November 7, 2006
Photo Melange
For your enjoyment, may we present you with a selection of fine photos?
To check out the complete set from our trip to The Pays Basque, just click the link to flickr or any of the photos below. You can also click here for a slideshow in a new window.
November 2, 2006
La Rioja
We spent today exploring part of the La Rioja region, which is famous for its wine. The countryside here is so different from San Sebastian, on the coast, only two hours away. Autumn is in full swing here and the vines are an electeric magenta color.
The hotel is still capitvating, even the next day, so I took advantage of some morning light to squeeze a few more shots in.
November 2, 2006
Marques De Riscal
November 2, 2006
Out of Pamplona
October 31, 2006
Entering Spain
This picture was taken just outside of the little border town of Sera in France. We arrived in Spain last night around 5:00pm and checked in. San Sebastian is amazing and I’m anxious to finish the report on Bordeaux so I can write about Spain.
Today we are off to Bilbao to visit the Guggenheim.
October 31, 2006
Bordeaux, Part 1
Bordeaux
Leaving
Paris on a train is always an interesting experience. You start out inside a formidable, often subterranean structure only to emerge in some kind of suburb or countryside. Such was the case for our trip to
Bordeaux. It wasn’t too hard to figure out the train station; we found our car and seat rather easily as well. We had elected to purchase first class train tickets, a designation that meant we had 4 seats facing each other in a simi-private booth. It was peaceful and quiet, very quiet. Being somewhat overly concerned with sticking out as a tourist, I tried to write off the gentleman across from us, who was giving me the hairy eyeball. Eventually I couldn’t take it; it was just too damned quiet; every time we talked it felt like we were breaking some unknown code. It was about that time that Susan looked up and saw the very pleasant sign that signified that we were in a silent car. Or did it? The translation of the sign only applied to cell phones, not talking. And what about our picnic, we had packed some amazing morsels from Le Grand Epicerie to make our trip a bit more gourmet. Eventually we did see others eating and talking, but I never was one hundred percent comfortable, at least not until the second bottle of wine.
Collecting the car proved easy enough, and, despite a small computer navigation meltdown, we made it to the hotel unscathed. Our hotel, La Maison Bord’eaux is one of the most unique places I’ve stayed in
Europe. M. Theroy Bonnet functions as the proprietor, concierge and friend to all guests. The owner Brigitte Lourton, of the winemaking Lourtons of Bordeaux, has renovated a magnificent old home and guest house right in the heart of
Bordeaux. The concept was to marry modern design to the ancient limestone structure. The result won the Lourtons Bordeaux’s most prestigious architecture prize in 2003. La Maison is a beautiful blend of the old building and eclectic modern design. This place is amazingly comfortable, warm and inviting. After checking in, we dropped off our bags and headed to the center of town.
Bordeaux is known for oysters…ok, it’s known for wine. But it is known locally for amazing oysters. I had a line on an oyster bar that claimed to have the world’s best oysters. Those who know Susan and I will understand our need to find out for ourselves. Sure enough, we were not disappointed in the slightest! After ordering, we watched our waiter go to work. He shucked over two dozen oysters in rapid succession, placing each one on a glistening bed of local quartz pebbles and cold water. While we cannot validate the claim that they are the best in the world, they certainly may have been the best we’ve ever tasted. After we finished (and by which I mean, cleaned each shell so thoroughly that it was fit to become inlay on something ornate) we asked the waiter to review each verity with us. Starting clockwise there were the briny Specials N. 3, then their neighbors the fin de clares N. 2. Precariously laid upon one another were the sweet and small bellons. The list went on until we got to what had been our favorites. Our waiter agreed emphatically: “They come from
Ireland, those are some of the best we ever serve, and they are great aren’t they? We get them from FedEX”
That night, to celebrate my dad’s birthday, we had reservations at Le Chapon Fin, the only Michelin stared restaurant in
Bordeaux city. The food was a very avant-garde perspective on some classic French dishes. We had marinated langoustines with cauliflower cream and local sturgeon caviar. We drooled over the roasted lobster. I’m the only one who partook of the sweetbreads, but I was glad not to share! Le Chapon Fin has been seeking to redefine itself. At one point it held three stars then saw a decline in its cuisine and reputation. Today they are focusing on great food and great service once again, but they are doing it in a more modern way. The food is classic but new and fresh, both at the same time. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the French tradition of a long meal. I think dessert alone lasted 2 hours!
