We were sitting around an open fire in a tastefully modernised 200 year old farmhouse near the village of Pexioria, about 10 miles from Carcassonne, in the south western Aude region. Domaine St Raymond, as the farmhouse is called, has a light and airy, but intimate Art Deco atmosphere … and I love Art Deco.We were drinking sweet, fizzy Muscat, and hearing the tale of how Dom Perignon is alleged to have visited the area, taken away the recipe for Muscat, and refined it to produce … champagne.

During the evening, Chef Robert Abraham introduced himself, and explained briefly about the cooking weekend he would be conducting. Now, it might be asked what I was doing on a cookery weekend; my signature dish is spaghetti bolognese, and my cooking has been described as sacré bleu rather than cordon bleu.

This weekend saw the launch of the French House Party’s ‘Cuisine in Brief’ weekend, and I’d been invited to report on it. But, I wasn’t going to sit around making notes, taking photographs and looking all writerly. I’d be expected to muck in.

French House Party offer a number of programmes on a wide variety of subjects, ranging from sketching and painting through creative writing to movie making, And, of course, cookery, in the form of its ‘Gastro Academy’. There’s the 6-day ‘Gourmet Explorer’, the 7-day ‘Cook au Vin’ and the introductory 3-day ‘Cuisine in Brief’.None of these, of course, will teach you all about French cooking, but they do give an excellent overview of the tastes to be experienced, and how it’s put together.

The main focus was on the kitchen. It’s really well equipped, having been only recently finished, with the happy knack of being practical and tasteful at the same time. The Chef presided over it, ably assisted by sous-chef Debbie Hargreaves and her wine expert husband, Carl.

Our first section wasn’t in the kitchen, though. We accompanied Chef Robert to the charming mediaeval market town of Revel, where he selected the ingredients we would be working with. Now, for a long time, I thought the idea of the chef doing his marketing personally was a figment of the imagination of the producers of TV food programmes, but this is the second time in two years that I’ve been to the market with a chef. So, I’d imagine this may indeed be the practice in some places.

There were three cookery sessions, at which three meals were produced, each one tastier than its predecessor. Duck breasts with apples; scallops with braised parsnips and monkfish with a tartine of fried aubergines topped with mussels. And, those were just the main courses! Delicate madeleines, crème brulée,(who’d have thought he’d use a blowtorch on it?) tapioca with coconut milk and pineapple … and to think I used not to like tapioca. One taste followed another, and there were more tastes to come, as Carl managed to find just the right wine to complement each course.

We took a hand at preparing all of these, and we noted, as the weekend passed, we were taking on more and more complicated tasks … and our French was improving, as was Chef Robert’s English.

If you are a proficient cook already, you’ll enjoy these programmes. Even if you have only a smattering of cooking skills, there’s room for you, too. And, everyone will enjoy the atmosphere. We went in November and, as they say in the housing trade … if you like it in Winter, you’ll love it in Summer.

You can find out more about French House Party at

http://www.frenchhouseparty.co.uk/ офис обзавежданеThere are regular flights from UK to Carcassonne in Summer; to Toulouse all the year round. They’ll provide a free transfer to and from either of these airports. However, the fee does not cover your air fare to these places.

I’m not going to pretend it doesn’t rain in the mountainous Haut Savoie region of France. It does. In winter, it snows a lot, too. But, the snow is greeted with joy, for much of the local economy depends on those who come to the area for the winter sports.

There’s another advantage to all that snow and rain, too. On it depend the lush, high-level pastures we’ve come to associate with the Alps. Cows graze here, and from them, we get the rich, creamy milk from which the cheese of the region is made.

The best-known local cheese is Reblochon. It’s been made in the Thones valley since the 13th Century, and use of this name is strictly controlled. It must be produced within the area, and made from milk from only three breeds of cows.

Indeed, most food products of the region carry the AOC cachet (‘Appelation d’Origine Contrôlée’), to qualify for which a product must be produced in a particular region, and restricted in the ingredients and methods used to make it. Unfortunately, it often also means that the item is often hard to find outside the region.

‘Reblochon’ means ‘second milking’ from the product of which the cheese was originally made. I heard a story which said that farmers used to be taxed according to the milk yield of the herd. But, to avoid paying tax on unsold milk, they only partially milked the cows, taking just what they estimated they could sell. Then, they turned the cows back out to pasture, to milk them again when the Inspector had gone. This milk had a sweeter taste than the first, ‘official’ milking

But, they couldn’t sell the milk they obtained by this method, so they made cheese instead.

