Bye bye Burgundy. Friday 7th August 2009.

It is with sadness in my heart that I leave Burgundy. We have all made happy memories here, meeting new friends and making new family memories of moments we will all treasure forever.

Moving days are always tiring, it is a big job to pack, clean and get organised to move onto the next exchange and today was no different. I don't know how we manage to fit all of our stuff into our three suitcases, but somehow the zips always come together, even if a little strained.

Annie came, on time to the minute, to take us to the train station, she is such a sweetie. As we were unpacking our bags at the front of the station, Pauline appeared to give us a hug and a kiss and send us on our way. Pauline had only just returned from staying in our place with her family and just loved our home and the things she experienced in Australia. Then, Isabelle was there with a message for AJ from Jeremy who is staying at his Dad's place and could not catch up with AJ this week. The tears welled in my eyes as we said goodbye, Burgundy and its people will always hold a special place in my heart.

So, Paris here we come. The train ride took just over two hours, AJ and I were in a silly mood and annoyed JR for most of the way.

Our new apartment where we will live for the next 21 days is gorgeous. It is style, style, style all the way. The walls are hung with Warhol, and at long last I have decent knives to use, Porsche design no less. We are a 2 min walk from the subway, 10 mins to Place de la Madeline and a little less to the Louvre. You just gotta love this home exchange deal. The family in our home have arrived safely too and they have commented on how huge our place is. The apartment is small for us but that makes it no less wonderful, just different. As they don't own a car and will be driving ours while in Brissy, they have bought us three passes to cover all our train, bus and tram transport while in Paris.

AJ set tonight's itinerary and chose an amazing Italian restaurant in St. Germain. It was mind blowingly good. Everything was made in house, the raspberry tiramisu was heaven sent and made with the plumpest fresh raspberries God ever made. My tortellini was filled with spinach and swam in a rich gorgonzola sauce - loved every creamy, calorie laden mouthful too. The whole place was spot on from go to woe, couldn't fault a thing except for a loud American on his fifth visit to Paris complaining they still couldn't get his coffee right. You would think after five visits he would have learned to sit back and feel the love.

On AJ's agenda next was a night time stroll up and back along the Champs Elysees, the guy's got taste. What fun we had. AJ was car spotting and I think managed to see almost one of every dream car he had ever heard of. He and JR snapped photos and drooled curbside more often than not. Every step we took brought us closer to the Arc de Triomphe, we had never seen it at night before and it was beautiful.

The Champs Elysees was alive with people and it was magical and exciting to be back in a big city again after our time in the country. We got home late to our little apartment, the party upstairs was in full swing but we were not and were in bed before you could yell, 'turn that music down and would you mind taking off your high-heels so we can get some sleep down here!'

Simplicity is the secret. Wednesday 29th July 2009.

When was the last time you rose from slumber at midday? For me, my memory doesn't stretch back that far, I know it was before AJ came into the world. I wandered into the kitchen, bleary eyed after last night's fun and frivolity and a hectic pace of places to be and people to meet.

We ventured to the heart of the Route des Grand Cru, to Nuit-St-Georges and caught up with blue-eyed Baptiste who was holding the fort at Fruirouge & Cie, the foodie heaven in the centre of the village. We shared a fair-trade coffee drunk from rustic earthenware mugs in the back room, surrounded by bulk stocks of cassoulet, rillettes, confitures, etc, etc, etc.

We headed a little further north to Gevrey-Chambertin where we had a 4pm appointment with Marie from Tours & Detours, the owner of the company who has lived in Australia and just loves it. She had given me a copy of the latest Gourmet Traveller article on the Burgundy region, it was so nice to read some Aussie journalism, and a story based in this wonderfully rich region. So much of it I could relate to. Marie pointed us in the direction of Daniel Cachot, the gold medal holder for his Pain d'Espices (spice bread). Oh Mum, it is so much like your homemade gingerbread, it brought back so many happy memories.

