A day trip to Orange and the Roman theatre

Roman theatre at Orange, view of the scaenae frons

Originally in planning our trip to Lyon I thought we might base ourselves in Orange for a night or two and travel to Arles and Nimes. Upon reflection this itinerary would have proved to be impossible and require us to rush form place to place. Ultimately we would not have had enough time to enjoy Lyon. Consequently we confined ourselves to a day trip to Orange. Corinne fanatasized about an increase in the temperature, however despite the bright sunshine this never materialised. Our route south during the morning bore witness the gradual build of the increasingly chilly wind which followed our route down the valley of the Rhone. Thoughts of peeling off a few layers of warm clothing disappeared and she put on an extra fleece to retain some warmth in the cold air.

 

 A view of the Roman theatre in Orange by Hippolyte Destailleur (1822 - 1893)

The Romans settled in the area were veterans of the second Gallic Legion. This settlement is reputed to have taken place occurred in or about 35 B.C. close to the site of a Gallic hill fort, home to the Tricastini tribe. The site was named Colonia Julia Secundanorum Arausio. Today one can view the well preserved  monuments built by these Roman settlers; the theatre and triumphal arch. Arausio became an administrative centre for the region of modern day northern Provence, a few kilometers from the river Rhone, and enjoyed a certain amount of stability until it was sacked by the Visigoths in 412 A.D. As such you would expect to find more evidence of Roman life in the local museum but its collection is quite limited and confined to finds associated with the theatre. This having been said the significance of the Roman architecture in the town has been recognised, and the site was listed by UNESCO in 1981.

Roman theatre at Orange, view of the cavea looking north west

Roman theatre at Orange, view of the passage access to the upper media cavea 

The theatre was built during the reign of Augustus [31 B.C. - 14 A.D.] and similar to many Roman theatres in Gaul the theatre in Orange utilises the steep rocky hillside of Saint-Eutrope to support the middle of the cavea. The theatre ranks as a medium size theatre in Roman Gaul measuring 103 meters in diameter. One can only begin to imagine and marvel at the massive scale of the structure that was built at Autun (Augustodunum) which measured approximately 148 meters in diameter.  The theatre was restored and embellished during the Hadrianic period [117 A.D. - 138 A.D.]. Either side of the theatre an arcaded perimeter wall contains stairwells providing access to barrel vaulted tunnels and the summa and media cavea. Similar to many Roman theatres, to the west of the theatre at Orange a large temple complex was constrcted into a hemicycle, again dictated by the hillside of Saint-Eutrope.

The theatre is most notable for the fact that the scaenae frons is still standing. the guide states that it is the only one in Europe still standing and draws comparison to the other scaenae frons structures still visible today at Aspendos in Turkey. Viewed from the street this wall is on a monumental scale standing 37 meters tall. The street side of the wall still has the series of corbels used to support masts from which a vela or cover was suspended over the theatre. Today all that remains on the surface treatment of the wall are some imitation arches in low relief. The wall facing the cavea would have been richly decorated with architectural ornament including columns, statuary and possibly mosaic on a number of levels.

 

Roman theatre at Orange, view of the cavea and scaenae frons from the hill of Saint-Eutrope

The scaenae frons was vitally important to the function and acoustics of the theatre. Vitruvius, who would have been alive for a portion of the reign of Augustus, set out in his ten book treatise, De Architectura, the importance and attributes of the scaena frons and its role in acoustics. The fifth Book deals with the Theatre and its construction and he makes the following comments:
"The roof of the colonnade to be built at the top of the rows of seats, should lie level with the top of the scaena, for the reason that the voice will then rise with equal power until it reaches the highest rows of seats and the roof. If the roof is not so high, in proportion as it is lower, it will check the voice at the point which the sound first reaches."
More recently studies have sought to examine and understand the acoustic effects of the Roman theatre and come to the conclusion that they worked very effectively; for reasons that would embarrass modern concert hall designers who would appear to depend on sound systems to control acoustics.

Roman theatre at Orange, view from Rue de la Republique of the scaenae frons wall

The structure was most likely abandoned as a theatre by the end of the 4th Century and was occupied for other purposes until the 19th Century. The precincts of the theatre were known to have been used as a prison, a fort, and occupied by the town's townspeople until the restoration commenced. By 1869 a series of annual shows were initiated; held during the Summer they were called "Fetes Romaines".

Contemporary drawings depict the theatre in a variety of conditions but an engraving from Gazette des Beaux-Arts published in 1861 depicts the cavea without seating and the arcing contours of the hillside which opens in places revealing the substructure of the cavea and the vaulted passages. The restoration of the theatre was begun in 1825 under the instructions of Prosper Merimee, Directer of Historic Monuments. The initial challenge, like similar ancient structures in the south of France, was to demolish the dwellings incorporated into and adjacent to the theatre. These works continued for many years and were overseen directly by Simon-Claude Constant-Defeux from 1856 to 1858. Later excavations were undertaken by the architect and archaeologist, Jules Formige, who also worked on the theatre at Arles and amphitheatres at Frejus and Lutece, in Paris. In the early 20th Century and is credited with discovering numerous articles now associated with the scaenae frons structure.

Theatre at Orange from Gazette des Beaux-Arts, Volume 11, 1861

Upon arrival at the site, I climbed up to the top of Saint-Eutrope to get a better vantage point when the sun was going to be at its highest point during the day. The sun's low flight across the early February sky meant that the hill of Saint-Eutrope placed most of the cavea in a cool shade. In contrast the immense scaena frons was exposed to bright sunshine and the white marble statue, said to be that of Augustus, was radiant in its niche. Afterwards we explored the theatre itself which it is estimated could seat up to 7,300 spectators. Wandering around the structure today you can experience the scale and atmosphere of one of the best preserved a Roman theatres. Viewing the theatre from Saint-Eutrope is a vertigo inducing experience but is in my opinion the only way to get a good look at the entirety of the theatre and put in a context of the surrounding countryside.

