Author: Glendon

Retired Australian Lawyer having worked representing the innocent and the not so innocent in Australia and some of the remote parts of the world and having travelled widely through Europe, Western Russia, Canada, USA, New Zealand, Thailand Malaysia Solomon Islands northern China, Hong Kong and the UAE So now that I have the time I am writing about my travels present and past. Hope you enjoy exploring off the beaten track.

The Retirees go Abroad – Around Beaune

After a warm day yesterday we all expected to be wearing shorts for the boys and dresses for the girls. But it was not to be. Although sunny the wind had an icy edge. We started early and after taking in the town for an hour we went back to the apartment for some warm gear. During our walk around we found part of the old ramparts, an old wine press in the Musee des Beaux Arts and the smelliest cheese shop. However the walk gave us the inspiration to develop a plan of action. Firstly we would take the Visiotrain around the town, then go home for lunch and after lunch go to Borchard Aine& Fils Caves.

 

The train is a rubber tyred engine pulling 3 carriages each with a guided tour in a different language. The train runs from the Tourist Info Bureau at Place de la Halle, journeying through Beaune highlighting the town’s long past. Along the way we saw the Hotel Dieu Hospice once again, then the Collegiale Notre Dame and the towering Beffroi which sounds the time to the town every quarter hour. After a few minutes we passed the Hotel de Ville (Town Hall) and then followed the old ramparts on the north side of the city. Before long we found ourselves on the outskirts of the town amongst the grape vines and we gradually joined the town again behind its walls via Parc de al Bourzaize. Then the journey got confusing as we travelled through the back lanes of the town.

 

The train trip finished around 12 noon. We walked back to our apartment and then onto our next visit at Borchard Aine and Fils. On the way there we passed the original town gate, another of the rampart defensive towers and the WW1 memorial for Beaune.

On arriving at Borchards we found that they were still having their midday siesta. This led to us horsing around with a photo board only to realise that the person in the corner of the yard having a ciggie was our tour guide for the cellars.

Once inside the tasting rooms, we introduced ourselves and found that we were the only party registered for the tour. The tour was intended to enliven our 5 senses to the enjoyment of wine. We started in the cellar for the white wines where our guide explained the difference between, regional, communal / village, premier cru, and grand cru wines. She then poured tastings for two chardonnay wines. Bourgogne only grows Pinot Noir, Chardonnay Gamay and Aligoté with the last two used in their regional and village wines only.

From there we walked through the stored bottles (many for a Japanese client so she said) to the cooperage display and a tasting of a young pinot. The next cellar was the tastes centre and our guide explained how the different tastes developed and why they developed those tastes. The last cellar we sampled an older pinot and used the touch bar to feel the different tastes developed in the mouth. As we ended the tasting we were presented with two bottles of pinot for our dinner that night. This was one of the most enjoyable and informative wine tastings we have had.

Even though it was late afternoon the twilight meant there was plenty of daylight left so we continued our walking in the town before going home for dinner and packing for tomorrow.

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The Retirees go Abroad – On the road to Beaune

We all arose early and packed. Breakfast was an enjoyable basket of croissants and baguettes with a hot chocolate. Our plan was to visit the House of Taittinger Champagne which was on our way to Beaune. After arriving a little too early for the opening of the cave we strolled through the gardens until the visitors door opened. But we were to be denied. The tour was in French only with the English tour starting an hour later. That meant we would arrive in Beaune too late to do anything there so we politely suggested that we would visit another time and got on the road again.

As it turns out we did not arrive in Beaune until after 1.00pm. After parking the car we found a delightful café for lunch then searched out the tourist information bureau. The town is very old and much of it appears to be unchanged from centuries past. Parts of the old defensive walls remain around the town and it has many caves peddling the wines of Burgundy. But this day we were in search of the Hotel Dieu. The Hospices de Beaune or Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune is a former charitable almshouse in Beaune, France. It was founded in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin, chancellor of Burgundy, as a hospital for the poor. The original hospital building, the Hôtel-Dieu, one of the finest examples of French fifteenth-century architecture, is now a museum.

