Issue No. 23
Welcome to the summer! In this issue discover Dijon in Burgundy, sensational Strasbourg (and a secret speakeasy), and lovely Cognac. We'll tell you where the locals go on holiday, the secret places. Visit Versailles and the Paris Opera, Le Touquet - the "Monaco" of northern France and wild Provence. Guides, recipes and more - your trip to France without leaving home...
Welcome to the summer! In this issue discover Dijon in Burgundy, sensational Strasbourg (and a secret speakeasy), and lovely Cognac. We'll tell you where the locals go on holiday, the secret places. Visit Versailles and the Paris Opera, Le Touquet - the "Monaco" of northern France and wild Provence. Guides, recipes and more - your trip to France without leaving home...
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Editor's<br />
Letter<br />
Welcome to the summer issue of The Good life France Magazine.<br />
If you're wondering about that photo of me above, no I've not had a "Honey I shrunk the<br />
Kids" moment, I'm holding a giant gingerbread cake in wonderful Dijon, Burgundy! You<br />
can read about my visit to research the best things to do plus the restaurants and bars<br />
the locals love on page 30.<br />
In this issue discover sensational Strasbourg where I stumbled upon a secret speakeasy<br />
and probably the oldest wine store in the world where they had a bottle of wine dating to<br />
1472! Find out about Versailles and its opulent chateau, gorgeous gardens and lovely<br />
town. Visit Cognac in Charente, and Le Touquet, once the jet setters paradise in the<br />
north of France plus the nearby lovely Montreuil-sur-Mer, a tiny hill top town that's<br />
making a name for itself in foodie circles.<br />
Ian Moore, stand up comedian and author tells us what its really like to run a chambre<br />
d'hotes. Lucy Pitts explores the wild side of Provence and Michael Cranmer goes fishing<br />
with his feet - a national obsession in France!<br />
We pay homage to the Cathedral of <strong>No</strong>tre-Dame with photos and comments posted by<br />
our friends on Facebook; down but not beaten, the "soul of Paris" will be rebuilt.<br />
There are useful guides, real life expat stories including Billy and Gwendoline Petherick,<br />
stars of Escape to the Chateau DIY; and a fabulous recipe for scrumptious crème brulée.<br />
Hope you enjoy this issue and please do share feel free to click the share button!<br />
Best wishes<br />
Janine<br />
Janine Marsh<br />
Editor
contents<br />
Features<br />
8 Spotlight on Strasbourg<br />
What to do and see in Strasbourg including<br />
the secret places that most visitors never<br />
discover - but should says Janine Marsh.<br />
20 Glitzy, Golden Versailles<br />
France’s most opulent chateau is full of<br />
treasures that can hold you spellbound, but<br />
don’t miss the town when you’re there.<br />
30 Le Weekend in Dijon<br />
Find out where the locals eat and the very<br />
best things to do in Burgundy’s historic<br />
capital city.<br />
The Opéra national de Paris is the<br />
Versailles of Opera Houses and has plenty<br />
of secrets…<br />
46 Cognac, Charentes<br />
A delightful town and delicious liqueur<br />
which share the same name – here’s what<br />
to see and do in Cognac.<br />
52 Le Touquet Paris-plage<br />
The “Monaco” of <strong>No</strong>rthern France is a<br />
brilliant weekend destination with loads to<br />
do from horse riding in the dunes and<br />
activities galore.<br />
42 Opera Garnier Paris
Features continued<br />
58 montreuil sur mer<br />
The small hill top town has world class<br />
restaurants, fabulous hotels & a long<br />
history...<br />
62 Hosts, Goats and<br />
Chambres d’Hotes<br />
Best selling author, stand up comedian,<br />
Mod and now B&B owner Ian Moore reveals<br />
all about his new life in France...<br />
66 The Secret Gorges of<br />
Ardeche<br />
Lucy Pitts discovers the wild side of<br />
Provence...<br />
74 fishing with your feet<br />
Michael Cranmer takes part in a French<br />
obsession - peche a pied, in Brittany.<br />
80 Homage to notre-dame<br />
We share some of our Facebook friends<br />
comments and photos dedicated to the<br />
Cathedral of <strong>No</strong>tre-Dame in Paris.<br />
86 Where to stay in paris<br />
Take a look at six fabulous hotels in the city<br />
of light - perfect any time of the year.<br />
Regular<br />
90 Your Photos<br />
The most popular photos on our Facebook<br />
page.<br />
118 My Good Life in France<br />
In the summer time, shutters are flung open<br />
and doors left ajar...
92 escape to the chateu<br />
Meet Billy and Gwendoline who bought a<br />
chateau in their twenties & became stars of<br />
a TV show...<br />
96 going solo in france<br />
Katherine Tasker left London to build her<br />
own home and open a café in rural northern<br />
France...<br />
Expert Advice<br />
102 Buying a historic<br />
monument<br />
When you buy a property that's listed in<br />
France, you should know what the<br />
restrictions and rules are...<br />
106 Top property buy tips<br />
Considering your ongoing finances before<br />
you buy in France is essential.<br />
110 how bank cards work in<br />
france<br />
Knowing how French bank cards work can<br />
save you heaps of prorblems...<br />
Gastronomy<br />
114 How to make crème<br />
brulee<br />
Deliciously creamy, utterly moreish, here's<br />
how to make this classic French dessert at<br />
home...
Spotlight on<br />
Strasbourg
Strasbourg in the north east of France in Alsace (now known as Grand Est),<br />
is a city of medieval houses, glorious architecture, fabulous restaurants,<br />
cultural venues, wine and art, watery arteries and stunning buildings –<br />
there’s something for everyone to fall in love with here says Janine Marsh…
The best way to visit Strasbourg is on foot, you’ll miss things otherwise and this is a<br />
city that is full of things you shouldn’t miss. Colourful streets lined with half-timbered<br />
houses, winding alleys of shops and restaurants and elegant courtyards. Fairy tale<br />
pretty in some parts such as Petite France, architecturally splendid in others, the<br />
Neustadt (new town district) for instance, and friendly, funky and fun in areas like the<br />
Place d’Austerlitz and its surroundings. You can rack up the footsteps here, though<br />
it’s a small big city. But that’s not a bad thing as the calories you burn can be replaced<br />
at so many restaurants that are seriously scrumptious – I promise you, you don’t<br />
come to Strasbourg and start a diet!<br />
What to see and do in Strasbourg<br />
Petite France<br />
If you love towns with medieval halftimbered<br />
houses painted the colours of a<br />
pastel rainbow – you’ll be in seventh<br />
heaven in Strasbourg’s UNESCO listed<br />
Petite France district on the Grand Ile<br />
where canals cascade to create a stunning<br />
landscape. In the 16th century people<br />
suffering from syphilis were sent here to<br />
isolate them from the mainland and it was<br />
considered quite a poor district until the<br />
late 1980s. <strong>No</strong>w UNESCO listed, it’s a major<br />
attraction and perfect for a stroll and sitting<br />
at a terrace watching the world go by and<br />
for shopping, with many of the former wash<br />
houses now restaurants and quirky stores.<br />
It’s easy to spend a half day wandering, or<br />
even a whole day if you like to take your<br />
time and explore in detail and relax along<br />
the way.
The Cathedral of <strong>No</strong>tre-Dame<br />
The number 1 attraction in Strasbourg is the<br />
red stone Cathedral with around four<br />
million visitors a year. You don’t need to be<br />
a cathedral fan for this one, the sheer<br />
monumental size and exquisite detail is<br />
mind boggling. The cathedral is, to quote a<br />
cliché, breath-taking and features amongst<br />
its medieval stained glass windows, a 14m<br />
high rose window.<br />
It was the tallest man made building in<br />
France until the 19th century and though it<br />
was closed when I went, you can climb the<br />
329 steps in one of the towers for a bird's<br />
eye view over the city and as far as the<br />
Vosges Mountains.<br />
There’s an astronomical clock which lures<br />
the crowds every day, especially at 12.30<br />
pm when a parade of automaton figurines,<br />
including the apostles, takes place. Lit up at<br />
night on a cobbled square lined with shops<br />
and restaurants, it really is eye-poppingly<br />
incredible.<br />
Boat ride<br />
Hire an electric boat and see Strasbourg<br />
from its watery arteries at your own pace.<br />
Or, if you’d like to relax and take in the<br />
sights, including the swanky buildings of<br />
the European Parliament, without effort,<br />
join a guided boat ride with Batorama. On a<br />
sunny day, book the open top boat if you<br />
can.
Left: Font at the Palais Rohan; above: statues at<br />
the Medieval museum; right: Street art at<br />
Museum of Modern Art, contemporary &<br />
modern art; right top, Tete de Christ stained<br />
glass window; below right, installation at<br />
Museum of Modern Art.<br />
Museums<br />
There are around a dozen museums and if<br />
you’re a history fan you’re going to<br />
absolutely love the Medieval Museum and<br />
the Museum of Decorative Arts…<br />
Musée des Arts Decoratif Le Palais<br />
Palais Rohan<br />
Many visitors miss this one as the building,<br />
although huge, seems tucked away in a<br />
corner on a large square overlooking the<br />
river. It’s in the former residence of the<br />
Prince-Bishops, built in the 18th century. It’s<br />
a fascinating museum composed of<br />
sumptuous apartments of the former<br />
cardinals with artefacts from the 17th to the<br />
19th century from tapestries to tableware,<br />
furniture and paintings. There’s an<br />
archaeological museum in the basement<br />
and a museum of fine arts on the first floor<br />
with a major collection of European<br />
paintings which includes Botticelli, Rubens<br />
and Canaletto.<br />
Musée de l’Ouevre <strong>No</strong>tre-Dame |<br />
Medieval Museum<br />
Next door to Palais Rohan, this is another<br />
museum that’s absolutely stunning. I could<br />
have spent several hours in here there’s so<br />
much to see. Located in a former stone<br />
masons house and buildings from the 14th<br />
-16th centuries, it houses masterpieces of<br />
sculpture from the middle ages and from<br />
the Cathedral. Stained glass windows,<br />
including the Wissembourg "Tête de Christ"<br />
window, one of the oldest known stainedglass<br />
windows, religious statuary, wood<br />
carvings, paintings and more, this is one of<br />
the most beautiful collections of medieval<br />
art I’ve ever seen.
Museum of Contemporary and<br />
Modern Art<br />
If you’re a modern art fan the contemporary<br />
and modern art museum will make you<br />
very happy. Just the other side of the<br />
Vauban Dam in a huge glass building,<br />
currently covered in black and white street<br />
art, it is huge and fascinating. It mixes a<br />
number of mediums including a very<br />
famous Monet poppy painting in the<br />
landscape themed area, alongside very<br />
modern art. Wassily Kandinsky is heavily<br />
featured including a room created from one<br />
of his Cubist creations. This is a museum<br />
that presents art by theme and juxtaposes<br />
modern alongside contemporary and<br />
modern could mean Monet or Sisley<br />
alongside something altogether more<br />
quirky - I saw a giant plastic spider with a<br />
cat's face which walks across the room!<br />
The Art Café on the first floor has a great<br />
outdoor terrace with breath-taking views<br />
over the city. Here you can take a break<br />
with tea, pastries or lunch.<br />
Voodoo Museum<br />
And, for those who like their museums to<br />
be seriously unusual - there’s a voodoo<br />
museum in a former water tower. It’s a<br />
private collection, in fact the biggest private<br />
collection of its kind in France and it is<br />
magic! www.chateau-vodoucom
Where to eat out in<br />
Strasbourg<br />
Food lovers will be in their element in this<br />
city – Alsatian food is very tasty indeed,<br />
and they love their cakes and desserts<br />
here. There’s a huge choice of restaurants.<br />
In the main tourist areas, they’re touristy of<br />
course, that doesn’t necessarily mean bad,<br />
you’ll get gorgeous views and some have<br />
excellent food too. But if you’re looking for<br />
authentic and the most delicious Alsatian<br />
cuisine, the restaurants the locals go to,<br />
then these are the ones that will make you<br />
very happy…<br />
Chez Yvonne was a favourite restaurant of<br />
Presidents Chirac and de Gaulle when they<br />
were in Strasbourg but I promise you<br />
there’s nothing statesmanlike about this<br />
place – it’s utterly authentic, old school<br />
Alsace style, cosy, comfy and traditional<br />
Winstub (Alsatian bar and restaurant) style.<br />
It looks just as it did 80 years ago in<br />
grandma’s Alsatian parlour, though it’s<br />
much older than that. Wooden chairs, red<br />
and white check curtains, wood panelled<br />
rooms, I felt a bit like I was dining chez<br />
Hansel and Gretel. Family run, it’s super<br />
friendly with a lovely service. They’ll warn<br />
you about the horseradish, it’s strong and<br />
traditional to have with your dishes in<br />
Strasbourg. This is food that makes you<br />
smile. You can reserve online at their<br />
website: www.restaurant-chez-yvonne.net<br />
Maison des Tanneurs built in 1572 on the<br />
Petite Ile showcases local gastronomy.<br />
Here you’ll find a mix of locals and tourists<br />
enjoying the great location alongside the<br />
river. 42 Rue du Bain aux Plantes<br />
Fink’Stuebel is not touristy at all and<br />
features real Strasbourg gastronomy. If you<br />
want to eat like the locals - go here. It’s<br />
lovely inside, friendly, cosy and charming.<br />
It’s a great menu – don’t miss the iced<br />
Guggelhopf with cherry Schnapps for<br />
dessert! 26 Rue Finkwiller
Restaurant Les Chauvins, Père & Fils is<br />
family run and specialises in Alsatian<br />
tapas and specialities using local products<br />
with a clever twist. The tapas menu<br />
includes their take on Sushi with locally<br />
caught trout, horseradish (of course), local<br />
cheese and rice with a superb sauce. The<br />
pickled vegetables are just delicious and<br />
their home made foie gras with onion<br />
chutney is superb.<br />
A funky interior features one long table at<br />
which strangers can become dining<br />
partners and friends! There are tables for<br />
small numbers too. Innovative, very<br />
original, great food.<br />
You won’t find typically heavy Alsatian<br />
food like Sauerkraut here but it’s a great<br />
way to discover the local gastronomy in a<br />
seriously delicious way, just a couple of<br />
minutes’ walk from the cathedral. You can<br />
book online: www.restaurant-les-chauvins.<br />
fr<br />
Night life and bars<br />
Supertonic is all about Gin and Saucisse, a<br />
genius combination. 57 different types of<br />
gin, 12 different tonics, sausages made by a<br />
local artisan – everything about this bar is<br />
brilliant. I tried a mountain top tonic water<br />
from Chilli which was superb mixed with a<br />
gin made by a father and son company in<br />
the Netherlands and flavoured with a slice<br />
of orange and a star anise. I though it was<br />
the best G &T I’d ever had…. until I tried a<br />
gin from the US with a Thomas Henry tonic<br />
water. If you’re a gin lover you’ll love their<br />
ginventory (they even have an app) to help<br />
you choose your perfect gin and tonic.<br />
Black n Wine Hotel Hannong wine bar and<br />
Roof top terrace is a bit of a secret place<br />
though well known to locals, visitors might<br />
miss it as it’s in a hotel but so worth<br />
seeking out. The bar is lovely, relaxing and<br />
welcoming and a superb wine list.
Aedaen: In rue des Aveugles you’ll find<br />
Aedaen which consists of several venues:<br />
an art gallery, brasserie which is fab for<br />
lunch and dinner and has a cake boudoir,<br />
the comptoir a dessert, with the most<br />
amazing pastry-chef made fancies, pizza<br />
restaurant and a secret bar. Aedaen place<br />
is gorgeous inside and out, with a kind of<br />
indoor jungle theme that is just lovely. The<br />
dishes are delish with all fresh products<br />
and a menu that changes every three days.<br />
They even have a Friday comedy club<br />
night, music nights, and cultural events.<br />
This would be my go to place if I lived in<br />
Strasbourg!<br />
Opposite, the art gallery has a fabulous<br />
collection. Locals love to go here to see the<br />
exhibitions and have brunch at the<br />
weekends.<br />
If you like pizzas, you’ll love their next door<br />
pizzeria… but it’s the secret bar that I fell<br />
head over heels for. It’s a French take on a<br />
speakeasy, and I have to tell you I am not<br />
allowed to reveal where it is but I am<br />
cleared to tell you to go to the pizzeria to<br />
find it. It’s the talk of the town, locals love it<br />
when they find it. Known as the “Secret<br />
Place” it’s open 7 days a week, it’s friendly<br />
and welcoming and very cool, think<br />
industrial chic combined with velvet<br />
couches and chandeliers plus an erotic<br />
cocktail list (yes erotic!)… go and find this<br />
place but don’t tell them I told you about it!<br />
www.aedaen-place.com/<br />
Head to Place d’Austerlitz on the right bank<br />
for bars the locals frequent. Try rue Klein<br />
and quai des Pecheurs where there are bars<br />
on boats.<br />
This whole area has been recently<br />
rejuvenated and if you came here five years<br />
ago you won’t recognise it.