 The triumphal arch at Orange, view from the south

About half a kilometer to the north of the theatre can be found the Roman triumphal arch. The construction date of the triumphal arch at Orange is not easy to pin down because of the inscription evidence. If one is to interpret the inscription evidence associated with the arch it is easy to form the view that the construction was a prolonged process probably beginning under the reign of Augustus [31 B.C. - 14 A.D.] to honour the veterans of the Gallic Wars settled in the area, and later either embellished or remodeled under the reign of Tiberius [14 A.D. - 37A.D.] to commemorate the victories of Germanicus [16 B.C.? - 19 A.D.] in the Rhineland and of course Tiberius himself. This arch is important for a number of reasons; the arch is a provincial precursor to the more famous monumental triumphal arches of Septimius Severus [193 A.D. - 211 A.D.] and Constantine [306 A.D. - 337 A.D.] in Rome, having the principal arch in the centre and a minor arch to either side, and a sequence of four Corinthinan columns ranging across the facade. The decoration and inscriptions are well recorded, thanks to the restoration work, but despite the two thousand years which have passed since its construction much of the architectural ornament and sculptural reliefs, which are cut in limestone, are in reasonably good condition.

Impression of the Arch at Orange prior to restoration in 1825 from Gazette des Beaux-Arts,

Volume 11, 1861

 The triumphal arch at Orange, view from the north

The arch itself measures 19.57 meters long, 8.4 meters wide and 19.21 meters tall. The sculptural decoration that would have been placed on the attic story no longer exists but would have raised the overall height considerably. The arch was restored during the 1820s by the architect Augustin Caristie and another person called Renaux, who are also associated with the works being carried out the theatre at this time. The arch had been incorporated into the medeval walls of Orange and the first task was to liberate and isolate the structure.

 The triumphal arch at Orange, detail of relief above the right hand arch on the south side

Caristie is accredited with a very judicious and sympathetic restoration. The careful manner in which he undertook this task has made it possible for us to enjoy this important Roman piece of urban imperial and historical architecture. 

Many of the reliefs on the north and south sides depict typical trophy displays of shields, above them are motifs related to marine warfare such as tridents and anchors. The naval references in the arch may be a direct reference to the victory of Augustus at Actium in 31 B.C. The majority of these reliefs are in low relief, however the trophy scenes on the short sides were sculpted in high relief. These six panels, two destroyed on the west side, depicted the battledress, helmets, standards and trumpets and captives.

 The triumphal arch at Orange, view from the north and reconstructed west side

The battle relief on the attic story of the north side remains in good condition. Originally there may have been other bronze objects applied to the relief to add detail and embellishment but these have disappeared. The scene depicts a chaotic combat scene with the naked Gaulish tribesmen being killed and overpowered by the Roman Legionaries. The Roman Second Legion has been identified on a panel by the use of the Capricorn motif on the shield of an officer. The settlers and their descendants must have had certain amount of pride in the arch and what it commemorated; the victory over the Gaulish tribes was not to be forgotten and the arch guaranteed this.

 The triumphal arch at Orange, detail of a battle relief from the attic story

Returning to Lyon, I set my heart on exploring Vienne for a day and Corinne's thoughts leaned in the direction of shopping and staying in Lyon. I was amazed by the theatre and triumphal arch at Orange, but I admit I was overwhelmed by the the Roman building program at Vienne, and hope to relate my experience of some of them in the next entry.

A short trip to Lyon - Gallia Lugdunensis 1

A view across the Rhone towards Notre Dame de Fourviere

It was 20 years since I had been to Lyon and back then I did not stop for too long before moving on to my ultimate destination to the southeast of Lyon. For this trip, at the end of January, I decided to read up on Lyon to identify a few sights I would like to visit and add to my basic knowledge of the city, and its culture. I decided to refer to Elizabeth David's book on Provincial French Cooking, but I was surprised at her comments. She was of the opinion that one must be a Lyonnais to properly appreciate the local cooking and then proceeded to moan in an unappreciative manner about the anti climax that she experienced from the fountainhead of French cuisine. I suppose I should not be surprised to read this from somebody who ignored the Jura and Franche Comte in the same publication, but it still a good book despite these shortcomings. To assist me on my journey, I decided to travel with three books The cuisine of the Rose by Mireille Johnston, The White Cities by Joseph Roth, and Roman Gaul and Germany by Anthony King.

 

Lyon is not a monumental and decadent city in the mould of Paris. This ancient city has grown up and expanded at the confluence of two of France's most important waterways; the Rhone and the Saone. The Roman colony of Lugdunum was founded in 43 B.C by Lucius Munatius Plancus, a leading officer serving under Julius Caesar during his campaigns and battles to subdue the Gallic tribes. The site chosen by this officer, who is also reputed to have founded Augusta Raurica in 44 B.C. not far from Basel, was previously a Gallic hill fort occupied by the Segusiani, and today this vantage point towers over Lyon and is known as the Fourviere hill. Its significant position on the Rhone and Saone lended this site to being used as an administrative centre with easy and speedy access north and south on the navigable river systems which passed through the city. Over the next three hundred years this settlement would be favoured by a number of Emperors and Lugdunum flourished as a result. Features of this development still visible today are the numerous aqueducts, theatre, odeon and the amphitheatre.

A view looking south across the Roman theatre, Fourviere, Lyon

The steep featured flanks of the Fourviere descend to the Rhone and a number of bridges and passerelles make communication with Presqu'ile quite easy. As the name suggests, Presqu'ile is not quite an island but a strip of land that has been cut and narrows to a point where it finally reaches the confluence of the Rhone and Saone.

