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Conveniently situated a kilometre or so off the main RN10 route (heading for Bordeaux, Aquitaine and the Basque country) near Limalonges (79 Deux Sevres, Poitou-Charentes) is an English run Chambres d’Hote run by Josie and Dave Duffield.
Situated in the heart of Poitou Charentes (roughly mid-way between Poitiers and Angouleme) bordering the Charente and Vienne departments, the area has a gentle climate and varied countryside “reputed to have the most sunshine hours away from the Mediterranean coast.”
When I can I prefer to use routes such as the N10 down to Bordeaux or the Dordogne - good quality roads, generally light traffic (away from the main towns),less frenetic (and cheaper) than the autoroute, and plenty of opportunity to break the journey with a little detour into a “centre ville” for a coffee or croissant, and a stroll around the shops to stock up for the picnic lunch. It does however take longer, but you are likely to arrive less hassled and more in tune with France.
The comfortable accommodation offered includes 3 large en-suite bedrooms (2 doubles, 1 of which can be made into a family room) and 1 twin) - each room has natural stone walls and wooden beams. Prices which include breakfast start at €30 for a single, or €45 for a double. An ideal overnight stop, a base for visiting the region (the Marais Poitevin, la Rochelle and Cognac are all within range) and perhaps a chance tp explore another region which too many of us hurtle through rather than savour. And of course, your hosts will be able to offer good advice on where to go, where to eat or the name of a good notaire if you are looking to buy property in the region.
They also welcome caravans and motorhomes for a night stop-over on the journey south (or north) which could be a welcome change from commercial campsites or motorway “aires”.
See our customised Google Map of Poitou-Charentes
For more info, availability and bookings use the form below:-
The Independent (6 September 2008) reports on a legal battle which has been joined over a Whisky which is finished in France, but nevertheless is marketed under the title “Scotch Whisky”.
The Bercloux Brewery in the village of Bercloux (17 Charente-Maritime) between Cognac and St Jean d’Angely has a bit of a history of producing somewhat off-beat concoctions.
This Whisky is actually made with whisky distilled in Scotland, but then matured in France in casks which have been used to make Pineau des Charentes - an sweetish aperitif made from Cognac and unfermented grape juice.
The big problem (other than the taste, for which I cannot vouch) is the use of the term “Scotch Whisky” which has the Scottish Whisky producers fuming - an infringement of their “brand”. In truth, the whole presentation is distinctly different to anything I would recognise as Scotch, but then when you recall the vigour with which the makers of Champagne pursue even the slightest hint a transgression, then perhaps the Scots are right.
Unfortunately, the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), the trade body which spends £1.5m each year on legal action to protect its product from an increasing cabal of international imitators and counterfeiters, sees this attempt at a whisky-fuelled entente cordiale somewhat differently. Yesterday, it warned the Brasserie de Bercloux, the producers of the French “Scotch”, that it was sending in the lawyers with an implicit demand to remove all Scottish associations from their whisky.
Under British and European law, a whisky can only be called Scotch when it has been made and aged entirely in Scotland.
The Brasserie de Bercloux also also produces a Cognac Beer! (produce artisanal beers and especially a Cognac Beer - “Its unique recipe offers a subtle and harmonious blend with incomparable taste.We are sure that this beer can be appreciated worldwide for its freshness and refinment.”
For more about Pineau des Charentes see www.frenchduck.co.uk/deau.html
Despite already having a well-developed high speed train (TGV) network, the French have plans to double the length of the special TGV lines by 2020 from the current 1750km. Trains a Grand Vitesse (TGVs) do run on on many major routes, but not all the line is a dedicated TGV track which permits speeds of up to 320km/hr (200mph) - e.g. the TGV Atlantique to Bordeaux is only high speed track as far as Tours.
Several major extensions of the network include:-
Tours to Bordeaux via Poitiers and Angouleme, bringing Bordeaux within 2 hours of Paris. Utlimately the high speed line will extend south to Bayonne and into Spain!
