|
|
A year draws to a close . . . November/December 2002
|
Is the château you want to visit open all year? [ PLEASE REMEMBER THAT ALL UNDERLINED ITEMS THROUGHOUT THIS TEXT ARE ACTIVE LINKS TO APPROPRIATE WEB SITES. JUST CLICK ON ANY ONE OF THEM!] If you are about to fax a reservation to one of our member properties in France for a Winter getaway, or are looking for a château that will welcome you during the Christmas or New Year holidays, please be aware that many have a time during the year when they close their doors to guests. Some of our members find that the season may be too slow to stay open, others are setting aside a month or two to take time off to spend with family, one operates a hotel in the Alps during the winter months, some close their homes and head for a warmer climate for a few weeks, and others find that a few weeks or months in the off season are perfect for needed repairs or redecorating. Whatever their reason, it is wise to check their web pages on this site for open and closed dates. To make it easier for you, we are providing a list here of the properties on our site that are open year 'round. Please visit our web site to see the dates that other properties are closed for 2002 -- dates which may vary slightly next year. The 2003 schedules will be posted on château web pages in December. Owners may consider their properties open all year -- but those with an asterisk * are open only by special request during winter months. Click on any one of the properties below to visit their web pages and learn more about them. Château
Le Boulay
The above list provides an excellent collection of properties from the south of France to the Belgian border, from Bordeaux to Brittany, and from the Atlantic coast to Burgundy. So, if you plan to take a winter vacation in France, do contact any one of the above and make your reservation. You will enjoy the luxury and ambiance only a manoir or château can offer, along with the calm of off-season travel and prices that will pleasantly surprise you!
Paris Museums & Your Personal Guide A new company has
sprung up in recent months in Paris, one that can make your next visit
to one of its great museums far more enriching than if you went there on
your own -- and certainly better than if you were part of a large guided
tour. This company, the brain child of Harvard-educated Ellen McBreen,
is Paris Muse, and bills itself as "Private Art Seminars for the
Creative Traveler." Staffed by English speaking art historians
who are entertaining and engaging speakers with teaching experience at
American universities, Paris Muse guides truly know their subject matter.
As you visit the Louvre, d'Orsay, Rodin or any of the six museums offered,
you will do so with someone who will provide insight into those works of
art you have always been curious about or introduce you to work you would
not have discovered on your own.
[Photo
: The Kiss - 1886 - Auguste Rodin - Musée Rodin
Château Special Offers - Labessière We recently sent our
subscribers a link to our Special Offers
page to keep everyone aware of the various events and discounts our member
properties sponsor. As a reminder, your hosts at Château
de Labessière very near Verdun (this photo) and the World War
I battlefields, Many travelers have visited the beaches and cemeteries of Normandy while in France, but equally as moving and historic are the battlefields of World War I. We will never forget coming upon the remains of the British communications trench along a forest-bound road or walking through the damp underground fort at Douaumont. Etched forever in our memories is our visit to the Memorial de Verdun at Fleury commemorating the 10-month Battle of Verdun, and later that day our visit to the bullet-shaped Douaumont Ossuaire, standing like a sentinel amid the graves of 130,000 unknown soldiers, mostly French and German. The battle itself is said to have amassed over 900,000 casualties -- said to be the single most horrific battle of this or any war. Château de Labessière can be your base for visits to these and other sites throughout the area that remind us of the reality of war's devastation. You can also visit the US Cemetery at Romagne-Montfaucon. But, do not despair -- not everything in the Meuse relates to war. On a lighter side, M. Eichenauer, your host, welcomes you to his dinner table (with prior reservations) where you will enjoy exceptional meals prepared by Madame Marie-José Eichenauer, assisted in the kitchen by Laurence. Monsieur will also assist you if you are interested in horseback riding or cycling in the area, and he will direct you to the nearby World Center for Peace, the houses of the Argonne Forest, a Beer Museum, or Lake Madine. For $20, a comprehensive regional guide will be mailed to you in advance of your visit. You will find the Meuse and its namesake river a peaceful and beautiful part of France. [Photo Credit: Meuse Tourism Office]
French Quiz 19 Two
rivers merge in Lyon, the Rhône and one other, and flow south
the
Ardèche
? You will find the correct answer at the end of this newsletter.
Village View: Azay- le-Rideau
One of the most enchanting
of the Loire Valley châteaux
[Photo: Cold Spring Press © 2000 - 2002]
The Aude - Captivatingly Off the Beaten Track In the "other South of France", in Languedoc-Roussillon, you will find the département of the Aude. Its main attraction is the walled city of Carcassonne, but don't let that be the only reason to visit this very alluring part of France. It is quite near Andorra and the Pyrénées -- making it an excellent destination for winter sports enthusiasts, hikers, climbers and people interested in the remnants of Cathar castles dotting the region. Rich in history, populated by people who fought long and hard to remain free of the King's of France, the Aude today is unique and compelling and its people are warm and friendly. Then, there is the great weather! This part of France has its share of rain, of course, but it has many more days of warmth and sunshine sure to please any vacationer. It also boasts a long Mediterranean shoreline, with its largest coastal city, Narbonne. Along the shore is a favorite town of ours, St-Pierre sur Mer -- worth a stop for lunch and some pleasant walks along the beach. The southwest corner of the département is mountainous with dramatic and scenic stretches of highway. At its southeast edge is the citadel Château de Peyrepertuse, perhaps one of the most famous of the Cathar ruins, perched dramatically on a craggy peak. We are featuring the Aude in this issue because two of our newest member properties are located there: Château de Belcaire high on the Sault Plateau and Domaine des Castelles, just a stone's throw from the Canal du Midi and Carcassonne. And, both are open all year long. Please allow us to introduce them to you!
