Carlow’s Curim. A Golden Treat

Carlow’s Curim. A Golden Treat
Curim Gold, Celtic Wheat Beer, 4.3%, Carlow Brewing Company 


Took an instant liking to this because of the look: gold, bright and sparkling.

Can’t always judge a book by its cover but this instant judgement worked out well on this occasion. The lightly hopped beer is a terrific refreshing drink with hints of fruit and a good dry finish.

Definitely my favourite of the three Carlow beers in this tasting, thanks to a win in a recent online Galvin’s Wine.

O’Hara’s Red Ale, 4.3% abv, Carlow Brewing Company

This is really red, quite a dark one! With hoppy aromas; malty and caramel on the palate, really pleasant and then a tasty dry finish. Convinced and converted.

O’Hara’s Irish Pale Ale, 5.2%, Carlow Brewing Company

“A full and lasting bitterness”, they say on the bottle. And I can agree with that as there is a stout like dryness in this deep amber beer.

“...followed by a zesty citrus burst.” Not too sure about that. Not to my liking but do try it for yourself. That is the beauty of craft beers. There are so many, you are sure to find some that you will really like as companies such as Carlow are rapidly banishing the bland.

Excellent Portuguese white and good value too.

Stella Blanco 2010, Setubal (Portugal), 12% abv, €8.99

at Curious Wines 

Looking for a versatile white wine for the summer? Then look no further than this excellent Portuguese white.

Colour is that of light straw and it has a lovely scent (not over-powering in any way). On the palate, rich fruit (mainly mango) flavours abound in an almost creamy mouthfeel, yet it is crisp and dry.

It is produced from the famous dry Muscats grown in the Pegoes region of the Setubal peninsula and is great value for money. Oh. Don’t forget to “serve this really cold”!

• Watch out also for its red counterpart, the Stella Rosso.

Gubbeen. “A gentle and fertile corner."

At Ballymaloe, l to r: Fingal and Giana Ferguson, yours truly and Rory O'Connell 

Gubbeen. “A gentle and fertile corner.”

“We are dairy farmers and farm over 200 acres in West Cork, with Mount Gabriel behind us and the Fastnet out in front of us. We have a mixed herd...but are very proud of our Kerry cows,” said Gubbeen’s Giana Ferguson as she addressed those of us privileged to be in the attendance at the Trimbach Wine and Cheese evening in Ballymaloe last week.

It was a very special evening in the Grain Store, so much more than the sum of its advertised parts: wine from Alsace, charcuterie and cheese from Gubbeen and the blue cheeses of Cashel and Crozier. But put these special families together, the Allens, the Fergusons, the Grubbs and the Trimbachs, as Ballymaloe's Colm McCan did, and you have the perfect mix for a few magical hours.

Instructive too. For these family “businesses”, more a labour of love, have a certain honesty and simplicity, not forgetting an abundance of hard work, not just in the day to day tasks, but also in acquiring and maintaining the necessary skills, that put together enable them to reach the highest of standards. They don’t boast about it either but they are a shining example to us all.

Take the Fergusons at Gubbeen where they have been farming for many generations now. Like many farmers, they have cows, they have pigs, they have poultry and they have a kitchen garden. But here, they have been put together in a rather special way by a family who work hard, respect the land, their animals and their customers.

And just like the engaging Jean Trimbach, they too know their terroir: the acidic soil, the salty winds from the Atlantic, the early grass (thanks to the Gulfstream).

They started making cheese in the 70s and these first generation cheesemakers were taking a step into the unknown.

But there was help and support from two of Cork’s leading food families: the Allens of Ballymaloe and the Ryans (now in Isaac’s), a support warmly acknowledged by Giana: "The Ryans and the Allens stood by us and kept us going."

Gubbeen chorizo

And they have travelled a long way, without ever leaving Gubbeen, without ever getting “big”. The add-ons are organic. Their pigs have the best views of any pig farm and son Fingal has taken a keen interest here. He admitted to being “fascinated by meat curing” and is “always looking to learn more in the future” Already, he has over fifty products, most from the versatile pig.