Nowadays, there are two kinds of Reblochon. Some farmers take their milk to a co-operative, where the cheese is made; this is marked with an edible red disc in the coating of the cheese. But, if the farmer makes the cheese himself, it gets the green disc; it’s called ‘Reblouchon Fermier’, and is made from the milk of a single herd, and is held to be superior.

If you walk in the hills, or drive around the valleys, you will see signs offering cheese for sale outside almost every farm-house. Or, you can go to the market. We went to the one in Annecy, where several stall-holders just sold cheese. And, they take it seriously. The question they’ll often ask is when are you going to eat it? How long do you want to keep it for? The cheese takes 3-4 weeks to ripen, and they’ll select the cheese they consider best for your purpose.

Keeping the cheese in a refrigerator is frowned upon; if you must do this, they say, it should be taken out, and made to stand at room temperature for at least 24 hours.

The cheeses are disc-shaped, about 14 cm. in diameter, and with a saffron-coloured rind. The cheese itself is soft, creamy and ivory coloured.

Reblochon isn’t the only cheese made in the region. Tomme, from a Savoyard dialect word meaning ‘cheese from the mountain pastures’ is made in pretty well the same way as Reblochon, but is cooked at a higher temperature and kept for longer, giving a harder cheese.

We did a lot of walking in those mountain pastures, and, one day, our lunch-packs contained a crusty baguette stuffed with tomatoes, Reblochon and Tomme … a taste which made the description ‘cheese sandwich’ sound so inadequate.

Another way of sampling Reblochon is in a local dish called Tartiflette. Local people say it’s a necessity in any sampling of the regional food, and take great delight in introducing visitors to it. It’s simply a casserole of sliced potatoes and finely-cubed pork, with the cheese melted into and over it.

We had it served as a starter, without the pork … we christened it ‘vegetarian tartliflette’

And, after dinner on our last night, the cheese-board contained Reblochon and Tome des Bauges (note, in this case, it’s only spelt with one M) which is made only with milk from the Bauges massif. These were served with walnuts and dried apricots and I think this, with a glass of the local red wine, is the perfect ending to any meal. Especially a festive one.

How to Get there: The nearest airport is Geneva, across the border in Switzerland; approx. 1 hour’s drive form St. Jean de Sixt, where we stayed. Nearest main rail station is at Annecy, about half an hour away. There’s a bus service from Annecy approximately every two hours; fare is about 7 euros.

There is no public transport form Geneva airport, except in winter, when a ski-bus operates.

Where to Stay: We stayed at the Aravis Lodge Hotel in St Jean de Sixt, where there’s an excellent kitchen presided over by chef John Crompton. Details at www.karibuni.co.uk. If you’re staying there, they’ll arrange a free transfer from Annecy or Geneva for you. If you just want to learn about the food, visit John’s sites at www.cookinginfrance.biz or www.cromptonskitchen.com.

“L’Auberge” basically means a French country inn. Or, more often, the type of food served at a country restaurant. L’Auberge du Champs de Mars, snuggled into a block-long back street only a five-minute walk from the Eiffel Tower, provides an excellent chance to try some of this classic French food without leaving Paris.

The €19 “prix fixe” menu of an appetizer, entrée and dessert offers the quintessence of French country cooking as an excellent bargain for the low-budget traveler. However, as with most restaurants, drinks can drive the bill up a bit. A very nice champagne cocktail aperitif, a light house red wine with the meal and an after dinner cognac, plus a glass of the recommended Montbazillac wine for the goose foie gras I’d chosen for my appetizer, pushed the total bill to €45.30.

I was lucky. When I started ski-ing, the UK’s Colin Murison Small had just invented the chalet party concept. In each resort, he’d take over one or more complete chalets, each providing about ten two-bed rooms, a communal area, a dining area and a kitchen. He then hired two girls with Cordon Bleu cooking certificates to look after the chalet and its occupants. It wasn’t expensive food, but it was good – and for one day each week we’d take the girls with us to a restaurant in town to give them a break.

I don’t really know the US ski vacation scene, because I worked near Hunter and just used to go there in the daytime, or spent one Saturday night in Breckenridge on my way to or from the West Coast. If US citizens do have something equivalent to the European chalet party, then they, who form about 85% of its customers, should see the luxury barge cruise as a natural extension of that concept to adventurous but less energetic vacations as they grow older.

