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The term "Normandy Beaches" conjures up images of heroic landings in occupied France, and yet there is much more to the Normandy coastline than that. Normandy of course stretches north of the Seine estuary at Le Havre, as well as to the west where the invasion beaches with their iconic code names (Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha) are to be found.. Whilst the memory and relics of that era will always be present, there really is so much more to discover in this region and coastline.
Somehow, the Côte d'Alabatre (Alabaster Coast) sounds rather more alluring than the "coast of Seine-Maritime" - the coastline from industrial Le Havre virtually up to the mouth of the Somme. Alabster because of the whiteness of this long expanse of cliffs (130km) which includes the spectacular cliffs at Etretat; the delighful port of Fécamp and the elegant resort and harbour of Dieppe. The views of, and along the cliffs can be spectacular. Further north the landscape flattens out towards the mouth of the River Somme.
Meanwhile on the southern side of the Seine Estuary we have the Côte Fleurie between Honfleur and Cabourg just east of Caen and the estuary of the river Orne at Ouistreham (Brittany Ferries terminal). Here the emphasis is on the floral nature of the resorts and the coastal hinterland, which tend to be elegant and formal (spas, casinos and gentle walks along the promenade) At Honfleur there is a mini-"Eden Project" - a equatorial biodome called Naturospace where tropical butterflies fly freely through an environment of rare tropical plants.
From Ouistreham to Courseulles-sur-Mer we have the Côte de Nacre ("mother of pearl" coast) for its expanses of fine sand and glorious beaches.
And all this within a few hours of leaving England, and despite being only a little further south, the weather can seem much better!
Normandy is better served by Ferry from the UK now, although the loss of P&O's Portsmouth to Le Havre and Cherbourg services a few years ago left a big gap. But now LD Lines and its sister company Transmanche Ferries offer some good alternatives to crossing from Kent, with their network of services from Newhaven and Portsmouth to Le Havre and Dieppe. With modern boats and crossing times from 4 hours these routes do offer a less frenetic and less crowded entry to France. Further west Brittany Ferries services from Poole and Portsmouth to Caen (Ouistreham) and Cherbourg are a little longer but also offer a civilised landing in France! (see www.transmancheferries.co.uk and Brittany Ferries)http://www.brittany-ferries.com/

LINKS:
Seine-Maritime departement

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Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne (19 Correze, Limousin) claims to be at the heart of "Strawberry Country" and hence celebrates its Fete de la Fraise every Spring - this year it takes place on Sunday 13 May 2007 (Fete de la Fraise). As usual there will be a competition for the best fruit, a massive strawberry tarte, producer's stalls, music and a parade - and now in its 19th year the pattern is well-established.
There is a website for the festival at www.fetedelafraise-beaulieu.fr which tells you more about strawberries than you may feel you need to know )e.g. the prime variety of Strawberry here is the "garriguette"), but the festival itself looks most enticing, bringing a real taste of Spring.
Beaulieu (literally "beautiful place") is a pretty village high up the Dordogne valley - above Sarlat and the classical heart of the Dordogne (see map) The departement of the Correze is less-crowded than the rest of the Dordogne, and more unspoilt deepest France which is worth exploring..
FOR MORE INFO on Beaulieu - see www.beaulieu-sur-dordogne.fr
FOR MORE INFO on the Correze - see www.vacances-en-correze.net

Posted by frenchduck at 9:36 PM | Permalink

The cultural treasure chest that is France has a special open evening on Saturday 19 May 2007 - the "Nuit des Musées". Throughout France a huge number of museums and galleries open until late evening. A random selection includes:-
- a pottery museum in Betschdorf, Alsace (67 Bas-Rhin, Alsace-Lorraine) (www.betschdorf.com);

- the Toulouse- Lautrec museum in Albi(81 Tarn, Midi-Pyrenees) (www.musee-toulouse-lautrec.com);

- the Armagnac Museum in Condom (32 Gers, Midi-Pyrenees) www.condom.org;

- the French Travelling Post Office museum (www.ambulants.fr in Toulouse ()21 Haute-Garonne, Midi-Pyrenees)

Particularly interesting is the Chateau de Versailles, (78 Yvelines, Ile de France) where there will be a music and light show against the spectacular backdrop of the marble courtyard of the Chateau - see www.chateauversailles.fr/

Moreover entrance appears to be free and many are putting on other diversions (e.g. music, dancing, a pocket torch tour). Full details can be found at www.nuitdesmusees.culture.fr/

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Lirac, Tavel and Chateauneuf-du-Pape

