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A few random thoughts from our recent trip to France. More specific details to follow.
The season of fall was in full bloom as the trees were ablaze with color, and flowers still in bloom. We had sunshine everyday with one exception. Normandy and Brittany. What a beautiful and peaceful part of France. We had a great time in Honfleur walking the streets,and had our first meal of scallops. (many more would follow) We walked the gardens of Giverny enjoying crepes served from sidewalk vendors, and looked for any reason to put the butter of Normandy on any and everything. The rugged cliffs and lonely coastline of Brittany are special. I will never forget ALL the steps of Mont Saint-Michel, and the greatest snail dish I have ever enjoyed in beautiful Saint Malo. Paris at night is still one of my favorite places in the world. We had a fantastic two story hotel room in the 6th that served us well. We were blessed with the finest of meals at Le Dome, Taillevent, Michel Rostang, ( white truffles) chocolates from Patrick Roger and a different cheese and wine in our room each day, with jazz clubs at night... I still love Paris. To drive through the some 15,000 different vineyards in the off season in Champagne on a sunny day was wonderful. The tiny sleepy villages leading to Ay were enchanting and inviting. While we tasted many great Champagnes, the 4 hour private tour at Gosset was grand. Their Blanc de Blanc is stunning. All this with scallops and skate is about as good as it gets for this boy from Texas! Alsace... I'm a great fan of their wines, and had a wonderful tasting of over 50 in Strasbourg. More details soon from a special trip. This message has been edited. Last edited by: wine+art, |
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Makes my last two weeks seem depressing.
Just one more sip. |
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can't wait to hear the details.
I am going to speculate that you had seafood at Le Dome. Irwin Unless you're the lead sled dog, the view never changes. |
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Do not get too far out on that limb Irwin.  We sat in the Modigliani booth. We loved watching as an older man brought in a basket of 12-15 different fish. The chef came out and inspected each of the fish, rejecting over half. Only after he picked a few, were we advised what fish were available to enjoy this day.  |
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Wow, sounds like a great time W+A,
I've only been once, and ate mostly cafe and street food, but still had a wonderful time over my nine days. Hope I get a chance to do it in W+A style in the future! Cheers, -IB PSA: Please report gratuitous trolling/flaming immediately (little triangle at bottom right). |
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Sounds like a great vacation.
Just curious. How much does it cost to travel by train in Europe? Will a train get you all the places you want to go in France? Also, how much would it cost to go to Portugal, Germany, Spain etc.? Just throwing out names to get an idea. |
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spo, yes you can go anywhere by train in France.
For the prices, I've been gone for so long I have no idea... |
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spo,
The dollar is very weak, so Europe will cost you, and if on a budget, do not go to Paris! As for train travel, the problem is if your not heading to a major city. The train from Paris to Champagne is only $100, but you will need transportation from the train station to the winery, and the next, and the next and... Now if your going to travel from Rome to Florence, to Paris, to London and such, the train would work. Feel free to email me and we can talk more if you like. |
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France is awesome. I also remember all of the steps at Mont St. Michel. The last time that I was there, I wrote in the prayer book in the church, "I pray that for the 8 Euros charged to get up here, God will install an escalator in this place! (I got violently ill shortly afterwards, and my wife felt certain that it was due to my blasphemy!
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It never ceases to amaze me how the whole country is planted in vine. It seems there is a perfect region for every type of major grape variety (well, they don't grow zinfandel and nebbiolo/Sangiovese in France, but I bet they could do well with those varieties, Zin in the Rhone Valley, and I don't know enough about Nebbiolo or Sangiovese to hazard a guess, but I digress). w+a sounds like a great trip, how long were you there?
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not the whole country, Roentgen Ray. I don't think there is much wine cultivation in Normandy.
Calvados, oui. Wine, non. Irwin Unless you're the lead sled dog, the view never changes. |
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Not as much as Spain.
Just one more sip. |
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Which one of you here a travel agent? |
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St. Jacques are great, aren't they?
I did not make it to France this year, but the amount I consumed last fall will make up for it. Roasted with Chanterelles, Mousse, Carpaccio, Tartare, Poached with cream and leeks...And Champagne, Champagne, Champagne. Blancs, Rose, NV? Bring it! It's a perfect match, I agree. |
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Wow, I have limited travel experience in Spain. I would love to travel there sometime. I guess my drive to discover Spanish wines hasn't been strong enough to get me to travel there much yet. Nonetheless, I hope to make it to Spain in the next couple of years. |
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I haven't been to Normandy either, but it makes sense given its location. I bet their weather is very English. I can imagine it being a good place for apples though, sort of Washington State like with strong maritime influences. |
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Roentgen Ray:
Would I be correct in speculating that you are a radiologist? Irwin Unless you're the lead sled dog, the view never changes. |
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Ray, Spain is my favorite country in Europe to visit, having been there half a dozen times and will be there again next summer. There's a wide variety of Spanish wines and I'd suggest you give the following three groups of reds a try: 1. If you like Tempranillo (I don't), the wines of Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Toro are worth trying. 2. My favorite region is Priorat in the larger Catalayud region. Try their Garnachas and Cariñenas, some of the best wines in the world. 3. Look for the great bargains of Jumilla. The Monastrell (Mourvedre) wines are rich and deep and mostly quite inexpensive. If you like whites, some truly great ones are coming out of Priorat. Look for Mas d'en Gil Coma Blanca (the best of them all), Clos Mogador Nelin, Scala Dei Les Beugueres, Mas Igneus, Barranc dels Closos. For lighter, crisper whites, look to the Albariños of Rias Baixas, my favorites being Fefinanes and Pazo Señorans. Spain has more land under vine than any other country in the world. Just one more sip. |
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We could not get enough of them, and every way they were prepared was exquisite. |
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I want to be wine + art when I grow up!
 PH |
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PH, too right!
I can't wait until we are all somehow together again. Jet-lagged (as well as arguably coming down with something) the details of his stories are something you have to hear in person! A week ago I was treated to an all-too-brief glimpse of their experience (i.e., the way in which the white truffles were introduced and prepared at dinner, or the exact placement of the windows in their stunning room in Paris). Heaven is in those details!!  |
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When did w+a grow up? |
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PH |
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