Annual visit to Viviers – Part 2

Anna at entrance to Aubignas

Since Madame had so highly touted Aubignas, we thought we should check it out.  It was once a busy place with basalt mines and a factory that created a variety of building materials – all of that is gone now.  Just outside of town, we walked through a self-guided exhibit complete with pictures, timelines, and examples of basalt and products to illustrate the village’s past. 

What remains is a charming, sleepy, residential village. (Not even a store or restaurant!) The village is surrounded by its medieval ramparts and includes a castle.  It was built on a promontory for defense purposes – this was a fortress castle!  Of particular interest is the 11^th century church that was once actually the private chapel of the lord of the castle.   




 

Castle at Aubignas

The village lavoir - one place to wash clothes,
one to rinse them, and one for cattle to drink from.

Probably the newest thing in the village is the town bell; it seems the sexton was so energetic ringing the bell to announce the armistice that the original bell was broken.  Even in this small, remote place we had a conversation with a gentleman who was pleased to tell us about his trip to the US and visits to San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, and New York.  (We have always been warmly welcomed when folks learn we are Americans!)

The 1st Alba la Romaine as it looks  today

After visiting Aubignas, we drove to Alba la Romaine.  There are actually two Alba la Romaines!  The first one was a Roman provincial capital which now sits in the middle of vineyards and farm land.  It is unique among the Roman ruins because it wasn’t a large, rich city like most of the ruins that have been discovered and lends itself to the discovery of what everyday life might have looked like 2000 years ago.  Excavation and study continue, and we were very impressed with the excellent museum on site. 

The impressive museum.

Outside the museum there is a walkway with placards explaining the parts of the Roman town and including drawings of what the structures must have looked like.  As we left, folks we getting ready for a musical performance in what remains of the Roman theater.  The Romans built things to last!

Opening through city wall in
 "new" Alba la Romaine.

Our next stop was across the road and up the hill to the “new” Alba la Romaine.  We had been there very briefly before and knew there was a lot more to see.  This village dates back to the 13^th century.  The medieval city was constructed in an arc around a castle, and parts of the old city wall remain. 

David and our lunch choices on the chalk board.

We had a pleasant, relaxed lunch outside at a local café.  That is, we were outside until a sudden rain squall sent everyone running inside.  The rain stopped as quickly as it came, and we wandered over to the tourist office for a brochure to guide us in our walk around the village.  In addition to the remains of the castle (now privately owned), there are houses dating back to the 14^th – 16^th centuries, interesting bas reliefs from the 1500s, and a clock tower erected in the 1600s. 


View of the front of the café -
that's Anna sitting at the table.

After our walk, we stopped at a local tavern for a cold beer on the front porch while we watched two men playing boules.  Very French and very picturesque!  Then it was time to head back to the auberge to freshen up and get ready for another delicious dinner.

Watching a game of boules.

There are many, many lovely small villages to visit in France, and we have only sampled a small number of them.  However, if you are ever driving south along the A7 and want to stop for a very pleasant break, we highly recommend you cross the Rhone on D86 and check out Le Relais du Vivarais.  Do make reservations and then get ready for a delightful stay or just a delicious meal.  And, be sure to say hello to Madame for us!

Annual visit to Viviers – Part 1

David, Roger, and Tony found a lovely auberge in the village of Viviers on their bike ride from Lyon to Arles.  David was so impressed with it that he booked two nights to celebrate Anna’s birthday and their anniversary.  And, we’ve gone there every year since then.  Michelin has been impressed, too, and continues to list it in the vaunted Red Book.  The owner knows us by name now and takes especially good care of us.  (Life is rough.)

First a little background about Viviers…It is on the Rhone River an easy drive south from Lyon.  It was established as a supply depot by the Romans so it’s been around a while.  A Roman bridge just outside of town is still in use!  Today it is a lovely little village with lots of narrow, winding, medieval streets, old houses of note, its share of ruins, and the smallest cathedral in France.  (The bishop preached a sermon in favor of the revolution early on, and the church and village survived unscathed.)  It also has an active artist population, and paintings and ceramic items are on display and for sale in a variety of places.

