Day 9, 10 and 11 - Vaison la Romaine, Roman ruins and the Côte du Rhône
We arrived at the quaint Provence town of Vaison la Romaine late afternoon on the 9th day of our trip. There are two parts to this city which is bisected by the Ouveze River - the newer "lower" city and the older "upper" city. Here, again, you will be glad that you took heed of Rick's packing advice, because the bus had to park in the lower city (Ville-Basse) and the walk uphill to the upper medieval city (Ville-Haute) is strenuous! Here we made our home base at the Hôtel le Beffroi. This hotel is two separate buildings - the "newer" annex being from the 17th century!! The main hotel was first built as a family home in 1554! We decided, at this point, that we must have been distinguished as a physically fit couple - because we, again, had a third-floor attic room with only stairs to get us there! The room did have a modern bath, spectacular view, and an unknown middle of the night "visitor" who came knocking on our door (perhaps it was "le mistral," because there's no such thing as ghosts, right?)!
Perhaps the best part of this hotel was it's restaurant- La Fontaine, where we had the good fortune of dining two evenings. Dinner our first evening consisted of a "salad" of fresh goat cheese, with beets and walnuts; pork with vegetables, a local vegetable "compression," and potatoes; and a light fruit "soup" with sweet muscat wine. We choose a local wine - Domaine Raspail-Ay 2009 from Gigondas - to accompany our meal. The Medieval City... |
"Le Mistral": Provence is well known for its ferocious "mistral" winds. These winds originate as a cold front which moves across France. The winds pile up and "chill down" in the Alps, and then release their energy by exploding through the Rhone Valley on their way to the Mediterranean sea. When they arrive, they blow continuously for three days. Good weather is said to follow shortly thereafter. The winds have their purpose, though, in this wine region - cooling the grapes from the day's heat and drying them out following a rain, thus preventing the grapes from ripening too quickly or developing rot on the vine.
Our tour guide, Chris, seemed reluctant to characterize the wind we experienced here as "le mistral," but while we were here the wind rattled our shutters, rearranged our hair, and buffeted our bus continuously. Whether what we experienced was "le mistral," "mistral noir" (with clouds and rain), or a "mistralet" (a weak version), one can only imagine how tiring it would be to experience the bitter, relentless winds that frequent this region in the winter months.
Our tour guide, Chris, seemed reluctant to characterize the wind we experienced here as "le mistral," but while we were here the wind rattled our shutters, rearranged our hair, and buffeted our bus continuously. Whether what we experienced was "le mistral," "mistral noir" (with clouds and rain), or a "mistralet" (a weak version), one can only imagine how tiring it would be to experience the bitter, relentless winds that frequent this region in the winter months.
Roman Ruins:
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...and the Roman Theater in Orange
The Théâtre Antique is the only Roman theatre in Europe with its acoustic wall still standing. It has an interesting history. In the 16th century, homes were actually built within the theatre's walls. In the 18th century, prisoners were housed within its walls. Performances of all types were enjoyed here and visitors can still enjoy those performances today. For more information about the Théâtre, it's history, videos and photographs more beautiful than anything in our photo library, visit the Théâter's official site.
Arriving back in Vaison la Romaine somewhat chilled, our group dined in a protected courtyard at the hotel and enjoyed more wonderful Provence-style dishes, including: cream of tomato soup with basil; sea bass with a bouillabaisse sauce, rice and broiled tomato; and a pear chocolate mousse. Delicious!
Food tip: While in Provence, stop into a bakery and try the fougasse - a flat bread cooked with herbs. Yum!!
Food tip: While in Provence, stop into a bakery and try the fougasse - a flat bread cooked with herbs. Yum!!
And now, about "le vin"...
The Rhône Valley is really two parts which I learned are NOT connected - the northern Rhône and the southern Rhône. In the northern region syrah (known as "shiraz" elsewhere) is the king of red wine. White varieties include viognier, marsanne and rousanne, but they really are in the minority here. Vineyards here are not at all like what you see in Napa or Sonoma valleys of California. The vineyards perch on rocky granite slopes. As a result, the red wine from this region could be described as robust, smoky, leathery, earthy and peppery in taste.
About an hour's drive south of the northern Rhône region the vineyard region widens. Grenache is the leading red grape grown here, but unlike the northern Rhône, 12 other varietals are allowed, including: mouvèdre, carignane, cinsaut, and petite sirah. Wines from the southern Rhône are generally blends. The ones you have probably heard the most about are Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côtes du Rhône. Wines from these appellations are generally a mixture that is predominantly grenache, with mourvèdre and syrah (and sometimes others) blended in. Others to look for from this region include Côtes du Rhône-Villages (a step up from the Côtes du Rhône), Gigondas (the most northern appellation, a bold spicy wine and one of our favorites), and Vacqueyras. This region also produces a rosè from the Tavel region. Rosé is not to be confused with "white zinfandel"! It is actually a bone-dry wine with some berry hints and a wonderful wine to enjoy on a warm summer day.