Le Mans to Rennes in Brittany - bringing Brest within 3 hours of Paris!
Bordeaux to Toulouse in South West France, reducing the travel time to 1 hour!
Marseille to Nice will complete the line to Provence and the Côte d’Azur
Montpellier to Perpignan and on to Barcelona in Spain!
It’s a great example of why domestic air travel in France becomes less and less viable with city centre to city centre times such as these in the offing - speedy and green!
You can book any train journey to and within France including Eurostar, TGV and local lines through RailEurope
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| July 27, 2008 |
The town of Cognac (16 Charente, Poitou-Charentes) becomes an even more attractive place to visit in July 2008 with the Blues Passions Festival (22–27 July 2008).
With more than 120 concerts, 80 of which are free, the range of music on offer is vast - i.e from Status Quo to Joan Baez and most music styles in between which an emphasis on Afro-American music.
For more info on the festival see www.bluespassions.com
The big Cognac houses (Martell, Remy-Martin, Hennesy) all have well-organised trips around their distilleries and tastings of their brandies. However, these are inevitably a bit “touristy” – there are plenty of smaller, family-run estates which also welcome visitors and provide a rather more individualised welcome – e.g Maison Deau at Gemozac, which also has a Botanic Garden to visit!
Another French icon, the Solex motorised bicycle used to be a common sight throughout France - although in earlier times it was powered by a noisy smelly little 2-stroke petrol engine. Something like 80 million Solexs were produced as a cheap form of transport after the Second World War.The original production line closed at the end of the 1980s, but now it has been re-invented as the E-Solex an environmentally-friendly way of getting around town using battery high efficeincy power to boost your pedalling.
You can now enjoy a one of these very French machines by hiring one for a day or half-day in St Omer (62 Pas-de-Calais, Nord Pas-de-Calais).
Les Belles Echappees also hire out Citroen 2CVs, tandems and trikes and offer a number of packages which can include route suggestions, restaurant and hotel combinations etc.
Les Belles Echappées invite you to a journey off the beaten track in search of simple pleasures connected with emotion and collective memory.
You can find a video showing the 2CVs in action on You Tube Les Belles Echappees translates as a good time or break!
Les Belles Echappees, Chemin des murs, Ferme de l’Abbaye - 62500 CLAIRMARAIS
Tél : 03.21.98.11.72
There are other options for raking to the road “a la francaise” - e.g. the 2CV tours of Paris with 4 roues sous un Parapluie (4 wheels under 1 umbrella); Or hire a classic Citroen TA in the Loire Valley with Quart de Tours (37 Indre-et-Loire, Centre)
Further south Joffreny Tours offer classic and modern British cars (and others) for touring the French countryside from their base near Chalus (87 Haut Vienne, Limousin) - although helpfully they have an office in the UK
Lots to do and see - Hire a classic standard MGB Roadster, a V8 MGB Roadster, a BMW Z3 Roadster or a Triumph Stag (soft-top or hard-top) and take off on a sightseeing tour of the Limousin, Charente and Dordogne, in west central France, with all of its historic towns and picturesque chateaux, and sample some of the fine food and wine along the way. This is beautiful touring country and there are very few cars on the road…
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| June 1, 2008 |
An opportunity to visit France’s rich heritage of Gardens is offered for the weekend of 29 May - 1 June 2008 with the “Rendezvous des Jardins” (meetings with gardens).
Sponsored by the French Ministry of Culture, more than 2000 private and public parks and gardens across France will be open to the public.
On the Culture Ministry’s website (only in French) there is a clickable map to select the region you are visiting - and details of the gardens open and what they are offering - open visits, guided tours, music, photographic exhibitions, lectures etc. Many are open until dusk on the Saturday.
The fun thing is that there is such a range available - for example in Picardie you can visit the Vegetable Garden (potager) of the Princes at Chantilly (60 Oise, Picardie), and also an artist’s private garden near Beauvais (60 Oise, Picardie) where painter Andre van Beck uses the plants as subjects of his paintings and where he will be showing some of his floral pictures alongside the garden which inspired them! (see le Jardin Du Peintre Andre Van Beek
- see our customised map of the Oise département.
