Saint Paul de Vence - Beautiful Hill village - Cote d'Azur

St Paul de Vence - Exquisite beauty on the hill

Today we are going to travel a bit down South to the Cote d'Azur.  It's Winter vacation currently and I'm dreaming of summer and travel, so I wanted to share a bit from a trip in the summer of 2015.  We spent a week on the Cote d'Azur and explored the surrounding area.  It has such a different feel than the Southwest where we live.  This is one of the beautiful hill villages located just to the North.

St Paul de Vence is probably the most well known hill villages of the Côte d'Azur mostly due to its association with some of the world's greatest artists.  Over the years names such as Picasso, Chagall, Matisse and many more have either lived here or been inspired by it.  The town has one of the best private modern art collections in the world, the Maeght Foundation, and nowadays the whole village is full of art galleries and studios.  It's an art lovers paradise and it's truly beautiful, a sight to be seen.  The narrow lanes are perfectly cobble paved and every building is renovated and maintained to a high standard.  The downside to this is that it gets very crowded, especially in the summer.

St Paul (as it's known locally without the Vence) is one of the oldest medieval villages on the French Riviera and its ramparts, constructed in 1540 under Francois 1eme, are still pretty much fully intact.  In the Middle Ages this village produced wine, olives, oranges and figs but this declined over the years until the twentieth century when numerous well-known artists made it their home base.

It was a beautiful winding drive into the hills and we arrived to park our car in a lot on the outskirts of town and then we walked into the village.  I loved the local feel, the relaxed atmosphere of the residents, some of whom were planning a game of petanque. 

As we walked past, I was taken by a lovely sculpture garden just sitting to the right near the church. I loved the cat and the girl sitting on the globe.  Each of them unique in their own right, and there was beauty in the juxtaposition of the old medieval buildings and these modern sculptures.

We started wandering down the main street.  I love the warmth of the stone and the narrow cobble paved street.  You can see from the photos that it's now shop after shop after gallery all open for visitors.  I found many of the gallery very original and beautiful  Truly a mecca of lots of artistic talent housed in this little village.

The village is kept up beautifully and the flowers, fountains, plants and trees all add to this beauty of an oasis located high in the hill tops.

I loved this sign - which translates to I create, I make it and I sell it (in my studio).  Such a great philosophy for inspiration and motivation.

As we walked the length of the village we found ourselves exiting out along the medieval ramparts to see the beauty of the hills and the mountains that surround us.  It is truly breathtaking.

We wandered back between the village and the outer wall, spying beautiful gates, stairs and narrow walkways.  It's a vibrant, thriving village, full of life, art and stunning medieval architecture. 

At the end of the wonderful warm afternoon in the shade of an Olive tree, we enjoyed some delicious ice cream.  The flavor - one specifically unique to this area - Lavender and yes, was it divine!!

So if you are traveling around France, the Cote d'Azur is not to be missed and especially driving up into the hill villages.  Are you ready to book your vacation yet?    I know I'm looking forward to returning soon.

The Citadel at Blaye - Just North of Bordeaux & Blog update

The Citadel of Blaye - a solid and strategic defense fortress.

Good morning everyone and Happy 2017,

They say the hardest part with keeping up with a blog is writing on a regular basis.  Yes, this is my first post in many months, life just sometimes takes over and the blog unfortunately took a back-burner to juggling work, kids, activities and the everyday adventures of living in France. Believe me, even after 5 years there are still surprises about living in France as an expat.

I'm currently on Winter hiatus from regular work of tour guiding for the river cruises on the Garonne.  Hopefully this time will enable me finish the many draft posts I have started over the past year.  A couple things for my regular readers, who may only know me through this blog or who may be following me on facebook, twitter or Instagram. For the past couple years, I have been separated from my husband and we are currently in the midst of working through our divorce.  Yes, I'm choosing to stay in France for many reasons, so yes, this blog will continue, it's been and will continue to be a great way to share our life and show off this beautiful region.  Perhaps one day, when all is done, I'll write a post of how to get divorced in France -needles to say, I'm learning a lot.

