Switzerland: Lausanne and the Lavaux wine region
After a few tortuous days on the Tour de Mont Blanc (see my related post), my wife and I were looking for a place in which to relax and recover…and we wanted to stay in the region…it didn’t take me long to decide on the perfect place…”we’re going to Lausanne” I told Wendy.
Getting there and finding a hotel
Lausanne is nestled on the shore of Lake Geneva, about an hour by train from Geneva. The city is sort of like Nice in France – except its smaller, quieter, cleaner, more quaint, more sophisticated, and I could see myself living there…come to think of it, I guess its really nothing like Nice…except that both towns sort of slope downwards towards the water’s edge.
We didn’t book a hotel ahead of time - the prices were just too expensive online. Instead, upon arrival, we immediately found the Tourist Agency (adjacent to the station), where we booked a nice room at a clean little place called Hotel des Voyageurs http://www.voyageurs.ch/en/index.php. The hotel was more than adequate and it was situated off of a quiet and narrow street in the old part of the city – perfect actually. We were pleasantly surprised to find our room also had a balcony overlooking the small street – at night Wendy and I would have a few glasses of wine and watch people coming and going below us…
Out and about in Lausanne
The old part of Lausanneis great to explore on foot. There are several small cobble stone type streets to walk, and since the town is perched on a hillside, there are also plenty of ups and downs to navigate. We were treated to a large outdoor market one day we were there…the streets were so alive with locals strolling and shopping for fresh produce and antiques.
Another “must see” located in the old part of town is the city’s gothic Cathedral – Notre Dame. The church is located at one of the highest points in the city…as such, it is accessed by foot via a quite long and steep flight of stairs, some portions of which lie on the Camino de Santiago (see my related post). After an arduous 10 minute trek, we arrived to the top of the stairs. Off to the left hand side was the large front door to the Cathedral…in the other direction was a landing area overlooking impressive panoramic of the city – you could see all the way down to the lake!
Aside from the old part of town, another great aspect of Lausanne is the lake front, which was very nice indeed. A wide asphalt path runs parallel for miles and on good days, people walk about, rollerblade, and just sit on benches. Out on the lake, sailboats and rented paddle boats lazily sweep across the water…against the backdrop of steeply rising mountains of the opposite bank – it really is the perfect place to relax.
As if it needed more, the lakefront also boasts the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Museum (http://www.olympic.org/uk/passion/museum/index_uk.asp). Wendy and I visited the museum and actually watched some of the Beijing games (which were going on at the time of our visit). Among the many treasures on display in the museum is a large Olympic torch collection – its definitely worth a visit.
A day trip to Lavaux
After recuperating in Lausanne for a few days, Wendy and I decided to explore the nearby wine region of Lavaux – a region knows for stunning landscapes of steeply sloped vineyards that extend all the way down to the lake. It was easy to get to by train and there were several small villages to explore. We took a train to Vevey, where we then boarded a smaller “wine train” that passed through several small villages. We ended up in a small village called Cully, which was supposed to the an epi center of the region…unfortuntelyit was Monday and the place was empty and pretty much closed down. But all was not lost – we found a small cafe where we sampled a local white wine and asked the waiter what we might do to pass the time. His suggestion was a walk through the nearby vineyards, which we did over the course of about an hour – it was absolutely beautiful!! Wendy and I decided if we ever returned to the region, we would book into a countryside bed and breakfast so we could really take in the beauty of the region and have a full experience.
Incidentally, the Lavaux wine region was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1243. We were not surprised…
If you’ve been to Lausanne or the Lavaux region, please share your experiences and recommendations. We welcome your comments!
South Africa – The Cape region: Stellenbosch and Wine Country
View from the Vergelegen winery garden
Ready to hit a new wine region? How about Stellenbosch in South Africa?
My Visit to Stellenbosch
So, we finally hit the road east from our hotel to get to Stellenbosch [good drinks]. We made a few stops in the wine region hitting some wineries pretty much randomly. We did apply enough intelligence to the itinerary to make sure the first one we hit was one that had a place to eat since we were getting there around lunch time. The winery we chose (Vergelegen) had very large fields and gardens and a café where you could eat lunch in the shade of trees overlooking a rose garden. We then proceeded to the wine tasting area where for a fee (on top of the R10 we paid to enter the property…), we could sample 6 wines. Not getting into details, the wines generally were refreshing and quite drinkable. It was a blue-sky day and we faced a mountain range so the setting was perfect to sit back and enjoy life.
The plant of the good life
After the initial winery, since wineries began closing after 4 PM, we chose a road where there were a few wineries back to back to minimize driving time (did I say we both studied engineering??). The first winery was in an old building and the wine was quite nice. In this winery, the person who served us stood there by us and happily answered our questions but the conversation was nothing special. In a later winery (Peter Falke, not to be confused with the actor; the owner, if I remember correctly, was a German who owned a socks company in Germany) that seemed a little bigger (but not as big as the first one we went to), the only employee in that afternoon was the winemaker himself who was quite willing to sit outside with us and sample the wine on the backyard as we overlooked the fields and the nearby mountains. You can tell this winery is new but the setting is perfect to be rented out for events as it has the right lay out in the patio, has great outdoor furniture, etc. He was quite willing to discuss winemaking and generally answer our questions so I think this winery was my favorite . The wine was also quite nice.
