a few miles onto the D41 signposted Camaret. In the village follow signs for Vaison-la-Romaine and as you leave the village watch for a sign to the left for rue Buisseron and Domaine du Vieux Chene.. Here Jean-Claude Bouche produces organic wines on a modest scale - but really excellent wines. We discovered the domaine many years ago when staying in the region, but were unable to import it as he had an exclusivity deal with another UK wine merchant. Jean-Claude and his wife Beatrice are charming and modest people who will give you a warm welcome in a rather sparse tasting room - try the Cuvée La Haie aux Grives (hedge of thrushes) Côtes du Rhône-Villages AC red.
If you are now heading towards late afternoon, then your journey back to St Remy-de-Provence holds a special treat. From Camaret head east back towards Vacqueyras, then south on the D7, Just after the village take a right onto the D52 then D21 to Sarrians, where you rejoin your outward route. Head south on the D31 through Monteux and on to Velleron. Here, just beside the D31 a farmers market (Marché Agricole) is held every evening from 18h00 from April to September (except Sundays and holidays), Predominantly small grower and producers of fruit, vegetables, poultry, olive oil and other goodies sell their produce often from the back of their cars - you will not find fresher unless you go to the farm.
Return south on the D31 to Cavaillon and then west on the D99 to St Remy-de-Provence.
Summary: About 140km (90 miles) travelling distance - about 2½ hours time.
CONTACT DETAILS:-
Domaine de Valdition Route d’Eygalières, 13660 Orgon; T: 04 90 73 08 12 F: 04 90 73 05 95 E:contact@valdition.com
Domaine la Fourmone Roger Combe et Filles, Route de Bollène, 84190 VACQUEYRAS; T: 04 90 65 86 05 F: 04 90 65 87 84
Les Vignerons de Beaumes de Venise Quartier Ravel, 84190 Beaumes-de-Venise T:04 90 12 41 00 - F: 04 90 65 02 05
Cave de Cairanne route de Bollène, 84290 Cairanne; T: 04 90 30 82 05; F:04 90 30 74 03
Domaine du Vieux Chene Jean Claude & Béatrice Bouche, Rue Buisseron
84850 Camaret; T:04 90.37.25.07 F:04 90.37.76.84
A southern Rhone Wine Tour - Introduction
A southern Rhône WIne Tour - Tour 1- Baux-de-Provence
A southern Rhône WIne Tour - Tour 3 Lirac, Tavel and Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Montelimar (26 Drome, Rhone-Alpes) may be best known for its nougat, but every July it binges on Lavender with its Colours of Lavender Festival “Montélimar Couleur Lavande” - from 21-22 July 2007.
The fifth edition of this Festival of Lavender and market of local flavours and lavender scents : a whole range of “lavender-based” products! Distilling of both lavender and hybrid lavender will be carried out the traditional way and a procession of floral floats will enliven the Sunday morning on the 22nd of July. New! A real artist’s studio profiled against a virtual field of lavender. The biggest lavender party ever! (40.000 visitors)
Montelimar tends to be another of those places which you bypass on the autoroute heading north or south (just off the A7 between Orange and Valence) and it does not immediately tempt you to visit. However, there are a number of interesting events such as the Lavender Festival throughout the year - including the Garden Festival (Montelimar Cote Jardin) on 17 May 07 - with a particular focus on the local olives and olive oil from Nyons (26 Drome, Rhône-Alpes) and on the weekend of 28-29 April 2007 the Pottery Festival (Montélimar Terra Potiers) - so maybe it would be worth a little detour.
For more info see www.montelimar-tourisme.com
For a wealth of lavender in the UK - see woldswaylavender.co.uk
Up in the Alps, the village of Les Gets (74 Haute-Savoie Rhone-Alpes) has and a rather different event this summer (6-8 July 2007) with a festival of wood - very suitable as part of a European celebration of Mountain and Forest! Between Lake Geneva and Mont-Blanc, at the heart of the region known as Les Portes du Soleil, Les Gets (1172 m – 2002m) is both a winter and summer resort.
Part of the village’s identity, wood is given a place of honour every 2 years as part of the “Billes de Bois” wood festival, a festive cultural event that features a wide-scale of entertainment based on mountain forests and wood, including entertainment and workshops for children, events for the public and street shows, art and crafts, wood exhibitions, wood-cutters competition.
A “bille” is a log apparently! This area is a paradise for walkers and moutain bikers (VTT- Velo Tout Terrain, or all-terrain bike) and of course winter sports. Their website also suggests its a good place for Golf, but looking at the landscape it might be quite a challenging course!
