Sunday morning - woken by the cabin steward at 04:45 (oh yes!) with breakfast - out by 5:30 and on the road for about 6:15. We unload just outside Caen, and the journey starts in the dark...
It's quite clear after a while that I will be spending a lot of hours staring at this...
Lunch on Day 1 is a wonderful stop in Chablis, a charming town surrounded by the tightly pruned (and very low to the ground) vines, all ready for the winter frosts. As the market packed up, we found Caveau Defaix Daniel-Etienne, a stylish estate that specialises in very aged Chablis (and one that supplies HM The Queen, who knew?!). We drank a wonderful 2003 1er cru Vaillons with lunch, as rich as a sherry. On the way out we met the winemaker, who was hosting a private lunch. All in all a great stop on our journey south.
Then, back to the vans, for the final push on to Chamonix and then St. Gervais-des-Bains, to stay with Lou, a friend of Keith & Pete. What a charming Alpine town, in the shadow of Mont Blanc, crisp and fresh air.
After a dinner at Rond de Carotte, we fell into bed and sleep (well, perhaps a small Calvados before retiring..) and then up the next morning..
Day 2 takes us under Mont Blanc, and then through Italy from the chilly, mountainous Val d'Aosta, the flat plains of the Po valley, and finally, the rolling hills of Tuscany and then Umbria as dusk falls. We arrive in Papiano, and all is quiet (it's Monday, the bar is closed..) and we are here...the fire is lit, pizzas are procured, and the wine and grappa opened. The vans can wait until tomorrow....
Siamo arrivati! Cin-cin!
It's quite clear after a while that I will be spending a lot of hours staring at this...
Lunch on Day 1 is a wonderful stop in Chablis, a charming town surrounded by the tightly pruned (and very low to the ground) vines, all ready for the winter frosts. As the market packed up, we found Caveau Defaix Daniel-Etienne, a stylish estate that specialises in very aged Chablis (and one that supplies HM The Queen, who knew?!). We drank a wonderful 2003 1er cru Vaillons with lunch, as rich as a sherry. On the way out we met the winemaker, who was hosting a private lunch. All in all a great stop on our journey south.
After a dinner at Rond de Carotte, we fell into bed and sleep (well, perhaps a small Calvados before retiring..) and then up the next morning..
Day 2 takes us under Mont Blanc, and then through Italy from the chilly, mountainous Val d'Aosta, the flat plains of the Po valley, and finally, the rolling hills of Tuscany and then Umbria as dusk falls. We arrive in Papiano, and all is quiet (it's Monday, the bar is closed..) and we are here...the fire is lit, pizzas are procured, and the wine and grappa opened. The vans can wait until tomorrow....
Siamo arrivati! Cin-cin!
Comments
Post a Comment