I thought that for today the Citadel of Blaye would be a great place to share. (Perhaps it's my inner voice of battle and defense...lol)   The girls and I go there from time to time to walk around - it's located about 45 minutes Northeast of Bordeaux at the beginning of  the Garonne River.  The Citadel of Blaye is a Military complex  built between 1685-1689 and sits overlooking the Gironde estuary.  It was designed to control navigation from the Ocean heading to Bordeaux other points further upstream.and it complimented by forts on Block Island in the middle of the Estuary and Fort Medoc located directly across on the West bank.

The design and construction of this citadel was supervised by the famous military architect, Vauban and is an example of his well-know and recognizable star-shaped walls surrounding the fortress.  Inside is very much a "city within" with a church, various buildings, barracks, garrison and even remains of an old medieval castle.  Since 2008, this site as been classifies under UNESCO and is definitely a must see when you come to the area.

It's a beautiful place to wander around by yourself, with someone special or as a family.  You might even get lucky enough to time your visit with one of several festivals that are hosted inside the walls.  It's free to enter and on a nice day, one sees people relaxing on the grounds, or even picnicking on a blanket.  You can pay for a guided tour to understand more of its history and fun facts - or you can just wander around breathing in the countryside and beautiful views of the river.

Inside the cloisters of the church.  It's truly a city within itself and a fascinating part of history.

The final photo is taken from the citadel walls looking toward the village of Blaye.  I highly recommend spending some time here as it's located  so close to the Bordeaux.  Wishing everyone a wonderful day and hope you come back to read more.  Would love to hear from any of my readers, feel free to comment.

Bordeaux Fete Le Vin - 2016 - Celebrating the 10th Edition!

 Bordeaux Fete Le Vin - The Bordeaux Wine Festival

Happening this weekend - June 23-26, 2016

 Hello everyone - it's been a busy day and a beautiful one at that!  Yes, the blog is back and this post will share with you the first glimpses of the 10th edition of Bordeaux Fete le Vin - Bordeaux's historic wine festival.  It opened today along the Quais and there is so much to see and do, I know I won't be able to share it all - but it's going to be a great weekend!!

For those of you who live close by - it's a wonderful way to taste some of the regional wines, and learn about wine, and also enjoy what this region has to offer.   

 The festival itself is free and open to the public - It's beautiful to stroll along the key side of Bordeaux and check out all the different stands.  In order to taste some of the wines, one needs to buy the festival pass.  The pass this year is a key card and includes:  10 different regional tastings plus 2 extra as your favorites, a zen tasting experience, a wine school workshop and other experiences.  This pass is either purchased ahead or presently is available at the festival.  

As it was hot today, I did my first tasting at the Sweet Bordeaux stand where I was introduced to a lovely fresh tasting wine from Loupiac.  This right-bank sweet white was light and fresh, still having that wonderful sweeten light syrup taste but not too strong.  

What I loved about this tasting was that it was a great opportunity to enjoy a different sweet white - than the traditional Sauternes whites.  I'm looking forward to exploring and learning more about the appellations of Cadillac, Loupiac et Saint Croix du Mont - all right bank wines but still of the sweet variety and a great value for their cost.

 Each region surrounding Bordeaux has their stands and it's a wonderful opportunity to gain more knowledge about each region and also more specifically how the appellations (geographic designations) within each region differ.

 As this is the 10th anniversary of the Bordeaux Wine Festival - they have  several special pavilions for other cities connected to the wine festival.  This year there are pavilions for Hong Kong, Quebec and a stand for the network of the Great Wine Capitals of the world.  All have a wealth of information to share.

 Of course the Office of Tourism has their own stand with special merchandise for the festival.  

 The Belem is also in Bordeaux for the festival and can be toured for 5 euros/person.  This beautiful 3 masked tall sailing ship serves as a training yacht for sailors.  It's' been wonderfully restored and is a jewel sitting along the quais.  

The Festival is laid out along the Quais of Bordeaux in 3 villages.  Village 1 - sits between the Pont de Pierre & the Place de la Bourse and includes a few wine regions along with the stands of the quest cities and the Office of Tourism - just to name a few.

As one heads down the quais toward Village 2 - there is this colorful display of Bordeaux Wine posters each pairing wine with an activity.  Some very clever combinations - Music & wine, Beach & Wine - Seeing the Stars and wine...Well done!  (My middle daughter - decided to photo bomb my photos - so she proudly shares her favorites!)

