Living the Dream in the South of France

Courtyard of Castillon du Gard

Knowing the fine dining restaurants in Languedoc takes more than reading reviews on travel sites.  My good fortune is in travelling with friends who know this region, and are happy sharing their expertise with me. 

We called ahead for dinner reservations at the Hotel Le Vieux Castillon, a lovely hotel in the medieval village of Castillon du Gard.  I had driven the Route de Nîmes many times from Bagnols sur Cèze to Nîmes, but did not remember seeing this village, tucked away from the road behind the plane trees and vineyards.  The evening promised to be mild, no wind, and the clouds reflected a warm rosy glow of the setting sun on the ancient limestone buildings of the village.

Ancient streets of Castillon du Gard

Like so many villages in this part of Languedoc-Rousillion and Provence, Castillon du Gard dates from about the 11^th century, is built on a hill, has evidence of Roman influence, and probably began as a Celtic oppidum in the years before the Roman legions arrived in the 1^st century BC.  The courtyard leading to the restaurant was shaded with ancient olive and cypress trees, and huge terracotta pots had been placed near the hedges of pink and white blooming oleander bushes.  The steps led up to a terrace with the outdoor seating, with umbrellas and cushions of green and white stripes.  Inside the restaurant the décor was elegant, yet relaxed, with an emphasis of southern French style.  The menu was heavy on the “classics of regional gastronomy.”

Living the Dream...

I wandered up to the terrace with the swimming pool which overlooked the Gardon River valley, noting the section of a wall kept as a romantic ruin, empty windows and stairs leading nowhere, just like a Salvador Dali painting.  Behind me the evening sky became a deeper blue, and the warm lights from the restaurant interior shone on our wine glasses.  Dinner was relaxed, starting with the appetizers, called amuse gueule, and carried on to the cheeses and dessert. 

Still not sure how I had overlooked this lovely spot, I was reminded that I had no excuse: the Pont du Gard was only about 5 km south of here, and the Roman city of Nîmes was just a bit beyond.  Another reason to take the less-travelled path when exploring Languedoc --  to experience some regional delights!

For a lovely stay in a four-star hotel, and romantic dinner the next time you’re in the south of France, try:

Hotel Le Vieux Castillon

10 rue Turion Sabatier

30210 Castillon du Gard, France

vieux.castillon@wanadoo.fr

Wine tasting in Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Cave du Verger des Papes, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

We are travelling in the Rhône valley region of southern France, crossing and re-crossing the Rhône River from Provence to Languedoc-Roussillon.  With the afternoon free, we were on a mission to do some degustation at several of our favourite Domains.  But because today was a bank holiday, they were all ferme.  Frustrated, we drove on to the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in hopes of finding a wine shop open.  I had been here about five years ago, but my vague memories did not prepare me for such a delightful village.  With so many of the crowds of tourists gone due to the holiday, we had little trouble finding parking a spot and wandered the cobblestone streets.  After peering into shop windows, ‘caves de vin,’ and checking restaurant menus, I suggested we climb up the hill to the ruin of the papal castle, thinking of the nice restaurant I saw there years ago. 

We came upon a wine dealer, the “Cave du Verger des Papes” and decided to look in.  What a treat!  This happens to be the only Roman-era wine cave in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2000 years old, with the original wine vats carved out of the stone used by the Romans (crushing the grapes by foot), and examples of the terracotta amphorae for transport.  Even though we may think of the Avignon Papacy as the originators of viticulture here, in fact the Romans brought the wine industry to this part of the Rhône Valley.  Of course the Roman Popes enlarged the industry, especially Pope John XXII, for whom the papal castle on the hill above Châteauneuf-du-Pape was built between 1317 and 1333.

The proprietor gave us a few samples of nice whites and several reds, with the AOC (Appellation d’origine Contrôlée) label Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the distinctive bottles with the papal tiara and crossed keys.  She told us the reds were blends of thirteen varieties of grapes, and that only three producers made their reds using all thirteen.    She explained how the Châteauneuf-du-Pape vintages were of higher alcohol content, and were better after aging. Traditionally the wines of this region have relatively high alcohol content but are not allowed to go higher than 15.5% and if they are drunk too young, the taste will be a bit high in tannic.  She said they could be opened and drunk as young wines, but suggested that the wines aged at least five years would be more pleasing.  A well-balanced wine, given at least five years to age will be much more enjoyable and display the true skill of the winemaker.