The Hospices de Beaune consists of a pair of two-storied buildings arranged around a stone courtyard. The building are well-preserved and they contain half-timber galleries and ornate rooftops with dormer windows. The Hospices de Beaune received the first patient on 1 January 1452. Over the centuries, the hospital has radiated outwards, thanks to many donations – farms, property, woods, works of art and of course vineyards – were made to it, by grateful families and generous benefactors.

Kerry rushed off to meet our hosts and collect the keys for our 2nd floor apartment. When we caught up again unloading of the car and transporting the luggage into a very old building proved a challenge. The spiral stairs to the second floor were uneven in some places and difficult to climb with our suitcases. Inside the living space was delightful but the sleeping spaces were again challenging. Our bedroom was on the 3rd level up an even narrower set of stairs. This was a loft extension and the ceiling of the walkway to our bedroom was angled so that if I stood upright I would hit my shoulder as I walked along it. I have included a photo of our accommodation.

Unpacked and settled in we visited our local Carrefour Supermarket and in our ignorance bought a bottle of local cremant to have with our hamburgers for dinner.

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The Retirees go Abroad – Reims

After a tiring day yesterday we thought we would concentrate on Reims and planned visits to Reims Cathedral, Museum du Tau, and the Basilica of St Remi. It turns out that Reims is not such a big place and it was easy to walk to most places. It also turns out that the Kings of France came to Reims to be invested and crowned at the Cathedral and the banqueting hall beside it – now the Museum du Tau.

The cathedral is a towering grand church. Notre-Dame de Reims (Our Lady of Reims) is the seat of the Archdiocese of Reims and replaced an older church, destroyed by fire in 1211 that was built on the site of the basilica where Clovis was baptized by Saint Remi, bishop of Reims, in AD 496. That original structure had itself been erected on the site of some Roman baths.

Alongside the cathedral is the Palais Archi-Episcopal, now the Museum of Tau. The Palais was the palace of the Archbishop of Reims. It is associated with the kings of France, whose coronation was held in Notre-Dame de Reims. Most of the early building has disappeared: the oldest part remaining is the chapel, from 1207. The building was largely rebuilt between 1498 and 1509, and modified again between 1671 and 1710. It was damaged by a fire on 19 September 1914, and not repaired until after the Second World War.

The Palace was the residence of the kings of France before their coronation in Notre-Dame de Reims. The king was dressed for the coronation at the palace before proceeding to the cathedral; afterwards, a banquet was held at the palace. The first recorded coronation banquet was held at the palace in 990, and the most recent in 1825.

The palace now houses statuary and tapestries from the cathedral, together with reliquaries and other objects associated with the coronation of the French kings.

The Basilica of St Remi started life as the Abbey of Saint-Remi. Founded in the sixth century by the Bishop of Reims who converted Clovis, King of the Franks, to Christianity at Christmas in AD 496, after he defeated the Alamanni in the Battle of Tolbiac. Since 1099 it has conserved the relics of Saint Remi who died in 553AD. The present basilica was the abbey church; it was consecrated by Pope Leo IX in 1049. It houses many other “illustrious persons” in the crypt of St Remi. It was fabulous to stand in a building that had seen more than 1000 years of service and was still in use today.

We had a picnic lunch at a park near the Basilica and after the visit to the basilica we went to the hotel for a nanna nap. Upon arising David suggested we visit the War Rooms where the German nation surrendered and brought to an end the Second World War on May 8, 1945. The Museum of the Surrender of May 7, 1945 is a history museum founded by the city of Reims in 1985 to mark the 40th anniversary of the signing of the first part of the acts of capitulation of Nazi Germany. A second signing took place the following day in Berlin, which ended the Second World War in the European theatre. It is located in part of the premises of the Franklin-Roosevelt High School in Reims

On the way to the museum we passed a roman gate still standing where once gallo-roman citizens passed into the city. After the museum, there was still plenty of sunlight so we walked over to a large nearby park and the monuments of remembrance.

