We recently spent ten weeks in France. This is my report which I will post region by region.
Well, here we are again. As a quick introduction, we are an almost mid sixties retired Australian couple and we have been travelling to France since 2006. We are slow travellers and prefer the country to the city. Because we travel for ten weeks, we need to keep it affordable. Staying in self catering is the solution for us and we eat out once, sometimes twice a week, usually an inexpensive lunch.
It was with a sense of relief that we boarded our plane in Brisbane. In June I suffered ill health which resulted in three short hospital stays and three surgical procedures, the last of which was a week before we left. It was never going to cause the cancellation of our trip, but it did put a dampener on our preparations and did impact my stamina, paricularly in the first couple of weeks. But all is well now.
We flew Brisbane - Singapore - Munich - Lyon and arrived on August 31. After collecting our lease car, we booked into the Ibis at the airport. After a welcome shower we set out for Cremieu which is about 25kms away.
Cremieu is a nice old medieval village with some attractive buildings in the centre. There is an old Augustin convent with cloisters, fountain and gardens. The centre was quite busy and has shops, cafes and wonderful old market halles. When we saw the halles we really felt we were back in France. We had planned to have lunch but were going to have to wait for a table and we were tired. Even the boulangerie had a long line out the door. So we went to the supermarket and bought some fuel ( lease cars do not come with a full tank ) and bread, cheese and charcuterie and went back to the hotel.
WEEK 1 - THE DROME
We slept well and were on the road early . As we did not have a big drive, we had planned a couple of stops. It was great to get away from the surrounds of Lyon and the airport and into the lovely countryside and small villages.
Our first stop was the Palais Ideal du Facteur Cheval in Hauterives. This was the dream of a country postman and his vision of a fairytale palace. He worked on this over a period of 33 years and it is a wonderful example of naive, imaginative art. There are figures, animals and birds, plants, different cultural styles, little nooks and passages and just too much to describe. Every time we circled it we saw more. It is really quite amazing and fascinating.
Once we left we passed through lovely country with fields of corn, sunflowers and walnut trees. St Antoine l'Abbaye is a Plus Beau Village ( PBV ) and the abbey presents an impressive view high up above the road in to the village. It is reached by a long set of stairs and is large with a lovely tympanum. The church then opens out on to the attractive village square lined with plane trees and tall buildings. There was a lady with a horse drawn wagon ( not a carriage ) taking people around the village. The church spire has a clamshell design tiled roof as do some of the other buildings. It was lovely to be back exploring picturesque villages.
We spent a week in 2010 in the Drome Provencal to the south. This time we were further north in the small village of Combovin in the foothills of the Vercors National Park. The owner of our gite was very welcoming but did not speak any English. The gite, which used to be the cure's residence, was comfortable and well equipped, only lacking a freezer, but we coped. We had stopped at the Casino in Chabeuil on our way for non perishables and after unpacking we went to the Intermarche in Montellier which was the same distance. The only commerce in the village was small restaurant which was closed for the annual vacance.
We were starting to feel the lingering affects of jet lag, so decided on something simple for dinner. Poitrine fume is really just bacon, I suppose, but it is a different cut, thicker, and tastier than bacon at home and has become a favourite. Maybe it just tastes better in France!! Anyway, a simple salad of lentils, beetroot, eschalot, my vinaigrette and lovely goats' cheese was perfect with it, and we enjoyed a bottle of the regional sparkling wine, Clairette de Die. This was a new one for us and we toasted the start of another adventure in France. It had been a lovely first day.
Sundays are always quiet so we decided on some drives. We drove through Chateaudouble and Peyrus which are pretty small villages, and then up the scenic winding road over the Col de Lamouche. We stopped in the little village of Leoncel where there is an old Cistercian abbey. I bought some garlic from an old couple selling produce and from the small shop selling regional products, we bought a local cheese, Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage. We had not seen this one before and it was a lovely creamy blue. We then returned over the Col de Tournial and down through the dramatic entrance between two large rocks into Barbieres. The country is magnificent and rugged with large cliffs.
After lunch at home we set off for the Gorges of the Ombleze and the Chute de la Druise. Once again it was narrow winding roads going up and down and there were lots of cyclists. The scenery was stunning - high white, sharp cliffs and little hamlets in valleys. The gorges are scenic rather than dramatic and the Chute is a waterfall reached by a walk. It was steep and rough going down and I could see P was starting to worry about me and the return trip. So he continued down and I took my time going back. Once he got there he had to clamber over rocks and saw a couple of people slip. I know my limitations.