Roman Gaul is proving to be a tourist attraction for the modern town of Lyon and the Roman theatre on the Fourviere hill is the most visible representation of this period of the city's history. When the Roman builders arrived on site in or about 15 B.C. to build the first theatre structure in Gaul, they must have welcomed the prospect of building a theatre structure on this site because the steep hillsides in the vicinity could be easily employed in the construction of a theatre. While the slopes would minimise the need for a freestanding outer wall and a complicated series of vaults, arches and supports there are visible remains of radial substructures supporting the cavea. The theatre measures 108 meters in diameter which makes it a little larger than those built at Arles (Arelate) and Orange (Arausio). The remains of three cavea are visible, the media cavea and summa cavea are only to be identified by the series of vaults and hemispherical wall structures that would have supported them, and the remains of the ruined vomitoria quite immense. The date of the initial construction of this theatre places it firmly within the reign of the Emperor Augustus and there is evidence to suggest it was restored and extended during the reign of Hadrian, and it is suggested the scaena frons was added during this period.

A view looking west towards the cavea of the Roman theatre, Fourviere, Lyon

Although it faces east and overlooks most of the city of Lyon today, the scaena frons structure situated in front of the seating would originally have been approximately 30 meters high, and thus the great panoramic view to be seen today over Lyon would have been not a particular feature of this theatre. The structure would have been ornately decorated and some elegantly carved column bases are to be found on site today.  The hillside has a number of other interesting structures, and just to the south can be found the Roman odeon which is thought to have been constructed during the 2nd Century A.D. This is 73 meters in diameter and also backs onto the hillside for support and its cavea are surrounded by an immense boundary or outer wall, which is quite distinctive and sets it apart from its neighbour the theatre. The orchestra measures 21 meters in diameter and is decorated in opus sectile with porphyry and other exotic stones and marbles from the distant far flung corners of the Roman Empire.

A column base from the Roman theatre site

To the north of the theatre and also nestled into the hillside is the musee de la civilisation gallo-romaine the exhibition spaces of which are sunk into the hillside. It houses an important collection of sarcophagi, inscriptions, decorative mosaics and other materials found in excavations from the area. The mosaic of the circus race is quite well preserved and evidence of the fact that one of the four circus tracks to be found in the Gallic provinces was located not too far from the Fourviere hill, and in close proximity to the Gier Aqueduct. The aqueduct may have been the source of the water used in the fountains along the spina depicted in the mosaic.

Detail of the Circus Mosaic, Musee de la Civilisation Gallo-Romaine, Lyon

The remains of the amphitheatre are to be found to the north west of Place des Terreaux. Leaving this grand square, travelling north, and proceeding towards the district of La Croix Rousse, it was not long before I was walking up a steep hill into which the amphitheatre was built in circa 19 A.D. This is another example of the Roman engineers and builders exploitation of the terrain to construct and support their structures.

 The remains of the amphitheatre, La Croix Rousse, Lyon

The amphitheatre was excavated and investigated in circa 1818, and the quartier was developed thereafter. The remains, which are now incorporated into a garden, are presently covered by roads, modern buildings and indeed cut in half by a tunnel built to alleviate the flow of traffic leading up to La Croix Rousse. The size of the amphitheatre is debatable but is clear that it was improved and extended through the centuries and must have been an impressive sight. Some commentators are of the opinion the structure was smaller than those at Arles and Nimes. However my impression is that, in its most developed state the amphitheatre in Lugdunum would have been as significant as the amphitheatres built at Arles and Nimes. The principal difference in Lugdunum, is that the amphitheatre was both reliant upon and contained by terrain it was built into.

An important inscription was found in 1957 yielded evidence for not only the build date but the people who financed its construction; the inscription pays testament and records the fact that a Gallo-Roman family from Saintes (Santons), most likely seeking to underline its loyalty to Rome and the Emperor, constructed the amphitheatre at their own expense. It must be noted that there is also a magnificent amphitheatre to be found not far form the centre of Saintes.
 

 An aerial view of the amphitheatre using Google Earth

Having left Corinne at the ugly Gare SNCF Perrache, (she was going home for the day), I struck out for La Croix Rousse on foot. After viewing the amphitheatre, I descended through the town peering in through the windows of various boulangeries as I went. This city has a number of sweets and delicacies which were invented here, and can only be found elsewhere in specialist shops. The lush red pralines, crystalline crusty coated almonds, appear in most windows in one guise or another; dotted in various types of sweetened bread or tart pralinee or sables pralinees. The choclatier Voisin has a number of stores around the city, and they are responsible for the famous coussin de Lyon; a sugared elegant green marzipan filled with rich chocolate grenache in the shape of a cushion.

I crossed the city towards Fourviere and climbed the steep hill, absolutely breathless and weak by the time I found the theatre in bright winter sunshine. The day was bitterly cold and nobody was there. After spending half an hour wandering around looking for the remains of the aqueducts, and various mausoleums, I was quite conscious of the fact that the bells had stopped chiming in the nearby churches, and lunch would be now available. Wandering back through the streets of St Just towards Vieux Lyon, I eventually arrived at the point where I had commenced my ascent of the Fourviere hill at the top of Rue du Boeuf.

The path of least resistance led me down the narrow cobbled street to a restaurant on Rue du Boeuf called Les Adrets. Being both hungry and thirsty, I entered a long narrow dining room paved with tiles with strained and heavily deflected ,wooden beams overhead. It was full but a space at a table was found and I ordered terrine de gibier to be followed by tete de veau along with a refreshing pot of cote du rhone. Despite being obviously foreign, my choises engendered me to those sitting beside me, and they inquired about my little adventure and what I places I had visited and offered advice on what I should see next.