Inside track – a +700 year<br />
old wine cellar/shop<br />
Created in 1395 this wine cellar in<br />
Strasbourg hospital car park is even older<br />
than the hospices de Beaune. When the<br />
hospital was founded, only the rich could<br />
afford to pay for their care with money. So<br />
the hospital took payment in wine and<br />
vineyards, becoming the biggest owner of<br />
vineyards in the region. Patients enjoyed<br />
“wine therapy”, 2 litres of wine per day<br />
each. Wine was lighter then with a 4-6%<br />
alcohol content and it was cleaner than<br />
drinking water, so it was seen as medicine.<br />
<strong>No</strong>wadays the hospital no longer owns<br />
heaps of vineyards but it is THE place to<br />
buy wine. The hospital did a deal with local<br />
wine producers to allow them to mature<br />
their finest wines in the renovated ancient<br />
barrels. In return the producers gift the<br />
cellar thousands of bottles of wine each<br />
year which are sold to benefit the hospital.<br />
Reach it via the hospital car park to<br />
discover the oldest bottle of white wine in<br />
the world, dating to 1472 - in fact they have<br />
a whole barrel of it but assured me it’s not<br />
drinkable! If you’re really lucky you’ll meet<br />
Thibaud, a genial Frenchman who speaks<br />
impeccable English with a strong<br />
Australian accent and who will answer your<br />
questions about wine and the cellar. Don’t<br />
forget to buy a bottle to enjoy tout de suite<br />
or take home - I had one of the best Pinot<br />
Gris’ ever from here, matured in one of<br />
those ancient barrels it was memorable at<br />
10 euros a bottle.<br />
Free visit during opening hours, you can<br />
rent an audio guide (several languages) for<br />
a 30 minute tour, group tours may be<br />
booked in advance (in English), and wine<br />
tasting on Portes-Ouvertes (special<br />
opening days). www.vins-des-hospices-destrasbourg.fr/en/
Tips for souvenir hunters<br />
If you’re after something to take home<br />
from Strasbourg, don’t miss the year-round<br />
Christmas shop. I went on a brilliant<br />
summer’s day but it still felt like Christmas<br />
inside this quirky store with its Christmas<br />
trees and figurines! Un <strong>No</strong>ël en Alsace, 10<br />
Rue des Dentelles.<br />
Gingerbread: Head to the shop of Mireille<br />
Oster to buy some of the best gingerbread<br />
in town - she’s a 3rd generation maker and<br />
travels around the world to source spices<br />
for the gingerbread and biscuits which are<br />
made to an original recipe. 14 rue des<br />
Dentelles.<br />
You could also buy some of the local pretty<br />
pottery, or kelsch (traditional linen cloth<br />
from Alsace), tablecloths, heart-shaped<br />
napkins. There are plenty of shops selling<br />
them.<br />
Where to stay<br />
Hotel Hannong in the centre of the city is<br />
superb. The breakfast here is legendary,<br />
when I mentioned to a hotelier in Mulhouse<br />
that my next stop was Strasbourg and the<br />
Hotel Hannong they raved about it, and<br />
they weren’t wrong. I loved the juice bar<br />
and smoothie bar where you can make<br />
your own combo – or ask for help.<br />
Everything about this hotel is designed to<br />
cosset and pamper you. The bathroom<br />
products are lovely, the comfiest bed,<br />
nothing jars the eye or the senses from the<br />
bedroom to the bathroom, bar and<br />
breakfast…<br />
How to get around<br />
You can take the tram – get tickets from<br />
vending machine on each platform or at the<br />
tourist office.<br />
How to get there<br />
Train from Paris takes from 1hr 46 mins.<br />
Useful websites<br />
Strasbourg tourist Office; France. fr
When Louis XIV was pondering over how<br />
to create the most magnificent palace the<br />
world had ever seen, one that truly showed<br />
off his glory and absolute power, he can’t<br />
have had any idea just how many people<br />
would tread in his footsteps and gaze in<br />
wonder at his legacy. The Chateau of<br />
Versailles is world famous but I promise<br />
you, nothing you see on the TV or in<br />
photos prepares you for the sheer absolute<br />
golden glitz and glamour of the real thing.<br />
It’s been on my bucket list for years,<br />
decades even, so when I got the chance to<br />
visit on a four-day guided tour, spending<br />
three days at Versailles and ending with a<br />
day at the chateau of Vaux le Vicomte, the<br />
inspiration for Versailles, I was over the<br />
moon. I went with The Cultural Travel<br />
Company, an offshoot of Martin Randall<br />
Tours well known for their gifted guides,<br />
and it was without a doubt everything I’d<br />
hoped for and more. Three days is just<br />
about enough to get a really in depth,<br />
insider view of the palace, gardens and<br />
town - and with this tour you get access to<br />
areas that the general public don’t.<br />
The best bit though for me, was having a<br />
guide who really knew the history and<br />
details of Versailles so well. In this case it<br />
was Tony Spawforth, the editor of a<br />
fascinating book about Versailles, TV<br />
presenter, historian and terrific storyteller.<br />
His anecdotes of life at the castle and<br />
knowledge of history married to day to day<br />
life, the ordinary things that people did<br />
during extraordinary times, made the visit<br />
come to life in a truly special way.<br />
The Chateau of Versailles<br />
700 rooms, 1250 chimneys, 67 staircases<br />
and 2000 windows – the chateau of<br />
Versailles is monumental, a colossus of a<br />
building. It was originally six storeys high,<br />
but the top layers were levelled off in the<br />
19th century.
Versailles has two facades - the Paris side and<br />
the garden side. The Paris side is approached<br />
by three wide avenues. They converge on<br />
Places des Armes which, once a parade<br />
ground, was paved over in the 19th century. We<br />
all know it for its shimmering view of the<br />
castle through golden gates, but in Louis XIV’s<br />
time it was an important military palace and he<br />
loved to review troops here. Underneath the<br />
courtyard are the barracks where the guards<br />
lived in a whole other underground world. It<br />
was said that the smell from the soldiers<br />
latrines was so bad that a layer of mastic was<br />
smothered under the cobble stones - it was<br />
apparently only partially successful. The whole<br />
place was bristling with troops, this was the<br />
seat of government and monarchy, security<br />
was paramount. Though, as we all know, it<br />
wasn’t up to the job.<br />
During the French Revolution the famous<br />
golden gates were ripped down. It might<br />
surprise you to know that they were only<br />
replaced with accurate reconstructions in the<br />
1980s. You can see an original gate still<br />
though - at the Potager du Roi, the king’s<br />
vegetable garden, which is a short walk from<br />
the palace and a must see if you’re in<br />
Versailles.<br />
Read more about it here on The Good Life<br />
France website.<br />
The gates were important, they defined<br />
different areas, administration, residential and<br />
the inner court. “If you didn’t have the right<br />
clothes on, you didn’t get in, though you could<br />
rent outfits at the palace” says Tony. Guards<br />
as fashion police – forward thinking Versailles<br />
style.<br />
If you’re lucky you’ll get to see the guts of the<br />
castle in rooms where there is ongoing work,<br />
the brick walls and ancient beams behind the<br />
glitzy facade. It’s a reminder of the reality of<br />
this place and how what you see is a façade.<br />
The beautiful wood panelling on the walls is<br />
detachable, during WWII it was removed and<br />
hidden in a coal mine in the Pyrénées.
Life at Versailles<br />
When Louis XIV made Versailles his home,<br />
he wanted the aristocracy and nobles of<br />
France to join him there. It was a way to<br />
keep them from plotting against the royal<br />
family as much as anything. But it wasn’t a<br />
life of luxury. Rules for how to dress, where<br />
to sit, what to say and where to be at<br />
certain times were rigidly adhered to.<br />
Even with more than a thousand fireplaces,<br />
the castle was bitterly cold in winter. It was<br />
recorded in 1695, that the King’s glass of<br />
wine froze on the table as he sat dining<br />
alone, watched by hundreds of courtiers. I<br />
was amazed that the room where this<br />
dinner ritual took place was quite small,<br />
you can really imagine everyone squashed<br />
in, eyes on the king and his heavily laden<br />
table, stomachs rumbling, hot and bothered<br />
in summer, shivering in winter!<br />
We pretty much know what Louis XIV did<br />
every day of his life as courtiers kept<br />
copious records detailing the minutiae of<br />
life at court right up until the king’s death<br />
from gangrene.<br />
It was rare for courtiers to have their own<br />
kitchens so they would send their staff out<br />
for food. A sort of shanty town grew around<br />
the castle and there were food booths and<br />
tuck shops on site.<br />
The wings of the palace were essentially<br />
apartments. Lots of records have survived<br />
from the days when courtiers lived there,<br />
there are logs of repairs and renovations<br />
and plenty of complaints, a princess<br />
without a bathroom, moaning about the<br />
cold and the fact there was nowhere to<br />
cook.
While in the winter it was wildly cold, in<br />
the summer it was roaring hot. In the<br />
King’s bedroom, sheets would be soaked<br />
in water and hung over the windows to<br />
try to cool it down.<br />
The palace is a labyrinth of rooms and for<br />
the royal family it was almost prison. It<br />
was said that Marie Antoinette,<br />
desperate for privacy would roam the<br />
palace, going through room after room<br />
locking doors behind her. One time a<br />
lock broke and it took hours to find and<br />
rescue her. Louis XVI liked to sit on the<br />
roof of the chateau with a telescope<br />
watching the comings and goings in the<br />
town.<br />
Etiquette and snobbery ruled the lives of<br />
all who lived there until the day when a<br />
mob turned up demanding access to the<br />
King and Queen. When they stepped<br />
onto the balcony, Marie Antoinette<br />
curtsied to the crowd, it was an<br />
extraordinary thing to do. Within hours<br />
the famous etiquette was destroyed.<br />
The Trianons and the<br />
Queen’s Hamlet<br />
The grand Trianon was commissioned by<br />
Louis XIV in 1670 and built by architect<br />
Jules Hardouin-Mansart in 1687. Today<br />
it’s more 19th century in style than it was<br />
at the time of the Bourbon royal family,<br />
after being renovated by Empress Marie-<br />
Louise, wife of Napoleon I and Marie-<br />
Antoinette’s great-niece.<br />
The Petit Trianon was built in the park of<br />
the Grand Trianon was a gift to Marie<br />
Antoinette from Louis XVI but was<br />
originally built for Madame de<br />
Pompadour, the mistress of Louis XV.<br />
The Petit Trianon later became a<br />
favourite with Marie Antoinette to escape<br />
the rigours of court life. She redesigned<br />
the Trianon gardens and created a model<br />
village round an artificial lake.
The gardens of Versailles<br />
The gardens at the chateau provided time<br />
out from the restrictions of courtly life. A<br />
series of lockable garden rooms and grand<br />
spaces with huge vistas were created.<br />
Fetes could go on for several days at a time<br />
in Louis XIV’s younger days. All in all there<br />
was a mind boggling 25 square miles of<br />
walled hunting park.<br />
were thousands and thousands of pots of<br />
flowers which were constantly being moved<br />
about so that there were always flowers in<br />
bloom. Deadheading was done vigilantly as<br />
the king wanted only to see blooming,<br />
healthy plants. Sometimes the scent was<br />
so overwhelming it drove people inside.<br />
Today those gardens can keep you busy<br />
for hours and walking for miles – literally.<br />
The King’s famous gardener André Le<br />
Nôtre had an army of gardeners. There
Versailles after the French<br />
Revolution and now<br />
After the French Revolution, the<br />
furnishings were sold off at knock-down<br />
prices, the British royal family being keen<br />
buyers. The castle was saved when locals<br />
petitioned to keep it thinking that the royal<br />
family might return one day. It was turned<br />
into a rather innovative museum for the<br />
day and was meticulously restored to look<br />
just as it did on the morning of October 6<br />
1789. Huge amounts of research have<br />
been carried out and it is, says Tony, “a<br />
work of extraordinary zeal and a miracle of<br />
conservation”. In fact work is still ongoing,<br />
when I visited, the bedroom of Louis XV, in<br />
which he died of smallpox, was being<br />
renovated.<br />
It’s still in some ways a working palace.<br />
Queen Elizabeth II stayed at the petite<br />
Trianon when she visited Versailles, and<br />
high profile government meetings still take<br />
place here.
Left: street in<br />
Versailles with a nod<br />
to the past; above<br />
cake at the market,<br />
seriously one of the<br />
best markets in<br />
France...<br />
Versailles town<br />
The town of Versailles is well worth your<br />
time. If it were anywhere else, it would be<br />
famous for its splendid houses and grand<br />
buildings even without the Chateau, but,<br />
overshadowed by the monumental castle,<br />
it’s easy to miss the fact that there is<br />
history everywhere and lots to see and do.<br />
While you’re there don’t miss the fantastic<br />
Versailles market. How it hasn’t been voted<br />
top market in France is beyond me. Marché<br />
<strong>No</strong>tre Dame was created in the early 1600s<br />
and it’s the second largest food market in<br />
France. Open every day except Monday, it's<br />
brimming with shoppers. The smell of<br />
spices, oranges, cooked chickens and<br />
fantastic street food is superb. Go through<br />
the historic pavilions which serve as indoor<br />
markets and on the other side discover little<br />
squares lined with cafés full of locals.<br />
Versailles is one of those places you have<br />
to see for yourself, truly astonishing and<br />
unforgettable...<br />
The Cultural Travel Company’s tours<br />
take place in France and Europe. The<br />
Versailles tour includes coach travel<br />
from Paris <strong>No</strong>rd station, hotel and<br />
welcome meal and a brilliant guide. I<br />
travelled solo as did several other<br />
guests on the tour but left with several<br />
new friends. I can’t recommend this<br />
tour highly enough.
Le Weekend in Dijon
Dijon is absolutely perfect for a fun weekend away. Immerse yourself in<br />
history, art, culture and enjoy scrumptious food and exquisite wine in<br />
this gorgeous city says Janine Marsh...
If you like your cities to be filled with beautiful, historic buildings. If you love fantastic<br />
food and wonderful wines. And if you love museums, galleries, sitting at terraced cafés<br />
watching the world go by as you sip a delicious local wine, a fabulous street market,<br />
great wine bars and a vibrant friendly vibe – then add Dijon to your must see list. This<br />
amazing city has all these things by the bucket load… and more.<br />
First of all, get your comfy shoes on because this is a city that’s just perfect for a flâner,<br />
the French term for wandering and just soaking it all in…<br />
Cobbled streets, grand squares, half-timbered houses, a huge palace, narrow alleyways<br />
lined with medieval buildings and even a magic owl. But, this is a small city so don’t<br />
worry, you won’t have to walk too far or too long to fit it all in. There’s something to see<br />
on every corner…
What to do in Dijon<br />
Rub the magic owl and make a wish<br />
On the wall of the medieval 13th century <strong>No</strong>tre<br />
Dame church is a small stone owl. <strong>No</strong> one knows<br />
why he’s there and to be honest, you can hardly<br />
tell he’s an owl because for centuries the locals<br />
and passers by have rubbed their left hand over<br />
him for luck. If you don’t know he’s there it looks<br />
very odd, as people will be just walking along<br />
and suddenly veer over to the wall, put their left<br />
hand up, rub and carry on…<br />
Don’t forget to look up when you get to the front<br />
of the church, there’s an extraordinary clock on<br />
top. Four metal automatons strike the hours.<br />
Jacquemart was the first to arrive. He came from<br />
Belgium in 1382. Jacqueline was added to keep<br />
him company in 1651. In 1714 they had a boy -<br />
Jacquelinet and in 1844 Jacquelinette, a girl.<br />
Pick up a leaflet from the tourist office for the owl<br />
trail (Parcours de la Chouette). It indicates 22<br />
markers of historic sites, it takes around 2 hours<br />
at a relaxed pace, and you’ll get to see the main<br />
sites of Dijon.<br />
Palace of the Dukes and<br />
States of Burgundy<br />
The former colossal residence of<br />
the immensely wealthy Dukes of<br />
Burgundy and seat of government<br />
in the region under the Ancien<br />
Régime (pre French Revolution).<br />
It’s an imposing sight which<br />
makes the Place de la Liberation<br />
where it is, all the more exquisite.<br />
It now houses the town hall, the<br />
ancient kitchens can be visited<br />
and there are courtyards you can<br />
use to make your way round<br />
Dijon or simply to sit and enjoy<br />
the views.
Musée de Beaux Arts<br />
The Palais des Ducs also home to the<br />
magnificent and monumental Museum of<br />
Fine Arts. Like all public museums in Dijon<br />
it’s free to enter. You reach it via the lavish<br />
hall of the tombs of the Dukes of Burgundy,<br />
formerly the guards room, and that is your<br />
first inkling of just what a treat you’re in for.<br />
Jewels of 15th century funerary art, the<br />
tombs of Philip the Bold and John the<br />
Fearless are extraordinary with their<br />
namesakes represented by lifelike statues<br />
held up by incredibly detailed Mourners. I<br />
could stare at them for hours as the more<br />
you look, the more you see.<br />
The museum has around 50 rooms of<br />
priceless treasures dating from antiquity to<br />
modern day with some fabulous works by<br />
Yan Pei- Ming, Monet, Manet and so many<br />
renowned artists it’s magnicent. I loved the<br />
religious artworks, the detail is astonishing<br />
and so well preserved they look as they did<br />
hundreds of years ago.<br />
The museum has undergone a major<br />
update and reopened in May 2019. Director<br />
David Liot told me that the renovation was<br />
a challenge “it’s a heritage space so we had<br />
to be very careful but it was dingy before<br />
and we needed to make it accessible to all”.<br />
The flow of the exhibits is vastly improved,<br />
there are two new spaces and the rooms<br />
are filled with light so you can truly<br />
appreciate the artworks. The walls are<br />
coloured to enhance the feel and look, I<br />
loved the Pinot <strong>No</strong>ir colour – it really made<br />
the paintings pop. Don’t miss this one –<br />
you’ll be missing out on an incredible<br />
opportunity to see one of the finest<br />
museums in France (for free).
Musée Rude<br />
His name might not ring a bell but<br />
you almost certainly know of his<br />
work. Francois Rude, son of Dijon<br />
(1784-1855) was the sculptor of La<br />
Marseillaise on the Arc de Triomphe<br />
amongst much else. You can see<br />
some of his main works in the form<br />
of casts in the museum dedicated to<br />
him in the former Saint Etienne<br />
Church (free to enter). It is a quite<br />
beautiful place.<br />
Musée de la Vie Bourguignonne<br />
Just one more museum you mustn’t<br />
miss though there are several more.<br />
If you can, squeeze in a visit to the<br />
quirky Museum of Burgundian Life<br />
(free). The reconstructions of 19th<br />
and early 20th century Burgundian<br />
shops are brilliant – hat shops,<br />
photography, chemists, filled with<br />
bits and pieces from the day.<br />
Place de la Libération<br />
This is essentially the main<br />
courtyard of the Dukes of Burgundy<br />
and it has to be one of the biggest in<br />
France. It’s set out on a semi-circular<br />
arrangement so that wherever you<br />
are, you’re facing the palace. It was<br />
designed by Hardouin-Mansart, the<br />
architect of Versailles, and built by<br />
one of his pupils, Robert de Cotte,<br />
between 1686 and 1701. Lined with<br />
restaurants, shops and bars, it’s as<br />
big a hit with the locals as it is with<br />
visitors. It doesn’t matter if you go<br />
first thing in the morning as I did and<br />
sat sipping coffee watching a lone<br />
pigeon waddling about, or in the day<br />
or evening, as I did with an aperitif<br />
watching kids play in the fountains,<br />
listening to church bells ring and<br />
enjoying the sight of people simply<br />
enjoying the square.
Les Halles – The covered market<br />
This has to be one of the best markets in all<br />
of France. The covered market is stunning –<br />
all wrought iron and wide open spaces. It’s<br />
said to have been inspired by son of Dijon,<br />
Gustave Eiffel. The smells, the sights, the<br />
sounds – they’re as much a cultural<br />
experience as any museum. Stop off at the<br />
stall of Le Gourmet Traiteur for a treat and a<br />
true taste of Dijon. Run by three chefs who<br />
make everything from pies to tarts, cakes to<br />
gingerbread and even a gateau moelleux<br />
(sounds like cake and it is but with a snail<br />
filling, bit of an acquired taste if you ask<br />
me).<br />
I had to be dragged away from their<br />
nonnettes. The market spills out into the<br />
streets around and if you like food, you’ll<br />
love the quality produce here. This market<br />
made me want to live in Dijon.<br />
Open Tuesday, Thursday (inside only),<br />
Friday, Saturday<br />
Visit a gingerbread museum<br />
Channel your inner Hansel and Gretel and<br />
head to Mulot & Petitjean’s gingerbread<br />
museum and factory. It’s just outside the<br />
city centre, a 20 minute walk or take the<br />
bus which takes a few minutes. The<br />
presentations take you through the history<br />
of the firm, founded in 1796, and gingerbread<br />
with some innovative museography –<br />
portraits which come to life and a collection<br />
of artefacts. You also get to see the gingerbread<br />
being made (unless you’re there on a<br />
machine cleaning day). Afterwards enjoy<br />
the gorgeous vintage shop and if you want<br />
to take home a memorable treat, take a<br />
trolley as the 6kg gingerbread cake is not<br />
easy to get in your handbag I discovered.<br />
Tour Philippe le Bon<br />
For a panoramic view over the city, climb the<br />
316 steps of the 15th century Tour Le<br />
Philippe le Bon. It’s said that on a clear day<br />
you can see Mont Blanc.