Roman wine vats carved out of the rock

Until the wine critic Robert Parker highlighted the Châteuneuf-du-Pape and gave a rating of ‘100 out of 100,’ these wines were relatively unknown. Of course, the increased fame increased the price! Our guide explained that their cave made an effort to carry the lesser-known Châteauneuf-du-Pape producers in their inventory, recognizing that the larger Domains had the means of advertising, marketing, and exporting.  One of the wines we tasted was from their smallest producer consisting of four workers, the father, mother and two sons.  I asked how long that producer had been in business and she told me ten generations, and they were the youngest.  With my astonishment, she added the oldest producers in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape region had been making wine since the 13^th century, before the popes moved from Rome to Avignon.

 

We made our selections, and I bought some charming wine glasses, which we asked to have stored and pick up later so we could continue the climb to the papal castle, really just a bit farther up the hill.  The view was marvelous, with the huge Rhône about two miles in the distance, winding through the valley.  The breezes whistled through the empty window-openings in the thick castle walls -- only the south wall is intact to give the visitor a true perspective of this massive building.  The combination of the popes’ return to Rome in 1376 and the French Wars of Religion in the mid 1500’s contributed to the decay and destruction, with the site becoming a ‘quarry’ as the stones were re-used for other buildings.  But in seeing the ruins, one can only imagine the magnificence of this castle in its prime.

Next time you are in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and would like a unique wine-tasting experience, visit

Cave du Verger des Papes

4 Montée du Château

843230 Châteauneuf-du-Pape

www.vergerdespapes.com

Day tripping in Lucerne

 

Switzerland is truly a four-language country, and Lucerne is in the heart of the predominantly German region.  Using the variety of German called “Schweizerdeutsch” this German is different enough for speakers of the standard “Hochdeutsch” to almost qualify as a dialect.  Short day trips from Zürich (about 1.5 hours by car) keep us in the German regions, including our visit to Lucerne last September. 

 

This lovely city is perhaps best recognized from photographs of the Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge) a wooden covered bridge spanning the River Reuss, with the stone octagonal shape Wasserturm (Water Tower) next to it.  Dating originally from the mid-14^th century, the bridge was nearly destroyed by fire in the late 20^th but was reconstructed so Lucerne would not lose this iconic structure.  Now when crossing the bridge, warnings are posted “Rauchen verboten” (No Smoking) – cigarettes were said to be the cause of the fire.  This is a very long bridge to cross, almost 700 feet, and at intervals paintings of medieval scenes of Lucerne are added to entertain the pedestrian.  But really, the views across the river are all the entertainment I needed.

Lucerne was not one of the original cantons that formed the Swiss Confederation in 1291, but joined a short time later.  In those days, the Habsburg dukes from nearby Aargau ruled this land, and Rudolf von Habsburg was elected and crowned King of the Romans in 1273, the first Habsburg in the long ruling dynasty that lasted until 1918.  However, the cantons of Schwyz, Uri, and Unterwalden formed a confederation to declare independent rule after King Rudolf’s death in 1291.  As one would expect, medieval kings did not accept loosing revenue producing territory without a fight, and the deciding battle to defend this new confederation included Lucerne at Sempach in 1386 which resulted in the death of the Habsburg Duke Leopold III of Austria, and recognition for what is now called the “Old Swiss Confederation.” 

For this quick visit, we wandered the medieval Old Town, crossed the Kapellbrücke, and stopped in a restaurant for a lovely dinner and bottle of wine.  With the shortened September day, we decided to head back to Zürich before dark.  I will visit Lucerne again on this trip.

 

 

Next:  a day in the gorgeous Italian-Swiss city of Lugano

 

Visiting Switzerland

Zurich, Switzerland -- July 2014

Travelling again, and does it feel great!  This year I have resolved to relax more, to observe rather than sightsee, and to get the feel of daily life of the places I visit. 

Here in Zurich this resolution is quite easy to follow, as I have the unique opportunity to stay with my daughter and son-in-law, and share their daily activities and routines.  Getting that  ‘up close and personal’ view of life in Switzerland.