One day we drove south past more corn, sunflowers and paddocks of grain to the PBV of Mirmande. It looks lovely set on the side of the hill. We did find it a bit difficult to find our way around as the TO was not open and there were few signs. It is a steep walk up to the church ( not open ) and there are lots of little ruelles and stairs. It really was quite pretty, but for some reason it did not strike a chord with us. That happens sometimes. We then continued on to Cliousclat which is a small but attractive village with several artisan potteries.
Mirmande is really quite isolated - difficult to reach without a car I think. We followed the narrow winding road back to the main road to Crest, and after a picnic lunch we arrived at the large car park across the river from the old town.
Crest is dominated by the medieval tower. We climbed up the 125 steps to the Chapel des Cordeliers ( closed ) and then continued the climb up to the tower. It was quite warm and I was still getting used being back in these steep old villages. I learnt my lesson and after that wore my comfortable hiking boots even if they did not look glamorous. There are great views over the roofs of the town, the surrounding countryside and the interesting dome and tower of the church. The church itself looks like a temple with large pillars and has a beautiful ceiling inside.
Another day we drove up to Pont en Royans. The interesting feature of this village is the suspended houses over the river. They are built on the rock overhanging the river below, some with little balconies, and are attractive viewed from the bridge. There is also a small medieval section which we walked around before buying a baguette.
We had hoped to drive along the Gorges of the Bourne but the road was closed for tunnel work. So we went as far as the Grotte de Choranche and took the tour instead. The tour took about an hour, and while it was in French, the info sheet was good and the guide did have some English. It was quite beautiful, with very fine straw stalactites and other features, a sound and light show, and some cave dwelling, salamander like creatures called Proteus. It was very interesting. The cliffs around Choranche and the gorges are magnificent and the other Vercors scenery likewise. We had a picnic beside the Bourne river and then came home through St Jean en Royans and down to Leoncel. It was a lovely drive through the lush green valley.
We went up to the larger town of Romans sur Isere and parked over the river opposite the large Collegiale St Bernard which has painted pillars and walls in the choir. The town was very clean and tidy with some interesting modern fountains, quite a few cafes ( we had a very pleasant morning tea ) and restaurants, some pretty squares and lots of shops. Work was going on in the centre on what will be an attractive park. However there were quite a few empty shops in the older part.
On the way home we stopped at Alixon which is a small round village with a pretty church on a hill in the centre. Our little village of Combovin was nice with well maintained houses most of which were occupied and there were always people around. There was a little stream running through and a pretty, small church and lavoir. We found out the restaurant would re open on Friday night which was good news.
We drove back up to St Jean en Royans which we had passed through ( the industrial part ) the other day. This time we went into the village and it is a lovely little place with bright flowers everywhere, squares, fountains, shops and cafes. We bought our baguette there as well as a crispy sable au sucre. Our destination was the Combe Laval which is a balcony road. The precarious part only goes for about 3kms but is impressive. We stopped several times and walked along the road. There are several tunnels cut into the rock and the views are amazing, but we did not find it as alarming as expected. Then home through Leoncel - again!!
One of the specialities here is the caillette de Chabeuil. This is a small terrine wrapped in caul fat and baked. We bought two for dinner with salad and they were very tasty.
On Friday we were on our way to the supermarket and almost there when the alarm went off indicating a loss of tyre pressure. We made it to the supermarket where we discovered a screw in the front passenger tyre. So P changed it and off we went to a nearby garage where the helpful staff repaired it straight away. I managed with my spotty French!
That night we went out to dinner at the little restaurant and sat outside on the terrace. The owners were friendly and pride themselves on using local produce. My trout, which was cooked in an almond crust, was from St Jean en Royans, and I also had house smoked trout in my starter salad. We both finished with lavender creme brulee, and enjoyed a bottle of local organic rose. When we went into the bar to pay, we ended up chatting to a group of locals who were interested to hear what we were doing. It was a lovely ending to what had been a very enjoyable week to begin our holiday.
From the kitchen this week.
Poitrine fume with lentil, beetroot and goats' cheese salad.
Magret de canard and salad.
Salade composee with lardons and boudin noir.
Caillette with warm potato and green bean salad.
Sardines and salad.
Saucisse aux herbes with beetroot, flagelot beans and goat's cheese.
