Tuesday 1st of October
Exploring the wine villages of the Cotes du Rhone, Part 1
After breakfast and coffee, showers and small chores, we set off at 10am for Vaison-La-Romaine. We'd forgotten it was market day so the town was a lot busier than yesterday! We wanted to fill up with petrol at the Super U garage before exploring Beaumes de Venise, Vacqueyras and Gigondas.
Once this chore was complete we headed through endless fields of vineyards to Beaumes de Venise, where I was hoping to have a coffee. The French car following me today wasn't aware of the law and British cars... she hung onto my bumper for most of the route and refused to overtake. I just wanted to pootle along and admire the scenery (especially the imposing outlines of the Dentelles de Montmirail) but every time I looked in my rearview mirror, there she was, so close I could see the colour of her eyes...
We finally threw her off near Beaumes de Venise and crawled into the pretty town through roadworks. Spotting a sign for parking, we turned right and found ourselves in a melée of cars all trying to find a space. We sat for ages until angry locals started sounding their horns, getting out of their cars, shouting and gesticulating wildly. We had no idea who was causing the fuss, but it was clear that spaces were at a premium. We did one circuit of the car park and decided to give Beaumes de Venise a miss!
Driving back the way we'd come, we headed for a car park in Vacqueyras, the same one we'd used last year on our way to the autoroute. It was a short stroll to the beautiful centre and a coffee at a small bar.
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| I love these French Plane trees - so gnarled and beautiful! |
I ordered a café creme, Sophie chose a hot chocolate while Keith had a small beer. It was great to sit and watch the locals gather. One man arrived and kissed a woman once on her cheek, then kissed a man three times on the cheeks... why was that? Mwah, mwah, mwah! I love this greeting!
After our drinks, we wandered back to the car and headed for Rhonea, where we'd bought wine last year. Sophie bought three bottles of local red while I went for local whites, one of which was a Vacqueyras. The wine emporium helpfully lists the grapes in the wine and which foods it goes well with.
From Vacqueyras, we headed to Gigondas, which was close by. Keith and I had visited before in either 1993 or 1994 (we can't remember) but at the time the wine was hardly known in the UK. Now, it rivals Chateauneuf-du-Pape and is much more expensive than it was 30 years ago.
We noticed that the sign for the village was upside down, and we'd seen this several times in Burgundy on Sunday. I had a feeling it was some kind of protest, and after Googling it, we learnt that it was. Farmers were protesting about the challenges they were facing and said that they keep getting contrasting information so it feels like their world has been turned upside down.
We parked in a spacious free car park, got rid of two bags of recycling and popped into the Tourism office where Sophie bought a tee shirt and a postcard. The very helpful woman also gave us a map and showed us where we could find lunch.
Lunch with a side of flies...
Gigondas was much the same as we remembered - a beautiful medieval village with narrow streets, shuttered houses and wine shops. There were stunning views over the countryside, and we saw several groups of people with walking poles who had been rambling over the Dentelles de Montmirail. They looked very hot as the sun was out and the temperature was almost 24c.
We wandered about and came across a pretty restaurant with a small terrace and a larger one a bit further up the street. We enquired about a table and were given one on the terrace next to the restaurant. Keith ordered a beer and Sophie and I chose a glass of Gigondas Rosé each.
As we studied the menu, I became aware of the flies who were constantly bombarding us. I hate flies and they kept trying to land on my face, which was horrible! We chose our meals and settled back to watch the people wandering past while trying to bat away the pesky little creatures.
An Engish couple took a seat behind us, and what an irritating pair they were! I couldn't see them as I had my back to them but the woman droned on and on with a nasally, whiny voice that was as annoying as the flies! We never did establish their relationship but we think they may have been brother and sister. I'm sure that, knowing we were English as well, they did their best to show off and we couldn't help but overhear their conversation, peppered with places they'd been to, and an in-depth discussion about Israel and Lebanon...
The food at Carré Gourmand was delicious and the staff were attentive and friendly. We all enjoyed gooey cheese with local ham to start, accompanied by bread, followed by pork for Sophie and me, and beef for Keith. We actually had potatoes and salad! Yay! Our pork was tender and was accompanied by a delicious mustard sauce.
We indulged in desserts - hazelnut chocolate brownies with ice-cream for Soph and me, and cheesecake for Keith. The bill came to 137 euros, which seems to be the norm for three-course meals.
As we strolled back to the car we noticed a fine dining establishment, L'Oustalet, where several smug couples were parting with vast sums for their lunches! Three courses were 75 euros each, and the five-course choice was 120 euros. I think it had one Michelin star. We looked at the menu and none of it appealed to me!
We popped into a wine shop before leaving and Sophie bought a bottle of Gigondas. The woman in the shop was friendly and we'd seen her earlier when we went into the Tourist office. Her lovely little dog had welcomed us enthusiastically so it was great to chat with her for a while.
Relaxing by the pool
It was a short drive back to the house and the three of us sat with our legs in the cold water of the pool. We've all been bitten so the water was lovely and soothing! We then read or napped the afternoon away. Bliss!
When the sun was out it felt hot, but as the afternoon wore on, it became cloudier and a wind started up. Sophie and I sat on the upper terrace and enjoyed a glass of Rosé and it was lovely to sit and gaze out over the view. We moved down to the large table on the lower terrace for an hour and chatted about the next couple of days. It seems incredible, but we only have two days left here!
As it was getting chillier, we moved inside and Keith and I played cards while Sophie read her latest novel. We lit the candles to add some atmosphere and at about 9pm, snacked on little toasts with tapenade and spicy sausage.
We watched another episode of the Netflix documentary which, in hindsight, wasn't the best idea as Sophie freaked out about hearing footsteps on the gravel outside!
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