Work day starts very early with lunchtimes strictly observed, meaning the shops are services are closed from 12:30pm to 1:30pm, so don't plan on stopping at the post office or picking up your cleaning during lunch hour. Promptly at 5pm the workforce emerges from the trams for the short walk home.  The public transportation system of busses and trams is great here - convenient, quiet, clean (but expensive), and environmentally sound.  In fact, people here opt to use public transportation to get to work rather than their cars.  The city traffic planners seem to discourage use of cars here, methods of an unacknowledged “car-tax” which include steep parking fees (300 CF per year) to park on the street but with no guarantee of finding a place, city shopping areas with no parking lots, and extremely restrictive speed limits and huge fines for minor exceedances. And of course, the streets are narrow, winding, with tiny parking spaces - if you can find one.  In general, this is a very expensive city in which to live, but it is a very beautiful, safe, crazy-clean city.  As my son-in-law tells me, Zurich keeps you in a warm jacket, but it is a very tight jacket!

 

We went for a weekend drive south-east past the Bodensee, across the tiny land-locked country of Liechtenstein, to the Austrian Alpine resort of Silbertal.  Weather was stormy, but the dark clouds made the scenery even more dramatic.  The town of Silberstal was a quaint Alpine site with charming Gasthauses for the winter skiers, hi-end shopping, and a city hall flying international flags.  All the houses and businesses were decorated with colorful flowerboxes and Tyrolean woodcarving. Above the town was the 13^th century village of Bartholomäberg and a well-preserved Baroque church with the classic onion-domed tower, and we drove up to it and got a few photos of the amazing views to the valley below.

Lots more to see here in Switzerland, then I will be visiting Germany and France in the weeks ahead!

Herculaneum, a Roman City Frozen in Time

Scavi di Ercolano, entrance to the excavations of Herculaneum

Naples, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe and also one of the largest, of which Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said “see Naples and die,” is truly amazing.  Founded in 470 BC by Greek traders, called Nea-Polis meaning “new city” in Greek, Naples has been ruled by Romans, Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Normans, Swabians, Angevin French, Aragonese, and Bourbons, until Garibaldi united Italy in 1860.  Our short walk in the old part of Naples that we could reach on foot from the harbor gave us the briefest of tastes of this magnificent history.  I so wanted to break away from the tour and visit Cumae, the mysterious site of the Cave of the Sybil, the prophetess of the Roman kings and the site of the entrance to the Underworld in Roman mythology, which was a mere 15 miles west of Naples,  perhaps another time…

Soon we were back on the cruise ship, and for the last time we gathered in the auditorium to join our Herculaneum tour group.   Pompeii and Herculaneum -- the cities of Vesuvius, alive in my imagination for years. The destruction and burial of these two Roman cities on 24 August 79 AD by the volcanic eruption of Mt Vesuvius is so well known, and has been the subject of TV movies and travelling museum exhibits.  But however much one has read, or how many movies seen, or museums visited, there is no substitute for being there.  And how real it felt, seeing Vesuvius looming over the city, a mere 10 miles away, double-peaked now after many explosions, with the scars of lava flows down the sides.

Herculaneum, with the volcano Mt Vesuvius in the distance

 

Herculaneum paved street.  Note depth the city had been buried in 79 AD.

After a 20 minute ride, the tour bus pulled into a non-descript parking lot at the edge of a non-descript town, no sign of ancient city ruins that I could see.  However, once we entered the gate to the “Scavi di Ercolano” and looked down into the excavation area about 30 ft. below street level, we beheld the ancient city of Herculaneum.  Called by some the Beverly Hills of Ancient Rome, it was the resort city of the wealthy Romans, of large two-storey homes decorated with magnificent frescoes, mosaics, and peristyle gardens, of public baths, a huge 25,000 seat theatre, boat docks, and most telling, paved streets free of the wheel-ruts that one sees in Pompeii, a more commercial and industrial city.