Now on to the auberge…it is located on the outskirts of town (steps away from the Roman bridge

Our patio and view of pool and grounds.

that is still in use).  It is actually on the highway that goes through Viviers, and we are always amazed that huge semis can actually navigate through town.  It can be a bit noisy close to the road, but the grounds are an oasis of peace and relaxation.  David always makes sure to get unit #5 which is one of the newest and largest units, with its own patio with grape arbor, and in the back with easy access to the pool.  The chef prepares dishes using local products, and, weather permitting, meals are served outside under umbrellas and shade trees. 

Outside dining area.

After we got settled in, we sat on our patio sipping a nice, cool Rosé, while we discussed what side trips we might want to take.  Last year it was so hot that we spent most of our time in and around the pool, but this year the weather was much more conducive to exploration.  We had wandered through the village of Viviers on a previous visit so we decided to check out other options.  The local Tourist Office was very helpful with maps, pamphlets, and lots of suggestions.  And, our hostess recommended we visit Aubignas, and very, very small village to the north.  We certainly didn’t lack for options! 

(To be continued)

Jazz at L'Opera de Lyon

We have heard that the Lyon Opera House created quite a stir when it was renovated.  Apparently, the dispute was over the superstructure that was added to the top of the original building.  Another part of the renovation was the expansion of the front terrace with the ability to protect it from the elements without actually enclosing it.  The result was the Péristyle, now an area for an informal lunch or late night dinner and a glass of wine or other beverage.   During the summer months they also have jazz concerts in the Péristyle – free jazz concerts!  Needless to say, they are well attended, and it’s often advisable to get a table early if you don’t want to spend the concert on your feet. 

L'Opera de Lyon

The Péristyle from the outside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since we like jazz, we decided it was time to check this out.  The sets are at 7PM, 8:15PM, and 10PM.  We decided to go to the 7PM set; we arrived around 6:45 and were fortunate to find an open table.  The group, Adèle Bracco – Absolute Swing, included Adèle on vocals along with a sax, trumpet, guitar, piano, string bass, and drums.  They featured traditional jazz standards and were very good. 

Adèle Bracco – Absolute Swing

 (As a side note, the pianist, Bastien Brison, was excellent, but he appeared to be 16.  David checked online and found that he is actually 23, plays at quite a few venues and even has a band of his own.  We could tell the piano was just a natural extension of him – he played effortlessly, beautifully, and with obvious enjoyment.  Anna remarked that he was one of those kids she would have hated back when she was taking piano lessons.) 

The Péristyle from the inside.

 

 

Anyway, we enjoyed the band and the venue so much that we asked Dominique and Roger if they would like to join us there on the following Wednesday, this band’s last night at the Péristyle.  We arrived at 6PM this time and were able to find a good table for four.  Adèle and the group came through with another great set, and the audience (standing room only) obviously enjoyed it.

Afterwards the four of us walked over to a tapas restaurant and enjoyed a leisurely, late meal (though not late by Lyon standards) accompanied by good wine and great conversation.  It’s always nice to have a nice long chat with Dominique and Roger – we haven’t solved many world problems, but we’ve done an excellent job of identifying them!  Eventually, it was time to walk back towards the Opera House and the metro station.  Another very enjoyable evening in lovely Lyon!

End of the year soirèes – AVF Lunch at a Château

The AVF group we belong to always has an end of the year party, and this year Victoria and Régis, members of AVF, hosted us at their family château in the countryside.  The château has been in Régis’ family for generations, but they only use it  now for visits during the summer and occasional parties and weddings.  We appreciated their making it available to us!

The front of the château.

Roger and Gerard gave us a ride and were on set up duty so we helped set up, too.  While the guys were busy setting up tables, Victoria gave Anna a quick tour.  It was easy to imagine the château as it looked “back in the day.”  It remains impressive today.

Part of the dining room.