MORE INFO
Les Gets Tourist Office
RECOMMENDED READING:-
French Alps (Michelin Green Guides)
Walking in the Haute Savoie: North (South of Lake Geneva) (Cicerone Mountain Walking)
17 April 2007 sees yet another French cycle race as the season gets into its swing. This time it heads out west of Paris to the town of Vimoutiers (61 Orne, Normandy). The race is now known the “Paris-Camembert”m, as despite being a small and otherwise undistinguised village, the name of the cheese carries a bit more cachet than Vimoutiers. The race is sponsored by the Camembert dairy of Fromagerie Lepetit, as it has been for the last 64 years! The 200km circuit passes through delightful countryside with a couple of circuits around Vimoutiers - and does actually go through the village of Camembert a few kilometres to the southwest.(see map)
Along with the Brie, Camembert is probably the best known French cheese, and is similar in style being a soft cows milk cheese with a rind. Brie comes from the area south and east of Paris, whereas Camembert is from the west. It was created during the French Revolution in Normandy with its mild climate and lush pasture and those typical black and white cows! The invention of the wooden Camembert box in the 1890s made it easier to transport and handle, and being in smaller rounds than the tradtional Brie it is more often bought as a whole cheese. The traditional, full favoured Camembert can be made from pasteurised or unpasteurised milk (the latter thought to be richer in taste) and has a rich, buttery taste, and a characteristic lactic flavour. Choosing a perfect Camembert cheese is quite a skill - test for a slight springiness to the texture and a soft white mould on the rind. Inside it should be a creamy yellow with the centre just slightly ligher in colour and a little firmer. Best of all buy from a cheesemonger who knows his/her cheeses!
Links
Fromagerie Lepetit has a great little website - but only in French!
Vimoutiers Tourist Office has info on the region and the race
RECOMMENDED READING
Normandy Green Guide (Michelin Green Guides)
French Cheese (Eyewitness Companions)
The Languedoc is such a rich region to visit and explore - wine, history, food, glorious and diverse landscapes.
But to get the best out of it you can always do with a knowledgeable guide to help to discover the best - and that is what tour organisers Wine and Food experiences in the Languedoc propose. They offer “epicurean tours for all the senses.”
Their information-packed website offers plenty of choices - B&B accommodation, vineyard visits, restaurants - all of which can be tailored into a package to suit your preferences.
Our tours are geared towards wine enthusiasts who want to visit wine domaines and learn more about the wines in a relaxed, fun way. Rather than being a whistle-stop tour of numerous producers in one day, we take time at each visit to taste through the wines and chat to producers about what they do and why. Vineyard walks and tastings amongst the vines are also included in the itineraries so there is ample time to enjoy the stunning scenery as well as to understand the terroir that makes each wine unique.
As a flavour of what is on offer, the site includes articles and links to many of the best vineyards in the region - such as Chateau St Martin de la Garrigue at Montagnac (34 Hérault, Languedoc) in the Coteaux du Languedoc (who also produce the crisp white Picpoul de Pinet); Antech in Limoux (11 Aude, Languedoc) ( who call themselves Maistres Blanquetiers - Master Blanquette producers - the “oldest” sparkling wine in the world made from the Mauzac grape: and Domaine l’Hortus at Valflaunès (34 Herault, Languedoc) in the Pic St Loup appellation
For more info see www.wine-food-languedoc.com
The Telegraph (3 April 07) has an article enticing you to visit Lille (59 Nord, Nord Pas-de-Calais)
Lille ticks all the French boxes - arty culture, handsome looks, stylish shopping, fabulous food - but without the country’s icy hauteur. Friendly and welcoming, it has a metropolitan buzz but a small, do-able scale. Unfairly dismissed as industrial, Lille has a charming old town, France’s second most important art collection, frothy Flemish architecture and gutsy cuisine.
For us one of the highlights of the year is a visit to the Lille Wine Fair (Salon des Vins) hosted by the French Independent Winemakers association (www.vigneron-independant.com )which is being held this year between 16-19 November 2007 in the Lille Grand Palais .A great chance to taste and buy wines from all over France - a great pre-Christmas shopping weekend just an hour from the Channel coast. Explore the old Town, great shops and restaurants, Christmas market from late November, and the impressive Citadelle built by Vauban.
The article inevitably recommends L’Huitrière restaurant which is a superb but expensive fish restaurant in the Old Town - a little less stressful on the wallet is another good fish restaurant - L’Ecume de Mers (spume of the sea). Vauban’s Citadelle just outside the city centre is an impressive fortification built by France’s most prolific military architect - and provides an oasis of tranquility just 10 minutes walk away.
