I love Aquitaine

Christmas feeling

2011-12-10T10:27:00.001-08:00

Glögg in Finnish Iitala glass cups

The weather is ridiculous! 18 degrees and sun? How do you expect me to realise it is soon Christmas?

Today I did my best to obtain some winter atmosphere at home, took out the Christmas decorations and made some candy and cookies.... a bit of glögg, that hot spicy wine, and I started to get a little bit of that feeling.... one week left of school and then the vacation starts!

Candied orange peel dipped in dark chocolate

Safron candied almonds

Sliced gingerbread cookies with lots of spices: cardamon, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, lemon zest...

Amaretto flavored truffles

On repeat: Courant d'Huchet

2011-11-28T08:23:00.001-08:00

Moments of bliss: finding a huge mushroom - when you are in the car and driving...

Sitting down next to the Courant d'Huchet with a friend and share a coffee and some cookies... yes, I appreciated it so much the last time with the children that I brought a friend to go and explore it a bit further...

Dressed too warmly though. Needed nor the gloves, the coat or the sweater... is this November or what?

Parasol mushroom: 23 cm high; 20 cm diametre. This autumn has been heaven for mushroom lovers!

Marie

Courant d'Huchet meets the ocean

2011-11-14T12:33:00.001-08:00

As you might know, Moliets is our favorite beach. A bit to the right of the main entrance, the protected Courant d'Huchet, an outflow from the Léon lake, meets the ocean... this gently running water is not controlled and each winter overflows on the beach, making it the biggest on the coast.

We went there for another strange 'summer' afternoon... summer but with the winter early setting of the sun...

Families, dogs and virtually not a single leaf moving. So calm.
I would have liked to say this was the end of our weekend, but we went to see the Tintin movie, which according to the children was a perfect end to our weekend...

The amazing Holzarte bridge

2011-11-12T12:35:00.001-08:00

The Holzarte bridge was cast across the Olhadubi canyon as early as 1922 by two Italians that were interested in exploring the forest. (It was rebuilt in 2010 after the storm Xynthia had damaged it).

About 180 metres above the ground, I thought it would impress my children. And me. I suffer from vertigo and I honestly wasn't sure I would be able to cross the bridge....

This is mid-november but with unusually high temperatures (around 22 I believe). The hike was extra, the beauty of the landscape was only enhanced by the autumn colors and the lack of leaves. It took us an hour to get up to the bridge, partly on a steep path with slippery stones, with a couple of breaks to drink and have some chocolate... my children are launching their hiking careers and I find it very important that they connect hikes with pleasure!

(The path is not protected at all and most of the time it lies on the brink to precipices... at the same time it is pretty large and it didn't feel too dangerous).

The first part longs the river

Steady upwards...

Colors!!

Do you see the bridge?

The white dot: my son

Picnic time

Going back on slippery stones

You start the hike from Logibar, 8 km after Licq in the Soule Valley in the Pays Basque.

Mushroom hunting in our garden

2011-11-12T12:30:00.001-08:00

We were forced out of our usual mushroom hunting schemes... not in the ordinary corner, not next to the cherry tree but close to the fence... and well in view from our terrace. Beautiful, aren't they?
A lovely end to a unusual summer day in mid November... 23 degrees. We had earned an easy day after our excursion yesterday... a new post coming up soon!

General advice for planning a trip to Aquitaine!

2011-10-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know. You come for the food......

OK; take a deep breath: I'm gonna try to give some general advice about travelling to Aquitaine and how to plan your trip. Keep in mind that I know little about the Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne and of course only my personal opinion. I'll get back with another post to talk about practical advice.

Typical for Aquitaine is that you fill find many different things in a concentrated area.
Feels like I'll need a lifetime to explore everyting. Some topics might be the sea and the beaches, the mountains, wine, festivals, shopping, travelling with children, skiing and other sports, taking it easy, eating fantastic food...

If you are going for the sea and the beaches, I'd split the coastal area in four parts or even five:
1. The north part of the Silver Coast, close to the Arcachon Bay and Bordeaux. Here you have the excellent wine region Medoc close by but it gets pretty crowded in summer.