About an hour's drive south of the northern Rhône region the vineyard region widens. Grenache is the leading red grape grown here, but unlike the northern Rhône, 12 other varietals are allowed, including: mouvèdre, carignane, cinsaut, and petite sirah. Wines from the southern Rhône are generally blends. The ones you have probably heard the most about are Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côtes du Rhône. Wines from these appellations are generally a mixture that is predominantly grenache, with mourvèdre and syrah (and sometimes others) blended in. Others to look for from this region include Côtes du Rhône-Villages (a step up from the Côtes du Rhône), Gigondas (the most northern appellation, a bold spicy wine and one of our favorites), and Vacqueyras. This region also produces a rosè from the Tavel region. Rosé is not to be confused with "white zinfandel"! It is actually a bone-dry wine with some berry hints and a wonderful wine to enjoy on a warm summer day.
A Visit to the tiny village of Séguret and Domaine de Mourchon...
On a bright, sunny (but windy) Provence day we boarded the bus for a short ride to one of the villages of the Côtes du Rhône, Séguret. Séguret is a quiet little village on the hillside, with cobblestoned streets and few cars. The architecture here takes you back in time with some buildings dating back to the 10th century. The views of the Rhône valley and surrounding villages is spectacular.
A strenuous walk up the road brought us to a spectacular wine-making operation called Domaine de Mourchon. We were fortunate to arrive at a time when grapes were being harvested. We had to be careful to stay out of the way of the bustling winemaker, who clearly had a job to do! We toured the stoney vineyards and winemaking operations (including it's concrete storage vats). Then we were treated to a wine tasting, where we sampled some magnificent wines, including:
A strenuous walk up the road brought us to a spectacular wine-making operation called Domaine de Mourchon. We were fortunate to arrive at a time when grapes were being harvested. We had to be careful to stay out of the way of the bustling winemaker, who clearly had a job to do! We toured the stoney vineyards and winemaking operations (including it's concrete storage vats). Then we were treated to a wine tasting, where we sampled some magnificent wines, including:
- LaSource 2011 - the only white we tasted
- Côtes du Rhône 2010
- Grand Réserve Séguret 2010
- Family Reserve Syrah 2009
- Family Reserve Grenache
- Châteauneuf du Pape 2010
Traveler's tip:
As I have mentioned a few times throughout the prior pages, take heed of Rick's advice to travel light. There are great carry-on sized bags for sale in Rick's Travel Store. If you choose to purchase something else, at least pay attention to the dimensions (and weight) of his bags when evaluating other alternatives. I have accumulated an entire travel wardrobe of clothes that are lightweight, washable polyester. You can commonly find these items in on-line travel stores, stores that sell outdoor gear, and even some boutique women's stores. Black or beige bottoms go with anything!! Scarves make the same thing look different. We have traveled for two weeks without ever going to the laundromat - we just rinse out our clothes in the sink the first night of each two-day stay and hang them to dry on the clothesline we carry with us. Be thoughtful of the hotel owners, though, and don't let them drip on the floor!!! I travel with a pair of Merrell "Mary Jane" style shoes, a pair of lightweight sneakers, and a pair of black flip-flops. For an excellent video on packing, check out Joan Robinson's "Packing Light and Right" on YouTube. It's over an hour long, but I thought she did a wonderful job of explaining how to pack correctly.
Other things to pack besides the clothes: two packages of liquid laundry detergent (a bar of Fels Naptha soap is also good for getting out stains), clothespins, clothesline, rubber sink plug, baby powder (those shoes get stinky after two straight weeks on your feet), a small first-aid kit, locks (so you can lock things up in your suitcase when you aren't in your room), sewing kit, and adapters (bring more than one).
Jeff and I both bring our iPads. There generally is some sort of wireless service in the hotels where you stay (even though you may have to go to the lobby for it). It's a great way to keep in touch with your family and friends back home and back-up your photos every day.
And...leave a little extra room in your suitcase for the herbs de provence (a big bag here is really inexpensive and wonderfully aromatic), lavender soap, wine, etc., etc. that you want to take home with you.
Other things to pack besides the clothes: two packages of liquid laundry detergent (a bar of Fels Naptha soap is also good for getting out stains), clothespins, clothesline, rubber sink plug, baby powder (those shoes get stinky after two straight weeks on your feet), a small first-aid kit, locks (so you can lock things up in your suitcase when you aren't in your room), sewing kit, and adapters (bring more than one).
Jeff and I both bring our iPads. There generally is some sort of wireless service in the hotels where you stay (even though you may have to go to the lobby for it). It's a great way to keep in touch with your family and friends back home and back-up your photos every day.
And...leave a little extra room in your suitcase for the herbs de provence (a big bag here is really inexpensive and wonderfully aromatic), lavender soap, wine, etc., etc. that you want to take home with you.