Fruit and nuts and other treats!

Pumpkins arranged along a wall in Chateau-Chalon

On the 18th September I went back to the Jura and Doubs regions of eastern France with Corinne. Our visit coincided with a a brief window in time where so much fruit, and indeed nuts, were in season; peaches, raspberries, blackberries and apples were all in abundance.

The apple trees were heavily laden with local varieties such as les Belles Filles de Salins and Rennete. The many bright red fruit coloured and enlivened the otherwise green pastures and trees that board many of the routes in the region. With many of the fruit ripening rapidly, and beginning to fall, we set about assisting with the collection of the apples in an orchard near La Chapelle sur Furieuse. The Furieuse is a small gentle country stream, but its name suggests a propensity and character that might be dramically different at certain times of year.

Les belles filles de Salins

The walnuts and hazelnuts were in season but in Besancon, the walnut trees had not shed their crop and many trees still exhibited their fleshy unbroken fruit. Further south, at a higher altitude, the situation was slightly different, and the walnuts had begun to fall, and the race had begun to collect as many as possible before the squirrels and other animals ran away with the lot.

Unless planted for commercial purposes, the walnut trees merely dot the landscape randomly. On a warm still afternoon, wandering about collecting the walnuts beneath a tree, you cannot but be overcome with the scent from the tree above. The air that collects and contained by the tree wafts through its branches and leaves is heavy with a rich creamy nutty odour, and can become an oasis of narcotic tranquility.

The fleshy outer coating of a walnut breaking to reveal the nut within

Fresh walnuts released

Fresh reports from our base in Besancon disclosed the squirrels had made off with most of the nuts from the trees in the garden, so we felt we should make an extra effort to offset this loss. Rather stoically, Rene stated that all that was left to do was to find the squirrels grand winter cache. He went on to say that, strangely enough, the clever little (thieving) squirrels only select the best nuts to store away, and these would always be placed in a location where they would dry very well.

Freshly fallen walnuts we collected at Buvilly

Having stayed the night in Arbois, we set out with a view to collecting a few kilos of walnuts at nearby villages such as Pupillin, Buvilly and also close to Chateau-Chalon, a little further south. It quickly became a road trip quest, and we became adept at sighting walnut trees along the side of the road, quickly establishing whether the walnuts were worth collecting, or not. Some walnuts produced are simply too small and not worth the effort, others can be empty and barren. Furthermore, depending on the variety or the tree itself, the walnuts may not dry well and the nut inside may simply shrivel away, simply disappearing during the drying process.

Views of Chateau-Chalon

Travelling through Pupillin, home of the poulsard grape crop, and where the vendage had just commenced, we came across a noisterie, or hazelnut grove, where over a few acres three varieties of hazelnut were planted some 17 years ago. Obviously the collection of the nuts there is a keen contest between the local squirrels and the owners, and clearly one can not underestimate the appetite of these little guys or their ability to collect a vast quantity of good quality nuts.

After meeting and chatting with the amicable owner the groves [Benoit Freres, Noisettes du Jura, 39600 Pupillin] we purchased a few kilos of hazelnuts, and she also gave us a bag of dried hazelnuts from last years crop to sample. The now mature groves produce hazelnuts of a very good size and with good flavour. Among many interesting facts, we discovered that last year's crop yielded ten tonnes of nuts.

A noisterie just outside Pupillin

The groves are well worth a visit at this time of year and to taste fresh hazelnuts was great to experience. To say that it is like a cross between eating a fresh young carrot drawn from the ground and the flesh of a coconut is a little simplistic, but not entirely misleading. While the former comment might betray some of the texture qualities the flesh of the nut is moist and tastes almost sweet. What surprised me was the size of the shells and they nuts produced. In particular the shells had a very fine sheen that appeared to be like dew, and after a closer inspection revealed a fine velvety hair like coating.

Freshly collected hazelnuts

Our little adventure, also took us up to Chateau-Chalon and along the valley of the river Dard to Baume-Les-Messieurs; both medieval villages with connections to the Benedictine monks. We had worked our way well off the beaten track and left little time to get a bottle of wine to have with our dinner that evening. We were not optimistic as we returned to Arbois, we again passed below the steep escarpments where Chateau-Chalon was situated and spotted a sign marked "Ouvert" for a local wine producer.

