Issue No. 28
This gorgeous issue is stuffed full of fabulous features from beautiful Annecy to the sunny southern Basque country and the city of Pau, the Canal du Midi and much more. There’s a fabulous photo essay of the four seasons of Provence, practical guides and recipes galore with a focus on the gastronomy of the Touraine region in the Loire Valley - from an ancient recipe for macarons to more-ish nougat cake!
This gorgeous issue is stuffed full of fabulous features from beautiful Annecy to the sunny southern Basque country and the city of Pau, the Canal du Midi and much more. There’s a fabulous photo essay of the four seasons of Provence, practical guides and recipes galore with a focus on the gastronomy of the Touraine region in the Loire Valley - from an ancient recipe for macarons to more-ish nougat cake!
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Bonjour and welcome to the latest edition<br />
of The Good Life France Magazine.<br />
As I write this, France is still on a virtual<br />
lockdown and people can’t travel here<br />
to enjoy its many charms from historic<br />
cities to pretty villages and the wonderful<br />
gastronomy. And we’re still not sure<br />
when things will be back to normal. The<br />
hospitality business is suffering terribly<br />
and everyone is hoping that things will<br />
get better soon and we can welcome<br />
back our family, friends and much valued<br />
visitors.<br />
In the meantime, we’re hoping to keep<br />
your France dreams alive and this issue<br />
covers gorgeous Annecy in Haute-Savoie,<br />
Brocélliande – Merlin’s Forest in Brittany<br />
and a corner of bucolic paradise close to<br />
Paris – the lovely Vallée de Chevreuse.<br />
Provence lovers will adore our 4 Seasons<br />
of Provence feature, a photographic<br />
essay that had me dreaming of packing<br />
a bag and heading straight to the south<br />
of France from my little pigsty office in<br />
rural northern France. The sunny city of<br />
Pau, the beautiful Basque region, Canal<br />
du Midi and the French Riviera are also<br />
featured. And I hope that these articles<br />
bring back happy memories or help you<br />
plan a trip in the future for that happy<br />
day when we can travel again.<br />
There are loads of luscious recipes and<br />
we take a look at the gastronomy of<br />
Touraine in the Loire Valley in the shadow<br />
of some of the greatest castles ever<br />
created.<br />
And for those who live in France or want<br />
to live in France – there’s plenty of inspiration<br />
in the practical section.<br />
Something for every Francophile.<br />
You’ll find me every day on Facebook,<br />
Twitter and Instagram and I love to chat<br />
to you there. And every week I send out<br />
a newsletter, weekly whimsies someone<br />
called them. Feel free to join me for your<br />
French fix.<br />
Wishing you and yours well.<br />
Bisous from France,<br />
Janine<br />
Editor
Bienvenue<br />
Bonjour and welcome to the latest edition of<br />
The Good Life France Magazine.<br />
As I write this, France is planning to reopen<br />
and though people can’t travel yet to enjoy<br />
its many charms from historic cities to pretty<br />
villages and the wonderful gastronomy,<br />
hopefully it won’t be too much longer.<br />
The hospitality business is suffering terribly,<br />
and everyone is hoping that things will get<br />
better soon, and we can welcome back our<br />
family, friends and much valued visitors.<br />
In the meantime, we’re hoping to keep your France dreams alive and this issue<br />
covers gorgeous Annecy in Haute-Savoie, Brocélliande – Merlin’s Forest in Brittany<br />
and a corner of bucolic paradise close to Paris – the lovely Vallée de Chevreuse.<br />
Provence lovers will adore our 4 Seasons of Provence feature, a photographic essay<br />
that had me dreaming of packing a bag and heading straight to the south of France<br />
from my little pigsty office in rural northern France. The sunny city of Pau, the<br />
beautiful Basque region, Canal du Midi and the French Riviera are also featured. And<br />
I hope that these articles bring back happy memories or help you plan a trip in the<br />
future for that happy day when we can travel again.<br />
There are loads of luscious recipes and we take a look at the gastronomy of Touraine<br />
in the Loire Valley in the shadow of some of the greatest castles ever created.<br />
And for those who live in France or want to live in France – there’s plenty of<br />
inspiration in the practical section. Something for every Francophile.<br />
You’ll find me every day on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and I love to chat to<br />
you there. And every week I send out a newsletter, weekly whimsies someone called<br />
them. Feel free to join me for your French fix.<br />
Wishing you and yours well.<br />
Bisous from France,<br />
Janine<br />
Editor
Contents<br />
Features<br />
8 Spotlight on: Annecy<br />
A-list Annecy, cultural, friendly and<br />
absolutely gorgeous. Janine Marsh<br />
explores the Venice of the Alps…<br />
24 Slow Travel: Basque<br />
Uncover the charms of slow travel in the<br />
Basque Country says Sue Aran<br />
32 City Focus: Pau<br />
Capital of the historic Béarn, elegant Pau<br />
stands beneath the Pyrenees. Or does it,<br />
wonders Gillian Thornton<br />
42 Vallée de Chevreuse<br />
Melissa Barndon explores the charming<br />
countryside of the Chevreuse Valley, a<br />
fairy tale-like landscape on the outskirts<br />
of Paris<br />
54 The 4 Seasons of Provence<br />
Photographer Helen Leather captures the<br />
charms of Provence through the seasons<br />
and shares her favourite places…<br />
60 The Canal du Midi<br />
Andrea Hoffman explores the fascinating<br />
history of the UNESCO listed canal
66 Brocelliande, Brittany<br />
Kevin Pilley wanders through a wizard’s<br />
woods and finds it’s truly magical<br />
72 Winston Churchill’s French<br />
Riviera<br />
Artist Paul Rafferty was inspired to<br />
follow in Winston Churchill’s paint brush<br />
strokes…<br />
Regular<br />
80 Your Photos<br />
The most popular photos on our<br />
Facebook page<br />
106 <strong>No</strong>tes from a pigsty<br />
Meeting Madame and Monsieur<br />
Pepperpot<br />
Practical<br />
84 My Life in France<br />
Joanna Leggett reveals a few of her<br />
favourite things<br />
86 Life in Auvergne Rhone Alps<br />
Local agent Carol Lobertreau looks at<br />
property and life in the Alps<br />
90 Finance in France<br />
Jennie Poate says that British expats<br />
should review their finances post Brexit<br />
92 Digital banking in France<br />
Credit Agricole explains how technology<br />
is transforming banking in France
Recipes<br />
Gastronomy<br />
96 Travel with your taste buds to<br />
Touraine<br />
Chateaux, gateaux and the gastronomy of<br />
Touraine<br />
Where to eat out at some of the most<br />
beautiful castles in the Loire Valley and<br />
some truly spectacular recipes for a taste of<br />
the Loire…<br />
29 Basque Cheesecake<br />
99 Brouillade aux truffes de Touraine –<br />
an eggy delight<br />
101 Cormery Macarons – irresistible<br />
sweet treat<br />
103 <strong>No</strong>ugat of Tours – a seriously<br />
scrumptious cake<br />
105 Roasted Scallops with saffron<br />
butter sauce – need we say more?
Annecy city guide<br />
Annecy City Guide<br />
Annecy is everything a French alpine<br />
city should be – fairy tale pretty, historic,<br />
cultural, friendly and utterly delicious.<br />
Janine Marsh falls head over heels for the<br />
“Venice of the Alps”…
‘’<strong>No</strong>w I have been happy. <strong>No</strong>w I have lived.’’<br />
18th century French philosopher and writer Jean Jacques Rousseau<br />
on seeing Lake Annecy.<br />
If there was a contest for France’s most<br />
beautiful city, I’m pretty sure Annecy<br />
would be at the top of the list. Its charms<br />
are, quite simply, irresistible.<br />
At the heart of it is a crystal clear lake,<br />
and, surrounded by majestic mountains,<br />
you’re never far from nature here.<br />
Winding canals cross its historic cobbled<br />
streets and flow under picturesque<br />
bridges, past ancient churches and<br />
ancient buildings. There are beautiful<br />
beaches French riviera style, activities<br />
galore, fabulous restaurants and great<br />
museums.<br />
Annecy’s old town<br />
Annecy is used to having superlatives<br />
thrown at it “one of the most beautiful<br />
towns in France” – tick. “One of most<br />
floral cities in France” – tick. European<br />
capital of outdoor sports – tick.<br />
The light in Annecy is like nowhere<br />
else, it has a purity that I’ve never seen<br />
anywhere before.<br />
The city is quite ridiculously photogenic<br />
and there are sites galore to make you<br />
sigh.<br />
Canals, bridges and little cobbled streets.<br />
Terraced cafes, beautiful old buildings<br />
and a medieval castle. Les Jardins de<br />
l’Europe, an elegant park on the edge of<br />
the lake.<br />
And of course the famous Palais d’Île,<br />
a former prison and probably the most<br />
iconic site in the city.<br />
And all this with a backdrop of snow<br />
peaked mountains.
What not to miss in Annecy<br />
This is a city that’s made for flaneurs<br />
– that French word which has no<br />
real equivalent in English but is often<br />
translated as to wander. It means so<br />
much more. It means to wander in a<br />
leisurely way, to soak up the ambiance,<br />
to see the sights – Annecy is a flaneur’s<br />
dream town. And, it is the best way to<br />
get to know this place, simply wander,<br />
get lost in its flower-filled streets, take<br />
a break at a café, enjoy a leisurely lunch,<br />
walk some more, stop for aperitifs, walk<br />
some more, relax over dinner and fall in<br />
love with this pretty city.<br />
Get up early to see the Pont d’Amour at<br />
its best. There is a myth that says that<br />
if two lovers kiss on the bridge, they<br />
will stay together forever. That aside,<br />
you have the most beautiful views over<br />
the lake and into the city as the water<br />
flows gently under the bridge. Watch the<br />
sun come up and light up the water, it’s<br />
rays spiking over the tree lined quays,<br />
stroking the rooftops of the city and<br />
through the stained glass windows of the<br />
14th century church of Saint-Maurice,<br />
the oldest in Annecy.<br />
You can’t miss the 12th century Palais<br />
de L’Île in the middle of the Thiou<br />
Canal which has recently undergone<br />
a restoration. It is now an interesting<br />
museum you can visit to discover its<br />
history as a fort, prison, school…<br />
Climb a small mountain to reach the<br />
medieval Château d’Annecy, now a<br />
museum and exhibition venue. There are<br />
marvellous views over the town from the<br />
castle ramparts.
“My god it’s beautiful”<br />
Napoleon III on seeing Lake Annecy<br />
Take a detour to Talloires<br />
I took a taxi boat across the lake and was<br />
dropped off at the pontoon of Auberge<br />
du Père Bise, a legendary hotel/2<br />
Michelin Star restaurant in Talloires, a<br />
tranquil medieval village. It was a bit of<br />
a Grace Kelly moment in that I felt like<br />
a princess and a celebrity! The wind<br />
wooshed through my hair as the sun<br />
was setting and we sped across the still<br />
waters.<br />
I drank in the sights – a castle on the<br />
edge of the lake, birds flying overhead,<br />
the mountains turning dark as the light<br />
fell. It’s expensive but one of those<br />
experiences that are rarely bettered.<br />
After a wine tasting session with one<br />
of France’s most famous sommeliers at<br />
the divine Abbaye de Talloires Hotel/<br />
Restaurant was followed by dinner at<br />
1903, the bistro of Auberge du Père Bise<br />
where star chef Jean Sulpice came out to<br />
say hello and ask if I enjoyed my meal.<br />
“Enjoy it Monsieur le Chef” I said, “that<br />
is one of the best meals of my life” and I<br />
meant it.<br />
If you’re staying in Annecy it’s easy to get<br />
around on foot or by bus. You can also<br />
hide a bike and take a guided tour - book<br />
at the tourist office. And there’s one of<br />
those very French little train tours.<br />
Outside of Annecy a car is pretty much<br />
essential.<br />
Lake life<br />
“Lake Annecy. It’s a revelation, it’s a<br />
miracle. It is so enchanting that you have<br />
tears in your eyes... It stretches out under<br />
the caressing sun, bordered by majestic
waters in Europe. Filtered and<br />
pumped into buildings in the<br />
area it tastes delicious.<br />
Before you go worrying about<br />
pesky mosquitoes, put all<br />
such thoughts aside. There<br />
are none here. There are<br />
two canals in Annecy which<br />
run into the lake, and in the<br />
1960s the then Mayor had<br />
them lined with concrete<br />
leaving the mosquitoes<br />
unable to breed. Twice a<br />
year the canals are emptied<br />
and cleaned which ensures<br />
no pests and very clean<br />
water flowing into the lake,<br />
fed by melted snow on the<br />
mountains.<br />
mountains, a body of water radiating<br />
blue one could not be more divine. Its<br />
waters include all the blues… so beautiful<br />
that it risks breaking your heart.” Mark<br />
Twain.<br />
I can give you some facts about<br />
Lake Annecy – 14.6km long, 50km<br />
circumference, up to 82m deep. It was<br />
created some 18000 years ago by melted<br />
glaciers and is the second biggest lake in<br />
France. But that doesn’t tell you anything<br />
about the reality of Lake Annecy – it is<br />
one of the most beautiful lakes in the<br />
world.<br />
The water is turquoise coloured when<br />
the sun comes out, more like the<br />
Caribbean than southeast France. This<br />
is due to the plankton at the bottom<br />
of the lake which contains the cleanest<br />
The lake has three main types<br />
of fish, much prized by locals.<br />
Fishing is strictly controlled<br />
so if you want to find a<br />
restaurant serving authentic<br />
Lake Annecy fish, ask at the<br />
tourist office for details.<br />
You can swim in it and it has man-made<br />
beaches where you can relax and make<br />
like you’re in the Mediterranean. You can<br />
even dive in it, there’s a cruise ship wreck<br />
site close to the Imperial Palace Hotel<br />
suitable for experienced divers but you<br />
can also take a beginners course in the<br />
lake.<br />
It takes about an hour to drive all the<br />
way round the lake, by bike it takes 4-5<br />
hours and if you don’t fancy a hard slog,<br />
hire an e-bike. There’s a great cycle path<br />
all the way round and it is absolutely<br />
worth the trip, maybe even staying<br />
overnight somewhere en route since<br />
you’ll pass through some lovely little<br />
villages:
Veyrier-le-Lac just 5km from Annecy is<br />
known to the locals as the “Savoyard<br />
Emerald Coast”, it’s a very pretty<br />
village and home to several excellent<br />
restaurants overlooking the lake.<br />
A little further on you’ll arrive in<br />
Menthon-Saint-Bernard, another pretty<br />
village with a 1000 year old fairy-tale<br />
castle in which a Saint was born and<br />
whose descendants still live there. It’s a<br />
fascinating place to visit with exquisite<br />
views over the lake and gorgeous<br />
gardens. Read more about it here<br />
Then there’s the truly scrumptious village<br />
of Talloires with its ancient abbey, now a<br />
hotel and restaurant with one of the best<br />
sommeliers in France. Read more about it<br />
here<br />
Don’t miss lovely Doussard, a tiny little<br />
village of astonishing beauty which is<br />
the gateway to the Massif des Bauges<br />
Mountains and as pretty a place as you’re<br />
ever likely to see.<br />
Go further on and you’ll arrive at Duingt,<br />
nicknamed the pearl of Lake Annecy,with<br />
its gorgeous chateaux – yes two of them,<br />
turrets peaking over the trees as the<br />
snowy mountain peaks soar into the sky<br />
around them.