Meanwhile in the Charente, you can visit the medieval Pilgrim Hospital Garden (Hopital des Pelerins) at Pons (17 Charentes-Maritimes, Poitou-Charentes) - a stop on one of routes to St Jean de Compostelle (Halte sur les chemins de St Jean). Whilst at St Andre de Lidon (17 Charentes-Maritimes, Poitou-Charentes) the Cognac and Pineau des Charentes producer J M Deau will be opening their Botanic Garden to the public - plus the opportunity to taste or buy some Cognac!
Information on domestic flights in France is not easy to come by, one reason being that Air France has such a dominant position in France and already have flights on most internal routes.
Plus the French market is not as competitive. The French Railway system between major cities is both fast and competitive, especially if starting from Paris.
I have only been able to uncover a couple of airlines which offer domestic flights in France:-
http://www.easyjet.com/ - Toulouse to Lyon, Paris, Nice to Paris; Lyon to Biarritz, Bordeaux; Biarritz to Paris
http://www.twinjet.net/
Toulouse (32 Haute-Garonne, Midi-Pyrenees) to Metz/Nancy, Mulhouse, Brest; Marseille to Metz/Nancy, Mulhouse; Paris - Perigueux, Cherbourg
http://www.airlinair.fr/ Brest,(29 Finistere, Brittany) Bordeaux (33 Gironde, Aquitaine), Agen (47 Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine), Lyon (69 Rhone, Rhone-Alpes), Poitiers (86 Vienne, Poitou-Charentes), Brive (19 Correze, Limousin) Beziers (34 Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon) etc
http://www.ryanair.com/ now also has links from Marseille (13 Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence) to Lille (59 Nord, Nord-Pas de Calais) and Brest (29 Finistere, Brittany)
You can try sites like http://www.expedia.fr/ but even a price comparison site like http://www.baisse-de-prix.com/voyages.php seems to offer little new – it looks like Air France have cornered the market with little opportunity for discounting.
In the heart of the Loire Valley there is an ideal solution for francophiles who are interested in wine. The Domaine de la Bellevue not only offers some stylish self-contained accommodation but also an opportunity to get really close to the process of transforming grapes into wine.
Surrounded by vineyards and sleepy hamlets our French/Anglo home is a delightful, peaceful retreat. Ideally located for discovering the Loire Valley and beyond, La Bellevue is conveniently close to Saumur, Chinon, Montreuil-Bellay, Fontevraud l’Abbaye and Angers.
In the company of a knowledgeable vigneron, wine-maker, discover the world of wine and enhance your understanding and recognition of an ‘inferior’/’superior’ wine. Spend time discovering how wine is produced at a stunning Domaine in the heart of the val de loire. Or perhaps try your hand at grape-picking during harvest.
With the added benefits that come with an English hostess and a French vigneron you can just enjoy the scenery and try the wines - or take a private wine tour with a winemaker - or have your own wine-tasting evening with expert advice and local knowledge - or if you are feeling really energetic (and no back problems) then get involved with the grape picking at harvest time.
Situated just south of Saumur, famous for its Sparkling Chenin Blanc, dry still white and the red Saumur-Champigny AC this is an area rich in chateaux, history and wine. The Domaine’s association with Domaine de la Paleine, a few kilometres away at Le Puy Notre Dame (49 Maine-et-Loire, Pays de Loire) gives you privileged access to a vineyard which has won recognition in the respected Guide Hachette des Vins de France, winning a Coup de Coeur in the 2008 edition for the red Saumur “Moulin des Quints” 2005 made from Cabernet Franc. They also produce Saumur Brut (sparkling), Saumur Blanc (dry white), Coteaux de Saumur (a dessert wine based on Chenin Blanc) and two rosés - Cabernet de Saumur (dry) and a Cabernet d’Anjou (medium dry) - see the website at www.domaine-paleine.com (there is more info on the French language version)
See our customised map of the Vienne département including the location of Domaine de la Paleine and Domaine de la Bellevue.