We passed through the park into the city centre and soon found a place to stop for refreshment. The Ernest Hemingway Café took our fancy and we stopped in to catch our breath. After reviving ourselves we walked on through the city past the golden angel atop o tower and past the Kings Cross look alike fountain, past some clever graffiti and then to the Palais of Justice (here David and I had a close encounter with a very angry cat – hissing a scratching at us – we may have been a little inebriated as we shrugged and moved on). Time had passed quickly and we decided we wanted a simple pizza dinner. Veronica spotted the Domino Pizza rider on his scooter and hailed him down so we could find our way there. The poor fellow was so surprised to be hailed that he actually stopped but could not speak a word of English. Never the less we completed the quest and enjoyed our repast under the arches of Rome.

With significant indigestion we retired to bed as we were on the road again tomorrow.

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The Retirees go Abroad – Epernay and Hautvilliers

We had planned to visit a few champagne houses starting with Mercier. We did not know what to expect but I think this was a good place to start. Mercier Champagne prides itself on bringing champagne to the people and is big and bold and brassy. A visit to their cellars has a feeling of Disneyworld about it. It cost 16€ per person for the tour and I would have to say it was a good tour. Firstly we were given the history of the house. As best as I can recall, a young Mercier convinced 5 of the older houses to join forces and fund his grand plan of bringing champagne to the people. They built purpose built cellars, miles of them, 30 metres underground and to promote the house he had constructed a huge barrel which he ultimately dragged to Paris for the world’s Fare and but for the Eiffel Tower it was the biggest attraction. You can still see the barrel. He also introduce delivery by panel van boldly emblazoned with his brand.

After getting the history you travel 30 m down to the cellars board a train and take an escorted tour through the cellars. In addition to the champagne and the serious work of making the product he engaged master sculptors to engrave the walls with murals as he fully intended to exploit the tourist. He also developed luxury dining rooms for the well healed tourist but we did not get to see past the chandeliers. The tour ends with a tasting – yes that is right – a single tasting. He knew his stuff as the tours are full and run every 40 minutes. As we left another bus load arrived and judging by the driver’s demeanour it had been a busy day.

On our way to the next champagne house we were diverted by the sight of a large clock tower and ended up at Castellane. We ventured inside and the tour was about to start but having done Mercier we felt it could not be bettered so we just tasted the champagnes instead. We shared three coupes of champagne and did not see much more of interest so we pushed on.

We pushed on to Hautvilliers looking for G. Tribuant. Hautvillers is a beautiful village on a hill surrounded by grape vines and home to quite a number of smaller producers. It also is small enough to park and walk the village which we did bumping into a few fellow tourists loaded down with cases of champagne and all vowing it was superb and cheap. The first cave we came across was the house of Locret Lauchaud. Unfortunately, or so we thought, he was closing his door as we arrived. We moved on to Joseph Desruets only to find that no one was home or so we thought. As we stood viewing the ancient equipment a young crowd of French came in and pointed out that we were in the work shop not the Cave and directed us up the hill. For reasons unexplained we went the other way and I am glad we did as we found our way to G Tribuant.

The Cave was superbly located atop a hill looking over the countryside. We tasted we bought and then we relaxed in the afternoon sun looking at the valley sipping champagne and eating cheese. I will let the pictures tell the story.

 

We were late into bed that day. With twilight and daylight saving the sun is present up to 10.00 o’clock.

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The Retirees go Abroad – On the road to Avignon – La Grotte de St Marcel d’Ardeche

After having a great time at Beaune, we were eagerly looking forward to Avignon.

On the way we planned to visit La Grotte de St Marcel d’Ardeche; a system of limestone gorges just north of Avignon. Tommy guided us to the gorge by the most convoluted route. I am sure we passed through a forgotten village where they are still using a Roman bath house.

The wind was picking up as we arrived. The next tour was at 2.00pm and in French. The English narrated tour started at 4.00pm so we opted to take the French tour. Even though we could not understand much of what the guide told us the images will remain with me forever. First there was the views from the top of the mountain to the river valley below, then the trip down a man-made entrance along 416 steps to see the wonders of nature. The highlights were the illuminated pools and the immense chamber. Have a look at the photos.

When we returned along the 416 steps our pre-ordered lunch awaited us. Finishing lunch we drove down the mountain towards Avignon and stumbled upon a fabulous view point. The wind was howling but the view made it a necessary stop. Courtesy of David Colch I am able to share with you the world’s best selfie.