Annecy market<br />
I love French markets. I’ve been to<br />
hundreds but I can truthfully say, I would<br />
go to Annecy for the market alone.<br />
There’s been a market here for centuries,<br />
going back to the middle ages. Every<br />
Tuesday, Friday and Sunday morning<br />
stalls are set up and the streets fill with<br />
shoppers.<br />
I arrived around 7am on a beautiful<br />
autumn morning with the dawn sun<br />
rising slowly over the mountains,<br />
warming the air. I watched mesmerised<br />
as a man in a beret cycled past, an old<br />
lady pulled a trolley over the cobbles, a<br />
baker bought out a tray of still steaming<br />
croissants, the scent carried on the air.<br />
Beautiful displays of vegetables and fruit,<br />
bread and cakes, cheese and chocolate,<br />
artisan gifts, baskets and more, were laid<br />
out along the ancient streets and over<br />
the bridges. This really is a market to fall<br />
in love with.<br />
Make like the locals and enjoy a hot<br />
chocolate or coffee at the Buvette de<br />
Marché, the oldest café in Annecy.<br />
20 Rue Sainte-Claire, 74000 Annecy.<br />
Eat: There are many reasons to go to<br />
Annecy and one that might be less wellknown<br />
(for now, get in quick while you<br />
can) is gastronomy. Fresh fish from the<br />
lake, alpine cheeses, locally grown wines,<br />
génépi – a sort of gin/absinthe hybrid<br />
liqueur with a kick, farms galore, numerous<br />
artisan producers, chefs drawn to<br />
the amazing array of seasonal produce,<br />
saffron is grown in the valleys as well as<br />
other herbs including cumin and dill.<br />
It’s not easy to pick just three restaurants<br />
to highlight in this gastronomic city, but:
Above: La Brasserie Irma<br />
Lunch: Midget, Cave à Manger, is the<br />
perfect place for a light lunch tapas style,<br />
and a glass of wine. Run by sommeliers<br />
Benjamin and Karin it’s friendly, local and<br />
delicious.<br />
4 Quai Madame de Warens<br />
Dinner: Whatever you do, don’t miss<br />
the locals favourite: La Brasserie Irma,<br />
Bocuse Brasserie. Yes that Bocuse.<br />
Irma, the mother of legendary French<br />
chef Paul Bocuse was born in Annecy<br />
and lived here before moving to Lyon.<br />
The fabulous restaurant which opened<br />
in 2020, nestles on the edge of Lake<br />
Annecy with wonderful views.<br />
It’s the locals favourite secret. You can<br />
get a takeaway for a feast on the beach<br />
opposite, enjoy aperitifs on a pontoon<br />
in the lake, relax in the garden or dine<br />
inside the bright interior. The food is<br />
superb.<br />
Avenue du Petit Port<br />
Wine and Dine: Feel like a celeb and<br />
take a river taxi across the lake at sunset<br />
to eat like a lord at restaurant 1903.<br />
Aperitifs: There’s so much choice but<br />
the locals tip is to head to the pretty rue<br />
Sainte-Claire.<br />
Coffee: Aux Roseaux du Lac famous<br />
for its chocolate-coffee roseaux (reeds)<br />
sweets.<br />
6, rue du Lac<br />
Taste of Annecy at home:<br />
A few recipes to whet your appetite<br />
Reblochon pie<br />
Raclette<br />
Tartiflette<br />
Gateau de Savoie
Around and about<br />
Visit the 1000 year old Chateau de<br />
Menthon-Saint-Bernard overlooking<br />
Lake Annecy. A saint was born here and<br />
his descendants still live here. Read more<br />
Take a detour to Thones, just 20km<br />
from Annecy (about 30mins by bus) this<br />
buzzing, vibrant mountain town will<br />
give you a flavour of village life half way<br />
between the city and the resorts of the<br />
Aravis Massif, the Annecy mountains.<br />
Go on a Saturday to enjoy the market<br />
and if you’re lucky enough to be<br />
there when the food festival is on,<br />
first weekend of September – you’re<br />
in for a serious treat. Tourist office:<br />
thonescoeurdesvallees.com<br />
Make for Manigod, 5km from Thones.<br />
An impossibly beautiful mountain village<br />
with the most astonishing views. Read<br />
more<br />
Faverges just 25km from Annecy is a<br />
fascinating little town with a wonderful<br />
Wednesday morning market.<br />
The town is in a glacial valley which gave<br />
birth to Lake Annecy. In the summer the<br />
area holds a Festival des Cabanes, arty<br />
cabins dotted throughout the exquisite<br />
countryside, on the edge of lakes,<br />
alongside waterfalls, up mountains.<br />
Take a treasure hunt tour to see them<br />
all. Climb the 13th century tower of the<br />
Chateau de Faverges.<br />
Visit the excellent Archaeological<br />
museum of Viuz-Faverges with its<br />
fascinating collection of Roman artefacts<br />
from the local area.<br />
Discover the grotto and waterfall of
Seythenex at the food of the Bauges<br />
Massif.<br />
And book a guided tour of the area<br />
known as Faverges-Seythenex which<br />
takes in several of the most beautiful<br />
villages in the area.<br />
Pop to the tourist office in Faverges<br />
for what’s on when you’re there: Place<br />
Marcel Piquand.<br />
Doussard (in the Faverges-Seythenex<br />
commune) is like stepping into the past.<br />
A picturesque bridge over a bubbling<br />
river, houses that look like they’ve<br />
popped out of a fairy tale, flowers<br />
everywhere.<br />
You’ll remember that you’re in the 21st<br />
century when you look up on sunny days<br />
though, there’s a landing pad here for the<br />
dare devil paragliders who have launched<br />
themselves from the Col de la Forclaz!<br />
You’ll also find here the Bout du Lac<br />
nature reserve.<br />
Stay<br />
I stayed at Le Boutik Hotel, with one<br />
door opening onto the lake and another<br />
door opening onto the old town of<br />
Annecy – it’s in an ideal location.<br />
The rooms are all unique in this elegant<br />
mansion house so pick what suits you:<br />
retro-vintage, Scandi – interior designer<br />
and owner Delphine has great style.<br />
And the beds are super comfy. The hotel<br />
also has a concept store full of fabulous<br />
things you’ll fall for and a lovely little<br />
café, perfect for brunch at the weekends.<br />
leboutikhotel.com
Don’t miss in Annecy<br />
Thrills<br />
Paraglide: Head up into the mountains<br />
and the Col de la Forclaz, an alpine road<br />
pass, if you like adrenaline thrills. From<br />
here you can hang-glide over the lake. It’s<br />
massively popular with locals and visitors<br />
at one of the best-known paragliding<br />
sites in the world. annecy-parapente.fr<br />
Hang-sleep: If you’ve got a head for<br />
heights you may like to spend the night<br />
suspended on a cliff over Lake Annecy.<br />
<strong>No</strong>, I didn’t try it, I got taken to the<br />
Empire State Building in New York for<br />
my 40th birthday and crawled round<br />
the viewing platform on my hands and<br />
knees – being high up isn’t for me. But…<br />
it does sound fun, a suspended hammock<br />
hanging from a cliff under the stars with<br />
the lake far, far below…<br />
Details: inax-aventure.com<br />
Tours<br />
Boat: Take a cruise of the lake, there<br />
are loads of options from catamaran to<br />
restaurant boat Libellule, or even hire a<br />
small motorboat.<br />
Car: Take a guided tour by 2CV, the little<br />
French cars we all love!<br />
Air: Take a tour by helicopter, small plane<br />
or even gyrocopter and get a birds eye<br />
view…<br />
Wheels: Hire a bike, e-bike, scooter,<br />
Segway – take a guided tour or<br />
freewheel your way round the lake.<br />
Details from the tourist office:<br />
lac-annecy.com Lac d, 1 Rue Jean Jaurès
Treats<br />
Cake my Day: Annecy is gifted in the<br />
gateau stakes. Try a Mr Smith tart – a<br />
green apple tart from Patisserie Philippe<br />
Rigollot, voted World’s Best Pastry Chef.<br />
1 Place Georges Volland<br />
Cheesy does it: Third generation cheese<br />
masters the Dubouloz family are famous<br />
for their cheeses and Jacques Dubouloz<br />
holds a Meilleur Ouvrier de France<br />
award. Find their cheeses at the market<br />
where they’ve had a stall since 1950 or<br />
at their store Crèmerie de Marches in<br />
Poisy, a suburb of Annecy.<br />
Ice, ice baby: Though there’s a ton of<br />
choice, they like their ice cream in<br />
Annecy, Glacier des Alpes is pretty<br />
unbeatable.<br />
Try ice cream Mont Blanc – a dreamy<br />
concoction of chestnut cream and<br />
confit of chestnut with Chantilly cream,<br />
resistance is futile.<br />
Get there<br />
From Paris (Gare de Lyon) take the TGV<br />
direct to Annecy – the journey takes<br />
from 3h 40m.<br />
Geneva International Airport is 50km<br />
from Annecy, from there take the train<br />
or coach.<br />
Useful websites<br />
en.lac-annecy.com<br />
Blue Diamond Taxi lake taxis
Take a Slow Travel Tour<br />
Through the Basque Country
Uncover the charms of slow travel in the Basque Country says<br />
Sue Aran of French Country Adventures. It’s a land where the<br />
day is long, and the culture is one of the oldest in the world.
The Basque Country, Pays Basque,<br />
Euskal Herria, is located in the western<br />
Pyrénées mountains, straddling the<br />
border between France and Spain,<br />
meeting at the Atlantic Coast’s Bay of<br />
Biscay.<br />
Emerald landscapes, distinctly rugged<br />
mountains, precipitous shorelines<br />
and the rich heritage of the Basque,<br />
Euskaldunak, kept this area uniquely<br />
singular.<br />
Proudly independent, the Basque people,<br />
who are neither Spanish nor French, have<br />
been living in this autonomous region<br />
since the earliest known modern man<br />
was discovered in France some 45,000<br />
years ago.<br />
Discover some of the best of the Pays<br />
Basque…<br />
St Jean de Luz<br />
St. Jean de Luz is the most iconic fishing<br />
village in the Pays Basque. It has a<br />
working port where 10,000 tons of<br />
fish from over 100 varieties are caught<br />
each year, including tuna, sardine and<br />
anchovy. It was from this port that 15th<br />
century fishermen chased whales to the<br />
shores of Newfoundland.<br />
St. Jean de Luz has a lively old town<br />
center offering daily farmers’ markets,<br />
boutique shops selling Basque linens,<br />
berets and espadrilles, restaurants and<br />
cafés.<br />
Espelette<br />
Espelette is a small, colorful village<br />
nestled at the foot of the Mondarrain
mountain, renowned for its famous<br />
Espelette pepper, which arrived from<br />
Mexico by New World explorers during<br />
the 16th century. Since then this lightly<br />
spicy, red pepper has been rooted in the<br />
traditions of rural life. When autumn<br />
comes the facades of houses are<br />
adorned with strings of peppers.<br />
La Bastide Clairence<br />
La Bastide Clairence was founded by the<br />
King of Navarre in 1314 and settled by<br />
the Gascons.<br />
The village church is distinguished by a<br />
unique courtyard cemetery paved with<br />
tombstones.<br />
In the 17th century, Portuguese Jews<br />
fleeing from the Spanish Inquisition<br />
arrived in the village bringing with them<br />
the art of making chocolate.<br />
Bayonne<br />
Bayonne is situated at the confluence<br />
of the Nive and the Adour Rivers in the<br />
French Pays Basque. The historic district<br />
of Grand Bayonne is characterized by its<br />
narrow medieval streets, the Gothic Saint<br />
Marie cathedral and its 13th century<br />
cloister.<br />
The Petit Bayonne district is dedicated<br />
to the arts, crafts and traditions of the<br />
region with over 3,000 objects on view<br />
at the Musée Basque.<br />
Bayonne is considered France’s first<br />
capital of chocolate.
