It is hard to escape the romantic charm of France, but
being alone does not mean you’re missing out
I sit on the rough edge
of the farm looking out onto acres upon acres of young vines reaching for
sunlight. They are only just sprouting fruit and the harvest is months away. But
I could sit here for eternity, a dusty addition to a postcard picture.
France is where the
romantics go, holding hands as they walk down broad leafy pavements, kissing
under the shadow of a church archway or sharing pastries in a café. What was I doing
then, ambling along alone with my day pack for company?
There were just six days
to sample a whole country that has been on my mind for years. It was
impossible, but I simply had to try.
Back in time in the 21st century
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| The River Seine |
Footing it around Paris
is the cheapest, easiest way to get around. So I got off the metro at Châtelet
and wandered off into three days of non-stop discovery.
The city was named by a
Celtic tribe in the third century called the Parisii, but features exquisite
architecture mostly from centuries much later. Amid the notorious French upper
crust attitude, perennial stream of tourists and pavements splattered with dog
poo, you find that beautiful juxtaposition of history and modernity that marks
every ‘old city’ in the world.
The main sites are
clustered along the River Seine making it easy for tourists to get from one
place to the next. The Tour St Jacques stands inconspicuously, solitary remains
of what was probably a majestic 16th century Gothic church destroyed
during the French Revolution.
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| Fete du pain |
Nearby is the Hôtel de
Ville, which has been the City Hall since 1357. It survived a fire that ravaged
the area 200 years ago and features hundreds of sculptures, and beautiful old
lamps among the thousands that gave Paris its nomenclature ‘City of Lights’. As
I moved on across the river, I became one of the last to see the colourful
‘love locks’ on the Pont des Arts. In June this year, the government removed
the thousands of inscribed padlocks left clinging to the heritage bridge by
couples as a sign of their love.
The smell of freshly baked
bread hung low below the tall intimidating spire of the Cathèdrale Notre Dame
de Paris on the tiny Île de la Cité in the centre of the Seine. Spread under a
huge white tent in the shadow of France’s most famous church, local bakers
showed off exquisite pastry and bread-making skills as hungry tourists devoured
excellent samples of French pâtisserie at La Fête du Pain, or the Festival of
Bread.
A medieval stairway leads
to the Notre Dame tower that explodes into a panoramic view of Paris, the city’s
changing scapes watched over by hideous-looking gargoyles and chimera. The
gargoyles functioned as run-offs for water, while the chimera are thought to
have served as guardians scaring off evil spirits. Inside, the cathedral is
filled with awe-inspiring stained glass, carvings, statues and towering organs,
the chief one having 7,374 pipes. Built over two centuries, it was the one of
the first buildings in the world to use flying buttresses, and continues to
remain one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture.
From the cathedral, a
walk down the Seine brought me to the Louvre, a day tour in itself, with nearly
35,000 exhibits from around the world including paintings, sculptures, scripts,
artefacts, jewellery, tapestries and more. Tourists and locals fill the expansive
Jardin des Tuileries in the museum grounds, watched over by sculptures that
lead you on towards the Champs Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe.
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| Model replica of the Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris |
A myriad other museums
along the way bring you up to the Eiffel Tower which lives up to its fame, but
only at night when the lights shine brightly and musicians create beautiful
melodies beneath its halo. In the north of Paris, the century-old Moulin Rouge nightclub
stands rather stifled among the buildings, its famous red windmill and décor
possibly the only remnants of its seductive past. The roads nearby are filled
with shops, selling everything from items of wild debauchery to chocolates and
curios.
And up the steps of
Montmartre, one arrives at the stately Basilica of Sacré-Cœur or Sacred Heart. Although
a later construction – built in the late 1800s-early 1900s – the basilica
stands tall on the highest point of the city, offering a commanding view of
Paris. Faithful come in from around the world to participate in perpetual adoration
of the consecrated host which has never stopped since 1885.
Vineyards & Villages
Then I left the city far
behind, heading to Burgundy for a sampling of the vineyards and the produce
that comes with it. As the wine capital of the district, Beaune felt
understated, unrealistically peaceful and almost shy.
Wide, clear roads with
medieval walls hidden at intervals, and cute dwellings with no one in sight
make it an enticing place for an extended sojourn. I was fortunate to meet
Marco Sparacino at the homestay, a young Italian sommelier full of life and bubbling
with curiosity. Together, we explored the vineyards of the Cote d’Or, or the
Golden Slope, the birthplace of some of the world’s finest wines.
The road south towards
Chalon-sur-Saône passed through Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet
and Chagny, with acres upon acres of vines creeping along the slopes, hanging
low to the ground on stem supports. Every so often, we’d pass through a village
– a small smattering of stone houses where engaging vintners spoke excitedly
about their products.
Marco enjoyed animated
discussions on the complexity of viniculture, as I explored the producers’ wine
caves – dark cellars stacked high with barrels ageing wines of various
bouquets. Along the way, I learnt interesting tid bits about wine, saw clos or walled vineyards and had my
breath taken away by a sea of cornflowers.
In the town of Beaune
itself, there are historic sites including the old market of Les Halles, an
ancient clock tower called Beffroi, and the 15th century Hospices de
Beaune which hosts France’s main wine auction sometime after the end of summer.
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| Vineyards in the Cote d'Or |
A day in the city of Dijon
was most certainly called for, looking for La Chouette – the city’s lucky owl
carving on the Notre Dame de Dijon cathedral walls, buying its famous mustard,
and taking in the beautiful Ducal Palace and its in-house Musée des Beaux Arts
which features a stunning array of medieval art.
Burgundy is the ideal
place for some quiet time. It is chic in its strong sense of culture and offers
pure experiences untouched by mainstream tourism. There are wine and cheese
tours, and even truffle hunts, Michelin-starred restaurants and miles upon
miles of tranquillity.
