1984 Luxembourg-Netherlands-Belgium-France
|
Day 10 - Sunday - May 27th
We will take our leave today. I've just looked out on a gray and cold day. Alas. Well after breakfast we plan to set off for Versailles.
We checked out. Versailles bored me. After the 1st couple of rooms I knew what kind of opulence we were talking about and I knew why the peasants rebelled.
By the time we left it was literally pouring so no touring the famous gardens -
too bad I would have liked that. We headed back towards Paris. The road we wanted
was almost opposite where we were. Luckily they have a peripherique - like our beltway.
So we headed east towards Fere-en-Tardenois our destination for tonight. It is a 13th
century chalet complete with castle ruins in the Champagne region. We went to a
Chateau Thierry (pictured left) - a World War II battlefield and monument on our way.
We saw signs to a couple of caves where Champagne is made as we wound our way through this beautiful countryside. We saw the sign to our chateau and turned into a little lane. About 1/2 mile up we saw it - a beautiful old place of soft golden color stone walls and turrets. We circled it and went up and around to the front. We went inside and found Madam Blot at the reception desk. She speaks English and took us to a pretty little room all done in pink and lace. There were nice touches of comfort like a refrigerator stocked with all kinds of drinks including Champagne along with champagne glasses at the ready. Next to them was an apple and an orange which we greedily ate since we'd missed lunch. The bath is very modern with multiple jets in the shower and plenty of room for 4 or 5 people! We have French doors out to the front and a nice little table for two that we could have sat at IF IT ONLY WASN'T RAINING. It's really quite ruining everything. Right behind the Chateau is the ruins of an old castle and an old aqueduct. I got my umbrella and in spite of the weather went for a walk.
 Hostellerie du Chateau |
 Hostellerie du Chateau |
 Hostellerie du Chateau |
 Our room |
Dinner Hostellerie du Chateau-
We picked the tasting menu at 300F each. We had a few words over the expense and I must admit it has been pricey but I'm here and I'm going to enjoy it. I'm sure I can't remember everything we had but I'll try. First we got 1/2 bottle of Champagne for an aperitif. We had to, we are in champagne! They brought a sliver of toast with 3 tiny shrimp and a bit of caviar for each of us. Next there was a salmon in a green sauce. Then sweetbreads in puff pastry with a sauce (my favorite course). Then fish of the day and a tiny lobster tail in a fennel sauce. Then fish with crunchy pastry pieces on top. Then lamb au jus in a molded circle. (Not as good as I expected). Then a cheese course, I had two. The dessert from a wonderful cart - I just had black current tarte. Luther had something unknown but he liked it. That's one thing here, we are rarely sure what we're getting! Coffee and Luther had brandy. Oh and most important of all a wonderful 1974 Burgundy named Mercury. Funny, at least 4 tables in earshot were Americans. Luther says they are the only ones who can afford it.
I didn't sleep great - rich food I guess. The room was not to blame, it was great. Now if only it will be nice tomorrow.
Day 11 - Monday - May 28th
I had to open big wooden shutters over all of our windows to see the day. It looked nice and I decided to chance running on my ankle. It went ok until I was cooling down and I turned it again up by the castle- damn! I must have startled 5 hares and saw some pretty birds. Also I heard what had to be a cuckoo.
After a little breakfast we got underway. I took several pictures of the Chateau, gorgeous place! It has started to cloud up. I can't believe it.
We decided to go to Epernay where they
have a tour at Moét Chandon (pictured right). It took a bit to find
it and then we had a private tour in English. There are 19 miles of cellars all full of Champagne. It was very interesting. We had a taste at the end and bought a 1/2 bottle for later for only $5.00 - great deal.
Then for a long drive to the Burgundy district. We headed for a town called Chagny, where we were to stay the night and dine at Lameloise, another 3 star restaurant. We were pleasantly surprised at a 190F per person menu and a 300F room. Very nice with modern bath, stone fireplace, TV, etc. It was all furnished in antiques. The town itself isn't very pretty and it's busy. We had a beer across the street at a nice little bar. (Oh and on the way down we'd stopped at a patisserie for a little sausage pie, really good)
I'm looking forward to a nice meal tonight as I've already looked at the menu.
The dinner was wonderful. We went downstairs and were seated in the prettiest vaulted part of the dining room. The china was white with pale green around the edges. There was a vase with a boar head base that held the flowers that reminded me of snapdragons.
We ordered a glass of Champagne to start. They brought little canapés one for each of us of the following: a round of bread about a quarter size with a smoked salmon pate on top, a square of puff pastry with a shrimp cream inside, and a little shell shape filled with sauce and a snail, all delicious. We decided on the 190 F menu.
I chose escargots in pots and Luther got very brave and ordered the eel. Well it turned out to be a timbale of those wonderful wild mushrooms with shrimp on the side. So much for our command of the French language! Mine was rather unremarkable, Luther's was great. We finished our Champagne and had a Burgundy Mercury again only it was 1982 and not nearly so good as last night.
Our main courses arrived, I had lamb sliced very thin and pink in a sauce (enriched meat juices) with a small mound of scalloped potatoes, thimble sized spinach timbale, carrots, and haricots verts. On top of the lamb were small pieces of (I think) turnip which must have been marinated because they were pleasantly tart. Luther had the same veggies but he had duck sliced thin in an enriched meat and burgundy sauce.
Next was the cheese course with the rest of the wine, a wonderful marriage. I loved this cheese course thing a lot! Finally our apple tart, paper thin on our plates and a spoon of green apple sorbet (very tart).
Coffee came with 2 plates of little confections Very satisfying. Most of the people nearby were French for a change. And glory of glories, the Chef, Jean Lameloise himself came out and spoke to each table. Exciting.
Our room was a bit hot during the night. We had returned to find everything hung up and straightened out.
Day 12 - Tuesday - May 29th
We didn't run and rose late. We went down for breakfast and then headed out. There was a maid who had helped us with our bags. She was
amazing - not a word of English but chattered and smiled and seemed to know everyone and even us. She grabbed up our bags and ushered us
in like a whirlwind. Well when we were leaving a man helped us and he was very nice too. Just before we left I snapped a picture (see right) and
who was leaning out of a 2nd floor window (our room I think) but the maid, waving and smiling! Nice lady.
We motored from Chagny through miles of grape vines to Gevery Chambertin - snapping pictures of famous wineries along the way. We got two bottles of burgundy - one for Bill - from a vintner who couldn't speak English either. I guess it's up to us to learn their language rather than expect them to know ours.
 Pretty window |
 Winery Clos de la Roche |
 Chambertin Vineyard |
 Vougeot town sign |
 Vintner card |
We got on the motorway and about 3 hours later went into the Alsace. We took this high road through the mountains to Colmar where we had a slice of meat pie. It was not so good and difficult to get due to language issues. At least the sun has been out almost ALL day! It's still cool, but nice.
We arrived in Kayserburg at about 4:30 and checked into a nice hotel. We traipsed about town - a nice place with a castle and old ramparts and the Weiss River running through it.
Tonight's dinner probably will not be super exceptional but less expensive. We chose the 150F menu. It included a fish in parsley cream sauce, pigeon in meat sauce and fresh fruit in framboise sauce. We had a glass of Riesling and a bottle of Chateau Becheville 1980 - good. The pace was nice and not really fancy. I had a nice time.
Extra Pictures
 Lamelois bar bill |