There is one big difference, though – my chalet parties were about the same price as cheap hotel accommodation. A barge cruise is more expensive than full board in a five-star hotel, but the cabins are much smaller than hotel rooms and they don’t have TV or telephones. However, very few hotels (or even independent restaurants) can match the quality of the food, and they certainly don’t give you exclusive access to the chef for a party of 24 for a whole week! And they don’t provide both unaccompanied and guided access to a variety of fascinating experiences right on your doorstep every day.

I had already done a fair bit of research among the operators of barge holidays in France, and I was about to write an article. Then I came across a firm that acts as a broker for many of them, and maintains its own staff in Europe as well as having a head office in the USA. The Barge Experts is a part of Elations Travel group, LLC, and their web site contains excellent information about barge cruising in general as well as details about the cruises they handle in the UK, the Netherlands and France.

The Cévennes are located in south-central France. Whilst in an administrative sense they do not constitute a region, to all intents and purposes they possess a singular identity. Thus the ‘La Cevenne’ reference in the works of its most famed writer, Jean-Pierre Chabrol. (see Quand la Cevenne se soulevait/When the Cevennes rose up).

Few locations offer the beauty or variety of the Cévennes, ranging from granite tors to deeply incised river valleys and some of Europe’s most dramatic limestone gorges and caves. The latent geologist inside us all will delight in walking the granites of the Mont Lozere massif, the limestones of the Causse Mejan and Sauveterre, and the metamorphic schists and slatestone around Mont Aigoual and in the Cevenol valleys.

The Cévennes’ highest peak, Mont Lozère (1702 metres), lies on the path affectionately referred to as The Stevenson Trail, AKA the long-distance walking route GR 70, which stretches from Le Puy en Velay in Haute-Loire to St Jean du Gard in Le Gard. In his book, “Travels with a donkey in the Cevennes,” a much-lauded and ground-breaking work of the travelogue genre, Robert Louis Stevenson referred to the Cevennes as “that undecipherable labyrinth of hills.” On Mont Lozere he noted that, “in clear weather [it]commands a view over all lower Languedoc to the Mediterranean Sea.”

Another peak of repute is Mont Aigoual (elevation 1567 metres or 5141 feet), lying to the north of Le Vigan and reachable from Vallerauge by the “trek of 4000 steps”. It boasts a relative height vis-à-vis the surrounding uplands of 730 metres, making it particularly prominent as a continual point of reference to hikers as they climb and descend the myriad hills en route to its eagle-nest-of-an- observatory, the last remaining inhabited weather station in France. Mont Aigoual forms part of the watershed between the Mediterranean and Atlantic, where rainfall can measure up to 2250 mm (over 7 feet), making it the wettest place in France. For those who brave the wind and the rain, as many hikers do, the views are spectacular.

The valleys of the Loire and the Allier flow out westwards from The Cévennes towards the Atlantic Ocean, whilst the Ardèche, Chassezac and Cèze rivers flow eastwards and south-eastwards towards Provence, leaving spectacular gorges en route, cut deep into the limestone base. One particularly exciting way to enjoy such splendours of physical geography is by walking the lower section of the ‘Royal Route’ that traverses France from l’Ile de France to Lower Languedoc. Better known locally as the Regordane Way, this major thoroughfare of the Middle Ages is still largely walkable, and at its very best between the Chassezac Gorge, in and around the Medieval village of La Garde-Guerin, and the River Cèze, with its source just to the south of Lake Villefort.

he various Gardon rivers flow through the south-eastern section of the Cévennes and onwards into the Rhône, Vidourle, Hérault and Dourbie rivers en route to the Mediterranean. They are intermittently wild by nature, but thankfully only cause major flooding around once a decade. Discover these rivers whilst walking and hiking in and around Alès, Mialet and St Jean du Gard; perhaps retracing the steps of the Huguenot Protestants persecuted by Louis XIV’s excesses during the Camisard War of 1702. We become avid historians as we trek mountain paths in the footsteps of Camisard chiefs, or budding geologists as we search limestone grottos for the vestiges of Protestant congregations at secret prayer or imprisoned by the King’s overzealous Black Dragoons. Fortunately, the Catholic locals are much more welcoming to Protestants nowadays!