Le Consortium<br />
Art lovers will adore this contemporary art<br />
venue in a former cassis factory. More than<br />
400 pieces in an ever growing collection<br />
which dates mainly from the 1970s. It’s a a<br />
thought provoking selection. Don’t miss<br />
the book shop with its innovative moveable<br />
bookshelves and reading area. Le<br />
Consortium publishes around 50 art books<br />
a year. And if you’re lucky enough to be<br />
there on a day when they have a cinema<br />
showing in their private cinema or a music<br />
event – you’re in for a treat.<br />
Dijon Mustard<br />
You didn’t think I’d get through talking<br />
about Dijon without mentioning mustard<br />
did you? They’re very keen on it here! You<br />
can visit a mustard shop, or several, for<br />
your tangy fix. I fell in love with the taste<br />
bar at Moutard Edmund Fallot with its<br />
mouth-watering mixes: cassis, pinot noire<br />
and basil to mention just a few. They even<br />
had mustard dispensing machines, pop in<br />
a euro, pick your favourite and out pops a<br />
dinky little pot of yummy mustard.<br />
Bibliotheque Patrimoniale<br />
Harry Potter fan? You’ll love the city library.<br />
Once a Jesuits College, it became a library<br />
in the 17th century and groups can take a<br />
tour of the whole building with its beautiful<br />
wood panelled rooms and painted ceilings.<br />
Game of Thrones writer George RR Martin<br />
visited and loved the enormous 18th<br />
century globe. There are more than<br />
500,000 books, the earliest of which date<br />
back to the 9th century. There’s also a<br />
specialist collection of food books and<br />
menus. Anyone can access the reading<br />
room – it has a Hogwarts feel to it, as if<br />
Harry Potter might be under the twinkling<br />
lights, studying for his wizard’s exam.<br />
<strong>No</strong>w all this culture and fabulous sites are<br />
sure to make you hungry. Lucky for you,<br />
you’re in the perfect city to indulge – Dijon<br />
is a feast for the senses in every way.
Dijon’s incredible gastronomic scene<br />
Dijon is foodie central, seriously it’s all anyone talks about here – or at least that’s what it<br />
feels like. People in Dijon LOVE good food so there are plenty or restaurants from<br />
Michelin starred Loiseau des Ducs to budget cafés.<br />
Restaurants the locals love for lunch<br />
Brasserie des Beaux arts: Savvy locals have<br />
sussed this one out in it’s superb location<br />
inside the courtyard of the Musée des<br />
Beaux Arts in the former Ducal palace. Chef<br />
Fred Guilland says “Regional, seasonal,<br />
weather, local products - these are my<br />
guides” as he prepares exquisite dishes for<br />
the lunch time crowd. He uses incredible<br />
spices in his classic and creative dishes<br />
and personally visits the farms where the<br />
produce comes from. “Knowing where the<br />
food comes from is essential to happy<br />
cooking” he says, and yes, this place did<br />
make me happy. Very happy.<br />
Maison Milliére: In a former house built in<br />
1438 you will find a rather wonderful<br />
restaurant and shop. Run by affable<br />
husband and wife team Lydia and Jean<br />
Francois Lieutet, there’s an upstairs,<br />
downstairs and gorgeous little courtyard for<br />
a sunny day. Tea room, open for lunch<br />
Tuesday-Sunday, dinner Friday, Saturday it<br />
is superb. Fans of Cyrano de Bergerac will<br />
recognise it from the film. It’s a listed<br />
historical monument, authentic and<br />
memorable.<br />
Restaurants the locals love for dinner<br />
L’Essentiel: This is one tourists rarely, if<br />
ever discover since it’s not right in the<br />
centre but a very short walk away. This is<br />
where the locals go, lured by the delicious<br />
dishes of chef Richard Bernigaud whose<br />
deft hand creates memorable and<br />
delectable flavours. The menu is terrific<br />
value, the ingredients are top quality,<br />
friendly service, and if I lived in Dijon, this<br />
would be my go to restaurant.
Sitting at Le Pre aux Clercs Brasserie par<br />
Georges Blanc, in the big, light Place de la<br />
Liberation with a glass of good local wine<br />
induces happiness. Listening to the tinkling<br />
fountain, the low hum of people talking and<br />
laughing, enjoying al fresco happy hour,<br />
knowing that you’ve got a delicious dinner<br />
coming up. Brilliant.<br />
Dine outside on a fine day, inside with its<br />
elegant interior when it’s cooler. This place<br />
serves classic dishes with aplomb. I went for<br />
the traditional, eggs poached in Pinot <strong>No</strong>ir,<br />
boeuf bourguignon – seriously good, and a<br />
really welcoming restaurant too.<br />
Brilliant bars<br />
If you like your cocktails served with finesse in a<br />
memorable location (a 13th century mansion no<br />
less), Monsieur Moutarde is THE place to go.<br />
Seek out the terrace area (go through the bar),<br />
it’s gorgeous and if you go early evening you’ll<br />
have it almost to yourself (I went at 17.30). There<br />
are little enclaves, a vintage looking interior and<br />
a long list of cocktails.<br />
Place de la Liberation has some terrific bars and<br />
is great for people watching. If you like live<br />
music, try Le Pop Art.<br />
Place Francois Rude is another great people<br />
watching place. Known to locals as Place du<br />
Bareuzai, because of the statue of a grape picker<br />
atop the fountain in the centre of the square. In<br />
years gone by wine growers would tread the<br />
grapes by foot which would give them “red<br />
stockings” (“bas rosés”/bareuzai).<br />
For a lunch time bevvy there are lots of bars<br />
around the Les Halles covered market.<br />
For sheer wow factor the bar of the Théâtre<br />
Dijon Bourgogne takes some beating. It’s In the<br />
former 15th century church of Saint Jean which is<br />
now a theatre.<br />
Dr Wine is popular with locals into wine, a bit<br />
bobo (bourgeois- bohemian French for middle<br />
class!. It’s very designer with a lovely courtyard<br />
in a posh mansion house (5 rue Musette)
Where to stay<br />
I stayed at the Residence Le Pré aux<br />
Clercs, right in the heart of the city. From<br />
here it's literally a 10 second walk to the<br />
Place de la Libération. A boutique B&B<br />
with just five rooms, including top floor<br />
suite, I loved feeling like a local staying<br />
here and being so close to the centre of<br />
everything yet in a quiet side street.<br />
Lovely breakfast provided in the<br />
restaurant next door.<br />
Getting around<br />
There’s a good tram system and buses<br />
too.<br />
How to get there<br />
The train from Paris takes just 1.5 hours<br />
so it's an easy day trip destination. But,<br />
you don’t want to just go for one day –<br />
two is much better as there’s simply so<br />
much to see and do.<br />
Useful websites<br />
Dijon tourist office; Burgundy tourist<br />
office; www.france.fr<br />
12 food specialities you should try in Dijon<br />
- Boeuf bourguignon – here’s how to make<br />
this classic dish at home<br />
- Ouefs en meurette, eggs poached in wine.<br />
- Jambon persille, ham with a jellied, herby<br />
lauyer<br />
- Gingerbread – interesting fact, it’s made<br />
with anis, not ginger!<br />
- <strong>No</strong>nettes – here’s how to make “little<br />
nuns” cakes at home<br />
- Poulet Gaston Gerrard - story of how the<br />
mayor of Dijon invited people for dinner<br />
and his wife cooked chicken dish but<br />
messed up the recipe. She mixed mustard,<br />
cream and Comte cheese ... here’s how to<br />
make it at home.<br />
- Brioche with pink praline<br />
- Kir with Cassis made with white wine, Kir<br />
Royale with Champagne and Cassis (a<br />
blackcurrant liqueur of Burgundy).<br />
- Brillat Savarin, soft cheese, created in<br />
1890 and made year round in Burgundy.<br />
- Epoisses, a very smelly cheese,<br />
apparently Napoleon Bonaparte's<br />
favourite.<br />
- Burgundy snails…<br />
- Gougeres – okay they may not have<br />
originated here but – the people of Dijon<br />
absolutely love them and the boulangeries<br />
all stock them because alongside<br />
gingerbread, they’re de rigeur with aperitifs<br />
in Dijon!
Opera Garnier<br />
the Versailles of<br />
Opera Houses
History of the Paris Opera<br />
Palais Garnier, Opéra National de Paris or<br />
Opéra Garnier, or more known commonly<br />
as the Paris Opera, is generally considered<br />
to be one of the most important buildings<br />
in Paris.<br />
It’s actually not as old as you might think.<br />
In 1860, the city of Paris held a contest to<br />
choose a design for the new opera house. It<br />
was at a time when Paris was undergoing<br />
huge change under the direction of<br />
Georges-Eugène Haussmann, commonly<br />
known as Baron Haussman. Napoleon III<br />
appointed him to carry out a massive urban<br />
renewal programme in Paris. More than 170<br />
designs were submitted and Charles<br />
Garnier, just 35 years old, was the winner.<br />
Born in rue Mouffetard, Paris, in 1825 he<br />
was formally educated but unknown. The<br />
opera house opened in January 1875 and it<br />
was to make him internationally famous.<br />
In creating Palais Garnier, he crafted the<br />
architectural style of the Second Empire.<br />
When Empress Eugénie, perplexed by the<br />
building's lack of unity, asked him: “What is<br />
this style? This is no style, it is not Greek or<br />
Louis XVI”, Garnier replied “<strong>No</strong>, those styles<br />
are all outdated, this is Napoleon III”.<br />
It wasn’t an easy project. During the course<br />
of its construction delays were caused by<br />
the discovery of an underground lake, a war<br />
in 1870, the Siege of Paris and fall of the<br />
Second Empire. Napoleon III died two years<br />
before the work was finished.<br />
The Paris Opera company founded by Louis<br />
XIV in 1669 moved here, its 13th home, on 15<br />
January 1875. It was an enormous success<br />
and became the showpiece of Haussman’s<br />
new Paris. To this day it is one of the largest<br />
theatres of the world with 1,979 seats.
The Versailles of Opera<br />
Houses<br />
Opulent, ornamental, gleaming, glamorous<br />
and glitzy – wow factor galore is what the<br />
Opera is all about both inside and out. The<br />
moment you enter its doors to the grand,<br />
mirrored foyers, designed for the rich to<br />
see and be seen, there’s no doubting that<br />
this was meant to be a statement building.<br />
One of the most famous aspects of the<br />
building is the Grand Staircase built from<br />
white marble, with beautiful mellow<br />
lighting, sculptures and lots of gold – it’s<br />
utterly breath-taking and a theatrical<br />
setting. Though, if you visit in 2019 you<br />
might find the sight of two gold painted<br />
tractor tyres a bit bizarre. They’re part of a<br />
modern art installation by French artist<br />
Claude Lévêque to celebrate 350 years of<br />
the Paris Opera. <strong>No</strong>t all who see it are<br />
enthralled. It’s not the first time that Palais<br />
Garnier has caused controversy with its art<br />
choices.<br />
In 1964, the ceiling of the auditorium was<br />
updated with a painting by Marc Chagall.<br />
So great was the criticism at this choice<br />
that the original painting by Eugene<br />
Lenepveu was retained underneath it.<br />
Chagall's secret message in<br />
the ceiling<br />
The ceiling painted by Marc Chagall is now<br />
considered one of the wonders of Paris and<br />
countless thousands have stood looking in<br />
awe at the incredible colours and images.<br />
Recently a secret was revealed in the<br />
painting. The Google Art Project which<br />
designs the most powerful cameras in the<br />
world and photographs major artworks<br />
around the world, captured images of<br />
Chagall’s painting. They invited Chagall’s<br />
son to review the images and he told them<br />
that his father had told him that he had<br />
painted him as a baby, but he had never<br />
been able to see the image despite looking<br />
for many years.
Opera cake<br />
In 1955 great French pastry chef<br />
Cyriaque Gavillon worked at the<br />
legendary Dalloyau bakery in Paris,<br />
trading since 1682 and supplier to<br />
the court of Versailles. Gavillon, a<br />
genius with patisserie, wanted to<br />
make something that, in taking one<br />
bite, would give a taste of the whole<br />
cake. He worked on layers and<br />
tastes and came up with a<br />
wonderfully sophisticated cake.<br />
Made with layers of almond sponge<br />
cake (known as Biscuit Joconde -<br />
Mona Lisa - in French) soaked in<br />
coffee syrup, layered with ganache<br />
and coffee buttercream, and<br />
covered in a chocolate glaze. His<br />
wife told him it reminded her of the<br />
Paris Opera House, with its golden<br />
balconies and deep red velvet<br />
seating. The Opera cake was born.<br />
The Google team zoomed in on the photos<br />
and incredibly, after more than 50 years<br />
the image was revealed, a tiny baby, the<br />
son of Chagall (above left) an emotional<br />
moment for the grown-up son.<br />
Below it hangs an enormous, 340 light, 7-<br />
ton bronze and crystal chandelier designed<br />
by Garnier. In 1896 a counterweight, used to<br />
lift it for cleaning, fell into the audience and<br />
killed a theatre-goer. It was partly this<br />
which inspired the famous tale of the<br />
Phantom of the opera by Gaston Leroux in<br />
1910. In fact go there today and you’ll see a<br />
door marked for the Phantom’s box!<br />
The stage is the largest in Europe and can<br />
hold up to 450 artists! When you visit there<br />
are often rehearsals ongoing so you can’t<br />
always get into the auditorium all the time<br />
but may have to wait to see it. In the Grand<br />
Foyer, lined with mirrors and lights is just<br />
like the Gallery of Mirrors at Versailles, and<br />
it’s easy to imagine it in the 19th century,<br />
thronging with jewelled, wide gowned<br />
ladies and top-hatted gents. It was as much<br />
then, if not more so, about showing off your<br />
wealth as it was about seeing an opera.<br />
You can take a tour (self-guided or guided)<br />
to enjoy it in all its splendour and of course<br />
you can see an opera there – but book in<br />
advance, tickets sell like hot cakes!<br />
How and where to get tickets from: There<br />
are a wide range of performances year<br />
round from ballet and opera, both classical<br />
to modern and a range of prices from 15<br />
Euros to hundreds of Euros.<br />
Book online at: www.operadeparis.fr<br />
Guided tours take place in English each day<br />
at 11:00 and 14:30. Reserve online at Opéra<br />
Garnier or via tour companys like Cultival.<br />
Fans of Escape Game might like to know<br />
you can take part in an immersive journey<br />
in the footsteps of the Phantom of the<br />
Opera, animated by actors in period<br />
costume! Book online at OperadeParis
Spotlight on<br />
COGNAC<br />
The town of Cognac in the Charente department, south west France makes for a<br />
great visit. Especially if you love cognac. And historic towns, gorgeous countryside,<br />
sitting at cafés watching the world go by says Janine Marsh<br />
Cognac<br />
The name cognac is famous the world over<br />
for the fine French brandy made from white<br />
wine grapes. And, as you’d expect, cognac<br />
the drink is a major part of visiting the town<br />
of Cognac. There are several important<br />
cognac houses and a dedicated museum<br />
plus discovery centre.<br />
The origin of cognac dates back to the 16th<br />
century when Dutch settlers visited to<br />
purchase salt, wood, and wine. As the long<br />
journey home made preserving the wine<br />
difficult, they started to distil the wine into<br />
eau-de-vie and they realized a second<br />
distillation made for an even finer, more<br />
elegant and very drinkable product. This is<br />
essentially the birth of brandy. The word<br />
“brandy” comes from the Dutch word<br />
“brandewijn” which means burnt wine.<br />
Brandy can be made all over the world, but<br />
only brandy made in the Cognac region of<br />
France and under the strictest guidelines,<br />
can be called “cognac.” It is made from<br />
white wine, using only very specific types of<br />
grapes grown in one of the six crus<br />
surrounding the town of Cognac in the<br />
Charente and Charente-Maritime regions of<br />
France. It’s distilled twice and aged in casks<br />
for a minimum amount of two years.<br />
Cognac the town<br />
Cognac is a pretty town with a “City of Art<br />
and History” label. It’s easy to spend a day<br />
here wandering it’s ancient streets, taking<br />
in the sights, relaxing by the river and<br />
indulging in the local cuisine. The town has<br />
a feeling of peacefulness, prosperity and<br />
good living.
A great starting point is Place Francois<br />
1er, a big square, lined with shops and<br />
bars. It’s a great place to grab a coffee,<br />
or cognac and watch the life of Cognac<br />
going on, before you start a walking<br />
tour of the town. It’s named after King<br />
Francis 1 of France, who was born here<br />
in 1515 (more on that later). It has in its<br />
time had several names and was even<br />
the site of a pig market for a while.<br />
You can take a guided tour with the<br />
tourist office or just amble. It’s not a big<br />
town and easy to see on foot. There are<br />
some beautiful old houses, fabulous<br />
shops ranging from gourmet food to<br />
fashion and art. The Jardin Public<br />
makes for a great picnic spot with its<br />
pretty fountains and peacocks<br />
wandering about. There’s a Museum of<br />
Art and History in a beautiful building<br />
with a collection of paintings and<br />
sculptures as well as a Museum<br />
dedicated to cognac,<br />
Le Musee des Arts du<br />
Cognac<br />
If you want to know about cognac the<br />
drink as well as the region, the Museum<br />
of the Arts of Cognac is a great place to<br />
start. You’ll discover all there is to know<br />
about the creation of cognac and the<br />
area in which it is made. There are<br />
thousands of objects to bring the story<br />
to life as well as a rather fascinating<br />
selection of posters and labels.<br />
Nip next door to the Discovery centre to<br />
find out all about the heritage of<br />
Cognac and the Charente area. You’ll<br />
get a great overview of how cognac<br />
came to be, the different areas of<br />
cognac production, the vineyards,<br />
landscape and villages.<br />
Then continue your walk down to the<br />
riverside. Wide open spaces, beautiful<br />
old warehouses and some of the major<br />
cognac houses are in this part of the
Cognac in Cognac<br />
You can’t go to Cognac and not do a tour<br />
and tasting. There are loads of options<br />
including Hennessy, Remy Martin and<br />
Martell. Just check at the tourist office for<br />
details of all that are available in the town<br />
and the surrounding countryside.<br />
One of the best tours is to be had at the<br />
Chateau Royal de Cognac.. It is an<br />
extraordinary visit of a majestic building –<br />
plus there’s a fabulous tasting…<br />
Royal Chateau de Cognac<br />
The Royal Chateau de Cognac overlooks<br />
the Charente river and was originally a 10th<br />
century fortress, designed to stop <strong>No</strong>rman<br />
invasions. Home to noblemen it was where<br />
one of France’s most celebrated kings,<br />
Francis I was born in 1515. It’s now the<br />
domaine of Baron Otard, whose cognac<br />
house was founded in 1795. The chateau<br />
then was in a state of neglect and the<br />
Baron had it restored and realised that the<br />
thick walls provide exceptional aging<br />
conditions for his eau-de-vie.<br />
Guided tours of the chateau are divided into<br />
two parts, French history and Baron Otard<br />
cognacs. (It's available in several<br />
languages). Tours begin in the historic part<br />
of the chateau, then onto the cellars.<br />
You can smell the cognac as you walk<br />
through the doors of the 12th century rooms<br />
above the cellars.<br />
The castle is wonderfully preserved, you’ll<br />
see the remains of a 12th century hot water<br />
system and the room where King Richard<br />
the Lionheart came to bless the wedding of<br />
his illegitimate son Philip of Cognac. There<br />
are sculptures and engravings, early style<br />
Renaissance rooms – in fact it’s said that<br />
the French Renaissance was born here.<br />
In some rooms there are engravings carved<br />
into the walls by English prisoners which<br />
are fascinating.
