On the road to Barcelona

Somewhere I've heard that getting there is half the fun, and for us the trip from Paris to Barcelona certainly lived up to that billing. I like to ride trains whenever it's possible and not uneconomical to do so, so we took the TGV to Dijon from Gare de Lyon in Paris. While we had the unfortunate distinction of being the only train running late, it still was great to reach our destination nearly 200 miles away by car in under two hours.

After grabbing a decent lunch at a cafe in Dijon we headed off toward Puligny-Montrachet in our rented Renault Laguna. Later we would calculate this midsize diesel sedan got nearly 38 miles per gallon carrying four adults and luggage most of the time.

To find out more about this fabulous chambre d'hote, visit www.domainedesangespuligny.com

After six nights in two Paris apartments we were headed for the sumptuous beds and warm hospitality of Lady Celine and John Nicholls at Domaine des Anges. Unlike during our visit last year, when we were the only guest our first night, there was a full house every day at this recently named 4 star accommodation. And since they already had orders for the table d'hote we added our four names to the list and enjoyed a multi-course feast.

The next day was spent exploring Burgundy, including a visit to Chateau Pommard, the biggest and most promotional winery in a generally low-key region. In addition to being a vigneron, the current owner is an art collector who displays some of his trove in a gallery and around the grounds. The spectacular sculpture above is by Dali, one of only two in existence.

As for the wine, we thought it was a bit overpriced for the quality, which struck all of us as mediocre. Pommard is not represented in the village caveau, preferring to market itself, and the salesperson sniffed that it wasn't anything special anyway. Later in the trip we'd find some special wine in an unexpected place.

High-class hotel lineup on the shore of Lake Geneva

Too soon, after only two nights, we headed off to Geneva. Last year Charlotte had caught a glimpse of the Alps from the Autoroute and seeing how close it was insisted on a stop this time. We all agreed that the drive in and out was worth the detour, but Geneva was a disappointment. Yes, the lake is nice, with the water cannon shooting high into the air and there are some 5-star hotels along the shore. But overall the city seemed a bit unkempt and the dining choices limited - and like everything in this tax haven country, expensive. A modest hotel room several blocks from the lakefront was about $200.

We did finally find a pretty good Italian restaurant that had both good food and a personable staff.

Heading next toward Provence, we drove through the Alps to Grenoble, site of the 1968 Winter Olympics at which Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy won three gold medals. It was Sunday and not much was open, but a stop at A. Guinet patissierie yielded some fabulous macaroons. The photo shows a huge rock outcropping at the outskirts of town.

Our destination in Provence was hugely different from last year, when we stayed at a nondescript hotel in Orange, which is a bustling small city on the eastern edge of the region. We actually stopped by this time for lunch, which was surprising good - one of the best of the trip - at l'Festival café. Charlotte still raves about her lamb stew.

Bill, Winnie and Ron at breakfast,with a view of southern Provence in the background.

After a quick tour of Pont du Gard, which our friends had not seen, we made our way to L'Elephant in Vaugines, at the far southeastern corner of the Luberon, near Lourmarin (where author Peter Mayle now lives). This simple but charming three-room chambre d'hote is set on a small ridge above the village, which contains little more than a café. After climbing up through picturesque Bonnieux we had a hair-raising ride down to Vaugines, paralleling a stream through a gorge with escarpments hanging over every corner. Once we found our place, great views and absolute quiet were a welcome break. And here's where the wine story continues.

Looking for something to share on the patio, Charlotte and our friends walked down to the cafe, returning with a 15 euro bottle of the local red. Not cheap but this little corner of the world isn't known for high-end reds - this is rosé country. But from the moment it was opened this bottle impressed, with a rich, fruity aroma backed up by just enough tannin to make it robust rather than sweet. The simple label listed grenache and syrah grapes, which were blended expertly by some unheralded nearby winemaker.

 The next night, after returning from a day trip that included Cadenet (market day) and Aix-en-Provence (too big and busy, filled with tourists), I inquired in my minimal French about dining options in the next village, Cucuron. Being assured there were some, we headed over to find the most charming square we'd yet seen, fringed by several restaurants. We had a great meal and vowed to return the next day when the light was better to take photos.

The morning brought bonuses - first, it was market day, and on the way into town we wandered past the local caveau. Hoping for a match to the great bottle we'd shared the day before, both Bill and I bought a bottle of their most expensive red (14.50 euros) and I grabbed a rosé, since French rosés are MIA at our state stores back home.

Now it was time to start the next leg of the journey, to Barcelona. Along the way we made a hurried stop at Arles before heading for Perpignan where we'd drop the car and take a train the last three hours. You can read about that bungled transfer in an earlier post.

Next: A new view of Barcelona and some great apartments to offer. To see them and examples of our other apartments in Paris and Barcelona, visit www.likelivingthere.com.