We followed the River Rhone to the bottom of the valley where the canoe hire companies were making a fortune hiring canoes to tourists and local wanting to explore the upper Rhone. We elected a cup of coffee at a local café and the girls wanted to wet their feet in the river. It did not go to plan for the girls – anyway have a look at the photos.

We arrived in Avignon at our apartment around 4.00pm the wind still blowing fiercely. Avignon is a commune in south-eastern France in the department of Vaucluse on the left bank of the Rhône River. Our apartment turned out to be on the fourth floor and there is no lift. Again a struggle to get the luggage to the apartment and daily exercise up and down 60 steps. Otherwise the apartment was fine. We settled in looking forward to the next day.

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The Retirees go Abroad – Gordes and Rousillon

Our last day in Avignon and we are going into the country to visit two nearby villages – Gordes and Rousillon.

Gordes is a commune in the Vaucluse département in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in south-eastern France. It is very much as it was before the Second World War and therefore interesting and quaint. On the way we spotted some poppy fields and the tourists could not help themselves – out of the car camera in hand.

The village, like so many of the villages in southern France was built on top of a hill for defensive reasons which no longer exist today but give rise to the quaintness tourists find attractive. As with all these villages the church is a central element. In many cases the church came first and the village followed. Here in Gordes it has traditional church with some regional differences like the blue ceiling above the altar and the stairs up to the organ. Unfortunately the church is showing a bit of neglect. The village had a second church which has been de sanctified and is now a modern gallery. It also has a castle which now forms the Hotel de Ville and Tourist Information Centre.

 

Down the road (or should I say the footpath on which they drive) from the church we found a cave. When the town fell into decline after WW2 and premises were abandoned things like underground caves were lost and forgotten. When this particular house was remodelled by its new owner he rediscovered a series of caves going back to roman times. The caves most recent use was for pressing of olives. For a small fee we were able to visit the caves. The visit started with a film presentation and then an audio tour.

The charming mademoiselle at the caves gave us a tip as to a good place for coffee. On the way we saw more of the underground tunnels and caverns of the town. We also saw one of the residents sunning itself and of course we admired the view from the top of the hill. As we left Gordes to travel to Rousillon we were able to take some vistas of the village including the local vines and poppies.

Roussillon is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in south-eastern France. It is famous for its ochre deposits found in the clay surrounding the village and ochre mines. Ochres are pigments ranging from yellow and orange to red. One of the former ochre quarries can be visited via the ‘Sentier des Ocres’ (Ochre Path). On arriving at the village we embarked on the walk to see the ochre in all its shades.

The village sits atop a hill and like Gordes has a fantastic view of the valleys surrounding it. The day turned out to be rather warm so ice creams all around as we investigated life in Rousillon. Interestingly the vineyards all seemed to have poppies growing between the vines.

During our investigation Kerry noted that some ancient stone dwellings could be visited just 4 klms outside Rousillon. These were called “Bories” and exist in many different places usually as temporary shelters for shepherds. However in this case there was a whole social and economic system built around and based on these dwellings. A small self-sufficient settlement. They were not easy to find and once found it was difficult to think of life in such a settlement.

A path through the scrub to a group of thirty dry stone huts, now restored following ten years of work gives an example of life in rural Provence in the past. The stones, without use of mortar, have been skilfully stacked into huts with corbelled vault ceilings. The huts give an austere and harsh appearance.

The Bories village is composed of seven groupings of huts, each having a very precise function. There are houses, stables, sheepfolds, barns, grain lofts, silkworm factories and bakehouses, vat houses and tanning mills, henhouses, pig sties and goat shelters. Preservation of the Bories

Attempts at dating the bories have been made and they may originate as far back as the Bronze Age. But it is more likely due to the remains found in and around the village that it would have been constructed around the 7th century. There are objects and money found on the site suggesting it could not have been built prior to the 15th century and other remains, such as the pottery, date from the 18th century.

One thing is for certain they could have used some outdoor shelters as the afternoon sun baked the ground and heated the rocky shelves on which the bories are built.