In the grand salon.

All the tables and chairs were set up in yard in the back of the château while the food tables were in what had been the carriage house.  We could still see horse collars and so forth stored above the large doors.

Setting up - back of the château on
 the right, carriage house on left.

David and Roger - the dynamic duo.

Before the actual lunch we enjoyed a variety of beverages and fruit, cheeses, salame, etc. The lunch itself was catered and included salads, cold cuts, etc. and, of course, amazing pastry desserts – perfect for the hot day.   No one was in danger of going away hungry or thirsty!

The soirèe in progress.

It was nice to have another chance before the summer break to connect with people.  Many of Anna’s friends from the lunch group were there with their husbands, and we took the opportunity of introducing them to each other.  We found that Sueli’s husband and David shared an interest in researching their families’ genealogy and both had government-issued documents attesting to the good character of an ancestor and listing other family members.  (One was from Italy, the other from France.)

At the end of a very pleasant afternoon, it was time for Monique, our president, to bring our soirèe to a close.  Everyone lent a hand and soon everything was cleaned up and removed.  We restored the château to  Victoria and Régis with our thanks and drove back to Lyon through the scenic countryside.

End of the Year Soirèes – Papilles en éveil

We recently enjoyed our last lunch group “meeting” of  Papilles en éveil  (roughly translated as “awakening tastebuds”) for the year.  We all gathered at Sueli’s apartment with Brigitte, our super hostess and maîtresse, in charge .  (Sueli, a Brazilian, Gillian, who is English, and I were the “foreigners” in the group this time.)  At our luncheons, one person is responsible for the entrée or first course, another the plat or main dish, and another the dessert; and each dish is supposed to be representative of our countries of origin. 

The happy group.  (That's Sueli front and center.  Brigitte took the picture.)

Brigitte had asked me to take on the entrée so I arrived with recipe and ingredients for Shrimp Remoulade from Galatoire’s on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.  (Recipe below)  Sueli had chosen Bobo des Crevettes, a traditional Brazilian dish, and we finished off with a French dessert of Assiette Gourmande.

In the kitchen preparing our repast.

As always, we had a great time preparing and eating our lunch.  We always enjoy meeting and chatting and sampling dishes from all over the world.  Our get-togethers usually start around 10 AM and often finish around 3 or 4 in the afternoon.

The entrée

 

 

The plat.

 

The dessert.

So what do we talk about? First of all, the language used is French since that's the language we all share - more or less.  (We do have occasional detours into "Franglish.")  We chat about the food we are preparing, any history behind it, any unique ingredients, etc.  (For instance, Sueli's recipe called for manioc, a starch made from a root, and used widely in Brazil.)  And, we talk about the usual things friends talk about:  our families, plans for the summer, recent travels, funny things that have happened, etc.

Needless to say, we are all looking forward to the next round of monthly gatherings.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

SHRIMP REMOULADE  (8 servings) This recipe is from Galatoire’s on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.  The restaurant was founded by Jean Galatoire in 1905 and is still in the family.

Ingredients
Sauce:
¾ cup parsley, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup Creole mustard
½ cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbs paprika
1 Tbs prepared white horseradish
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup vegetable oil

 4 cups lettuce, shredded

2 lbs cooked, peeled shrimp
2 lemons, cut into wedges

 Directions:

Sauce:
•             Combine chopped parsley, celery, and garlic in large mixing bowl.
•             Add mustard, vinegar, paprika, horseradish, hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
•             Gradually whisk in oil.
•             Season to taste with salt and pepper.
•             Cover and refrigerate overnight.  (Can be prepared 3 days ahead.  Keep refrigerated.)

•             Divide lettuce among 8 salad plates

•             Top with shrimp
•             Re whisk sauce and spoon over shrimp
•             Garnish with lemon wedges and serve. 