On to Village 2 - where Bordeaux Wine school has set up a beautiful display and holds workshops educating people of tasting, smelling and understanding more about wine.  The pass includes one of these workshops which are provided each day during the festival.

Village 2 - of course houses more stands for different wine regions, but also introduces us to surrounding regions like - Limousin & Poitou-Charentes.  These departments are now part of the Nouvelle Aquitaine or - The New Aquitaine Region. These departments offer some wonderful products including delicious beef and Cognac.

By afternoon, the Medoc & Graves stand was starting to get busy.  Again one can find some delicious wines from Medoc, Haut Medoc and Pessac Leognan appellations & not just the wine properties from the 1855 Classification - There is so much to discover!!

Moving further along the quais are artist blocks commissioned by the Cultural Institute of Bernard Magrez.  This is a festival tradition where artists are invited from all over the world to paint or design a panel that is themed for the Wine Festival.  Each day different artists will come and work on their block.  On Sunday afternoon there will be a full display of all the completed works.

As you head further North on the Quais toward the Chartrons section of Bordeaux - you enter the final village - Village 3.  Again here one finds more wine stands plus a wonderful assortment of regional specialties including bread, Oysters, beef, and cheeses just to name a few.

 I love the following photo as the festival is dwarfed by the gigantic cruise ship Europa 2 which is in port for a few days.  

After our hot but breezy walk along the Key side, my daughter and I were hungry for lunch and chose to eat at La Ferrere - along the Quai des Chartron next to the Bourse Maritime.  This adorable little bistro/brassiere serves a fresh menu which changes daily depending on the chef.  I enjoyed a lovely buttina (frais mozzarella cheese) served with peppers and citrus.

My entree was then followed by a deliciously fresh and hearty salad of arugula, avocados, watermelon, strawberries served with a delicious piece of toast with coppa & cheese drizzled with a delicious pesto sauce.  A fresh and satisfying lunch.

 So I hope you enjoy the Bordeaux Fete le Vin - Bordeaux Wine Festival - it's definitely a festival to experience and one that is not easily forgotten,  This is the 3rd festival that I have experienced and each time I learn more and marvel in what a beautiful and wonderful region we have!

If you are interested in visiting Bordeaux and you love wine - this is one festival not to be missed.  The next one will be in 2018.  If you are curious about the 2014 festival - you can read more about it here - Bordeaux Fete le Vin - 2014.

Come and enjoy the 2 Km of Wine events, tastings and good times here in Bordeaux and of course, the new Cite du Vin - The famed International Wine Interpretation Center has just opened it's doors this month -and it's amazing!!  Just another reason to come visit!  Bon weekend everyone!!!  Enjoy!!

Springtime in Bordeaux & the Gironde - Everything is blooming!

It's April in the Gironde

Yes - it's amazing how when Spring arrives, everything comes back to life again.  This region definitely has it's seasons - the cloudy, rainy, gray Winter gave way to sunny, bright and warmer Spring days.  The blossoms are coming out on the trees and the blue skies are gorgeous!!

I hope you can appreciate the feeling of Spring in these photos - it's just rejuvenating!! We are not without a few Spring rain showers from time to time - but overall, it's truly Spring here as the flowers come bloom!

The other day, I had to go pick up something on the ship where I work, so my middle daughter got a mini tour of "the office".  She loved the view from the top deck and thought the passengers were really lucky to get to sail up and down the river for a week!

I just loved this view taken from on top of the steps of the Courthouse - looking toward the Cathedral.  The sunshine and the blue sky...just lovely!

Even outside the city, plants and trees are coming back to life after the Winter.  We've enjoyed walking around the Citadelle de Blaye and also the Portes Ouvertes weekend in the Medoc.  Below is Chateau LaMothe Bergeron.  A beautiful place and property which dates back to 1773.  Excellent wine too!!

We are presently enjoying our 2 week Spring break.  It's been nice to relax - stay home and do a little Spring cleaning and just enjoying the local area.  As long as the weather cooperates, we are off to get some Ocean air this weekend.  Looking forward to that too.  Hope everyone is enjoying this Spring too!