Château
de Belcaire
[Photo Credit: Château de Belcaire © 2002] Dating back to the
twelfth century, the Château de Belcaire is rich in
history. The old photo above illustrates its dramatic hillside location
-- today, still dramatic and still beautiful. Situated at 1000
meters altitude on the Sault Plateau in the heart of Cathar country, the
château benefits from a perfect climate. Comfort is important, too, after a long day in the rugged out of doors. That is when the lovely guest rooms and lavish bathrooms come into play, each well-appointed with modern amenities. You will enjoy copious breakfasts and dinners of extraordinary regional cuisine -- by the fireside or in the garden -- including an apéritif, wine, coffee and a digestif. Please visit their pages on our web site to see more photos, find additional information and to read about this lovely château's fascinating past. Update:
Château de Belcaire was sold in the Fall of 2003 to become a
Domaine des Castelles On its own two-acre plot of lawns and woods you will find the peaceful hideaway of Domaine des Castelles in Caux et Sauzens and its charming hostess, Isabelle Clayette, eager to welcome you to her home. Guests can stay in the main house chambres d'hôtes in spacious, modern rooms and have a wonderful country breakfast served in the warmly decorated dining room, or rent the gîte by the week where complete living facilities are available for up to six people. Complete with a dishwasher, washing machine and all the necessary kitchen amenities, you will be able to make yourself right at home.
Nearby, guests at Castelles will find the famous yet tranquil Canal du Midi. Madame Clayette will be happy to advise you of activities associated with the Canal as well as recommend day trips in the region. Devote at least a day to exploring the old walled city of Carcassonne, wandering its cobbled streets and dining in one of its many restaurants. Try the local specialties of Languedoc such as pork dishes, patés and fresh seafood. Remember, too, that the Languedoc produces more affordable table wine for French consumption than any other part of the country. And, in recent years with the quality vastly improved, Languedoc wines are exported in great quantities. Santé!
French Quiz 20 One
of these famous French explorers is known as
Samuel
de Champlain
? You will find the correct answer at the end of this newsletter.
Speaking of Wine . . . There is nothing simple
or casual about producing a great wine. In France wine-making goes back
to Roman times, so creating fine wines has evolved It is our good fortune to have met Panos Kakaviatos, not a wine-maker, but a wine lover who presently lives in Paris. He has very recently visited Bordeaux to observe and write about the wine harvest. His article, A Bog Frog in Bordeaux Calls 2002 Wine Harvest Exceptional, can be found in the current issue of the newsletter, FRANCE On Your Own, and now as an excerpt on the newsletter's web site. We hope that it tempts
you to visit this and other wine estates when you are traveling throughout
France. And, do encourage your local wine emporium to import some
of those great wines you tasted during your travels!
Soup à l'Oignon A friend once made onion soup from a recipe that was not only complicated but called for a lot of onions -- perhaps as many as 6 or 8. The soup that resulted was extremely thick when it was finally done -- and such a huge project that she swore she would never attempt it again. This recipe for onion soup promises to be easier and will serve four. You will need 3 shallots and 3 onions, a pint of dry white wine, a pint of water, 1 1/2 ounces of butter, 5 1/2 ounces of grated Gruyère cheese, 4 slices of thick country bread, a small glass of Kirsch liqueur, and salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. [Onion soup can frequently turn out too salty, so we suggest you use salt sparingly.] Peel and slice the onions (if put into the freezer for 30 minutes prior to slicing, they will cause less watering of the eyes). Slice the shallots. Melt butter in a large pot on low heat and add the shallots and onions. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon and, when golden brown, add the white wine and water. Cover and simmer for a half hour. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour soup into four ovenproof bowls that each contain a slice of bread. Sprinkle the top with Gruyère cheese, and put under broiler briefly until top is only slightly browned. Serve hot. You can add a dash of Kirsch to taste if you wish. Bon appétit! [Recipe courtesy of Marilyn Piauton's "How to Eat Out in France" ] We hope you have enjoyed au Château News. If you have, please forward it to friends and encourage them to subscribe. It's FREE! [The
answer to Quiz 19 is the Saône and to Quiz 20 is Champlain.]
|
|
|
not
only provide maps and information on visits to these historic sites, but
will welcome anyone who learned about Labessière from the au
Château web site with a complimentary bottle of regional
white wine.
Numerous
outdoor activities such as river rafting, tennis, paragliding, horse-back
riding, fishing, mountain biking, and skiing can be enjoyed year 'round.
Your host and hostess, Monsieur and Madame Avoine-Caux, are pleasant and
very welcoming, and provide helpful assistance in planning your days, including
tours of nearby abbeys, wine cellars and castles.
for two thousand years, becoming an esteemed art form.