Herculaneum two-storey house, with some wall decorations still intact

Elegant home with a peristyle garden

 

There is a theatre buried within this wall of volcanic soil

Herculaneum was re-discovered in 1709 by some workmen digging a foundation for a nobleman’s villa, and for years after the site was subjected to rampant tunneling and pilfering of marble statues and bronze artifacts.  Systematic exploration and preservation only starting in the late 19^th century, hampered by the fact the modern town of Risina was built on the soil above the ruins.  Even now, most of Herculaneum is entombed beneath Resina (renamed Ercolano) including the theatre.  Today Herculaneum is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Herculaneum fast-food joint, the large jars held the food kept warm from the nearby furnace

 

Spectacular mosaic of Neptune and Amphitrite on the wall

 

Lararium for the household gods

Dr G in the atrium of the Samnite House

 

Labrum (wash basin) in the baths

Our tour guide walked us through bakeries, cereal shops the thermal baths, aristocratic homes, and showed us a corner shop that sold hot food and beverages from large terracotta jars, a sort of 2,000 year old fast food joint.  We saw one house with a mosaic floor that had buckled from the hot pyroclastic material that buried it.  We saw charred timbers in the walls of another building, amazingly preserved.  We saw the boat houses on what had been the sea shore, where hundreds of skeletons were discovered in the 1800’s, dispelling the common belief up to that time, that most of the citizens had escaped the volcanic eruption.

The boat houses, where hundreds of skeletons were discovered, victims of the volcano

Tired, parched, and foot-sore, we climbed back on the tour bus, almost solemn with the realization of what happened here 1,934 years ago.  To the east double-peaked Vesuvius served as a reminder of the awful forces of Nature, and how easily a paradise can be swept away.

We four explorers spent our last evening together, the cruise completed.  After dinner and an evening nightcap, we bade each other farewell, with L & G catching a flight back home, and C and I off to spend three days in Rome.  Then I planned to continue my travels to Zurich while C caught a return flight.  Our Mediterranean / Greek Island cruise dream was over -- but what a wonderful time we all had!

Luggage lined up on the dock at the port of  Civitavecchia, with buses ready to transport us back to the Rome airport.  Cruise over   *SIGH*

To be continued…

Last stop, Naples

The day after leaving Santorini we spent at sea, relaxing and reading in lounge chairs by the pool.  A bit sad to realize the cruise was coming to a close.  That evening was a “Formal Night” with the passengers all dressed to kill, and dinner especially elegant.  We splurged on the wine, enjoyed our meal and dessert, and after dinner strolled along the decks admiring all the tuxedos and evening gowns, stopping for a drink in one of the bars in an effort to prolong the experience. 

Naples harbor

The morning found us moored in the ancient port of Naples, and since our guided tour of Herculaneum was scheduled for the afternoon, the four of us walked off the ship and through the Stazione Maritima to do some exploring.  The first edifice we beheld was the massive stone fortress, the “Castel Nuova” built in the days of Charles of Anjou, the first man to claim the title “king of Naples.”  Charles, a Frenchman, the younger brother of King Louis IX (Saint Louis), was a hyper-ambitious, power hungry nobleman who wanted to be king.  His life story -- so intertwined with the history of Sicily and Naples, his overthrow from the throne of Naples and Sicily sparked by the Sicilian Vespers in 1282, and his wars with the German Hohenstaufen rulers – require a skilled historian to unravel.  Try reading the excellent book The Sicilian Vespers by Sir Stephen Runciman, it’s a fascinating story.

 

 The Castel Nuovo from the time of Charles of Anjou

 

The statue of Charles of Anjou, from the Palazzo Reale among the statues of all the kings of Naples.


After a few minutes, we found ourselves in the expansive Piazza del Plebiscito, a public square designed in 1808 by Joachim Murat, a later king of Naples, to honor Napoleon Bonaparte, who was also his brother-in-law.  On the western side of the piazza stood the 17^th century Palazzo Reale, where the Bourbon kings of Naples had their residence.  The long façade was decorated with niches containing huge statues of the Kings of Naples, including Roger of Normandy, Frederick II Hohenstaufen, Charles of Anjou, Alphonso V of Aragon, the Habsburg HRE Charles V, Charles III of Bourbon, Joachim Murat the Bonapartist, and ending with Vittorio Emanuele II.  What a history! 

 The flags and shields of the city of Naples over the great gate of the Palazzo Reale

 The Hohenstaufen Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, another King of Naples.

 The Palazzo Reale from across the Piazza Plebiscito.

 



 

Dominating the eastern side of the piazza was the huge neo-classical church of San Francesco del Paola flanked by long, curving colonnades, also started by Murat for Napoleon, and finished by King Ferdinand II.  We entered the church and at once realized it could have been a full-scale replica of the Pantheon in Rome!  The marble floors, walls, statues, altars were most impressive, and an unexpected treat.







 

 The 19th century church of San Francesco di Paola, looking like an ancient Roman temple.

