May 1998
France is one of my favorite countries - the language, the food, the wine. My first taste of this beautiful country was the famous Riviera town of Nice. One of the great things about European cities is that they generally have an "old part of town" where the streets are too narrow for cars and pedestrians rule the road. I often find these old parts to be the most interesting since they tend to retain the character of the town more than the modernized areas. Nice is no exception. At right is a small courtyard in Vieux Nice. Below is a view of Nice from the Parc du Chateau, a small park on a hill overlooking the town.
I took a short boat ride from the nearby town of Cannes to the Ile de Marguerite. On the eastern end of this small island is Fort Royal, an old military fort and garrison. It was in one of the many dark and dingy cells here, that the Man in the Iron Mask was held until his death. The fort also contains many buildings, many of which look like former barracks but were now being used as some sort of hostel. I thought it would have been neat to spend a night here.
I also spent a day in Monaco. My visit happened to coincide with the qualifying rounds of the Monaco Grand Prix, which was good and bad. On one hand it was exciting to be there for the special occasion, and it was neat to see (although most places with any visibility were blocked off for ticket holders) and hear the cars as they raced around the tiny principality. On the other hand, access to many parts of town was not possible because of the race. At right is a small plaza just outside the old part of Monaco. Below is the Palais du Prince, the royal palace of Monaco.
I took the TGV from Nice to Avignon, the major city of Provence. The main attraction of Avignon itself is the 14th century papal palace (below). For a short period, the pope called Avignon his home and built a majestic palace here. Although most of the interior frescoes and artwork have been stripped, the palace is still worth a visit. The adjoining cathedral is shown at right.
Across the Rhone River from Avignon is the town of Villeneuve-lez-Avignon. I visited the Chartreuse du Val de la Benediction, a 14th century monastery built by Pope Innocent VI.
I was staying in the city of Dijon, at the northern end of Burgundy. I was excited to be in one of the most famous wine regions of the world and wanted to explore the countryside. I decided to rent a car and drive the Route des Vins (Wine Route) visiting some of the famous wine villages that make up Burgundy. I was a bit skeptical about driving in a foreign country where I was not familiar with all of the road signs, barely knew the language, and had no idea of how the roads were laid out. Although I had a map, I was still a bit worried about getting lost trying to leave and come back into Dijon which is full of one way streets. The worst of it was that they don't rent automatic transmission cars (at least none that I could find), and I had very limited experience with a standard transmission. Well, at least they drive on the right side of the road! I did manage to find my way out of town, although I had to stop at the post office to ask for directions.
Right: The Clos du Vougeot in the Cote du Nuits region of Burgundy
Once out of town, it became much easier. There was little traffic on the RN74 and I was able to enjoy the scenery as I cruised through the vineyards of the Cote du Nuits. I stopped in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin and walked around hoping to find a vineyard where I could taste some wine. Unfortunately, I found out that most places offer tastings by reservation only. I, of course, had no reservation, so it seemed that I was out of luck. I was resolved to being satisfied with just having a look around, when a car pulled up to the house of one of the winemakers that I was interested in. It turns out that the couple were here for a tasting, and asked me if I wanted to join them. I gladly accepted. The winemaker, Monsieur Tortochot, came out of the house. He checked his watch, noted the punctuality of the couple, and asked, "Vous etes Suisses?" Slightly embarrassed by the reference, the couple replied, "Oui". It turns out they are from Lausanne, in the French speaking part of Switzerland. And they spoke English which was great for me because Monsieur Tortochot spoke none. He took us down to his cellar which was lined with huge oak barrels, all filled with wine. We were given the opportunity to taste three wines, a 1995 and 1991 Les Corvees, and a 1992 Premier Cru. I enjoyed them all, and bought six bottles to take with me. I thanked the Swiss couple and Monsieur Tortochot, and went on my way.
Another noteworthy stop was the village of Vosne-Romanee. The vineyards of La Romanee and Romanee-Conti, each only about an acre in size, produce some of the most expensive wines in the world. After a moment of reflection in which I wondered if I would ever have the chance to taste such a wine, I continued down to the Cote de Beaune. I visited towns like Volnay, Monthelie, and Mersault before heading back up to Dijon. I found my way back into Dijon with surprisingly little trouble, and ended my day with a great dinner at the Chapeau Rouge.
And finally on to Paris. Below is the famous sight of the Arc de Triomphe standing tall at the end of the famed Avenue des Champs-Elysees. The photo at right is one of my favorites. The Eiffel Tower is silhouetted against the red, white, and blue sky, as if a giant French flag had been hung behind the very symbol of the nation.
I had planned ahead and bought a ticket to the French Open. It was kind of a hassle to order the ticket from abroad since they don't take credit cards, but it was worth it to see the French Open in person. I'd been to the US Open a few times when I lived in New York, so now I need to go to Wimbledon and the Australian Open to get my career grand slam.
Paris has many beautiful parks, and the Jardin du Luxembourg has to be one of the prettiest. I went there on a recommendation from Gwen, a friend who grew up in Paris and loves the park, and I was not disappointed.