Daughter Clovisse has also added to the productivity of the farm.  She is a bio-dynamic gardener and, with a terraced acre and four tunnels, she supplies several local chefs and is the source of fresh salads, vegetables and fruit for her customers.  Her herbs are the key flavours in Fingal's cures for his smoked meats, and in the summer - if you get down early enough - you can buy her salads at the Schull or Skibbereen Farmers’ Markets.

Parents Tom and Giana have been the pioneers, Tom as the herdsman and Giana as the cheese maker; she also keeps poultry in the yards.  Special people making special food. A regional and national treasure.

• Don’t forget to visit the Gubbeen site here.

The Grubbs: Blessed be the cheese makers.

Sarah Furno speaking in Ballymaloe

Jean Trimbach loved the cheeses

Blessed be the cheese makers
The Grubbs and Cashel Blue



About this time last year, I was buying some wines in the Rhone village of Rasteau.


The English speaking saleslady was telling me all about their Signature Vin Doux Naturel which, unusually for a dessert wine, is red. She was suggesting cheese matches and mentioned the blues of Auvergne and Bresse. But when she moved on to Stilton I just had to interrupt and tell her we had our own blues in Ireland.

When she asked for a name, I gave her Cashel Blue. And she carried on as before. “Now you take a glass of Rasteau and Cashel Blue and you have a perfect match.” Quite a saleslady but glad I spoke up when I heard Sarah Furno of Cashel Blue (and Crozier Blue also) in action at this week’s enjoyable Trimbach Wine and Cheese evening in Ballymaloe.

Sarah had quite a story to tell and told it so well. She explained that their family farm in Tipperary was struggling to make ends meet in the hard times of the early 80s. Would they go into yoghurts? Into ice-cream? But they had noticed the rise in cheese-making and after much research (including visits to Gubbeen), they decided on making a blue cheese.

There was obviously a market here as the country was importing something like 25 tonnes of Danish blue at the time yet people still “thought we were mad”. But, led by parents Jane and Louis, they kept experimenting and it took them all of four years to create Cashel, which is made from cow’s milk.

The Crozier followed about ten years later. This is made from sheep’s milk. Earlier, they had been told: “You can’t milk sheep”. Sarah: “They graze on limestone fields and produce just two litres a day...It is liquid gold, high yielding, very rich.”

If Blue cheese was something of a mystery to those in Irish agriculture in the 80s, then moulds were even more so. “Something wrong with your cheese?” The moulds are important as Sarah’s husband Sergio explained: “We use mould for flavour. We rely heavily on external mould on the rind to encourage the development of the creaminess and complex flavour from the sweet nature of the wonderful milk.”

And I must say, I just love these blues for those very reasons. And so do consumers in Australia, United Kingdom and United States and online .

It was really fascinating to hear Sarah speak and tell the story and her frequent references to the terroir, references also made by Giana Ferguson of Gubbeen. Sarah for instance mentioned the limestone fields on which the sheep graze while Giana referred to the salt spray from the Atlantic that hits their fields and the warming effects of the gulf Stream.

Sarah just touched on the recent decades. For more on the Grubb family story – it goes back as far, if not further, than that of the Trimbach’s – and indeed much more on the fantastic cheeses and how they are made, go to the Cashel Blue website here.

Just been checking and found I still have a bottle of that Rasteau, bottle number 08446 from the 2007 vintage Signature Vin Doux Natural. Next stop will be the English Market to get one of those blues from Tipperary, maybe both.

Trimbach, family run since 1626!

Colm McCan (left) and Jean Trimbach

Vendanges Tardive 2002

Trimbach, family run since 1626!


Close to four hundred years ago, a Swiss called Jean from the village of Trimbach (not far from Basle) left and crossed the Rhine to Alsace and in 1626 the young man, now called Jean Trimbach, founded the wine business that stills bears his name.

Last night in Ballymaloe, his descendant, also Jean Trimbach, took us through four flights of their top class wines and matched them with charcuterie and cheeses made by two of Ireland’s leading food families, the Fergusons of West Cork and the Furno’s of Tipperary.

There was so much went on in the Grainstore last night that I think I will reserve the Ferguson and Furno stories, even if they do not go back to 1626, for future posts. Watch this space – I won’t delay! Well, except for a family wedding tomorrow.