By late afternoon we were hot and dry. Retreating to the car we broke into the water bottles to quench our thirst and they remained with us on the drive home. A very satisfying if arduous day climbing hill top villages and negotiating the rubble around the bories.

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The Retirees go Abroad – Farewell and Hello Calais and Beyond

A beautiful day greeted us for our trip to Gatwick. Our new hood rack and carrier had been fitted and we got underway on time. The weather blessed us and the traffic took a holiday. We travelled without incident to Gatwick where we rendezvoused with David and Veronica. We have known them for over 25 years and in my case 35 years but had only limited contact during that time. Now travelling together may raise some issues but we would have to wait and see.

We changed over the luggage had a bite to eat and farewelled Rod and Kerry who were off to Norway and the Hurtigruten trip up the Norwegian coast. No time to waste we had to be at Dover for the ferry at 4.40pm. Again the traffic was kind even on the dreaded M25 and we reached Dover with a half hour to spare. After lining up we went to the terminal kiosk for a nature break and over stayed our time returning to the car to find the traffic by passing us to board the ferry. A salutary reminder to me about timing.

All’s well though. We boarded and landed in Calais without problem and stayed at our favourite Hotel Meurice – an older hotel in a classic style and a great breakfast.

Calais looked very different from the windy and cold place we saw at Xmas. There were clear skies and late evening sunshine to entice us into the old city for dinner, a red beer for David and me (Grimbergen Kriek) and a walk around the square. We even got to see Notre Dame Calais before circling around back to our hotel.

The next day we were on the road early to drive to Reims or Rheims the pre WW2 spelling in the Champagne region. The day was misty rather than overcast and everything appeared grey and a little fuzzy. We caught up with gossip and shared some memories as we travelled along finally arriving in Reims right on 12 noon Saturday. I went to the hotel to book us in and to my dismay found that the reception closed at 12 noon on Saturdays. After calling the hotel number we gained entry and the keys to our rooms on the 2nd floor.

That afternoon we did a little exploring but the travel had been exhausting, so after dinner it was off to bed for a big day tomorrow.

The Retirees go Abroad – Sherwood Forest and a Bakewell Tart

One of the things on the bucket list for Rod was a visit to Sherwood Forest. There is not much of the original forest remaining but there is a section of the forest containing “Major Oak” a thousand year old oak tree rumoured to be one of Robin’s hiding places in the forest. Without thinking we prepared and took a BBQ for lunch in the forest.

On arriving at the car park we were met with a sign “NO BBQS IN THE FOREST”. Ah well we had come all this way so we walked to Major Oak and completed the circuit to the visitors centre. Having fulfilled the bucket list wish we set off for Clumber Park as we were told it was permitted to BBQ in that park. Clumber is near to Sherwood Forest is a National Trust property and does have a place for BBQs – an open field with no facilities. We had purchased a disposable BBQ from Tesco and some kebabs to cook. The wind was still gusting so we manoeuvred the car to form a wind break, lit the BBQ and waited to cook lunch. A memorable BBQ because of the laughs we had trying to cook in that wind with that BBQ.

A visit to Sherwood Forest is not complete without visiting Thoresby Abbey and Ingrid Pears Glass Works. Ingrid was still there working busy with curious tourists. But our goal was to visit the Abbey show Rod and Kerry the restoration performed by Warner Hotels and to enjoy a hot liquor coffee.

The next day was relax and pack day. But we managed to fit in a trip to Bakewell so that Rod could try a genuine Bakewell Tart and then over to Buxton to visit Poole’s Cavern and see the limestone cavern. To finish off the day we walked some part of the way along Erewash canal to Trent Lock then to the Bulls Head in Breaston for dinner. Early to been this night for tomorrow we drive to Gatwick Airport to farewell Rod and Kerry and collect David and Veronica.

 

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The Retirees go Abroad – Happy Birthday Kerry Hayes

Although not her birthday, we will not be in Australia for the occasion so we celebrated with a wine trip in the UK.