The Cévennes has a national park, the Parc National des Cévennes, created in 1970 and one of only two parks in France that harbours ‘homo economicus.’ With people both living and making their living inside the park, this UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve has strict controls on the use of chemicals in farming, resulting in a phenomenal diversity of wild flowers and insects. Thus the human endeavours of tourism and agriculture are continually juxtaposed with the pressure to conserve landscape, habitats and species.

Those interested in Human Geography will walk through myriad tiny village and hamlet, most of which have seen better economic days, and lived through the boom and bust years of various cycles of capitalism since the start of the Industrial Revolution – the rise and fall of chestnut tree harvesting, silk spinning, coal mining and wine growing are writ large in the terraced slopes of this harsh countryside, which is only now coming to terms with its massive rural depopulation. The Cevennes, traditional refuge to all manner of persecuted minority, is undergoing the slow process of re-population, albeit from a very low base.

For the animal lover, you may witness the fruits of the reintroduction of capercaille and vultures, the wheeling of short-toed eagles overhead, or visit captive breeding programmes for European bison and Przewalskis horses. The only dangerous wild animal you are likely to encounter is a wild boar, although they are unlikely to chase you as they scurry to safety from the orange-capped huntsmen and their beagles that stalk them during ‘the season.’ Reintroduced deer and red fox are the other species of note, although you are far more likely to see small lizards, Praying Mantis and noisy crickets.

For the botanist who hikes in search of bucolic pleasures, chestnut, green oak and pine are plentiful, although the strawberry tree is my favourite, in flower and fruit in Autumn. The heather and ‘Maquis’ which abound in the passes and on the open plains will bring tears to the toughest Scot, whilst chestnuts (the bread tree), figs and mushrooms (pick with caution) will have you striding to the restaurant at the end of another exhilarating day’s hill-walking.

Finally, for those interested in architecture at the level of the homestead, the Cévennes is a master class of how man has adapted to the riggers of nature and prevailed in a harsh environment. In hostile milieu, man learned to construct buildings out of local materials alone, and the three types of rock available in the Cévennes, limestone, schist and granite, have determined construction materials and given each geological bedrock its human characteristics.

In the slate stone Cévennes, it is said that buildings grow out of the hillside instead of being constructed from human design. Most homesteads or ‘mas’ are built halfway up a slope and, where possible, just beneath a spring. As for the surrounding architecture, it takes the form of walled dry-stone terraces (full of fertile earth by man from nearby river-bed); ‘clèdes’ or chestnut drying houses, plus a chestnut orchard; a higher-lying area for goat and sheep grazing; walled paths connecting farm and hamlet buildings, designed to keep livestock out of cultivated land; the characteristic knurled mulberry tree for feeding silkworms; trellis-work for the ‘illegal’ hybrid grapes such as the ‘clinton’, ‘jacquet’, or ‘baco’; and the nearby Protestant tombs, often with a cypress tree symbolising the flame of eternity.

When Walking the Cévennes, life is here in microcosm: a fascinating journey from megalithic to modern times, depicting man’s enduring capacity to innovate, destroy and yet survive.

© The Enlightened Traveller 2007

by Sébastien Camus

Jutting far out into the sea-green waters of the Channel, you could say that the department of Manche is off the beaten track. It is a green and pleasant Norman province that has much in common with the mild climes of the English South-West and is well away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities.

As you travel the length of our peaceful country roads or walk along one our picturesque hiking trails, you will notice the startlingly varied landscape that has shaped our lives. The famous Norman bocage of deciduous woods, hedges and thickets interspersed with undulating lush green fields juxtaposes with the wide open marshes of the east and the river gorges of the south. Manche is also a maritime province (it takes its name from the French word for the English Channel) and has an extensive seaboard that covers over half its border; the Cotentin district in the north is a wild and rocky granite coast, whereas the western shore comprises the vast sandy beaches of Mont-Saint-Michel Bay.

What else can you do in such a natural and wholesome environment other than taste the richness of its centuries-old gastronomic tradition and gently absorb the quintessential art de vivre of its inhabitants? Discover our upmarket épicerie fine, bustling town markets and no-nonsense farm shops that purvey all sorts of local delicacies for you to delight in. While you are there, stock up with some of our time-honoured specialities such as creamy Camembert cheeses, bubbling ciders, heady calvados apple brandies and fine charcuterie cooked meats – they make great gifts for family and friends. For those who just want to relax, visit one of our stylish cafés, brasseries or top-quality restaurants. There you can take time out on the terrace overlooking the sea or watch the world go by in the heart of one of our charming market towns.