Jean first showed three Rieslings, “all bone dry”. The 2006 Reserve was “creamy, crisp, refreshing, very versatile with food”. Then came the Cuvée Frederic Emile 2004, named after his great great grandfather: “..dry Riesling at its very best, voted top dry in the world, a serious wine”.


Serious work too he said because of the steep slopes on which the wines are planted. If you don’t watch your step and your bucket while picking, you could well accompany it in a roll down the hill.

The third, the Clos Ste Hune 2004, was a real treat for us. “Just 800 cases for the world. Just beautiful. One of the finest in the world. Collectible. The one to collect right now is 1985.” The match with these three was the Gubbeen chorizo.

Then Jean presented two Pinot Gris, at pains to point out that this was originally a grape from Burgundy and not Pinot Grigio as some people might think. This is fuller, richer, creamier, great with Foie Gras. They were matched with the impressive Crozier Blue (8 weeks).

First was the Reserve 2008, “a bring me home tonight wine and value for money”. Then we had the Reserve Personnelle 2001, which is not produced every year. “This,” said Jean, “was bottled in April 2002 but it looks as if it was bottled yesterday.” It went very well indeed with the cheese.

The next flight was two of the Trimbach Gewürztraminer. Gewurz means spicy, he told us. We first tasted the 2009: “elegance, finesse, focus. Just like the cheese, a beautiful match”. The cheese this time was Gubbeen smoked which also went well with the Cuvée des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre 2005, a wine deemed worthy enough to pay “homage to the counts of the village”.

We ended the evening with a couple of dessert wines. The Pinot Gris Vendanges Tardive 2000 was paired with the Cashel Blue (14 weeks) while the Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardive 2002 was matched to the Crozier (16 weeks), both perfect pairings.

Jean explained about Botrytis (the Noble Rot) and praised his brother Pierre, the Trimbach winemaker, as indeed he had throughout the evening, in his management of this dodgy process.

Balance is everything. As the rot sets in, the sugar goes up and so too does the acidity. But at a certain point, they can get out of synch and the winemaker must make his own decision, daily testing, to pick the shrunken fruit at the optimum time. “Sweet yes but think about balance.” I think everyone agreed that Pierre got it right with this pair as he did with all the others.

Next, a surprise as Jean came back to the mike and, accompanied by Ballymaloe’s superb sommelier Colm McCan, treated us to a song. Then we all moved outside to the Wildside Catering barbecue. A superb evening and more about the charcuterie and cheeses in posts over the next few days.

The visit was arranged through Des King and Claire Lomasney of Gleesons/Gilbey Wine Merchants and enjoyed our table chat with them and also with Eileen and Michael Fleming, long time friends and supporters of Jean.

Stonewell Cider goes Dry!

Stonewell increases cider options


Thanks to a recent win in a Galvin Wines competition, I got the chance to compare the two ciders now on offer from Stonewell. Many of you will be familiar with the Medium Dry but now they’ve added a Dry.

Stonewell Cider, 2011 Medium Dry, 5%, Distributed by Galvin Wines


This, Stonewell's first, has slight amber colour, very slightly cloudy. Classed as Medium Dry, it is certainly dry enough for some palates, and I’ve been an admirer since the start.

Now, both it and the Dry version are made from five different types of apple, all locally sourced: Dabinett, Michelin, Falstaff, Jonagored and Elstar.
While it has made many friends in what are still early days, it is still not dry enough for some, hence the new cider in the yellow version of the bottle with the distinctive Celtic motif.

Been drinking some good Basque ciders over the past few weeks while on holidays in the area (SW France, NW Spain). The craft cider there, used quite a lot with food, is cloudier and noticeably drier than anything here. Didn’t come across any that was even close to medium dry!

Stonewell Cider, 2011 Dry, 5.5%, Distributed by Galvin Wines




The first thing you notice is that this new Stonewell is darker, more of the amber. And the instant it enters your mouth, you know this is a dry cider and a very pleasant one too. It is made from the same five apple varieties.

It gets an unanimous thumbs up from this mini-tasting yet each of the tasters agreed that he or she would not be saying “No!” to the medium dry. No doubt, as time goes on, each cider will have its devotees and occasions and quite often there will be a pleasurable overlap.

