Les Garrigues - From Landes to La Rochelle - July 2014

A SYMPHONY OF THE FIVE SENSESFive days of discovery in the Greater Southwest—that’s the itinerary announced for the Garrigues’ annual trip. A magical journey, a culinary escape—that’s what awaits us... Masterfully orchestrated first by Anne Marie and Pierre for the first part, then by Françoise and Jean Michel for the heart of the trip...

All our senses were indeed engaged, tantalized, and awakened to an unexpected and unparalleled pleasure.

Starting with hearing, our ears still ring with the concert given in St. Perdon, a charming village in the Landes region, where Les Garrigues sang alongside the local choir in a small church that echoed our songs throughout the surrounding green countryside....A new “drinking song” learned by the whole group also rang out within an immense and majestic Royal Abbey that hosted us during the three nights we spent in St. Jean d’Angély, our stopover village in the Charentes. And then, to cap it all off, a magical vocal interlude in the church of Talmont-sur-Gironde, which held the passing tourists in its spell for a few moments and stirred up a pure and intense emotion...

The TasteOur taste buds were put to the test a thousand times on this trip: in St. Perdon, with the gargantuan yet refined buffet served by our hosts; in Sauternes, then, by an unparalleled tasting of the precious wine bottled at Château Raymond Lafon (Meslier family), accompanied by foie gras pastries and small cheese-filled pastries...In SAINTES, by a warm welcome from City Hall, which treated us to a savory-sweet appetizer; in St. Jean d’Angely, by a tasting of the famous PINEAU des CHARENTES, and by the meals served at the Royal Abbey; in MARENNE, surrounded by ponds, with a traditional Charente seafood meal featuring fish soup, oysters, mussel stew, cheese, and homemade apple pie..... paired with white wine from Oléron; in Cognac, with a tour of the Hennessy distillery and, of course, a tasting of the famous cognac... Not to mention all our picnics organized by a dynamic team right within our own group...!

The View will also be part of the festivities—with these green and blue landscapes, these ponds, these forests, and the sea as a backdrop...The town of SAINTES offers us a warm welcome on the banks of the Charente River, with its monuments, cathedral, and even a Roman amphitheater. The Royal Abbey of St. Jean d’Angely provides a setting perfect for calm, rest, and singing. Near LANGON, at the Château Raymond Laffon, we discovered a marvelous garden, bursting with flowers of all kinds, featuring a small pond with water lilies, a gazebo, and visited by an entire family of peacocks.In ROCHEFORT, we’ll explore the Royal Rope Factory and the work being done on the HERMIONE, where the group learned the art and technique of tying nautical knots...Very close to Marenne lies the Atlantic Ocean, with its tides, waves, blue sky, white sand, and dunes. We reach it by passing through a forest of tall trees and ferns...IN LA ROCHELLE, our guides will help us discover the city’s treasures—its architecture, its port, and its history. IN COGNAC, the guided tour of the wine cellar is a real treat for the eyes, with sumptuous decor and a shop worthy of luxury perfume boutiques. Finally, TALMONT-SUR-GIRONDE will add an extraordinary finishing touch to this journey. A village nestled in a picturesque setting, surrounded by water, filled with hollyhocks of every color and size... The white of its stones, the sun, and the blue sky create a sumptuous backdrop that is nonetheless so simple and natural. We could have easily stayed there for a few more hours......

Your sense of smell won’t be left out—it’ll be tantalized every day, first by that ever-present sea breeze, with its briny, salty scent. Mussels cooked over an open fire give off a very distinctive aroma—just thinking about it is enough to smell it all over again!The forest, with its lush greenery and bodies of water, brings a refreshing, soothing scent. And then, to savor your wine—Sauternes, Pineau, Cognac, white wine…—you must first inhale its aromas…Such strong, pervasive aromas in the Cognac cellars…!

Finally, the sense of touch, of course, will be called upon throughout this journey. To properly enjoy your oysters and mussels, you’ll need to dip your fingers in and shuck them...To make a rope for the Rochefort frigate, you’ll need to skillfully work with hemp, tying knots and performing intricate, hands-on tasks. The wind will constantly caress our skin, with varying intensity. The sun will also leave a few rosy marks…The fine, soft sand invites us to lie down and relax with pleasure. And the water welcomes us in La Rochelle all day long, in waves rolling in from the sea, prompting us to break out our light sweaters and heavy K-Way jackets—though this does nothing to dampen our good spirits or all the pleasures...That’s what I take away from this trip filled with pleasures and culinary delights in 2014, with Les Garrigues, between the Landes and La Rochelle...!Odile