The third and final day trip from Saint Remy-de-Provence (13 Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur) takes us northwards to the western side of Avignon and includes 2 lesser known appellations and probably the most famous!
First stop is Tavel, where reputedly the "best rosé wine in the world" is produced - and this is not some light, frivolous summer salad wine, but it can be a seriously good, full-bodied dry rosé.
Although the most direct route is via Avignon, I prefer to avoid the frenetic and sometimes confusing and busy Avignon ring road, and instead head west on the D99 from St Remy to TARASCON, and then onto BEAUCAIRE. Then head north on the D986L to REMOULINS, where you turn right (north) onto the N700 signposted to Avignon. About 2 miles outside of Remoulins, take the left fork to ROCHEFORT-DU-GARD on the D976. (If you have a good map and navigator you could follow the D2 from BEAUCAIRE alongside the River Rhône to ARAMON, and then cut across country to DOMAZAN to ROCHEFORT-DU-GARD).About 2 miles beyond ROCHEFORT-DU-GARD take a left signposted to the village of TAVEL.
On the way in to the village you will pass the Co-operative (which is not one of the best), but I would head on into the village for Domaine Maby - on the northwest side of the village in rue St Vincent.
Maby has always been one of the best Tavel producers with Cuvée La Forcadière, and as a bonus they also produce Lirac (La Fermade). In recent years Richard Maby has taken over from his illustrious father, so we may see some changes in style in years to come. But for now these Grenache and Cinsault dominated rosés are the classic style being high in acidity and distinctly dry and full-bodied and should present a challenge to those who think rosé wine is for wimps. Tavel is an appellation exclusively for rosé wines, but confusingly the neighbouring Lirac appellation produces both red, white and rosé, although is better known for its reds.

Although the village of Lirac is a little to the north of Tavel, we head out of Tavel to the east back on to the D976 heading to ROQUEMAURE, where our destination is Domaines Assemat and Castel Oualou.(NB you need to book an appointment here (tel: 04 66 82 65 65) and you'll need some directions), The landscape here is decidedly more rugged and it is this which helps to produce red wines which tend to have strong mineral character.
From Roquemaure you continue on the D976 northwards crossing to the left bank of the Rhône, followed shortly thereafter with a right turn(eastwards) on the D17 to CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE

Chateauneuf-du-Pape is very definitely on the tourist route, being the summer home of the Avignon Popes and the birthplace of a wine that most people have heard of. As such the village can be quite crowded, and there are some obvious tourist traps - but there are plenty of winetasting shops, and those which are owned by a domaine tend to offer best value for money.
The wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape are complex in part due to the fact that the appellation rules allow up to 13 grape varieties to be used: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Muscardin, Vaccarese, Picpoul and Terret (all red) and the following white varietals: Rousanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Picardin.These are blended with the red grapes to lighten the colour and regulate the maturation of the wine. Also in the village is an interesting wine museum (Musée du Vin Brotte) on the route d'Avignon

Although most of the old Pope's palace is now in ruins, there is one tower which affords a great view over the region (down to the Alpilles in the south, and the Ventoux range to the east - well worth the climb.

There are many good winemakers, chateaux and domaines in the region, many with names you may find familiar. Hence choosing one or two means missing many others which are equally worth visiting. Nearby is the Domaine de Beaurenard, which is one of the domaines I would select for a visit - the Coulon family makes an excellent standard of wines, with rich bouquets and great structure - these are BIG wines, which need some ageing to be at their best (5-10 years depending on vintage). Open daily except Sunday - 10, Avenue Pierre de Luxembourg (Route d'Avignon). There is also a winemaker's museum here (Musée du Vigneron) at their other domaine at Rasteau in the Côtes du Rhône (see www.beaurenard.fr/)

The other recommended visit would be to Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe, a personal favourite as this was one of the first Chateauneuf wines I tasted.The domaine has a particularly hot microclimate, which enables them to pick their ripe grapes up to a week earlier than neighbouring domaines.

Vieux Télégraphe's blend is a typical one, with Grenache accounting for around two thirds, the rest being made up of Syrah and Mourvèdre in roughly equal proportions, and a tiny bit of Cinsault. When I first visited, unannouced I was lucky enough to be shown around by the redoubtable Henri Brunier who did so much to make this wine one of the flagship wines of the appellation.But since the 1980s, it has been his 2 sons who have managed the vineyard, (classy website at www.vignoblesbrunier.fr/)

Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe is at BEDARRIDES - head east out of Chateauneuf-du-Pape on the Chemin de Bedarrides (only about 2-3 miles). You will need to phone ahead to check they are open to visitors - Tel: 04 90 33 00 31.

From here your options are to head north and visit the town of ORANGE with its Roman remains, or south to AVIGNON.
The direct route back to St Remy-de-Provence is about 25 miles, and the whole day involves no more than about 60 miles travelling.