King of the Rosés

King of the Rosés

Tavel, Cuvée Royale 2010, 13.5%, France

Tavel, in the Rhone valley, is fairly close to Avignon and the Cuvée Royale is a vineyard selection from vines grown on pebbles (not little ones but quite big rounded stones - see pic below). Tavel is one of the eight Crus of the Southern Rhone and makes only Rosés and boasts that it makes the best in France.

This particular wine, that I enjoyed with veal at the weekend, is redder than most rosés, but still see-through as you can see in the photo. Red fruits dominate the nose and, on the palate, it is round and full bodied (much more so than the usual rosé). It has beautiful strong flavours and a dry finish.

Rigorous quality control in terms of yield, vine age and vinification lead to this exceptional full bodied wine, produced by Les Vignerons de Tavel where I bought it in the summer of 2010. For more on my visit to Tavel, and the strange little animal I saw after the tastings!, click here.

Power & Smullen Wine Merchants Ltd, Booze.ie and O'Brien's, are among those selling Tavel wines in Ireland.

Amuse Bouche. Wine is good for your career!

“In the 18th century, the quality of the Rochegude wines led Thomas Jefferson to introduce them to President Washington.....At that point, he was appointed Secretary of State.” From About Our Wines (Cotes du Rhone booklet).

O’Hara’s: A Double on The Dark Side

O’Hara’s: The Dark Side
Tasty Stout Double

Most craft breweries would be happy with one good stout but the crew at Carlow Brewing Company  have come up with two, both under the O’Hara’s label. Thanks to a recent win in a competition by distributors Galvin’s Wine, I enjoyed both last night.

O’Hara’s Traditional Irish Stout, 4.3%, Carlow Brewing Company 

Award winning...full bodied...luxuriously smooth. That is what it says on the bottle and it is all of that. Definitely a traditional stout, dry and smooth and full of lip smacking flavour with a finish that says don’t leave me too long on my own.
An award winner as far back as 2000 and still on O’Hara’s first team. Be sure to put it in your selection.

• The head though is more cream coloured than white!
• Suggested food pairings: Excellent with Seafood particularly shellfish and smoked salmon. Also pairs well with strong flavoured cheeses and dry cured meats such as Parma ham.
• Carlow Brewing’s own tasting notes here

O’Hara’s Leann Follain Extra Irish Stout, 6.0%, Carlow Brewing Company

Another award winner. Smooth and powerful and a more noticeable bitterness to balance the complex chocolate and coffee flavours. Full bodied for sure but it purrs on the palate, a Rolls Royce of stout. Indeed, a terrific example – not the only one around! – of how the country’s craft brewers can banish the bland to the bars of yesterday.

• Suggested food pairings: Matches well with any strong cheeses or cured meats.  Also goes well with desserts.
• Carlow Brewing’s own tasting notes here

Ruby Red Stars of Northern Spain

Ruby Red Stars of Northern Spain
Three gems


For reviews of the white wines, please click here

Pittacum, Bierzo DO Spain, Mencía 2007, 14.5% abv, Importers: Classic Drinks.

This Pittacum, bottled in the spring of 2008, is the money-maker as some 180,000 bottles are filled. It is 100% Estate grown Mencía and is worth looking out for.

The fruit comes from 50 to 80 year old vines and it has a ruby red colour with a gorgeous aroma, plums and violets prominent. There is a hint of chocolate in among the velvety fruits on the palate and a terrific finish with vanilla showing. Highly recommended.

Click image to enlarge

Pittacum Aurea, Bierzo DO Spain, Mencía, 14% abv, Distributors: Classic Drinks.

This is even better, the fruit grown from very old vines in the heart of the DO. There is a complex intense nose, fruity and spicy. The flavours are lush: cherry, strawberry and plum.

It has spent at least 14 months in French oak, is silky and with a lengthy finish. You should really try and sample this special wine, which has limited production of just 15,000 bottles. Very highly recommended.

Quinta Sardonia, Castilla y Leon Spain, blend*, 15% abv, Distributors: Classic Drinks.


The very first sniff, and after that I tended to sniff before each sip, tells you there is a little magic in this bottle from Quinta Sardonia. The inviting aromas are both fruity and floral at the same time. Irresistible!

