Travel another way

The French Riviera has always been  a magnet  for American stars  coming either to   the Cannes film festival or to luxry resorts like Nice or Monaco, but  Provence only  attracted European artists and  painters before the 1950s. It was only in the 1980s that  British and American stars moved to the heart of Provence: le Luberon.

In 1988, Peter Mayle, in his delicious book  “A year in Provence”  started to  praise this authentic rural area, rolling between Avignon and Apt, where he had bought his famous house in Menerbes; he unfortunately had to sell it because of nosy fans driving up his alley any time of the day or of the night. He still owns a house in the area but he prefers not to disclose the location

John Malkocich has   a summer house  in Bonnieux, a village just 5 miles from Ménerbes, where he grows his own wine.

John Illsley, the guitarist of Dire Straits, picked a more southern place, in Les Baux, south of Saint Remy de Provence. The village houses are nested in the rock cliffs in a troglodyte way; at the top of the village , a medieval castle offers the greatest view on the Alpille and Camargue towards the Mediterranean Sea.

As for Tony and Ridley Scott, they have owned a house for over 10 years in the same area, and they hosted Brad and Angelina last year, when they were cruising the area in search of the perfect hiding nest.

Indeed Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have bought a 44 million  euros estate, Chateau de Miraval with  a AOC Côte-de-Provence vineyard, near Brignolles.  They often fly their private helicopter to reach the close-by French Riviera when they feel like seing their friend Bono or  in Cap-ferrat or Saint Tropez. Beside the vineyards,  13 different types of olive trees are grown on the property, amidst a forest and a lake.

So why do they pick France? Most American stars do not only come for the charms of the French countryside; they are attracted by stricter French laws protecting their private lives.

Useful links to click on:

• Tour in Provence with French Escapade : stay in a charming villa in the heart of Luberon, near Ménerbes and Bonnieux ! Daily visits in small groups of 8 to Les Baux, Saint Remy, Avignon, Camargue, Gordes, Roussillon, L’Isle sur la Sorgues ; product tasting: wine, chocolate, olive oil, … Last minute offer on June 20-27 trip: 50% off. Check the “dates and rates” page.

Yes, for sure, it will be Annecy that will be the French candidate city for the 2018 Winter Olympics. It was decided on Wednesday, March 18th.

There were 4 to compete for the nomination: Nice, Grenoble, Pelvoux and Annecy. All of them located in the French Alps.

Annecy is an amazing city nested in the heart of the Alps, by a very romantic lake, and has wonderfully preserved its old town with meandering canals and a hilltop  medieval castle. Nicknamed the Venice of the Alps , its charms are endless, especially on market days when farmers come down from  surrounding villages to sell their huge wheels of cheese or flavoured salami.

The Winter Olympics were organized for the first time ever in Chamonix,France, in 1924. Grenoble was the second French city in the Alps to get that honour in 1968, and Albertville  was the last  in 1992.

But we will have to wait until July 2011 to find out if Annecy is selected by the international Olympic committee, which is to meet in Durban, South Africa. France will have to face tough competitors such as  Munich (Germany) and Pyeongchang (South Korea).

Meanwhile, you can always enjoy a French Escapade in the French Alps to discover the traditions and culture of this Alpine part of France, and visit Annecy and Chamonix (see La Belle France tours on www.frenchescapade.com)

Useful links (click title to access site):

• Tours in small groups of 8 in the French Alps
• facebook group

“Annecy for 2018 Winter Olympics”

Videos related to this post (click on title):

• Savoie- Montblanc ski resort ambiance
• official video for Annecy 2018

Pictures by French Escapade or guests (Cheese by Jan Hagan)

                                       San Francisco skyline and Bay Bridge  from Treasure Island

Before 1776

The Ohlone Indians had settled on the coast between Big Sur and the San Francsico bay where they could  take advantages of the geography and the mild climate of the area: the fog that temperates the forests, the fresh and salty water mix that diversifies the water fauna and flora and the fact that the isthmus was narrow and therefore protected them from intrusion.

Many European explorators had indeed sailed by it without seeing it in the 16th century. Sir Francis Drake was to land at Point Reyes instead. In 1769, it was Gaspar de la Portola who first mentioned the bay, which was settled by a handful of Europeans in 1776.

1848 -1951

The Gold Rush fostered a demographic explosion of the city (from 1,000 to 25, 000 people over a year). Even though some newcomers arrived by land, most came by boat and many ships did the journey around the Cape Horn or from Panama. Theses 49ers would land in the Yerba Buena cove, and stay there because both passengers and crew would leave the vessels to reach the Sierras in search of Gold. The bay was soon packed with deserted boats : in the summer of 1850, it was recorded that 500 ships were anchored in the cove.                                