A little bit of history

What became known as the ‘Camisard Revolt’ or ‘War’ began with the assassination at Pont-de-Montvert in July 1702 of a local personification of Royal repression, the Abbot of Chaïla, who had imprisoned a group of Huguenots caught attempting to flee France. It was the spark that lit the blue touch paper for the Cévenol Protestants or ‘Camisards’ – an epithet believed to originate from the Occitan word for shirt, ‘camisa’, the dark uniform worn by the rebels during night raids. This regional Occitan language, experiencing something of a rebirth today, gave Protestants some freedom of thought and expression vis-à-vis the central authorities, although they wrote and prayed in French.

The Camisards confronted the royal army with irregular tactics, or what some historians have described as the first examples of guerilla warfare. They withstood superior forces in several pitched battles and gained some notable successes. The Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) refers to The Camisards as “A sect of French fanatics” whose origins lay in the “Albigensian spirit.” This reference harkens back to the Cathar Crusade against ‘heretics’ in the same Region half a century earlier.

There seems no doubt that some of the Protestant preaching was apocalyptic and inflammatory, and was used as justification for intensifying repression; some of which was ‘outsourced’ to Catholics from neighboring communities known as “Cadets of the Cross.”

Atrocities took place on both sides. The worst of the fighting occurred between 1702 and 1704, with sporadic skirmishes until 1710 and the end of real hostilities in 1715. This followed the death of Louis XIV and the arrival in the Cévennes of the French reformer, Antoine Court, who played a critical role in restructuring the Protestant population and faith.

A chance to relive it

For seven days this October, hikers with a penchant for themed hillwalking will be given the chance to re-live the main events, visit key locations and battlefields, and learn about the principal personalities in play during the course of the rebellion.

‘Walking with the Camisards’ is a limited-space, group walking tour that takes place on two dates this October: from 7 to 14, and 14 to 21 October 2007. It comprises moderately-challenging walking in the wild and rugged Cévennes hills of the Languedoc-Roussillon region, accommodation in comfortable hotels and an all-inclusive transport programme with access via Nimes airport or TGV railway station.

Organised by The Enlightened Traveller, a specialist UK tour operator, this is the first opportunity to experience this walking tour with like-minded international hikers, as hitherto it has been available solely as an independent walking tour.

It really is a fabulous chance to enjoy some exhilarating walking, during the most auspicious month weather-wise in The Cévennes, and explore a fascinating theme and a troubled period in French history.

Full details of Walking with the Camisards (and some stunning photos).

© Scott Anderson and The Enlightened Traveller 2007

The warm August sun had transformed the French countryside around Lorraine to a golden hue as hundreds of hot air balloons readied to take to the sky. We arrived at the old NATO airfield at Chambley-Bussier, just west of Metz, just in time to witness this spectacle.

At 5pm there was still nearly 5-hours of daylight left. The flight briefing had just ended and inflator fans were starting up in unison, creating a roar that only stopped as burners put life into the balloons. Within moments the sky bloomed with color as waves of balloons climbed into the blue sky.

Every two years the Mondial Air Ballons takes place. And this year is no exception. From July 27 to August 5 hundreds of balloons will again descend on (and ascend from) the old airfield for fun and competition. Pilots from around the world will come together to the country where, over 200-years ago, the sport began and the mystique remains.

It is a festive time. Carnival rides, food, wine and thousands of people drawn together to experience two flights each day during the 9-day event. Once the balloons have launched the narrow country roads become crowded with balloon crews and spectators alike, all trying to get a better view and get closer to being a part of this unique sport.

At a previous event we were fortunate to join with one of the American teams. They were sport flyers and there for fun. Competition for them meant dropping a marker on the target only if the target presented itself. Their main concern was taking as many of their crew and friends for rides over the beautiful countryside as possible.

The team had rented a van for balloon transport purposes and also rented a small car. Due to high gas prices the van was used during the event only and, at night, acted as the balloon’s hangar on the launch field. The car provided economic transportation to and from the hotel, to restaurants, for sightseeing and back to the Paris airport at then end of the event.

The evening flights were great and the morning flights were equally magical. Arriving in the dark the vehicles would jockey for position on the launch field. After the all-important flight briefing the inflator fans would again begin. As the sun began to rise so would the balloons, sometimes floating through wisps of low clouds in search of a gentle breeze to move them along.

