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An Autumn Tour of Champagne
The late September day dawned cool and overcast. However, that did not dampen the excitement my friend and I were feeling for our upcoming adventure: an autumn tour of Champagne. We met our guide at a nearby Parisian hotel and settled in for a pleasant ride to northeastern France. In less than two hours, we arrived in Reims, the heart of the Champagne region. Here, we took a few minutes to visit the Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims. With it’s twin, square towers and stunning, rose windows, I couldn’t help but notice the similarities to Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris. I also found the expressions on some of the façade sculptures…
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A Row Through Paris: La Traversée de Paris en Aviron
It was a cool, clear September morning as over a thousand rowers slipped their rowing sculls into the Seine on the edge of Paris. The full moon reflected off the water as the rowers took their seats in the boats and waited patiently in the darkness. At exactly 7:00 AM, the horn sounded and the oars of 220 sculls began to churn the water. Overhead, on the Pont de Sèvres, fireworks heralded the start of our 28 kilometre journey, la Traversée de Paris et des Hauts-de-Seine, a row through Paris. The Crew Convenes My Toronto crew and I had begun our tour experience the day before, convening at le MiniPalais…
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Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte: High Crimes & Misdemeanours – Part 2
The notorious history of Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte continued to reveal itself as we roamed its historic halls. For in the basement, not only did we find the kitchens and servants’ dining room, we also came upon an unexpected character. The Man in the Iron Mask There before us, sitting in a small staircase, was a likeness of The Man in the Iron Mask. Our guide informed us that this iconic figure had two connections to Vaux-le-Vicomte. For he too had been confined at Pignerol prison at the same time as Nicolas Fouquet, the high flying creator of Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte. In fact, he served as Fouquet’s valet for a time.…
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Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte: High Crimes & Misdemeanours – Part 1
When I departed Paris early one autumn morning on a bus tour of two of France’s most famous châteaux, little did I know that I would soon be immersed in the high crimes and misdemeanours of Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte. This was the first of the châteaux that we visited that day. And the drama began to reveal itself to us immediately upon our arrival. Burglary at Dawn We approached this magnificent château on foot, passing its imposing gate and crossing the bridge over its moat. No sooner had we passed over the threshold beneath the grand façade, than our guide informed us that the current owners had been burgled early…
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The Floating Kitchens of École Lenôtre
My latest foray into the world of French cooking occurred in one of the most unusual places: the floating kitchens of École Lenôtre. If you’ve been to Paris, you know that it is defined by the Seine. And that famous river is lined with an array of watercraft. I recently discovered that the prestigious École Lenôtre has converted one of these yachts into a wonderful cooking school. Situated in Quai Henri IV, it offers a less frequently seen view of Notre Dame de Paris. For some close-up views of Notre Dame as it recovers from the tragic fire, see my post Saving Notre Dame: An Epic Endeavor. Menu Esprit Bistrot…
