Une soirée avec nos amis français

Bonjour mes amis! Last night we hosted a "soirée" with my colleagues at Lycée Vaugelas. What fun we had reminiscing about our year together! We had lots of laughs talking about the fun times this year as well as the challenging ones. I know that any worthwhile venture involves the positive as well as opportunities which allow us to learn and grow and "rise to the occasion". Lee and I will never forget the kindnesses, the friendship, and the love shown by our friends in Chambéry. They honored me with a lovely picture of Chambéry from the 19th century. I can't wait to hang it in our home in Richmond. This has been quite a year for us. I am honored to have had this opportunity and to have been able to share it with you all. Merci bien to those of you who have traveled with us this year through my blog. I have loved sharing! See you in Richmond.

A Bientôt!

Mme. Wallace

Beaufort: Notre fromage préféré en Savoie

Bonjour mes amis! Today, June 17, Lee and I decided to drive to Beaufort, a small rural town in the French Alps near Albertville. We have so enjoyed Beaufort cheese this year, which we have purchased often at the Saturday marchés. We decided to discover the French town which gives this special cheese its name. Beaufort was known during Roman times. Beaufort cheeses come in three versions: Beaufort, Beaufort d'été (summer Beaufort) and Beaufort d'Alpage (in the Alps mountains). The last one is made with milk from Tarine (Tarentaise) cows. They live in the mountains and graze on natural pastures. People who eat this cheese claim that when they eat a piece of Beaufort, they can feel the flowers and grass of the mountains!! It takes approximately 130 gallons of milk to make a wheel of Beaufort which weighs 99 lbs. Beaufort needs to age at least 4 to 6 months in a mountain cellar or cool place which maintains this cool temperature throughout the year. Beaufort is richer and creamier than other mountain cheeses such as Gruyère, Comté, or Emmental. Beaufort has a nice scent of milk, butter, and honey. Beaufort is often served with smoked salmon. We have tasted Beaufort in Savoyard fondue which is often served on snowy winter evenings in Savoie. Today we had a delicious sandwich de jambon et fromage but today's fromage was delicious Beaufort!

Mme. Wallace

A Garden Party: our volleyball friends

Bonjour mes amis! Wednesday, June 15, the Menningers and Lee and I went to a wonderful garden party hosted by one of my colleagues at Lycée Vaugelas, Christine, and other "volleyball friends". What a great group of French friends. There were Serge et Fabienne, Christine and Stéphane, Laurent and Irène, Monica, Stéphane and others. We had so much fun visiting and eating delicious French food and drinking rosé wine. We have had so many interesting discussions comparing our cultures and learning from each other this year. We especially enjoyed our discussions yesterday with Laurent, who is a philosophy prof at Lycée Vaugelas. Laurent expressed many ideas concerning life and education in the U.S. vs. France. Perhaps our world leaders could "take a lesson" from Laurent and those interactions and lessons learned during a Fulbright Teacher Exchange. We will surely miss our new friends from this past year. What a fun afternoon!!

Mme. Wallace

Purple Magic: La Lavande

Bonjour mes amis! One reason we wanted to visit the Luberon with the Menningers was to smell and see its beautiful lavender. You must close your eyes and breathe deep and your senses will tell you that you are in Provence with its lavender fields. The scent of lavender is strongest in the heart of summer, from mid-June to early August, when the fine stalks wave in the wind and the lavender prairies stretch as far as the eye can see. Lavender fields cover areas at the base of Mont Ventoux. Lavender grows in the Luberon area. It is used in soap, perfume, honey, sachets, potpourri,etc. Did you know that for many years in history lavender was used for purification? In fact, the word lavender literally means "to be washed". During World War I lavender was used as an antiseptic. It was also used to treat wounds and burns. In June, magic happens to the fields in northern Provence. Rows of spiky green begin to change color. By the 3rd week of June, the valleys have changed from green to purple, as the mats of parallel rows become purple with the ripening lavender. These lavender fields provide an agricultural crop which was once as important to the Provence farmer as their olives and grapes. Lavender today is not the big business that it once was as synthetics have pushed it aside. However, lavender still continues to provide us with wonderful products partly out of tradition and a demand for excellence. !!! Très, très belle!

Mme. Wallace

A Day in the Luberon: toujours magnifique!!!

Bonjour mes amis! Sunday evening, Lee and I spent the evening with the Menningers just outside Gordes, in a lovely farmhouse-hacienda close to Joucas, another Luberon town. We had a view of the hilltop town of Gordes from our window. The next morning we began our exploration of Gordes. In the 1960's, Gordes was a virtual ghost town but has been renovated and is now an impressive village in the Luberon. This village was made popular by Peter Mayle's book which was later made into a movie, A Good Year. The Abbey de Sénanque which is a beautifully situated Cistercian abbey built in 1148 is nearby. From Gordes, we continued to Roussillon which was Europe's capital for ochre production until World War II. Roussillon sits on the world's largest known ochre deposit. The value of the ochre cliffs was even known in Roman times. Once the ochre was excavated, the clay ochre was rinsed to separate it from the sand, and then it was dried for deeper color. This was used primarily for linoleum and wallpaper, and reached its peak just before World War II. Enjoy the beautiful hues of color in Roussillon!