Baume-Les-Messieurs

After knocking at the door, and waiting for a minutes, a man obviously tired from work or entertaining (or both), appeared at the door and immediately ushered us into a tasting room. We doused his expectations apologetically, by saying that we only needed a bottle of wine for dinner. The notion did not limit his easy and courteous manner and he proceeded to offer us a glass of his Cotes du Jura Chardonnay [2006] to taste. This was a very nice wine; clean, very light and refreshing which are peculiar traits to have in a Cotes du Jura Chardonnay but I found it very satisfying. Quickly moving through the taste bud gears we were offered the Savagnin [2004], and this was full of flavour and a very good example of the Savagnin wines that I had tasted to date. To close the degustation, and going up a further notch on the flavour scale, we sampled his Macvin. This was also excellent. Our initial plan was to purchase a bottle, or possibly two, but everything we tasted was so good. Consequently, we bought two bottles of Savagnin and one bottle of Macvin and bid our farewells.

Chateau-Chalon and the many vines laid out below from Nevy

Turn a corner, or knock on a door in the Jura countryside and you discover all sorts of new experiences. The unassuming innocuous sign by the side of the road concealed the talents of a great independent wine producer in the region, namely the Domaine De Lahaye at Nevy sur Seille. If you happen to get lost and find this place I heartily recommend a visit.

Mandeure - Epomanduodorum Roman Theatre

View of the remains of the Roman Theatre at Mandeure from the West

As I have already related, the first city of the Sequanii was called Vesontio which is situated on the site of the modern city of Besancon. To the north east and further up the river Doubs can be found the second city of the Sequanii, known then as Epomanduodorum.

The site of Epomanduodorum is close to the modern city of Montbelliard, and located between the villages of Mandeure and Mathay, and is situated on the inside of a long sweeping meandering bend in the river Doubs. The Roman theatre can be found just outside Mandeure and has had a mixed history of discovery and rediscovery. The first recorded archaeological discovery at Mandeure, a hoard of coin, was in 1548. However, it was not until later in the 16th century that Frederic de Wurtenburg-Montbeliard ordered that excavations take place on the site. Excavations back then revealed the remains of many Roman buildings, carved stone and masonry, coloured marble and rare stones, and an inscription recording the a donation made by one Flavius Catullus for the decoration of the thermes in marble.

Views from the existing top ridge of the Theatre

Interest was revived in the site and the Roman theatre again in 1820 when the hillside, known locally as the "cirque" was investigated and excavations have taken place there on a sporadic basis over the last two hundred years. In 1889 fragments of colossal statues were unearthed on a scale similar to those discovered recently at Sagalossos in Turkey, and some of these fragments can be found at the Musee du Chateau des Ducs de Wurtenburg, Montbeliard.

The size of the Roman theatre, being a public building, would suggest that Epomanduodorum was a substantial town. While not a civitas as Vesontio was, Epamanduodorum thrived during the 2nd Century A.D. when this part of the Roman Empire was relatively settled. The site appears to have had some strategic or commercial significance for the Romans. Its position and proximity to the Doubs must be relevant. Indeed the Doubs river may have been an important trading route and means of transport giving easy access though the region.

What is certain, is the fact that the town was a noteworthy stop on a Roman route. The Tabula Peutingeriana records a town by the name of Epomanduo on a route running between Matricorum (Metz) and Augusta Rauricum (Kaiseraugst). One issue that arises when one considers the map is that the Doubs is not represented, while rivers and other waterways are referred to on the map. The schematic nature of the map, its scale, and the fact that it may be a combination or conglomerate of other original maps, may be taken into account when one considers the relative positioning of Epomanduo, other towns, and the omission of the river Doubs and other important topography.

The proximity of the Rhine would strongly suggest that the armies were based in these towns and lived in peace with and alongside the local population. The Roman settlements to be found between Vesontio and Augusta Ruaricum, known in French archaeological terms as the "arc juracienne", are notable for their romanisation with significant structures such as theatres and amphitheatres, which the armies were capable of building, possibly with a view to winning the "hearts and minds" of the Sequanii, Ruracii, and Helvetii tribes in return for their loyalty, but it is likely that they were also be used to entertain the armies while wintering in these locations. The remains of other Roman theatres have been found in the region at Augusta Ruracum and Aventicum [Avenches], and both measure approximately 120 meters in diameter.

The period of transition and romanisation began early after the initial conquests and one indication of this transition is marked by the romainisation of the name of the local chief of the Sequanii. Inscriptions on coins from the period of "TOGIRIX", in the 50s A.D., were gradually changed to "Q. IULIUS TOGIRIX". This romanisation and development did not take place to the exclusion of, or replace the indigenous cults and beliefs, because the remains of a substantial Gallic sanctuary and temple, which was constructed in the Gallo-roman period, is located 300 meters to the west of the theatre.

The Roman theatre at Epomanduodorum measures 142 meters across and in excess of 25 meters in height. It is estimated to have been capable of seating in excess of 20,000 people, far greater than Mandeure's population today, which is in the region of 5000 people. The dimensions available suggest that this was one of the largest theatres built in Roman Gaul. Only the Roman theatre at Augustodunum [Autun] is bigger at 148 meters. While the Roman theatre at Vienne (just south of Lyon) measures in the region of 130 meters across. (A partially excavated structure reported to be a theatre in Meaux is reported to be in the region of 150 metres in diameter).