In the restaurants of Lyon you frequently end up wondering if there is anything that you would like to eat on the menu. You need to be adventurous. The menus can be viewed with some intrepidation if you are anxious about ordering various types of tripe, offal or combinations of both. My tete de veau probably shortened my life by two weeks, but it was unctuous and bitter and satisfying; the mellow sweet flavour of the gelatinous fat was cut by a parsley vinaigrette dressing. This dish would be relished and devoured, without a second thought, by a boatman who had been working his vessel up the Rhone, from perhaps Valence, for the previous 20 hours, against a strong current and a bitterly cold mistral wind. Arriving at the quays in Lyon, with his hands paralysed by the cold wind, this dish would have revived such a man. My meal was finished with a fantastically rich quenelle of chocolate mousse and a coffee, and the knowledge that I would be sentenced to at least three months hard labour for eating everything that put in front of me on this trip.

Opus reticulatum and opus mixtum still visible on a support of the Gier Aqueduct, Lyon

As Lugdunum thrived in the 1st Century A.D. the requirement to augment the water supply became a necessity and it was decided that four aqueducts would be built to attend to this need. The longest of the aquaeducts is 86 kilometres in lenght using the river Gier as its source. Evidence from inscriptions and archaeology has not been of great assistance in the dating of this aqueduct. Some archaeology suggests it could have been constructed during the reign of Augustus but it is more likely that it was operational under the reign of Claudius. Inscriptions found at Chagnon and St Joseph date to the reign of Hadrian and introduce a ban on ploughing and sewing in the vicinity of the aqueduct.

I have already refered tothe lenghty pondering I experienced reading a number of Lyonnais restaurant menus, and my chosen reading prior to the trip had not fully prepared me for this very distinctive cuisine. The books probably were too heavily influenced by Dijon and the Bourgogne and neglected the indigenous fare of the Lyonnais. Over the five days of thisparticular visit I have discovered the Bouchon, which is a type of Lyonnais restaurant serving earthy, homely food, but typically Lyonnais using just about every edible part of a pig, cow, chicken or available fish; lentils, onions and macaroni are a feature of the Lyonnais cuisine.

The first Bouchon we dined in was La Meuniere. It was one the most enjoyable meals I have ever had. Most of the prepared food was laid out on a bench in the middle of the very dated and somehow complimentary dining room. It appeared not to have been decorated since the 50s or 60s and was somewhat spartan in appearance, however posters celebrating Beaujolais wine served as a strong suggestion as to what you should be ordering with your meal. The staff engaged with you in a very familiar way, and some diners received a reproach for failing to clear their plates. While I had a terrine to start, I decided to have poulet fermier a la vinaigre for my main course. I did not expect this dish to be as agreeable as it was. It was very good. Thereafter, I received slap on the hand when I thought the canut, a soft cream cheese with herbs and garlic, was my cheese course of preference. Instead I was directed to two large wooden boards full of locally produced cheeses.

The next Bouchon, was the similarly celebrated Le Garet. The menu of the day was noteworthy because it sums up for me what Lyonnais cuisine is all about; Salade de dent lion aux oreilles de cochon (a salad of dandilions with pigs ears); Omlette a la truffe Francaise; Ris de veau a la creme et champignons. I began my meal with an offering of five bowls from the kitchen containing, Lentil salad, mousseau (pickled face of cow thinly sliced), pied de veau, saucisson de veau et cochon, and tripe; collectively known as salad de cochonailles. A pot of Crozes Hermitage worked very well with this selection and the following plate of le tablier du sapeur, which was a section of marinated and fried tripe. The dessert was a homemade blackcurrant ice cream, barely sweetened, which was served with a bottle of vieux marc to use as you pleased, and I did!

 Some of the creations of the Patissier and choclatier Richard Seve

Food forms a very important part of Lyonnais living and they are proud of their traditional servings and just as proud of their influences on the new modern cuisine developing in France today. It is not based upon fusion or any passing weakness for a modish taste but merely a celebration and presentation of French food and its industry at its very best. The master boulangers, patissiers and affineurs that base themselves in Les Halles Paul Bocuse are representative of this ideal. They are some the best boulangers and patissiers in France and strive to produce the best quality food to a very high standard. You rarely witness crowds of people surrounding a butcher stall focusing on a butcher dressing a rack of lamb but this occurs most days at les Halles Paul Bocuse.

Street markets are also a feature of Lyon life, as they are of most French villages, towns and cities. Local producers sell their fresh vegetables and fruit and anything else they think the pubic will purchase. I spotted one vendor selling walnuts, walnut spreads, and huile de noix; the oil produced from the pressing of the walnuts. They also sold the tourteaux de noix, which is the dried remains of the pressed walnuts. It can be used much in much the same way as chestnut flour to flavour flour in making biscuits or in general baking.

My personal preference leans towards the everyday and traditional food of the bouchon which preserves the old dishes in an unglamorous and less ostentatious way. This food is generally consumed with the three princes of Lyon; Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, or Crozes Hermitage and after a few days my fear and intrepidation has turned, with a little understanding, into a sense of surprise at every menu. This understanding will no doubt encourage me to return and continue my exploration of the Gallo Roman ruins.

French Christmas Adventure 2

This post is a little late going up but it is still worth looking back over good times. One of the great tasks we have when going back to France is "casser les noix" or breaking the nuts! These walnuts have been dried and stored since they were carefully harvested in mid september. They taste stunning and there is no comparison to those you might buy bagged in the shops; they are full of flavour and rich in their natural oil. Afterwards the brittle shells are used to light the fire in the morning and we often relax with a cup of coffee in hand watching the shells glowing red.

The marche in Besancon was a hive of activity throughout Christmas. All the butchers were busy displaying inticate pretty joints of meat, and many different types of specially raised foul from Bresse and elsewhere could be purchased. The rest of the stalls had magnificent displays of fresh fruit and vegtables. Winter reveals the wealth of smoked meats available in the this region which are particularly renknowned. I have been told that in Roman times the smoked ham was a prized export and I have no reason to doubt this. During Winter the region of the Haut Doubs could become isolated and its inhabitants cut off due to long periods of snowfall. In order to surviive it was necessary to prepare food and preserve as much as possible of it. The people were required to be self sufficient to survive on their communal stocks and stores in their large characteristic farmhouses, which would also be employed in the sheltering of the cattle and their feed as well. The typical farmhouse would have a large chimney indicating a smoking room and attached to a wall of most houses would be a hemisperical wood fired oven.