Mme. Wallace

Les Dentelles de Montmirail's mountaintop villages

Bonjour mes amis! Sunday, June 12, Lee and I visited the villages surrounding Les Dentelles de Montmirail with the Menningers which made for a beautiful scenic drive. We experienced the breathtaking sights and awakened all of our senses as we explored this region. Les Dentelles de Montmirail are a small chain of mountains in the département of Vaucluse, in the region of beautiful Provence, just south of Vaison-la-Romaine where we spent Saturday night. The highest peak of this region is Mont Ventoux and Les Dentelles de Montmirail are the foothills of this region. We began our exploration in Le Crestet, a charming hilltop village which was built after the fall of the Roman Empire. As with many of the villages of this region, there was a castle on top which dated about 850 AD and there were ramparts and house walls which served as protection from barbarians. We had a café au lait in Le Panoramic which had an upstairs terrace which justified its name because of its view. From Le Crestet we continued our loop to Suzette which floats on its hilltop just under Mont Ventoux at 6,000 feet. Suzette has an interesting 12th century chapel and one café. We continued our Côtes du Rhône loop to arrive in Gigondas. Gigondas has some of the best red wine of the region and is well-suited for hiking and driving into the mountains. We took a walk up through the town and, from the church up top, we had beautiful views of the vineyards below. This region of France with the character of its towns and the views of the landscape was spectacular!!!

Mme. Wallace

Qu'est-ce que c'est Les Callets de chocolat?

While Lee and I were traveling with the Menningers in Provence, we stopped at a Chocolatier and discovered a new form of chocolate. These were called Les Callets. They were small beads of chocolate, white and dark, or other combinations, which were used for eating, baking in recipes, molding, dipping etc. These callets are round drops of pure chocolate. The callets are made using 100% pure cocoa butter and a dash of vanilla that rounds off the taste with a slight sweet hint. The origin of this chocolate is Belgium and they were originally made by the Callebaut manufacturer. We sampled various kinds of Les Callets and loved all of them - Délicieux!!!

Mme. Wallace

A Taste of the Roman Empire: Vaison la Romaine

Saturday, June 11, we drove to Vaison la Romaine with Ginny and Steve Menninger, who were visiting from Virginia. Vaison la Romaine is an interesting village in the Côtes du Rhône region. This town has a population of about 6,000 people. This town is divided into two parts, the Ville-Basse, with its roman bridge and roman ruins, and the medieval Ville-Haute. The town is divided by the Ouvèze River. We stayed in the upper village called Ville-Haute in a charming B & B. The Verdiers, who are the owners of the B & B, have a passionate interest in books and art work. We loved exploring their antique home. Since the 4th century, Vaison la Romaine had a prince-bishop in power. In the 12th century, he came under attack by the Count of Toulouse. As a result, the prince-bishop built a château in the upper town in about 1195. Other people in the town began moving to defend themselves behind the upper town's fortified wall. About 6,000 people lived in Vaison la Romaine 2,000 years ago. This was a prosperous town in those years as Vaison la Romaine had a special relationship with Rome as a result of a signed treaty, and an economy of olives and vineyards. We explored the Roman Ruins called Puymin in the lower village. We explored the remains of a roman mansion. We could visualize life as it was in 100 AD. The Roman Bridge, which divides the upper and lower towns was cut by the Romans into the canyon rock 2,000 years ago, and has survived ever since. Until the 20th century, this was the only way to cross the river. Incroyable!!

Mme. Wallace

50,000 BC: Talk about history!!!

Bonjour mes amis! One of the most fascinating aspects of the Dordogne River Valley was seeing the prehistoric caves and cave art. On Friday, June 2, we visited Lascaux II. These are by far the world's most famous cave paintings. Lascaux II is located 14 miles north of Sarlat. The Lascaux caves were discovered, quite by accident, in 1940, by four children and their dog. From 1948 to 1963, more than a million people climbed through these caves to witness this great discovery. Unfortunately, due to fungus on shoes and changes in temperature and humidity from crowds of people, this amazing art deteriorated more than it had in 15,000 years. The original caves were then closed and a "copy cave" was opened in 1983. The reindeer, horses, and bulls have been amazingly reproduced using the same dyes and techniques which were used 15,000 years ago. From Lascaux II, we moved on to La Roque Saint-Christophe. This is a cave village built into a cliff. This cliff towers 300 feet above the road and the Vezère River and stretches more than half of a mile. It is made up of 5 terraces, which were hollowed out 60 million years ago by erosion and the effect of frost on limestone. This cliff first served as a shelter for hunter-gatherers, and was probably first inhabited by Neanderthal man (50,000 BC), then by Cro-Magnon man (25,000BC). This settlement was continuously inhabited until, during the Renaissance, in 1588, it was destroyed during the Wars of Religion. The greatest period of habitation was during the Middle Ages when people lived there to protect themselves from Norman invasions. After exploring La Roque Saint-Christophe, we drove to a charming village along the Vezère River for lunch, called St. Léon-sur-Vezère. We then drove to the Grotte de Rouffignac because we wanted to see some authentic cave art, not reproductions. We explored half a mile of cave art, dating back 13,000 years. We knew France had many symbols of its great history but this was INCROYABLE!!!

