Category: France

France: More Medoc

JWF Leave a comment

LUNCH IN ST. JULIEN

The St. Julien Restaurant was recommended by our trip organizers, and our host here also said how much she likes this place.  On the way in, who should we see entering in front of us, but our new acquaintances, Lisa and George.  Great palates dine alike, or something like that.  We were seated in in an attractive airy space with a view of the chef as were they.  

Beautifully de-boned sole

We ordered from the blackboard specials.  The Chief Penguin had sole meunière with small potatoes while I ordered the crevettes (whole shrimp in their shells) cooked with garlic and parsley in a butter sauce.  The crevettes required some work, but were worth the effort.  Rice with cumin came on the side. 

Crevettes
Raspberry dessert

 For dessert, Greg had a pretty raspberry tart, and I had the strawberry and raspberry soup with strawberry sorbet.  Crisp white wine was the perfect accompaniment to the fish and shrimp. Early on, the chef made the rounds of all the tables, shaking hands and greeting his guests.

DINNER TABLE D’HOTE

We opted to have dinner at our B&B last night, and given that it was steadily raining (much needed rain), we were glad we did.  Madeleine prepared an excellent veggie crumble (my new favorite dish) with tomatoes, shallots, and other vegetables seasoned with thyme and topped with Parmesan.  This was followed by cod with roast potatoes and braised chicory. Dessert was a fig clafoutis made from figs grown on their property.  And we had very local red or white wine to accompany the meal.  

Yvette and Dave from New Orleans were new guests who had arrived that morning in Paris, taken a noon train to Bordeaux, and then driven to the B&B.  Wow!  They are outgoing and very personable. We were interested that they too are France Just for You clients, and this is the second time they have used them.  They were very pleased with their first experience.

ENERGY, CLIMATE, & GASOLINE IN FRANCE

This morning we had an informative conversation with Madeleine about her plans for the winter and energy costs in France.  She is going to take a wait and see approach and would like to remain open through the winter, hoping for weekend guests or families perhaps coming at Christmas.  Both the B&B and her house have heat pump systems, but the house uses oil as the back-up fuel.  She commented that filling the tank recently cost 60% more than a year ago. She strongly believes we all need to be much more conservative about the energy we use.

She also noted that the summer’s drought and heat will have an impact on the vineyards.  The grape harvest will be smaller than usual, and it will take the skill of the vintner to create fine wines. Part of their property is a vineyard. They lease it out to someone who manages it and shares a certain number of the bottles produced with them.

This afternoon, we stopped at a supermarket gas station only to find a paper with the word, ”Rupture,” posted on the pumps.  No gas.  We then went to another supermarket station with cars waiting at each pump.  It was taking too long to figure out the subtleties of this set of pumps and which credit card it would accept, so we left. We have enough gas to get where we’re going tomorrow and will fill up somewhere else along the way. I should also note that we bought a few items in the first supermarket which was very dimly lit. At about 5:00 pm, they turned on the bright lights, perhaps a sign of saving on electricity use earlier in the day.

Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.) Header photo is of the chef at the St. Julien Restaurant.

France: On to the Medoc Region

JWF Leave a comment

GETTING TO BORDEAUX

This was another day with a fairly long drive.  Long for us in France being about 4 hours.  We were headed on the superhighway from Chinon to the Medoc region.  There were two options for the trip, one that involved going to La Rochelle and then south to get a car ferry across the Gironde River.  We had been advised, if going that route, to check ferry schedules online ahead of time and be prepared to wait for the next ferry.  The other option was to go to Bordeaux and take the ring road and then branch off at the end of the river; in other words, roads all the way.  

Using ever faithful Waze, we selected a route that didn’t go to La Rochelle, and we assumed avoided any ferry.  The change in route meant we wouldn’t have lunch in La Rochelle.  Instead we opted to stop at one of the A10 service areas and accept whatever was on offer. Today we ate what was basically a hamburger without bun and French fries.  Not particularly healthy, but mostly satisfying.  

Once we got off the highway, we were on a series of small roads through fields or, in this case, across vineyards.  France seems to specialize in these roads in the middle of a field where nothing surrounds you except greenery or grape vines.  Very pretty too.

Leaving Blaye behind

Much to my surprise, when Waze directed us to get off A10 at Blaye, I thought we’d take some smaller roads to then get ourselves headed north to Vertheuil on the other side of the river.  Instead, Waze took us right to the ferry dock in Blaye. We drove the car on, paid the fare, and crossed the river there.  Our timing was impeccable—-the ferry began moving within about five minutes of boarding.  It’s a much narrower crossing than the one at the northern end and took about 25 minutes over calm waters.  

Calm brown waters of the river Gironde

From there it was less than 30 minutes to B&B La Graviere.

