Italian detour!

We have been going up and down to Switzerland from Provence quite often this year and some months ago decided we needed to find different routes instead of the quick autoroute (with everyone else!) to Geneva. We did a few trips over the mountains to Grenoble, which is interesting but does not have anywhere to stop and eat. Just ‘Panini’  and 'Frites' stalls by the roadside.

So I had the brilliant idea of going via Italy and taking in a few places I have wanted to see… the Gorges du Verdon, the Mercantour National Park and I also thought it would take slightly shorter a time than going via Nice on the coast. It looks a straighter line on the map.

I knew there were the Alpes Maritimes but expected to be going through valleys. How wrong I was! And I couldn’t complain as it was my idea!

We first went to Moustiers Sainte Marie, which is a beautiful small village, with lots of tourists! It has one of Alain Ducasse's hotel restaurants, the Bastide de Moustiers which I have eyed for years as I like his book Provence of Alain Ducasse and one day we hope to go back and stay there! However this time we were en route!

We moved on to the Gorges du Verdon. This is a spectacular road where one needs to keep one's eyes fully on the road. Dramatic drop offs!

                                             And not much overhead clearance in parts!

When we left these gorges it was with an inward sigh of relief on my part! An experience but perhaps not to be repeated! However the road did not get too much better. Very windy and two other sets of gorges!

They were  very spectacular.....

One of a series of 12 tunnels,but I don't like tunnels too much!!

                                                
                             

It had now taken many more hours than expected!  So it was dusk when we arrived where we were staying overnight. Which was just as well as the road up was very windy and not very wide!

Viewed next morning!!

We had read about an interesting chef with an international background having set himself up in the hotel  Le Robur  in Roure.

 He had worked in Michelin star restaurants in France, Switzerland and the US, so we had decided it was an excellent place to stop. I had imagined it as being rather rural, near the Mercantor park, just 70kms inland from Nice... the arriere pays! Definitely not up a mountain! It was a pleasant surprise however, once we had arrived and found parking. The village is a pedestrian village and doesn't have a parking lot! It only has around 40 year round residents and a quite a number of 'residences secondaire'!

 And only got a road up to it about 50 years ago. Before that it must have been somewhat isolated. So we had a little trek with our bags to the hotel, but they had warned us!

 We had a fabulous meal and a very quiet night!

Michelin Star...........or not!!

We like to research good  restaurants before we arrive anywhere and so we were very happy to be able to secure a table for two at the Michelin starred Le Chassagne in Chassagne Montrachet for Sunday lunch.  We had a reservation for 13.00 hours and because of difficulties finding the restaurant (the main road into the village was blocked and we had to follow a deviation) we arrived at 13.10.

Imagine our horror when told we had arrived too late!  It was obvious that the chef, who was the person who had taken our reservation by phone, and was the person we saw as we arrived upstairs, had forgotten us and given our table away! And every table was taken!

We have never had this happen before! And 10 mins late would not seem to be unacceptable. And he had our mobile number if he was worried we were not going to arrive!

So we then had to call around to see where we could eat….. difficult last minute for Sunday lunch in France as this is the traditional day for the family to go out together! 

Our first call was to the Hotel Montrachet in nearby Puligny Montrachet

A favorite!  Full!!

Then we called another favorite place there, the  Maison Olivier Leflaive

We had stayed here on a prior trip and it is a fabulous place to stay.

 And had tried their fabulous wine/dinner degustation!

Unfortunately they were closed for lunch but they recommended a very casual place in Puligny Montrachet, L’Estaminet,  which is located on the same square as Le Montrachet.

This restaurant has  been well reviewed on TripAdvisor, although we didn't know that then!

The food was unexpectedly good!! And obviously a lot more reasonably priced than a restaurant with a Michelin Star!!

And we would definitely return! Good food, good wine, good price, good ambience!

Bach à Bacchus

After spending the month of June in Italy, and dining on pasta way too frequently, we felt in need of French food and so spent a week in the Beaune area… specifically in Meursault!  We rented a great place,   La Vieille Cuverie , slightly marred by the fact the owners, who normally live in Paris, were next door with their 4 children.... so every time we wanted to use the pool we had to move/remove inflatables!

However it was extremely comfortable!  It was described as a 2 bedroom(SLEEPING A MAXIMUM OF 8!!!! NOT SURE WHERE!), but it is only a 2 bedroom if one doesn’t mind going through the other bedroom!  Not obvious from the photos!  And definitely not comfortable if rented by  2 couples sharing!!