This is a concentrated and powerful wine, well rounded on the palate, where the fruits (cassis, cherry and plum) combine well and there are pepper notes and hints of vanilla from the sixteen months in oak.

This is undoubtedly one of the best ones I’ve tasted this year, beautifully integrated oak, tannins and acidity, with a full finish and a warm after-taste.

Beg or borrow or steal but do get your hands on one of those 44,000 bottles. Unlimited recommendation!

* Blend: 52% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 5% Syrah, 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec.

More: QUINTA SARDONIA is a member of the TERRAS GAUDAGroup and producer of high-end wines based on the principles of biodynamic agriculture. 

The philosophy of this Ribera del Duero winery, set up under the guidance of Peter Sisseck, who was involved in the project design together with renowned French enologist Jerôme Bougnaud, is to develop unique wines that express all the richness of the terroir and that can be identified with the parcel where each variety is grown.


Just got an update on prices and locations for the reds and whites available here. 



Abadia San Campo RRP €18.99 -€19.99


Stockists


Caviar House, Dublin Airport


The Woodford Bar, Cork


The Mill wine Centre, Maynooth


Boqueria, Cork


Pinocchio Restaurant , Dublin 6





Terras Gauda O Rosal RRP €21.00 -€22.00


Stockists


Farmgate Restaurant, Midleton


The Cliff House Hotel, Ardmore


The Riverside Hotel, Killarney


Jacobs On the Mall, Cork





Pittacum Mencia RRP €17.99 - €18.99


Stockists


Ananda Restaurant, Dublin 15


The Merrion Hotel, Dublin 2


The Hotel Europe, Killarney


Kenmare Bay Hotel, Kenmare

Sail Away with a Galway Hooker

Sail Away with a Galway Hooker
Galway Hooker, Irish Pale Ale, 4.3% abv, Hooker Brewery, Roscommon.

Thanks to a recent Twitter competition win, I’m getting the chance to sample some of the craft beers being distributed by Galvin Wines

First on the agenda was the Galway Hooker. This nicely judged balance of malted barley and malted wheat, with the other usual natural ingredients, gives a good rounded body and a fresh feeling in the mouth, smooth rather than sharp.

With its relatively full flavour, this is not just a summer thirst quencher but a beer for all seasons. So, do take the time to savour. Might even go well with a bit of “peasant” grub, something like bacon and cabbage, shepherd’s pie, mussels...

Maybe make up a full dedicated menu as they do in some of the “cidreries” in the Basque Country that I’ve just visited. Start off, say, with a couple of tasty sausages, followed by a big bowl of mussels, a fish course, meat course and dessert, all accompanied by the tasty Hooker!

I had something like that in Hendaye a few weeks back, a string of courses and as much cider as I wanted for about €32.00. If they can do that on the shores of Baie Chingoudy why not on Galway Bay? Maybe even on a hooker!

Electric. Cork boy, and eclectic

Spiced Beef Starter at Electric

Electric. Cork boy and eclectic.

Loved it on Monday night when I was able to take a couple of Australian friends to a local restaurant that was serving some very lovely local food. At the same time, the menu featured some exotic items (feta, Halloumi) and mozzarella (but of course that comes from Macroom nowadays). Head chef Kevin brings it all together at South Mall’s Electric.

Just look at the starter list. It includes Crubeens, Tom Durcan’s Spiced Beef, the Toonbridge Mozzarella and Daly’s Smoked Salmon. Must say we were all impressed with the Spiced Beef starter, the quality and the presentation. Served with piccalilli, it went down a treat.

As did the crubeens, though maybe not in a way your grandfather would have recognised. The meat has been extracted for you and is served in crisped balls with a piquillo pepper jam and pickled onions, really tasty!

The majority went for fish for the main course though CL choose the Saddle of Rabbit with baby potatoes, smoked bacon and tomato. Something different again – Electric never rest on their laurels – and a real winner as far as she was concerned.

JB enjoyed her Caramelised pork belly while I was very happy indeed with my Roasted Monkfish. Plates were cleaned to such an extent that no one had a mind for dessert.

Wines also delivered. The white was a Martin Codax Rias Baixas 2010 Albarino (Spain) while the red was Jean Claude Boisset Les Ursulines 2010 Pinot Noir (Burgundy, France). Not crowded but a decent crowd in and a lively atmosphere, for a Monday night, both in the restaurant and later in the comfortable bar.