2. The middle part of the Silver Coast, the least known and the most untouched, vast views and lots of space. Perfect to take it easy, enjoy the sea and go biking in the pine forest. Calm.

3. The south part of the Silver Coast, with a more urban feeling, closer to the Pays Basque, Spain and the Pyrenees mountains. A good compromise between sea; sand and civilisation.
4. The Basque coast and a more dramatic coast with beaches and cliffs mixed together. Houses all the way down to the water front, strong Basque culture and of course very close to Spain. Very crowded in summer.
5. I add a fifth one which is not the sea but the big lakes close to the sea. They have calmer beaches and are a good option for families with children. Still close to the sea and lots of good camping options..

If you want the mountains:
Then the Pyrénées Atlantiques is the perfect option, either the Pays Basque, busier and on the seaside, or Béarn, in the countryside with rolling hills and real mountains. Pays Basque is getting a lot of tourists while Béarn is very calm and good for hiking and taking it easy.

If you want culture, food, shopping and wine there is really only one answer:
Go to Bordeaux! Perfect for a cultivated stay, a romantic getaway, great shopping and an atmosphere that reminds a lot of Paris. Pick one of the 600 restaurants to get a top notch gastronomic expericene or an easy bite at a genuine brasserie. Museums, theatre, music....
(But I wouldn't stay more than a day or two with small children).
If you are a wine nerd:
Aquitine is heaven on earth for wine interested persons, and I don't only think of the world famous Bordeaux region... have a look at Madiran, Jurançon, Bergerac, Irouléguy or the Vin des sables from Capbreton.

Party and music:
Go for one of the festivals in Bayonne, Dax or Mont-de-Marsan. Perfect if you're 20 and in good shape, it takes a lot of energy to participate for five days in a row! Elderly people might be contented after a day or night... Else try the Music Festival, a national event in France end of June.

... and food ....

Travelling with children:
General for Aquitaine is lots of activities linked to nature and outdoors. Spending time by one of the big lakes, enjoying the beach and the huge waves (surfing from six years), biking in the pine forest. Lots of child friendly activities like obstacles tour in the trees, canoeing, horses, animal parcs and amusement parcs.

We've done lots of visits at wine castles, which the children enjoyed a lot the first times. Look at the grapes and the fields, taste some, go down the cellar and see all the weird equipment can be very exciting for children. (Our children have unfortunately been over exposed and almost refuse these visits by now... oh no, not another wine castle).

Lots of good campings by the sea, very child friendly and well situated. Station Kid is a quality label for child friendly places (like Hourtin, Carcans and Mimizan for example).

Skiing:
The Pyrénées are not of the same size as the Alps, but you get good value for your money, especially families with children. And the food is good...
Doing nothing:If your main aim is to get rid of stress I would recommend the inner parts of Aquitaine. Very nice landscapes, rolling hills and vast fields, cows and ducks. Very idyllic and free from tourists. Rent a house, go to the local markets and enjoy eating local produce.

Getting excellent food:
Trust me, you get good food everywhere, but not always the same. The different areas have regional differences. More refined restaurants are more likely to be found in Bordeaux (but be aware, some of the top Michelin star restaurants are in hidden places). The Arcachon Bay is of course a good place for oysters and seafood (they breed oysters there). The Basque cuisine is very well known and inspired by the Spanish cooking. In Landes you'll have a lot of duck and Armagnac...

... and the wine!!

Hints, advice and help

2011-10-05T15:52:00.001-07:00

Dave asked me in a comment if I would give him some advice for coming to Aquitaine: I'm always happy to give some help, to a reasonable extent, so please leave your email and add some details about your trip and what you are looking for!

Playing tennis

2011-10-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

I talk a lot about Björn lately... he started playing tennis this autumn - like his sister and father - and we went to get some extra training yesterday. Clara was tired after playing rugby at school, so the two of us took a casual stroll along the small river. To my surprise she loves rugby!!! Rugby is an important sport in the region so it's good they get to try it out at school.

Björn played tennis with his father and showed great stamina in the warm afternoon sun.....