See dates for other Independent Winemaker Wine Fairs (Salons)
LINKS:
Lille Tourist Office
www.vigneron-independant.com
More on Lille Wine Fair
RECOMMENDED READING:-
Michelin Green Guide: Nord de la France
Paris Lille Brussels: The Bradt Guide to Eurostar Destinations (Bradt Travel Guide Paris-Lille-Brussels)
The Vauban Fortifications of France (Fortress)
For 5 weeks this Autumn France hosts the Rugby World Cup Tournament, starting with the initial match on 7 September 2007 in Paris and ending with the Final on the Stade de France in Paris on 20 October.Teams from across the World will be competing, and they may be a little surprised to find that some of the early round matches are being played in Cardiff and Edinburgh!!
However, the majority of matches are to be played in France including Lens (Nord Pas-de-Calais), Nantes (Brittany/Loire), Bordeaux (Aquitaine), Toulouse (Midi-Pyrenees), Montpellier (Languedoc- Roussillon), Marseille (Provence) St Etienne and Lyon (Central France) and of course Paris.
So be warned that roads and hotels are likely to be busier than normal in the Autumn, especially in Paris (throughout) and in the host towns and cities near match days.
As always with such events it is worth planning ahead and booking tickets, travel and hotel arrangements as early as possible.
Rugby Union (Rugby à 15) is very popular in certain pockets of France - particularly the South West. On the A61 Autouroute between Toulouse and Castelnaudry there is a motorway service area (aire) that is worth visiting - and its not often we would recommend such a place. At Port Lauragais there is the Ovalie - a rugby museum, as local teams such as Toulouse, Agen and Castres are amongst the elite European teams.
The “aire” also has a museum and display on the adjacent Canal du Midi which has a marina mooring on the site. So well worth a break in your journey see map
See our web calender for the dates and locations of the World Cup matches this Autumn
LINKS:-
www.rugbyworldcup.com for news, details of teams, fixtures etc
Rail Europe has some attractive offers when tickets go on sale in May - e.. London to Lyon from £99 return - and that is city centre to city centre.
RECOMMENDED READING:-
Le Guide Vert: Midi-Pyrenees
France on the T.G.V.: How to Use the World’s Fastest Train to Get the Most Out of France
Grand Tour De France: A Rugby Supporter’s Guide to the World Cup - France 2007
There is another Michelin Guide to France which may be more suited to the holiday tourer - Michelin’s Charming Places to Stay in France 2007 - “Carefully selected for their warm welcome, pleasant location and reasonable rates, there is something for everyone from chalet to château, mill-house to monastery - Each entry includes:
A photo and descriptive text.
Practical information (how to get there, prices, facilities, what to see and do in the area).
A location map..”
But don’t dismiss the Michelin Red Guide which is still an indispensible reference book for travelling in France by car.
Charming Places to Stay France 2007 (Michelin Charming Guides)
Channel4 TV is showing a new drama set in Arles (13, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence) in the late 19th Century when Van Gogh and Gauguin shared The Yellow House.” Approaching middle age and still flat broke, both men abandon respectability, family and friends to commit themselves utterly to painting, united by an unshakable belief in the importance of art.
In this brief period of penniless, fraught obscurity they produce between them over 40 acknowledged masterpieces, with a combined current value of almost a billion pounds. The relationship finally ends in an iconic and bloody climax, when Van Gogh cuts off his own ear. Eighteen months after leaving The Yellow House, Van Gogh shot himself, bleeding to death over several days. Years later, Gauguin died, a syphilitic, in self-imposed exile in Tahiti.”
It is quite a dramatic story of these 2 strong-minded creative geniuses, and will doubtless provide good opportunities for lots of sumptuous Provencal scenery.
The programme is screened on Thursday 22 March 2007 at 9pm on Channel 4 - for more info see www.channel4.com
There is also a book by Martin Gayford :The Yellow House: Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Nine Turbulent Weeks in Arles
Arles is a small town on the edge of the Rhône delta with impressive Roman remains - and a centre for bull-fighting (Toros from the Camarge). It can claim to be the gateway to the Camargue. Its strong connections with Van Gogh in particular have led to the siting of the Van Gogh Foundation in the town, and there are several Van Gogh themed walking routes where you can see the original inspiration for some of his most famous works e.g Place du Forum for the “Evening Café”, the Rhone River quay for the “Starry Night”, the Place Lamartine for the “Yellow House”, itself.
You can download a brochure online which describes the Van Gogh walk in Arles at www.tourisme.ville-arles.fr/us/
The Languedoc is such a rich region to visit and explore - wine, history, food, glorious and diverse landscapes.But to get the best out of it you can always do with a knowledgeable guide to help to discover the best - and that is what tour organisers Wine and Food experiences in the Languedocpropose. They offer “epicurean tours for all the senses.”
Their information-packed website offers plenty of choices - B&B accommodation, vineyard visits, restaurants - all of which can be tailored into a package to suit your preferences.
