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Europe In The Spring

April - May 2019
Fifty four days, four countries, no schedule. Read more
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  • Europe In The Spring
    Day 24

    Scary Dark Places

    April 24, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    As one walks through Perugia, you are struck by the antiquity of the place. Many of the masonry walls surrounding you date back over eight hundred years. The stone carving is exquisite and the passages, tunnels and archways are unbelievably well conceived and engineered, even by today's standards. Of course, they would have to be in order to remain standing for so long.

    But I have to admit, sometimes passing through these dark portals, where so many countless others have previously trodden, wearing away the stairs and cobblestones, I get a serious case of the creeps.

    One such place in particular is Rocca Paolina, a Renaissance fortress that was built in 1540-1543 for Pope Paul III, thus the name.

    So large was the project, it destroyed many Etruscan, Roman and medieval buildings, as well as over a hundred tower-houses, gates, churches and monasteries. It turned the former streets of the historic city center into underground passageways, which Brenda and I briefly visited on Wednesday. Despite a temperature of 20°C outside, the air within the Rocca was very cool and damp and we had only begun our exploration when we decided we would have to return another day wearing warmer clothing.

    As is usually the case with these huge structures, photos cannot convey their vastness and breadth, but hopefully the attached images show a little of the magic we're experiencing.    Read more

  • Europe In The Spring
    Day 26

    Assisi

    April 26, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Perugia, where we're staying in Umbria, is a mere 25 kms from Assisi, which is the birthplace of St. Francis and home of the Franciscan Order. On Friday, which turned out to be a cold wet day, Brenda and I made our way to Assisi, arriving there after an hour long, milk run bus ride.

    With Easter last weekend, Italian Liberation day on Thursday, and Labour Day coming on May 1, many Italians added extra vacation days between the statutory holidays to have an extended period away from work. Consequently, when we got to Assisi, the crowds were enormous.

    The town was originally founded around the second century BC, but little remains of the structures from that period, other than a Roman amphitheater and the facade of the Temple of Minerva with its six Corinthian columns.

    The main attraction in the town is the Basilica of St. Francis, which is comprised of two churches, an upper and a lower chapel, both of which are magnificent.. In the basement crypt of the lower chapel, the remains of St. Francis are interred. This building probably ranks second only to the Vatican amongst Christianity's most revered places.

    I don't know if it was all the artwork, or the friars giving their lectures, or the throngs of worshippers, or some sacred aura emanating from the tomb, but I couldn't help but feel I was in a very special place. There was simply something in the air that gave me goosebumps, yet also made me feel completely at peace.

    After our visit to the Basilica, Brenda and I headed off to another of Assisi's main attractions, LA Rocca Maggiore, but that will be a tale for another day.    Read more

  • Europe In The Spring
    1
    Day 28

    Basilica San Domenica

    April 28, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Just down the street from our hotel in Perugia is the Basilica San Domenica. We first saw it when we arrived here and immediately decided we wanted to pay it a visit. Like so many of the buildings and monuments we've visited, this place is ENORMOUS. To get an idea of its size, look at the photo of Brenda standing next to the entrance door.

    Originally built in two phases between 1304 and 1458, it was rebuilt in 1632 following a series of collapses.

    Not only is the size of the structure impressive, but so is the artwork, stained glass and carvings. Particularly striking are the 14th-century funerary monument to Pope Benedict XI, carved in marble and extremely detailed, and the 21-meter-tall stained-glass window that dates to 1411. The pipe organ is a "recent" addition and dates to the 16th century.

    As we toured the church, we found exposed portions of original frescoes that had, at some time, been plastered over during renovations.

    It boggles the mind to think how much beautiful art may be hidden behind the more modern walls. But then, I suppose the same can be said for this entire city, that has been built up over Etruscan ruins.

    And previous to that, Etruscan builders would have covered up traces left behind by Neanderthals 200,000 years ago.

    Time marches on.    Read more

  • Europe In The Spring
    Day 29

    Gubbian Adventure

    April 29, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    In her research of the area around Perugia, Brenda came across the town of Gubbio, located about 40kms from Perugia.

