Wine tasting in the heart of Provence

C caressing grapes

B and B backyard

The first time that Chrysa visited France,
Q&C visited a winery in Alsace. About halfway through the wine tasting, C declared "We have to live in France" and this was the beginning of a long relationship with French wines.

Now that we have an address in France, we thought it was high time to visit our local vineyards and plans for a romantic weekend getaway were made. C had heard of the famous Chateauneuf-du-pape (which translates to new castle of the pope) wine region and was quite happy to realize that Nice is just a 3 hour drive from there. C did a bit of research online to find some "vignerons independent" or independent winemakers that had won awards for their wines to visit, and Q found a very scenic bed and breakfast place to stay for the weekend. We left after work on Friday and three hours later we were in the heart of Provence, enjoying some wine.

apricot cake + lavender

When we arrived at our very scenic bed and breakfast we enjoyed a lovely French dinner accompanied by some red wine from the owner's vineyards. We eagerly accepted their invitation to a wine tasting at their cave the next day, together with John, an American who was treating himself to a trip to France. At the Chateau du Mourre du Tendre they only age their wine in stainless steel tanks and not in wood so that the taste of the grapes really comes through (although this is uncommon in Chateauneuf).

After our morning (!) wine-tasting, we visited a quaint French town nearby, Gigondas, where we had a lovely lunch under the cool shade of the trees. After walking around the town and exploring their herb garden with a fantastic view of the Chateauneuf-du-Pape region, we came back closer to town for our second tasting of the day.

C + wine

At Vignobles Mousset-Barrot we really enjoyed the fruity reds that they made and picked up even more wines for our cellar! We ended the day with a driving tour around the little mountain with breathtaking views of the countryside. When we came back to our B&B, we were invited over for a glass of champagne by our hosts and their family which turned into a lively discussion with more bottles of liquors, one made by some nearby monks in an abbey. A plan was hatched.

Q in the sunshine

On Sunday we had to leave our newly found slice of paradise and return to our other slice of paradise on the French Riviera. We decided that on the way back we would stop at the Frigolet abbey to buy some liquor and then stop at another vigneron for a wine tasting in the Coteaux d'Aix en Provence appellation. So we arrived at the abbey just before the end of mass and waited for the shop to open afterwards. The abbey is really very peaceful especially with the monks singing and C felt just a little bit guilty for driving all the way up the mountain to buy alcohol on a Sunday. But hey, we're still supporting the monks, right? [note from Q: Q did not feel guilty]

View with lavender

We then moved on further into the mountains and came across a perfect picnic spot next to a windmill [note from Q: missing the Danish winds, perhaps...]. After lunch, we visited our last vigneron independant, the Chateau Petit Sonnailler, which is located well into the hills and mountains of countryside, very far from the hustle and bustle of life. It also happens to be a B&B (next time! :-). Here, we enjoyed all of their wines, but we have to say that their Rosé was the best of the trip.

the happy couple

vines + mountains

vines in lines

a first glimpse of the Abbey

windblown trees

lookout! here comes Don Quixote!

Provence...

With the car now riding low in the back (!), we returned to the Cote d'Azur, very pleased with our weekend getaway to the French countryside in Provence.

Arthurian Legends in Nice?

Last Sunday we set out to put on our hiking boots and start exploring the much revered arriere pays or backcountry, meaning: the hills and mountains North of Nice. A mere half hour by car from our doorstep, we found ourselves at the Col de Chateauneuf, a modest pass at 700 meters altitude. On top of the peak (or bump) right next to it lie the ruins of an old castle that was abandoned in the 18th century.

The site is left relatively unmaintained, and was quite stunning, especially with the backdrop of nearby hills half covered with a mysterious fog... This decor of half-standing walls, bridges and towers covered with ivy and other local wild plants totally evoked the imagery associated with the stories of King Arthur.

We did not find Merlin, unicorns or the killer bunny, but we did find plenty of blackberry bushes that we'll need to get back to once the berries will be ripe (probably in another 2 weeks)!

24 hours in Tuscany

From Q:

Two weeks ago I went to Tuscany for a concert at the Lucca Summer Festival, featuring legendary Burt Bacharach and Italian star Mario Biondi (part of a song during their rehearsal can be heard here). Lucca's about 3 and a half hours from Nice by car, which is a lot by French but not US standards. Anyway, it's basically next door!

Lucca's a very cute fortified city with many churches and old houses, narrow streets and restaurants. The wall surrounding it is about 2.5 miles long and you can walk, run, or even bike on it! I thought the best thing about Lucca was that it was still mostly Italian, meaning the tourists were a minority, in spite of the popularity of the place. So I'd hear Italian spoken (or yelled) in the streets, at the restaurant, and around me at the concert venue (a stage set up on one of the main town squares).

On the day after the concert, I drove a very scenic high road through the mountains North of the Lucca, the Garfagnana region. A most winding road (C knows too well that these are my favorite) took me from one perched village and its Roman church to another. If you've seen recently the movie entitled The American, it is a very similar kind of scenery. Breathtaking views of old town among very dark green hills, sometimes a lake, or a medieval bridge, and always a very typical food and wine store that I brought treasures from...

So if you get the chance, don't hesitate to come on down here! C and I will be happy to show you around. Any excuse is a good one :-)

Saint Paul de Vence

This week Q found an article in the NYTimes travel section about a couple who went back to Provence for vacation forty years after having lived there. Since C is in the area, she decided to check out one of the towns that is nearby Nice, Saint Paul de Vence. http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/06/19/travel/provence-seen-in-youth-and-40-years-later.html?emc=eta1

Saint Paul de Vence is a lovely fortified old city, both with a touristy area, and with a section where people actually still live. Many of the first floor apartments have been turned into a shop, restaurant, atelier (artist's space) or a gallery.

C enjoyed the afternoon walking around the town and exploring the different alleys. At every corner a picturesque old house was waiting to be photographed.  All the flowers were blooming, the sun was shining and it was a perfect day for an excursion.

After a little while, C found a true gem of a restaurant, Le Caruso. It is located just a little bit off of the main touristy area and was excellent. C's lunch included a salad with goat cheese melted over a toasted slice of bread, drizzled with balsamic vinegar, pork slices with a sauce forestiere (mushroom), rice and veggies, and finally, a little piece of heaven for dessert, "Sabayon gratine aux fraises." This simple yet tasty dessert is strawberries covered with a marscapone and cream sauce, sprinkled lightly with sugar and grilled to get just the taste of the creme brulee crust. The combination of the excellent food and very friendly waitstaff gives this restaurant a MGB rating, for Must Go Back!

Le Caruso

Fragonard and Eze

In France this weekend we have an extra day to celebrate Pentacost. So it was the perfect time to
explore the surroundings a bit more.

The area around Nice, Provence, is well known in
France for perfume production, since flowers grow well in the moderate climate. On our 2006 trip, we visited the perfumerie Fragonard, and another visit was in order. The visit started with a guided tour of their factory. The factory here handles all of their soaps and cosmetics, while the factory in Grasse makes all of the perfumes. The colored ovals shown in the photo are soaps which are each hand-stamped into their final shape. After a perfume testing in the boutique, it was time to visit the village itself.

 Eze was first populated around 2000 BC. At some point in the 1200's, the castle (now destroyed) was built and in the 1300's a church was built, which is still standing today. The town has been maintained and is now filled with little shops, restaurants and lots of flowers.  At the very top of the hill is a garden surrounding the ruins of the castle. From this height you can see a fair amount of the riviera coastline, and on a clear day, Corsica. At several points during the visit, C asked herself "do I really live here?"