As the wineries closed, we headed into town to check in and have dinner. Our hotel was a local small hotel (the Eendracht) right in town. The architecture of the town as in much of the Cape region, is Cape Dutch. I, not being a student of architecture, have to admit I was clueless about it. I really found it quite charming. I will make a note to someday google it and learn something about it…
Local architecture
The town was very nice and we quickly ran into the shops and restaurant area of the town. We also hit a wine store where we were given samples of wine without any pressure to buy. The store had a long wooden table that indicated frequent wine tastings took place. If I lived there, I would likely frequent it 
. That night we decided we were done with seafood so we smelled our way around the various restaurants until we found one that seemed right for a good meal. I don’t have the name handy but I think we did well. The place was full of locals and the meal was great. I ate springbok (a type of deer) in a brown sauce – it was delicious!
So with that ended my weekend escape to the Cape region and I proceeded to the less magnificent Johannesburg area (but with interesting history). I may write some about it in another entry. I also learned quickly in my trip to South Africa how cheap things are given the exchange rate!
Big thumbs up for the Cape region and here is to hoping to go back!
Does anyone have any recommendations for other wineries in Stellenbosch?
Lillet: Visiting a favorite
On a trip to France a few years ago, I visited Lillet and wrote the article below in hopes of publishing it in a local wine magazine… I can’t remember if I ever sent it in for consideration though…anyway, enjoy!
Lillet: Visiting a Favorite
What do James Bond, Hanibal Lecter, Sandra Bernhard and famed chef Alain Ducasse have in common? They all enjoy Lillet. What is Lillet you ask? Quite simply, it’s an aperitif (French for “before dinner drink”) made of wine and fruit liqueur; and like the notable aforementioned, I quite enjoy the stuff. In fact, alongside red wine and small batch bourbon, Lillet Blanc ranks as one of my all time favorite adult beverages.
So it was that during a recent trip through France, I decided to pay a brief visit to the Lillet distillery in order to learn more about the drink that has drawn such an eclectic grouping of connoisseurs. Located a few miles south of the city of Bordeaux, Lillet is nestled in the small village of Podensac. I park and enter the main office where Roland Coiffe (whose family owns Lillet) greets me. “Welcome to Lillet!” he beams.
It’s a busy day at Lillet as the company prepares to participate in the upcoming Fete des vins in Bordeaux, which is the worlds largest annual wine trade show, kind of analogous to Atlanta’s own Wine South but on steroids – lots of steroids!!
Lillet is known as the ‘aperitif of Bordeaux’ and we’ll have a big presence at the Fete des vins this year,” Mr. Coiffe says excitedly. “We expect to pour more than 30,000 glasses over the two day period,” he adds. But despite his hectic schedule, he takes time out to give a private tour of the facility- NICE!
The first stop is large warehouse where much of the production process takes place. Along one wall there are holding tanks for wine, most of which is purchased bottle ready from select vineyards – but this is changing, indicates Mr. Coiffe: “We are increasingly producing more of our own wine here at Lillet, in order to better control the quality.”
Across the room are a number of large steel containers in which the generations old secret recipe for Lillet’s fruit liqueur is compiled. “Once the wine and fruit liqueur are ready, we mix them together in a solution of 85% wine and 15% fruit liqueur”, Mr. Coiffe says pointing to several huge wooden vats on the far side of the room.
Continuing our tour, we arrive to the aging room, which resembles those I’ve seen at many wineries. Here the product rests after being mixed, in oak barrels, for 6-8 months before it is bottled and shipped out to the world.
Moving on, our last stop is the tasting area, a small bar located in the company’s own museum – it’s the moment I’ve been awaiting – its time for a taste!
Here, amid vintage Lillet posters and other colorful relics, Mr. Coiffe pours up a couple of glasses of Lillet Blanc. Into each glass he drops a small piece of lime, a mint leave, and a splash of Perrier. “This is a recipe you can find on our web site and it’s one of my favorite ways to enjoy Lillet”, he remarks. After a sip, I can understand why: “Perfect harmony!” I exclaim.
Soon it’s time to leave and I thank Mr. Coiffe for his hospitality. Smiling, he hands me small bottle of Lillet Riserve – a special formula that includes sauternes wine instead of the traditional semillon. “You can’t get this in the States,” he says smiling. I thank him profusely and am on my way. As I pull out of the small gravel parking lot – beginning my long drive to the Riviera – I glance over at the bottle of Lillet next to me and ponder laying on a beach, enjoying Lillet my favorite way – ice cold with a splash of grenadine – yum!
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About
Part of the fun of traveling, besides the travel itself, is the experiences that happen along the way. Getting hopelessly lost in eastern France, getting stuck in a public restroom in Versailles, finding a tucked away neighborhood park in touristy Venice, being tossed into a stranger’s car in the Sinai peninsula, discovering the most mouth-watering wines in Mendoza, etc. all enhance the travel experience.
I have a passion for travel and seek to share the experiences and sights with others via this blog. And I hope it also gives others ideas of places to go or dream about going to someday! Other passions include dark chocolate and red wine – for the record!
Follow me on twitter @ilivetotravel or in Facebook www.facebook.com/ilivetotravel and drop me a note about your own travels any time – I love discovering new jewels for future travel opportunities!
My friend Chris, who also loves to travel, and others contribute on occasion to this blog to share their own experiences!