Sare<br />
Sare is one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de<br />
France. It is a tiny village tucked below<br />
the sacred Rhune mountain.<br />
Le Petit Train de la Rhune climbs 2,970<br />
feet above the village and affords a<br />
spectacular 360 degree, unobstructed<br />
view of the Pyrénées, the Atlantic Ocean<br />
and the surrounding Basque Country.<br />
Basque-Corniche<br />
The Basque Corniche, at the edge of<br />
the village of Urrugne, is one of the last<br />
protected areas on the French Pays<br />
Basque coast.<br />
Just a short drive from St. Jean de Luz<br />
and the village of Hendaye near the<br />
Spanish border, its steep cliffs, caves and<br />
famous rocks, “The Twins”, have seen<br />
millions of years of planetary history.<br />
Biarritz<br />
Biarritz was once a Phoenician fishing<br />
port used to send goods to Britain, and<br />
a whaling port until Napoléon III and his<br />
wife, Éugenie, established their summer<br />
court there.<br />
During the Belle Epoque, thousands of<br />
people visited glittering Biarritz by the<br />
sea.<br />
In 1918 Picasso arrived, followed by<br />
Hemingway in the 20s. Frank Sinatra<br />
arrived in the 1950s with Rita Hayworth<br />
and Marilyn Monroe.<br />
Hollywood embraced Biarritz as one of<br />
its glittering incognito getaways.
Donostia<br />
Donostia, as San Sebastian is called in<br />
Basque, is a vibrantly blended traditional<br />
and modern city, a mere ten minutes<br />
from the French border. Its circular bay<br />
is rimmed with a picturesque promenade<br />
and pristine white beaches. The city<br />
hosts the San Sebastian Film Festival<br />
and some of the most spectacular<br />
monumental art in all of Spain. San<br />
Sebastian is also recognized as having<br />
some of the best food in all of Europe<br />
with 18 Michelin-starred restaurants.<br />
While Pinxtos, Basque tapas, takes<br />
center stage here, the Basque<br />
cheesecake, can’t be overlooked. It’s<br />
a savory, decadent creation with a<br />
slightly burnt crust, which you can easily<br />
recreate at home. (See over the page for<br />
super recipe).<br />
If you want to feel like a local, and you’re<br />
craving a more authentic experience, one<br />
that leaves you with a feeling that you<br />
truly got to know the places, people and<br />
cultures that you’ve encountered, then<br />
without a doubt, the Basque Country is<br />
for you.<br />
As they say in Basque, Saran Astia, we<br />
have time…<br />
Sue runs a 10-day tour which takes<br />
in the most exquisite scenery and<br />
fabulous cuisine in this seldom traveled,<br />
southwestern corner of France…<br />
Find out more at<br />
FrenchCountryAdventures.com
Basque cheesecake<br />
A creamy, delicious and easy to make<br />
taste of the Basque…<br />
Ingredients<br />
Unsalted butter (for pan)<br />
2lb. cream cheese, room temperature<br />
1½ cups sugar<br />
6 large eggs<br />
2 cups heavy cream<br />
1tsp. coarse salt<br />
1 tsp. vanilla extract<br />
⅓ cup all-purpose flour<br />
Preparation<br />
Preheat oven to 400°. Butter a 10”<br />
springform pan, then line with two<br />
overlapping 16x12” sheets of parchment,<br />
making sure parchment comes at least<br />
2” above top of pan on all sides. Because<br />
the parchment needs to be pleated and<br />
creased in some areas to fit in pan, you<br />
won’t end up with a clean, smooth outer<br />
edge to the cake, that’s okay!<br />
Place pan on a baking tray.<br />
Beat the cream cheese and sugar
together in the bowl of a stand<br />
mixer fitted with the paddle<br />
attachment on medium-low<br />
speed, scraping down sides<br />
of bowl, until very smooth,<br />
no lumps remain, and sugar<br />
has dissolved, for about two<br />
minutes.<br />
Increase speed to medium and<br />
add eggs one at a time, beating<br />
each egg 15 seconds before<br />
adding the next. Scrape down<br />
sides of bowl, then reduce mixer<br />
speed to medium-low.<br />
Add cream, salt, and vanilla and<br />
beat until combined, about 30<br />
seconds.<br />
Turn off mixer and sift flour<br />
evenly over cream cheese<br />
mixture. Beat on low speed until<br />
incorporated, about 15 seconds.<br />
Scrape down sides of bowl (yet again)<br />
and continue to beat until batter is very<br />
smooth, homogenous, and silky, about<br />
10 seconds.<br />
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake<br />
cheesecake until deeply golden brown<br />
on top and still very jiggly in the center,<br />
60–65 minutes.<br />
Let cool slightly (it will fall drastically<br />
as it cools), then un-mold. Let cool<br />
completely. Carefully peel away<br />
parchment from sides of cheesecake.<br />
Slice into wedges and serve at room<br />
temperature, preferably with a glass of<br />
port or sherry alongside.<br />
Cheesecake can be made one day ahead.<br />
Cover and chill. Be sure to let cheesecake<br />
sit for several hours at room temperature<br />
to remove chill before serving.
City focus: Pau<br />
Capital of the historic Béarn, elegant Pau<br />
stands beneath the Pyrenees. Or does it,<br />
wonders Gillian Thornton.<br />
Every
Every major city has its iconic street.<br />
The boutique-lined boulevard. The<br />
monumental avenue. Or perhaps the<br />
quaint quarter fringed with historic<br />
houses. But few can boast anything to<br />
match the elegant city of Pau, capital of<br />
the Béarn region of <strong>No</strong>uvelle-Aquitaine.<br />
Pau’s must-do walkway is the Boulevard<br />
des Pyrenees, bordered on one side by<br />
imposing Belle Epoque apartment blocks<br />
and, on the other – yes, you guessed<br />
it – by the distant jagged peaks of the<br />
Pyrenees.<br />
But don’t hold your breath. You do<br />
need a modicum of luck to enjoy the<br />
spectacular backdrop to this wonderful<br />
high-level boulevard.<br />
Belle Epoque Boulevards<br />
I’ve been to Pau twice before and on<br />
both occasions have found this rugged<br />
mountain frontier stubbornly hidden in<br />
cloud, so I’m delighted third-time round<br />
to see the mountains towering into the<br />
evening sky. I can even identify them,<br />
each one neatly labelled on the iron<br />
railings that fringe the south side of the<br />
Boulevard. Just line up the notch on the<br />
balustrade with the tall chimney on the<br />
old tramway factory below.<br />
The Boulevard begins just a short<br />
walk from my stylish overnight<br />
accommodation at the Hôtel Parc<br />
Beaumont, which overlooks a glorious<br />
green space broken up by magnificent<br />
trees and tranquil lakes.<br />
Stay here during the legendary car races<br />
in May and you’ll have a front row seat<br />
on the action as the drivers race past.<br />
The rest of the year, this modern hotel is<br />
a tranquil base for exploring the town on<br />
foot.
Discover Pau<br />
Pau owes much of its success to the<br />
British. First came Wellington’s soldiers<br />
who passed through in 1856 after the<br />
Napoleonic wars and liked what they<br />
saw. Many of them never left, settling<br />
down and establishing France’s very first<br />
golf course. Scottish doctor Alexander<br />
Taylor extolled the virtues of the town’s<br />
clean air, and soon Europe’s well-todo<br />
were arriving to enjoy the dance<br />
evenings, hunting parties, and buzzing<br />
social scene.<br />
Their Belle Epoque villas still dot the<br />
town and fringe the Boulevard des<br />
Pyrénées, brainchild of engineer Jean<br />
Charles Alphand. In 1891, Alphand<br />
declared that ‘Pau should have its<br />
Promenade des Anglais of Nice’ and so<br />
he set about creating one.
Today this marvel of 19th century<br />
engineering is a must-do amble with its<br />
mountain panorama and direct access<br />
into historic squares such as Place<br />
Royale, hub of the city since the 18th<br />
century, and Square Georges V, created<br />
in the 1920s and ‘30s. Hang over that<br />
famous balustrade to see a reminder<br />
of the French cyclists who have passed<br />
through Pau on the Tour de France; their<br />
names and dates are painted on the<br />
tarmac of Avenue Napoléon Bonaparte<br />
beneath.<br />
The upper and lower levels are linked<br />
by steps or a lift, but the most unusual<br />
transit is on board the free funicular.<br />
Installed in 1908 to link the town centre<br />
with the railway station on the banks<br />
of the Pau de Gave, it runs every three<br />
minutes from early morning to midevening,<br />
afternoons only on Sundays.<br />
At the foot of the Funicular near what<br />
was once the city’s cycle race track, 104<br />
bronze totems tell the story of the Tour<br />
de France with anecdotes and archive<br />
photos. Pau hosted the event for the<br />
71st time in 2019 and every year, a new<br />
totem is added to Le Tour des Géants to<br />
celebrate the winner.<br />
Castles, towers and legends<br />
The Boulevard des Pyrénées comes to<br />
an end beneath Pau’s most emblematic<br />
monument, the gleaming white Château<br />
de Pau with its turrets, towers and<br />
balustrades. Significantly altered across<br />
the centuries, the castle saw the addition<br />
of a defensive brick keep by Gaston<br />
Fébus in the 14th century. But its current<br />
appearance is largely due to significant<br />
19th-century restoration under Louis-<br />
Philippe.
Look out for the Tour de la Monnaie, set<br />
slightly apart, and home to a royal mint<br />
until the French Revolution. And look<br />
down onto the geometric patterns of the<br />
Renaissance Gardens. Then head across<br />
the deep ditch via the Pont d’Honneur to<br />
the courtyard and main entrance. Inside,<br />
the birthplace of Henri de Bourbon –<br />
later Henri III of Navarre and Henri IV<br />
of France - houses rich collections of<br />
drawings, paintings and sculptures, plus<br />
an important collection of Louis XIV and<br />
Louis XV tapestries.<br />
Opposite the castle entrance, the Hotel<br />
Sully is one of several mansions in the<br />
Quartier du Château. Legends has it that<br />
brushing the Basset Hound door-knocker<br />
will mend a broken heart. More imposing<br />
buildings line Rue Joffre, formerly named<br />
simply Grande Rue, and now one of an<br />
increasing number of pedestrianised<br />
streets in the town centre.<br />
But head down the steps behind the<br />
castle to discover the Hédas district,<br />
one of the oldest parts of the city and<br />
recently given an urban makeover.<br />
Women once came here to fetch water<br />
from the Hédas brook, which now flows<br />
underground. Today, a pleasant walkway<br />
links play areas and tiny parks, nestled<br />
beneath the backs of multi-storied<br />
properties facing the mountains.<br />
Pau is full of surprises and I discovered<br />
one of its best on Rue Tran, which<br />
runs parallel with Rue du Hédas. Just<br />
take a right up Rue des Cordeliers.<br />
Here the Musée Bernadotte recalls<br />
the extraordinary life of Jean-Baptiste<br />
Bernadotte, a humble solider born<br />
in Pau in 1870 who rose to become
a Brigadier General under Napoleon<br />
Bonaparte. Such was his reputation that<br />
when Swedish king Charles XIII died<br />
without an heir in 1818, Bernadotte was<br />
invited to take the royal job and today,<br />
his descendants still reign in Stockholm.<br />
Quite some career path!<br />
Wandering deeper into the town, my<br />
back to the Pyrenees, I stopped off<br />
to savour the sights and smells of Les<br />
Halles. This gastronomic hub has been<br />
completely renovated since 2017 and<br />
when I visited, the first phase of the<br />
project was open and clearly a popular<br />
venue with its wine bars, food stalls and<br />
escalators. This ultra-modern market<br />
hall is an essential stop for anyone who<br />
has bought a Pass Gourmand, a brilliant<br />
initiative that enables visitors to taste<br />
their way round the city in bite-sized<br />
pieces.<br />
More than 22 shops and food stalls<br />
throughout the city centre and within<br />
Les Halles serve some kind of iconic<br />
local flavour in return for a ticket. A<br />
sweet macaron, here. A date stuffed<br />
with foie gras there. And maybe a glass<br />
of Jurançon to wash it all down. Eat in,<br />
take away, or pack up your goodies for a<br />
gourmet picnic, perhaps with a view of<br />
the Pyrenees.<br />
Weather not to your liking? <strong>No</strong>t a<br />
problem if you drop by my last port of<br />
call, the unique Fabrique de Parapluies, a<br />
block away from Les Halles on the corner<br />
of Rue Montpensier and Rue <strong>No</strong>gué. At<br />
the turn of the last century, shepherds<br />
would stop in Pau, grazing their sheep<br />
on the current Place de Verdun, en route<br />
to and from the mountain pastures for<br />
summer grazing.<br />
And here in Pau, they would catch up on
©Pau Pyrénées Tourisme Guilhamasse<br />
repairs to their traditional umbrellas, each<br />
one a lifelong companion which sheltered<br />
them from rain, sun and even lightning.<br />
Twenty years ago, Hervé Pando opened<br />
an umbrella workshop in Pau, and today<br />
his son Christophe is the last craftsman<br />
to hand-make traditional parapluies de<br />
bergers.<br />
Fashioned from double-thickness<br />
proofed cotton with nine robust ribs,<br />
the umbrellas are guaranteed not to<br />
turn inside out, and can be held aloft<br />
hands-free, thanks to a round beechwood<br />
handle that sits neatly in the<br />
shepherd’s pocket. The perfect accessory<br />
for any picnic – rain or shine – along the<br />
Boulevard des Pyrénées!<br />
5 MUST-DO EXPERIENCES<br />
Follow in the footsteps of Henri IV<br />
Built in the 14th century, the lofty<br />
chateau was the birthplace of<br />
Renaissance king Henri IV in December<br />
1553. The royal baby was rocked in a<br />
turtle shell cradle that is still on display.<br />
Open all year apart from 1 Jan, 1 May<br />
and 25 Dec. Adults 7€. Free shuttle bus<br />
from Place de Verdun car park. www.<br />
chateau-pau.fr<br />
Stroll the Boulevard des Pyrenees<br />
Step back into the Belle Epoque when<br />
Pau town was a popular winter resort<br />
with wealthy travellers for its clean<br />
mountain air, multiple amenities, and<br />
elegant villas. Built from 1894 to 96, the<br />
Boulevard stands on a viaduct with large<br />
arcs supported by 49 piers.<br />
Enjoy a taste of the Béarn with a Pass<br />
Gourmand<br />
Choose from 45 local food specialities<br />
from 22 craft producers in the Halles<br />
and around the town centre with a Pass<br />
Gourmand, just 8€ for 6 tickets, 15€ for<br />
12. Eat on site or take away. Includes<br />
macaroons and chocolate, cheese and<br />
Jurançon wine.<br />
Discover the French soldier who became<br />
King of Sweden<br />
Musée Bernadotte is housed in the<br />
birthplace of the young soldier who<br />
became King of Sweden in 1810. An
atmospheric property with wooden<br />
galleries overlooking cobbled courtyard.<br />
Open daily except Monday and major<br />
public holidays.<br />
Watch a sporting event<br />
Le Grand Prix de Pau takes place around<br />
the city streets in May, and lovers<br />
of equestrian sport will flock to the<br />
town from 21-25 October for the 4*<br />
equestrian Three Day Event. Pau is also<br />
one of the top three towns to host the<br />
Tour de France.<br />
PAU ESSENTIALS<br />
GETTING THERE:<br />
By train: Daily TGV services to Paris,<br />
Toulouse and Bordeaux. The SNCF<br />
station is in the lower town with<br />
funicular access to the town centre.<br />
By air: Pau airport is 13km from the<br />
town centre. Fly to Pau from London-<br />
Heathrow with Air France. Or to<br />
Toulouse (195km) or Biarritz (125km)<br />
WHERE TO STAY AND EAT<br />
Gillian stayed at the Hotel Parc<br />
Beaumont which has 75 rooms, a spa,<br />
gourmet restaurant, café, and private<br />
parking hotel-parc-beaumont.com. She<br />
ate at Le Poulet à 3 Pattes, 26 Boulevard<br />
des Pyrénées – outside terrace or inside<br />
tables.<br />
For the loftiest view of all, book a stay<br />
at Le Belvédère AirBnB, a micro-maison<br />
with just one double bed, tiny kitchen<br />
and shower room in a glazed turret<br />
several storeys up.<br />
TOURIST INFORMATION:<br />
Visit tourismepau.com
The Vallée de Chevreuse,<br />
Île-de-France
Melissa Barndon explores the charming<br />
countryside of the Chevreuse Valley, a fairy tale-like<br />
landscape on the outskirts of Paris.