 Interior of San Francesco di Paola -- remind you of the Pantheon in Rome?

I fell in love with this lion!

With time running short, we strolled over to the famous Galleria Umberto I, the covered shopping zone that was built in the 1880’s with all the glitzy stores and cafés.  Advertising placards outside the shops reminded us that Naples is the cultural home of spaghetti, pizza, and Sophia Loren. All this in the shadow of Vesuvius. 

Galleria Umberto I

 

Next:  Tour of Herculaneum

Enchanted with Santorini

Santorini!!

Doorway to the Archipelagos Restaurant, the tables are many steps below on the side of the cliff.

The Akrotiri tour bus dropped us off at the southern edge of Fira, near an impressive Greek Orthodox monastery.  I immediately set off to find an ATM, while C. chatted with Gerogina the tour guide.  I came back hoping to give Gerogina a nice tip for her great tour, but she had left already, so C. and I started walking through the town center to meet up with L. and G.  Our pre-arranged meeting place was near the cable-car entrance, so we headed there, following the signs painted on the walls of the shops.  What a bustling, crowded town!  The streets were narrow, steep, and at odd angles, and with colorful shops-- we passed several shops that looked very interesting, and made mental notes to return after lunch. 

 Whitewashed walls of a Greek Orthodox monastery in Fira, Santorini

 

The town of Fira -- living on the edge in Santorini.

The crowds became quite thick as we neared the cable-car entrance.  Why the cable-cars?  Because Fira is a town perched on the edge of the steep volcanic cliff, 1150 ft above the sea.  Visitors landing on the shore have a choice of either climbing the 600-odd steps on the zig-zag cobblestone road, or hire a donkey to ride on.  The local donkey owners make a nice living off the tourists too tired to make the climb.  The other alternative is the cable-car, which is not cheap, involves long queues of grumpy passengers, and takes about 15 minutes for the ascent and descent.  When C. and I waited for L. & G. we could observe the short-tempers of the tourists waiting for the cable-car to take them back down to the shore, one fist-fight nearly broke out when some women tried to cut into the line!  Fortunately we avoided any melee and found our friends, all four of us hot, thirsty and hungry.  We stopped at a lovely taverna just at the entrance of the zig-zag cobblestone path down to the shore and grabbed a table which gave us a perfect view of the sparkling Aegean below with the numerous ships, including our cruise ship, at anchor in the bay.  Lunch was a sampling of the salads, dolmades, hummus and pita bread, with ouzo and Greek beer.  For dessert we had the best baklava ever.  L. & G. had been to a wine-tasting tour that morning and came away with a bottle of Vinsanto, meaning Holy Wine, which they promised to share at our post-cruise reunion.  Our waiter was so friendly, he offered to take our photo, a rare pic of what we all agreed was our favorite day. 

 Kastr Taverna near the cable-car entrance, and the site of a lovely lunch.

The dazzling view from our table at the Kastr Taverna.  The bay is deep enough for several cruise ships.  Note the crater-island in the center of the bay.

Refreshed, and after doing some shopping, we debated whether to walk down or fight our way through the queue for the cable-cars.  I think the vote was three against one to walk, so we reluctantly left that lovely town, not wishing to miss the last tender back to the cruise ship.  We had been warned to expect a strong aroma of sweaty donkeys and donkey dung on the zig-zag path.  It was tricky to watch where you step when you can’t take your eyes off the view.  The donkeys were adorned with leather pack saddles and colorful blankets – “kilimia” – and colored beads on their harnesses, very picturesque.  They were also a hazard, being ridden by overweight tourists unskilled at donkey-handling -- I was nearly crushed against the wall by more than one out-of-control donkey. 

 The start of the 600-step path back down the cliff to the shore.

 

Donkeys for hire.

 On the path from Fira back down to the tender dock on the shore.

 

Come to me all ye who are burdened.

The lightweight tender bounced us over the waves on the bay back to the cruise ship, with the view of Fira clinging to the edge of the cliff above us.  The path we had descended from Fira to the shore was clearly visible, and we all sighed with a tinge of regret.  Santorini was a wonderful stop on this cruse, and for me a wonderful diverse spectrum of the history of the Aegean region, a panorama of the beginnings of Western Civilization, and I will certainly return.

Next:  Naples and a tour of Herculaneum...