Be cause of the variation in size of theatres that have been built throughout Gaul, one consideration which comes to mind is the possibility that the size of the theatre or amphitheatre in a particular town may be linked to the number of soldiers based there and not just simply dependent on the number of inhabitants normally living in that town. Obviously, a town's population would swell in winter months due to the fact that the armies were not likely to be on campaign and this would also effect the size of an audience at a theatre.

View from the south looking across the remains of the scaenae frons

View looking down towards the vomitoria on the south side of the theatre

Excavated and partially restored vomitoria on the north side of the theatre

Excavated wall which follows ridge line around the theatre

Part of an excavated outer wall set behind the ridge and the wall in the above photograph

Like many Roman theatres the example at Epomanduodorum was constructed using the natural sloping hillside to support the main body of the theatre or auditorium, and four layers of seating or cavea. Very few theatres were built freestanding, because these would have been very expensive and time consuming to construct. The surrounding walls of the theatre would have been articulated with four levels of arcading. At either end of the theatre there are the remains of structures which provided a means of access and egress to and form the cavea, and these were known as vomitoria. The upper level, would have originally run most of the way around the theater, was used as a walkway and would have had a roof.

Visiting the site today you cannot but be impressed by the scale of the theatre and the panoramic views from the top of the hill across the Franche-Comte countryside, and along the Doubs. There is little evidence of the town of Epomanduodorum across the fields and pasture that exist today, and it is easy to conceive how this structure became overgrown and was lost for just over a thousand years following the collapse of the Roman control in this area in the 4th century A.D.

Besancon - Cherry Harvest

One of my tasks was to assist in the picking of the cherries. These are not the sweet variety that you generally see in the markets or shops. The variety growing on the trees were smaller and less fleshy but scarlet red in colour and they shone like rubies in the sunlight. Their taste is quite tart but very satisfying after a meal or just to pick up and eat during the day.

I was told that the harvest was not as plentiful as last year, where the branches were positively laden with fruit. With one hand you could hook the branches bringing them within reach and then pick the fruit with their narrow stems with the other. Looped over my arm or hooked onto a convenient branch was my woven straw basket for the fruit with a paper bottom to protect them.

A photograph of my basket hanging from a branch before I dropped it!

Once all that could be achieved reasonably at ground level had been completed, we climbed into the trees on ladders and commenced picking the cherries that were within reach and then resorted to the hook once more bringing the red gems closer for collection, hooking the basket onto a branch again for convenience. Casual conversation with Rene related a few stories about bow brittle the branches of a cherry tree could be. He urged, or advised me, not to climb too high into the trees or bear my weight on the smaller branches. He explained that at this particular time of year [July] the accident and emergency departments of local hospitals were full of people who had fallen from cherry trees. Heeding his warning and looking at the steep hillside where the trees were growing, I knew that if I fell, hitting the ground would only be the beginning of a lengthy tragedy, as I would no doubt accelerate down the hillside towards the dry stone wall, road and numerous wild boar that could be waiting for my demise. Obviously though, his concerns were that I might have been a little over the desired weight to be climbing in his trees, and if I became too adventurous I would break a branch of one of his valued cherry trees.

One of the normally aspirated environmentally friendly landmowers used to keep the grass in the orchard in check

Once our baskets had a fairly reasonable collection we retired to a large wooden table and began sorting the cherries , stopping only to taste for quality control and nourishment. Only the most perfect cherries were selected, stalks slightly trimmed and put to one side in a bowl for cleaning. In a large basin of water the cherries were carefully moved around by hand and what pieces of bark or insect that did exist were washed to the surface of the clear water and from there were skimmed off. Carefully dried, the cherries were placed in 1.5 litre jars, and over them was poured a divinely clear eau de vie distilled from plums. Just enough space left for about 450 grams of white sugar to sweeten the mixture and assist in the maceration of the cherries or griottes. The jars were rolled and turned over the next few hours to assist in the dissolving of the sugar. The process is complete and the griottes are at their best after 6 months, after this the quality of the cherries starts to decline.

Fresh green walnuts

At this time of year the walnuts and hazelnuts are still quite green but a walnut wine can be made from the young walnuts using a Cote de Rhone as a base, and this is very refreshing on a warm day or for an aperitif. When the walnuts are harvested in the Autumn they are dried to preserve them, and thereafter bagged up to be shelled later in the year. Once the cherries were finished we spent the rest of the morning shelling dried walnuts, a very pleasant task especially when you knew that they would soon be eaten in a salad or cakes over the coming days.