Le Reveillon was a magnificent marathon of a feast commencing with the extra special marinated foie gras of Jeannine Marie Reine Delacroix, followed by the prawns and monkfish a la bourgogne. After an interlude, when Pere Noel made an appearance to deliver gifts, the meal recommenced with Jeannine's slow roasted leg of lamb. In the south of France it is customary to have thirteen deserts, a task which I was thankfully spared. Instead, a selection of homemade berry sorbets and the buche du noel were served following the selection of locally produced cheeses.

Christmas day arrived and the snow had by now melted and the river Doubs had begun to rise, flooding the low lying fields that borded the river. Another marathon meal was planned, and I contributed a tart au citron and a tart aux pommes to the menu. The new taste for small courses served in verrines or small glasses, was much in evidence as a succession of courses were served during the afternoon prior to the principal dishes of snails which were followed by magret de canard served with a pumpkin gratinee and traditional sweet chestnuts.

After Christmas we planned a day trip north towards the Vosges Mountians and Alsace. The Irish have a long history in this part of France dating back many centuries; St Columban arrived in the vacintiy of the Vosges mountains now within the departments of Haute Soane and Alsace in about 587. He founded a monastary on the site of the then ravaged gallo-roman settlement of Luxonium, the modern town Luxeuil -les- Bains. Excavations had been taking place on the site of the funerary church of Saint Martin for a number of years, but from October and throughout December there were many media announcemnts on television and in the papers relating the recent developments and finds associated with these excavations. The excavations were concluding during January and among some of the most important finds disclosed in the reports were 125 sarcophagi dating to the Merovingian age, and the crypt of Saint Valbert.

Our day trip began early on the 26th December, and we took a train witha destination a little further north of Luxeuil into the Vosges to the city of Colmar in Alsace and the department of Haut Rhin. It was a bright still morning and through the lingering freezing fog we could see the countryside was covered with a mantle of thick coarse frost. The first part of the trip took a course along the banks of the Doubs which in places was still flooded and frozen, and in others where the valley narrowed and the river turned tighly around a succession of bends we saw the waters rise in great acts of rejection to counterflows and currents as the river swelled and flooded unpredictably. Leaving Mulhouse we entered a different landscape; a plain with the Vosges mountains bording the horizon.

Colmar

The foundation of Colmar is recorded to be in the 9th Century, but settlements such as this one often have an earlier origin. The site became one of the most important in the area by the 12th Century.  Today this quaint city is too easily passed and missed on the way to Strasbourg. At school I learned of the constant change of this region's borders; this struggle appears at this remove as a constant series of ceding and annexation of borders. While the ecclesiastical history has made a visible impact on the medeval city the proximity of Germany and its historical influence is also quite visible. On the edge of the medeval city there is a small quarter which has network of canals passing through it, and indeed small streams shaped the contours of some of the streets as they pass through the city. While St Petersburg and Amsterdam may be compared to  Venice, Colmar also shares this elegant quality and atmosphere.

 Church of St Martin built between 1234 and 1365

It was a day of firsts for me as I had decided to add to my Christmas girth by having a choucroutt with it meats for lunch with a local reisling wine. We commenced our meal with a tarte flambee, which was for me a lesser known Alsation staple dish. This is a very thin and crisp dough topped with creme fraiche, onions and lardons and cooked in a very hot wood fired oven. We followed it with my first choucroutt garni. There is no pomp and ceremony afforded to this dish of fermented cabbage and pork, but it worthy of some celbration. It was a considerable feast with various types of pork sausage, poitrine, lard and quenelles de foie perched on and around the mound of pale sweet cabbage. I failed to clear my plate, which is a statement in itself, but was sufficiently fortified to walk around the pretty streets of Colmar for the afternoon.

This unusual photograph I have included because I have come to associate a number of regions with their distinctive and indigenous local stone; locally quarried stone used in the edifaces and walls of many structures throughout a town gives a city a certain individual character. In Besancon there is the striking and austere grey and blue limestone, but a little further north I was greeted by the soft and warm combination of yelllow and red sandstones. This example comes from the side wall of the Unterlinden Dominican Convent which dates to the 13th Century. It is now known as the Unterlinden Museum housing primarily a religious collection and the Isenheim alterpiece, but there is also an archaeological collection with objects from the La Tene, Gallo-Roman, and Merovingian periods.

At Christmas time in Alsace many cities have special markets in the town's center and Colmar's Christmas market is quite exceptional. The curved and twisted short streets, and narrow or small squares of this medeval city were filled with huts selling everyting from artisanal bakers to vendors of vin chaud. The streets were filled with people wandering about gazing into these huts and musing over their wares. We purchased another Alsation favourite to nibble on the way home on the train: Kugelhopf is akin to an upside-down  brioche, being cooked in a barley twist mould containing dried fruit and dotted with sugar. The flavours and sights of Alsace and Colmar had escaped my attention previously, but it is worthy of severable visits and is again evidence of the great regional diversity of tradition, food and wine in France.

January's grip on the weather

This robin looks quite threatening I think!

We have experienced all kinds of weather in January; freezing cold ice sleat and snow enveloped the east coast of Ireland for almost three weeks bringing life aas we know it to a standstill. The snowfall was not  significant, however the contant thawing and overnight freezing meant that pavements and roads were very treachorous. I had not experienced Ireland in a state of paralysis like this since 1982; that cold spell only lasted 7 or eight days. The weather system which held the cold conditions in place for three weeks eventually weakened and moved on, but was quickly replaced by strong winds and rain. Ireland has had its weather problems for the last two months but the arrival of milder stormy conditions has occured in tandem with a severe water shortage as the freezing conditions pass the burst pipes relaease vast quantities of water directly into the ground.