Tomorrow we are off to the Var in Provence.
Well, here we are again. As a quick introduction, we are an almost mid sixties retired Australian couple and we have been travelling to France since 2006. We are slow travellers and prefer the country to the city. Because we travel for ten weeks, we need to keep it affordable. Staying in self catering is the solution for us and we eat out once, sometimes twice a week, usually an inexpensive lunch.
It was with a sense of relief that we boarded our plane in Brisbane. In June I suffered ill health which resulted in three short hospital stays and three surgical procedures, the last of which was a week before we left. It was never going to cause the cancellation of our trip, but it did put a dampener on our preparations and did impact my stamina, paricularly in the first couple of weeks. But all is well now.
We flew Brisbane - Singapore - Munich - Lyon and arrived on August 31. After collecting our lease car, we booked into the Ibis at the airport. After a welcome shower we set out for Cremieu which is about 25kms away.
Cremieu is a nice old medieval village with some attractive buildings in the centre. There is an old Augustin convent with cloisters, fountain and gardens. The centre was quite busy and has shops, cafes and wonderful old market halles. When we saw the halles we really felt we were back in France. We had planned to have lunch but were going to have to wait for a table and we were tired. Even the boulangerie had a long line out the door. So we went to the supermarket and bought some fuel ( lease cars do not come with a full tank ) and bread, cheese and charcuterie and went back to the hotel.
WEEK 1 - THE DROME
We slept well and were on the road early . As we did not have a big drive, we had planned a couple of stops. It was great to get away from the surrounds of Lyon and the airport and into the lovely countryside and small villages.
Our first stop was the Palais Ideal du Facteur Cheval in Hauterives. This was the dream of a country postman and his vision of a fairytale palace. He worked on this over a period of 33 years and it is a wonderful example of naive, imaginative art. There are figures, animals and birds, plants, different cultural styles, little nooks and passages and just too much to describe. Every time we circled it we saw more. It is really quite amazing and fascinating.
Once we left we passed through lovely country with fields of corn, sunflowers and walnut trees. St Antoine l'Abbaye is a Plus Beau Village ( PBV ) and the abbey presents an impressive view high up above the road in to the village. It is reached by a long set of stairs and is large with a lovely tympanum. The church then opens out on to the attractive village square lined with plane trees and tall buildings. There was a lady with a horse drawn wagon ( not a carriage ) taking people around the village. The church spire has a clamshell design tiled roof as do some of the other buildings. It was lovely to be back exploring picturesque villages.
We spent a week in 2010 in the Drome Provencal to the south. This time we were further north in the small village of Combovin in the foothills of the Vercors National Park. The owner of our gite was very welcoming but did not speak any English. The gite, which used to be the cure's residence, was comfortable and well equipped, only lacking a freezer, but we coped. We had stopped at the Casino in Chabeuil on our way for non perishables and after unpacking we went to the Intermarche in Montellier which was the same distance. The only commerce in the village was small restaurant which was closed for the annual vacance.
We were starting to feel the lingering affects of jet lag, so decided on something simple for dinner. Poitrine fume is really just bacon, I suppose, but it is a different cut, thicker, and tastier than bacon at home and has become a favourite. Maybe it just tastes better in France!! Anyway, a simple salad of lentils, beetroot, eschalot, my vinaigrette and lovely goats' cheese was perfect with it, and we enjoyed a bottle of the regional sparkling wine, Clairette de Die. This was a new one for us and we toasted the start of another adventure in France. It had been a lovely first day.
Sundays are always quiet so we decided on some drives. We drove through Chateaudouble and Peyrus which are pretty small villages, and then up the scenic winding road over the Col de Lamouche. We stopped in the little village of Leoncel where there is an old Cistercian abbey. I bought some garlic from an old couple selling produce and from the small shop selling regional products, we bought a local cheese, Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage. We had not seen this one before and it was a lovely creamy blue. We then returned over the Col de Tournial and down through the dramatic entrance between two large rocks into Barbieres. The country is magnificent and rugged with large cliffs.
After lunch at home we set off for the Gorges of the Ombleze and the Chute de la Druise. Once again it was narrow winding roads going up and down and there were lots of cyclists. The scenery was stunning - high white, sharp cliffs and little hamlets in valleys. The gorges are scenic rather than dramatic and the Chute is a waterfall reached by a walk. It was steep and rough going down and I could see P was starting to worry about me and the return trip. So he continued down and I took my time going back. Once he got there he had to clamber over rocks and saw a couple of people slip. I know my limitations.