In the Upper Chevreuse Valley, when<br />
the sun comes out, the tops come down.<br />
Of the convertibles, I mean. That’s how<br />
you know spring is finally here; under<br />
the sunshine of the newly verdant<br />
trees, open-topped red cabriolets,<br />
sleek motorbikes and packs of colourful<br />
cyclists compete for space on the<br />
twisting, turning roads. There are castles<br />
and châteaux, crumbling medieval<br />
abbeys and watermills, and a lovely,<br />
meandering stroll along the petits ponts<br />
of the Yvette river.<br />
It’s a short drive from Paris, only an hour<br />
or so to the southeast. Paris is exquisite,<br />
but here, the slow-moving river bordered<br />
by undulating green hills, dotted with<br />
stone houses and church steeples is a<br />
fairy-tale setting.<br />
Officially known as the Parc Naturel<br />
régional Haute Vallée de Chevreuse, the<br />
area encompasses more than 25,000<br />
hectares, and there’s a lot to see.<br />
Chevreuse<br />
This charming petite cité médiévale,<br />
which gives its name to the valley, is<br />
home to one of the most recognisable<br />
sites in the area - the Château de la<br />
Madeleine. The castle fortress casts<br />
a protective eye on the village below<br />
from its hilltop perch, as it has done for<br />
over 1000 years. It was named for the<br />
Saint Marie-Madeleine Chapel, built<br />
in the 13th century, but unfortunately<br />
destroyed prior to the French Revolution.<br />
Chevreuse was considered a prime<br />
position, marking the boundary between<br />
the duchy of <strong>No</strong>rmandy and France, and<br />
its prosperous tanning industry made it a<br />
wealthy town.
The castle was constructed in the 11th<br />
century to keep the inhabitants safe<br />
from pillagers, and later fortified during<br />
centuries of war; only the original stone<br />
keep remains. It is free to visit, and the<br />
main tourist office of the region, the<br />
Maison du Parc, can be found inside the<br />
castle grounds.<br />
It’s a steep drive, cycle or climb to the<br />
top, up the sharp Chemin Jean Racine,<br />
named for the 16th century poet who<br />
lived in one of the castle’s towers for<br />
a while, but there’s a pleasantly shady<br />
footpath for your walk back down to<br />
the town. After visiting the small centre<br />
ville, call in to The Alchemist, a former<br />
herbalist shop and now acclaimed sirop<br />
(syrup) bar and boutique where they<br />
create the most sublime concoctions.<br />
Sit outside on the terrace, with a view<br />
to the Château de la Madeleine above<br />
and sip a revitalising mix of Verveine<br />
Gingembre or a sweet and refreshing<br />
Fraise à la menthe.<br />
Don’t leave without popping inside to<br />
choose from the gorgeous selection of<br />
artisanal syrups to take with you.<br />
Through the village of Chevreuse runs a<br />
tiny offshoot of the Yvette river, gently<br />
traversing timeworn cottages, ancient<br />
wash-houses, and a medieval tannery.<br />
There are 22 petits ponts, or little<br />
bridges, that span the river, crossing<br />
various pathways.<br />
A popular walk for locals and visitors, this<br />
promenade is hidden behind high fences<br />
sandwiched between the backs (or
fronts) of perennial houses and a public<br />
car park.<br />
Perhaps the best times of the year to<br />
visit are during the spring, when the<br />
blossoms and jonquils perform their brief<br />
but beautiful annual display, and during<br />
the summer, when the hydrangeas<br />
cascade over the tiny bridges.<br />
It’s not unusual to see amateur painters<br />
with their easels and half-finished<br />
canvases on the path.<br />
The walk is not long, less than a<br />
kilometre and perfect for a Sunday stroll.<br />
When you cross the canal there is also a<br />
chance to explore the tannery building,<br />
which made Chevreuse its fortune<br />
for many centuries, now used as an<br />
exhibition hall.<br />
Close to the pretty stone bridge in the<br />
centre of the chemin you’ll find a wooden<br />
lavoir, or public wash house, long since<br />
abandoned.<br />
Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay<br />
Beautifully restored by the outrageously<br />
wealthy Rothschild family in the late<br />
19th century, the buildings and extensive<br />
grounds of the Abbaye des Vaux de<br />
Cernay are the perfect setting for a<br />
peaceful wander on a sunny spring<br />
afternoon. Only the shell of the ancient<br />
abbey remains, but one can imagine<br />
coloured shards of sunlight streaming<br />
through the rounded rose window a<br />
thousand years ago.<br />
<strong>No</strong>w, the ravages of time and greenery<br />
have taken their toll. The abbey was long<br />
associated with the pious Saint Thibault,<br />
abbot of the monastery in 1235.
A famous legend rose up around the<br />
fountain in the abbey grounds; that after<br />
the infertile King Louis IX and his wife<br />
Marguerite of Provence were invited<br />
by St Thibault to drink the water at this<br />
miraculous fountain, they went on to<br />
have eleven children.<br />
The Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay is<br />
now run as a luxury hotel and function<br />
centre, although you can visit the ruins<br />
and the fountain and walk around the<br />
lake at your leisure (it’s free during the<br />
week).<br />
On Sundays there are guided tours of the<br />
grounds. If you’re looking for some fine<br />
French dining, take your seat amongst<br />
the vaulted arches in the restored priory<br />
which is now La Table du Prieur.<br />
Or indulge yourself on a Sunday, prior<br />
to your guided tour, with an extravagant<br />
Buffet déjeuner brunch in the former<br />
cloister building.
When the weather is lovely, drinks and<br />
delicate pastries can be purchased from<br />
the tearooms, and you can sit on the<br />
paved terrasse and contemplate life with<br />
a view of the captivating abbey.<br />
Château de Breteuil<br />
The graceful Château de Breteuil has<br />
been in the hands of the same family<br />
for over 300 years. The grand house<br />
itself dates to the 18th century, and one<br />
hundred years later would play host to<br />
a secret meeting between the French<br />
government and the future King Edward<br />
VII.<br />
But it’s the gardens of this lovely locale,<br />
classified jardins remarquable, which<br />
make it an unmissable stop on your tour<br />
of the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse.<br />
There’s a classic French garden with a<br />
miroir d’eau or a reflecting pond lined<br />
with white marble statues, a smooth<br />
lawn and mosaiced boxwood and<br />
topiaries.<br />
The Jardin des princes, formerly known<br />
as the English garden and renamed in<br />
honour of the secret meeting mentioned<br />
above, is truly delightful.<br />
Behind this walled garden is a cacophony<br />
of colour and fragrance - pink and white<br />
blossoms herald the beginning of spring,<br />
daffodils, tulips and snowdrops surge<br />
delicately from the rich soil, and the<br />
heady scent of roses assails the senses.<br />
Stand under the white cherry trees in<br />
full blossom for a wonderful photo or sit<br />
on an old stone bench and inhale this<br />
romantic, heavenly garden.<br />
An entrancing labyrinth entertains both
young and old, and waiting<br />
in the centre of the maze is<br />
Old Mother Goose. Because<br />
there’s more to this château<br />
than just history and elegant<br />
gardens. For children,<br />
it’s pure magic. Charles<br />
Perrault was a famous<br />
fairy tale author from the<br />
17th century, and a great<br />
friend of a long-dead lord<br />
of Breteuil, and scenes from<br />
eight of his most famous<br />
fairy tales can be found all<br />
over the outbuildings of the<br />
château grounds.<br />
Look in on Cinderella in the<br />
stables getting dressed for<br />
the royal ball, watch out for<br />
the murderous Bluebeard,<br />
or keep an eye on Sleeping<br />
Beauty in her enchanted slumber. And<br />
don’t forget to be on your guard when<br />
Little Red Riding Hood arrives at her<br />
grandmother’s cottage, the fearsome<br />
wolf is lurking.<br />
There’s a fantastic playground in the<br />
grounds, with slides and climbing<br />
equipment, and benches in the shade if<br />
you want to bring your picnic lunch.<br />
The Château de Breteuil is open<br />
throughout the year, but the fairy tales<br />
only on Sundays and in school holidays.<br />
Discover Nature<br />
If you love to get out and about in<br />
nature, there are hundreds of walking<br />
trails criss-crossing the Haute Vallée<br />
de Chevreuse, ranging from a few<br />
kilometres to an all-day hike.