    We bussed there on a cool Monday morning, knowing ahead of time that rain was forecast for the afternoon. This was a very important fact, since the main reason for our trip there would be a very unpleasant experience in the rain and we therefore had to plan our time accordingly.

    Although Gubbio is another medieval hillside village surrounded by an ancient stone wall, one kilometer up the hill is a basilica that houses the remains of Saint Ubaldo (the rather ghoulish mummified body is on full display in a glass case above the main altar). But what makes visiting the basilica extraordinary is the very unique means of getting there. Yeah sure, you can walk up the switchback filled path to the top, but to get the real Gubbio experience, the Funivia Colle Eletto is a must.

    The cable car takes six minutes to reach the top, and it reminded me of getting on and off a ski hill's chairlift. The carriage consists of a birdcage-like wire cylinder in which two people stand for the entire ride. When one enters the station there are two red circles placed about 5 meters apart on the floor. Each passenger stands on one of the circles. As the car approaches, an attendant opens the door and instructs passenger # 1 to hop on, does the same for passenger # 2, and then closes the door. The cage moves at a steady speed and slows only for emergencies. The views from the cage were spectacular even though the skies were overcast and grey. Of course, riding up in the rain would have been no fun at all and, fortunately, we timed our trip perfectly.

    Because the lift shuts down between 1:15 and 2:30, and we didn't want to be stuck at the top for that period, we made a quick visit to the basilica and made our way back down to the city in the birdcage. As we disembarked, and began searching for a place to eat, the first raindrops began to fall. Our timing couldn't have been better!

    We had a great lunch at the only vegetarian restaurant in Gubbio and I became an official town fool by running three times around the fountain and sprinkling myself with water.

    What a fool believes he sees,
    No wise man has the power to reason away.    Read more

  • Europe In The Spring
    Day 30

    Perugina, Amore Mio

    April 30, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Everyone knows them.

    I love them.

    They are instantly recognizable, and each one carries a brief message of love.

    And so, our time in Perugia would not have been complete without a visit to the home of the Perugina Baci.

    Because we had time on our hands and it was a beautiful day, Brenda and I trekked the 6.5 down and up kilometers from Perugia to the Perugina factory in San Sisto. Of course, knowing full well the factory tour ends with a chocolate tasting, the hike also burned off a portion of the hundreds of empty calories we'd soon be enjoying.

    Our tour was scheduled to start at 3:00, but in true Italian fashion, it didn't really get underway until almost 3:20. But it was worth the wait.

    The group was ushered into a small auditorium where one of the firm's master chocolatiers explained the science and importance of tempering chocolate when making confections. He then quickly produced enough ganache filled treats to serve the 35 people in the group, with a few leftovers that were quickly devoured.

    We then viewed a film on the history of the company, that originated in 1907, and quickly grew in popularity, so much so that Nestle acquired the firm for $1.6 billion in 1988.

    After a quick tour of the museum, and production facility (which unfortunately was not operating due to Easter vacations) we were brought to the tasting room where all the plant's products were available to sample.

    Oh, and sample we did! From the 85% bar to the 70% single source bar, the 70% blended source all the way down to the white chocolate, which, by the he way isn't really chocolate at all.

    And of course, there were the Baci. So many bonbons, so little time!

    All of them had the gianduia filling, a dreamy blend of milk chocolate and hazelnut purée topped with a whole roasted hazelnut.

    But some were coated in milk chocolate, some with the 70% cocoa dark chocolate, some with white chocolate and some with the new pink chocolate. Decisions, decisions. What the heck, let's try 'em all.....TWICE!

    But it wasn't all just about stuffing our faces. We also learned that the Perugina team once spent four days constructing a 6000 kg Baci for Perugia's annual chocolate festival, and then, in only four hours, fed the entire thing to the hoardes of people that came out to see it.

    And, more importantly, we found out that more Baci are shipped to Canada than to the USA.