We found the village where Daniel bakes his spicy loaves of bread, finding Daniel was a little harder. I asked directions, I understood straight ahead, left and right, keep going passed the cemetary, so off we went. Fate seemed to take over and the rue we were looking for was quite long with so many houses, we did not have a house number so short of a door knock Daniel would remain elusive. At the end of the road I saw bright yellow and blue bread crates stacked in tall piles, "this is it, I just know it is" I said to JR, and it was. We rang the door bell, no answer. I trecked to the sheds and banged the door loudly, no answer. I could hear a distant tractor and walked towards the sounds of it working in the fields. I whistled and whistled expelling every puff of breath I had, but the tractor kept on its path, the driver unaware of his Aussie visitor standing at the side of the field whistling and waving her arms. John had met up with Daniel's wife and I turned to the sound of their voices as they became near. I explained who I was and she was off like a shot, over the field, waving her arms just like I had done, this time with sucess.

Daniel climbed down from his tractor, supporting himself on crutches after a recent leg break. It hasn't slowed him down by the look of things. He was in the middle of raspberry harvest when I arrived, the tractor was shaking the fruit from the bushes under Daniel's watchful eye.

He motioned for us to walk to the house, through neat orchards of blackberries, apples and pears, he tells me he also grows blackcurrant and redcurrant. We stepped inside his humble showroom and were met by a scented wall of intense honey and spice. I wanted to breathe it in and become it. Daniel shared his little secrets of success and invited us to his dining table upstairs to share some of his pain d'espice and home made nectar de cassis, thick and syrupy and so refreshing, "yes please, I'll have another, merci."

I have lost count of how many stranger's dining tables we have sat around and shared our stories of life with. Today's encounter was a very special moment, special in its simplicity - once again.

A little miracle is happening in the vineyards of Burgundy and today I was witness to it. The sour and hostile, young, green grapes are beginning to blush with purple, awaiting the September harvest. The bunches positioned to catch warm licks of sunshine are turning first. Change is coming...

Tuesday 28th July 2009.

It was a strange way to start the day, pulling into the car park at Gaugry Fromagerie to see a Bentley converible, a Ferrari 599, and an Aston Martin DBS sitting in the car park accompanied by steely faced security personel, wired with ear pieces and rippling with the kind of muscles only seen in the movies. We tried to ask who the VIP's were but there was no joy. Even the staff looking after our visit were not told who they were. To this day it still remains a secret. Needless to say, AJ didn't give two hoots who they were, he was just happy to oogle at the cars for a while.

We were taken on a private tour of Gaugry Fromagerie. I had come to unlock the secrets of Epoisses fromage, so revered in Burgundy, another one of those regional treasures. It lived up to the hype (as did all but one of the Gaugry cheeses), luxuriously soft and only a little bit stinky as far as washed rind cheeses go. Their hospitality was spot on, warm and welcoming. We were introduced to Olivier Gaugry, 3rd generation cheese expert. Our picnic bag was stocked with an Epoisse and a soft Soumaintrain to be enjoyed on our afternoon picnic at who knows where.

Tonight we had a date at the neighbors for dinner. We stopped in Beaune and bought a bush of the most delicate yellow roses as a gift for our new found friends. Dinner was so much fun and soooo yummy. We ate quite regionally which was great. We began with ripe melon filled with creme de cassis in the hollow where the seeds had once clung. Tatiana had cooked us a beef bourguignon using a treasured recipe from her Grandmother. Not traditional at all as it didn't use a drop of red wine but was cooked in a tomato and creme based sauce. She served it with a smooth mash (she later told me she used a mouli, her secret for a perfectly smooth result) which was the perfect accompaniment. Two specialities of Bourgogne were trotted out for the fromage course, the Epoisses I had learned so much about yesterday and Le Petit Vougeot, not unlike an Espoisse but whiter in colour rather than tinged with an orangey terracotta colour. Both were vastly different from the Gaugry cheeses from this morning. Mille feuille followed for dessert and the good times flowed.

The next installment of drama was about to unfold, we were blissfully unaware of what was to come until... BANG, CRASH, CLATTER!!! It sounded like a semi trailer had run into the house. We all ran in the direction of the sound and there was AJ sitting half was down the stairs with part of our lovely neighbor's wall adrift beside him. I hung my head, shaking it from side to side. Our friends laughed and laughed, AJ joined in and slowly but surely I began to see the funny side and so did JR. We all stood in the hallway, the kids had all gathered around by this time, what a funny sight it was. They just didn't know what they were getting themselves into when they invited us over for dinner did they? They assured us that the same section of wood had come adrift in the past and it was not problem. We snapped a few pics to record the installment in our book of family disasters.


We rolled home in the wee hours after enjoying another heart warming time with new found friends in this wonderful place they call France.