Eat local produce<br />
The valley includes part of the ancient<br />
forest of Rambouillet, former hunting<br />
ground of French kings, where you can<br />
still see wild sangliers and graceful deer<br />
through the whispering trees.<br />
Close to the Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay<br />
is a large network of paths, many of<br />
which converge on the sparkling green<br />
Étang des Cernay, from where the monks<br />
replenished their water supply; a little<br />
further on, you can view the cascades<br />
which powered the Petit Moulin de<br />
Cernay.<br />
The sandstone under your feet is lucky<br />
to be there - in the beginning of the<br />
19th century, much of it was excavated<br />
and sent by train to Paris to become its<br />
cobblestoned streets.<br />
You won’t even need to pack your<br />
picnic lunch on your day in the valley.<br />
Whether you’re in the car, on foot or<br />
on your bike, stop in one of the tiny<br />
village boulangeries for a warm and fresh<br />
baguette, and at La Ferme de Coubertin<br />
for a round (or two) of cheese.<br />
This locally recognised farm raises its<br />
own cows and goats and makes award<br />
winning cheeses of all varieties. Make<br />
sure you pick up some flavoured yoghurt<br />
for your dessert.<br />
For something a little bit different, yet<br />
completely French, why not visit a snail<br />
farm?<br />
Snails are not just for the tourist<br />
restaurants in Paris, they are a popular<br />
dish in their own right all over France,<br />
especially at Christmas.<br />
The Ferme de Fanon, in Senlisse,<br />
emblematic of the Valley region, has<br />
been raising their own snails for almost<br />
20 years. The thousands of snails here<br />
snack daily on fresh parsley, shallots and
garlic for around 14 months, before they<br />
are sent off to restaurants or sold in the<br />
small boutique store on the farm. It is<br />
also possible to take a tour of the farm,<br />
before you head home with your chewy<br />
snails for dinner.<br />
Other highlights of the<br />
region:<br />
Domaine de Dampierre<br />
This magnificent château dominates the<br />
small village of Dampierre. The château<br />
itself has been under restoration for<br />
several years now, but it’s a beautiful<br />
walk around the estate with its magical<br />
pond and 17th century outbuildings.<br />
Port Royal des Champs<br />
The sister Abbey to that of Vaux-de-<br />
Cernay, there is not a great deal which<br />
remains of this 13th century nunnery.<br />
Largely destroyed under Louis XIV<br />
because of religious conflict, later<br />
buildings were used as a school, or to<br />
keep the memory of the abbey alive.<br />
Located in Magny-les-Hameaux, the<br />
ruins are a tranquil place to spend an<br />
afternoon, and some of the buildings<br />
have been converted to a museum.<br />
Rambouillet<br />
This restored château, former royal<br />
palace and now one of the official<br />
residences of the French President, has<br />
seen the likes of Louis XVI and Marie<br />
Antoinette, Napoléon Bonaparte and<br />
Josephine, and Emmanuel and Brigitte<br />
Macron.<br />
In the sweeping grounds, which include<br />
an artificial lake populated with white
swans and geese, is a marbled<br />
dairy built for Marie Antoinette,<br />
and an ethereal shell cottage<br />
designed for the Princess<br />
de Lamballe before she was<br />
tragically executed in the French<br />
Revolution.<br />
Close by is also the Bergerie<br />
Nationale, which has been<br />
raising sheep for the past several<br />
hundred years and is a fantastic<br />
place for children.<br />
Useful websites<br />
Official tourism website<br />
parc-naturel-chevreuse.fr<br />
ferme-de-coubertin.fr<br />
breteuil.fr<br />
abbayedecernay.com/
Provence is enchanting<br />
year round. From the<br />
poppy fields of spring to<br />
the blooming lavender of<br />
summer, the vibrant colours<br />
of autumn and the serenity<br />
of winter, photographer<br />
Helen Leather captures the<br />
charms of Provence through<br />
the seasons and shares her<br />
favourite places…
The Four Seasons of<br />
Provence SPRING<br />
The beautiful village of Murs is close<br />
to gorgeous Gordes and ravishing<br />
Roussillon. In spring the valleys around<br />
Murs are filled with flowers. Take a peek<br />
through the gates of the privatelyowned<br />
Castle of Murs, built between<br />
the 12th and 6th century. And from<br />
the town, enjoy one of the numerous<br />
hiking trails, and in summer you will find<br />
many cyclists stopping for lunch at the<br />
charming Hotel le Crillon.<br />
The village of Goult is authentic and<br />
charming with a bustling center where<br />
you’ll find lots of restaurants and shops.<br />
After lunch, walk to the top of the<br />
village where you will find a fabulous old<br />
windmill.<br />
Tarascon (left) is a vibrant, colourful little<br />
town, close to Saint-Remy-de-Provence,<br />
it’s well worth a detour and has a<br />
beautifully preserved castle overlooking<br />
the River Rhone.
SUMMER<br />
Bonnieux is one of my favourite villages in the Luberon. It has something for<br />
everyone: vineyards, old farm houses, antique shops, lavender fields in July, and<br />
great cycle routes around the village. From Bonnieux you can look across the<br />
valley to Lacoste, another magical village well worth visiting.<br />
Fontaine de Vaucluse is beautiful year-round, but when the temperatures soar<br />
in the Vaucluse, it’s great to visit the springs and have a picnic. There are many<br />
beautiful spots to sit, relax, eat, drink, and read. The spring is the largest in<br />
France, and one of the largest in the world.<br />
One of the treats in Fontaine de Vaucluse is the traditional papermill where you<br />
can watch paper being made using traditional methods.<br />
The view from the old village of Bonnieux to the new church at the bottom of the<br />
hill. In summer, night-time classical music concerts take place at the magnificent<br />
old cathedral atop the village.
AUTUMN<br />
The Café de France is an iconic café in<br />
L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, perfect for people<br />
watching or resting after a day in the<br />
market.<br />
L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, built around a series<br />
of waterways, is most famous for the<br />
number of antique shops (the most of<br />
anywhere in France outside of Paris).<br />
On Sundays the village centre is bustling<br />
with the weekly market where you will<br />
find traditional clothing and homewares<br />
as well as numerous raconteurs selling<br />
“antique” finds, not to be confused with<br />
the treasures in the antique shops.
WINTER<br />
Aged but timeless buildings (left)<br />
overlooking the Église <strong>No</strong>tre-Dame-des-<br />
Anges in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and it by<br />
winter sun…<br />
The view from my window (above)<br />
over the valley. Every day brings another<br />
magical view. The most beautiful time is<br />
in winter when the mornings are cloaked<br />
in mist – just magical.<br />
Follow Helen’s gorgeous Instagram page<br />
at: instagram.com/frenchfascination
The History of the Canal<br />
The slow glide of a canal boat across the waters of<br />
the Canal du Midi has an incomparably relaxing and<br />
calming effect with everyday stresses quickly forgotten<br />
says Andrea Hoffman, travel writer and author. In this<br />
extract from her new book Canal du Midi: The Ultimate<br />
Guide she examines the history of the Canal du Midi…
du Midi
History of the Canal du<br />
Midi<br />
The Romans are said to have previously<br />
planned the construction of a waterway<br />
that linked the Atlantic with the<br />
Mediterranean. However, the project<br />
did not start until the 17th century<br />
under King Louis XIV, the legendary Sun<br />
King. Pierre-Paul Riquet (1604–1680),<br />
a wealthy tax collector, presented his<br />
plans to the King in 1662 and was able<br />
to persuade him about the merits of the<br />
project. In the canal, Louis saw another<br />
opportunity to make himself immortal.<br />
In October 1666, he gave the royal seal<br />
of approval to the project. 40 per cent<br />
of the costs were borne by the Crown,<br />
40 per cent by the State and 20 per<br />
cent by the Riquet family, with the latter<br />
becoming the owner after the death of<br />
the King.<br />
Around 12,000 people worked on the<br />
canal. They built 3<strong>28</strong> structures such as<br />
locks, tunnels, bridges, dams, harbours<br />
and aqueducts. The canal is filled with<br />
water from the Montagnes <strong>No</strong>ires, the<br />
black mountains. In addition, various<br />
small rivers are fed in, and reservoirs and<br />
ditches provide the right water level.<br />
In addition to the tremendous technical<br />
feat, the canal also impressed through its<br />
excellent integration into the landscape<br />
of southern France.<br />
Around 42,000 trees lined the banks.<br />
Their roots still serve to fortify the banks<br />
today and their foliage provides shelter<br />
for both people and animals.<br />
Before engine-driven vessels, barges<br />
were pulled by horses that walked along<br />
the towpaths that line the canal.
The opening of the Canal<br />
du Midi<br />
On 24 May 1681, the ‘Canal Royal en<br />
Languedoc’ (Royal Languedoc Canal), as<br />
it was initially called, was opened. The<br />
waterway allowed merchant ships to<br />
bypass the Iberian Peninsula, meaning<br />
that they now had to cover almost 2,500<br />
fewer kilometres.<br />
Pierre-Paul Riquet did not live to see<br />
the canal finished. He died a poor man<br />
in October 1680. He had invested his<br />
entire fortune and more into the canal.<br />
His two sons worked on the canal until<br />
1682 and it took them more than 40<br />
years to pay off the debts incurred by<br />
their father.<br />
From 1686, engineer Sébastien de<br />
Vauban (1633–1707) was entrusted<br />
with the canal. In the following years,<br />
he improved the waterways, mainly to<br />
reduce the risk of flooding.<br />
Later, branches of the canal were added,<br />
including the ‘Canal latéral de la Garonne’<br />
and the ‘Canal de la Robine Narbonne’.<br />
Trade blossomed and brought wealth<br />
to the communities along the Canal du<br />
Midi. Fuel, building materials, cereals<br />
and wine were transported by ships, and<br />
later there were also postal ships and<br />
passenger ships.<br />
The travellers needed to be provided<br />
for, and soon guest houses, shops<br />
and hostels were built along the<br />
banks. Barges, usually towed by three<br />
horses, took four days to make the<br />
240-kilometre trip between Toulouse<br />
and Sète. This was incredibly quick.
The Riquet family retained their property<br />
rights until the French Revolution (1789),<br />
after which the Canal du Midi became<br />
the property of the French Republic.<br />
Since 1992, the Voies navigables de<br />
France (VNF), has been responsible for<br />
the Canal du Midi. Under Napoleon, a<br />
canal company was established in which<br />
the sovereign had a 90 per cent share. In<br />
1858, the waterway was leased to a rail<br />
company, but in 1898 it was returned to<br />
the French government.<br />
In the 1970s, an attempt was made<br />
to widen the Canal du Midi to make it<br />
possible for larger boats to navigate.<br />
However, due to the construction of the<br />
motorway that runs parallel, this plan<br />
was soon abandoned because freight can<br />
be transported far quicker by road. The<br />
main focus then became the use of the<br />
waterway by tourists. Since 1992, the<br />
Voies navigables de France (VNF), the<br />
canal authority, has been responsible for<br />
the Canal du Midi.<br />
Canal du Midi: The<br />
Ultimate Guide takes you<br />
along the length of the<br />
Canal du Midi, revealing<br />
the best places to hop off<br />
and visit. Historic sites,<br />
wonderful patisseries<br />
and boulangeries,<br />
museums, castles,<br />
vineyards, restaurants<br />
and more are covered<br />
from Sète to Toulouse.<br />
There are top tips on<br />
how to navigate, use the<br />
locks and everything else to help you<br />
have your best boat holiday. Be warned,<br />
reading this book gives you serious<br />
wanderlust… Read our review<br />
Canal du Midi: The Ultimate Guide by<br />
Andrea Hoffmann and Hans Zaglitsch is<br />
published by Adlard Coles, Bloomsbury<br />
Publishing and is out now (Paperback:<br />
£14.99)
King Arthur’s forest<br />
Kevin Pilley wanders through a wizard’s forest and finds<br />
that though there are no signs of ogres or medieval<br />
maidens – it is truly magical…
Brocéliande in Brittany<br />
© Aurelie Polvet Tourist Office Broceliande<br />
In the forest of Brocéliande in Brittany,<br />
forty miles south-west of Rennes, there<br />
is a pile of red slate blocks. Through<br />
them grows an ancient holly tree. In its<br />
branches are flowers and wreaths of<br />
seven times knotted hair.<br />
Wedged into the peeling bark are little<br />
anonymous messages. Some are written<br />
on slips of paper, some on the back of<br />
supermarket receipts. All are addressed<br />
to Merlin, the ancient intercessor<br />
between man and nature. The world’s<br />
most famous wizard is said to be buried<br />
in these sacred Celtic woods.<br />
Since the origins of fifth and sixth<br />
century Celtic mythology, and the<br />
publication in the twelfth century of<br />
the romances of Chretien de Troyes<br />
and Elinor of Aquitaine’s poet, Robert<br />
of Wace’s “Roman du Brut (1155),<br />
the Arthurian legend has fascinated<br />
and inspired millions. And mentioned<br />
Brocéliande. The name appears in<br />
Tennysons’s “Idylls of the King” and<br />
inspired Tolkien’s region of Beleriand in<br />
Middle-Earth.<br />
Some claim King Arthur is buried in<br />
Glastonbury or Worthyvale in Cornwall.<br />
His sword “Excalibur” is said to lie at<br />
the bottom of a pool in Bodmin Moor.<br />
Camelot is said to be in Tintagel,<br />
Winchester or Roxburgh in Scotland. <strong>No</strong><br />
one can really say for sure, the details are<br />
lost in the mists of memory. But here in<br />
France they know where Arthur’s most<br />
trusted advisor is. A Breton, his tomb is<br />
in the forest of Brocéliande.<br />
“Le Tombeau de Merlin” is under an hour
© Aurelie Polvet Tourist Office Broceliande<br />
away from L’Orient airport.<br />
A wizard in love<br />
Merlin fell in love with one of his<br />
students, a fairy called Viviane. She<br />
enclosed him in a magic circle and there<br />
he stays…<br />
“I don’t think this is his final resting<br />
place. He is a spirit. He is everywhere.<br />
<strong>No</strong>t in one place,” said my guide,<br />
a professional Merlinologist and<br />
official tourist guide for “Le Centre<br />
de L’Imaginaire Arthurien” which aims<br />
to discover and spread Arthurian<br />
knowledge. The centre has several<br />
official “Round Table” guides.<br />
“His spirit definitely inhabits the woods.<br />
That is why pilgrims come here. They<br />
seek guidance. The area is invested with<br />
memories of pre-Christian life.”<br />
The forest has lots of well-marked<br />
footpaths and is a magical place to walk<br />
and feel the spirit of the old wizard. The<br />
tomb is indisputably an ancient site of<br />
worship. It stands near an old Neolithic<br />
gallery grave. The woods contain<br />
cromlechs and burial mounds from the<br />
Bronze and Iron ages. Water from the<br />
Fontaine de Barrenton spills over the<br />
Perron de Merlin (Merlin’s steps) into a<br />
pool where Merlin reputedly inducted<br />
Vivian into necromancy. For centuries<br />
locals believed that the water had<br />
enchanted properties.<br />
Deeper into the forest, the Pont Dom<br />
Jean is believed to be the bridge of the<br />
sword crossed by Lancelot to deliver<br />
Guinevere. There is also a “Rock des<br />
Faux Amants”. The lover who betrayed<br />
Morgan, Arthur’s half-sister, and was<br />
turned into stone.