    It makes me proud to be a Canadian!🇨🇦    Read more

  • Europe In The Spring
    Day 31

    Arrivederci, Italia!

    May 1, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Wow, it's hard to believe that our month in Italy has come to an end. We've certainly made the most of our time here and have covered many kilometers doing it. We've gone from the deep south to the far east in Puglia, enjoyed the rugged cliffs and beautiful coastline of Abruzzo and explored the rolling hills of Umbria.

    We've seen things, eaten food and drank wines unique to each region and spent time visiting with old friends. The pizza stains on my clothes will fade in time, but the memories of these thirty days will remain forever.

    This morning we took a short ride on Perugia's MiniMetro to the train station, where we'll catch our ride to Rome. We won't be spending any time in the Eternal City on this trip, we're just passing through on our way to the airport.

    Next stop: Marseilles! I'll finally be back in a country where I can speak the language, even though some people I know don't believe my Quebecois French truly qualifies as la langue de Moliere.

    On verra bien.    Read more

  • Europe In The Spring
    Day 33

    Notre Dame de la Garde

    May 3, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Just when you think you’ve experienced more than enough history for one trip, you come across something like Notre Dame de la Garde.

    Set atop a limestone peak rising 162 meters above the port below, construction of the first chapel, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was done between 1214 and 1218. At the beginning of the 15th century, it was replaced by a larger chapel, which was then reinforced to serve as a defensive fort and a place of worship.

    The building then went through a long period of political upheaval within France, the details of which are far too convoluted and dull to recite here. If, however that’s your thing, do a Google search, there’s lots to read about.

    Of (relatively) recent interest is the battle for Marseilles that took place in August 1944. Strategically, during WWII, the occupying Germans were using Notre Dame as one of their defensive fortresses in Marseilles. The allied forces had begun their assault to retake the city in mid August, but the battle culminated on August 24, 1944 when a brigade comprised mostly of Muslim Algerian rifleman went on the attack, and used a “back door” that was unknown to the Germans to gain the upper hand.

    The battle scars of this skirmish can still be seen on the exterior walls of the basilica.

    The French Underground was extremely strong in Marseilles and the Nazis virtually razed Marseille in their efforts to undermine their efforts. Somehow, perhaps by divine intervention, this enormous monument remained almost unscathed by the bombing and shelling that nearly destroyed the rest of the city.

    Brenda and I walked up the hill to visit the temple on Friday afternoon, and we were astounded by the breathtaking views of the metropolis that is spread out below her. The interior of the basilica pays homage to the Resistance fighters that liberated the city in 1944 and to all the sailors who lost their lives at sea while trying to earn a living.

    The church is not as old as many of those we visited in Italy, but it is no less beautiful or historically important, particularly given the part it played in the last world war.

    There is also a lesson somewhere in there that all religions can co-exist given the right circumstances.    Read more

  • Europe In The Spring
    Day 36

    Nuits Saint Georges

    May 6, 2019 in France ⋅ ☀️ 5 °C

    After a very fast 300 km/h TGV ride from Marseilles to Lyon, we had to transfer onto a conventional train to bring us to Beaune.

    When we arrived in Lyon, the temperature was only 7°C, and all the doors to the train station seemed to be open. It was FREEZING in there! Fortunately, one of the cafes in the station had heating AND room for us, so we hung out there until our train departed.
    The two-hour ride to the Burgundy region was easy enough, and we arrived in Beaune shortly after noon on Sunday. Once again, we discovered that Europeans take their day of rest very seriously, and we could find very few shops or restaurants open.

    We also discovered that Beaune is a very, VERY expensive place to visit. Restaurant prices are three to four times higher than what we were paying in Italy and, surprisingly, the local wines are no bargain either. OK, I know Pinot Noir is the heartbreak grape and the very limited production by some wineries can drive prices sky high, but in the old town even the run of the mill Pinots are priced very similarly to what we’d pay in Canada.

    Thankfully, our AirBnB host left us a very nice bottle of Veuve Ambal Cremant de Bourgogne chilling in the fridge for us to enjoy, and enjoy it we did. I’d never heard of this producer before, but this wine was so good, they are now on our hit list for a winery visit.