Cognac fact file<br />
Only brandy made in the Cognac region of France<br />
and under the strictest guidelines, may be called<br />
“Cognac.”<br />
V.S. (Very Special): stored for at least two years in<br />
cask<br />
V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale): stored for at least<br />
four years in a cask.<br />
XO (Extra Old) or Napoléon: stored for at least six<br />
years in a cask<br />
Hors d’âge (literally meaning Beyond Age): equal to<br />
XO, term is used by producers to market a highquality<br />
product beyond the official age scale.<br />
Use a tulip- shaped or balloon glass. to capture<br />
cognac’s subtle aromas.<br />
The ideal temperature to serve cognac is between<br />
15 and 18ºC (59 to 64.4°F); too warm and it will<br />
evaporate and lose taste and flavour.<br />
Napoleon Bonaparte’s favourite drink was cognac.<br />
Down in the cellars the 90% humidity and<br />
constant 15 deg C temperature are perfect<br />
condition for the spiders that are part of the<br />
cycle of production. The cognac is matured<br />
in wooden barrels, the spiders eat the bugs<br />
in the wood and keep it clean. Cognac<br />
evaporates through the wood and causes a<br />
blackened fungus to form on the walls and<br />
ceiling called “the angels share”, the locals<br />
joke that the spiders are drunk in here!<br />
The room where Francis 1 was baptised as<br />
a baby, more than 500 years ago, is now<br />
the dry cellar room. There are sniff tables<br />
where you can really tell the difference<br />
between the different types of cognac<br />
In the dungeons are the oldest bottles of<br />
cognac dating back 200 years. It’s a totally<br />
fascinating visit only made better by the<br />
tasting at the end of the tour!<br />
Eating out in Cognac<br />
Locals love: Le Bistro de Claude. Fresh food<br />
and a tasty menu, great atmosphere and<br />
lots of cognac to choose from! Friendly<br />
staff, English spoken and full of locals who<br />
know a great restaurant when they see<br />
one…<br />
Wine and dine: Atelier des Quais. From the<br />
door just off the main bridge, you might not<br />
realise just how lovely this place is. If you<br />
enter the door from the quayside opposite<br />
the towers of the Chateau Royal, it’s<br />
obvious you’re somewhere special. Go for<br />
coffee, tapas, cocktails and for the fabulous<br />
lunch or dinner menu. The courtyard with<br />
its twinkling lights at night is truly lovely.<br />
Poulpette, in the Saint-Jacques district is a<br />
unique and lovely tiny restaurant with a nochoice<br />
menu. The chef cooks whatever is<br />
freshest and most appealing to him; it’s<br />
creative and authentic.<br />
Chez Aristide, in the pedestrian zone of Old<br />
Town, traditional, regional menu with a<br />
fresh twist. Casual and hip with a nice<br />
terrace.
Chai Meukow, a restaurant within the<br />
Cognac House Meukow in the centre of<br />
town. Lunch only with a no-choice menu<br />
that’s fabulous. Reservation is obligatory<br />
(online at their website) you can also do a<br />
tour and tasting.<br />
Gourmet specialities: Le Gourmet<br />
Charentaise. A terrific selection of local<br />
specialities and amazing liqueurs and<br />
cognacs. I spent 45 minutes in here<br />
admiring the heaving shelves and checking<br />
out the goods some of which I’ve never<br />
seen anywhere else. Seriously drool-worthy<br />
and perfect for souvenirs to take home (if<br />
they make it!)… (22 rue du canton)<br />
Where to stay<br />
Quai des Pontis is situated in the heart of<br />
Cognac, on the Charente River. It’s a<br />
magical setting with three different types of<br />
accommodation from gypsy caravans to<br />
cabins on stilts on the river’s edge and cosy<br />
wooden lodges. They’re all equipped with<br />
mod cons such as DVD’s, LCD television<br />
sets, Nespresso machines.<br />
But it’s the natural beauty of the resort that<br />
makes it a knockout location and really<br />
brings it home that the countryside laps<br />
right up to the edges of the town. There’s<br />
loads to do here from fishing, swimming,<br />
exploring the surrounding countryside or<br />
the short walk into town,.<br />
Discover what’s on and things to do in<br />
Cognac at www.tourism-cognac.com.<br />
More on the local area: www.infinimentcharentes.com/;<br />
www.atlantic-cognac.com
www.lagrange-holidays.co.uk
Le Touquet Paris-Plage<br />
The "Monaco" of <strong>No</strong>rthern<br />
France<br />
Le Touquet is a small seaside resort on the beautiful Opal Coast of northern France.<br />
Architecturally it has a mix of British Edwardian and French Belle Epoque styles.<br />
Combined with a zest for outdoor living (and its own microclimate), swanky shops and<br />
excellent bars and restaurants. It’s a brilliant place for a weekend break (or longer). With<br />
loads of activities from water sports, a historic golf course, horse riding in the sand<br />
dunes, tennis and much more. You seriously won’t want for things to do here.<br />
History of Le Touquet<br />
Le Touquet was named Paris-Plage by<br />
Hippolyte de Villemessant, the founder of<br />
Le Figaro in the 1800s because it was so<br />
popular with Parisians who loved its<br />
forests for hunting, shooting and fishing.<br />
In the 1880s, British visitor Sir John Whitby<br />
decided to develop the town targeting rich<br />
Britons and the upper classes. Le Touquet<br />
became a town in 1912 and is known in<br />
France as the “Monaco of the north”. Right<br />
from the start it attracted the wealthy and<br />
the famous from around the world, lured<br />
by its beautiful villas, world class hotels<br />
and penchant for fitness and sports.<br />
The great British writer H G Wells (Time<br />
Machine) eloped here in 1909. <strong>No</strong>ël<br />
Coward, P G Wodehouse, Marlene Dietrich,<br />
Edith Piaf, Cecil Beaton and Ian Fleming all<br />
holidayed here – the latter based his iconic<br />
Bond, 007, story “Casino Royale” on Le<br />
Touquet’s casino. Serge Gainsbourg got<br />
his first singing break here, singing at<br />
Flavio restaurant (it’s still there), Sean<br />
Connery signed his first James Bond<br />
contract in the town. The list is endless for<br />
those who have fallen for its charms. And<br />
it continues: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt<br />
are fans!
Le Touquet today<br />
Architecrurally, not that much has changed<br />
though the biggest difference of the last<br />
100 years is the disappearance of the<br />
Royal Picardy Hotel.<br />
Opened in 1930 it was a magnet for the<br />
wealthiest people. It was at the time the<br />
biggest hotel in the world with more than<br />
500 rooms and apartments so large they<br />
had their own swimming pools – 50 of<br />
them. There were 120 public lounges and<br />
more bars and restaurants than anyone<br />
can remember. Cole Porter stayed here and<br />
wrote “Anything Goes” on the piano at the<br />
casino across the road. It was majestic,<br />
splendid and grandiose on a supersize<br />
scale. Alas it was destroyed during WWII<br />
and what remains is now apartments and<br />
shops.<br />
The grand villas and Belle Epoque market,<br />
the casinos and the fabulous Westminster<br />
Hotel, the tennis courts and swimming<br />
pools, golf resort Inaugurated by British<br />
Prime Minister Lord Balfour in 1904) and<br />
horse racecourse all remain and if Winston<br />
Churchill was to return (as he so often did),<br />
he would still recognise it from its glory<br />
days.<br />
What to see in Le Touquet<br />
There’s a 7km long beach of soft white<br />
sand with pretty little beach huts, a water<br />
theme park on the beach with heated pools<br />
and a choice of spas are on offer. Climb the<br />
274 step lighthouse for jaw-dropping views<br />
over the countryside and coast.<br />
Take the little train ride around Le Touquet<br />
to view some of the magnificent turreted<br />
buildings in the town and the forest on the<br />
outskirts of the centre.
The streets are filled with chic French<br />
boutiques where you can buy Donna Karen<br />
and Chanel alongside less expensive but<br />
equally stylish brands. There are specialist<br />
food shops, chocolatiers, wine caves and<br />
some of the best patisseries I’ve ever come<br />
across in France. Head to rue Metz for<br />
gourmet cakes, marshmallow creations,<br />
artisan chocolate, and artisan food shops<br />
that are simply irresistible.<br />
The Saturday morning market in a listed<br />
covered art deco market is superb.<br />
Golf course La Mer (18 holes) is rated in the<br />
top one 100 courses in continental Europe<br />
and has fabulous views over the sea, plus a<br />
great clubhouse. There’s also La Foret (18<br />
holes) and Le Manoir (9 holes). Golf Le<br />
Touquet is an open golf club and attracts<br />
players from all over Europe. There’s a<br />
friendly atmosphere and rumour has it a<br />
certain golf loving British Royal prince is to<br />
be seen on one of the courses from time to<br />
time!<br />
There’s also a yacht club that’s open to all,<br />
boat rides, sailing lessons, tennis centre<br />
with more than 30 courts. And if you need<br />
a bit of a pick me up, try the Thalasso<br />
Therapy Spa right on the beach, created by<br />
Tour de France rider Louison Bobbet and<br />
located in the avenue named after him. The<br />
famous seaweed treatments will have you<br />
feeling sparkling and sprightly.<br />
And, when you want to take a break, there<br />
are excellent restaurants from the Michelin<br />
starred Le Pavillon in the Westminster<br />
Hotel to the famous fish restaurant Chez<br />
Perard (Lord Alan Sugar’s favourite, he’s<br />
often seen in there) to bistros specialising<br />
in classic French dishes.
Don’t miss: Horse riding in the dunes<br />
Horse riding along the beach and in the<br />
dunes is just about as much fun as it’s<br />
possible to have. It doesn’t matter if you’ve<br />
never ridden a horse in your life, now’s the<br />
time to start. I went to the Centre Equestre<br />
on Avenue de la Dune aux loups and<br />
booked a one hour walk with a horse (pony<br />
rides are available for kids separately).<br />
With my two daughters who’d never been<br />
on a horse, we had an orientation session<br />
then set off for the beach. With the wind<br />
blowing in our hair, we followed the walk<br />
leader and got to see a different side to this<br />
town, wilder and less manicured than the<br />
posh centre, the waves lapped the beach<br />
around the horses feet, they clearly loved it.<br />
And so did we.<br />
With more than 400 events a year ranging<br />
from wine tasting and book fairs, concerts<br />
with international acts, to the Women’s<br />
Open Tennis and Enduropal race set up by<br />
Thierry Sabine who also founded the Paris-<br />
Dakkar race, season in France, and month<br />
long Christmas festivities – Le Touquet is a<br />
year-round superb weekend destination.<br />
And very moreish. You’ll always want to go<br />
back…<br />
Useful websites:<br />
Tourist Office: http://gb.letouquet.com/<br />
Equestrian Centre: centre-equestreletouquet.ffe.com/<br />
Racecourse Le Touquet: www.hippodromeletouquet.com/
£49
Montreuil-sur-<br />
A town for all season<br />
Montreuil sur mer<br />
Around an hour from the port town of<br />
Calais, Montreuil-sur-Mer is a perfect<br />
weekend destination as well as a great<br />
stop off point for travellers going to and<br />
from the UK. Easy to reach from the A16<br />
main auto route, coming here offers a slice<br />
of history and gastronomy as this little<br />
town is home to a superb Michelin star<br />
restaurant and a dozen truly excellent<br />
brasseries, restaurants and cafés.<br />
There are plenty of hotels and chambre<br />
d’hotes. If you’re after a special stay and a<br />
special meal, the 4 Star Chateau de<br />
Montreuil definitely fits the bill. This<br />
gorgeous little manor house has 10<br />
charming bedrooms, each different and<br />
each special - from medieval style with a 4-<br />
poster bed to Chanel-like elegance. The<br />
views from every room are fabulous.<br />
Owned by renowned chef Christian<br />
Germain, understandably the restaurant is<br />
a big lure and dishes are of the classic<br />
French style. An aperitif and nibbles in the<br />
gorgeous salon are de rigeur on a cool day<br />
with a big roaring fire. If the sun’s out, the<br />
landscaped gardens are exquisite.<br />
From here you can easily walk around the<br />
ramparts of the citadel, following in the<br />
footsteps of Hugo who sat under a plane<br />
tree in 1837 dreaming up the story of Les<br />
Miserables. The view is largely unchanged.<br />
In Place Darnetal, the chocolate boutique,<br />
complete with chandelier, is hard to ignore<br />
with its handmade chocolates tempting you<br />
from the windows. Walk to the left and<br />
you’ll arrive in Place Gambetta where you’ll<br />
find the Chapelle St Nicolas rebuilt by<br />
Clovis <strong>No</strong>rmand, a pupil of Violet le Duc.<br />
You’ll also find the Abbatiale St Saulve<br />
which was part of a much bigger building<br />
from the 12th century. Montreuil-sur-Mer<br />
takes its name from the Latin word<br />
monasteriolum’ meaning small monastery.
s<br />
Mer<br />
The town had a strong religious history<br />
attracting many pilgrims. Long before that,<br />
it was a Roman town.<br />
Over the years Montreuil-sur-Mer has seen<br />
its fair share of dramatic events including a<br />
serious earthquake in the 15th century,<br />
invasion by the armies of Emperor Charles<br />
Quint, a siege by Henry VIII of England and<br />
acting as headquarters for General Haig<br />
during World War I. A statue of him astride<br />
his horse sits before the town theatre,<br />
made by Paul Landowski (whose best<br />
known work is Christ the Redeemer in Rio<br />
de Janeiro).<br />
Just to the right as you face General Haig is<br />
a fabulous boulangerie - Le Grémont, a<br />
contender in the best baker in France<br />
competition. Here, the speciality loaf is<br />
called a Valjean, named after the character<br />
in Les Miserables, who in the book had a<br />
factory in Montreuil-sur-Mer. Just across<br />
the road is Fromagerie Caseus, a cheese<br />
shop that attracts cheese lovers from far<br />
and wide to buy its absolutely superb<br />
selection. There are plenty of local<br />
specialities from stinky Maroilles to<br />
sublime Sire de Crequy.<br />
The large central square, named after<br />
General de Gaulle is lined with bars,<br />
restaurants and shops. On a Saturday<br />
morning it bursts into life as the weekly<br />
market lures shoppers from all over the<br />
area.<br />
Head to the little rue du Clape en Bas for a<br />
tranquil aperitif, or a delicious snack in one<br />
of the tiny cafés.<br />
Then continue your walk of discovery<br />
heading back towards the Citadel to take a<br />
tour of the ancient buildings and visit the<br />
town museum.
The fortified gates date to the beginning of<br />
the 13th century as do several towers which<br />
once provided protection to what was a<br />
port town – hence the name sur Mer (on<br />
sea). There’s no sea there now, in fact<br />
Victor Hugo wrote that he was a bit miffed<br />
about it! But over the centuries the estuary<br />
from the channel which led up to the steep<br />
walls of Montreuil silted up and now the<br />
waves are some 10km away in Le Touquet.<br />
This was one of the first citadels built in<br />
France, commissioned by Charles IX in<br />
1567. It was improved by Vauban, Louis<br />
XIV’s engineer and now houses part of the<br />
collection of the Roger Rodière Museum of<br />
France and is a classified site for the<br />
protection of bats.<br />
Each year the townsfolk of Montreuil dress<br />
up to the nines and put on a most amazing<br />
show – Les Miserables performed on the<br />
ramparts by a cast of some 500 locals,<br />
accompanied by cannon and horses. It’s an<br />
absolutely brilliant event, professional but<br />
heart felt.<br />
While you're here - eat. Seriously –<br />
Montreuil-sur-Mer, “Destination<br />
Gastronomique”, really is that good. There<br />
are regular food and wine festivals and lots<br />
of really excellent restaurants.<br />
Locals love Froggys which specialises in<br />
rotisserie, Le Caveau (terrific brasserie fare<br />
and scrumptious Flemish pizzas), Anecdote,<br />
industrial chic décor and a fabulous menu,<br />
Bistronome for great steak frites. Walk off<br />
the calories round this picturesque little<br />
town or take a turn around the ramparts<br />
which takes about 40 minutes.<br />
Useful websites:<br />
www.tourisme-montreuillois.com/fr<br />
www.pas-de-calais-tourisme.com/en<br />
ladestinationgastronomique.com/fr
Hosts, Goats and Chambres d<br />
British stand-up comedian, mod, expat, goat whisperer (maybe) - and now Chambre<br />
d’hote host, Ian Moore’s unique insights into life in the Loire Valley will make you laugh<br />
out loud…<br />
There’s a point in my first or second book,<br />
probably both, where my wife, Natalie, and I<br />
sit down and have one of those ‘The future,<br />
what shall we do?’ conversations. We’d<br />
already lived in France for a few years, but<br />
the weekly commute back to the UK to<br />
perform stand-up had left its mark; a<br />
hollow eyed ‘dead man walking’ stare<br />
whenever I had to leave home and the<br />
family, a spine so damaged from overuse<br />
of budget airlines that it resembled a<br />
fairground helter skelter and a mini-bottle<br />
rosé addiction from trying to make the<br />
Eurostar feel more glamourous than it<br />
actually is. It was time for a change, we<br />
agreed. Time for a new chapter in our life.<br />
"We're definitely not opening a<br />
chambres d’hôtes"<br />
‘Well one thing we’re definitely not doing,’ I<br />
said, tapping the table for emphasis, ‘is<br />
opening up our house as a chambres<br />
d’hôtes! We moved here for peace and<br />
quiet, not for other people.’<br />
Natalie laughed, ‘Can you imagine?’ She<br />
snorted, ‘You as a host? Having to be nice<br />
to people?’ She could barely control herself<br />
now, which was slightly insulting. ‘<strong>No</strong>,<br />
definitely not a chambres d’hôtes!’<br />
"Our Chambres d’hôtes opened<br />
last year"<br />
Our chambres d’hôtes opened in<br />
<strong>No</strong>vember last year in a u-turn so dizzying<br />
that the term u-turn itself seems<br />
inadequate, it was more a triple axel half<br />
loop with salchow and our heads still<br />
haven’t stopped spinning. So why the<br />
change of heart? Had the sardonic standup<br />
comic, the professional cynic,<br />
mellowed? Was I suddenly, that awful<br />
thing, a ‘people person’?
