October: the time for foodie breaks to France
Join the grape harvest, pick mushrooms or trawl markets bursting with produce this month, says France Magazine editor, Carolyn Boyd
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For fans of French food and wine, there is no better time than October to hop over the Channel. The countryside is a hive of activity with the vendanges (grape harvest) in full swing. Meanwhile, rural woodlands are besieged by mushroom hunters and market stalls become a riot of colour as bright orange squash and pumpkins are piled high.
Down in the Gers in Midi-Pyrénées, our contributing editor Philip Faiers is on the lookout for woodlands surrounded by parked cars – a sure sign, he says, that there’s a bounty of fungi to be found.
“Ceps are the most prized variety and mushroom fanciers know that ten days after heavy rain is the best time; a few days after a new moon is also a fruitful time. If the two coincide then be prepared for a bumper harvest.”
When asked for his top tips for fungi foraging, Philip recommends collecting them in a wicker basket as they will deteriorate in a plastic bag. And starting your hunt at first light to beat the neighbours and the slugs. The France Magazine forum is also abuzz with tips for foraging, and Cat quotes www.rogersmushrooms.com as a resource for identifying the different species.
In Burgundy, the harvest of vineyards in the Côtes de Beaune and Chablis is getting underway. According to David Cogan, who runs the Burgundy Eye website, it’s best to stay out of the way of harvesters unless you’re joining in. So, one of the most exciting ways to observe the region is from the sky in a hot air balloon. You’ll see the pickers hard at work below, as well as magnificent châteaux, beautiful red and orange forests and gentle, rolling hills as you float peacefully above the landscape.
Talking of balloons, Janet Rankin of Direct Corsica is looking forward to seeing the skies over Calvi in Corsica filled with balloons, kites and paragliders from October 29 to November 2.
The 17th Calvi Wind Festival is aimed at promoting the protection of the environment and renewable energy sources. On terra firma, meanwhile, there’ll be artists, painters and musicians performing in the streets and on stage. And if you’re hunting for some late summer sun, Corsica is the ideal place to catch some last-minute rays.
With that in mind, Year in the Merde author Stephen Clarke is heading to his favourite spot on the south coast, Bandol. Its semi-circular bay, fringing its clear turquoise sea, is the setting for his latest book Dial M for Merde. He tells me that even in October, the water is warm enough for snorkelling.
“Take a boat out to the secluded island of Bendor, just offshore,” he says, “where Daddi Milou's seafood restaurant is right on the waterfront - you can have a quick snorkel between courses”.
Also down south, writer Wendy Atkins is counting down the days before sampling the local wine and specialities close to her home in Carcassonne during the Ronde du Malepère wine festival on 18 and 19 October. If you fancy hopping over on a plane, the festival will provide you with dozens of tasting opportunities, street music and an art exhibition. She’s even heard a rumour that tasting glasses of Malpère wine will be given to those arriving at Carcassonne airport the week before.
Finally, conkers are falling from the trees around the newly renovated Tour St Jacques in Paris. The gothic tower has been covered with scaffolding for the last nine years and writer Jacqueline Karp tells me Parisians are enjoying the new view of it from the park that surrounds it.
Apparently, the tower glows in the warm autumn sunlight, complemented by the changing colours of the nearby horse chestnut trees. In the 16th century, the tower was the gathering point for pilgrims starting out along the route to St Jacques de Compostelle.
Don’t forget your binoculars for viewing the mythological animals, saints and devils gargoyles and grotesques that decorate it. If you fancy a bite to eat nearby, try the Restaurant St Martin in rue St Martin for some simple cuisine familiale.
All over France, parents and children are declaring “c’est La Rentrée” as they go back to school and work after their August holidays. As they vacate the hotels, beaches and tourist hotspots, now is the time to hop over the Channel and make the most of France without the crowds.
La Rentrée is a big thing in France, proving that the French are experts at turning even the most mundane into cause for celebration.
According to "Cat" on the France Magazine forum, it has even made headline news on French TV station TF1. “Was that really the most important thing going on in the world?” she says in our forum, “Well yes, perhaps it was, if you happen to be French.”
One excellent reason for celebrating La Rentrée in Paris is the return of the city’s restaurateurs. September sees them flinging open their doors after a month’s closure and, with mouths watering, their patrons sit down to newly inspired menus and the best late-summer produce.
Carol Drinkwater, author of The Olive Route recommends Le Gorille Blanc (The White Gorilla) at 11 bis rue Chomel in the 7th arrondissement, as somewhere great for lunch or a great-value evening meal.
“I have never seen another foreigner in there,” she says.
Among her other favourite Left Bank hangouts is Nabuchodonosor (6 avenue Bosquet, 75017 Paris), which is run by a gay couple who apparently delight in explaining the strange name to customers and make sure everyone is made very much at home.
Café des Lettres (53, Rue Verneuil, 75007 Paris), meanwhile, is a great place to take a rest stop after visiting the nearby Musée d’Orsay (voted by our readers as their favourite French museum) and is a favourite spot for writers from all over the world.
Restaurants aren’t the only establishments re-opening their doors this month. The annual Journées du Patrimoine weekend takes place on September 20-21 and is the ideal opportunity for visitors to have a good nose around thousands of privately owned and government buildings, which are usually closed to the public.
This year is its 25th, and churches, abbeys, châteaux, museums and government departments will be open. Among them is the Prime Minister’s official residence l’Hôtel de Matignon, which I had a private peek at last year at the invitation of its latest tenant Penelope Fillon, the Welsh-born wife of the French Prime Minister (Sarkozy’s number two) François Fillon.
Apparently, Matignon is one of the most popular places to visit over the open weekend, and queues form early in the morning.
Visitors file through the spectacularly lavish décor, put in place in the 18th century when it was the residence of the Princes of Monaco. Since then, it has been home to a string of fascinating characters, including a Scottish banker, a community of nuns and Charles de Gaulle.
Those looking for the sillier side to French culture this month could take part in the annual Marathon du Médoc on September 6 down near Bordeaux. The region’s best vintages and gastronomic treats are consumed by more than 8,000 runners as they conquer the distance of 42.2km.
Writer Wendy Atkins took part last year dressed as a Native American and took her first taste of “a good red from Château Lynch-Bages” at 10am after her second kilometre, before going on to try 15 more wines by 25th kilometre, and then dine on oysters at the 35th. “Even if you’re not a runner,” says Wendy, “it’s worth a visit for the atmosphere and wine-tasting”.
And speaking of wine-tasting, if you’re going back to school to brush up on the lingo this autumn, a discussion on our forum came up with some ideas improving the fluency of your French: a glass or two of wine.
“Alcohol breaks down the inhibitions and one are less likely to worry about making mistakes,” says Callie. “Suddenly all the French you ever came across pours forth in a sort of burbly manner.”
And if wine doesn’t help, a soap TV series might: “Find a slow soap, such as Les Feux de l'Amour on TF1 and get the subtitles running,” says forum-user Martin.
“My other half couldn't believe how a narrative copy of the dialogue made such a difference; she could "see" where one word ended and the next began. The soap in question is truly lamentable from a content point of view, but for learning the language quite superb!”