The next morning we got up to meet Dewey Markham, our guide for the day through the Haut-Medoc region. Honestly, it will be difficult to recount our visit to the châteaux. No, I’m not suggesting it’s all a blur from too much wine. To the contrary, we only visited three chateaux but it was such a unique experience that it will be hard to put into words. That doesn’t mean I won’t try, you don’t get off that easy!
Mr. Markham put together a world class experience that included a custom tailored tour of three chateaux and a lunch befitting such a day. Our first destination, after making our way north on the D-2 out of
Bordeaux city, was Lynch-Bages. Our visit mostly consisted of a tour of the winemaking process. We were shown the sorting table, the vats and the barrels. What struck me, more than anything, was the modern technology and techniques- and how recently they had been employed. Of course, true to form, our tour guide was quick to dismiss the computerized tanks by saying: “but that’s technology and who cares about that part?”
Our lunch spot was a recently restored café owned by the same owner of Lynch-Bages. The café is the cornerstone of his plan to revitalize the small hamlet that Lynch-Bages calls home. Inside were a beautiful (and traditional) zinc bar and a classic dining room. And, just like
Paris, right next to the menu on the wall was a WiFi Hotspot logo. So here we were out in the middle of vineyards and pine forests enjoying the renaissance of a hamlet that was near the end of its existence a few years ago. And it had wireless internet.
The rest of our day consisted of a stop at Pontet-Canet. Their basic process was the same, but they are totally organic and traditional. The resulting wine was perhaps the best we tasted all day. Our dive to Chateaux Giscours took us past some of the most famous names in wine: Chateaux Margaux, Lafitte-Rothschild and Mouton-Rothschild. Chateaux Giscours is the southernmost Chateaux to be able to claim the Margaux application. Unfortunately, it’s also the center of a French controversy. The owners, the Tari family focused their efforts on polo and polo ponies. When the wine came under suspicion of illegal practices, they almost shutdown. That’s when a Dutchman came in and secured the rights to farm the land and make wine on the premises. However, due to some complex French laws and egos he was not able to acquire the chateaux building itself from the Tari family. As a result they are forced to make the wine in tanks which is just outside the chateaux, in the parking lot. Here’s the kicker, its better than it’s been in decades. How can they make wine in a parking lot and bottle it in open-top vans? Simple, they regulate the temperature of the tanks using a complex computer and pump system. Thanks to technology, a Dutch businessman was able to purchase the rights to some grapes and crank out darned good
Bordeaux wine, all in a parking lot. Currently they are embroiled in a battle to fix up the house itself, which they don’t own…yet.
That night, we invited Mr. Markham to join us for dinner. He suggested a quaint little café in the heart of town. Café Gormand had wonderful, eclectic food. I started with a cappuccino of lobster and chorizo sausage. We shared a plate of local (yea, not
Ireland this time) oysters and I rounded out my meal with eels in garlic, lemon and parsley, maybe one of the best meals I’ve had so far!
Truly, despite a lack of commentary (owed to a conviction to the theme of this blog post) I cannot say enough wonderful things about DMJ Wineworks and Dewey Markham. If you are ever in the area and looking for some local knowledge, please contact Mr. Markham.
That brings us to our last day in Bordeaux and, coincidentally, the official last day of summer in
France (winter begins tomorrow, Monday 10/30). My computer recovered from its hiccup and was willing to navigate us outside of town and to St. Emillion, another
Bordeaux appellation. Though it was a bit like taking directions from C3PO, we were able to make it through the one-way system of
Bordeaux city and out onto the highway. That’s when C3PO turned into HAL (see 2001 Space Odyssey). ‘She’ said turn left, the map showed right… after a brief trek through a vineyard (and I literally mean through) and another u-turn in a construction zone, we eventually made it to St. Emillion. I guess even the world’s most famous wine region needs new roads.
St. Emillion shares the same affinity for tourists as any fortified town
October 29, 2006
Blog issues and more photos
You may have noticed two things. One, the blog is hard to navigate these days…sorry, just scroll around. I’ll fix it as soon as I return.
Secondly, there are more recent photos than trip reports. Stay tuned and check back soon. In the meantime, click the link to Flickr on the left and enjoy our pictures from Bordeaux.