’Hôtes<br />
Well no, not exactly but in the end, you<br />
have to take what you have and work out<br />
the best way forward. I wanted to be at<br />
home more and concentrate on writing and<br />
the French house prices meant that, having<br />
sold up in Southern England, we had a big<br />
property with numerous outbuildings that<br />
would make a fine bed and breakfast<br />
independent of the family home. And,<br />
despite being told too many times for<br />
comfort, that maybe I wasn’t ‘genial host’<br />
material, it was still a no-brainer.<br />
‘I can change,’ I kept repeating, ‘not<br />
commuting every week will soften me.’ Of<br />
course, this was before French bureaucracy<br />
got involved, a combination of rabbit<br />
warren and threshing machine that has one<br />
purpose in mind, and one purpose only – to<br />
break you. For example, the necessary<br />
courtesy visit to the local Mairie to tell them<br />
of our plans added an extra 5,000€ to the<br />
bill when it turned out the new stable for<br />
the horse, let’s face it a glorified shed, also<br />
needed planning permission.<br />
‘Your horse needs planning permission,’<br />
said the Mayoress apologetically.<br />
‘I don’t think we’ll get her upstairs to your<br />
office.’ I replied, to no-one’s amusement.<br />
When renovation on the outbuildings<br />
eventually began, it was a massive relief.<br />
<strong>No</strong>t just that the project, eight months after<br />
that Mairie visit had finally begun, but that<br />
our outbuildings were finally being put to<br />
some practical use rather than acting as a<br />
Brocante recycling depot. For years we had<br />
pitched a stall at the local Brocantes and<br />
every year, thanks to Natalie and the<br />
children, we’d come back with more<br />
needless junk than we’d set out with.<br />
<strong>No</strong>w it was time to end this rigmarole and<br />
dump the whole nonsense at the<br />
dechetterie. (My favourite French word<br />
incidentally, dechetterie, it’s the local refuse<br />
tip but literally sounds like De-Shittery –<br />
which is exactly what it is.)
Eight fraught months later the place was<br />
finished, the gravel for the driveway went in<br />
on October 28th and our first guest arrived<br />
the following day, ‘This is beautiful,’ the<br />
guest said, ‘have you been open long?’<br />
‘About 40 minutes.’ I muttered under my<br />
breath.<br />
The idea of opening in the depths of winter<br />
was our canny way of using what would<br />
certainly be just a trickle of guests as<br />
Guinea-Pigs while we learnt the Chambres<br />
d’hôtes ropes, but immediately we were<br />
booked up! We had always reckoned that<br />
the heart of the Loire Valley was going to<br />
be fairly busy what with the chateaux, the<br />
wine and the cheese and so on, but the<br />
world famous ZooParc de Beauval just 20<br />
minutes away is open all year round and<br />
packed out to boot. Plus, Natalie never<br />
stops smugly reminding me, our own minifarm<br />
is partly stocked with animals from the<br />
zoo itself. <strong>No</strong>t Pandas, well not yet anyway,<br />
but our goats came from the zoo. They are,<br />
and I hate to admit this, a selling point. I’ve<br />
had a fractious relationship with the goats. I<br />
see now why the Zoo Beauval was so keen<br />
to be rid of them. They’re constantly finding<br />
new ways to escape their paddock and eat<br />
the roses, while encouraging the horse to<br />
do the same. I once had to wrestle a goat to<br />
the ground in our neighbour’s garden when<br />
she complained of being attacked. I carried<br />
the thing back home, it clinging to me like a<br />
hairy rucksack.<br />
I had complained bitterly about their<br />
behaviour for years but was now told that<br />
they couldn’t be sent back, that they were,<br />
in fact, a non-negotiable asset and I had to<br />
put up with it. I stormed out to the field to<br />
address the goats personally and in no<br />
uncertain terms.<br />
‘<strong>No</strong>w listen goats,’ I began, finger-wagging<br />
at the bemused animals, ‘I’ve had enough.<br />
But you play fair and I’ll play fair…’
I gave them the dressing down they<br />
thoroughly deserved and felt strangely<br />
empowered by my futile actions not<br />
realising that while doing so, a crowd had<br />
gathered. Three families staying in the<br />
chambres d’hôtes had assembled quietly<br />
to see what the fuss was all about. What<br />
they got was a middle-aged man in a tightfitting<br />
suit reading the riot act to three<br />
utterly disinterested farm animals. I went<br />
red.<br />
‘New members of staff,’ I said striding off<br />
like Basil Fawlty, ‘just breaking them in.’<br />
I expected Natalie to be angry at the show<br />
too, but no.<br />
‘That’s it,’ she said, ‘give the punters the<br />
angry, absurd, pent up man that’s in your<br />
books! That’s a great selling point!’<br />
think you have to calm down to run a BnB<br />
like the perfect host and the next you’ve<br />
created your own kind of ‘man at odds with<br />
the world’ theme park, a sort of Dollywood<br />
for expats. But you know what? It works.<br />
Ian has written two books on living in<br />
France and travelling as a comedian, and<br />
this year his first fiction was published, a<br />
crime novel set in the Loire Valley. All his<br />
books are available here<br />
And if you fancy a few days at Ian’s<br />
Chambres d’hôtes and to watch a grown<br />
man swear at livestock, you can see the<br />
place here www.lapausevaldeloire.<br />
com/<br />
And that’s how it happens, one minute you
The secret<br />
gorges of<br />
Ardeche<br />
The hardly known gorges and roads of the Ardeche region<br />
deserve to be discovered says Lucy Pitts as she wends her<br />
way south of France...<br />
The Ardèche and its winding roads and<br />
inspiring views is a surprisingly quiet<br />
corner of southern France. It’s at the very<br />
south of the Rhône Alpes region, flirting<br />
with both northern Provence and the<br />
Languedoc. There’s a hint of the Garrigue<br />
in the rugged landscape and you’re just a<br />
hair’s breath from the lavender fields and<br />
olive trees of the Drôme. At times you can<br />
almost feel the Alpes to the east but the<br />
Ardèche has its own unique personality<br />
that shifts and changes with the landscape;<br />
at times Mediterranean, then Alpine, then<br />
almost Grecian.
There’s all sort of reasons to visit here,<br />
especially in early September when the<br />
tourists have all but left but the sun is still<br />
warm. And one of the best reasons to come<br />
has be the Ardèche Gorges Nature Reserve<br />
and the surrounding area. And that’s where<br />
the yurt comes in.<br />
From the small town of Vallon Pont d’Arc<br />
about an hour and a half south west of<br />
Valence, take the tourist route signed to<br />
the Pont d’Arc. Although the map might try<br />
and persuade you otherwise, it’s not the<br />
bendiest road in the Ardèche (that’s further<br />
north) but it must come in a close second.<br />
Drive through the rock face of the great<br />
cliffs that surround the road (yes I mean<br />
through) and after a couple of miles, you’ll<br />
find a small sign announcing the Prehistoric<br />
Loges on your right, snuggled down<br />
discretely between the road and the river.
Photo: Sue Chapple
quiet and serene and once you’ve dried off,<br />
just stroll down to the beach and listen to<br />
the sounds of the river as dusk takes a<br />
hold.<br />
There’s a main cabin, with quiet views back<br />
over the gorge and a really good restaurant.<br />
You can connect to Wifi there if you need to<br />
or stay in one of their rooms. But why would<br />
you want to? And as you slip down under<br />
your luxurious covers in the snug of your<br />
yurt, the sounds of nature at night gently<br />
soothes you to sleep.<br />
The Pont d’Arc<br />
The Pont d’Arc is a 54 m high and 60 m<br />
wide, natural bridge carved out of the rock<br />
face of the gorge over the Ardèche River,<br />
and it happens to be just around the corner<br />
from the Loges. If you can, visit early in the<br />
morning, by which I mean about 8.30am to<br />
9am and after a feast of freshly cooked<br />
breads and pastries on your yurt’s balcony.<br />
Or you could try one for the Loges’ Paniers<br />
Gourmand for your day’s exploring.<br />
A yurt to remember<br />
The Loges is one of those places that<br />
takes you slightly by surprise. There are 5<br />
yurts tucked away from each other in<br />
amongst the trees on the slopes which<br />
lead down to one of the private beaches of<br />
the River Ardèche. And as you’ve already<br />
realised, they’re not any old yurts.<br />
Mine had a 4 poster bed (as well as a bunk<br />
bed), luxuriously dressed in leopard skin<br />
blankets and in the corner, my fabulously<br />
indulgent round bathtub. The bathroom<br />
area was created out of reclaimed wood<br />
(presumably from the gorge) giving it a<br />
rustic but still luxury feel. And because of<br />
the carefully secluded position, you can<br />
raise the external flaps of your yurt and<br />
enjoy the privacy of a bath while watching<br />
the sun slowly slip down the face of the<br />
gorge on the opposite side of the river. It’s<br />
Early morning is not the best time to get<br />
photos as the sun isn’t quite up over the<br />
cliffs yet, (well not in September) but<br />
something rather magical happens. I was<br />
the only person there that early, surrounded<br />
by a vast amphitheatre of cliffs as I strolled<br />
down passed a little circle of vines in the<br />
silence. But as I approached the Pont D’Arc,<br />
thousands of birds who live in the rock<br />
face, started swirling around and singing an<br />
exotic song. You can climb right down to<br />
the river and with the lush vegetative and<br />
still warm air, it felt tropical and almost<br />
magical. I went back later in the day when I<br />
got some great photos, but the hushed<br />
reverence and the birds had gone and<br />
without them, the sense of mystic wasn’t<br />
quite as intense.<br />
Photos: Top left Pont d'Arc a natural<br />
bridge carved out of the rock; above<br />
yurts with a luxury feel
Photo copyright Patrick Aventurier - Caverne-du-pont-darc
Pont d’Arc Cavern<br />
I wasn’t expecting to be excited by a replica<br />
of the Chauvet Cave (about 15 minutes’<br />
drive from Vallon) but boy was I! The<br />
original cave was discovered by cavers in<br />
the 1990s and its location is kept secret in<br />
order to protect it. That’s because what<br />
those cavers inadvertently stumbled upon<br />
20 years ago is nothing short of<br />
staggering: cave art, which dates back<br />
30,000 to 45,000 years to the ice age<br />
period. And yet, remains vivid, vibrant and<br />
utterly compelling.<br />
The replica (the largest in the world) is<br />
about 15 minutes’ drive from Vallon and<br />
well signed. Set in a lofty orchard of chêne<br />
trees and limestone paths there are views<br />
across the valley as far as le Mont Lozère<br />
and Col d ’Escrinet. There are also a<br />
number of animations and educational<br />
galleries to enjoy including a children’s<br />
centre and the Aurignacien Gallery, before<br />
you head into the depths of the cave for<br />
your guided tour.<br />
The guide explains as you enter that you’re<br />
going to feel like you’re in the original cave<br />
and you do. It’s spine tingling. There’s<br />
almost a 3D feel to some of the work as the<br />
artists incorporated the contours of the<br />
rock face to add depth, movement and<br />
humour to their drawings. Scratches and<br />
grease marks from the coats of prehistoric<br />
bears are still visible and you start to get a<br />
sense of the artists, as little details like the<br />
bent, broken little finger of one (much like<br />
mine) appears again and again in some of<br />
the hand prints.<br />
As you come back out into the sunshine,<br />
with the Mistral wind nibbling at your<br />
cheeks, you feel a sense of serenity but<br />
also adventure. <strong>No</strong>w there’s just one last<br />
stop to make before you tackle the full<br />
might of the “route touristique des gorges<br />
de l’Ardèche”. <strong>No</strong>t far from Vallon Pont<br />
d’Arc (the starting point for the main tourist<br />
route along the gorges) is the town of<br />
Ruoms. Ruoms is pretty enough but from<br />
there, take a small, winding road signed to<br />
Labeaume.
A quick stop at Labeaume<br />
Labeaume (one of the Ardèche’s many<br />
‘village de caractère’) is a small medieval<br />
village nestled against a limestone rock<br />
face. If you love mysterious and tiny<br />
cobbled streets, this is the place for you. It<br />
has a castle that watches carefully from<br />
above and the village opens out onto a<br />
large, pretty square surrounded by plane<br />
trees and perched on the banks of the<br />
Beaume River.<br />
Cross the bridge to look back at the village<br />
huddled into the overhanging cliff face and<br />
dotted with quirky boutiques and quaint<br />
houses, many of which have façades<br />
decorated with pebbles. Or watch a game<br />
of Pétanque unfold in the square.<br />
In July and August they have a musical<br />
festival here and it’s also not a bad place to<br />
use as a base if you want to explore the<br />
surrounding Beaume Gorge and discover<br />
some of the 140 dolmens (megalithic<br />
tombs). Or just sip coffee in the square and<br />
soak up the surrounding beauty before you<br />
head off to tackle the Ardèche gorges.<br />
The long & winding road to St.Martin<br />
There are many ways to explore the gorges,<br />
namely by foot, kayak or even by horseback<br />
but it’s worth starting with a car. Drive<br />
the tourist route from Vallon Pont d’Arc to<br />
St. Martin d’Ardèche to get a lofty feel for<br />
what you’re about to discover. It’s 35 km of<br />
hair pin bends and steep inclines, and not<br />
necessarily for the faint-hearted driver.<br />
Throw in the odd brave cyclist who you<br />
have to overtake, ignore the locals who are<br />
nudging you on from behind, and don’t<br />
expect to spend a lot of time in 4th gear.<br />
On the upside it is peppered with outstanding<br />
viewpoints along the way and<br />
although you tell yourself you’re not going<br />
to stop at each and every one, they’re very<br />
hard to resist mile after mile of breathtaking<br />
views over the limestone gorges<br />
(some of which are 300 metres high) with<br />
glimpses of the tiny river and kayakers, far,<br />
far below. Amazingly the road was only<br />
built in the 1960s and it’s not hard to<br />
imagine what an inhospitable and<br />
challenging terrain it must have been for<br />
anyone travelling before then.
threw open the roof and held on to our<br />
windows which had a life of their own as we<br />
sputtered and coughed our way amongst<br />
the vineyards of the Rhône, through the<br />
scrubby Garrigue and up round the gorges.<br />
With the famous Mistral wind pulling at<br />
your hair and a sense of the vastness of<br />
the region, when you finally drop down into<br />
St. Martin at the other end, you feel a bit<br />
like a conquering hero.<br />
A bit of exploring<br />
St. Martin d’Ardèche or St Julien de<br />
Peyrolas on the opposite side of the river<br />
(and actually in the Languedoc) is a great<br />
place to stay for exploring the gorges.<br />
You’re right on the border of the Drôme,<br />
Vaucluse and Gard and you feel like you’re<br />
back in the Mediterranean. There are<br />
vineyards, plains, olive groves and figs and<br />
the village acts as a bit of a gateway from<br />
the gorges to Provence and the south.<br />
From St Martin you can explore the gorges<br />
by guided tour on foot or by bike, but I went<br />
in a 2CV. My chauffeur was Rosemarie,<br />
who’s family own and run the local organic<br />
wine producing estate, Domaine de la Croix<br />
Blanche and her passion for where she<br />
lives oozes from every pore. She gave me a<br />
choice of quirky vehicles and our 2CV was<br />
both the best and the worst I’m sure. We<br />
I don’t think Rosemarie would disagree if I<br />
said gear changing wasn’t her greatest<br />
strength nor keeping to the correct side of<br />
the road, and the journey was filled with<br />
laughter (and possibly the odd scream).<br />
Rosemarie is pleasantly bonkers and I<br />
couldn’t think of a nicer person to spend a<br />
day with although I hate to think what you’ll<br />
get up to if you join her for one of her<br />
walking tours. Back at the Domaine we had<br />
a quick tasting of their organic Ardèche<br />
rosés which were refreshingly welcome.<br />
Rosemarie’s husband also makes tapenade<br />
and if you arrange it in advance via the<br />
tourist office, he will do demonstrations.<br />
However you choose to explore the<br />
Ardèche and its gorges, take time to linger<br />
in this stunningly beautiful and unusually<br />
quiet corner of southern France which has<br />
something to inspire at almost every twist<br />
and turn. From the civilised wines of the<br />
Rhône to the vast wilderness surrounding<br />
the gorges, it’s not often that you get to<br />
explore somewhere that in places feels<br />
completely untamed and has a past<br />
stretching back to the ice age<br />
For more information about the<br />
Ardèche: www.ardeche-guide.com<br />
To visit Rosemarie and try her wines<br />
and driving : www.<br />
domainedelacroixblanche.com<br />
Details of The Loges and their yurts:<br />
www.prehistoric-lodge.com<br />
For more information about the<br />
Chauvet Cave: en.cavernedupontdarc.fr
Fishing in France... with your feet!<br />
All over France, catching fish for a free meal is a popular activitiy. Mike Cranmer<br />
heads to the department of Finistere in Brittany to join in the fun...<br />
We’d been crouching on the sand for what<br />
seemed like hours. My knees were aching. I<br />
just had to shift position.<br />
“Tranquillement! Essayez de ne pas faire de<br />
bruit” Marie whispered (Quietly! Try not to<br />
make a noise). Our eyes were fixed on a<br />
tiny volcano-like mound of sand. Waiting.<br />
Watching. Waiting. Suddenly a squirt of<br />
water erupted from our target. Still Marie<br />
didn’t move.<br />
Perhaps I ought to explain at this point. I<br />
was doing what 3 million French people do<br />
every year, Pêche à Pieds, which translates,<br />
charmingly, as Walk Fishing, or, more<br />
literally, Foot Fishing. All you need is a pair<br />
of wellies, a bucket, and a hand rake. Oh,<br />
and local tide-tables. Very important that, if<br />
you want to avoid an unexpected dunking.<br />
The best tide for this activity is as low as<br />
possible, exposing fishy treasures normally<br />
underwater. One of the best places to do it<br />
is Brittany where tidal ranges of 10m occur.<br />
Marie has lived within a cockerel’s crow of<br />
Saint-Pol-de-Léon for all of her 82 years,<br />
wed to Yann, both steeped in Breton<br />
tradition, and speakers of that ancient, but<br />
still very much alive, language. More<br />
importantly to this tale, she is a Pêcheuse à<br />
Pied extraordinaire. She knows all the best,<br />
most secret places to seek out her quarry,<br />
and, how to cook it. She was to be my guide.<br />
We headed for our adventure in the<br />
secluded bay of Pointe Saint-Jean: Marie,<br />
Yann, teenage grand-daughter Léa, my wife<br />
and I, plus a carload of buckets and rakes.<br />
The first discovery of the day came when I<br />
put on my newly-acquired wellies to find<br />
they were both right feet causing me to<br />
walk in circles until I mastered the steering.<br />
The second was that the normally quiet bay<br />
was like Wembley on Cup Final Day, cars<br />
parked willy-nilly along the single-track<br />
approach. We were not alone.