© Aurelie Polvet Tourist Office Broceliande<br />
Brocéliande is a part of Paimpont forest.<br />
The misty lakes and bubbling ponds of<br />
Les Forges and Perray and the castles of<br />
Trécesson and Pas-du-Houx are straight<br />
out of the pages of literary romance. The<br />
forest contains what many believe is the<br />
fountain of Barenton, where Merlin sat<br />
on his perron and conjured up a storm.<br />
Golden trees and a lover’s<br />
bridge<br />
In 1990, the woods burned for five<br />
days. As part of a massive re-plantation<br />
scheme, artist Francois Davin created his<br />
“L’Arbre d’Or”, a chestnut tree covered<br />
with gold leaf and surrounded by five<br />
blackened trees.<br />
Our walking tour led us to the Val sans<br />
Retour (The Valley of <strong>No</strong> Return). It’s<br />
said the witch Morgane lived here and<br />
punished knights who were unfaithful to<br />
their ladies.<br />
Surrounded by rocks which - to the<br />
guide’s eyes resemble the backbone of<br />
a sleeping dragon, we looked into the<br />
Miroir-aux-Fees (faerie pool) and sat on<br />
Merlin’s seat, a rock formation where he<br />
reputedly watched sunsets thinking up<br />
new ways of enchanting the world.<br />
A bridge over a river called Pont du<br />
Secret is where Queen Guinevere told Sir<br />
Lancelot she loved him.<br />
“Faithful lovers like Lancelet who<br />
avowed a perfect love for Guinevere can<br />
cross it without risk,” my guide explained<br />
with a sideways look. “The unfaithful<br />
remain as prisoners encaged by invisible<br />
walls.”<br />
The church at Tréhorenteuc celebrates
© Aurelie Polvet Tourist Office Broceliande<br />
and symbolizes the fusion of Arthurian<br />
legend with Celtic traditions and<br />
Christian faith. The mosaics, paintings<br />
and stained glass are all the work of a<br />
priest, Henri Gillard. The Celtic influence<br />
is symbolized by the oaks and acorns in<br />
the large stained glass window.<br />
A fairy castle<br />
All the Arthurian tours of Brocéliande<br />
finish at Comper Castle, former<br />
stronghold of the king of Brittany. Here,<br />
Merlin is reputed to have created a<br />
crystal palace for the faerie Vivian so that<br />
none could gaze upon her. It’s believed<br />
to be buried in the lake where she is said<br />
to have swum with the baby Sir Lancelot<br />
after finding him abandoned. It’s why he<br />
is called Sir Lancelot of the Lake and she<br />
is known as the Lady of the Lake.<br />
“They all come here and try not to<br />
look but they all do,” said my guide as<br />
we watched a group of schoolchildren<br />
looking down into the water.<br />
“They all look, hoping to see Merlin or<br />
catch a sight of the Lady of the Lake.<br />
They look for a long time. They are<br />
convinced they are both down there.<br />
They want to believe. It is an entrance<br />
to another world. The whole place is a<br />
dream world. It has a very otherworldly<br />
feel.”<br />
We did not see any white-footed stags<br />
ferrying souls to the eternal shores,<br />
meet any mad washerwomen, ogres<br />
or medieval maiden in white dresses.<br />
Apparitions were thin on the ground. <strong>No</strong><br />
black knights challenged us to mortal<br />
combat. But it does feel special…<br />
For further information about guided<br />
tours of the area contact Centre<br />
L’Imaginaire Arthurien, Comper-en-<br />
Brocéliande Castle<br />
By Kevin Pilley, a freelance writer for<br />
numerous publications including The<br />
Telegraph, USA Today, Irish Times and<br />
many, many more.
Winston Churchill painting on the<br />
French Riviera<br />
Artist Paul Rafferty was inspired to follow in Winston<br />
Churchill’s paint brush strokes…<br />
In 2015, artist Paul Rafferty began<br />
a project to find the locations of Sir<br />
Winston Churchill’s painting locations<br />
for a book. His focus was the South<br />
of France, where he lives, though his<br />
discoveries went beyond this region.<br />
It became a voyage of discovery which<br />
took him to many of the most iconic<br />
locations of Provence and the Cote<br />
d’Azur and resulted in a gorgeous coffee<br />
table book, filled with photos and<br />
anecdotes.<br />
An artist inspired by an<br />
artist<br />
Long ago, in 2004, I came across a<br />
watercolour in an antique bookshop<br />
in Los Angeles. It was signed ‘Winston<br />
Churchill’. I took a photograph and sent it
to David Coombs who is the authority<br />
on Churchill’s paintings. He informed me<br />
it was not by Sir Winston as he never<br />
painted in watercolour. Thus began my<br />
interest in Churchill’s paintings and a<br />
bond with David. I began to locate places<br />
where Churchill painted…<br />
Finding these locations through a<br />
combination of Google Earth, cartes<br />
postales anciennes and knowledge of the<br />
region turned out to be a huge challenge.<br />
It was much more of an undertaking than<br />
I had ever imagined.<br />
Even before this, I had found myself<br />
painting some of Churchill’s locations,<br />
though many of the views were not<br />
obvious. The painting at Villa Sylvia in<br />
Cap Ferrat titled “The Little Harbour,<br />
St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat” painted in 1921, is a<br />
good example.<br />
This pretty little cove lies just below<br />
the exquisite Villa Rothschild and I had<br />
painted this exact view before, though<br />
I had taken in a wider field of view.<br />
Churchill chose a more cropped view<br />
and focused on the villa. It was the jetty<br />
tower with its distinctive gazebo on<br />
top that I eventually recognised, one of<br />
many Eureka moments.<br />
This led me to find another painting<br />
of the garden of Villa Sylvia featuring<br />
an old pergola. The painting of the<br />
magnificent villa Churchill visited with<br />
Sir John Lavery was a new discovery, no<br />
one knew he’d ever been there.
The search<br />
Finding the locations was just one<br />
element of my search. Getting into<br />
these places, if they were private, was a<br />
whole other task and no less daunting.<br />
I had to find out whom owned the villa<br />
or chateau. Try to contact the owner<br />
and ask permission to visit. These<br />
are very private, wealthy people with<br />
large secluded properties. Thankfully,<br />
the admiration for Churchill and<br />
documenting history won them over, and<br />
I was kindly granted access.<br />
I visited Cassis, Lourmarin, Pont-du-Gard,<br />
Cap de Antibes and many other locations<br />
on my journey to follow in his footsteps.<br />
Discovering where Churchill painted<br />
the red rocks between Theoule and St<br />
Raphael was a special find, It’s really not<br />
that easy to find a specific rock among a<br />
coastline full of red rocks!<br />
Living the highlife<br />
There is no doubt that Churchill lived a<br />
grand life on the French Riviera. <strong>No</strong>t for<br />
him the life of poor, starving artist. His<br />
travels were replete with valets, Scotland<br />
Yard Detective bodyguards, secretaries<br />
and all manner of equipment to write and<br />
paint.<br />
Churchill was a Francophile and loved<br />
his trips to the Cote d’Azur, coming often<br />
and staying as long as was permissible.<br />
Though there was one occasion he<br />
ventured there alone. Winston, arriving<br />
at the glorious Chateau de l’Horizon<br />
and low on funds, tried the hazardous<br />
experiment of foregoing his valet.<br />
Greeted by his hostess, Maxine Elliott,<br />
he said “You have no idea how easy it is<br />
to travel without a servant. I came away<br />
from London alone and it was quite
simple.” Maxine replied “Winston, how<br />
brave of you.”<br />
Winston was enraptured by the French<br />
Riviera, the sun, the colours and<br />
abundant subject matter were irresistible<br />
to him and he longed to capture them<br />
on canvas. The Pol Roger, fine food and<br />
Casinos were also to be indulged in.<br />
The painter<br />
Churchill painted a possible 600<br />
paintings in total during his lifetime, at<br />
least 150 of them were of the South<br />
of France. He only painted one canvas<br />
during the Second World War, in<br />
Marrakech, which he gifted to President<br />
Roosevelt.<br />
Considering his relatively limited time<br />
and output as a painter, one has to<br />
judge his work with this in mind. To me,<br />
he excelled as an amateur painter. The<br />
more I looked at the canvases and the<br />
locations, the more I came to respect him<br />
as an artist. He painted large canvases<br />
on site, in the elements. He would<br />
finish them off at his studio in Chartwell<br />
because of his busy schedule. If it was<br />
possible to return to the same location to<br />
continue or complete a canvas, he would.<br />
Churchill painted fast, a one and a<br />
half hour session could see the canvas<br />
covered. He was bold, attacked the<br />
canvas and did not shy away from a<br />
subject, colour or challenge. He adored<br />
colour and squeezed all the colours of<br />
the rainbow onto his palette. Some of his<br />
works tended to have somewhat garish<br />
colouring. His wife Clementine would<br />
encourage him to “cool your palette a la<br />
Nicholson” (Sir William Nicholson, friend<br />
and artist mentor).
Lady Churchill would also try to grab a<br />
canvas off his easel when she thought<br />
it was done, much to the chagrin of<br />
Winston. He had a tendency to overwork<br />
a canvas and kill the freshness he’d<br />
captured on location.<br />
Pont-du-Gard is remarkably carpeted by<br />
Churchill’s brush, glowing as it does in<br />
the last light. In fact this was a common<br />
thread with the canvases as they tended<br />
to be painted in the afternoon light,<br />
probably after his lunch.<br />
I used laminated reproductions around<br />
the size of a large post card to find<br />
the exact spot on location. This was<br />
imperative for me as I wished to line<br />
all the elements up with the canvas.<br />
Many times it would be identical, quite<br />
incredible considering the development<br />
along the coast.<br />
I live in Mougins where Churchill visited<br />
the Guinness family in the 1930’s and<br />
painted the chapel next door, <strong>No</strong>tre<br />
Dame de Vie. In 1960 Pablo Picasso<br />
bought the house having also visited the<br />
Guinness family and falling in love with<br />
the Mas.<br />
This would be Picasso’s home and studio<br />
until his death in 1973.<br />
One of the highlights of the book<br />
occurred during my research when I<br />
managed to discover a small photograph<br />
at Chartwell, showing Churchill in a dark<br />
robe at Chateau de l’Horizon holding<br />
a painting of St Paul de Vence. This<br />
proved to reverse a decision made on<br />
national tv, the BBC’s Fake or Fortune<br />
programme, and the painting is today in<br />
the Churchill collection.
A true artist<br />
Even though Churchill considered these paintings ‘my daubs’, he was very serious<br />
and studious about his work. I came to the conclusion that for him, this was a<br />
passion above all others and a way of escape from his busy life, and a means of<br />
relaxation that no other hobby could offer. He would be absorbed while painting,<br />
time would pass quickly and his mind was focused only on his subject. Despite<br />
his love of good food and wine, he even had to be badgered and coaxed from his<br />
easel to go to lunch or dinner. A true artist…<br />
Paul Rafferty’s book Winston<br />
Churchill: Painting on the<br />
French Riviera, published by<br />
Unicorn is available from Amazon<br />
and all good book shops. The author<br />
is hoping to produce a documentary<br />
of the project and has plans to<br />
produce a companion book of<br />
Churchills paintings of Great Britain,<br />
the Stately Homes and landscape he<br />
so loved. paulrafferty.art
Your Photos<br />
Every weekend, we invite you to share your photos on Facebook - it’s a great way<br />
for everyone to see “real” France and be inspired by real travellers snapping pics as<br />
they go. Every week there are utterly gorgeous photos being shared and here we<br />
showcase the most popular of each month. Share your favourite photos with us on<br />
Facebook - the most “liked” will appear in the next issue of The Good Life France<br />
Magazine...
January: Stormy, misty, marvellous and medieval Mont-Saint-Michel, Mont<br />
St Michel during the “blue hour” by Martin McKenzie. (You can find more of<br />
Martin’s amazing photos at unkamartin.smugmug.com
February: Stunning photo of the Eiffel<br />
Tower by moonlight by Anne Craven
March: Colmar in spring by Ramus.
My France<br />
Joanna Leggett, Marketing Director of<br />
Leggett Immobillier lives in Dordogne<br />
and has lived in France for around 20<br />
years. We asked her what she loves most<br />
about France…<br />
Since the very first time I crossed the<br />
Channel as a teenager, I’ve always loved<br />
France. <strong>No</strong>w I couldn’t imagine living<br />
anywhere else! I could write a book<br />
about my favourite things – I may yet –<br />
in the meantime, here’s my top 20!<br />
1. Luscious, sweeping landscapes,<br />
breath-taking scented fields of Lavender<br />
in Provence; fields of sunflowers in the<br />
Charente; magnificent lakes below the<br />
French Alps.<br />
2. Long relaxed summer meals in the<br />
garden as the sun goes down - or seated<br />
around long tables beside a large open<br />
fire at lunchtime in the winter.<br />
3. The joy of dining in France is taking<br />
the time to talk as well as eat.<br />
4. It’s also about adopting the idea of<br />
living to eat, not eating to live. The<br />
French eat smaller courses, then sit and<br />
digest properly.<br />
5. Expanding my culinary repertoire!<br />
Neighbours have promised to show me<br />
how to prepare Foie Gras following a<br />
long discussion about exactly how many<br />
minutes it should be cooked à vapeur!<br />
6. I adore Paris – it’s a compact city and<br />
just so beautiful. I love visiting its food<br />
and flower markets and discovering new<br />
things around every corner.<br />
7. The glorious ocean beaches of the<br />
South West Atlantic coast. My absolute<br />
favourite is St. Jean-de-Cap-Ferret, a<br />
beautiful bay opposite Arcachon not far<br />
from Bordeaux – Arcachon, of course, is<br />
famed for oysters!<br />
8. While on the subject of seafood,<br />
the sheer joy of sharing a freshly<br />
caught plateau of Fruits de Mer while<br />
overlooking the sea in a quaint old port<br />
in Brittany – heaven!<br />
9. The beautiful gardens everywhere in<br />
France – my favourite time is May when<br />
gardens are full of an early summer<br />
bloom and heady with the scent of roses.<br />
10. Beautiful buildings, châteaux with<br />
fairy-tale pointed towers, ancient<br />
churches, old stone houses – mine<br />
dates back to the 13th century - the
joy of opening bedroom curtains in the<br />
morning to look over a sea of ancient<br />
russet-coloured tiled roofs.<br />
11. The French love dogs, each time I<br />
take mine for a walk around my village,<br />
someone stops to talk. As I pass, I hear<br />
classical music from one house, and<br />
wonderful cooking smells from another!<br />
It takes dog walking to a whole new<br />
level!<br />
12. Ease of travel – the great roads (few<br />
potholes!). And by TGV it takes just two<br />
hours from my local station in South<br />
West France to Paris.<br />
13. The French are incredibly polite and<br />
always greet you with a handshake or<br />
‘bises’ (kiss on the cheek), just how many<br />
depends on which part of the country<br />
you live in!<br />
14. The beautiful light - especially in<br />
Provence - no wonder the Impressionists<br />
loved to paint there!<br />
15. Discovering regional foods and<br />
dishes – so many to try, so little time!<br />
16. Wine tasting with friends in Saint-<br />
Émilion, especially with someone who<br />
knows good wine!<br />
17. Feasting on the ballet in Bordeaux,<br />
shopping in the Chartreuse, browsing<br />
antique shops and then choosing<br />
between fabulous restaurants for lunch.<br />
18. Visiting brocantes, finding all sorts<br />
of wonders from tables and chairs to<br />
armoires, beautiful old carved beds and<br />
things to upcycle.<br />
19. I love the changing seasons, watching<br />
the migration of the cranes (Grus) which<br />
fly right over my garden.<br />
20. And finally, coming home to my<br />
lovely ancient house and my garden.<br />
My parents, loved my home from the<br />
moment they first visited, for me it’s a<br />
love affair which continues!