For more information on the Chambre d’Hote at Domaine de la Bellevue - see www.domainedelabellevue.com
Poitiers (86 Vienne, Poitou-Charentes) is a bit of a contradiction - laden with history (such as the Battle of Poitiers in the 100 years war) and yet host (on its outskirts) to the futuristic Futuroscope - a sort of theme park but with a real intention of looking into the future.
I have to confess it is usually one of those places which I pass by on the journey south towards Bordeaux and the Dordogne. Now it could be a city break weekend destination with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flying in from Stansted and Birmingham.
Anthony Peregrine in the Times visited the place:
The place had its moments in the Middle Ages, as base to Eleanor of Aquitaine’s court, with a full complement of artists, aristocrats and bad-tempered bishops. The period equipped it with a framework of outstanding buildings, noble (if narrow) streets and a lasting sense of self-worth. Then, about eight centuries later, the city had a rush of blood to the head and built the Futuroscope theme park.
In between, not much happened. Poitiers relaxed into being a small provincial capital, which, in France, is quite enough. It ensures a constant supply of students, lawyers, clerics, shops, political dispute, bars and restaurants.
This present life buzzes through the past, convinced that, whatever the rest of the world thinks, Poitiers is the place to be. While you are strolling along with it, you will agree. It is also a good kick-off point for a drive through the east of the Vienne département – a land of forest, farming and riverside villages…
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!
| July 9, 2008 |
The Tour de France 2008 (21 stages, 3500 km) Stage 5 is on 9 July 2008 and starts from Cholet (49 Maine-et-Loire) and runs 232km to Chateauroux (36 Indre, Centre) via Loudun (86 Vienne, Poitou-Charentes)
For more on the Tour de France 2008 see www.letour.fr/
For details of coverage on ITV see www.itv.com
Most French autoroutes between major towns and cities are toll motorways, which whilst often offering fast and uncrowded dual-carriageways, can nevertheless add significantly to the cost of a trip through France - e.g over €90 (over £60) on a one-way trip from Calais to Nice (1226km of motorway driving about 760 miles).
However there are significant sections of autoroute which are toll free - most often these are around major towns and Cities (Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon etc).
In the North, the A16 is toll-free from Boulogne (J29) to the Belgian border (J36) via Calais and Dunkerque. The A25 from Dunkerque (J20) to Lille is free, so you can reach Lille from the main Channel ports without paying a toll!. Also all routes from Lille to the Belgian border.
The following autoroutes are toll free (as at September 2007)
A16 (part of the Autoroute des Estuaires (estuaries)) from Boulogne-sur-Mer (J29) to the Belgian border(J36)
A20 (L’Occitane) from Vierzon (J6 junction with A71) to Brive-la-Gaillarde (J53) via Chateauroux, Argenton and Limoges
A25 from Dunkerque (J20 with A16) to Lille
A28 from Abbeville (J1) to Rouen (J14)
A30/A31 (Autoroute de la Vallée de la Fensch) from Thionville (J1) to Toul (J12) via Metz and Nancy
A38 from Dijon (J33) to Pouilly-sur-Auxois (J24 and the junction with the A6)
A63 (Autoroute de la Cote Basque) from Bordeaux to Bellin-Bellet (J20)
A64 (la Pyreneenne) from St Martory (J20) to Muret (J25)
A68 (la Tarnaise) from Monastruc (J3 NE of Toulouse) to Albi (J11) via Gaillac
A75 (la Meridienne) from Clermont-Ferrand (J15) to Pezenas (J59) (except for the Millau Bridge) via Issoire
A77 (Autoroute de l’Arbre (trees)) from Pouilly (J26) to Nevers (J37)
A84 from Caen (J46) to Rennes (J25) via Avranches
2007 is the three hundredth anniversary of his death, and hence numerous events are planned to celebrate this master of military invention. His physical legacy is of course the list of imitimidating fortresses to defend le Hexagone - the defensible boundaries of France from the northern border with Belgium down to the Alps, along the Mediterranean and up the Atlantic Coast. However, his military reputation initially was more concerned with planning and implementing sieges - so in many ways he was a poacher-turned-gamekeeper - if you are good as breaking sieges, then who better to design defenses to repel them? The hallmark of Vauban is his impressive use of massive angular pentagonal walls which prevented attackers targetting one section of wall without being at risk of counter-attack from an adjacent section. The classic examples are the Citadel at Lille, Briancon and Besancon, although many other examples exist.