Marie had allowed the time it would take to<br />
walk out to our hunting ground so we’d<br />
arrive about an hour before marée basse<br />
(low tide). So had what seemed like the<br />
entire population of nearby Saint-Pol-de-<br />
Léon. There were people everywhere along<br />
the vast sweep of beach; dogs, push-chairs,<br />
families, singles, couples, all searching for<br />
the same elusive treasure as us…like a<br />
Lowry painting without the grime, factories,<br />
tenements, and clogs, but you get my point.<br />
Our expert set off purposefully, skirting the<br />
coast and branching out towards rocks<br />
normally submerged, but now exposed by<br />
the sea’s retreat. She showed us how to<br />
scrape the sand with our rakes to turn up<br />
shells just below the surface, “Bon.<br />
Quelques coques” (Good. Some cockles)<br />
and showed us how to swill out the sand<br />
and mud with seawater to separate our<br />
catch.<br />
We turned up different shells and paused<br />
while Marie identified them: palourde –<br />
grooved carpet shell clam; bigorneau –<br />
winkles; amande de mer – dog cockle;<br />
praire – saltwater clam (aka Warty Venus!);<br />
lavagnon – peppery furrow shell clam; bulot<br />
- whelk. Lots of clams but each subtly<br />
different. Small ones were returned to the<br />
sand, fatter examples kept. Such is the<br />
popularity of Pêche à Pieds that strict<br />
regulations are in place regarding what and<br />
how much can be taken and when.<br />
Information, pocket guides, notice boards,<br />
and online sites are readily available, so no<br />
excuse for pleading ignorance if the<br />
Gendarmes Maritime nab you. Fines of<br />
several thousand euros have recently been<br />
levied in Finistère.<br />
I’d had my head down so when Marie said<br />
“Viens. Il est temps de revenir” it was a<br />
shock to see the tide coming in. (If you go<br />
without a guide, remember to set your<br />
phone alarm to allow plenty of time before<br />
the tide turns to get back to safety).<br />
Back on shore we took stock of our<br />
buckets. Lots of clams, a mound of winkles,<br />
and whelks. A pretty good harvest for three<br />
hours work. But Marie wasn’t content,<br />
“Demain, couteau et huîtres” she said<br />
firmly. (Tomorrow, razor clams and oysters.)<br />
We talked as Marie dealt with the catch:<br />
“We relied on fish to live when I was young”<br />
she told me as she changed the water in<br />
the buckets an hour after our return,<br />
mimicking the tide.
Next day we headed for a spot directly<br />
beneath Le Pont de la Corde over La Penzé<br />
river. Steep banks and thick gloopy mud<br />
made the scramble down tricky but Marie<br />
soon straightened up with a triumphant<br />
grin, holding a huge huître de sabot de<br />
chevaux (horse’s hoof oyster). Our buckets<br />
filled up with more conventional oysters<br />
and juicy palourdes fattened in the rich tidal<br />
waters of the river.<br />
Then off to Pointe Saint-Jean again for an<br />
even lower tide than the day before. “You<br />
don’t need your rakes today, but you will<br />
need these” said Marie, handing each of us<br />
a carton of salt. “I’ll explain when we get to<br />
the spot.”<br />
“Life was hard in the war, but I still like to<br />
catch what I can for free”. She covered the<br />
buckets with seaweed. “I will change the<br />
water again in the morning, same as the<br />
tide. The fish will be fresh for our meal<br />
tomorrow night.”<br />
We had only one mission left to fulfil: to<br />
catch the notoriously elusive razor clam, or<br />
couteau (knife), and to do so we needed<br />
ratlike cunning, patience, and a carton of<br />
salt. <strong>No</strong> point trying to dig, Marie told us,<br />
the couteau just buries itself deep in the<br />
sand using its powerful ‘foot’ to pull further<br />
and further in. <strong>No</strong>, once we’d found the<br />
‘volcanoes’ of sand pushed up by the<br />
creature squirting water, we must wait,<br />
without warning vibrations or sound, until<br />
the ‘siphon’ ejected more water, then pour<br />
salt on the spot.
oysters, whelks, and finally the hard-won<br />
couteau, each course washed down with<br />
Muscadet from Yann’s cellar. Marie<br />
generously shared the recipes which she<br />
learned from her mother. As we enjoyed the<br />
fruits of our labour it reminded me that the<br />
best things in life really are free.<br />
Here are some of Marie’s recipes: Clams<br />
and cockles. Change seawater one hour<br />
after gathering. Cover with seaweed<br />
overnight. Repeat in morning at tide time.<br />
Ingredients: clams or cockles, white wine,<br />
garlic, butter, parsley. To cook: boil in large<br />
saucepan in broth of wine until shells open.<br />
Remove from pan, open shells and put<br />
small knob of butter, finely crushed garlic<br />
and chopped parsley into each shell. Bake<br />
in hot oven for a few minutes. Serve.<br />
Bigorneau. Ingredients: bigorneau, salt,<br />
butter. To cook; Place in large saucepan.<br />
Cover with water and boil. Add salt and<br />
knobs of butter, then cover pan and steam<br />
10 minutes. Serve.<br />
This mimics the saltiness of the incoming<br />
tide, the head of the siphon appears above<br />
the sand exposing two or three<br />
inches…then GRAB and hang on for dear<br />
life! Grab too early and it’s gone. They can<br />
dig down up to a foot a minute. Naturally,<br />
Marie was the first to strike. Her hand<br />
whipped out like a cobra and she grasped,<br />
then pulled, and Hey Presto! The first<br />
couteau.<br />
Bracing ourselves to the task in hand<br />
(literally) we crouched, sprinkled, and<br />
pulled, until we had a decent haul and<br />
headed back to Marie’s to prepare for the<br />
evening’s fête de la mer.<br />
Ten of us sat down to the feast, starting<br />
with the bigorneau, ‘winkled’ out of their<br />
shells with a pin, followed by clams,<br />
Pan-fried clams. Ingredients: clams,<br />
breadcrumbs, garlic. Allow a dozen per<br />
person. To cook: Mix breadcrumbs and<br />
crushed garlic, roll the clams in the mixture<br />
and cook in a hot pan with melted butter.<br />
Serve.<br />
Razor clams. Ingredients: clams, garlic.<br />
Open the shells and remove the black<br />
digestive tract. Dry on kitchen roll. Fry for a<br />
few minutes in garlic and olive oil. Serve.<br />
Oysters. Open and serve with chopped<br />
shallots and lemon.<br />
For tidal information: maree.info or<br />
calendrier-maree.fr<br />
Further information: www.manger-la-mer.<br />
org/Peche-a-pied-conseils<br />
www.roscoff-tourisme.com
An homage to<br />
<strong>No</strong>tre-Dame<br />
The soul of Paris
Photo: Chris Waits<br />
On April 15, 2019 a fire broke out at the<br />
Cathedral of <strong>No</strong>tre-Dame in Paris. As the<br />
world watched, stunned to see this<br />
incredible 856 year old building suffer from<br />
the flames, we shared our hopes on<br />
Facebook that the damage would not be<br />
catastrophic.<br />
Hundreds of thousands of our Facebook<br />
followers shared photos from their visits<br />
and posted of their sadness and of what<br />
this ancient monument meant to them.<br />
More than just a church, <strong>No</strong>tre-Dame is the<br />
soul of Paris.<br />
History of <strong>No</strong>tre-Dame<br />
The creation of <strong>No</strong>tre-Dame took almost<br />
200 years. The first stone was laid in 1163<br />
at a ceremony attended by Pope Alexander<br />
III. It was commissioned by Maurice de<br />
Sully, Bishop of Paris who wanted to build<br />
a church that would be the most<br />
wonderous in Christendom. He died 150<br />
years before the main structure was begun<br />
but he did have time to hold the first mass<br />
in the Cathedral to be.<br />
<strong>No</strong>tre-Dame provided a backdrop to the<br />
lives of Parisians throughout the centuries.<br />
Enduring through the reigns of kings and<br />
wars. She wasn’t always loved, during the<br />
French Revolution, statues were destroyed,<br />
it’s treasures and roof tiles were pillaged.<br />
When Victor Hugo wrote The Hunchback of<br />
<strong>No</strong>tre Dame in 1831, he professed his<br />
sadness and disgust at what such a<br />
“venerable monument” had suffered.<br />
In 1844 a 25 year long restoration began<br />
and <strong>No</strong>tre-Dame emerged at last fulfilling<br />
Hugo’s claim that it was the “central<br />
mother church”.<br />
Restoration after the fire<br />
Despite the ominous sight of the spire<br />
toppling during the fire at <strong>No</strong>tre-Dame,<br />
experts say that much was saved and a<br />
huge restoration has begun. The French<br />
senate has declared that the Cathedral will<br />
be restored to exactly the way it was before<br />
the devastation and it is expected to be<br />
complete in time for the 2024 Paris<br />
Summer Olympics.
We'd like to share just a few of the hundreds and hundreds of<br />
comments left on our Facebook page. You can read all of them<br />
here and here and here on our Facebook page.<br />
My favorite memory of <strong>No</strong>tre<br />
Dame occurred during a random stroll in<br />
the early morning hours of a chilly late<br />
<strong>No</strong>vember day in 2016. As awe-inspiring as<br />
Paris is during the day, I found night to be<br />
the best time to explore to her streets,<br />
when there were no people to be seen, and<br />
the only sound to be heard was the<br />
occasional clinging of silverware from her<br />
famed street cafes. I was fortunate to have<br />
met so many phenomenal people during<br />
my time in Paris, but I was truly happiest<br />
when my only companions were the City<br />
and my thoughts.<br />
That night, like others, my route had no<br />
defined plan. As I left the Latin Quarter, I<br />
decided that tonight would be a good night<br />
for my first stroll along the Seine’s Right<br />
Bank and that I would loop back towards<br />
my apartment in Saint Germain.<br />
I crossed the bridge to Île de la Cité and<br />
shot a quick glance towards <strong>No</strong>tre Dame,<br />
the subject of my very first picture in Paris<br />
and at least 100 since. This <strong>No</strong>tre Dame I<br />
had never seen. While the City of Light<br />
needs no assistance holding this title, the<br />
moon sat perfectly aligned between the<br />
elegant lady’s bell towers, casting a light<br />
that even Paris cannot replicate.<br />
I instinctively reached for my camera,<br />
frustrated that tonight of all nights I left my<br />
tripod at home. I snapped picture after<br />
picture after picture, but it wasn’t until after<br />
I had resigned myself to the fact I had<br />
taken the best picture I would get sans my<br />
equipment that I allowed myself to take in<br />
the beauty before my eyes. I leaned in on<br />
the bridge and lost myself in the fleeting<br />
moment. For minutes, the Lady of Paris<br />
was mine and mine alone. When the moon<br />
finally decided to interrupt us and slid<br />
behind one of the bell towers, I said adieu<br />
and made my way back to my apartment,<br />
content that tonight could not get any<br />
better, and the Right Bank would have to<br />
wait until another night. I returned to <strong>No</strong>tre<br />
Dame the following night and many more<br />
with the hopes of perfecting “the shot,” but<br />
the moon always had other plans.<br />
As I reflect on what <strong>No</strong>tre Dame means to<br />
me, I at long last can empathize with The<br />
Little Prince and his beloved Rose. As St.<br />
Exupery stated so much more eloquently<br />
than I am capable, the most beautiful<br />
things in our world are ephemeral, or that<br />
“which is in danger of speedy<br />
disappearance.”<br />
Neither my memory of <strong>No</strong>tre Dame that<br />
night, nor <strong>No</strong>tre Dame herself, will endure<br />
forever, but rather than mourn the mortality<br />
of our memories, loved ones, and the places<br />
we love, I am grateful that I was lucky<br />
enough to cross paths with her during the<br />
short time our paths crossed. I never did get<br />
that “perfect shot” of <strong>No</strong>tre Dame with my<br />
equipment, but, looking back, I realize the<br />
memory of that night is all I need.<br />
My memory of that night is but one star in<br />
the galaxy of billions <strong>No</strong>tre Dame has<br />
created, and though I grieve among the<br />
other lucky stargazers she has blessed, I<br />
find solace knowing that the dark skies<br />
before us now will subside. France, as she<br />
always has done, will persevere, and <strong>No</strong>tre<br />
Dame will regain her throne as the brightest<br />
light in Paris.<br />
David Barnes, California, USA
The year after my husband died, I visited<br />
<strong>No</strong>tre Dame for the first time, attending<br />
morning prayers and Vespers. The<br />
luminosity from the stained glass, the<br />
incense wafting up to the light, the sacred<br />
music and chants, and the community of<br />
faithful gave me solace and a sense of<br />
well-being. I felt the spirit of my mom and<br />
my aunt, who had been in the French<br />
Resistance in WWII. The past, present, and<br />
future merge in this holy place. I spent a<br />
perfect day visiting Giverny in the morning,<br />
<strong>No</strong>tre Dame at noon mass, and saw the<br />
Tours de France arrive in front of me on the<br />
Pont Neuf. I've been to <strong>No</strong>tre Dame several<br />
times since then for celebrations such as<br />
Palm Sunday last year and the Assumption<br />
of the Virgin Mary procession and have felt<br />
a profound sense of the divine each time.<br />
This is a spiritual home for me. <strong>No</strong>thing<br />
can take away the essence of <strong>No</strong>tre Dame.<br />
Barbara Ball Lester California, USA<br />
Been many times over the years...a<br />
favourite "thing" my family enjoyed, was to<br />
visit the <strong>No</strong>tre Dame, then walk to the little<br />
park behind the cathedral and sit there<br />
while having our baguette-lunch. We wept<br />
while watching the news of the fire. We<br />
have no words...but we stand with you,<br />
Paris, and we will rejoice with you when the<br />
restoration complete. Linda Meillon,<br />
Gauteng, South Africa<br />
A photo from June 2017 whilst visiting from South<br />
me, it captures the serenity, grace and etherealnes<br />
We have visited this magnificent place on<br />
every visit to Paris, have been enthralled to<br />
listen to a mass sung in “plain chant” also<br />
to the glorious organ being played so<br />
beautifully that we had goose bumps! First<br />
ever visit in 1957 with my parents and I<br />
couldn’t stop talking about the ROSE<br />
WINDOW.....so many wonderful memories.<br />
Helen Steyn, Australia.<br />
As a Francophile I’m feeling for the sacred<br />
856yrd old <strong>No</strong>tre Dame cathedral and<br />
France, but she will become a stronger<br />
phoenix and rise again from these current<br />
ashes. Janelle Bray, Queensland<br />
In all her glory. <strong>No</strong>tre Dame. Duog Crawford, USA
We go here every time we visit The City of<br />
Light...climbed to the top with the<br />
gargoyles, sat in the back garden and<br />
wandered the aisles and stood in awe of<br />
the various side chapels and their amazing<br />
paintings. Gillian Hoekstra<br />
Such a sad day for Paris but thank God for<br />
les pompiers. My family is devastated and<br />
so grateful we were able to visit <strong>No</strong>tre<br />
Dame before this tragedy. Love and prayers<br />
to the people of Paris from Australia. Sue<br />
Hand<br />
I love this church. I just stare at it each time<br />
I visit Paris. It is very sad that Our Lady<br />
suffered this damage...Thanks for sharing<br />
and many thanks to the firefighters who<br />
saved most of the church Looking forward<br />
to restoring this beautiful and historic<br />
church. Sandra Ifeoma Orimilikwe<br />
Africa. It has always been a favorite because for<br />
s of her so perfectly. Monique Steuyn Olwage<br />
My husband and I visited in 2015 and again<br />
this Fall. You can see pictures before<br />
visiting but they still will not prepare you for<br />
the grandeur or magnitude of this<br />
cathedral. I remember running my hands<br />
down one of the many massive columns in<br />
disbelief. How could something like this<br />
have been built 800 years ago without the<br />
technology that we have today.<br />
Grace Marshall, British Columbia.<br />
I first laid eyes upon Our Lady of Paris on a<br />
visit 34 years ago, as a college exchange<br />
student from California. <strong>No</strong>tre Dame de<br />
Paris was stunning but her doors were<br />
locked that day. When I returned in 2016,<br />
when she finally revealed the secrets of her<br />
interior to me. As light streamed through<br />
the stunning stained glass—including the<br />
famous rose windows—I was awed by the<br />
beautiful treasures inside: a piece of the<br />
cross on which Jesus is believed to be<br />
crucified as well as the crown he wore on<br />
his head, stone sculptures, two incredible<br />
organs, and paintings commissioned in the<br />
17th century. Don’t wait to see the magic in<br />
our world. Chris Kelsey Roman
Where to stay in Paris<br />
With more than 2000 hotels to choose from in Paris, it's not easy so we've<br />
done the hard work for you. Tried and tested, enjoy our pick of the best<br />
hotels in the city of light...<br />
Cool and classy: Au Boeuf Couronné in<br />
the 10th arr. has a line 5 metro stop right<br />
outside. The hotel opened in 2017 and is<br />
next door to the restaurant of the same<br />
name, the oldest steakhouse in Paris. It’s<br />
right by the Philharmonic de Paris, Gare du<br />
<strong>No</strong>rd, La Villette and not far from Père-<br />
Lachaise cemetery. I am amazed this place<br />
is classified 3 star, I’ve stayed in higher<br />
starred hotels that were nowhere near as<br />
good as this. The rooms are big and the<br />
bathrooms are fabulous. It’s quiet and<br />
comfy and welcoming. It’s a bit of a steal<br />
as it’s not expensive at all (prices start<br />
from €80 for 2 people) though it looks like<br />
it ought to be. Location-wise, it’s terrific<br />
and it’s easy to get into the centre of Paris<br />
taking just 15 mins to Bastille from the<br />
Metro outside the front door.<br />
Fabulous and chic: the 5 Star MGallery<br />
Hotel Paris Bastille Boutet is close to the<br />
Marais district in the heart of lively Bastille<br />
in a wonderful art deco building, which was<br />
once a wood storage factory, before<br />
becoming a theatre then hotel. They have<br />
the comfiest beds I have ever experienced,<br />
like sleeping on a cloud. Beautifully<br />
converted, lovely, luxurious rooms, great<br />
spa, swimming pool and fitness area and<br />
terrific bar. It’s within easy walking<br />
distance of Père-Lachaise cemetery and<br />
there are many great bars and restaurants<br />
close by.