See the sweat rolling down his chin???

Bike outing in the pine forest

2011-10-02T07:17:00.000-07:00

Björn has been practising alot lately to be able to surprise his dad. Biking with no support wheels!! The actual pedalling was not so difficult, it was starting and stopping that needed to be worked on...

Today he was so confident we decided to go for a small outing in the nearby pine forest. The indian summer continues and we had a lovely weather for this family event... even if the trail was a bit sandy at times which proved difficult for our fresh pilot, otherwise everything was perfect...

We sat down for a picnic by the trail, feeling alone in the world. We could hear the buzz from a fly or a bee from time to time, otherwise the forest was peace and silence. A good silence, calm and warm. I wished for a big blanket, to stretch out and gaze up on the tops of the pines and think of nothing...

(Trails like this are abundant in Landes, proper cycle lanes as well.)

Mushrooms and driving theory...

2011-09-27T11:23:00.000-07:00

I've been silent... but trust me, it has been a very active silence! Together with my husband I am preparing to pass the theoretical driving licence test, to go ahead and get a MC drivers licence!
The children are back in school, autumn is Not At All here and still we found two giant mushrooms in our garden... and we are also preparing a surprise for my husband... schh schh...

And by the way, now I find Philadelphia cheese and Digestives in my French supermarket! Celebrated that by making a cheesecake of course....

After school beach time

2011-09-16T06:04:00.000-07:00

I whisked the children from school and straight to the beach... isn't there something special about 'cheating' to get another swim at the beach in the after season? The beach is calmer, the sea is still warm and you're saying to yourself: is this the last swim of the year?

Surprisingly there were quite alot of people at the Moliets beach. German, Dutch... and of course, 33 degrees and sun can make anybody want to feel the sea breeze...

No pictures this time... the photos added are from another year, but the feeling is ther. Afterwards we had a mussels treat and then stayed on a while to watch the sun setting in the sea....

Pirat Party

2011-09-15T15:08:00.000-07:00

The pirate theme for my sons' birthday was a no-brainer, as well as making a treasure hunt. But how do you make a treasure hunt with children who barely know how to read? I stole the idea from a friend: make photos of closed up details and let one picture place lead to another.... get them the bandana and the one eyed pirate look and the party is a given success!

I laughed a lot at seeing the hord of pirates look for leads to the treasure... and I felt very smug when our neighbor entered at the last stage: dressed as a pirate he was the one who held the old map that showed the exact position of the treasure...

Of course you recognise our mailbox!

This was the last lead....

... before meeting the old pirat...

... and getting the map!

Seven steps straight, ten to the left... but where is the treasure???

We found it!!!

Another hugely appreciated game: find a piece of candy in a bowl of whipped cream. Without using your hands.

After the tourists have gone

2011-09-10T04:35:00.000-07:00

The children are off to school again. The mornings are getting chillier and there is like an air of autumn hanging over us.... I decided to pay myself a treat. A couple of hours on the beach in Moliets, all alone, just taking time to walk slowly, think of nothing...

The air was lukewarm. The beach was alot calmer but still pretty busy. Lots of German and Dutch tourists, some elderly people. The beach guards were still there but seemed more relaxed than usual.

I went into the water and swam around for a while, mostly letting myself float on the waves. Realised that it was the first time this summer I did that: swim instead of standing close to the shore keeping an eye on the children...

What is this....

... the protections to keep the sand in place

Trying to show immense blueness of the sky...

Rafting in Bidarray!!!!

2011-08-31T11:15:00.000-07:00

We planned a little surprise for a friend... rafting on the river Nive in Bidarray! The weather was quite gray but we hardly stopped laughing during the whole day... we brought our own sunshine!

Thanks to our guide Pierre who expertedly took care of these four girls that equalled eight... I hope to be back next summer with the children!

(The pictures show Nive with very little water - when it has rained alot or in springtime is is quite a different story with steps of up to 2.5 metres since the river is not regulated)

The river is breathtakingly beautiful... here a picture from one of the calmer parts.

We went with Ur Ederra, but there are at least two others: Cocktail Aventure and Uhina.