Runner bean shoots

Frozen Cabbage

The freezing and wet weather transformed the allotment into a freezer. Only the hardiest of plants and vegetables have escaped the icy chill. We tried to protect the crowns of rhubarb by covering them with cut grass but the ground was thoroughly frozen and standing water on the ground had frozen solid. Corinne dug the jerusalem artichokes and washed them in the bitterly cold water. I bravely photographed this for posterity, dug out a few leeks and inspected the beetroots. Just visible through the ice and snow was the mache lettuce and the crisp layer of perfectly frozen snow had also been penetrated by the broad bean shoots which we had planted in November. It was amazing to see life taking hold where everything else had wilted and died with the chill of the frosts and ice.

Corinne cleaning jerusalem artichokes

Donabate beach on Sunday

On Friday evening I arrived home as the dark sky blackened and produced a dense misty rain. Beofre long the stylus on the barograph had dropped recording the arrival of a new weather front. By midnight the wind was houling and beating against the windows. With the easterly wind the sea must have been greatly disturbed and there was a big rise and fall in the tide. This morning while walking on the beach we came across a lot of shells which must have been dredged up from the sea bed by the violent force of the storm; a vast quantity of shells of every kind had been strewn along the high water mark. Large, black old native oyster shells, razor clams, and welks had been cast up broken on to the beach along with a great number of spiny cockles which live just beyound the low water mark. Many of these were still alive and awaited the sea as it closed in once again to possibly bring them back to their sandy muddy homes. Their bright pink and red bodies were extended in anticipation of digging their way to safety. Unfortunately for a few of the better preserved specimens, I arrived with a little canvas bag and collected a few. Having found a suitable rockpool which was constantly being filled by the arriving waves I placed my bag into it for an hour and let them feed and filter the sand out of the shells and fleshy bodies.

Spiny cockles resting in a rock pool

In early January when I bottled my wild bullace plum gin. I had waited until late September to collect a large quanity of these wild bullace plums, which grow in ditches close to the alotment. They take some time to pick and after all this work I dedicated some of them to jelly and others to a cobbler type dessert dish. The rest, just over a kilo, I pricked with a fork and placed in two large Le Parfait jars which were then topped up with gin and sugar. I used roughly 200 grams of sugar to a bottle of gin as the wild bullace plum is very bitter. Having let them rest in a dark cool place for three months I  decanted two bottles, and have set them down for a further three months to mature. I decided to reserve the remaining gin and bullace plums in a jar to mascerate for a further month or two to experiment a little. While bottling the gin I did sample a small glass or two of this wonderful fruit gin, and I was quite surprised with the result; the flavour was excellent and while the gin had acquired the sharpness of the fruit, it was an enjoyable tipple.

Corinne's charlotte russe au chocolat

Corinne always has an interesting and surprisingly exotic, request for a birthday cake. Last year it was mango cheesecake. This years request was charlotte russe au chocolat. While knowing the basics of the charlotte I did a little research and examined closely my best source for this cake; Julia childs book of French cooking. Having just escaped the clutches of  Christmas with moderate weight gain I decided to pass on the almond cream and instead decided to fill the sponge finger mould with the wonderfully rich chocolate mouse. Priior to serving I sieved a little cocoa powder over the mouse and placed on top a few intense chocolate biscuits for decoration to add to the 70s feel. wE passed on birthday candles and dived straight in!

French Christmas Adventure

A variety of roots at the Marché in Besancon including beetroots, cerfeuil tubereux, parsley, Oca du Perou, crosne and topinambourg

The difficulty with uploading photographs and then not being able to move them is that I must compose a story around them or just ignore them completely.

Early on Saturday morning we had a phone call from Corinne`s mother explaining that the weather conditions were very bad, and that we might not make it to Besancon. A few minutes later there was another call, from my mother, who explained that the weather situation in Ireland was severe and that our flight may be delayed. I had already taken out the rubbish and wondered where this bad Irish weather was, or if it turned up since! It was not an auspicious start to our little trek but we stepped off the train in Besancon 14 hours later in good order. It was -14 Celsius and there was snow everywhere, but not too deep.

In describing poor driving conditions the French say "les rues sont delicates". This was the first of many double meanings which I might experience over the next few days! As the temperatures began to increase the weather changed and it also began to rain. It was still freezing and the roads. In France snow is either all good or all bad and the rain altered matters considerably making the roads deadly.

Butchers preparing meat at the marché in Besancon

The marché at Besancon is building up to the biggest family feast of the year; le Rèveillon. This is effectively a feast of gourmandies and as midnight approaches the children are put to bed just before Pere Noel (a.k.a. Santa Claus) arrives at midnight. This character, typically clad in red with a white beard, indulges in disappointent and never appears to wait around for the good childen of the land to open their presents. Obviously the disappointment of the children is short lived for the most part as they tear the wrapping from their presents.

The food is always the centre of attention during his time and the build up to Rèveillon is everywhere to be seen. The year end fixation for figures and statistics is bound up into this expectation and excitement. The chiffres (figures) reveal that there was 20,400 tonnes of foie gras produced in France in 2007. One newspaper article centered upon a producer from Alsace who had created an academy for foie gras. He elaborated on the characteristcs and qualities of the various foie gras; the vigeur (vigor) of the foie gras de canard and the douceur (sweetness) of the foie gras du oie. However, he also brought it one stage futher announcing "canoie"; a combination of foigras de canard and foie gras du oie (duck and goose livers). Foie gras forms an important part of the meal of the Rèveillon and its subtle flavours have gone through many fads and styles of preparation through the years; it is available smoked, salted or sweetened with figs and other fruits and now as canoie.