The gentle take-offs are always beautiful. But the landings can offer a little extra. Each landing is different and in a different place. Some were in open, freshly cut fields. Some were landings behind old churches in villages whose names were only on the most accurate of maps while others were near the homes of local residents.

Meeting the local population this way was easy. Entire families would come out to enjoy the excitement of an 80-foot tall balloon, landing then collapsing into a long, colorful stream of fabric in their field. Bottles of wine appeared out of nowhere and the soft landings were toasted by the families, friends and balloon crew alike. Many times a family would even invite a crew back for dinner. Making friends is fun under these unique circumstances.

This Summer while you’re in France plan a side trip to Chambley-Bussier. Everything about your visit will be a memory you won’t soon forget. Hotels are plentiful and a room can always be found at a local chamber d’hotes (B&B).

If you go:

Event Info:
http://www.pilatre-de-rozier.com

Hotels:
Hostellerie Lion d’Or in Gorze. Phone 33.03.87.52.00.90. Fax 33.03.87.52.09.62.
Villages Hotels. Phone 33.03.92.70.75.38. Fax 33.03.87.38.39.62.

Rental Cars (via Mark’s own site):
http://www.virtually-there.com

Maps:
Michelin and IGN are best for negotiating the country roads.

I love English beer. Granted, as an American, most of the time when I walk into an English pub I have no idea what the various beers are. What is a “Best Bitter”, really? But it’s great to just point to one of those giant handles and say, “I’ll try that one,” then watch it being hand pumped into those big pint glasses.

Which is why I jumped at the chance to check out a real English pub while attending a conference in the center of Paris. A friend recommended I try one of the “Frog & Rosbif” pubs, four English pubs where English is spoken by all the staff, the atmosphere is very definitely “English pub-ish,” if that’s a word, and each of the pubs has its own micro-brewery where six English style beers are brewed on site and offered on tap.

Despite France’s reputation as one of the great wine producing countries of the world, Paris does have dozens, if not hundreds, of beer pubs. The majority of these, however, are simply French restaurants, or brasseries, that serve primarily French or Belgium beers, most of which come in bottles.

“There is a massive beer market in France,” said Tory Doody, the very attractive director of marketing for the pubs. And not just young people, she added. “Quite a mixed batch. It used to be that people would order half pints of very cold Kronenberg and things like that. What we’ve done is shown them that it is really great to have a big glass of beer and a wide range of beers that are on tap, not just in bottles, and we’ve shown them that beers don’t all taste the same, that there are a variety of flavors.”

The Frog pubs got started in 1993 when Paul Chandler, current head of the Frog Pubs, and a fellow MBA student opened the first one from an idea they had developed while studying for their degree at Fontainebleau. It was named “The Frog & Rosbif,” or “The Frog & Roast Beef,” which means exactly what you think it means—a rather jingoistic reference by the English and French to each other’s nationality.

The goal of the Frog pubs is to provide a place where Anglophiles can go to drink good English beer, speak English, watch British sporting events such as rugby, football and even major cricket matches and, most important of all, have fun, Tory said.

The Frog pubs led the revolution for a sudden birth of British pubs that have been opening in Paris since the mid-‘90s. These have primarily been Irish and Scottish pubs serving Irish and Scottish beers. But “Frog & Rosbif” was the first. And, yes, I know, Ireland is not British, but everyone thinks it is, so let’s go with it.

They have since opened the “The Frog & Princess,” “The Frog at Bercy Village” and “The Frog & British Library.” Two other “The Frog & Rosbif” pubs have since been opened in Toulouse and Bordeaux, for a total of six. A seventh is planned for this fall in Biarritz, just above the Spanish border on the southwest coast, with an eighth planned for Pau plus one more to be opened soon in Paris.

World Cup

The big push now is getting ready for the Rugby World Cup, to be held in France this coming September and October. The country is expected to be inundated with Anglophiles, virtually all of whom will be looking for British pubs of some sort, Tory said.

“We normally do not promote the pubs in England, but have been promoting in Great Britain for the World Cup. We want the people who are coming over from England, Scotland or Ireland to come into our pubs. People are very internet friendly now, aren’t they? So when they go into a search engine and look for either English or British pubs, we’re going to be there on the front page.”

This works, incidentally. Go to Google and type in “English pubs Paris.”