    On Monday morning we went out to the local Carrefour Supermarket and stocked our pantry with food to consume while we’re here. It’s not just the €12.00 Margherita pizza or the €72.00 lobster thermidor restaurant prices. It’s that fact that none of the restaurants here offer more than one “vegetarian” dish on their menus, if they offer any at all. Between 2016 and 2018 Le Jardin d’Alice was the only vegetarian restaurant in town, but they closed their doors last year. It’s hard to believe that we had less trouble finding things to eat in Italy than in France, but that is the state of affairs, at least in this part of the country. Hopefully when we get to Paris, things will improve.

    After our shopping spree we hopped on the train to Nuits Saint Georges to do some serious wine tasting. Our first stop was at Le Caveau Moillard where we sipped both their white and rose Cremant de Bourgogne, their Meursault, the Savigny Les Beaune Villages and their Premier Cru Nuits Saint Georges. We liked them all well enough, but not that much that we were willing to part with €89.00 for the Premier Cru.

    Next, we walked over to Dufouleur Pere Et Fils where we got to taste three of their Pinots, the second of which tasted like it had been open too long and was a little Port-like. The owner was, however, very congenial and our visit there was most pleasant. Also, it was the only one where we actually got to visit, and taste, in the 300-year-old cellars where the wines are stored. Best of all, this was our only tasting of the day that had no fee attached. Score!

    When I was researching Nuits Saint Georges wineries, I came across Morin Pere et Fils, where no reservation is required and whose specialty is Cremant de Bourgogne. How could we resist? We walked the 1.5 kms to the address on the website only to find ourselves in front of a very modern wine store in an industrial park. WTF?!? I asked the woman in the shop where we could find Morin and she directed us to L’Imaginarium, just the other side of the traffic circle. Huh…… OK.

    Off we went and after another kilometer or so we walked into a huge wine emporium that operates as L’Imaginarium, which is owned by le Groupe Boisset. As it turns out, Morin was gobbled up about ten years ago, perhaps by Boisset, who owns and operates dozens of wineries and distilleries not only on France, but in Scotland, the US and Canada! In any case, we convinced the young man who greeted us that we were there to taste Cremant and only Cremant, and he graciously took our €20.00 and proceeded to serve us five different bubblies from producer Louis Bouillot, a rose, a blanc de noir, an extra-dry blanc de blanc, a 50/50 Pinot Chard blend and a 2014 vintage. They were all very different and quite delicious except for the overly exuberant bubbles on the vintage wine. We left with a bottle of the rose.

    After all that wine, most of which we did not spit, we found our way to the train station and weaved our way back to our accommodations where we had a nice hot bowl of soup and a salad for dinner.
    Life sure is good.    Read more

  • Europe In The Spring
    Day 37

    Bikeless Path

    May 7, 2019 in France ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Today we thought it would be fun to follow the Veloroute 22 kms through the vineyards of Burgundy to Santenay. The only catch was that the bikes made available to us by our Airbnb host didn't seem all that safe.

    It was a beautiful day, with highs of 16°C, little wind and only a 30% chance of rain. Since the forecast for the next couple of days is less promising, we decided we'd do our tasting in Beaune on those days.

    We could have rented a car and driven to Santenay, but what fun would that have been? We could have rented bikes, but the miser in me couldn't bring himself to pay the rental fees they were asking.

    The solution: we'll walk! What the heck, we've walked farther than that on more than one occasion in a day on this trip, and the route is supposed to be mostly flat. Allons-y!

    And so we set out at around 10:30 and passed through Pommard, did tastings in Volnay, Meurseault, Puligny Montrachet and Chassagne Montrachet and arrived at the Santenay train station at around 4:45. In between, we were treated to beautiful vistas, Burgundian Chateaux, winery workers toiling over their vines, including one vigneron plowing his vineyard with a horse drawn plow, and a visit to 15th century cellars.