Corinne's mother has prepared her foie gras by placing it in milk for two days with salt, pepper and a little spice. After that it was wrapped in plastic and mascerated in a little port hile rolled into a cling film and bound in your best dish cloth! It tasted stunning this morning and no doubt will acquire a little more flavour from the port over the next day or so. In this part of France it is normally served with pain d'épices; a tradtional dence golden brown loaf made from honey and spices.

Chocolate snowmen or bonomme de neige at Hirsinger, Arbois

Chocolate shops do a roaring trade in France over Christmas. There are sweets everywhere from the humble papillottes to the more elaborate pieces produced by master choclatiers. The papillotte is the equivalent of our crackers at the table. They are typically a chocolate covered praline sweet and are covered in bright eye catching wrappers. While our crackers have jokes the papillottes contain questions to be posed to your fellow diners. For example "How heavy is a big male chimpanzee? a. 70 kgs; b. 90 kgs; c. 110 kgs". The answer of course, as everybody knows, is 70 kgs and more impotantly we are informed that he is three times stronger than a human male of the same weight! In contrast Corinne and myself pulled a cracker together before we left, and I was left explaing the following joke contained therein; "The local police station was burgled recently. The police had nothing to go on".

Le Morillon - a cheese stuffed with morelles

There was almost 50,000 tonnes of Comté cheese produced in Franche Comté this year, a fact based upon the offical chiffres or statistics. Cheese mongers are far from left out in this season of feasting; cheese is an essential course and every region celebrates its own produce. The fromageries or fruiteries in Franche Comté are stunning emporia and often produce their own cheese on the premises, some only selling what they produce such as bleu de gex, Comté, or Mont D'or. One shop in Champagnole sold a number of locally produced buches de chèvre or goat's cheese which I had never seen or heard of. They included Truffe ventidor, Tanpiniere and Bicaillon which were all stunning looking and quite individual in their appearance.

The scenery of the Haut Doubs of Franche Comté is dominated by pastures, forests, large farm houses and cow sheds that often resemble large farm houses. When the snow arrives it becomes a winter wonderland and the Montbeliard cattle are nowhere to be seen as they have retreated to the safe havens and sheds where the chill of the wind and snow will not be felt.

Winter in the Haut Doubs

A dash through November

November slipped by so fast it was frightening. It appeared to be a work-filled month running from one job to the next with very little time to take stock or note of what was going on around me. I do remember making some very nice chocolate biscuits and a few fish pies to keep us happy and well nourished. The dark days slipped by very quickly as we raced towards the shortest day of the year.

Today I am in Besancon with Corinne surrounded by snow and ice. The treachorous roads may keep us somewhat confined but if we get hungry we can always shoot something or other! The pears and quinces stored outside have frozen and the sweet chestnuts have dried rapidly in the chilly air.

Back home our allotment became less demanding over the last few weeks because the slugs have devoured the turnips and the beetroot are still too young. One delight however has been the growth of one of Corinne's new variety of globe artichoke plants. Despite my pleas to leave it grow for a lttle longer, she longed for the tender fresh and young leaves. So it came to pass, no sooner had I turned my back she had chopped it away from its mother plant when I had my back turned. I found the solitqry innocent inthe basket when I was loading the car. Everything tastes great with a little mayonnaise and this little specimen was no exception.

Corinne's new Globe Artichoke plant

November also means the harvest of the slug infested jerusalem artichoke plants, which lay maturing in the soil for the last few months. To my surprise they had not been too badly attacked by the useless slugs, and we had a few very pleasent meals with either roasted or steamed jerusalem artichokes (which also taste great with a little mayonnaise). The harvest of these unphotogenic critters is quite unforgettable because we wash them in the rainwater filled basins on the allotment. The water is inevitably freezing and my hands are throbbing with pain by the time I have washed the mud from them. The real reason for a lack of photgraphs at this point is because my fingers became paralysed in the cold water. A sensation which repeated itself yesterday after shovelling snow for a period.

During November I managed to get away for a few days to Holland, and spent a day in Haarlem before meeting friends in Amsterdam. There are times when you need to have some time to yourself and Haarlem I believe is the place to do it. It is much smaaler than Amsterdam but still has all the charm. The city is disected by the Spaarne river. Below are a few views of Haarlem to enjoy.

Check out the wonderful furniture of Piet Hein Eek

Traditional boats on the Spaarne with St Bavo`s cathedral in the background

Halloween was still in the air but so were the Christmas lights like so many cities

Sinterclas and Zwart Piet were making their entrance into the cities of the low countries the weekend I had arrived. There were a lot of beautiful wreaths of flowers, berries and fruit to hang on your door, or indeed decorate your beloved bicycle. I am contemplating bloging Conor`s Christmas Adventure (if I am allowed - so stay tuned in).
All errors above are due to defective and non standard French keyboards.

Another weekend trip to France

Last weekend was a long holiday weekend in Ireland and I flew to France to meet Corinne. I did this reluctantly because I was going to miss my annual pilgrimage to the the Pumpkin Festival in Virginia, County Cavan. With tears still in my eyes, I gathered the courage and resolve to ascend the stairs and boarded the plane exposing my eyes to the acidic yellow and blue interior.

Landing somewhere in the north of France, I quickly made my way to Paris on that dark wet morning. The city was robed in a chic damp and misty fog (not to be associated with the drenching a Celtic mist might provide). Once I got my bearings, I made my way to Rue deTermes and the Marche du Termes, awaiting the surprise of what seasonal offerings would be available for purchase in that market. Autumn was in full flight at the market, and my first sight of things to come as I turned the corner were bunches of deep red, and almost black skinned, muscat grapes side by side with their pale opalescent cousins the chasselas.