Yearly festival in my village Castets III

2011-08-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

And there were also dancing on stilts, Spanish horses, fun fair and a demonstration of 'corrida' (with a cow and no blood)..... and lots of partying late at night... and then it was over for this time...

Yearly festival in my village Castets II

2011-08-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

Then there were the cow games... a lot of emotion and adrenaline here too!!! Adults in the crowd are invited to join... they are mostly young fearless men.....

The instructions were clear: if you get into trouble, lie down with your hands on your head and don't move until we tell you so!

Or run for the fence!

The game is to get the red 'cocarde' on top of the cows' head.....

... so they need to get close. Very close.

The same game but for the kids, with a very cute calf!

Yearly festival in my village Castets I

2011-08-26T02:53:00.000-07:00

Up until 1999 there used to be an arena for course landaise in our village. They were falling apart and destroyed at that time... and this year the mayor decided to bring a mobile version to the same spot for the yearly village festival! I think it was a great idea to revive the old traditions.

Beautiful, Spanish inspired costumes

He attracts the cow to avoid her going for the guy who just jumped!

Concentrated fascinated children

The rope handler has an important role to play, making sure the cow starts from the exact right position

During the break, some Spanish dances!

A training instrument?

The adrenaline is for real. Sometimes the cow gets too close....

He made a run for it and barely escaped...

Look at his face!

It looks like he is too close but he made it. The closer the better.

Drinking Sauternes a whole day...

2011-08-25T04:34:00.000-07:00

Château d'Yquem

We spent a whole day drinking Sauternes... wonder if that is really healthy? Looking back it wasn't difficult. Wine tasting at the premier cru classé Château Coutet.... Lunch at the one star Michelin restaurant Claude Darroze with three different Sauternes.... and a visit to the legendary Château d'Yquem... tasting a 2008 Yquem was a great way to end a great day! (My anniversary might have had something to do with all this).

This day was organised by the Sauternes tourist office. I very rarely participate in organised events but I really appreciated this one!

I learned that Sauternes is a very small wine district. It represents about one percent of the Bordeaux region total production. The area has a micro climate due to topological reasons. The cold river Ciron falls into the warmer river Garonne, creating morning fog in autumn that spreads over the Sauternes area but is kept within it by the pine trees on one side and the slope on the right side of the Garonne river. Perfect for the Botrytis Cynerea, the fungus responsible for the noble rot necessary to create this sweet wine. And even better with the warm and sunny afternoons, needed to mature the raisin.

I also learned that at Yquem they harvest by hand, raisin after raisin, passing several times by the same grapes to pick them at the perfect moment. They are famous for their quality requirements, so tough that some years they don't even produce a wine with their grapes. (In that case they sell them anonymously as Sauternes grapes...)

Château Coutet

Lunch at Claude Darroze, among many other delicate servings, what about lamb with your Sauternes? (I don't even show the foie gras crème brulée, nor the lobster ravioli or the Aquitaine caviar...)

Look at the different colors of our three sauternes, the deepest being from 1973... and the other two both 2005.

View over the Yquem vines... the castle is on top of a small hill.

Old traditions...

The Yquem grapes before the fungus start its action.

What non surfing friends do.....

2011-08-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

... meanwhile on a beach close to you.... to summarise I think we can agree there was a lot of digging going on, taking photos, swimming and checking out the beach guards...

(Erretegia in Bidart)

A hard work called surfing

2011-08-04T05:14:00.000-07:00

I've written before about the adrenaline rush in surfing, the beauty of the Erretegia beach and showed surf photos of Clara and of my friends... so this time I wanted to put the emphasis on how bloody difficult and tiring it is.... The friends who tried it once last year came back this year, for a full week of training! Told you, it is addictive!!!!! And hard work.

You thought it was easy getting that darn surf out to the right spot?

They look cool, right? But they are just panting for air and pretending to be waiting for the right wave....

After two hours in the water, when you can hardly walk, then is the time to walk back AND carry the surf...

Maybe that is why surf teachers look so hot being five months pregnant????