Auvergne Rhône Alpes<br />
Carole Lobertreau has been an estate<br />
agent at Leggett Immobillier for more<br />
than 15 years, and she tells us why<br />
Morzine, Les Gets, and the Vallée d’Aulps<br />
are magical places to live and work.<br />
Originally from the north of France, I<br />
moved to the Valleé d’Aulps in 2000. The<br />
area is stunning, and the skiing is superb,<br />
it genuinely was “love at first sight.” One<br />
of the things I like the most is that it is<br />
a community where people live all year<br />
round. It’s not just a ski resort and, as<br />
such, it has a lovely, friendly atmosphere<br />
with fun activities throughout the year.<br />
Morzine<br />
Morzine is in the Chablais mountain<br />
range and sits between Lake Geneva and<br />
Mont Blanc. It is the ideal location in the<br />
middle of the Portes du Soleil ski area<br />
(which has 650 km of linked pistes in<br />
France and Switzerland), yet only an hour<br />
from the international airport in Geneva.<br />
When I say that we have fun activities<br />
here, I do mean it! Perhaps the most<br />
famous is the annual Rock des Pistes<br />
week, where live bands play on the pistes<br />
themselves, while other groups rock the<br />
bars down in Morzine centre. In summer,<br />
it plays host to internationally renowned<br />
mountain biking events.<br />
Morzine is an old farming town, a fact<br />
that becomes clear when you visit the<br />
weekly market and see the fantastic<br />
array of local produce on offer. The<br />
resort has not been over-developed, and<br />
the low-level, traditional chalet- style<br />
architecture gives it a unique charm.<br />
The fact that it has so much character<br />
makes Morzine a popular spot with<br />
both local buyers and those from
further afield. The average price of<br />
an apartment is 6,372 euros per m²,<br />
and there are around 10,000 chalets/<br />
apartments in the town - this is an<br />
average price and, as such, should<br />
be treated as a guide only. Some of<br />
the properties here are available “offmarket”<br />
so it always pays to work with<br />
an estate agent who has their ear to the<br />
ground!<br />
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes<br />
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is a vast region,<br />
covering just under 70,000 km², and<br />
property prices vary enormously even<br />
within the same resort.<br />
The Auvergne is a beautiful area full of<br />
lakes, rivers, and dramatic (dormant)<br />
volcanoes. Here rural France is at its<br />
best, and you will find that property<br />
prices are way lower than in the ski<br />
resorts in the Alps. Don’t be fooled<br />
though, you can still ski, cycle and hike in<br />
the Auvergne, and property is excellent<br />
value for money.
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Annecy<br />
However, the Alps remain the main<br />
reason that France is the number one<br />
ski destination in the world, attracting<br />
54m visitors a year. It’s not just the<br />
skiing either, the lakes in the region<br />
are stunning and a beautiful place to<br />
buy a permanent or second home. Take<br />
Annecy, for example. It is the largest city<br />
in Haute-Savoie, yet it is known for its<br />
beauty and is even called “The Venice of<br />
the Alps.” Full of terrific bars, restaurants,<br />
and boutiques, it is one of the most<br />
beautiful summer tourist destinations in<br />
France.<br />
Leggett has a fabulous portfolio of<br />
properties in the region, and all their<br />
local experts live and work there. Find<br />
out more at frenchestateagents.com
Why British expats in<br />
France should review<br />
their finances post<br />
Brexit<br />
Following the UK’s departure<br />
from the European Union in 2021,<br />
Jennie Poate, head of operations<br />
at Beacon Global Wealth, financial<br />
advisors for expats in France,<br />
advises on changes that may affect<br />
some people.<br />
How has Brexit affected banking<br />
and finance services for expats<br />
in France?<br />
There have been occasions where UK<br />
financial institutions have changed how<br />
they treat clients who live outside of the<br />
UK and companies. For instance some<br />
banks notifying clients that they can no<br />
longer hold accounts, and<br />
The changes brought about by Brexit<br />
mean that some companies no longer<br />
have a European licence for financial<br />
and insurance services. Essentially they<br />
are no longer able to support offshore<br />
clients. Even the big banks such as<br />
Barclays have been in the headlines for<br />
sending letters saying they will close<br />
bank accounts for non-residents.<br />
This caused causing concern and upset<br />
for many people. There are though on<br />
line bank accounts which offer multicurrency<br />
accounts which may provide a<br />
simple solution for those who are tech<br />
savvy and want to maintain a sterling<br />
account – those with pension income for<br />
example. (Ed’s note: for instance Revolut<br />
and Transferwise).<br />
Pensions post Brexit for expats<br />
in France<br />
Some Brits with pensions in the UK are<br />
having issues, for instance Aviva not<br />
allowing online access for clients.<br />
When it comes to pensions that are<br />
in drawdown or not yet in payment, a<br />
France-based advisor who is qualified<br />
to advise on both the UK and French<br />
finances can help you asses your current<br />
arrangements and compare alternatives<br />
which might hold greater flexibility.<br />
If you would like a no-obligation, free<br />
consultation, contact Jennie Poate, head<br />
of operations at Beacon Global Wealth.<br />
beaconglobalwealth.com<br />
jennie @ bgwealthmanagement.net<br />
Please be aware that Beacon Global<br />
Wealth management are not tax advisors<br />
or accountants.<br />
The information on these pages based on<br />
current regulations is intended only as an<br />
introduction only and is not designed to<br />
offer solutions or advice. Beacon Global<br />
Wealth management are not tax advisors<br />
or accountants. Beacon Global Wealth<br />
Management can accept no responsibility<br />
whatsoever for losses incurred by acting on the<br />
information on this page.<br />
The financial advisers trading under Beacon<br />
Wealth Management are members of<br />
Nexus Global (IFA Network). Nexus Global<br />
is a division within Blacktower Financial<br />
Management (International) Limited (BFMI).<br />
All approved individual members of Nexus<br />
Global are Appointed Representatives of BFMI.<br />
BFMI is licenced and regulated by the Gibraltar<br />
Financial Services Commission and bound by<br />
their rules under licence number FSC00805B
How banking in<br />
France is going digital<br />
Changing customer expectations and<br />
new technology is transforming the face<br />
of banking, the experts at Credit Agricole<br />
Britline explain how…<br />
Banking has a long history. Historical<br />
documents suggest that a form of<br />
banking dates from Ancient Greece and<br />
the Roman empire, with money loaned<br />
out and kept safe. In France, Napoleon<br />
Bonaparte established the Banque de<br />
France, with the first currency issued<br />
in 1800. The very first mutual bank in<br />
France was Crédit Agricole, founded in<br />
February 1885 in the Jura region.<br />
Today, innovative technology and shifting<br />
customer expectations are changing the<br />
face of banking, with new services and<br />
new ways of working. We consider why<br />
this digital evolution is happening – and<br />
the benefits for customers.<br />
Why are banks going<br />
digital?<br />
Innovation in financial services is not<br />
new. In the 1970s, French engineer<br />
Roland Moreno invented a portable<br />
memory device leading the way to the<br />
world’s first smart payment card. During<br />
the 1980s, this invention revolutionised<br />
banking. In the mid-1990s, the world’s<br />
first online banking services started up.<br />
In 1999, Crédit Agricole Britline was<br />
born.<br />
Today the pace of change is increasing,<br />
and the massive growth in the use of<br />
mobile phones and development of high<br />
speed internet are the key drivers.<br />
The smartphone revolution<br />
An estimated 48 million smartphones<br />
are currently in use in France. And, not<br />
just used for social and search purposes,<br />
users are increasingly using phones<br />
for banking too, with apps driving this
change. Apps are a form of software<br />
which provides a means to carry out a<br />
task such as shopping or games.<br />
In 2020, there were almost 3 million<br />
apps available for downloading in Google<br />
Play Store, enabling users to access a<br />
huge variety of digital services.<br />
Banks are responding to this appetite<br />
for apps by launching new apps which<br />
are secure and offer more services. Ma<br />
Banque is an app developed by Crédit<br />
Agricole <strong>No</strong>rmandie to enable customers<br />
to consult and manage accounts and<br />
budgets as well as carrying out daily<br />
banking transactions. You can view<br />
multiple accounts, transfer money<br />
immediately safely and securely as well<br />
as review balances on loans and interest<br />
on savings accounts. In addition, the app<br />
allows you to budget and control your<br />
spending, with handy alerts on accounts<br />
and budget overruns.<br />
High speed internet<br />
Another reason for the digital change<br />
is the expansion of high speed internet<br />
coverage. The French government<br />
published a plan ‘Plan France Haut/Très<br />
Haut Débit’ with a target to provide highspeed<br />
broadband of at least 30 mbps to<br />
all of France by 2022.<br />
Despite slow progress in many areas, it<br />
is fair to say though that fast broadband<br />
including fibre optic services are<br />
gradually being rolled out throughout<br />
the country, enabling people to use<br />
their computers for online banking and<br />
shopping. However access to high speed<br />
internet in France is far from universal;<br />
currently an estimated 6 million people<br />
lack a minimum quality access to the<br />
internet, particularly in rural areas.<br />
Expectations are changing<br />
For us as customers, some things will<br />
never change. We want to receive a good<br />
quality service, at a reasonable price and<br />
within a realistic timescale. However our<br />
needs and expectations are changing.<br />
Some credit this to the so-called ‘Amazon<br />
effect’, whereby consumers can find and<br />
purchase products with only a few clicks,<br />
getting the items delivered straight to<br />
their door.<br />
Research reveals a shift in expectations<br />
particularly amongst younger<br />
generations. These age groups – often<br />
referred to as ‘Generation X’ and<br />
‘Millennials’ are used to the speed and<br />
flexibility of online banking and prefer<br />
the digital experience. But this attitude<br />
is affecting all age groups. One in five<br />
people over the age of 65 now has an<br />
online bank account, a trend which is<br />
likely to increase.<br />
As COVID19 continues to restrict<br />
activity, particularly for more vulnerable<br />
people, the ability to undertake everyday<br />
financial transactions such as for paying<br />
bills online and ordering shopping is even<br />
more crucial. The pandemic may also<br />
hasten the move to a cashless society; a<br />
February 2021 survey by the Banque de<br />
France found that 39% of French citizens<br />
have reduced their use of cash since<br />
March 2020.<br />
The future is personal<br />
Customers want to feel valued. The<br />
growth in e-commerce and digitalisation<br />
in all services including banking, offers<br />
choice and greater diversity of services,<br />
all easily accessible by using our<br />
fingertips.<br />
To deliver a personalised service in
our digital age requires data; historical<br />
customer data based on personal<br />
experience. The massive growth in<br />
available data, the development of<br />
algorithms and Artificial Intelligence (AI)<br />
is central to this trend. French banks,<br />
along with financial institutions across<br />
the world, are now heavily investing in<br />
this form of innovation.<br />
Personalised email messages can be<br />
delivered to customers, blog content,<br />
offers and services can be tailored based<br />
upon previous activity online.<br />
Chatbots<br />
Chatbots are arguably one of the most<br />
exciting technological advances in<br />
recent years, allowing computers to<br />
communicate intelligently with humans<br />
using natural language.<br />
They can provide customer support<br />
services, asking a user to specify their<br />
problem, providing information or<br />
directing them to the appropriate place.<br />
Linked to social media profiles such as<br />
Facebook and Messenger, Chatbots work<br />
24/7.<br />
The future is digital<br />
For some people, digital advances may<br />
be confusing. At CA Britline we understand<br />
that not everyone wishes to communicate<br />
with a chatbot or use their<br />
bank purely for online transactions. For<br />
us, banking is about people as well, and<br />
we are always here to talk to and help<br />
our customers.<br />
CA Britline is part of Crédit Agricole<br />
<strong>No</strong>rmandie, one of France’s largest and<br />
oldest banks. We provide services to<br />
English speakers in France, Ireland and<br />
second home owners in the UK. Find out<br />
more: britline.com
Travel with your<br />
taste buds to<br />
Touraine,<br />
Loire Valley<br />
The lure of the Loire – chateaus, gateaus and tasty treats<br />
– it’s an irresistible combination says Janine Marsh…<br />
Some things are made for each<br />
other. Peaches and Cream.<br />
Cheese and wine. Chateaus<br />
and gateaus (castles and cakes).<br />
Which got me thinking about<br />
the best places in the UNESCO<br />
listed Loire Valley where you can<br />
feast like royalty - restaurants<br />
in castles or in the shadow of<br />
castles. Chefs who make dishes<br />
you’ll remember long after you’ve<br />
tasted them. Famous local wines,<br />
vegetables grown in castle<br />
gardens, historic dining rooms,<br />
local specialities and irresistible<br />
sweet treats.<br />
For an authentic taste of the<br />
Loire Valley, add these delicious<br />
addresses to your itinerary and<br />
take a gastronomic journey of the<br />
French Valley of the Kings with<br />
these scrumptious recipes…<br />
© Chateau du Rivau
Chateau du Rivau<br />
The Chateau du Rivau is a medieval fairy tale castle with magical gardens and a<br />
delicious restaurant. Its beautifully restored royal stables are thought to be the<br />
oldest in France – Joan of Arc arrived here in 1429 in search of a horse to carry her<br />
to battle. The rooms of the castle are beautifully furnished and embellished with an<br />
extraordinary art collection and regular exhibitions.<br />
The 14 fairy-tale like gardens at the<br />
foot of the château are a classified<br />
“Remarkable Garden of France” and<br />
house monumental works of art and an<br />
impressive collection of more than 460<br />
varieties of roses, carefully selected for<br />
their scents. Read more about the fairy<br />
tale Chateau du Rivau<br />
The chateau has a lovely restaurant.<br />
The Jardin Secret of Château du Rivau.<br />
On sunny days, dine outside in the<br />
heart of those scented rose gardens<br />
under a magical canopy. Vegetables<br />
are cultivated at the chateau farm,<br />
and wine produced from their own<br />
vineyards. Products are locally sourced<br />
and exquisitely presented by Chef<br />
Nicolas Gaulandeau who offers<br />
innovative cuisine inspired by the Rivau<br />
garden and nature.