DINNER IN PAUILLAC

The nearby village is tiny with only a café.  Thus, we drove about 15 minutes to Pauillac, the largest town in the Medoc region.  Close by are three top Bordeaux vineyards:  Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, and Chateau Latour.  You are never far from a vineyard or a tasting room, although many of the latter require reservations.

On the recommendation of our host, we booked at Café Lavinal for dinner.  It’s a casual bistro with maroon cushioned booths and dark wood.  We thought it echoed the cellar doors, restaurants associated with a winery, we experienced in New Zealand.  Very good food, but not overly fancy.

The Chief Penguin went full on for local fare with foie gras terrine followed by roast veal and potatoes and then the opera cake.  I tried the tataki tuna (barely cooked thin slices with micro greens and a vinegary soy dressing) followed by salmon steak with tomato mousseline and then citrus salad topped with lime sorbet.  Of course, we sampled some of the Bordeaux and local Medoc wines, white for me and red for the Chief Penguin.  

A refreshing dessert

An American couple seated next to us inquired about what we had ordered, and we struck up a conversation about our respective travels.  Lisa and George are from Houston and were in France for a quick 8-day trip.  They too had started in Giverny.  Part of the fun of this trip is chatting with other travelers about what they’ve seen and done.

B&B TRAVEL

Afternoon October light

Each of the B&Bs we have stayed in has had a distinctive character.  Each building or home is different, and the personalities of our hosts vary as well.  All have welcomed us warmly and taken care of our needs. Since we are traveling this way, our accommodations take on a bigger role in the trip and are definitely something that enriches the overall experience.  

Ask any host and they will say that they run a B&B partly to meet people from a wide variety of places.  Madeleine here gave us a complete tour of this property inside and out including the spa, pool, and grounds.  She also made us aware of a refrigerator we could use and the washer and dryer.  Needless to say, we are eager to do a wash!

We are the only guests now, but other people arrive today.  So, breakfast was just us. Madeleine provided the usual croissants and baguette along with granola, yogurt, orange juice, and some cheese.  This morning, I took up the offer of scrambled eggs.  A neighbor keeps chickens and the eggs are always fresh.  

Note: All photos ©JWFarrngton (some rights reserved.)

France: Chinon

JWF 1 Comment

ONWARD TO CHINON—CONSTRUCTION AND GASE

The Chief Penguin and I were last in Chinon more than 40 years ago.  We came here as part of a trip through the Loire Valley and stayed at least one night in the chateau.  

We spent much of today in the car driving from Mont Dol here along mostly superhighways.  Our intention was to stop and have lunch in Le Mans, a reasonable halfway point. We got into Le Mans and were following the GPS coordinates our trip organizers had given us to what should have been a convenient parking lot.  

Traffic in Le Mans was dense and slow and a number of construction projects slowed the flow down even further.  We got ourselves tangled a bit in a confluence of narrow one way streets.  The town rising around us looked impressive and historic and of interest.  We think we found said parking lot, but it was full of cars, some parked every which way.

At that point, we surrendered and decided that this was not the day for lunch in Le Mans.  We navigated out of town, passing a Burger King on the wrong side of the road, and got back onto the superhighway. Eventually we had a basic lunch at Leo Resto in a service area.  

We had noticed yesterday that many gas stations were closed, and we were told by our host Yannick that all stations in Paris were closed this week.  The energy crisis in France is very real. Hence, we made it a priority to fill the tank frequently.  

The service areas on the highway usually have a lighted sign with gas prices on it ahead of reaching the area.  We passed a couple with no lights lit and noted that the gas pumps were blocked off.  One we did stop at was a confusing maze of roads leading to open pumps, but we passed along a section with parked tractor trailers and a group of police with machine guns standing around.  Not sure what that was about.  We later learned that one gasoline company was on strike and all their stations closed.  The suggestion was made that gas was more readily available at supermarkets.

MEDIEVAL CHINON

Narrow Chinon street
Medieval architecture

We are staying in a historic building in the medieval section of Chinon on a street that is mostly reserved for pedestrians. We have a lovely large set of rooms on the second floor (Chambre Jeanne d’Arc) overlooking a garden, and it is blissfully quiet.  Everything a guest could want or need is here, including good Wi-Fi!  

Breakfast this morning was a sumptuous spread of breads, fresh fruit (three cheers for clementines), crepes, slices of ham, Swiss cheese, and smoked salmon plus other cheeses, and a plethora of jams.  The French do like their preserves!  Also four kinds of fresh juice from orange to grapefruit to raspberry, etc.  The long dining table in an elegant room with red accents could easily seat 14.  There were croissants at twelve places.  We exchanged good morning pleasantries with two other couples, one French and one Italian.  It is undoubtedly the best breakfast yet.  Thank you, Maurice!