Mme. Wallace

Classic Rural Scenes along the Dordogne

Bonjour mes amis! Thursday, June 2, Lee and I began driving the Dordogne River Valley. We wanted to discover the character of this region for ourselves. We left Sarlat and headed south towards Carsac. We discovered a typical scene along the Dordogne, the lovely Eglise de Carsac, set off the road in cornfields, with its Romanesque style and World War I memorial. What a picture this was! We continued our drive along the Dordogne and pulled off at a scenic point called Cingle de Montfort. From this vantage point we could see "black Perigord" so named for the thick blanket of dark-colored oaks which stay green all winter. In the distance we could see the castle of Montfort. This castle was once owned by Simon de Montfort, who led the Crusades in the 13th century. We continued our drive to La Roque-Gageac, a storybook town along the Dordogne. This town appeared sculpted out of the rock between the cliffs and the river. It is a one-street town stretching along the Dordogne. Looking up at the cliffs, as we were walking along the riverfront, we could see the 12th century cave-dwellers village, which was built during the Viking river raids. La Roque-Gageac is affected every year by floods. When there is a big rain in central France, this little town always floods two days later. The first-floors of all buildings along the riverfront are restricted to commercial use, as there are usually serious floods which occur every 5 years. We took a trip along the Dordogne on a boat that was modeled after those used to take oak barrels to Bordeaux. Interestingly, such boats were often unable to return because the river current was so strong, so the boats were taken apart for lumber. There was a lovely castle built in the 19th century downstream. After leaving "La Roque" we went to another town, called Domme, with magnificent views of the Dordogne. After lunch (un sandwich de jambon et fromage and une tarte de noix) we drove on to Castelnaud with its interesting medieval castle. From the armory to the kitchen, we experienced medieval castle life. The upper courtyard has a 150-foot deep well. Our final stop of the day was Beynac, another charming Dordogne village. We were amazed at the consistent "golden tones" of the houses and buildings throughout the Dordogne. We loved to meander the side streets of these towns, noticing these tones and the characterictic medieval architecture. Beynac's feudal village included a fascinating castle, called the Château de Beynac. This château stands 500 feet above the Dordogne. The French were housed here during the Hundred Years' War while the British were located across the river in Castelnaud. This castle has amazing valley views and made us imagine what life was like during medieval times. We returned to Sarlat late in the afternoon feeling compelled to learn more about the medieval history of France!

Mme. Wallace

"Golden Sarlat", in the heart of the Dordogne

Bonjour mes amis! The Dordogne River Valley is a "melange" of natural and man-made beauty. This southwestern area of France includes walnut orchards, cornfields which are growing food for ducks and geese, and limestone cliffs supporting stone fortresses. During the Hundred Years' War, the Dordogne River separated battling England and France. Lee and I arrived in Sarlat, which is a charming town, in the heart of the Dordogne Valley. After dinner, June 1, we decided to explore Sarlat on our own. Due to limestone used for construction of its buildings, the town has golden tones. We began with a visit to the Cathedral of St. Sacerdos, which has a facade with 12th century carvings. The religious believed that Mary rescued them from the great plague of 1348 so there are many Virgin Marys in the interior of this church. Continuing on our walk, we discovered the Lantern of the Dead (Lanterne des Morts). Dating from 1147, this is the oldest monument in town. Within four days, 1/4 of Sarlat's population died of the plague (1,000 out of 4,000). People prayed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux for help. He blessed their bread and, at the same time, instituted health standards which stopped the disease. This lantern, or cone shaped tower, was built to show their gratitude. From here, we walked to Rue de la Salamandre. The salamander, which is not affected by water and fire, is Sarlat's symbol. Sarlat, as well, was not adversely affected by wars or floods. Down this street is a Gothic-framed doorway which has a tower which houses a staircase. Staircase towers similar to this date from the 1600s, after the religious wars between the Catholics and Protestants. Finally, we arrived at Place de la Liberté. This has been Sarlat's main market square since the Middle Ages. Across the square, dark stone roofs topped the buildings which are typical of this region, called lauzes. The flat limestone rocks were gathered by farmers clearing their fields, then made into roofing materials. These roofs have an unusually steep pitch and last up to 300 years. We continued on to Place des Oies, which is the "Square of Geese". Ducks and geese are important business in Sarlat since the Middle Ages. We found goose and duck liver pâté as a staple on restaurant menus and throughout marchés in the Dordogne River Valley. This spread is made from geese and ducks, or from a combination of the two. There are two basic forms: entier and bloc. Both are 100% foie gras; entier is a piece cut directly from the product, while bloc has been whipped for easier spreading. Foie gras is usually served with a sweet white wine. Foie gras, anyone?

Mme. Wallace