Touraine speciality<br />
Black truffles flourish in Touraine, growing at the feet of oak, hazelnut and even<br />
lime trees and local restaurants love to use this homegrown products.<br />
Brouillade aux truffes<br />
de Touraine<br />
Ingredients for 4:<br />
8 eggs<br />
1 x 30g truffle<br />
20g butter<br />
40g liquid cream<br />
Salt and pepper (from a grinder)<br />
This mouth-wateringly delicious recipe from Chef Nicolas Gaulandeau of the<br />
Chateau de Rivau restaurant will make your taste buds do cartwheels! Though<br />
simple, the use of truffles elevates it to a whole new level...<br />
Brush the truffle to remove any earth, rinse it under water and pop into an airtight<br />
box with the eggs and keep in the fridge for a few days.<br />
Cut the truffle into small pieces.<br />
In a saucepan, put half the butter, half the liquid cream, half the truffle and the<br />
lightly beaten eggs.<br />
Season with salt and pepper and then stir with a wooden spoon, making sure the<br />
eggs do not firm up but cook gently.<br />
When eggs are ready to firm, add the rest of the butter and cream, warm though<br />
for a short time.<br />
Arrange on a plate, sprinkle with the remaining truffle and serve instantly.
Chateau de Chenonceau<br />
The white façade of this exquisite château<br />
is reflected in the water of the Cher river,<br />
spanned elegantly by its famous gallery.<br />
Visit the gorgeous gardens and wander the<br />
rooms that are filled with most beautiful floral<br />
bouquets and rich furnishings. Read more here<br />
and take a virtual visit:<br />
Then treat yourself to a memorable meal - and<br />
a choice from the best cheese platters I’ve ever<br />
seen. The Orangerie restaurant at the exquisite<br />
Chateau de Chenonceau is exceptional. I would<br />
go back here for the cheese alone. Fabulous<br />
local wines – here you’re in the heart of the<br />
AOC Touraine Chenonceaux appellation. Plus<br />
gourmet dishes from chef Christophe Canati<br />
(make sure you leave room for dessert) and<br />
a memorable setting make this a top notch<br />
dining experience…
Touraine speciality<br />
The baker’s recipe: Cormery’s macarons - Pascal Debaud at the<br />
bakery Aux Vrais Macarons in Cormery.<br />
Typical of the Touraine, recognisable by the legendary round shape, Cormery’s<br />
macarons are one of the oldest cookies in France! Invented by monks in 781 at the<br />
thousand-year-old abbey of Cormery, this recipe has passed through centuries and<br />
down the generations. You can have an authentic taste at Aux Vrais Macarons, a<br />
boulangerie and patisserie in the heart of the pretty village of Cormery near the<br />
Chateau of Chenonceau (8 rue nationale, Cormery).<br />
Cormery Macarons<br />
Ingredients (for about 15 macarons):<br />
200g ground almonds<br />
100g caster sugar<br />
50g icing sugar<br />
2 egg whites<br />
2 teaspoons bitter orange marmalade<br />
A few drops of bitter almond extract<br />
(optional)<br />
Mix together the almonds, sugar and<br />
icing sugar.<br />
Add 3/4 of the egg whites, bitter almond<br />
extract and orange marmalade.<br />
Leave to rest for 2 hours.<br />
Add the rest of the egg whites and form<br />
a loose dough. Fill a pastry bag with the<br />
dough then form small circles on the<br />
sheet of baking paper.Bake in a very hot<br />
oven for 5 minutes (Cormery’s pastry<br />
chefs bake reach 300˚C), Gas Mark 8-10.<br />
Leave to cool on a wire rack.<br />
Enjoy for breakfast, with an aperitif<br />
or a glass of Vouvray, for dessert with<br />
ice cream, with a coffee and even with<br />
savoury food such as foie gras.<br />
Watch them being made at Aux Vraix<br />
Cormery:
Chateau d’Azay-le-Rideau<br />
Standing on an island in the middle of<br />
the Indre River, the Chateau d’ Azey<br />
le Rideau was built during the reign of<br />
François I. The design combined the<br />
latest technical innovations from Italy<br />
and the art of French architecture. It is<br />
one of the absolute jewels of the Loire<br />
Valley. Incredibly pretty, the river that<br />
surrounds it reflects its beauty in a<br />
thousand ripples. Exquisitely furnished<br />
rooms are decorated with tapestries and<br />
paintings and the most extraordinary<br />
artworks. Automatons bring the castle<br />
to life, whirling figures, dancing cake<br />
stands, swishing curtains – it’s all very<br />
fairy-tale like and perfectly suits this<br />
most romantic and elegant of chateaux.<br />
You sort of expect Harry Potter to<br />
pop out at any moment as things start<br />
moving around and twirling – it really is<br />
utterly enchanting. Read more about the<br />
Chateau of Azay-le-Rideau<br />
Locals love restaurant L’Aigle d’Or just<br />
outside the town centre and a five<br />
minute walk from the chateau. Chef<br />
Simon Desiles dishes up a delicious<br />
menu in an elegant dining room or under<br />
the shade of a mulberry tree in the pretty<br />
walled garden when it’s sunny.<br />
Push the boat out at L’auberge<br />
Pom’Poire, 6 km from the château, which<br />
has a Michelin Star. Chef Bastien Gillet’s<br />
innovative menu is mouth-wateringly<br />
scrumptious.
Touraine speciality<br />
<strong>No</strong>ugat of Tours<br />
Unlike the famous chewy nougat of Montélimar, <strong>No</strong>ugat of Tours is actually a cake.<br />
And it’s seriously scrumptious.<br />
<strong>No</strong>ugat of Tours cake<br />
140g flour<br />
80g caster sugar<br />
70g butter<br />
1 egg<br />
150g candied fruit<br />
(melon-papaya) diced<br />
50g apricot jam<br />
80g almond powder<br />
100g egg white<br />
Icing sugar to sprinkle<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
Method<br />
Mix the butter, 35g icing sugar, the egg and a pinch of salt, add the flour and a little<br />
water if necessary. Form a ball and place in the refrigerator.<br />
Mix sugar and almond powder in a bowl. Beat the egg whites until stiff and gently<br />
fold into the mixture.<br />
Roll out the dough and line a greased cake tin (bottom and sides). Spread a thin<br />
layer of apricot jam and then the candied fruit.<br />
Pour the macaron mix over the top. Sprinkle with icing sugar (and repeat 15 minutes<br />
before baking).<br />
Bake at a temperature of 180˚C for 30 minutes.<br />
Recipe by Pâtisserie et Chocolaterie Bigot, place du château, Amboise.<br />
Find out more: touraineloirevalley.com/nougat-de-tours/
Royal Fortress of Chinon<br />
The royal fortress sits majestically<br />
watching over its domaine, located high<br />
on the banks of the river Loire, right in<br />
the centre of the city. Built in 945 by<br />
Theobald I, Comte De Blois it has been<br />
a residence for both the French and<br />
English royal families. A highlight for the<br />
visitor is the lofty “gate” tower built in<br />
1200. In the 14th century it was raised<br />
to make room for a clock. Gaze out from<br />
the viewing platform via Google Arts<br />
& Culture over the glorious town and<br />
countryside. You can sense the historic<br />
significance of the site from wherever<br />
you are in this beautiful city. The<br />
charming streets are lined with medieval<br />
houses, many of which date back to the<br />
1400’s, making the town an excellent<br />
place to wander in wonder. Find out<br />
more: www.forteressechinon.fr<br />
Touraine speciality<br />
Saffron<br />
Did you know that saffron is produced<br />
in the Touraine area? Just a few pounds<br />
of “red gold” is produced each year,<br />
one of the most expensive spices in the<br />
world! It’s used in the kitchen, but also<br />
for perfumes and dyes. Saffron is said to<br />
have anti-depressive qualities, promotes<br />
digestion, regulates stomach functions<br />
and seems to have a positive effect<br />
against certain cancers, multiple sclerosis<br />
and age-related macular degeneration.
Eat at: Le chapeau Rouge<br />
Loved by the locals, Le chapeau Rouge, in the centre of Chinon serves traditional and<br />
gourmet cuisine featuring locally sourced and seasonal produce. Chef Christophe<br />
Duguin is a local ambassador making use of local and seasonal products wherever<br />
possible and his dishes are simply irresistible. touraineloirevalley.com/restaurants/<br />
au-chapeau-rouge-chinon<br />
Chef’s recipe: Roasted scallops<br />
with saffron butter sauce<br />
This delicious recipe by Chef Duguin is<br />
delicate full of flavour…<br />
Ingredients for 4<br />
Allow for 3-4 scallops per person<br />
2 shallots<br />
10 cl white wine<br />
1 dash of cider vinegar<br />
10 filaments of Safran<br />
160 g butter<br />
Finely chop the shallots. Crush the<br />
saffron filaments with your fingertips in<br />
the palm of your hand and add the white<br />
wine, vinegar and shallots and leave to<br />
infuse overnight in the fridge.<br />
The next day, in a saucepan, reduce<br />
the mixture over low heat to about two<br />
thirds.<br />
Sear the scallops lightly on each side,<br />
just until lightly browned, don’t overcook<br />
them. Season and keep warm.<br />
Cut the butter into pieces an add a little<br />
at a time to the reduced shallot mixture,<br />
whisking vigorously. Season.<br />
Serve the scallops with rice, risotto or<br />
vegetable puree, and pour the saffron<br />
butter around.<br />
Discover what to see and do in Touraine:<br />
touraineloirevalley.com
This time of the year in my little French village, the fields are filled with cows.<br />
There are certainly more cows than people – this is farming country.<br />
My favourite cow-keepers are Monsieur and Madame Pepperpot. <strong>No</strong>t their<br />
real names of course but they are very petite and ancient. Lifelong farmers,<br />
they are too old to keep a large herd but like to keep their hand in, and have<br />
just three very spoiled, much loved black and white creatures called Marie-<br />
Antoinette, Blanche and Marguerite – all named after famous Queens of<br />
France.<br />
I met them by accident as they live in a rather hidden part of the village,<br />
down a woodland pathway off the beaten track, though since there are just<br />
150 residents, it’s hardly beaten anywhere around here. One early spring<br />
morning, a damp sort of day, mist hanging over the village like giant cobwebs,<br />
the dogs, instead of going our usual walking route, ran off down the wooded<br />
pathway and didn’t return when we called them. Following in their footsteps<br />
we encountered a very large cow eating the flowers in a tiny cottage garden.<br />
Our dogs loud barking did nothing to move the cow but out of the cottage<br />
came a tiny old lady with white hair tied in a bun. Together we heaved the<br />
cow back to its field at the back of their home.<br />
Since then, we’ve become firm friends. Madame Pepperpot loves to cook –<br />
robust stews, pies, tarts and flammekueches – the local pizza. Eaten straight<br />
out of the oven, it burns your fingers a little but, she says that’s how it should<br />
be enjoyed. She is famous for her rice puddings made with milk from her<br />
queenly cows.<br />
We often walk past her cottage these days and wave to her as she stands<br />
at her kitchen sink at the window which overlooks her little front garden.<br />
Always she has a big smile and will laugh as she watches our dogs run about,<br />
excited at the prospect of finding another cow. It makes me think of a quote<br />
by Victor Hugo “laughter is sunshine, it chases winter from the human face”.<br />
Wishing you well from a tiny village in the middle of nowhere, rural northern<br />
France,<br />
Janine<br />
Janine Marsh is the author of My Good Life in France: In Pursuit of the Rural<br />
Dream and My Four Seasons in France: A Year of the Good Life, available on<br />
Amazon.