Stylish & gorgeous: The 4 star Hotel<br />
Balmoral is literally yards from the iconic<br />
Arc de Triomphe but in your room you're<br />
cocooned in tranquillity. I arrived quite late<br />
and must admit I had had every intention<br />
of going for a moonlit walk to take photos<br />
but the lovely deep bath and comfy bed<br />
lured me in. It is a 19th century Haussman<br />
designed building that’s pure boutique,<br />
personal, luxurious and very welcoming.<br />
The rooms are classically Parisian, elegant,<br />
modern and luxurious; there are also suites<br />
and apartments which can take two<br />
couples (and a child). Internationally<br />
renowned architect Michel Jouannet was<br />
instrumental in helping to create the new<br />
look for the hotel, his work is known in<br />
Venice, Rio de Janeiro and all around the<br />
world but this Paris hotel has to be one of<br />
his best projects.<br />
Chic and a stone’s throw from Gare du<br />
<strong>No</strong>rd: Hotel Mademoiselle is a comfy 4 Star<br />
hotel with a touch of luxury right by the<br />
Gare du <strong>No</strong>rd and Gare de l’Est. It’s just a<br />
15-minute walk to Montmartre, the metro<br />
stations are really close, Gare du <strong>No</strong>rd is a<br />
five minute walk as is Gare de l’Est and the<br />
RER line for Disney Paris. The road it is in is<br />
quite busy by day but a haven of tranquillity<br />
by night. Real Paris is just two minutes<br />
away. While one end of the road leads to<br />
the stations, the other end leads to<br />
restaurants and bars, pretty squares and<br />
churches and local life.<br />
The rooms are stylish, there’s a lovely inner<br />
courtyard where taking your breakfast is an<br />
uplifting experience, plus spa facilities<br />
(book them in advance, they’re free but get<br />
filled quickly).
Ultra-luxurious: Hôtel du Rond Point des<br />
Champs Elysées, just a few minutes away<br />
from the Metro station Franklin D<br />
Roosevelt is this very elegant Louis Vuitton<br />
owned hotel in a 17th century building.<br />
From the minute you walk through the<br />
doors of this hotel, you’ll feel utterly<br />
charmed. The staff are lovely and that’s key<br />
to having a great stay. The rooms are<br />
fabulous as you’d expect from a hotel<br />
owned by one of the world’s premier style<br />
companies. Some rooms have a view over<br />
the Eiffel Tower and the rooftops of Paris<br />
(ask when you book – all the staff speak<br />
English). Comfy beds, gorgeous striped<br />
wallpaper and very posh loos (all electric<br />
with warmed seats and all that jazz).<br />
There’s a stunning swimming pool so –<br />
take your costume or you’ll really miss out.<br />
Elegant and glamorous: Hotel de Sers in<br />
an 18th century, former nobleman’s<br />
mansion, a stone’s throw from the Champs-<br />
Elysées is next to the legendary George V<br />
and less than a mile from the Eiffel Tower<br />
has the location, the looks and the luxury<br />
without the massive price tag to go with<br />
them. It certainly isn’t a budget hotel but for<br />
the price compared to other 5 Star hotels in<br />
this part of Paris – it’s a real find. It is stylish<br />
and smart, the décor is elegant and inspired<br />
with a real touch of old school style<br />
glamour. The spa there is open to residents<br />
only, after a long day’s sightseeing, it's a<br />
real pick me up to be able to have a sauna<br />
and a massage. Most of the rooms have<br />
terraces and glass conservatories where<br />
you can sit and look out over the roof tops<br />
of Paris whatever the weather; the top<br />
apartment has a big terrace with a view<br />
over the Eiffel Tower.
Discreet, refined luxury: The<br />
Hotel Marignan Champs-<br />
Elysées in an 18th century<br />
building a stone’s throw from<br />
the Champs-Elysées is pure<br />
luxury, from the entrance with<br />
its smart doorman to the<br />
dining room with its modern<br />
trompe l’oeil, bar with comfy<br />
chairs and a grand piano and<br />
rooms that are elegantly<br />
decorated.<br />
Though it’s right in the heart<br />
of Paris, this is a little oasis of<br />
tranquillity and pleasure.<br />
There are rooms with a view of<br />
the Eiffel Tower, de-luxe suites<br />
and a fabulous restaurant.
YOUR PHOTOS<br />
Every weekend, we invite you to share<br />
your photos on Facebook - it's a great<br />
way for everyone to see "real" France<br />
and be inspired by real travellers<br />
snapping pics as they go. Every week<br />
there are utterly gorgeous photos being<br />
shared and here we showcase the most<br />
popular of each month. Share your<br />
favourite photos with us on Facebook -<br />
the most "liked" will appear in the next<br />
issue of The Good Life France<br />
Magazine...<br />
march:<br />
A misty morning in<br />
Conques, Aveyron,<br />
by Robin Lee
April:<br />
Wisteria hysteria in<br />
Paris! At Au Vieux<br />
Paris d'Arcole<br />
restaurant, 24 rue<br />
Chanoinesse, by<br />
Emma Budgen<br />
MAY<br />
Gorgeous in Goult,<br />
Provence in May, this<br />
photo by Helen Leather<br />
Join us on Facebook<br />
and like and share<br />
your favourite photos<br />
of France...
Escape to the Chateau:<br />
Sometimes dreams do come true....<br />
When Angel Adoree and husband Dick<br />
Strawbridge swapped a 2-bedroom flat in<br />
Southend, Essex, and bought the fairy-talelike<br />
Chateau-de-la-Motte Husson in<br />
Mayenne, Pays de la Loire for £280,000,<br />
their adventures were filmed for a British<br />
TV Show. Escape to the Chateau was a<br />
runaway hit. Millions were enthralled as<br />
they watched the couple fall head over<br />
heels for the run down 45-room castle with<br />
its moat and pointy turrets and millions<br />
saw them turn it into a dream home and<br />
successful business as an events and<br />
vintage wedding destination. Angel’s crafty<br />
talents and eye for a bargain and Dick’s<br />
determination won them a legion of fans.<br />
So successful was the TV show that it’s<br />
had several series and spawned a spin off<br />
series called ‘Escape to the Chateau: DIY’.<br />
This saw Dick and Angel use the<br />
knowledge they’ve built up to help other<br />
chateau owners with their projects.<br />
Audiences were mesmerised.<br />
When each programme ended, “viewers<br />
were literally switching off the TV, firing up<br />
their iPads and looking at what is available”<br />
said Jane Berry, head of estate agent<br />
Leggett Immobilier’s Prestige division. “We<br />
have seen a huge jump in website visitor<br />
numbers straight after each episode,<br />
indeed our dedicated Chateau page shows<br />
an 800 per cent increase in traffic...”.<br />
Click here to read our interview with<br />
Dick and Angel
Becoming chateau owners<br />
One of the couples featured on the first<br />
series of Escape to the Chateau DIY<br />
became firm favourites with the viewing<br />
public. They were young and inexperienced<br />
but had huge commitment to bring back to<br />
life a neglected and enormous chateau.<br />
Their willingness to do whatever it took,<br />
working night and day, impressed<br />
everyone. Billy Petherick from Greenwich in<br />
London was just 27 and his fiancé<br />
Gwendoline from Cherbourg, <strong>No</strong>rmandy<br />
was 24 when they bought the Chateau de<br />
la Baismagnée. In the heart of Mayenne,<br />
Pays de La Loire, it cost them €1,050,000<br />
in 2016. Billy had some building experience,<br />
Gwendoline had worked in retail but<br />
nothing daunted them.<br />
They’d met in France when Billy went to<br />
stay with his parents who live in France and<br />
decided to look for a house together.<br />
“We wanted to take on a project, a grand<br />
house, manoir, maison de maître, or small<br />
château, but then we stumbled across a<br />
listing for this château online” says<br />
Gwendoline. “We thought that even if it was<br />
bigger than what we were looking for, it was<br />
so beautiful that it was definitely worth a<br />
look, at least we could dream for an<br />
afternoon. But we fell in love with the place<br />
straight away. It made us re-think our plans,<br />
because after seeing Basmaignée we<br />
couldn’t really see ourselves anywhere else.<br />
After months of figuring out a way to<br />
pursue this crazy adventure, we got the<br />
keys to our beautiful chateau”. Funding<br />
came from a legacy from Gwendoline’s late<br />
mother and bank loans.<br />
The 50-60 room chateau, “we've never<br />
really managed to agree a definitive<br />
number” says Gwendoline, is set in 60<br />
acres of parkland with a private chapel,<br />
traditional walled garden and six cottages.<br />
To say it needed a huge amount of work is<br />
an understatement.
“It was uninhabited for many years and was<br />
in a terrible condition” says Billy, but the<br />
couple were undaunted. Billy’s brother<br />
Michael joined them to help our with the<br />
renovation after he too fell under the<br />
castle’s spell. And in 2018, Gwendoline and<br />
Billy welcomed baby Ernest to the chateau<br />
which has gone from being a neglected<br />
shell of a sleeping beauty to a fabulous<br />
home and business.<br />
A chateau isn’t an easy option<br />
When it comes to owning a chateau,<br />
upkeep costs are much higher than for a<br />
normal home. There’s almost always a<br />
constant need for maintenance and if your<br />
building is listed, you might need to get<br />
permission to renovate from Monuments<br />
Historique (Read about the requirements<br />
on page 102). In this case, the Chateau de<br />
Basmaignée is not listed.<br />
“When people dream about being chateau<br />
owners they usually think of themselves<br />
living like royalty, but unless you really are<br />
royalty, that’s not really how things go and<br />
we knew that right from the start” says<br />
Gwendoline.<br />
The couple took out a loan that enabled<br />
them to keep renovating and living until<br />
they could earn an income. They have done<br />
most of the work themselves with the help<br />
of family and friends, though they have had<br />
professional help when it comes to<br />
electrics and plumbing. They invested in<br />
essential equipment including a cherry<br />
picker. “By doing as much as we can<br />
between us, we estimate we’ve reduced the<br />
costs by 80%” says Billy adding “We focus<br />
on the work room by room, rather than<br />
think of what needs to be done over the<br />
whole chateau. When people ask “when<br />
will the chateau be fully renovated?” We<br />
tell, them, there’s not set date, we have to<br />
go step by step. It’s like any other<br />
renovation project, only it’s going to take<br />
longer.”<br />
The chateau is their only means of income<br />
and Gwendoline admits “we don’t have any<br />
idea of how much we can earn when it’s all<br />
finished, we’re not planning that far ahead.<br />
For now, we are just trying to make it so the<br />
chateau can pay for itself and for the<br />
renovation work, though we’re not really<br />
certain how much that needs to be.”<br />
Their hard work is paying off, the castle is<br />
now a stunning B&B, wedding venue, and<br />
hosts antiquing weekends. “There’s<br />
renovation, maintenance, the business to<br />
run, a baby to look after and it’s a serious<br />
challenge to balance it all but it’s totally<br />
worth it – we love it and wouldn’t change a<br />
thing” says Gwendoline.<br />
“To buy a chateau, you have to be<br />
determined, prepared to work seriously<br />
hard and perhaps just a little bit mad” adds<br />
Billy though he smiles when he says it.<br />
www.basmaignee.com
From London rat race to a<br />
dream home & café business<br />
in rural northern France<br />
Katharine Tasker from London upped sticks in the city and moved to the sticks in<br />
France bringing a sprinkling of urban style to her new build home and thriving<br />
new business, a café and shop, as Janine Marsh discovers…<br />
Pas de Calais is a region of meadows and<br />
forests, the countryside is criss crossed by<br />
streams and peppered with villages and<br />
hamlets. It’s blessed with the beautiful<br />
beaches and dramatic coastline of the Opal<br />
Coast as well as fertile agricultural land. It’s<br />
a largely rural department despite being<br />
the gate way to France for millions who<br />
cross the English Channel, many of whom<br />
simply exit the ferry or train and zoom off<br />
down the auto routes further south. For<br />
those who stop and look though, the<br />
charms of the far north can be compelling<br />
as Katherine Tasker found out when she<br />
visited a friend…<br />
A life changing weekend<br />
Katharine Tasker loved her life in London.<br />
She ran a successful gourmet food shop<br />
with a loyal clientele who adored the<br />
speciality products she sourced from<br />
France including some world famous jam.<br />
At a sales meeting in Lille in 2015,<br />
Katherine decided to visit the jam makers<br />
in Saint-Rémy-au-Bois, in the Seven<br />
Valleys, Pas de Calais, not far away. They’d<br />
met in London when British entrepreneurs<br />
Judy and Nick Gifford who created the<br />
mouth-watering jams at Tea Together<br />
delivered a consignment in person and got<br />
on well.<br />
Katherine spent just a couple of days with<br />
her friends at their beautifully restored<br />
farmhouse with their beloved Jack Russells<br />
and horses. As well as their jam making<br />
enterprise, they also run Le Tea Room from<br />
their home, serving scones with their homemade<br />
jam and clotted cream to smitten<br />
locals. But, it changed the direction of her<br />
life.<br />
“It was” says Katharine “love at first sight<br />
when I saw how glorious the countryside is.<br />
So tranquil and varied, lush valleys, forests<br />
and wide-open plateaux, it is just so<br />
beautiful. I thought it would be wonderful to<br />
have a bolthole here.”<br />
Swapping urban life for a plot in rural<br />
France<br />
Katharine returned to London, and when,<br />
shortly afterwards, the lease on her shop<br />
needed renewing, she sought alternative<br />
premises close by. “It was very tough trying<br />
to find a new place everything was horribly<br />
expensive” she says. She’d kept in touch<br />
with Judy who, in the midst of Katharine’s<br />
frustrating search in London told her that a<br />
plot of land had come up for sale in the<br />
village of Gouy-Saint-André near St-Rémy.
“She told me it was special and that I ought<br />
to come and see it” Katharine reminisces.<br />
The land was well over her budget but Judy<br />
encouraged her to speak to the seller to<br />
see if there was any wiggle room. He had<br />
three cheaper plots for sale and Katherine<br />
decided to go and look. After viewing the<br />
affordable land, Katharine was persuaded<br />
by the seller to take a look at the more<br />
expensive plot. “It was” she laughs “a wow<br />
moment as soon as I saw it, I felt a<br />
connection. I instantly thought, what if I<br />
open my business here instead of in<br />
London?” Her head buzzed with ideas and<br />
London with its expensive rental options<br />
didn’t feature. Within hours, a deal was<br />
struck in France. And, Katherine had made<br />
up her mind. She returned to London and<br />
made places to move to France.<br />
Urban dreams in rural France<br />
Faced with a large, empty field which had<br />
panoramic views over the countryside,<br />
Katharine decided the only way to tackle<br />
the need for a home and business was to<br />
employ an architect and building team. The<br />
resulting three-bedroomed cube is not like<br />
any other building in the village, ultramodern<br />
with sleek lines and no hint of rural<br />
cottage. “I was surprised that planning<br />
permission wasn’t an issue” she confesses<br />
“but because it can’t be seen from the road,<br />
the application went through smoothly and<br />
I got the go ahead within two months of<br />
applying”.<br />
“A tree in the garden was my first<br />
inspiration” says Katharine “It was old,<br />
there long before me, I didn’t want to cut it<br />
down, so we designed the house around it”.<br />
The first six months of the build went well<br />
but the honeymoon period didn’t last. The<br />
roofers went bankrupt and the build came<br />
to a stop.
Katharine had already sold her house in<br />
London to raise funds and had no choice<br />
but to move into her not remotely ready<br />
French house.<br />
“It wasn’t ideal, but it actually helped me to<br />
refine the plans, and feel how the house<br />
could be used."<br />
The kitchen is located in the centre of the<br />
house and serves both the café and residential<br />
side. Filled with light, there’s a mezzanine<br />
floor and double height sitting room<br />
with huge windows that frame the views,<br />
and of course, the old tree. The house is<br />
one of a kind here for other reasons too, an<br />
ecologically built passive house, it utilises<br />
a geothermal heating and dual flow ventilation<br />
system. It’s so insulated just one<br />
wood stove heats the whole house.<br />
“Everything was much more expensive<br />
than I thought possible” admits Katharine.<br />
“I had to negotiate hard with the<br />
construction company to get a price I could<br />
afford”.<br />
The house took two and a half years to<br />
build. “On the whole” says Katharine “It<br />
wasn’t too bad. I have never regretted it.<br />
The issues with the roofers weren’t good<br />
but were overcome. Some of the systems<br />
were new to the builders but they were<br />
willing to learn. The architect was Greek<br />
and lived in London and admittedly there<br />
was a bit of a culture clash with the<br />
builders, but they worked it out and I’m<br />
really happy with the result”.<br />
L’Encas and L’Echoppe<br />
Katharine had known from the stat that she<br />
wanted to open a café and shop with a hint<br />
of London style in this rustic part of France.<br />
L’encas and l’echoppe are medieval French<br />
words for “in case” and “shop” and, tucked<br />
away from the road, it “seemed like the<br />
perfect name for my venture” she says.
“I love decorating a table, setting the places<br />
and making it look interesting and<br />
beautiful with a mix and match approach. I<br />
knew that in France there’s a long tradition<br />
and love of table dressing”. So she<br />
combined a café with a shop in which she<br />
sells vintage and new French, British and<br />
European china, cutlery and tableware. It’s<br />
an eclectic stock that’s appreciated by<br />
mainly French, British and Belgian<br />
customers who find their way to this little<br />
corner of France.<br />
The café has a menu of local produce, pies<br />
and tartes, soups, savoury salads, delicious<br />
quiches and dishes flavoured with herbs,<br />
spices, edible flowers and zingy dressings.<br />
Katharine produces delicious gluten free<br />
crispbreads which are stocked in gourmet<br />
food stores in London and Paris and served<br />
with meals at L’Encas et L’Echoppe. Her<br />
gorgeous gateaux have gained a<br />
reputation with the locals, especially the<br />
gluten free German poppy seed cake and<br />
berry bread and butter pudding cake. Her<br />
cake take away service is very popular and<br />
features all sorts from pumpkin pie to<br />
Christmas cake.<br />
An ongoing adventure<br />
Katharine’s journey has been tough at<br />
times, but she says “rewarding, a voyage of<br />
self-discovery and a real adventure…”<br />
“I love going back to London” she says<br />
“through the congestion drives me mad, so<br />
many cars. Here I’m used to the only traffic<br />
jam being a couple of cows crossing the<br />
road to reach a field! I love my little urban<br />
oasis in the French countryside... no” she<br />
adds emphatically “no regrets at all”.<br />
leleagouy.com for opening times;<br />
Address: 30 bis, Rue de Maresquel, 62870<br />
Gouy-Saint-André
Historic<br />
MONUMENTS<br />
Jane Berry heads Leggett Immobilier's<br />
prestige property department and<br />
gives valuable advice about buying and<br />
selling a Monument Historique…<br />
FRANCE IS RENOWNED THE world over<br />
for its outstanding collection of historic<br />
buildings. Châteaux in particular are<br />
strategically scattered the length and<br />
breadth of the country. The Loire valley is<br />
just one of 38 listed UNESCO World<br />
Heritage sites in France, attracting 3.3<br />
million visitors a year and the Loire river<br />
forms a valuable part of the architectural<br />
heritage of towns such as Amboise,<br />
Chenonceau, Saumur and Chinon.<br />
Simple barns, Cistercian abbeys, ancient<br />
fortresses and fairy tale châteaux all have<br />
one thing in common; they have the<br />
potential for preservation and protection<br />
under France’s cultural heritage scheme<br />
known as Monument Historique (MH).<br />
Buildings may be listed as Classé, for<br />
properties considered of national<br />
importance, or Inscrit (ISMH) for properties<br />
of regional or local value. This includes<br />
smaller châteaux and country houses.<br />
There are currently around 45,000 listed<br />
properties in France, of which nearly half<br />
are privately owned.<br />
Properties may have just an element of<br />
Monument Historique classification, for<br />
instance a staircase, a fireplace, or garden<br />
balustrade etc, whilst the rest of the<br />
building is not listed.<br />
“TV Shows; Escape to the Chateau, and<br />
especially Escape to the Chateau DIY have<br />
had an astonishing effect on the château<br />
buying market in France. We see a huge<br />
surge in visitors to the Leggett website<br />
straight after each show ends. The<br />
programmes showing ordinary people<br />
buying and doing up extraordinary<br />
buildings in France seems to have ignited<br />
our sense of romance and dreams, of<br />
preserving something important as well as<br />
living the good life and sometimes creating<br />
a successful business”.