End of the year soirèes – Découverte de la France

As we have mentioned before, the Découverte de la France (Discover France) class at AVF is one of our favorites – and has been since we first came to Lyon.  This spring Andrée-Anne, our very able maîtresse, focused on architectural styles.  She gave us a good background in class and then took us on short “field trips” around Lyon to admire examples of Art Nouveau and Art Deco (buildings, stained glass, wrought iron, etc).  We are fortunate to be in Lyon where there are so many examples – and all within walking distance.



Enjoying gâteaus on the patio overlooking the back yard.

 (That's Andrée-Anne at the head of the table.)

And so, it was very logical to have architecture be the theme for our end-of-year soirèe at her home.  (Andrée-Anne and her husband, Bruno, have a lovely apartment on the second floor (American style or first floor French style) of their building.  What is surprising is that attached to their apartment, they have a large back yard complete with grass, trees, flower beds, hedges, etc.) 

We were each supposed to bring a dessert, preferably gâteau (cake).  All of them were delicious, but two architectural creations really stood out:

Modern building in style of Le Corbusier
 (a famous French architect)




Château fort -  complete with

draw bridge, turrets, cannons, and friendly gate keeper.

Needless to say, we are looking forward to seeing what Andrée-Anne has in mind for next year.

The Night of the Trumpet

Our AVF group was sponsoring an event in a small local château, and we were urged to sign up for

Château de Montchat

it.  We have enjoyed AVF events in the past, and the thought of going to one in a chateau (with refreshments, of course) was intriguing.  But, this event featured a gentleman talking about trumpets and related instruments.  While we definitely like listening to trumpets being played, the thought of listening to someone talk about them wasn’t exactly enticing.  Well, peer pressure won, and we signed up.

A side note:  We were taking a bus we hadn’t taken before and were a little unsure of our stop.  While we were waiting for the bus and discussing when to get off, a complete stranger came up to us and said in perfect English, “Do you need any help?  This is the bus I take often.”  David told her where we were going and what we thought the right stop would be; she said we had the right stop, she would be getting off there, too, and we should not hesitate to let her know if we needed any help or had any questions.  Again, anytime someone complains about how rude the French are, just tell them they are full of banana oil!

The audience packed the room!

Now, back to our story...The chateau was a short walk from the bus stop, and we actually got there early.  We checked in at the desk, joined ~ 148 other folks, chatted with friends, and took our seats.  Then came the big surprise…the gentleman giving the talk, Nicolas Baronnier*, was not only very knowledgeable, but his presentation was interesting and quite enjoyable. 

 


He actually explained the various factors that

The instruments discussed and demonstrated.

cause different horn designs to sound different.  (We didn’t realize, for instance, that some have round tubing and some oval, for instance.) He illustrated his points with demonstrations of a variety of instruments and music styles – even a conch!  He was very approachable and encouraged questions, and he stayed on to chat with folks.  In short, we both learned a lot and were pleased we had come.

One of his many demos to illustrate points he made.

 

 

When the presentation was over, we were surprised to see folks spontaneously standing up and

Time for refreshments.

stacking chairs.  In no time at all, the lecture hall became a venue for a variety of foods and beverages! 





David and Roger, his biking buddy, stationed themselves behind a table and were pouring various beverages – mostly sparkling wine.  (They tried charging people, but no one was taking them up on it.)

Roger and David on the right - and
 their attempt at free enterprise.

If there is a moral to this story, it would probably be to make sure you take advantage of as many opportunities as possible to hear and learn new things.  You just never know!



* Nicolas Baronnier is from the Lyon area.  He began studying piano and trumpet at the Conservatoire National de Musique de Saint Etienne and at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon where he graduated 1^st in his class.  He has performed throughout the world and often combines his career as soloist with teaching and promoting young artists.  You can find out more about him online.


 

Bike Trip Loire - The Sixth Day - Celebratory dinner - May 17

We had breakfast at the hotel in the morning and headed for the train station. 

David, Tom, and Roger at the Gare De Blois

Roger, Tom, and David between trains

We caught a train headed [after a change of trains at St Pierre-des-Corps, a suburb of Tours] for Nevers, arriving about 2:30.  We were in Lyon by 6:45 for the celebratory dinner.