First vineyard was at Halfpenny Green Vineyards close to Wolverhampton approximately 90 minutes south west of Long Eaton. A beautiful day greeted us with sun shining and cotton ball clouds in the sky. However on arriving we became a bit distressed as everything appeared closed bar the cafe. It was not like what we consider a traditional vineyard should be. There were numerous odd shops for plants furniture as well as the cafe, wine room. the bottling shed and assorted equipment all surrounded by the vines.

We discovered that there is a form of farm shop attached to the cafe and the building looked like a restored old barn. But we were there to try some English wines. Some 8 different varieties and styles were available for tasting. Most were whites with one Rose one red and one sparkling wine. And none of them were duds. All from different German and French varieties so it was quite a different experience. We selected a bottle of Rose for our picnic and as the weather had soured a little we were given the use of the wine room for our spread. As we munched on baguettes cheese olives pate and sausage we drank our wine and watched the staff in the bottling shed riddling the sparkling wine in the traditional method.

The day was still young so we went further south west into Gloucestershire to the Three Choirs Vineyard Britain’s second biggest vineyard and wine producer. This appeared to be more like an Australian vineyard. The wineshop was bedecked with wine paraphernalia and we booked our wine tour. From there we went into the court looking over the vines and across to the restaurant emitting fantastic aromas of lamb roast. The weather had turned decidedly nasty. The wind was whipping around the buildings and the air was much colder even though the sun seem to be winning against the clouds. Time for a hot chocolate and cup of tea.

Time passed quickly and we were soon called for our tour. Kerry Y was concerned that it would rain and dressed in her rain smock but most of us were just concerned about being blown away. The tour started with a glass of their sparkling wine and then the guide took us amongst the vines to explain the varieties of grape used. We sampled another wine then proceeded to the pressing fermentation and bottling plant to see the whole operation where we sampled another wine or two. The tour finished with a short video clip about the winery and our last tasting. No duds here either. I have experimented with some different styles of photography for the pictures of Three Choirs.

Kerry Y was feeling weary – no wonder with all the tastings so Rod, Kerry H and I thought we would try the nature trail through the vineyard. We were learning about the different sorts of trellises used and the reasons for it when Kerry noticed a much bruised cloud scudding across the sky towards us. There were pavilions along the trail and some cabins for overnight stays but unfortunately the wind and some missing panes of glass allowed the rain to reach us convincing us to return to the car.

But the day had not finished yet. Long Eaton is blessed with a fine dining Indian cuisine restaurant, so having planted gifts for Kerry H at the restaurant we casually suggested dinner at the Indian surprising the birthday girl with gifts and a good meal.

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The Retirees go Abroad – Rod and Kerry come for a stay

It is Monday and we travel to Nottingham Bus station to pick up Rod and Kerry Hayes. They are on their way to Norway and are visiting for 4 days. As expected they step from the coach and we collect their luggage.

We have planned a tour of Nottingham and like most plans it gets changed. We walk to Upper Pavement into the Pitcher and Piano – a de sanctified church turned into a hotel.  Lunch and a beer is on the menu. The hotel is a great use of a grand building.

Nearby is the Galleries of Justice. This is a museum in the old Town Hall where court rooms and a prison were once housed. In fact hangings were done on the front steps of the building. Inside the first thing confronting you is a gibbet. Hanging from the ceiling is an iron cage in the shape of a person. Once hung the body was placed in the gibbet for public display. On entering the museum you are given a convict number. From there you proceed into the court room with the orderly who tells you about the proceedings in the court circa 1780 and then down the stairs in the dock to the cells.

Inside the cells you find your number which informs you as to the crime you have committed and the sentence that has been passed upon you. In the cells you meet the warder. She would live on the site and work in this airless cell extorting money from the prisoners for food water and other necessities.

We then went through various cells to the Sheriff’s cells and into the exercise yard where a warder barked commands about the exercise you were to take otherwise you met the gallows, solitary confinement in the dark or were thrown into the pit where you were forgotten about unless your family came and paid for your release. But hang on my sentence was transportation. Initially this may have been to the American colonies but after the American War of Independence many prisoners were transported to Australia. So I was shown through a different door from which I was transported to a hulk on the Thames and later to Australia.

I was glad when we found our way out of there. We then strolled through the streets of Nottingham back to our car and home to Long Eaton to prepare for tomorrow.

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