14.51 - La Drôme Provençale: A tour with natural beauty & gastronomic delights
So much! We showcase La Drôme, an often over-looked department, rich in natural beauty & gastronomic delights. PLUS a new contributor introduction & her art rendezvous + Grenoble Street art ++
Bonjour francophile friends… I’m thrilled that you’re here again this week - bienvenue - welcome.
What’s happening in MyFrenchLife Magazine - new articles.
Next… Drôme Provençale: A tour with natural beauty & gastronomic delights… toward the base of this newsletter,
DO NOT MISS THIS, which was emailed to you on Friday. → Creatives: Huge FREE Bonus Festive Period Edition ←
If you enjoy this edition, please note that every week there is another entirely different version of le bulletin exclusively for paying subscribers. This week that edition is 14.51.a - The Call of the Pyrénées: unveiling the intrigue and magic
Look for it in your inbox (or here)!
Judy - 21.12.24
1. Let’s explore & read the new articles in My FrenchLife Magazine
Did you know there are >3000 articles in MyFrenchLife Magazine, where savvy francophiles love to immerse themselves and indulge?
Thank you to all Contributors to our magazine. I love that your articles take us from one end of France to another and constantly remind us of the rich culture of this wonderful and diverse country.
Merci.
Judy.
Here you’ll find the most recently published articles:
a) → Grenoble: Street art — A living landscape, perceptions & motivations
by Anne Thomas
Grenoble Street Art: When I arrived, graffiti was a big part of my first impression of Grenoble. Tagging seemed to show little discrimination between occupied and shuttered buildings, busy respectable street corners, and dim alleys.” writes Ann as she observes and narrates a street art tour through Grenoble.
b) →Map your Days: The act of listening—an art rendezvous
by Sonja Bajic
An introductory article from Sonja Bajic. You probably read my interview with her recently.
Map your Day: the act of listening - When done individually, this exercise opens up inspiration & offers a variety of small drawing possibilities for warm-up where you actively listen and find meaning in sometimes just noise.
c) Poetry: Marseillan, France - Title: Center - Subject: dear friend Jérôme M.
by Monique Eurich
Poetry: Poem-a-Day Project - On Ourselves and Everyone Else - Marseillan, France
↓ CLICK IMAGE & read all the new articles on MyFrenchLife Magazine ↓
2. Drôme Provençale: A tour with natural beauty & gastronomic delights
by Traci Parent
While technically part of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, La Drôme is the natural start of Provence, rich in natural beauty and gastronomic delights. This often over-looked département understands that travelers want to experience it all, in a fun, interactive way.
It begins with a trifecta of wine, chocolate, and shoes and ends in a château surrounded by sublime fields of lavender.
I love nothing more than an area that is a feast for the senses, peppered with some good shopping! La Drôme hits all the marks!
Lush landscapes with the scent of lavender, thyme, rosemary, sage, and verbena surround picturesque towns and six plus beaux villages .
On y va?
Wine, Chocolate and Shoes
We begin our tour in Tain-l’Hermitage, situated on the left bank of the Rhône river, and world-renowned for its wines. Maison M Chapoutier, one of the grand masters, has the loveliest tasting room. Start in the vineyards, then taste these famous wines accompanied by the expertise of a sommelier. Want to linger a bit longer? Take an electric bike into the vineyards for stunning views, or even spend the night in their gîte “La Tour du Pavillon”, nestled among the vines.
Our next stop is located three minutes away. Follow the sumptuous aroma of chocolate to the Cité du Chocolat Valrhôna, where sensory experiences are educational, fun, and delicious! You can also participate in a chocolate workshop, which I highly recommend! Our group made truffles (not as easy as it looks) and took home a bag of our creation. If your turn out less than perfect, no worries, the chocolate shop just next door has everything you could ever want!
Two more stops in the area make this area absolute perfection for me.
Thanks to its location near the river and the booming tanning industry, Romans-sur-Isère was the capital of shoe production from 1850 until the 1970s. There are still a few manufacturers today, but the real jewel is the Musée de la Chaussure which chronicles the history of shoes. Style over comfort was the motto of many designers!
Stroll over to the nearby outlet mall to finish out your day of indulgence.
Let’s Eat!
Heading south to join l’autoroute du Soleil ( A7) you will want to make a stop at the prestigious Maison Pic. The incomparable chef Anne-Sophie Pic has created her own haven of gastronomy and luxury near Valance. If her Three Michelin Star Restaurant Pic isn’t quite in the budget, you can still enjoy an exquisite menu at Bistrot André, where she says “The story of my family is written, told, and, above all, tasted.”
If you have time to linger, the Pic Hôtel is a five-star luxury in the most tranquil setting, where the Pic Bar invites you to taste the bartender’s playfully creative creations in the secret garden. If you are inspired to improve your own cooking, her curated boutique “éPICerie” may have just what you need! (Whisky-aged pepper must make everything taste better, right?)
Natural Beauty, plus a bit more wine
When I am exploring an area, I love to find one place to unpack my bags and settle in. When that place is a five-star Château with a Cinq Mondes spa, tant mieux ! (even better) Château Les Oliviers de Salettes is an absolute treasure, surrounded by 31 hectares of rolling hills and fields of lavender. Each of its 29 rooms and suites has a different personality, and each offers stunning views, over one of the two swimming pools, the gardens, or rows of lavender that feel close enough to touch. And in fact, you are invited to do so! The friendly staff will give you scissors and a ribbon to gather your own bouquet to take home. You can also arrange a picnic by the fields. Sublime.
If you can tear yourself away from this idyllic setting, there is much more exploring to be done!
There are five “Plus beaux villages” in the area, each with its own charm.
The fortified castle of Grignan is a must-see. Perched at the highest point in town, it offers views as stunning as the château’s interior.
Nearby La Garde-Adhémar is best known for its herb garden that received the award of ‘Jardin Remarquable’ in 2006.
Le Poët-Laval is a picturesque pedestrian-only village with a medieval church, clustered houses, and some remaining walls.
Montbrun-Les-Bains, backing up a hill and facing Mont Ventoux, is famous for its thermal baths, making it a leading spa resort.
Finally, Mirmande, featured on the show “Le Village Préféré des Français”, is known for its beautiful roofs and its fruit trees.
Speaking of food, the Thursday market in Nyons is one of the best in the area and has everything from their famous olive oils to clothing and gifts. Plan to spend some time, as the tents are tucked into each corner of town.
As we began our tour of the Drôme with wine, we will end it the same way.
Did you know there is a wine university that you can attend? It is quite fittingly housed in a 12th-century fortified castle. Le Château de Suze-la-Rousse is an imposing structure that is worth a visit in itself. It is here that future sommeliers immerse themselves in their rigorous studies, but you can get a taste of the profession by attending a short workshop. The staff is friendly and makes things easy to understand. We even crafted our own blend of red wine!
Have you ever been to La Drôme? Please share your experiences in the comments below.
Further information on the area can be found here.
Image credits: All photos copyright Traci Parent/Author
Thank you Traci for a very interesting article. I’ve long been an admirer of Anne-Sophie Pic!
Judy
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I hope to see you here again next week
Judy MacMahon
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Some of my earliest French experiences were in the Drome, right near Tain l'Hermitage in fact. I remember visiting the shoe museum. It's definitely a department with a lot to see!