The Wonderful World of Pommard. Wednesday 15th July 2009.

Inside the walls of Chateau de Pommard is aworld of art, history, fine wines and welcome. We were recieved at the Chateau by the lovely Marie, the Conseillere en Vins. Marie was wonderful, so friendly, and such a wealth of knowledge.

She took us to see the 17th century wine press, almost big enough to fill the room where it was housed surrounded by ancient wine making tools.

Next was the chateau kitchen which has a 17th century tournebroche on the wide hearth. A tournebroche is an old rotisserie, opperated by a pulley system. It has little conical cups that fill with the suculent juices from the meat as it roasts, the cups tip the juice into a tray which has a small gutter to deliver the the juice over the meat, automatically basting it as it cooks. What a wonderful invention, I can see one being installed in the kitchen back home on our return.

We were introduced to the Chateau's Wine Maker, Emmanuel. He rinsed a few glasses while we chatted, and filled them with a taste of a 2007 Chassagne Montrachet straight from the vat. The taste made me wish I could sit amongst the vines and sip his wine in the warmth of the sun, it was light and summery with lemon and grapefruit notes. Marie says it would be great with seafood, especially lobster. Well, if only they would plate me up a lobster, I might be able to give my opinion. Unfortunately , there was not a lobster to be found, so I took Marie's word for it, I'm sure she is right though. Emmanuel is a lovely man and very proud of his wine - rightly so!

Marie left us to our own devices for a while and invited us to make ourselves at home in the grounds of the Chateau, "you can visit the Salvador Dali exhibition if you like" she said - so we did. The exhibition was so beautiful, filled with tiny sculptures, some in elegant poses, some not so. My favourite pieces were 'Alice aux pays des merveilles' and the lovely bronze, in the chateau courtyard, of 'Lady Godiva'. The owner of the chateau has two Dali's in his personal collection housed in an inner courtyard for all to enjoy.

We met up with Marie again for a look inside the 18th century Chateau cellars. It was cool and faintly musty inside the tunels that stretched under the inner courtyard of the property. Tunnel after tunnel was lined with French oak barrels and aging wine bottles, the oldest for sale is from 1977 and is quite a reasonable price at €130 a pop (don't forget to double that for AUD back home).

Marie invited us for a wine tasting and what a delight it was. Pommard wines certainly do deserve the fine reputation they own the world over. My personal favoutite was the 2006 Chateau de Pommard Cuvee Prestige, John's was the 2004 vintage with elegant tannins, and whafts of coffee and spice, mmm.

We wandered the function rooms of pretty frescoed walls, gilded mirrors and chandeliers, before strolling through the gardens. I love to see trees laden with fruit. The garden was planted with apple and pear trees, surrounded by lavender in bold purple and tomato plants heavy with fruit.

AJ had a date to play tennis with Bruno at the local courts at 6, he came home smashed after an hour and a half of chasing tennis balls, 'too many eclair chocolat,' I told him.

Meandering along the Route des Grand Crus. Wednesday 8th July 2009.

We were easy on ourselves today. We slothed a little, well, alot actually. It was nice.

As the afternoon sun became soft, spreading its warm light across the landscape, JR and I headed along the Route des Grand Crus. He turned to me in the car and asked, "Do you want a surprise?" Well, what girl doesn't like surprises? "If you could have just one thing in the world right now what would it be?" he asked. "Chocolate" was my quick reply, that answer was easy. He put a Bouchee chocolate in the palm of my hand and smiled. "I knew you would say chocolate" he said. I hope I am not that predictable in every facet of my life!




We took the main road until the turn off to Couchey. The village streets were quiet except for a lady on her way home with a golden baguette tucked under her arm. Baguettes are surely this seasons fashion accesory, I had to have one. Mine was flecked with seeds and lightly dusted in flour and would be a great addition to tonights relaxed dinner of whatever was in the fridge.

The sun was still above the hill that is the backdrop to the vineyards of the Route des Grand Cru. While it peeked over the hill, its rays touched the tendrils that reached skyward and danced in the breeze. The new season's grapes were still secreted away under the lowermost leaves on the vines, much like a mother penguin protects her chick from the elements.