They are also touting their pubs in other U.K. Commonwealth countries such as Australia and New Zealand. “We’ve already gotten in touch with New Zealand offices in Paris, putting out the word that if you’re here you can come into our pubs and say, ‘Hi! I’m here for the World Cup,’ and we’ll give you a bag of goodies, such as a map on how to get around Paris, words to use when you go to a French bar, discount coupons to use in our pubs, things like that. And if they aren’t going to one of the games, they can come into our pubs and watch the game on one of our six screens and the atmosphere is like being in England. We have televisions (throughout the pubs), but we also have large screens that roll down. These are used for any major sporting events—rugby, football, anything. We create a very good atmosphere.

Beers

I went to three of the four Frog pubs in Paris plus the one in Toulouse, and found two of the four to be exactly what I would expect from any pub in England—crowded, noisy, tables tucked into any corner they would fit in, and full of people bellied up to the bar and having fun and, in Toulouse, very much involved in watching a football match that, unfortunately, Liverpool lost. The other two, The Frog & British Library and The Frog at Bercy Village, were larger with more of a restaurant type atmosphere. All the pubs, by the way, serve English pub food. Well, OK, a “duck & foie gras burger” may not exactly be considered English pub food, but they do have fish & chips.

But in all of them, the beer was definitely English in character. The Frog Pubs offer six basic beers, all brewed on site in each bar and English lagers, ales and bitters. While the British tend to like stronger beers, the French clientele prefer the lighter beers, so the pubs offer three of each. Three lighter beers include the Frog Natural Blonde, a cold, fizzy lager brewed with German Hallertau hops, matured for more than a month in the pubs cellars, then served unpasteurized and unfiltered; Maison Blanche, a Belgian style wheat beer made with Czechoslovakian hops, coriander, curaçao & orange peel that give it a bit of a citrus taste; and Ginger Twist, a light amber with a fizzy twist from ginger, lemon and lime.

One of the three stronger beers, and the Frog pubs’ longest running beer, is “Inseine,” a subtle play on words from being served in Paris. One can practically hear the jingle, “Drink Inseine beer, the stale, pale ale with the foam on the bottom. Brewed from the waters of the Seine. If you can drink from the Seine, you can drink Inseine.” But alas, no, that isn’t one of their ads. I just made that up.

Inseine is an amber bitter, using what they call “Styrian Goldings hops” that provide a “balanced aroma and bitterness, making for a light, more-ish pint…with a creamy, tight head.” This is “a best bitter like a Tetley bitter that comes from the Tetley brewery in the north of England,” Tory said.

“Dark de Triomphe”—again that play on words—is the Frog pubs’ stout. At one time, the Frog pubs sold stouts such as Guinness, but have had so much success with this one that they no longer serve anyone else’s. While slightly more bitter than other stouts, it still has the thick creamy head of the better known stouts.

The strongest beer, at 5.2% ABV, is Parislytic, a red beer similar to Kilkenny red Irish beer that is a “great example of strong bitter,” malty and hoppy, and packed with British hops to balance out all the alcohol-producing malt, according to the Frog pubs website (www.frogpubs.com). Being a lighter beer kind of guy, it was the one beer I didn’t even try. But supposedly it “drinks easily and avoids the fruity sweetness that often spoils strong ales.” I’ll take their word for it.

The Frog pubs also periodically brew what Tory calls “the fun beers.” Last November they brewed “Revenge,” an English answer to the traditional and famed Beaujolais Nouvelle wine that had just come out. Anyone could bring a cheap, three or four euro bottle of Beaujolais Nouvelle to the bar and do an even exchange for a pint of Frog beer.
This past summer saw Westminster Abby beer being produced, a blond lager “blended gently with honey,” Dotty said. The beer planned for this coming summer will be “Extra Blond,” a very, very cold lager that will be higher in alcohol, she said.

A pint of beer at the Frog pubs cost 6 euros, which is somewhat less than most Paris beer pubs where you can pay 8 euros and up for a bottle of beer or a “pint.” Most beer pubs, or brasseries, serve by the centiliter, equating 50 cls to a pint. A pint is actually 56 cls, so beware.

A “jug,” or pitcher, of beer costs 20 euros and is 2.3 liters, or slightly more than four pints.

Advanced Technology

One of the more unique services offered at the Frog pubs that I really liked is the “TextoPint,” a system that allows someone to contact the Frog pub on their website and e-mail in a drink for a friend, colleague or pretty much anyone he or she wants to buy a drink for.