One day we drove south past more corn, sunflowers and paddocks of grain to the PBV of Mirmande. It looks lovely set on the side of the hill. We did find it a bit difficult to find our way around as the TO was not open and there were few signs. It is a steep walk up to the church ( not open ) and there are lots of little ruelles and stairs. It really was quite pretty, but for some reason it did not strike a chord with us. That happens sometimes. We then continued on to Cliousclat which is a small but attractive village with several artisan potteries.
Mirmande is really quite isolated - difficult to reach without a car I think. We followed the narrow winding road back to the main road to Crest, and after a picnic lunch we arrived at the large car park across the river from the old town.
Crest is dominated by the medieval tower. We climbed up the 125 steps to the Chapel des Cordeliers ( closed ) and then continued the climb up to the tower. It was quite warm and I was still getting used being back in these steep old villages. I learnt my lesson and after that wore my comfortable hiking boots even if they did not look glamorous. There are great views over the roofs of the town, the surrounding countryside and the interesting dome and tower of the church. The church itself looks like a temple with large pillars and has a beautiful ceiling inside.
Another day we drove up to Pont en Royans. The interesting feature of this village is the suspended houses over the river. They are built on the rock overhanging the river below, some with little balconies, and are attractive viewed from the bridge. There is also a small medieval section which we walked around before buying a baguette.
We had hoped to drive along the Gorges of the Bourne but the road was closed for tunnel work. So we went as far as the Grotte de Choranche and took the tour instead. The tour took about an hour, and while it was in French, the info sheet was good and the guide did have some English. It was quite beautiful, with very fine straw stalactites and other features, a sound and light show, and some cave dwelling, salamander like creatures called Proteus. It was very interesting. The cliffs around Choranche and the gorges are magnificent and the other Vercors scenery likewise. We had a picnic beside the Bourne river and then came home through St Jean en Royans and down to Leoncel. It was a lovely drive through the lush green valley.
We went up to the larger town of Romans sur Isere and parked over the river opposite the large Collegiale St Bernard which has painted pillars and walls in the choir. The town was very clean and tidy with some interesting modern fountains, quite a few cafes ( we had a very pleasant morning tea ) and restaurants, some pretty squares and lots of shops. Work was going on in the centre on what will be an attractive park. However there were quite a few empty shops in the older part.
On the way home we stopped at Alixon which is a small round village with a pretty church on a hill in the centre. Our little village of Combovin was nice with well maintained houses most of which were occupied and there were always people around. There was a little stream running through and a pretty, small church and lavoir. We found out the restaurant would re open on Friday night which was good news.
We drove back up to St Jean en Royans which we had passed through ( the industrial part ) the other day. This time we went into the village and it is a lovely little place with bright flowers everywhere, squares, fountains, shops and cafes. We bought our baguette there as well as a crispy sable au sucre. Our destination was the Combe Laval which is a balcony road. The precarious part only goes for about 3kms but is impressive. We stopped several times and walked along the road. There are several tunnels cut into the rock and the views are amazing, but we did not find it as alarming as expected. Then home through Leoncel - again!!
One of the specialities here is the caillette de Chabeuil. This is a small terrine wrapped in caul fat and baked. We bought two for dinner with salad and they were very tasty.
On Friday we were on our way to the supermarket and almost there when the alarm went off indicating a loss of tyre pressure. We made it to the supermarket where we discovered a screw in the front passenger tyre. So P changed it and off we went to a nearby garage where the helpful staff repaired it straight away. I managed with my spotty French!
That night we went out to dinner at the little restaurant and sat outside on the terrace. The owners were friendly and pride themselves on using local produce. My trout, which was cooked in an almond crust, was from St Jean en Royans, and I also had house smoked trout in my starter salad. We both finished with lavender creme brulee, and enjoyed a bottle of local organic rose. When we went into the bar to pay, we ended up chatting to a group of locals who were interested to hear what we were doing. It was a lovely ending to what had been a very enjoyable week to begin our holiday.
From the kitchen this week.
Poitrine fume with lentil, beetroot and goats' cheese salad.
Magret de canard and salad.
Salade composee with lardons and boudin noir.
Caillette with warm potato and green bean salad.
Sardines and salad.
Saucisse aux herbes with beetroot, flagelot beans and goat's cheese.
Tomorrow we are off to the Var in Provence.