These 3 itineraries will provide you with an excellent understanding of the wealth of wines available in the Southern Rhône. Real enthusiasts may choose to spend a little more time exploring some of the Côtes du Rhône Villages such as Sablet, Vinsobres, Roaix, Rochegude,Seguret, Valreas and Visan to name but some.

Other extensions to the trip would be west to the Costières de Nimes, or east to the vineyards of Provence. This is probably the best area in France to explore many different styles of wine, as you are spoilt for choice.
Contact Details:-
Domaine Maby rue St Vincent, 30126 Tavel;
T:04 66 50 03 40 F: 04 66 50 43 12

Domaine de Castel Oualou Vignobles Assemat, 30150 Roquemaure
T:04 66 82 65 65 F: 04 66 82 86 76

Domaine de Beaurenard Paul Coulon et fils, avenue Pierre-de-Luxembourg, 84231 Chateauneuf-du-Pape
T: 04 90 83 71 79 F: 04 90 83 78 06 E:paul-coulon@beaurenard.fr

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Vignobles Brunier, BP5, 84370 Bedarrides T:04 90 33 00 31 F:04 90 33 18 47

Recommended Reading:-
Rhone (Touring Wine Country)
Wines of Cotes Du Rhone Reg F

See the other 3 parts of this wine tour:-
Introduction
Tour 1 - Les Baux de Provence
Tour 2 - Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Beaumes-de-Venise, Cairanne and the Côtes-du-Rhône

or download an Acrobat Reader version of the itinerary HERE

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In general I am not a huge fan of Bordeaux because there is a lot of over-priced claret certainly at the lower bulk end, and also I suspect at the fine vintage wines end of the spectrum.The problem is that there are so many great value, under-rated wines in other parts of France. But it would be churlish to dismiss the many great wines Bordeaux has to offer, and I do confess to great memories of some superb St Emilions (Chateau Figeac, Chateau Carteau Cotes Daugay) and an unforgettable Château Gruaud-Larose, St Julien AC.

Hence for mere mortals who face the difficult choices of what to buy from Bordeaux on a tight budget there is some good advice and an interesting article on visiting Bordeaux by Laurence Marks in the Telegaraph (6 May 07)

"If you are running to a budget, always buy a poor year from a great château, and never a great year from lesser châteaux". So slowly I built up a wine collection from some of the great châteaux of Bordeaux, and have enjoyed the pleasures of fine wine ever since.

I have to confess that I do not find the Bordeaux vineyards the most picturesque in France (that accolade probably goes to Alsace) - but I can recommend St Emilion - it is a pretty, interesting and historic village which is worth visiting even if you are not interested in wine.
One great way to discover St Emilion this summer would be through the St Emilion Tourist office:-

Every Friday from May 18th to September 14th. Appointment at the tourist office. A whole day spent discovering Saint-Emilion and the vineyards along with a lunch shared with the wine-maker.

Recommended reading:-
Dordogne, Bordeaux and the Southwest Coast (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
Bordeaux: Medoc & Graves v. 1 (Mitchell Beazley Classic Wine Library)
Robert Parker's Bordeaux

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"Pique-Nique Vigneron" - Now that does sound a great idea! Whilst it was once quite interesting to view and admire a vigneron's wine cellar with its shiny stainless steel vats or older cement "cuves" it can get a little tiresome. For me the main reason for visiting "backstage" is to get an impression of the tidiness, cleanliness and organisation of the wine-making area - and even that is not always a reliable indicator. I have tasted some really excellent wines made in old, chaotic cellars, whilst gleaming stainless steel ("inox") and ploshed floors do not guarantee that the wine in the bottle will be faultless.
Wine is for drinking and enjoying, so the idea of tasting wine in the winemaker's garden sounds just perfect, as suggested by John Scallan at who runs a B&B in the Jura region at www.bandb-burgundy.com/ - so get to know these lesser-known wines whilst having a great family day out!

Each year several of the wine makers on the "Route des Vins du Jura" have their version of an "Open day". As most of them are tiny producers this can't really take the form of visits around the wineries as that would take about three minutes flat but what they do is host picnics!
Sunday 10th June this year. Over 40 wine makers are taking part, and they provide the tables, chairs, some of them provide "animations", most provide visit to the cellars, some of them provide tours around the vineyards and all provide tastings of the Jura's highly individualistic wines. All you provide is yourself and the picnic! You can telephone each wine maker that you wish to attend (or we can for you) and the world is your oyster.
From here it is about 18 kms to the nearest wine maker in the "Route", Jean Bourdy at the stunningly picturesque village of Arlay. His family have been making wine here for nearly 500 years and they have plans for a small museum and other attractions. They will also give you a booklet detailing several small walks around the village (if the picnic was rather large!). We recently treid his Macvin, a local speciality, which has had about 15 herbs and spices added to it to an ancient family recipe. Wow!!
There are other areas that have a couple of wine makers close to each other and some that can arrange pick ups from a nearby point. The fun usually starts at about 1000 and goes on to 1800 ish (later if the weather is really good and there is some wine left.