While we did not travel at a great rate of speed over difficult terrain, nevertheless we had accomplished an enjoyable tour of at least 302km.  We made time for a bit of sightseeing, ate and drank well, met some interesting people, learned about the Loire Valley, and enjoyed each other’s company.  That is all worth celebrating. 

David, Dominique, Roger, Gerard, Tom, Christine

While we traveled back to Lyon, Anna, Christine, and Dominique spent some time assembling salads and a delicious pasta dish, followed by cheeses and dessert.  We had two bottles of French sparkling wine and numerous bottles of red and white wines.  We sat out on Roger and Dominique’s terrasse with a great view of the sunset over Lyon and laughed and talked for hours.  A memorable finish to a great week!

Night View From Roger and Dominique's

Here are some links relating to the Basilica of Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire that we visited on the third day, and for Max Jacobs, a remarkable individual who was associated with the Basilica.
http://www.tourisme-loire-foret.com/Basilique-Romane-de-St-Benoit-sur,215

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Jacob

Bike Trip Loire - The Fifth Day - May 16

 We wanted to spend some time on this leg seeing the famed château of Chambord, built by King François I in 1549.  This was a side trip on the Loire trail, but going a bit farther the night before made it easier to spend time at Chambord by shortening our journey on Friday.

Friday was a gorgeous day – blue skies, little wind, warm enough so I could take my jacket off at times.  We arrived at Chambord, an absolutely spectacular chateau in an equally spectacular setting.  Now owned by the state, it sits in huge grounds.  We approached down a long drive that opened up to reveal the château.  There is a small village adjacent to the château and we had lunch in a restaurant with a full view.  The food was quite good – I had a turkey roll with hazelnut stuffing while the other three had fish.

Chambord - the Largest Château in the Loire

Tom, Roger, and David Lunching at Chambord

After lunch we bought some postcards, and rode our bikes to the other side of the château and took several more photos. 

David, Roger, Gerard, Tom at Chambord

After research the night before, we had decided to spend our last night in Blois as it had several trains a day that we could take on our way back to Nevers.  So, off we went on a scenic trail through the woods surrounding the château.  We had an easy day as the terrain was flat and scenic and the weather extremely pleasant.

The only minor down note were the swarms of gnats we occasionally ran into Thursday and Friday.  We had to keep our mouths closed or we would have exceeded our daily protein allowance.

Château at Blois

Our hotel was a scenic, slightly run-down Belle Epoque structure across the square from the Blois Château – a great location, and a serviceable hotel.  We had dinner in a little wine bar next to the château, where we polished off two bottles of Pouilly-Fumé.  I had duck à l’orange for dinner – very tasty.  After dinner, Tom had Cognac, I had Calvados;  we then all had coffee.  Roger and Gerard then went off to find an Irish bar, and Tom and I called it a night.  Just as well – Roger said something the next day about being charged eight Euros for a Guinness.

Distance traveled 57km.

Bike Trip Loire - The Fourth Day - May 15

Finally a beautiful day – little wind, and often at our backs.  It’s amazing the effect a bit of wind has.  If it is 10km in your face and you are traveling at 15km, then you have an effective head wind of 25km – makes forward progress much, much harder.  A 10km wind at your back when one is traveling at 15km means an effective head wind of 5km – a HUGE difference. 

Again a scenic day, very level, paved trail much of the time, river, canals, châteaus.   We approached the city of Orléans about lunch time, and ate in a restaurant on the outskirts apparently catering to construction and repair workers.  We had a good, plain meal – steak frites again for me.

Bridges to Orléans, Cathedral in Center

We crossed the bridge into Orléans to see the cathedral – a huge ornate structure rivaling Notre Dame in Paris.  Lots of restoration work has been done as there had been damage done during the war.  Orléans also played a pivotal part in Jeanne d’Arc’s campaign to evict the English from France.  It was here that she won one of her greatest victories.  We bicycled away from the cathedral and down the Loire.

