Slow Travel in France a deeper level of experience

The sheer physical diversity of France would be hard to exhaust in a lifetime of visits. Each region looks and feels different, has its own style of architecture, its own characteristic food and often its own dialect. People frequently refer to their own region as mon pays – my country- this strong sense of regional identity has persisted over the centuries. Despite all the millions of French people that live in cities, the idea persists that France is a rural country. The most striking feature of the French countryside is the sense of space. There are huge tracts of woodland and undeveloped land without a house in sight. Hundreds of towns and villages have changed only slowly and organically over the years, their old houses and streets as much a part of the natural landscape as the rivers, hills and fields.

Over the last eight years Jack and Shelagh Saprunoff of The Traveller’s Tale in Courtenay, have led cycle tours in two of these unique regions; the Loire Valley famed for soft, fertile countryside and a marvelous parade of chateaux, and the green valleys of Burgundy sheltering a wealth of Romanesque churches, offering wines and food amongst the finest in France. Jack and Shelagh have discovered that cyclists are much admired and encouraged in France. This year they are offering two tours in the Loire departing July 4th and 13th and one in Burgundy departing July 27th. Dedicated to the concept of slow travel, they have created a unique approach to the standard point to point bike tour. Wanting to provide an opportunity for people to gain an in depth experience of the French countryside they have created two centre based cycle holidays.

In the Loire you are made welcome at a renovated farmhouse typical of the Touraine. Set amidst fields of sunflowers, the farm provides fresh eggs, and cherries. The owners of the property have been known to invite the cyclists, who have become quite an annual feature, to a fete celebrating local wines and a regional bread called fouée. Each day the 10 cyclists set out in a different direction to explore this gentle landscape. Picturesque villages abound. Visits are timed to coincide with market days and local festivities that proliferate throughout the summer months. Markets are an essential part of the French countryside. They are gathering spots for those from outlying areas, offering the opportunity to sample the freshest foods imaginable and to catch up on the local gossip. One can relish the aromas from stalls where the juices of chickens roasting on a spit flavour the potatoes laid out underneath, or marvel as the largest pans of paella you’ve ever seen bubble away. Its not just about the food – there is also the wine! The wine growing tradition dates from the 5th century AD. Chinon and Bourgueil reds are notable for being the Loire’s richest and most full bodied. This is all right on your doorstep. Within walking distance of the farm there is a producteur, offering a degustation, which allows you to sample two or three or four or five of their vintages. Study, swirl, sniff, sip and swallow the wines of Philippe Richard. Gather up a few bottles and they will have pride of place at the evening meal.

Peaceful, rural Burgundy has been called a state of mind. It is the bridge between northern France and the Midi. The classic image of Burgundy is of golden vineyards and gentle slopes. But real Burgundy is a patchwork of prosperous wine country and fertile pastures stitched together with poorer plains and woodland. Shakespeare spoke of “waterish Burgundy” which is apt as it remains the watershed of France. With 700 miles of navigable rivers and canals there are many pathways suitable for cycling.

The lowly snail is the regional symbol of Burgundy, occupying church capitals and decorating town houses. It is modest, sensitive and goes quietly about its business. The snail like Burgundy is happy in its shell. A snails pace best describes the approach of this cycle tour. Keeping pace with the slowest canal boat leaves time to indulge in a leisurely wine tasting, with the Borgnats. Benjamin and Eglantine run their domaine from a converted medieval chateau. They produce a rosé, a tangy Bourgogne Aligoté, Tête de Cuveé a Bourgogne Coulanges and Cremant de Bourgogne in wine cellars that are reputed to be the longest in Burgundy. After a couple of days immersed in wine villages you meander down a canal path to the cottage in Asquins. The village of Asquins straddles a winding road taken by medieval and modern day pilgrims to reach the Basilique Ste Madeleine in Vezelay. At night one can see the floodlight basilica from the cottage garden. The rides are as varied as the terrain. One day you are riding along fertile pastures past sacred Celtic and Roman settlements, through scenic hamlets with castle ruins, to isolated hill top chateaux. The next, you are cycling through a lush valley carved by the River Cousin which is lined with old washhouses and dreamy watermills.

It is said that you only have to breathe the air of Burgundy to get fat! Of course that is why you cycle! However there are moments when that balance is a real challenge. One such moment happens in the village of Flavigny. This was the film location for the movie Chocolat. Just across from the “Chocolate shop” is La Grange a unique setting for a ferme auberge. Marie Francoise Courtier is a farmer’s wife. She and her 14 friends are famous in Burgundy for producing classic home cooked dishes from home grown produce. This is one of “those” challenges. A similar challenge takes place at the Auberge de Voutenay. Here Valerie and Laurent Poirier prepare seasonal dishes that are a delight for all your senses.

On Wednesday, February 15th at 7:30pm Travellers Tale is pleased to offer an evening of slides and stories of Jack and Shelagh’s cycle tours in France. This will take place at 526 Cliffe Avenue. Reservations are recommended as space is limited. Please call 703-0168 for more information and to reserve a spot.

The Courtyard, 526 Cliffe Avenue Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada V9N 2J4 Phone: (250) 703-0168     Fax: (250) 703-0178 info@travellers-tale.com