It is nearly over. The wet suits are off. Time for picnic.

Repeat: Bayonne festival with the children

2011-08-03T02:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, we did a quick stop at the Bayonne festival this year too! I love it! (Daytime version, too old for spending the night there...)

Bright colors, sun, music.... !! This was Thursday, the day dedicated to the children with lots of activities for them (but we came in pretty late and experience since last year told us to stay away from the queues). Next year we'll be there earlier!

A welcome breeze

Even the statues get their red scarf on!

The king of the Festival

Bubbles everywhere!

Strange instrument...

Very very yummy Pariés bakery... I love the decoration of the metal boxes

One of the activites: getting your hair done

The team!

Afternoon in Fuentarrabie

2011-08-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

One classic excursion is to take the small boat from Hendaye over to Spanish Fuentarrabie. The Marina area is known for its tapas bars and the old centre is dominated by the magnificent Parador hotel.... so that is exactly what I did last week with some friends. Many detail pictures to give you a feeling for this adorable place!

Rowing festival

You know you're in Spain when you see the laundry hanging outside to dry...

The Parador. Quite a hotel!

View from the Parador

Blidö.....

2011-07-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

I spent a lot of time in the Stockholm archipelargo when I was a child. My parents had a boat and summer vacation meant one month on the boat, sailing from one island to another... Swimming naked, fishing and playing close to the water. So many memories!

This time we spent one week on Blidö north of Stockholm and one of the bigger islands with about 130 houses and a regular ferry service. My sister was there, my cousin and his children... they spent not hours but days trying to catch small fish with their landing nets.... bliss.

The regular car ferry to Blidö (free of charge)

View from the ferry

Lush! Summer is short but intensive!

Saltkråkan

Happiness is to catch a small mouse and hold it a minute..

Tjälknöl made of reindeer.... you cook the frozen meat in 100 degrees for 6-10 hours.. then marinate for another 4-6 hours....

One of the many boats that goes from one island to another....

Catching small fish, the main activity

And catching not only fish but....

... seaweed!

My favorite part, further out on the south point of Blidö

Rough beauty. I learned to crawl on rocks like these... so I walked on all four like a bear...

Cinnamon buns! Freshly made by Christina, our hostess for a day

A bar/restaurant by the sea... boats stop by to have a beer or food....

Going to the market in Léon

2011-06-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

Shopping for food for pleasure... that is going to the local market in summer in the southwest of France... we do that alot but I seldom write about it... sounds too trivial.... after this little stop we went home with cheese, cakes, armagnac, fruit and vegetables. The strawberries were among the best I had ever had...

Most will let you try: a piece of cheese, a bit of cake, a drop of armagnac...

Beautiful to look at but not my favorites...

Midsummer and marinated salmon.... a Swedish tradition

2011-06-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

I had made a whole Swedish menu to celebrate midsummer, an important tradition in Sweden. It shows what you can make of the things you buy in the IKEA food shop! Marinated salmon, potato gratin with anchovies, hareng and Kalles kaviar... accompanied by an assortiment of vodkas and beer... I had also made elk meatballs (sorry I missed to take a photo).... served with cream sauce and lingonberry jam.

The salmon needs 48 hours to be ready, but it's fast to prepare... and delicious! You start with asking in the fish shop to have the filets (keep the skin) cut out from a fresh beautiful salmon. You dry them with paper and cover with 0,5 dl salt, 0,5 dl sugar, heaps of dill and a bit of white pepper. Put the two meat sides together and cover in a plastic film or a plastic bag in a container and put in the fridge for two days. Turn two times every day. When ready, take away the spices and cut in very thin slices. Enjoy! We have it with a mustard sweet sauce and potatoes...

After two days in the fridge....

Pascal doing the slicing...

Another way to serve the salmon: grated horseradish mixed with cream cheese on Swedish flatbread to form a roll...

Lumpfish roe cream on hard boiled eggs!

And the compulsory herring!!! You serve them with boiled potatoes, chopped chives and cream. And vodka.

Tastes better than it looks though...

Twelve vodkas spiced differently..

My favorite: OP!!!