 Arriving at Meung-sur-Loire, we biked about a mile into the outskirts to the Gite – and no one home!  We rang the bell; Gerard phoned and left a message.  From a neighbor, we learned that the woman had gone to the doctor that afternoon.  Finally we went to a park to wait.  We had arrived relatively early in the afternoon, but after two hours, Gerard found a hotel about 10km away in Beaugency.  Gerard left another message on the answering machine at the Gite and we left.   We arrived at Beaugency, crossing an old stone bridge on the Loire.  We stayed in an old hotel in town and ate in a restaurant across the street.  Very satisfactory.

There is an amusing legend about the old stone bridge in Beaugency.  Many years ago, it seems the townspeople had difficulty crossing the river by boat but did not have the means to construct a bridge.  A well-dressed man appeared one day and offered to provide a bridge in one night, provided he got the soul of the first user of the bridge.  In desperation, the townspeople agreed.  The next morning, to their astonishment, they had their bridge!  Looking across, they could see a shadowy figure on the other side.  Resourcefully, they sent a cat across first.  Upon its arrival on the other side the Devil seized his prey and disappeared in a rage.

Beaugency Bridge

We had a really good breakfast in the hotel the next morning.  Distance about 70km.

Bike Trip Loire - The Third Day - May 14.

Wednesday dawned beautifully – sun, lots of blue skies, gentle breezes. 

Our trail led over the pont canal, so at 9:30, while the rest of the crew finished organizing themselves, I biked up to the middle of the bridge to look at the view up and down the canal below.  Both ends of the bridge had elaborate cast-iron lions, shields, etc.  I went to the other end of the bridge to see where we were headed and to look more closely at the decorations.  In a few minutes the rest of the group crossed and we took time to take a few more pictures and admire the views.

Pont Canal with David, Roger, Gerard

 Then off we went, on trails through the woods away from the canal.  After an hour or so, the clouds began to cover the sky, a few drops fell, and we had a bit of wind in our faces.   Nothing serious as we wound through picturesque villages.

We wanted to stop at Sully-sur-Loire to see the fourteenth century château, and Roger, whose tire had gone flat Tuesday, wanted to have the bike shop there put on a new tire.  For those reasons, we cut off a loop of the trail and arrived in time for lunch.  Oddly, the three most prominent restaurants were two Italian and one British-type pub.  We picked one of the Italian ones and Tom, an Italian-American, pronounced the pizza good.  

After lunch, Tom and I went across the street to look at the château while Roger and Gerard got new tubes and tires on Roger’s bike.  There was a bit of a rain shower that Tom and I avoided by sheltering in the entrance to the château.  The château is spectacular, one of the iconic Loire châteaus almost completely surrounded by water.

The Château Sully-sur Loire

David at Sully

We finally left town at 3:50, stopping on the way to see a very old Basilica at Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire, parts of which date from the 11th century.  We then biked the remaining 6-8km to our stop for the night, a Pension in the outskirts of the small town of Germigny-des-Prés called ‘Cerviña’ that caters to bikers on the Loire trail.  Turned out to be our best stop of the trip.  Marie, our hostess, a typical vivacious Frenchwoman, of French-Spanish parentage, served us drinks and dinner family style, with her and her teenage son eating with us.  Her husband apparently did the grilling of the meat, there were potatoes, a never-ending supply of red wine, cheeses, rice pudding, and coffee.  The walls of the dining area were covered with song and poetry quotes, expertly lettered.  Madame Marie  regaled us with non-stop patter about the quotes on the walls, etc., and demanded to know our names and histories. 

D, R, and G with wall quotes at the Pension.

Pension in Germigny-des-Prés - Tom, Gerard, Roger's Room at Top of Stairs.

The next morning she provided a light breakfast and even phoned ahead to make reservations in a Gite [country inn] for that night.

Gerard found our accommodations each night and they always turned out well.  Took a lot of pressure off us knowing how far we had to go and that there would always be a bed waiting for us.  Covered 59km.