October 29, 2006
Paris – Day 1
Paris
You may think you have seen bad traffic. People in
Washington DC have given the 495 beltway the moniker “the eight lane death trap”. In
Atlanta the saying is that I-85 is busy any hour of the day. Personally, I once spent two hours trying to go two miles near the Meadowlands, outside of
New York. None of these has anything on rush hour in
Paris! We arrived a little early into Charles De Gaul, something that most visitors would see as a blessing. However, rather than a convenience we ended up in a taxi with a Portuguese driver (with a curious penchant for Elton John and Pink Floyd) for two and a half hours. Rush hour in
Paris is not something I recommend. One might be inclined to find oneself a coffee, read the news paper and try again later. But this is
Paris today. The good news, when you do get where you are going, the old charm is still there.
Once we arrived at the hotel things began to fall into place. We dropped off our bags, as our room as not quite ready, and headed for breakfast at Café Deux Maggots. Don’t let the name fool you, the two ‘maggots’ in question are ornamental figurines guarding either side of the bar. After some coffee and nibbles we embarked on a walking tour. After following the Sine, we popped into Notre-Dame and then continued through the
Latin Quarter and back to our hotel. We took a brief respite, long enough to miss lunch I’m afraid, and continued on to La Grande Epicerie- what may be the worlds best grocery store (although some may take great exception to calling La Grande Epicerie a grocery store).
Inside this homage to all things food, we sought out some of the worlds delicacies for a picnic the next day. Paris, indeed all of
France has been slow to embrace the idea of super markets. Nevertheless, they are a reality of life, and a true convenience for many. The trick with the Grande Epicerie is that it’s married to Le Bon Marche, one of
France’s most ‘haut-couture’ stores. Once inside, we reenacted my favorite game show, Supermarket Sweep. A very knowledgeable and friendly girl helped me with our cheese selection while mom and Susan went after fresh figs and berries. Dad picked out some amazing ham which was daringly sliced paper thin, by hand. So, after a nabbing some wine and bread and other goodies we were ready for lunch the next day. We hoofed it back to the hotel, dropped off our food and headed to Balzar for dinner.
The story of Brasserie Balzar is uniquely French, and in being so it’s also long and confusing. My condensed version follows:
Parisian waiters take their job just as seriously as a banker or doctor. It’s their profession, what they chose to do. Most Harkin from small towns all over
France, and to make it big is to work in a brasserie such as Balzar. To them service is a way to bide their time in-between jobs, rather it’s a profession. One which, if they master, will entitle them to return to their home town and become the mater’d of their own restaurant. Brasserie Balzar is not a Michellen stared restaurant or even likely to make it into a gourmand magazine, but it is perfect and quintessential French food. The roasted chicken is what KFC dreams of being. The fries, these are not freedom fries mind you, are twice fried and simply sublime. So it’s not hard to imagine that the servers take pride in what they server. Unlike the often imitated ‘costume’, these gentlemen are in real black tails and bowties.
In the early part of the 2000s, a French restaurant conglomerate, The Flo Group (of Le Brasserie Flo), purchased the Balzar. <<Alors!>> Surely a new owner, especially a large commercial entity, would never respect the tradition, employees and service at Balzar, right? What ensued was a complex series of customer sit-ins, waiter strikes, and every combination ‘entombre’. Customers came, occupied tables and refused to eat or leave, all on behalf of their beloved wait staff (when was the last time you stood up for a waiter, let alone had one that commanded the respect to do so?). Meetings were held at the houses patrons to discuss what to do about the fate the Balzar. Eventually, as the French do, an agreement was reached which was agreeable to everyone. The Flo Group would not intervene with Brasserie Balzar, they were just the new owners. In return the waiters and management would stay on to make sure the place was run according to tradition[i]
Here’s what I’m getting at: The Balzar is Paris, it is
France. The king is dead, long live the king! Since we’ve been dining at Le Brasserie Balzar (and it’s been over seven years) noting has changed. In fact, the same waiters served us the other night that first introduced me to the world’s best poutlie roti. In
France modernization is occurring everywhere. As little as three years ago, Sunday was a day for family, rest, shops were closed. Now, shops are open on Sunday. That doesn’t mean an entire way of life has to change, it just means some things are changing. On the way to Les Doux Maggots, we passed a older, traditional café. This is the kind of place you’d find old men, standing at the bar and slowly sipping on greenish mint flavored cocktails at 10:00am- and should you come back at 3:00pm, they’d likely still be there. The only thing that was different about this café was a precarious little addition to the menu outside that said: “WiFi Hotspot”.
Like it or not,
Paris has traffic, but man the fries are good once you get there!
[i]
Paris to the Moon – Adam Gopnik.