This Château is classified as a Monument Historique since 1969 due to its facades roof and<br />
parkland... Details<br />
Whilst the Prestige property department<br />
typically showcases properties that are at<br />
the top of the range, there are some<br />
amazing châteaux at incredible prices<br />
including a gorgeous, completed renovated<br />
château in <strong>No</strong>rmandy which at £535k is<br />
about what you’d pay for a 2-bedroom flat<br />
in London SE13.<br />
"Remember though” advises Jane<br />
“although the price may be affordable,<br />
there’s the upkeep to consider, so you need<br />
to go into this aware of the maintenance<br />
expenses, which will be ongoing”.<br />
The Leggett main property website also<br />
has many châteaux for sale including those<br />
in need of “doing up” and are typically at<br />
lower prices. www.leggettfrance.com<br />
Many château owners feel their castles are<br />
too large for use simply as a family home,<br />
and Jane is often asked if they can be used<br />
to create a business? Hotel or wedding<br />
venue perhaps?<br />
Sandy Guyonnet, Leggett's inhouse <strong>No</strong>taire<br />
explains that all business activities are<br />
possible within an historic monument, as<br />
long as the requirements/conditions<br />
imposed by the Planning Office and the<br />
Architecte des Bâtiments de France (ABF)<br />
regarding the business (i.e health and<br />
safety requirements, are met.<br />
Monument Historique<br />
means: building /object is of<br />
French historical importance,<br />
either nationally or locally<br />
and therefore needs to be<br />
preserved.
At £535,000 this gorgeous chateau in <strong>No</strong>rmandy is not Monument Historique classified - but it is<br />
gorgeous and historic. Details<br />
£333,633 for a 6 bedroom chateau in Charebte, lots of land, original features, stables<br />
and outbuildings... details
This listed chateau in the Dordogne is truly magnificent, Henry IV of France and his<br />
wife Catherine de Medici stayed here and it has a fabulous historic past... Details<br />
“As the vendor of an historic monument”<br />
says Sandy, “you are free to sell the<br />
property whenever you wish, you would<br />
simply need to inform the Minister of<br />
Culture. A DPE (Diagnostic Performance<br />
Energy test) is not required for these<br />
properties, however all other current<br />
diagnostic reports are required for the sale<br />
contract.”<br />
There are a number of advantages to<br />
buying a property that is listed as a<br />
Monument Historique:<br />
• The organisation offers invaluable advice<br />
and assistance in the restoration and<br />
upkeep of historic properties.<br />
• Under certain conditions these properties<br />
can be exempt from Inheritance tax.<br />
• There are a number of grants available for<br />
improvement works (subject to certain<br />
conditions).<br />
• Costs for various works, insurance, land<br />
taxes and certain interest charges on loans<br />
are currently deductible, at 50%, from your<br />
taxable income.<br />
However, they become 100% deductible if<br />
you open the building to the public for a set<br />
number of days a year, on the condition<br />
that the property is kept for at least 15 years<br />
by its owner (being an individual or SCI "de<br />
Famille").<br />
It's a thriving market say Leggett as both<br />
domestic and international buyers are keen<br />
to buy a slice of historic architecture while<br />
enjoying the joie de vie for which France is<br />
famous.<br />
see Page 92 to<br />
read about our<br />
rendezvous with<br />
chateau owners<br />
Billy and<br />
Gwendoline<br />
Petherick
Top tips to help you plan<br />
your property purchase<br />
and move to France<br />
When it comes to consider a move to France, you may have decided the area that you<br />
want to live in, checked schools and transport links. But will organising your finances be<br />
further down the to do list when it should be near the top?<br />
Before moving to France, there’s no doubt you will have hundreds of things to organise,<br />
think about and do - not just the packing. Jennie Poate, financial advisor at Beacon Global<br />
Wealth explains why you should consider your budget and finances so that you have no<br />
nasty surprises once you’ve bought your dream home and/or made the move to the good<br />
life in France.<br />
Consider your income requirements<br />
Before you move:<br />
Plan your Finances<br />
Be realistic about what you need income<br />
wise to live in France. There are already<br />
huge amounts of B+B’s and gites.<br />
Spending €150,000 on a holiday rental<br />
property to earn €3,000 p.a. may not be<br />
feasible in the long term.<br />
Consider your income requirements before<br />
you move. You may be required to pay tax<br />
on your income in France. A good adviser<br />
will be able to provide you with an estimate<br />
of tax payable and look at ways of<br />
minimising or reducing tax. If your income<br />
is not in euros, exchange rate fluctuations<br />
may seriously affect your regular income<br />
requirements.<br />
Start planning a strategy for your savings<br />
and income before you move. Some UK<br />
savings products are really square pegs in<br />
round holes when it comes to French<br />
taxation. It might be better to consider<br />
closing or changing them before you<br />
become French tax resident. BUT, take<br />
advice from an adviser who understands<br />
the French tax system and products that<br />
are available. A UK qualified adviser may<br />
unknowingly make your tax situation worse<br />
if they are not qualified to advise you about<br />
French financial products.
Consider how your pension might<br />
work better for you<br />
What about your pension? Do you have<br />
more than one pension and if so where are<br />
they held? And, can you access them yet?<br />
Review your pension with your qualified<br />
adviser to make sure your finances are<br />
best positioned for your move to France.<br />
You are likely to find it is much better for<br />
you to use a qualified and authorised<br />
independent financial adviser who<br />
understands both the UK and French tax<br />
systems. This way you can make an<br />
informed choice about your pension<br />
options. Careful planning here can<br />
potentially save you tax in the long run. If<br />
you haven’t done so already, get a state<br />
pension forecast which will tell you how<br />
much you will receive and when. https://<br />
www.gov.uk/government/publications/<br />
application-for-a-state-pension-statement<br />
Think about healthcare needs<br />
Consider your healthcare needs. Whether<br />
you're retired, working or enjoying life with<br />
no active employment you may need to<br />
pay for healthcare in the form of top up<br />
insurance.<br />
Get in touch with your tax office<br />
Inform the UK inspector of taxes at your<br />
local HMRC tax office that you are planning<br />
to move abroad by filling in form P85. This<br />
will enable the UK tax office to advise of<br />
and resolve any outstanding issues before<br />
you move.<br />
You can download the form online at: www.<br />
gov.uk/tax-right-retire-abroad-return-to-uk<br />
Understand how to deal with tax<br />
inheritance rules<br />
Consider your status with regard to the<br />
distribution of your estate. Inheritance<br />
planning in advance of your move can save<br />
considerable heartache later.<br />
For French inheritance tax purposes, you<br />
must include all of your assets (property<br />
and cash) wherever they based.<br />
The notaire handling your house purchase<br />
may only look at how the property<br />
ownership should be structured, which may<br />
be only part of what you have.
When you move to France<br />
Use a competent tax adviser to prepare<br />
your first French tax return. Getting it right<br />
first time means you’ll avoid unpleasant<br />
surprises later on and allows you time to<br />
figure out how the system works. Your tax<br />
adviser can also liaise with your financial<br />
advisor concerning the timings for<br />
moving/closing certain investments, which<br />
can help you reduce tax and make the best<br />
savings.<br />
Jennie Poate is a UK and France qualified<br />
and authorised financial adviser, working<br />
for Beacon Global Wealth Management.<br />
She is happy to answer any queries you<br />
may and she and her team would be<br />
delighted to help you plan your move to<br />
France.<br />
Jennie can be<br />
contacted at:<br />
jennie @bgwealthmanagement.net or<br />
info@bgwealthmanagement.net<br />
Tele: France 0033634119518<br />
www.beaconglobalwealth.com for<br />
information and factsheets<br />
The information on this page is intended only as an introduction only and is not designed to offer<br />
solutions or advice. Beacon Global Wealth Management can accept no responsibility whatsoever<br />
for losses incurred by acting on the information on this page.<br />
The financial advisers trading under Beacon Wealth Management are members of Nexus Global<br />
(IFA Network). Nexus Global is a division within Blacktower Financial Management (International)<br />
Limited (BFMI). All approved individual members of Nexus Global are Appointed Representatives of<br />
BFMI. BFMI is licensed and regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission and bound by<br />
their rules under licence number FSC00805B.
How bank cards<br />
work in France<br />
Don't get caught out by<br />
spending limits that<br />
are typical...<br />
French banks may restrict the amount of<br />
money you can spend on your card,<br />
catching people out constantly. We asked<br />
the experts at Credit Agricole Britline, the<br />
French bank that speaks English, how to<br />
avoid this problem.<br />
The way in which banks operate in France<br />
compared to the UK is different and one<br />
good example are bank cards. It can prove<br />
frustrating if you find yourself in a situation<br />
whereby you have money in your bank<br />
account but discover – whilst waiting to<br />
pay at the check-out or withdrawing cash<br />
at an ATM – that the transaction has been<br />
refused.<br />
How can you plan ahead to avoid<br />
this problem and potential<br />
embarrassment?<br />
In a nutshell: know your spending limits,<br />
understand what the card costs (e.g. fees/<br />
charges) and decide which card best suits<br />
your lifestyle.<br />
The majority of bank cards in France are<br />
Carte Bancaire and you will see shops and<br />
restaurants displaying the CB sign. Carte<br />
Bancaires are debit cards and any<br />
transactions are deducted immediately<br />
from a bank account. The French certainly<br />
do not have the same appetite as Britons<br />
for credit cards, with most preferring the<br />
standard debit card. There are however<br />
plenty of options to ensure you have a card<br />
that matches your requirements and<br />
lifestyle.<br />
Cards have limits for cash<br />
withdrawals and payments<br />
Although UK banks will limit how much<br />
money you can withdraw from an ATM per<br />
day, usually £500, in France the limit is<br />
generally lower and there are also<br />
restrictions on card payments each month.<br />
Take a standard Carte Bancaire (Visa or<br />
MasterCard) for example; over a 7 day<br />
period the maximum amount for cash<br />
withdrawals is €450. For card payments<br />
(online or in shops) you can spend up to<br />
€2,300 per month.<br />
This is unlikely to pose a problem for many<br />
people day-to-day; but if you have bigger
expenses, paying for renovations on your<br />
home in France for instance, or you receive<br />
a large (and unexpected!) bill, these limits<br />
may present a challenge…<br />
If you reach your spending limit, a phone<br />
call to your bank should resolve the<br />
problem. CA Britline (part of the Crédit<br />
Agricole group) has been helping British<br />
customers in France for 20 years,<br />
providing a full range of banking services<br />
in English. We can organise higher<br />
spending limits on your card temporarily or<br />
for a longer period. There is a cost to do<br />
this, but by using the free CA app ‘Ma<br />
Banque’ you can adjust the limit yourself. It<br />
is always a good idea to contact us first if<br />
you are planning a major purchase or<br />
undertaking an expensive renovation<br />
project. In certain situations an overdraft<br />
facility may be appropriate and customers<br />
living in France, the UK/Ireland are eligible.<br />
Bear in mind that if you do have a higher<br />
spending limit set on your card you must<br />
have the funds to cover it. Going overdrawn<br />
can cause problems in France. If you need<br />
to top up your account from the UK, you<br />
can use the Britline International Payment<br />
Service*, our bespoke transfer exchange<br />
facility.<br />
Choosing the right bank card for you<br />
CA Britline has two cards which are<br />
exclusive to our customers. They offer<br />
higher spending limits for payments and<br />
cash withdrawals. These are the CA Britline<br />
Classic and CA Britline Premier, which also<br />
have travel assistance, travel insurance<br />
plus other features. The Premier card has<br />
additional advantages such as extended<br />
warranties on purchases to cover the cost<br />
of repairs of damaged goods. There is no<br />
charge for increasing the spending limits<br />
for Premier card customers.<br />
Customers may use their CA Britline cards<br />
anywhere in France and internationally, to<br />
withdraw cash, make payments in shop<br />
and of course online. In addition to Euro<br />
accounts, we also offer accounts in<br />
Sterling, perfect for people who live in the<br />
UK but who are regular visitors to France.<br />
One further tip – you can save money by<br />
using your French card in France rather<br />
than incurring foreign transaction fees on<br />
your UK bank card. We also provide<br />
deferred payment cards which deduct the<br />
money at the end of month. This can be<br />
really useful for customers paid on a<br />
monthly basis.
Contactless cards<br />
France is a world leader in smart card<br />
technology and was amongst the first<br />
countries to use the chip and pin system.<br />
The use of contactless cards is widespread<br />
in shops, cafés and restaurants. There is a<br />
limit of €30 on payments; if you reach this<br />
amount you will need to enter your PIN<br />
code and the limit is reset to zero.<br />
account around a month after your account<br />
is opened and renewal is automatic.<br />
If you would like more information, consult<br />
or offers or wish to apply for a CA Britline<br />
bank card, please visit www.britline.com/<br />
cards.html<br />
Annual card fees and charges<br />
It may come as a surprise to people living in<br />
the UK - used to free banking services –<br />
that there are annual fees charged for<br />
holding a bank card in France. There are no<br />
charges however for using your card for<br />
cash withdrawals and payments across the<br />
EU. Britline Classic and Premier Cards may<br />
also be used around the world without<br />
charges. The annual fee is taken from your<br />
* Britline International Payments Service (BIPS)<br />
is provided by HiFX Europe Limited. HiFX is<br />
authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority<br />
(FRN <strong>No</strong>. 462444) for the provision of payment<br />
services. Registered office: Maxis 1, Western<br />
Road, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 1RT.
How to make<br />
Crème<br />
brûlée
Ingredients<br />
2 cartons double cream, 1 large (284ml) plus 1 small (142ml)<br />
500ml full-fat milk<br />
1 vanilla pod<br />
5 large egg yolks<br />
50g golden caster sugar, plus extra for the topping<br />
1. Preheat the oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/gas 4. Sit four 175ml ramekins in a<br />
deep roasting tin at least 7.5cm deep (or a large deep cake tin), one that will enable a<br />
baking tray to sit well above the ramekins when laid across the top of the tin.<br />
2. Pour the two cartons of cream into a medium pan with the milk. Lay the vanilla pod on<br />
a board and slice lengthways through the middle with a sharp knife to split it in two. Use<br />
the tip of the knife to scrape out all the tiny seeds into the cream mixture. Drop the vanilla<br />
pod in as well and set aside.<br />
3. Put the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk for 1 minute with an electric<br />
hand whisk until paler in colour and a bit fluffy. Put the pan with the cream on a medium<br />
heat and bring almost to the boil. As soon as you see bubbles appear round the edge,<br />
take the pan off the heat.<br />
4. Pour the hot cream into the beaten egg yolks, stirring with a wire whisk as you do so,<br />
and scraping out the seeds from the pan. Set a fine sieve over a large wide jug or bowl<br />
and pour the hot mixture through to strain it, encouraging any stray vanilla seeds through<br />
at the end. Using a big spoon, scoop off all the pale foam that is sitting on the top of the<br />
liquid (this will be several spoonfuls) and discard. Give the mixture a stir.<br />
5. Pour in enough hot water (from the tap is fine) into the roasting tin to come about 1.5cm<br />
up the sides of the ramekins. Pour the hot cream into the ramekins so you fill them up<br />
right to the top – it’s easier to spoon in the last little bit.
6. Put them in the oven and lay a baking sheet over the top of the tin so it sits well above<br />
the ramekins and completely covers them, but not the whole tin, leaving a small gap at<br />
one side to allow air to circulate.<br />
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the mixture is softly set. To check, gently sway the<br />
roasting tin and if the crème brûlées are ready, they will wobble a bit like a jelly in the<br />
middle. Don’t let them get too firm.<br />
8. Lift the ramekins out of the roasting tin with oven gloves and set them on a wire rack<br />
to cool for a couple of minutes only, then put in the fridge to cool completely. This can be<br />
done overnight without affecting the texture.<br />
9. When ready to serve, wipe round the top edge of the dishes, sprinkle 1½ tsp of caster<br />
sugar over each ramekin and spread it out with the back of a spoon to completely cover<br />
(Anne Willan’s tip for an even layer).<br />
10. Spray with a little water using a fine spray (the sort you buy in a craft shop) to just<br />
dampen the sugar – then use a blow torch to caramelise it. Hold the flame just above the<br />
sugar and keep moving it round and round until caramelised. Serve when the brûlée is<br />
firm, or within an hour or two.<br />
Thanks to chef Spencer Richards at <strong>No</strong>rmandy Cooking Days for this brilliant recipe...
Around these parts people tend to get a bit carried away when the sun<br />
shines. The far north, or the north pole as those with a sense of humour in<br />
the south call where I live, isn’t as grey and wet as some make out but it’s<br />
rarely too hot to handle.<br />
Come the summer, shutters are flung open, front doors are left ajar,<br />
barbecues are fired up and boules are polished. It’s remarkable how in the<br />
winter it resembles the land of the walking dead, not a soul to be seen, then<br />
a bit of sunshine and everyone is out promenading, cutting hedges, putting<br />
out honesty boxes alongside eggs and strawberries, plums and potatoes, or<br />
nearer the coast, boxes of gleaming blue-black mussels on ice.<br />
We don’t have anything to sell. If it grows in our garden and we don’t eat it,<br />
the animals will. We do barter our relative youth and strength though. Mark is<br />
in demand with older neighbours when it comes to lifting things or carrying<br />
something from one barn to another. I am in demand when it comes to<br />
running about catching escaped animals who seem to want to run free in the<br />
sun. In return we are rewarded with excess fruit or home made wine, most of<br />
which tastes like cough medicine and makes for an effective weed killer.<br />
So if you come to a tiny village in the middle of nowhere rural France on a<br />
sunny day and see a short woman chasing a goat across a field shouting<br />
“stop you bugger”, you’ve probably found my village!<br />
Have a great summer,<br />
Bisous<br />
Janine