Many of these abandoned ships were then used as shops, saloons, hotels or abodes; some buildings were also erected in between on piles. Other vessels were broken apart and the wood and metal used to build houses. The city passed many extension bills to turn the floating city into land; as a result, the whole area was filled with sand and by the end of the 60s, the area almost looked like any other districts. However, many houses were built on ship decks and you just needed to visit the cellars  to find out! A seawall was constructed around the new area and is approximately the limit of the Embarcadero boardwalk. North Beach was not a beach anymore!

Old and recent excavations or construction works have unearthed some of these historical ships, the most famous one being the Niantic, excavated in 1977 (part of it buried under the Transamerica Pyramid).

                                                                        Golden Gate bridge

Fishermen on the wharf

When the Gold Rush started to decline, Californians turned to fishing. The salmon was an important trade as well as crab. A large Chinese community arrived and developed  an important fishery by the bay, and would sent back to China dry fish, shrimps  and shellfish. In the 1860s, Italians immigrants settled in the Norhth Beach district. The first wharf dedicated to fishing was built in 1884. However in the 20th century, pollution struck the fishing industry hard , especially regarding oysters and salmon. In the 30s, the sardine fishing industry boomed, and continued until the early 50s.

                                                            Oysters served in San Francisco

The fishing industry today

The fishing activity includes fish processing located on Pier 45. San Francisco is regarded as the fish capital of the West coast: the most important sport fishing is salmon catching, but it is now limited due to a lack of fish returning to spawn new generations. The famous dungeness crabs are still caught by the San Francisco fishermen.

                                                               Californian fishermen’s cabin

More services today                                                                                                             

The port of San Francisco stretches over 7.5 miles along the bay and offers  cargo services, a cruise dock, a fisherman’s wharf for commercial and sport fishing,   and many passenger ferry services to Alcatraz, Sausalito and Oakland.  The  cruise industry welcomes 200,000 passengers every year mainly sailing to Alaska and Mexico.

Useful links (click on title):

• Tours of San Francisco
• history of the port of San Francisco
• burried ships in SF
• port of San Francisco

                                                    On a tour of San Francisco : view of the piers

Video links (click on title):

• The Queen Mary II enters the San Francisco Bay
• San Francisco Port of Gold
• Salmon fishing in 1928 in San Francisco

This year was a very special year for the new Michelin guide, as it was its 100th edition. The first one was issued in 1900 (no issues during the 2 World Wars and in 1921) as a promotional brochure for the Michelin tires) and it is therefore the oldest European gastronomy guide. In the first editions it only mentioned addresses of car mechanics. The first restaurants  only appeared in 1920. It is now a prestigious hotel and restaurant guide covering over 20 countries and published in several languages. Over 30 millions guides were sold over all. Many city guides are now also published, Tokyo being the city with the most starred restaurants.

This year’s  edition can also be purchased in a collector box or on your i-Phone. This year’s edition only added one  new 3-star restaurant among the 548 happy few to receive stars, and of course, others have lost the prestigious award.

Too much pressure?

Many chefs have recently quit the painful race   because of  overwhelming  pressure. Celebrated chef Marc Veyrat who received 3 stars for his restaurant “l’Auberge de l’Eridan” by the Annecy lake in Veyrier-du-Lac (French Alps), declined his nomination this year. A few months ago, chef Olivier Roellinger even closed his 3-star restaurant, “Maison de Bricourt” in Cancale, Brittany. These are just a few examples that show the infernal moral and physical tension bearing on these top professionals whose business highly depends on the red  guide to succeed or not. When chef Bernard Loiseau committed suicide in 2003, some said it could be related to the rumour that he was about to lose one of his 3 stars.

Another criticism consists in tagging the guide of conservatism and of favoring traditional cuisine. For the fans of the guide, however, the biggest problems will be to manage to make a reservation in one of these starred restaurants. Indeed, the 548 awarded establishments attract gourmet clients from all over the world and are difficult to access.

Our selection among the new establishments in the 2009 edition:

*** star restaurants = 26 restaurants in this category (only  1  new one)

• Chef Eric Frechon , “Le Bristol”, Paris 8eme.

** star restaurants: 73 restaurants (9 new ones)

• Chef Gordon Ramsay, “Le Trianon”, Versailles.

* star restaurant:   449 restaurants (63 new ones )

• Chef Cedric Bedache, “Auberge Basque”, Helbarron (Pyrénése Atlantiques)

+ 527 bib gourmands = good value for money (meals under $45).

Clickable useful links:

• Michelin Guide and routes
• To buy the 2009 Michelin Guide / France
• Gastronomic and cooking tours in France

Videos:

• Eric Frechon in the Bristol cuisine, about his 3rd star.
• Gordon Ramsay, the chef who does not know about politically-correct !

The winners: Eric Frechon, Gordon Ramsay and the Auberge Basque team.