A selection of meaty ceps

The true motif of October in Europe is the cep mushroom. Plastic imitations sit in most windows from department stores to hairdressers and chemists. The muscular cep mushrooms (boletus edulis) were displayed at a number of stalls. Many of their deep earthy brown caps still had leaves and twigs attached from the forest floor where they were plucked. A number of them were sliced revealing their perfect white flesh and soft golden tubular gills. There were not many for sale and only a few stalls had a scattering of them. The unseasonal warm and dry weather may not have played its part and with frosts not too distant, the season may be a short one.

A table of vibrant girolles

Perfect cauliflowers from Marche de Termes

Morelles and Ceps

The experience was not over and the symphony had only just begun; the mushroom feast continued and a table at the top of the street had a large spread of bright yellow girolles. Small piles of fresh morelles were gathered together in an ostentatious display of luxurious seasonal wealth. On other stalls the hardy and tasty greens and seasonal vegtables were offered for sale.

Sensational scallops

The fish sellers' stalls were equally exuberant with large platters of shelled scallops neatly displayed with their crescents of orange coral adding a vibrant colourful life to the sight. Troughs, basins and indeed baths containing arrangments of large majestic ochre orange and white ridged scallop shells. Great piles of crevettes grises, langoustines of every possible size and sea urchins dominated the displays but what really caught my eye were the very large and very fresh turbot and bass.

Maison Pou

Time was not on my side, and I quickly made my way to Maison Pou to gaze in the windows at what was on offer. The prepared meals always look wonderful and this day featured cailles en jellee (quails in jelly), and poulet en gellee (oddly enough chicken in jelly), artichauts norvegen (Norwegian artichokes), Bavarois de Homard and Saumon farcie among other delightful delicacies.

Detail of a decorated cake for Maison Pou

Meanwhile in the middle of Conor's great escape, Corinne was texting the times of the trains to Besancon. The information soon changed character informing me that tickets for trains were being sold out quite quickly as it was a holiday weekend in France. I made my way to Gare de Lyon with the intention of purchasing a ticket and joining the rush for the East. Having successfully achieved this task, and equally happy that I was not going to walk to Franche Comte, I set out to treat myself to lunch. I had three and half hours to fill so I decided to go across town to the 14th arrondissement to Le Zeyer. I had missed lunch everyday the preceding week and was desperate to redress the balance looking forward to a few hours of dismantling crabs, other crustaceans and a selection of the best oysters France had to offer.

It was two years since I had visited Le Zeyer, and it was all that I remembered it to be. The lush warm decadent art deco interior echoed the weath and style of another era; surfaces veneered with burr walnut, lines of red velvet coated pews topped with polished gleaming brass rails, together with bright lanterns and an abstract art deco leaded glass ceiling contributed to a unique experience of colour and texture. I was always assured the shellfish at Le Zeyer was of a really high standard; I was not disappointed. Three hours was my target to complete the sizeable task of getting to grips with the choix de l'ecaille (or sea food mountain) which I had ordered. As I remained undecided over my choise of wine, I cast my eye about the menu and thoughts wandered to a group of special friends when I spotted a rose wine from Ramatuelle on the south coast of France. For a number of years we had raced a yacht at Les Voiles de St. Tropez together. When the racing was cancelled or postponed due to a warning of a mistral hurtling through the Gulf du Lyons, we would venture out of St Tropez or Grimaud and go to the hilltop village of Ramatuelle in order to pay homage to a great producer of rose wine and typically some fine stuffed ravioli and deep fried courgette flowers.

My three hours passed very quickly dissecting and dismantling the crustaceans, shaking a variety of oysters and other shellfish from their shells, and before long I was on the 15 58 TGV from Gare de Lyon to Besancon. I found Franche Comte as ever singular and different, separate and distinct is nearly every way. From the rich delicate flavours of the mont d'or and comte cheese to the strongly flavoured saucise de morteau, jambon fumee and the chardonnay and savagnin wines of the region. Burgundy which is separated from the Jura and Franche Comte region by the Soane in many places is almost an opposite and very French. My time here was short and I savoured every minute but it was not long before we had to return to Dublin. Incidentally, before I left I managed to see a basket of pumpkins and gourds the like of which I probably would not have seen in Virginia, County Cavan.

A basket of mutant deformed gourds and pumpkins from the market in Beasnacon

The Good Life - Images and colours of Autumn

Dublin just before dawn crossing the Liffey

Brown birch bolet in the woods

A few brown birch bolets and a lettuce from the allotment

A white turnip from the allotment

The last flourish of raspberries from the allotment

Sun setting in a forest of silver birch

The Good Life - An Autumn Weekend

Young pheasants making a run for it!

October has arrived and the fields nearby have been ploughed and tilled. The earth in the raised beds of the allotment is cracked and open awaiting the first nourishing drops of rain. Friday evening ended with the arrival of strong winds and on Saturday every gust of wind pressed and accelerated passed the allotment. This sudden change did not bring any precipitation. Instead by the evening a large full moon rose on a clear and bright horizon, illuminating the sky, before it rose further above the thin layers of mixed cloud cover. In the last few days the sun's light has changed dramatically and the air temperature during the day is no longer holds its warmth.

With most of the beds dug and prepared for the Winter we settled upon collecting hazelnuts from a small line of trees nearby. The wind had blown many of the nuts from their branches while others clung tightly, safe in a haven under broad leafy cover. Taking the clusters of nuts from the trees we twisted them easily in their dried fleshy coat, releasing the mahogany coloured nuts.

While the ground looks dry it is still extremely productive. In particular the raspberry canes continue to produce a significant number of fruit; much more than last year. It is a constant surprise to arrive and always finding another supply of deep cerise red berries ready to pick. Elsewhere the sorrel and spinach continue to grow and we are chopping back the parsley borders freezing cubes of parsley with a little water to use in sauces over the Winter. Pumpkins and turnips continue to grow well but one can only wonder what their growth rate will be like when it begins to rain once again.