    This region of Burgundy is famous for its white wines, which are almost all 100% Chardonnay. Anyone who is part of the ABC club (Anthing but Chard) would have to rethink their position after tasting some of the beauties we sampled today. The Burgundian terroir lends a fine acidity and a delicious minerality to the wines that is typically combined with a short maturation period in a mix of old and new oak barrels. Unlike the buttery, vanilla flavored chardonnay produced in California, the wines here are delicate, complex and just plain delicious.

    Yes, there were a couple of dogs in the ones we tasted, but for the most part, I wish I could have brought home several bottles.

    At our last stop, in Chassagne Montrachet, we treated ourselves to full glasses of a red and a white Premier Cru, both of which were fabulous.

    And in the end, by the time we took a few wrong turns and explored some wineries, my Garmin said we'd covered 25 kms when we arrived at the Santenay train station.

    And so, rather than go for one more wine tasting at our final destination, we decided we'd walked enough and here I sit, waiting for our train back to Beaune and writing this blog.

    But don't feel bad for us, we still have that bottle of Cremant Rose we bought yesterday waiting for us at home.

    Oh que la vie est belle!    Read more

  • Europe In The Spring
    Day 40

    Beaune & environs

    May 10, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    When I was studying to become a sommelier a dozen or so years ago, I decided that one day I had to make a visit to the Burgundy region of France. It wasn’t only for my love of Pinot Noir or the way the French bring out the best in Chardonnay, it was the beauty of the architecture, the complexity of their classification system and the long and storied history of their vines.

    Brenda was thoughtful enough to include a five day stop in Beaune in this European trip’s itinerary, allowing me to cross one more item off my bucket list.

    For me, the magic of visiting a place like this is the way in which all the theory and instruction I received during my sommelier classes suddenly becomes concrete. I now understand how the classification between regional wine, Villages, Grand Cru and Premier Cru are established. I saw with my own two eyes many of the 1247 different parcels of land that are under vine. I walked through the rocky, limestone, clay or Marl soils that give these wines their individuality and complexity. I saw the hills where the grapes grown at the top of the south facing slopes produce the finest and most expensive Pinot Noir on Earth. I learned that one vineyard may have a limestone subsoil, while its immediate neighbor may be clay, giving completely different expression to the wines produced there. I saw numerous small plots of vines surrounded by short masonry walls that were built from the stones taken from those very vineyards. These enclosed plots are what are known as “Clos” , and the wines made from those grapes will show that word on their labels.

    The entire Burgundy Appellation covers a length of only 67 kilometers, and although we were based in Beaune, we managed to cover a good portion of it, and more than one third on foot!

    As we walked South from Beaune to Santenay, passing through Pommard, Meurseault, Chassagne Montrachet and Puligny Montrachet, tasting fabulous Chardonnays as we went, all the names on all those bottles I puzzled over in wine shops for so many years, gained recognition and gave me one of those big “AHA!!!” moments when it all became a lot more clear.

    To the North, we did some exceptional tastings in Nuits Saint Georges, where the Pinot Noir was in the forefront, except for our last event where we sampled five different bottles of Cremant de Bourgogne, which I’m pretty sure were Brenda’s favorites of the entire Burgundy visit.

    The weather on Wednesday was wet, windy and cold, so we pretty much stayed in our room, did laundry and relaxed.

    On our last day in Beaune, we did a tasting at Le Cellier de la Cabiote, where, in their XVIth century cellars, we sampled six different wines, and a very syrupy, but delicious, Crème de Cassis. Of all the tastings we did, this was probably our favorite. All the wines were from different producers and each was hand selected by the owner of the shop, who provided detailed and knowledgeable comments on each of the samples. Anyone going to Beaune should make it a point to stop into that shop.

    Our time in Bourgogne is now over and we’re about to start a five day visit to Paris, where Brenda will be catching up with another old friend. Other than that, we have no real itinerary, although I may want to spend a day at the Louvre if the weather is uncooperative.

    We already climbed the Eiffel Tower eleven years ago, so we have no need (or desire) to do that again.    Read more

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