Search results for

You should definitely drink these four things in London.

Overview

An interview with René Redzepi.

In Matera, Italy this cave has been keeping people sheltered for 7,000 years and is now home to the first luxury hotel in the area.

Wandering Chef: Clio’s Ken Oringer in Paris

So exceptional is the Loire Valley, with its enchanting châteaus, religious landmarks, and award-winning wineries, that the entire 310-square-mile region, located between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes, was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000. Lined with vineyards, orchards, and artichoke fields, it’s known as the Garden of France, but the region is about so much more than agriculture. Come here to sleep in a troglodyte cave, learn more about Joan of Arc, ride a mechanical elephant, and, of course, sample the local Sancerre.

Sébastien Riffault, son of winemaker Étienne Riffault, started his own label in 2002 with a strong belief in biodiversity, biodynamic principles, and natural winemaking. On his almost five acres of vineyards near Sury-en-Vaux, he grows an array of plants, flowers, and grass among his vines to encourage good insects, and uses horses to plow so his soil is carefully tilled. Without the aid of fertilizers or chemicals, he leaves his grapes on the vine extremely late to ensure they’re completely ripe, then ferments them in large, old barrels with wild yeast. The result is unfiltered, completely natural wine that competes with some of the Loire’s best bottles. To learn more about Sébastien’s unique process, visit the vineyard for one of his informal vendage entre amis (grape-picking with friends), then stick around to taste some of his Sancerre.

Located in the Loire Valley, Rochemenier is a village with a lot of caves. Nothing unique about that except that there are a lot of people still living in them! There are restaurants and shops, a great museum, many homes and at least one church all in caves. It is a great stop if you are visiting this part of France.

This is the view inside the Symphonic Sculpture by Gabriel Loire at the Hakone Open Air Museum (彫刻の森 in Japanese) in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The museum opened in 1969 as the first open-air art museum in Japan. The spectacular grounds, set against the backdrop of Mt. Fuji, are the permanent home for hundreds of works by well-known modern and contemporary sculptors and artists, including Picasso, Rodin, Bourdelle, Miro and Moore. There is also a series of installations where children can play, a footbath fed by natural hot springs, and a variety of other facilities including restaurants and shops.

Only two hours outside of Paris, Chateau de Chambord is the largest chateau in the Loire Valley, but it remains unfinished. It was originally built as a hunting lodge for King Francois I and is massive! Once Francois passed away the chateau was left abandoned for nearly 100 years. Various architects across the ages have worked on it and it is interesting to see the various styles while touring the property. Since the French government took it over and began restoring it, the chateau and its grounds have become extremely popular - there are over 100 rooms to explore if you like. Add on to the grounds that are extensive and you can spend (and you should) an entire day here.

The lovely Ooidonk castle, once the home to the Earl of Horne, is one of the finest in the country and is still inhabited by the owner. The castle was involved in numerous conflicts between cities during the 14th and 15 century and saw its fair share of religious wars during the 16th century. In 1595 the medieval castle was rebuilt and given its current looks thanks to Maarten della Faille. The outer view, the towers especially, crow-step gables and many chimneys evoke the images of Loire castles such as Chambord. The castle was brought into the modern age in 1870 without removing the original renaissance style and was opened to the public from 1958 on. The castles interior is filled with precious furniture, silver, paintings and family portraits. The successive owners and the current earl Juan t’ Kint de Roodenbeke, have always achieved to maintain the rural panoramic view of the grounds. The gardens are exquisite and worth a visit. Unfortunately we could only see the outside and the gardens due to the fact that the family was in the castle having a reunion. I will however be going back next month to see the interior.

This chateau is a personal favorite. Most of the photos you see of it show it show it lording over the Cher river, but I decided to use a photo showing one of the courtyards. As is typical with many of the wonderful chateaus of France there are wonderful gardens, a beautiful chapel, and an adorable little farm with very friendly donkeys, but the interior architecture is what impresses me most. The kitchen is the most impressive spot and you can spend quite a bit of time wandering through the rooms that make up the cooking area, carving area, the pots and pans, it’s amazing! There is usually an art exposition on the top floor, but it will be hard to tear yours eyes from the actual floor to see the art as the mosaic design is quite impressive. As I mentioned in my highlight about the Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire, I am a personal fan of the history of these two châteaus due to the incredible rivalry between Catherine de Medici and Diane de Poitiers. When Catherine’s husband Henry II, died she forced his mistress Diane to exchange châteaus! But as both places are quite beautiful I am not sure who got the raw end of the stick!

There’s no shortage of boat tours on the Loire River, but for an even more Instagrammable experience, ride a 40-foot mechanical elephant along the water at Les Machines de l’Île in Nantes. Open since 2007 in the town’s old shipyards, this engineering playground boggles the mind with attractions like the Carrousel des Mondes Marines (a massive carousel with sea creatures that move) and the Galeries des Machines (home to a giant mechanical spider and ant). The museum’s newest project, the $45 million Arbre aux Herons with 35 mechanical birds perched in a 115-foot tree, is scheduled to open in 2021.

Only a 40-minute drive from Saumur, the Château d’Ussé is so magical that it served as the inspiration for the castle in Charles Perrault’s The Sleeping Beauty. Originally built as a stronghold in the Middle Ages, it developed over time into a jewel of Renaissance architecture, then became a splendid residential home in the 17th and 18th centuries. The octagonal Knights’ Dungeon plays a key part in Perrault’s fairy tale, but the castle is also home to enchanting cellars, gardens, stables, a chapel, and a tower with spectacular views over the Loire Valley. Spend some time here and you’ll quickly understand why it’s among the most beloved castles.

One of the few chateaus that I have been to outside of Loire, the Château de Fontaine-Henry is located in Normandy and I basically stumbled upon while out and about explore the backroads of this beautiful region. It is unique in it is one of the few chateaus that has never been sold in its entire history, it is fully furnished and lived in by its owners. It is claimed to have the highest rooftops of France and is an interesting mix of architecture styles. The Nazis took it over during WWII and you can still see remnants of their presence in the garage area. The furnishings throughout the chateau are spectacular. Also once a year they hold a massive culinary event called “Château Gourmand” how can you beat that?