As a flavour of what is on offer, the site includes articles and links to many of the best vineyards in the region - such as Chateau St Martin de la Garrigue in the Coteaux du Languedoc (who also produce the crisp white Picpoul de Pinet); Antech in Limoux ( who call themselves Maistres Blanquetiers - Master Blanquette producers - the “oldest” sparkling wine in the world made from the Mauzac grape.
For more info see www.wine-food-languedoc.com
Every year Burgundy celebrates the Patron Saint of Wine with a festival in one of the key wine villages - and for 2007 it is Nuits-Saint-Georges (21 Cote d’Or, Bourgogne) on the weekend of 27/28 January - although St Vincent’s Day is actually on 22 January.
The highlights this year include a concentration on the 2004 vintage which will be on offer from numerous winemakers and negociants.
Negociants are a key feature of the Burgundy wine scene, who buy wines (sometimes just grapes) from small winemakers and blend and market them under their own label. Some of the top names in Burgundy are these merchant/blenders -e.g.Jadot. Although the trend elsewhere in France is towards domaine-bottled and labelled wines, a good negociant can be very useful, especially in Burgundy where many of the domaines are quite small. The vigneron can concentrate on his vines and winemaking, whilst the negociant develops marketing and distribution channels which most small winemakers would be unable to access. Where the negociant blends, this can ensure consistency of style, and can more easily reflect changing tastes and styles.
However, back to the St Vincent Tournante des Nuits Saint Georges - this will have all the trappings of a good wine festival - processions, music, ceremonies, plenty of wines to taste and, being Burgundy, plenty of excellent food to sample. It’s a pretty little town, and a weekend here should brighten up an otherwise dull end of January.
For more info see www.saint-vincent-nuits.fr
In the very heart of France, Brive-la-Gaillarde (19 Correze, Limousin) the modest town of Brive does its bit to keep up with the bigger cities such as Paris and Nice. In the summer they set up “Brive Plage” an articifical inland beach, and at Christmas they convert one of the town’s squares into an ice rink (patinoire). in Place du Civoire, whilst the Christmas Market takes over the Place General de Gaulle (16 - 31 December 2006.
Named “la Gaillarde” or the “brave” it is the main town of the Correze departement, probably best known in the UK as a destination for French Motorail - I’ve always fancied the idea of loading the car on the train at Calais and waking up next morning in central or southern France avoiding the hassle of the long journey. It tends to be an expensive option, but if you save the cost of fuel, autoroute tolls and a night’s hotel then it does not look so bad.
Brive is an ideal destination with easy access to the Dordogne, and not forgetting the gentle delights of the Corrèze itself - considered by many to be the most unspoilt region of France, relatively untouched by many of the worst excesses of modern France - and tourists.
To capture a flavour of the region read the novels of Claude Michelet - such as Firelight and Woodsmoke
For more on French Motorail see French Motorail
For more on Brive see www.brive-tourisme.com/
Francophiles can indulge their passion and start building their dreams of holidays or living in France at the 2007 Vive la France Exhibition at Olympia in London from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 January 2007. This year’s event claims to be 4 shows in 1 - French Food & Wine Show, French Lifestyle and Culture Show, French Travel & Tourism Show and the French Property Exhibition.
There’s usually plenty to see, do and buy - plus you can get some info on where to go and how to get to France. Numerous french food and wine stands to visit with a Food Theatre, wine tastings, A “taste terrace” and places to eat genuine french food.
If you are planning to go it’s cheaper to book in advance (£8.50) rather than pay on the day (£12)
For more info see www.vivelafrance.co.uk
The Independent (25 Nov 2006) has another of its French blitzes this time with an excellent guide to the best museums in Paris and beyond and a guide to the French wine regions.
A useful and new reference is the Centre des Monuments Nationaux a collection of nearly 250 important monuments, many of them cathedrals, castles and museums. The collection includes famous names such as Mont-Saint-Michel, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe and the Panthéon, as well as things like the ramparts around the medieval town of Aigues-Mortes.
Another discovery is the Maxim’s museum (see image above) where Pierre Cardin has recreated the rooms of a renowned courtesan in 1900 - 12 rooms furnished with articles and fine furniture by Tiffany, Majorel, Galle and others - all in the Art Nouveau style.
On the wine front there is a good set of links to the wine regions of France: ” Everyone has heard of French wine, particularly the reds of Bordeaux and Burgundy and the whites of the Loire Valley, but few people really know “wine France”. Just as there are wines for every occasion - champagne for a celebration, fortified Pineau des Charentes for an apéritif, smooth Armagnac to end a meal - so France’s 17 wine regions, from Alsace to Corsica, all have something different to offer.” See www.independent.co.uk
