[TravelBlog] Post Thirteen: Beaune
We started the morning on the road, driving due north out of Provence, past Lyon, and into Burgundy. The terrain flattens out and the hills become greener; the sun today is clear and very warm.
[TravelBlog] Post Twelve: Gigondas
We took our coffee in Vaison-la-Romaine this morning, in view of the extensive, sprawling weekly market. The market is an impressive collection of vendors selling everything from meats to wicker baskets to clothes to soaps and spices. We grab a few souvenirs, then head back to Gigondas.
Underrated, Silky Châteauneuf-du-Pape
We arrived in Rhône on Sunday evening. The weather here is warm, the air smells of lavender, and the sun sets after 9pm. The Southern Rhône boasts an impressive collection of winemaking towns, but the jewel of the crown is Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Made famous by French popes in the 14th century, and then again by Robert Parker in the 1980s, the area is rich with winemaking history.
[TravelBlog] Post Eleven: Vaison-la-Romaine
The morning is cool, clear, and sunny; light bounces from the shimmering olive trees. Began the morning with a trip to the local market for lettuce, fruit, sausage, olives, and a collection of cheeses.
[TravelBlog] Post Ten: Séguret
A cloudless summit of Mont Blanc greets us on our final morning in Chamonix. After breakfast in a streetside café, we pack our car and head east, out of the Alps and into the Savoie. We drive past orchards, cows, and vineyards as the dense forest behind us fades into flower-filled meadows.
Puligny-Montrachet: the Grace Kelly of Wine
When it’s made well, Puligny-Montrachet is the most elegant of white Burgundies. Though long and rich like its neighbors from Chassagne and Meursault, Puligny shows an added minerality and tension, making it a combination of class and energy in the glass. As writer Jay McInerney once put it, Puligny is “the Grace Kelly of wines.”
[TravelBlog] Post Nine: Mer de Glace
For our last day in the Alps we board a cog railway up the south wall of the Mont Blanc Valley. The 20 minute ride brings us from the valley floor up to the base of the Mer de Glace glacier at 6100 feet. The giant “sea of ice” is 220 feet deep and over 4 miles long, snaking between towering jagged peaks. After a nerve racking gondola ride down the steep side of the gorge, we begin the 430 step clime down to the surface.
[TravelBlog] Post Eight: Glacier
Croissants and coffee on the pedestrian street in Chamonix, then a stop at the local grocery for provisions. We drive west along the valley floor — another perfectly clear blue day. At the base of a winter-only chairlift we park the car, and hike towards the base of the slope.
[TravelBlog] Post Seven: Tour du Mont Blanc
We begin the morning with croissants (chocolat and natur), coffee, and the French Open. We pick up sandwiches, chocolate, fruit, saucisson, and comté. After a dizzying drive through Les Houches just south of Chamonix, we park the car and begin the hike.
2010 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé
We crossed the Alps from Italy to Switzerland yesterday via the Simplon Pass. The crossing is dotted with ancient stone houses that call to mind the Europe of thousands of years ago. It was yet another reminder from this trip of just how old these regions are.
[TravelBlog] Post Six: Les Alpes
We bid farewell to the sparkling Lake Como this morning, after a last minute coffee and some sugar cookies for the road. Our route took us south toward Milan, then northwest toward the mountains. We decided to cross the Alps via the Simplon Pass, a crossing in use since the Stone Age, but made famous during the reign of Napoleon
[TravelBlog] Post Five: Sacri Monti e Isola
Began the morning driving through winding streets to the Sacri Monti of Ossuccio, a series of 17th century churches perched along an ancient cobblestone road. We climbed past all fourteen tiny chapels. each depicting a different scene in life-size wooden figures.
Refreshing, Summery German Halbtrocken
German Riesling reveals the power of terroir like few other wines. It can be as dry as a Muscadet or sweet as a Muscato, depending on where, when, and how it’s made. This astounding range of profiles makes it a darling of sommeliers and wine critics.
[TravelBlog] Post Four: En Suisse
Started the morning in the tiny town grocery — speck, bread, sugar cookies, croissants, and a wedge of fresh, creamy, decadent talleggio, almost unrecognizable next to the States’ Whole Foods variety. A quick stop at a café in Tremezzo, then off on the winding road to Lugano. A roadside goat greets us as we pass into Switzerland.
[TravelBlog] Post Three: Il Traghetto
Espresso doppio outside at our now regular bar-café under clear blue skies. Sunday appears to be a day for bicycle enthusiasts, who travel in colorful swarms along the roads, rivaling their motored companions for daring and speed.