It was however close to a camp site (not visible nor intrusive!!) which was great as it had bikes for rent and the bike path from Beaune to Santenay went past there.

So we duly rented bikes and cycled to Santenay for lunch! The bike path is great as it uses the very small roads used by the viticulture farm vehicles. So, minimal traffic!

Lunch at Le Terroir in Santenay!

Although one does have to look out for tractors backing out!!

We enjoyed some great lunches while there!  We have found that lunches in France at good Michelin star restaurants can be very reasonable, as compared to dining in the evenng! So we dined at some seriously good restaurants!
Top of the list Maison Lameloise  a 3 star Michelin star at Chagny. We found out that there one could have a set menu lunch for 75 euros per person, including wine, coffee and water(65 euros without) , on Monday, Thursday and Friday.  In case you think this expensive our normal meals out ran around 110 euros/2 persons! And not necessarily in 'good' restaurants! This was an excellent lunch and we would highly recommend!
We also found that they have a junior/sister restaurant nearby in Chagny, called Pierre et Jean.  This was so good we went back twice!

Meursault has a music festival in July of each year... Bach à Bacchus!  Really very interesting, as one gets into wine estates not ordinarily open to the public.  Tasting wine and listening to music is a great way to spend an afternoon!

A very young, very talented pianist!!

This YouTube is from 2010 but gives an idea of what it is like!

There was also a festival of music in Beaune which is held in the Hospices de Beaune courtyard unless it is raining! Which, of course, it was while we were there!

La Traviata

We were thrilled to find out that on the day we had intended leaving Italy there was a performance of La Traviata in Verona’s Roman Arena, with excellent seats still available. We hastily changed our plans to include an overnight in Verona! This had been on our ‘to do’ list for a long time!

We were able to order seats online , a very easy process.

The Opera, La Traviata, was  a fantastic production. And the setting is superb.

It has to be seen, to be believed!  We were in the parterre part and so were able to look up at all the other spectators, rather as the gladiators must have done in the past! The arena is huge and holds around 15,000  for the Opera performances. However in Roman times it could hold 25,000 people!!

We were lucky to find a hotel within walking distance, with its own parking! A prerequisite when driving around with lots of possessions left in one’s car. Easy pickings!!

The hotel was appropriately named Hotel Verona !!

One thing we omitted to do!   Book a table in a restaurant close to the arena!  With that many people around for the performance all good restaurants were booked months in advance. In fact we did not have too much choice for a hotel either even though we did book that months in advance!

Exploring Verona the following morning was fun, not many people were out and about. We had to, of course, go by Juliette’s balcony!

Which now seems to be the area for lovers to place a heart lock and swear to eternal love!

And we found this old denouncement box for people charging interest on loans, not allowed by the church.

This basically translates as  'Denounce in secret, usury and usury contracts of any type'

Lunch in a 2000 year old Roman Amphitheatre!

We like to research places to eat and so,while staying near Spoleto, had decided to go to Montefalco for lunch, mainly because of its wines.  We chose two restaurants L'Alchimisto and the Spirito di Vino.
Neither were open on the chosen day!
However we were very happy about that as it turned out! We went instead to a restaurant in Bevagna. This is not a hill town and actually had not been on our top 10 list of places to go to in Umbria!

They were just finishing up their yearly medieval festival, the Mercate delle Gaite. The town is divided into 4 wards and each ward has its own banners and flags.

This town is not on the tourist route!  However heard that Prince Charles has a villa near there!

The restaurant we went to was in an old Roman Amphitheatre and was superb.  Definitely it is to be highly recommended!  The dinner menu was quite expensive ( but worth it for both the food and ambience) but lunch is an excellent value! It is called Redibis and it is the restaurant of a fabulous hotel  L'Orto degli Angeli .  We don't usually like hotel restaurants but definitely there is an exception to be made here!
This is what it would have looked like 2000 years ago!

And in the Middle Ages!!

 We will definitely return!! And would like to stay in the hotel next time!!

Corpus Christ Procession in Orvieto

We timed our one week rental  in Spoleto ( Geppa)well......... the procession in nearby  Orvieto was the  day after our arrival.  I had been once before as I had been told about it by one of my Italian teachers. It is absolutely spectacular and as it is a day for the townspeople, there are very few tourists who know about it.

Since 1264, because of a nearby miracle in Bolsena, an ancient relic has been carried in the streets in commemoration. The historical procession includes a huge number of participants, mainly townspeople. The richness of the costumes is because Orvieto used to be a part of the Papal States and 33 Popes had their residence there.

All the various trades people are represented. Very colourful! And definitely to be recommended!