My favourite is on the island of Belle-Ile off the coast of Brittany, where the fortifications adjacent to the small harbout of Le Palais are most impressive. More familiar to visitors to France will be the fortifications at St Malo and la Rochelle. Vauban left his mark on most of the land and sea frontiers of France, although he was born in Burgundy which hosts only one of his constructiona. On the Côte d’Azur, Antibes, Villefranche, Cannes and St.Tropez. Toulon, Marseille, Collioure on the Mediterranean;
other sites are at Arras, Auxonne, Barraux, Bayonne, Belfort, Bergues, Bitche, Blaye, Bouillon, Calais, Cambrai, Colmars-les-Alpes, Douai, Entrevaux, Givet, Gravelines, Huningue, Joux, Kehl, Landau, La Rochelle, Le Quesnoy, Lusignan, Le Perthus (Fort de Bellegarde), Luxembourg, Maastricht, Maubeuge, Metz, Mont-Dauphin, Mont-Louis, Montmédy, Namur, Neuf-Brisach, Perpignan, Plouezoc’h (Château du Taureau), Rocroi, Saarlouis, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Saint-Omer, Sedan, Toul, Valenciennes, Verdun, Villefranche-de-Conflent. For more info see www.vauban2007-bourgogne.org and www.sites-vauban.org
The annual Cahors Blues Festival takes place 17–21 July 2007 in and around the town of Cahors (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees).
Whilst the streets of the town will echo to the music of the Blues, linked concerts are also held in surrounding towns such as Castelnau-Montratier, St Cirq la Popie etc
.
Cahors is also hosting the start of a stage of the Tour de France on 29 July 2007 (Cahors to Angouleme)
Maison Deau’s cellars are situated near Gemozac in the Charentes, between the town of Cognac and the sea.
This is a long-established family Cognac house, which until recently sold most of its production to one of the major marques in Cognac, but has now decided that it is proud enough of the quality of its products to sell under its own family name.
The quality outstrips that of the better-known brands at a most competitive price!
The domaine (Domaine de Chaillaud) produces fine Cognacs of various ages, including some very ancient vintages.
The domaine also produces PINEAU DES CHARENTES - a delightful blend of unfermented grape juice and fine Cognac, similar in style to the Floc de Gascogne made with Armagnac in Gascogny.- “This cousin of Cognac is the most delicious drink in the world”THE TIMES - Saturday 26 July 2003
Pineau des Charentes is the result of the subtle blending of fresh grape juice selected at harvest time, and Cognac. It can be enjoyed chilled as an aperitif or as a pleasant accompaniment to melon or foie gras etc
The grapes ripen on the soft slopes of the Saintonge (the area around the town of SAINTES) hillsides. They benefit from the microclimate lent by their proximity to the Gironde estuary (intense luminosity and moderate temperature changes).The soils are hot, either of clay-chalk (as in Champagne) or a lean sand-silica filtering type permitting early growth. This blend of Cognac with unfermented Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grape juice is not dissimilar to a light port - good sweet berry flavours.
The domaine also has an impressive Botantical Garden which is well worth a visit even if you are not interested in Cognac or Pineau. There is also a small museum and a tour of the cellars available.- see www.deau.com
Address details:-
Deau SVS, Le Chaillaud, 17260 St André-de-Lidon
Tel:05 46 90 08 10
Fax:05 46 90 04 01
E: info@deau.com
See more about Maison Deau on www.frenchduck.com
