It seems like I’ve been cramming a lot of last-minute French activities in recently. All of a sudden I realized that there were so many little things that I haven’t done and had to do before leaving, like visiting more French cities and going to a winery. So, with a mini-trip to Grenoble this past week and a winery tour yesterday, I’m starting to cross the many little français et aixois things off my list.
Grenoble, France
Grenoble is east of Aix and is situated in the Alps. It’s the tenth biggest city in France and is known for it’s breathtaking mountain views and for hosting the 1968 Olympic Games.
Sara and I left Aix around 8:00 Thursday morning and got to Grenoble right around 10. After dropping our stuff off at our hotel (yes, a real hotel !!!) we were off to explore. Our first stop was taking the cable cars up to La Bastille. The ride up was really cool and once we were at the top, there were stunning views of the city below. We took a ton of pictures, had un petit café, and then walked our way back down. The walk down was just as beautiful: green trees, brightly-colored flowers, and so many mountains.
I’ve come to realize this year that no picture I’ve taken will ever do justice to all of the beautiful places that I’ve been.
After our walk down, we had a really good (and full-of-cheese) lunch at a nearby café and continued to wander. We meandered around a couple of parks, downtown, and eventually ended up sitting on a park bench for a couple of hours, which is definitely one of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon.
That evening, we “made” dinner in our little hotel room: salad, a baguette, wine, and chocolate.
The next day, it was raining and 50 degrees which was a big change from the 80 and sunny weather on Thursday. To avoid the rain, we spent the morning exploring le Musée de Grenoble, which is full of art from a lot of different eras. We saw classical French art, Italian Renaissance paintings, and even a Warhol.
Afterwards, we had lunch at McDonald’s, or Macdo as the French say; it was my first time having it in France this year. Our next stop was the old part of Grenoble where we stopped for some café/thé at the second oldest café in France.
Sara decided to leave a little earlier to have dinner with her dinner family in Aix so, after the café, I was on my own for a few hours. Because it was so cold and rainy, I relaxed in the hotel for a while, went to Monoprix for snacks, and then headed to the train station. On the way back, however, my train had a couple of “layovers.” So, three trains and about three hours later, I finally made it back to Aix around 10:30 that night.
Sara and I both really, really enjoyed our time in Grenoble. It was absolutely beautiful. We both agreed that it seemed like such a livable city and that’d we’d love to go back.
Winery tour
Saturday morning, three friends and I went on a guided winery tour through the Aix tourism office. We spent about four-and-half hours learning about wine and how it’s made, visiting two wineries, and sampling nine wines. It was a lovely way to spend a Saturday, and one of my last full days in Aix.
Our first stop was Château Vignelaure. There, we learned about the winemaking and storing process. We saw the cellar, “the library” where they keep the vintage wines, and learned about how each wine differs. To make red wine, for example, you first ferment the grapes and then press them. Rosé and white are the opposite: you first press and then ferment the grapes. Another interesting fact: rosé is made with dark grapes just like red, not a mélange of red and white like a lot of people think.
The owners of this vineyard are art collectors by trade so the whole place had a lot of really cool and different art.
And their property was absolutely stunning.
Our second stop was Château la Dorgonne, an organic winery. There, we talked more about vines, soil, and the growing conditions of grapes. Our time there was a little rushed but it was still beautiful (and they had dogs !!).
Both wineries were awesome to visit; they both had wonderful wine, property, and atmospheres. It was such a cool experience and something that I’ve been really wanting to do. And, bien entendu, I absolutely loved spending one of my last few days in Aix with some fabulous ladies.
Busy weeks ahead
Four weeks from right now, I’ll probably be sitting at the O’Hare airport begging an American Airlines flight attendant to let me on an earlier flight back home to St. Louis. With all of my adventures starting in just two days, I’m not sure when I’ll get the next chance to blog. If I don’t get to write before I’m back aux Etats-Unis, get ready for a couple of long blogs about all that I’ve been up to and reflecting on my ten-month adventure. Until then, go out and explore!
Bisous !
An Aixcellent Adventure 