Joan of Arc with our red restaurant across the way

Yesterday afternoon we wandered around this historic area, noting St. Maurice Church and the statue of Joan of Arc in the main town square. In 1429, she came to Chinon and met with the king’s eldest son.  She claimed to hear heavenly voices saying that King Charles would grant her an army to save Orleans from invasion by the British.  Restaurants and other enterprises here are named for her.

On our way back to our B&B, we heard organ music coming from the church.  The organist was practicing for an upcoming concert.  We went in and listened, but also took in the very rich stained glass windows, one of Jeanne d’Arc.

Joan of Arc window in St. Maurice Church

DINNER IN THE SQUARE

I  had reserved a table ahead online at Au Chapeau Rouge (The Red Hat) on the square.  They opened at 7:30 and were quickly filled with diners.  This is a family run restaurant with the man in the kitchen and his wife out front.  As is customary, there was an amuse, tiny mugs of cold squash soup and salmon crostini.  The Chief Penguin ordered trout gravlax to start followed by roast veal with morels. 

Veal with morels

 Double yum!  I had beef tataki (thin slices of cooked beef with sesame seeds and ginger) to start.  Excellent!  My main course was dourade (a white fish) with potatoes and carrots. 

Tataki of Beef

 The fish was fine to look at, but not cooked through enough for my taste.  We both had some local cheeses from the trolley, and the CP had the pavlova for dessert.  We thought of our friend Begay.  

Our meal was enlivened by conversation with a older Dutch woman dining alone.  She thought our use of French was exceptional and unusual for Americans, and we traded travel stories with her.  She was ending five days in France and getting ready to drive back home to Utrecht the next morning.

Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.). Header photo is the tower at night.

France: San Malo & Meals

JWF Leave a comment

We took a leisurely approach to Monday.  Breakfast was at its usual 8:30, but we didn’t go out until around 10:00.  This gave me time to finish up yesterday’s blog once the Wi-Fi was alive again. We made the short drive to San Malo, timed to arrive well before our lunch reservation at 12:00.

SAN MALO

San Malo waterfront

San Malo is a very old town in Brittany founded in the 1st century BC, a short distance away from its present location.  The people that lived in that original location moved to the rock of St-Malo when the Vikings raided. In the 12thcentury, Bishop Jean de Chatillon added solid ramparts around the city’s port area for defense.

The woman is a good reference point for the wall’s height

San Malo was heavily damaged during the Second World War. Over the past 30 years, it has been largely rebuilt and is thriving today.  On the water, it’s known for mussels and other seafood, and from here, you can take a ferry to the Channel Islands.  What makes it most distinctive for today’s visitors are the massive walls and several fine sandy beaches beyond the ramparts.  The Chief Penguin and I walked around the shopping streets before lunch and then explored more afterwards.

Entry to walled San Malo

The walls are pierced at intervals by arches.  Streets are narrow and occasionally steep.  Fortunately, some streets are pedestrian-only zones at certain times.  It’s also possible to climb a set of stairs and walk along the top of the ramparts which we did.  This gives you a different perspective on the port and the beaches below and allows you to look down on the street life below. 

Lively street scene from above

There are also a number of churches.  We went into the Saint Vincent Cathedral.  Partially destroyed in WWII, it was restored over almost 30 years.  Among its collection of stained glass windows are some striking simpler contemporary ones. 

Stained glass in St. Vincent Cathedral

LUNCH AT L’AMIRAL

L’Amiral is located on the waterfront in the maritime bourse building.  Here we had one of the best meals of this trip.  I had a lovely starter of small shrimp in a broth with shiitake mushrooms and bits of chorizo sausage. I could have easily eaten a main course portion!  The Chief Penguin had their delicate smoked salmon followed by a langoustine platter. I gave in to a desire for meat and had the veal chop cooked at a low temperature served with potatoes and a rich brown sauce.  For dessert, I had a layered cookie and cream with meringue on top while he had crème brûlée.  Service was friendly and professional.

Luscious shrimp starter
Langoustines to savor

FINDING DOL DE BRETAGNE

I booked dinner at the Hotel Bretagne in Dol Bretagne, about the only place open on a Monday.  To our surprise, the main road from us to Dol de Bretagne was blocked off and going to be for the next two days.  There was a Deviation (detour) sign, but no direction for the detour.  

We are using Waze for navigating, and it’s terrific.  When we turned around, Ms. Waze told us to take a left that didn’t look like a real road, so we kept going straight for some miles through a small village, while she kept telling us to turn right, turn right.  We finally turned around again, and this time took her advice on the tiny one lane road over a narrow bridge, then over RR tracks, across a field, and finally to a main road.  We eventually got into town, parked and walked to the hotel.

We were the first diners, but soon thereafter, several men alone, two other couples, and a mother with a young boy arrived.  Our starters of smoked salmon and shrimps were good, but the sole meunière was exceptional!  Very sweet and light. This was an unexpected treat.  Having had a substantial lunch, we passed on dessert.

Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)