We stopped the car at every postcard moment. The old gates to the vineyards that have been here for so long, stood like gateways to paradise. The name of the vineyard was sometimes stamped into the aged stone and sometimes it was forged in metal that joined one pillar to the other. These old gates are one of my favourite things about Burgundy - and the food (escargots, fromage), and the wine (soft Burgundy reds), and the people...

l'Ouche Canal de Bourgogne. Tuesday 7th July 2009.

Oh how I love thee Burgundy! With vineyards at our doorstep and the canals of Burgundy a mere dander away, what is not to love?

We began exploring Burgundy's famous canals at the loch of La Pont d'Ouche and finished on the outskirts of Djon. The canals are a manmade river sytem originally created to transport items around the region, now they are a source of pleasure for all who navigate them, ride along them, or like us, follow their journey by car, stopping at every opportunity to drink in life on the beautiful waterways.


The rain came down and life was scarce at every loch we stopped at. There was no denying their beauty even in the teaming rain. Each loch sported expertly tended gardens filled with bright blooms.


When the sun shone, life returned and we took the opportunity to have lunch beside a little river at Ste-Marie-sur-Ouche. An old stone bridge arched over the bridge, under which ducks swam to take part in our picnic fare. We didn't mind, they were full of character, some being the first to grab every morsel offered and the more quiet ones who hung around the back of the gang. I always make sure these guys get some of the bounty.

As we were leaving we heard a racket. It turned out to be a goose enjoying exercising his vocal cords and a leisurely afternoon wander, . He was lucky not to be skittled on the road as he took his time to cross and arrive at our picnic site.

The loch at Pont de Pany was busy as we arrived. We were just in time to see a gaily decorated boat sitting low in the loch, the loch gates were wound open and the captain navigated his craft from the loch with barely an inch to spare either side. It was a lovely sight to see.

Along the canal further I met the lovely Juliette, a loch keeper of five years. She was happy to tell me her loch keeping stories and all about her unique life style. Her Loch keeper's house is as neat as a pin, her garden is in full bloom and her vegetable garden is full of tomatoes that will be left on the vines to ripen, zucchinis with flowers attached, salad leaves ready for the table, strawberry plants yet to show their fruit, and more.

We meander home along the back blocks and along the Grand Cru Wine Road, it is heaven sent with too many lovely sights to tell about.


The vine filled fields give way to fields of wheat and sunflowers and beyond was the welcome of home.

Wine villages. Monday 6th July 2009.

We are living in the heart of the Burgundy wine region here in Combertault. A short drive in either direction finds us amoungst the lush vines.

Today we explored a few nearby wine villages, all were brim full of beauty and the romance you would expect of the Burgundy region. The roads of tiny Volnay were barely wide enough to drive the car through, and believe me, out car is a tiny one! We all just hold our breath in instinctively, somehow hoping it will decrease our girth at the narrowest parts. Silly I know.

In the heart of Volnay is a small square, defined by a park with sweeping views over the vine covered slopes, cut down wine barrels filled with flowering geraniums, a church, and Vignerons, one of which was industriously cleaning his wine barrels. Just above Volnay is a gorgeous panorama view of the village of Pommard, looking like a desert surrounded by an oasis of vines.

Driving along the narrow roads, I am sure no one but us and the wine makers use, we stumble across Meursault, it is gorgeous and has the prettiest Mairie (town hall) I have ever seen. It's roof is made of the unique coloured tiles so typical of the Burgundy region. Back-pack laden cyclists cruised into the village heart with sweat on their brows, cycling is a popular way to discover this area. I bet they have no trouble negotiating the narrow village streets.

JR scoots around the village to snap his beautiful works of art while AJ and I wander our own path of discovery. We sit together in the shade and eat the plumpest, most succulent and juicy French cherries known to man.

We eat early tonight, a salad of bursting fresh lettuce, eggs, smoky lardons, blushing tomatoes, croutons delicately seasoned with freshly ground pepper and Guerande sea salt, drizzled within an inch of its life with a delicate mustard dressing. JR goes out to capture Burgundy in magic hour, he loves this time of day. Thomas arrives with a replacement BBQ which may not be needed as we have been told the kind of electric BBQ we are using actually requires the water in the bottom to enable it to work - what the??? AJ and I have a long chat to the lovely JC, our December home-exchanger from Brussels. It is only 3 weeks until he visits us here at Combertault. We share our excitement about cooking his recipe of 'painted chicken' together. Can't wait to meet you JC!