Pretty sunny days in december and so stunning sunsets. Just, what I have seen when I was going back to my car… 

In Bordeaux for a business day, I switched over on lunch time to see the awesome exhibition « Montaigne Super Star » in Media center. Very emotional moment to be face to the first edition of the famous « Les Essais » annotated by Montaigne himself.

Even in winter, vineyards offers  graphic lines, playing  with theses of the sky.

Nice meeting with Line, winegrower and distiller on her property of Cognac Guillon-Pinturaud. To know more about her it’s here on the blog

Crossing and blurring musical boundaries is an art form for Piers Faccini. travelling from the English moors to the Saharan dunes via Itialia, Sicilia and mediterranean influences, I was in a magic world during this  deligthful evening offered by « Les Quais Ici ou Ailleurs » in Cognac. Like a fairy tale before Xmas.

Christmas dinner is most important. I have ordered truffles from the area and on 24 th december, I was on site before the market opens in nice village of Villebois Lavalette to be sure to have my order. Just the time to take a coffee and read daily regional papers, and….

…. I got them. I have prepared a glass jar to carry them safely.

A quick stop on the way back to the Mercerie Castle, foolish dream of two brothers, who wanted to build a replica of Versailles Castle close to their old family castle. Nowadays, an association works to the restoration of the castle.

And for the last days, we were in Pays Basque, in Biarritz : running along the beach on morning…

…and discovering the awesome lightshow on the walls of the Church, in the gardens, and on the walls.

It was really magic. See be yourselves.

L’article December between culture and viticulture est apparu en premier sur Living In Cognac Land.

Le temps relativement doux et ensoleillé de décembre, ce qui est souvent le cas dans notre belle région, offre souvent des occasions de photos à prendre sur le champ.. Je n’ai pas pu résister à ce magnifique coucher de soleil qui s’offrait à moi en regagnant ma voiture.

En rendez vous à Bordeaux, j’ai « zappé » le déjeuner de travail pour courir à la médiathèque, voir l’exposition Montaigne Super Star dont c’était les derniers jours. Emouvant de voir l’original des Essais annoté de la main de l’auteur.

La scénographie iconoclaste était un vrai régal. Nourritures intellectuelles donc à la place d’une assiette. Un café et un cannelé plus tard, je suis arrivée à l’heure à mon rendez vous suivant…

Encore une belle rencontre dans les vignes de cognac, en Grande Champagne plus précisément,  avec Line, viticultrice et  distillatrice de talent. Elle nous explique  la distillation sur  le blog. C’est ici

La vigne en hiver, magique en toute saison.

Soirée poétique et musicale  avec Piers Faccini, à Cognac pour la découverte de son dernier opus « I dreamed an island » , invité par « Les Quais Ici ou Ailleurs »

J’ai trouvé mes truffes pour le repas de Noêl, au marché de Villebois Lavalette, le 24 décembre : un beau moment avec des producteurs accueillants et très sympathiques. En attendant l’arrivée des trufficulteurs, un petit café en lisant la presse locale dans le café sur la place des Halles.

Les truffes bien protégées pour le transport.

Sur le chemin du retour, un arrêt au château de la Mercerie, une folie architecturale imaginée par deux frères, qui ont reconstitué une façade de Versailles. Une association dynamique est en train de redonner vie à cet endroit étonnant.

Pour les derniers jours de cette année, Biarritz et sa féérie de lumières nous attendait : running le matin sur la plage, et promenade la nuit pour assister aux illuminations, une belle manière de clore 2016.

L’article Décembre entre viticulture et culture est apparu en premier sur Living In Cognac Land.

First of all, a hello to cranes and geese, the migratory birds which fly every spring and autumn just above the house. Many flights in the beginning of this month :  we hear them before we can see the V Shape of numerous noisy birds. It’s always an emotional moment and I stop my work to tell them good luck, good travel,  hoping to see them again in a few months.

https://youtu.be/fZ5_o-JPs9g

First friday evening  of november, we went in our neighbourhood, in Bordeaux vineyards, to celebrate a  business birthday, the 10 years old of Lyod Associes a consulting office created by a friend of mine. And the party  was in… Château Pomeaux, in prestigious Pomerol vineyard. Great thanks also to, Joel Palous, one of the owner associate of this property, for his kind welcome. As an evidence, wine was  on  top !

Courtesy of Château Pomaux for this pict.

Morning after, we visited Saint Emilion village, and his stunning monolithic church. The mist gave a mysterious and poetic feeeling to the landscape.

Lunch in « L’Envers du décor », a  nice adress I recommend for the table as well as for his sense of humour   « thanks to  the Lord who make vineyards grow here in Saint Emilion, on the very spot where we love so much good wine… »

and  then we went back at home with wonderful images  and friendship memories.

A ending-late meeting in Bordeaux on friday evening,

was the perfect opportunity,  to move in Pays Basque  at about one hour and half, by car  and we arrived around midnight in Biarritz.

Even if the weather was a bit cloudy early morning, running and walking on the beach in the heart of the city is an healthy and nice  moment.

Pays Basque is a paradise for surf and golf. If i am just onlooker for surf, I practice golf as you know now and the international center of Ilbarritz is just amazing. ( yes, it was the same day, grey on morning and blue in the afternoon, we have lunch outside on the terrace…)

One sunday in Cognac museum…

An awesome photo exhibition from scottish photograph Mark Unsworth, guest of the MACO till next february. More on it in  my previous post

… and in Angoulême Cathedral to discover the fabulous  » Trésor », a masterpiece created by french internationally reknown Jean Marc Othoniel. Following a snapshot of this marvel.

In front of Sanctus Anne…

And what about the cognac vineyard ?

Golden leaves are falling down a lot, some vines are already bare. Soon will be time for pruning.

I love autumn in cognac region, a different light  to see the  landscape and architecture in an other way.

an old weigh-bridge

Distillation has began : click on to read the post

Day and night, till march 31st, the winegrowers who are also distillers, live according to the  tempo of theirs stills and the process  called « double chauffe » or « repasse » in french i.e, two separate heatings, in a special « charentais » copper still.Depending from the harvest, the vinification… distillation begins in november.  We know when the process begins when we see small white smokes above the distilleries.

And last, during the yearly gastronomic exhibition of november, I was invited in a girl party in townhall by Angoulême municipality, BNIC, and Konoisseur.  A good idea to discover cognac in an original way for those who used to think that cognac represents more  the image of men, smoking cigar after a good meal…  It has been a great discovery for many of the guests, of course in a responsible drinking. Thanks to @agathedecharente for her video.

L’article November in the heart of a golden autumn est apparu en premier sur Living In Cognac Land.