You simply go up the Frog’s website, go to “TextoPint,” open an account using a credit card, provide your friend’s cell phone number along with any message you want to send and what you want to order for them, which can be a pint or jug of beer, or a bottle of wine or champagne. A text message, or SMS, is then sent to the friend’s cell phone along with your message and a special code. Your friend shows the code to the bartender who promptly provides what was ordered.

It’s an excellent way to send a message to someone waiting in the pub for you to arrive. “Terribly sorry. Date’s off. Have just gotten married. Have a pint on me.”
“A lot of people are using text messaging to buy friends pints of beer,” Tory said. “We were the first ever to use the cell phone, which is a practical way to offer somebody a gift.”

Frog Pubs is also developing a data base of hundreds of its customers so that e-mails can be sent out providing coupons for special savings, announcements of upcoming events or notices of new beers being brewed, she said.

The Frog Pubs are located at:

The Frog & Rosbif, 116 rue St. Denis, Paris. 01-42-36-34-73
The Frog & Princess, 9 rue Princesse, Paris. 01-40-51-77-38
The Frog at Bercy Village, 25 Cour St. Emilion, Paris. 01-43-40-70-71
The Frog & British Library, 114 Ave. de France, Paris. 01-45-84-34-26
The Frog & Rosbif, 14 rue de l’Industrie, Toulouse. 05-61-99-28-57
The Frog & Rosbif, 23 rue Ausone, Bordeaux. 05-56-48-55-85

Many people associate France with cycling. Fewer people are aware of the network of Grandes Randonnées – the long walks that take you over the top or through the middle of every part of France. In this excerpt from his e-book Eurocurios, travel writer and photographer Keith Kellett leads you through places which most tourists miss as they hurtle away from the car ferry dock, heading for Paris, the Dordogne, or Nice. This layout will differ from the one in the e-book.

Generally, we in Britain associate white cliffs with the “welcome home” from the famous ones at Dover. But there are also white cliffs on the other side of the English Channel, which give Normandy’s Alabaster Coast its name.

The seaside resorts on this spectacular coast are very popular with French holiday-makers. A handful of visitors come from continental Europe, but only a few from Britain. This is surprising, as the area could be reached by car from the ferry ports of Le Havre or Dieppe within an hour.

For walkers or cyclists, the GR21 long-distance path leads from Le Havre to Dieppe. A good day along this route would bring a walker to the coast at some of the best cliff formations, near Etretat.

Packed into a little bay between the cliffs, Étretat is an appealing mix of modern naff and old-world kitsch typical of seaside resorts all over the world. Behind the rather functional promenade, you can find quaint half- timbered cafés, and shops selling everything from designer clothing to the kind of stuff you can buy in any seaside town
…. except buckets and spades. Étretat has a pebble beach.

The main attraction of Étretat is the often breezy walk along the tops of the falaises, or cliffs at the western end of the promenade. From the path, you have an excellent view of two natural arches and a detached aiguille, or needle, all in dead-bone-white chalk
against the blue of the sea and sky.

In addition to the walks and the usual beach pursuits, riding stables and a golf course can be found in or near Étretat. For motorists, the Ivory and Spice Road, taking in several châteaux and manoirs, is one of many tours possible. This route takes its
name from the vigorous trade in these commodities carried on by Norman sailors and merchants in bygone times. Dieppe wasonce noted for ivory carving, and examples of this art can be seen at almost any château or museum you visit in this area.

Many intricate pieces of the ivory carvers’ craft can be seen at the Benedictine Palace, in the fishing port and resort of Fécamp. This splendid piece of neo-Gothic gingerbread was built about a hundred years ago by Alexandre Le Grand, a wine merchant who re-discovered the recipe for the famous liqueur formerly produced by the Benedictine monks of Fécamp Abbey.

This was the destination of many of the spices, twenty-seven of which are used in the production of Bénédictine. You can savour the aroma of these herbs and spices at the museum in the Palace, which also holds many paintings and other antiquities.

You can inspect the distillery where Bénédictine is made, and taste the end product. But they won’t tell you how they make it, or exactly what goes into it. That’s still a closely-guarded secret!

Bénédictine Pamplemousse (great for summer days)

2 parts Bénédictine

3 parts chilled Pink Grapefruit juice

dash Grenadine.

Serve in a frosted glass.

FIND A HOTEL in Etretat- type in your date and length of stay

If we can’t find one, find the name of a nearby town and try that.