Recommended Reading:-
IGN Jura Wines Map
Michelin Green Guide to Burgundy and Jura

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Turning left off the Autoroute du Soleil (A6) at Chalon-sur-Saone or Beaune heading south has much to offer. Instead of hurtling south towards Lyon and Provence why not explore eastern Burgundy and the Jura. Our resident exoert on the region, John Scallan at www.bandb-burgundy.com/ offers some ideas for May 2007:-

Enough of all these wine festivals in Bordeaux and such like. "Head East young man!" (to paraphrase somebody famous) This year the end of May Bank Holiday coincides with the traditional Whit holiday in France and there are all sorts of activities going on. There is still a move in government circles to get the populace working for nothing on Whit Monday with their pay to go to the old and sick but that seems to have come up against the might of the French union system and as such is now fairly well scuppered.

Chalon-sur-Saone(71 Saone et Loire, Burgundy), about 35 kilometres from us, hosts the 21st annual “Montgolfiades” a balloon festival that is nearly on a par with Bristol. Balloons come from all over Europe, including various from Britain and they fly, weather permitting, morning and evenings on Saturday & Sunday and Monday morning. The balloonists are accommodated in Cote Chalonnaise wine makers houses for the duration of the festival and there is traditionally one flight where they all take off from there rather than the main field. The whole Cote is alive with colour. As with all balloon festivals the morning flights are more for the real enthusiast with their 6.00am take offs but should you stay with us and wish to get up early then we guarantee to send you off with hot coffee, a croissant or two, orange juice and perhaps a bottle of something fizzy to put in it. Just give us 24 hours notice. The Sunday evening flight is the highlight when all of the balloons form up on the “Prairie de St. Nicolas” just to the east of Chalon. There are fairground rides and all sorts of attractions and would probably be just about the right thing to do after a wander around the market in the old town. Interesting and colourful. Great place to pick up a picnic for lunch, the rotisserie chickens are to die for. More details will be available soon from the Chalon sur Saone website:- www.chalon-sur-saone.net

Chalon sur Saone Tourist Office have got a link going with a couple of British guys who own a cruising “Peniche” called the DELTA They do lunch and dinner cruises several days a week and on Wednesdays do a lunchtime picnic cruise where you bring you own picnic and they just take you for a little run up and down the mighty Saone. Their website is www.croisieres-saonoises.fr and booking through the tourist office is compulsory. We had guests who stayed with us last year who tried the picnic cruise and thought it marvellous.

Should you be in the area on Whit Monday and not so keen on a 0500 alarm call then you might like to visit the Market at Louhans (18 kms from us). This takes over the whole town centre and is usually open all day on Bank Holidays. Parking can be a bit of a bind but if you get into Louhans for 0900 then there shouldn’t be a problem (Just think that you could have been going to the Balloon festival and regard it as a lie-in). This is the fourth largest agricultural market in France and makes me wonder how big the top three are! The main street through the town is closed to traffic as are all of the side streets in the old town centre. You can buy virtually anything you may need, and an awful lot that you don’t! The large car park by the Post office is completely given over to livestock. Not to every one’s taste but should you wish to buy some chickens (The Bresse is world famous in France for producing the best poultry in the world!) or rabbits or whatever.......Please don’t buy any Charolais cattle though, we could be in trouble trying to feed them until you leave.For more info see www.bresse.info

Jura wine is something that not many Brits know about, Jura whisky perhaps, but wine? The Committee Interprofessional de Vins du Jura is doing it’s bit to try and rectify this. In addition to running courses for its wine makers in how to speak English they have just set up a Tourist Route similar to that in Burgundy. Website address www.laroutedesvinsdujura.com or you can reach it from www.jura-vins.com. There are details of wine makers, accommodation, restaurants etc. etc. all there for the finding out. It might give you a clue as to who was in charge of the English class when we reveal that despite being 15 kms from the nearest vine-yards we are in the guide. We have the zeal of new converts and will do our best to help you to see the error of your ways (!!!). We offer a special meal featuring wines from the Jura with each course for 35 Euros per person. The wine makers open their cellars for tastings regularly, some each day, others by appointment, and they would be very surprised if somebody was to buy without tasting. These wines are not cheap but by dint of diligent research (on behalf our guests you understand) we know of several “caves” where the produce is of absolutely top quality. It was hell, but we did it all the same! For more info see www.bandb-burgundy.com

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