A basket of dried walnuts with special shelling tool

The Royal Saltworks at Arc-et-Senans

The portico and gateway at the entrance of the Royal Saltworks, Arc-et- Senans

Salt was a valuable commodity in 18th Century France, and its prevalence running through seems of rock emerging in salt water wells and springs in the Franche-Comte region resulted in this resource being extracted at a number of locations for many centuries; the nearby town of Salins-les-Bains has had saltworks in operation for over a thousand years.

Claude Nicolas Ledoux [1736 -1806], architect du roi, was chosen to design, build and manage the saltworks, and he described the site by way of a bird's eye view of Chaux/Arc-et-Senans remarking as follows:

"High in the air, soaring over the ocean of verdure, I assemble all the powers. I am going to apportion the earth. I will endow it with the brilliance that the sun, at its apogee, refuses to those countries darkened by the cold shadows of the north. I will revive the marvellous fields of the most august antiquity. There I will sow the seeds of the arts; I will develop their resources to ensure the happiness of mankind"

Ledoux was an inspired visionary, and intellectual born out of the French neoclassical tradition. Many of his unexecuted projects survive in the form of engravings published in his "L'Architecture considérée sous le rapport de l'art, des mœurs et de la législation" [1804]. His thoughts and reflections that are exhibited in the written asides not only describe the projects set forth in the engravings but give insights into his reasoning, muses and mentality.

The Saltworks were built between 1774 and 1779 and were part of a larger unexecuted project for Ledoux's utopian and ideal Ville de Chaux to be built close to the forest of Chaux and the banks of the river Loue. The unexecuted Ville de Chaux embodied many of Ledoux's principals, ideals, and characterisation of social purpose. In a novel departure for his time, a number of his buildings' exteriors reflected an interior purpose or function, and while often appearing uncomplicated in form and decoration, harmonies of proportion, scale, symmetry and geometry are key to their success and appreciation. The symbolic motifs of the waters flowing from wells are repeated in a decorative manner along many of the walls in the complex and indeed in the simulated carved masonry cave incorporated into the entrance portico and gate.

Motif of a spring set into the simulated cave at the entrance

Repeated motif of water flowing from the wall at the entrance of the Royal Saltworks

At first Ledoux's philosophy and concepts are difficult to visualise, but in visiting Arc-et-Senans, and the pure still waters of the River Loue that passes close by, you can imagine and conceive an Arcadian landscape or classical world even today.

Amidst the semicircular arrangement of the buildings is not only the basis of the social order on site, with the Directors house at the centre of the diameter of the semicircle, and the workers apartments or lodgings with gardens radiating in arcs around it, but there is a natural working process or production line in place here as well. The buildings where the coopers and wood workers were to produce the barrels, and where the salt was to be "cooked" were set out in flanking structures on either side of the Director's House.

The Director's House

Much has been written and expounded upon this architect's philosophy and desire to create a relationship between civilisation and nature, and man's place within the world, however not to the exclusion of industry and commerce, as the Royal Saltworks were to be a commercial enterprise. When one considers the strict regimented codes and rules to be adhered to in the neoclassical tradition, it is intriguing that Ledoux developed along such a path while not so surprising that he favoured the abstract, versatile and uniform Grecian Doric Order in many of his works. Ledoux and a contemporary, Etienne-Louis Boullee [1728-1799], stand out today as precursors and heralds of the modern age of architectural design; many of their designs being audacious and on a very grand scale.

One of the buildings in the Royal Saltworks, originally where the workers resided, now houses an exhibition of models based upon the projects of Ledoux. The presentation of these models is very sympathetic and offers a great opportunity to experience and view many projects that were not executed.

Project for a Furnace

Royal Saltworks, Arc-et-Senans

The Circles Pavillion or Coopers' Workshop

There has been little change to the countryside in this part of Franche Comte; the arrival of the railways have made it accessible, but motorways and roads and other modern developments have not altered the landscape to any great degree. The failure of the Royal Saltworks to work on a commercial level, combined with the prevalence of agriculture and forestry, might in some part have probably allowed this part of France to drift in time without major interference.

In conclusion, it seems apt that Ledoux made reference to Baron de Montesquieu in his writings as follows:

"Montesquieu created a code of laws for nations. For the first time, art brings together natural laws, and composes a social system: it commands well-being in all situations, in all everyday delights: it ties its seductive powers to the innate rights of man, and joins the industry to the inevitable luxury that develops the resources of states; taking form all forms to give all impulses, it forces the rich to give to the poor the honorable tribute that one owes to work. Art, which will finally harmonise all the nuances of life, with the dignity which will banish unequal fortunes, after having created happiness, will force them to retreat."

"L'Architecture considérée sous le rapport de l'art, des mœurs et de la législation" [1802], Volume 3.