Good Food Ireland pop-up; Dublin Gourmet Stroll

Experience GOOD FOOD IRELAND Pop up at Kildare Village Summer time Festival

For the second year the Good Food Ireland Pop-up will be at Kildare Village for the designer outlet shopping village’s Chic Summer Festival. The Good Food Ireland pop-up will showcase the very best of high quality, Irish-produced food with Irish ingredients. You will be able to dine around Ireland in one location by enjoying delicious food from Good Food Ireland-approved providers every weekend from 7th July to 19th August.

This is a rare opportunity to meet the people behind the food from the cheese maker to the chef, to the sausage maker to the restaurateur while enjoying at the same time the best of designer shopping. Dishes will range from Prime Hereford Steak Ciabatta, Artisan Sausages, and Warm Bacon Blaas as well as lots more sumptuous treats!

“The Good Food Ireland Pop Up is an amazing experience for Shoppers, the opportunity to meet the people behind the food from all around Ireland and enjoy their food while taking in the best of designer outlet shopping”, says Margaret Jeffares, Managing Director Good Food Ireland.

With such a selection to choose from, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all taken care of and these are not just tasters, they offer amazing value. For more information on the Good Food Ireland Pop Up visit www.goodfoodireland.ie

THE DUBLIN GOURMET STROLL WITH MATT FULLER…

June 2012: This summer treat yourself to something special with a city break at the Five Star Fitzwilliam Hotel Dublin. Dublin’s premier boutique hotel has created four luxurious packages, perfect for a stylish Summer city break in the heart of Dublin.

Foodies love to touch, they love to smell and most of all they love to taste! This tactile bunch will meet their match with Fitzwilliam Hotel Dublin Head Chef, Matt Fuller. The Dublin Gourmet Stroll gives guests at the hotel the chance to walk through the city, under the close eye of Matt, who will ‘dish’ the dirt on the hidden tricks of the trade, ever wondered where Ireland’s top chefs go seeking inspiration? Matt is ready to lift the proverbial lid!

Once you have sampled the delights of Dublin’s burgeoning food scene, and learned of the best cheesemongers, sommeliers, & baristas in the area, the gastronomic adventure continues in Citron Restaurant at The Fitzwilliam Hotel, where Matt will talk you through a delicious three course meal with culinary highlights including;  Hand Dived Scallops with vanilla potatoes, passion fruit air & carrot saffron purée,  and a Pigeon & Foie Gras with creamy cep rice, apple, blackberry purée & artichoke.

Before you are enveloped in the cool crisp Egyptian cotton sheets of your Deluxe Executive Suite, enjoy a well- deserved Digestif in the hotel’s Inn on the Green bar.

The Dublin Gourmet Stroll package also includes a hearty breakfast on the day of departure,  car parking facilities, wireless internet access and all rates and service charges and costs €275 pps. Price available on request. www.fitzwilliamhoteldublin.com  / www.facebook.com/fitzwilliamdublin  / www.twitter.com/fitzwilliamdub

Bye Bye France and Spain for 2012!

Bonne nuit à la belle France 2012. And Spain too! 

My Hendaye base: appartment & pool

La Rioja day trip

Rabbit, from the traiteur

Marina at Hendaye

Really enjoyed my four weeks in the Basque Country this year. I was based in the French border town of Hendaye and that gave me the opportunity to make many trips into Spain. Hendaye is a major rail junction and the local tourist office sells bus trips to Basque towns both in France and in Spain.

One of those bus trips, to San Sebastian, fell through because of a driver error. But the Tourist Office really stepped in quickly and got us to San Sebastian by train. The bus company (Le Basque Bondissant) moved quickly as well by refunding the fare and then gave us a choice of a trip from their catalogue.

We had previously been looking at the Bilbao one (which included admission to the Guggenheim) and that was agreed with Sandrine in their St Jean du Luz office. So well done to Sandrine and indeed to each and everyone we met at the Hendaye Tourist office. Thank you all.

I think that any tourist arriving in any French town should make straight for the tourist office. You’ll be surprised at the amount of information available.

If you have a family, you’ll probably want to locate the nearest hypermarket, but family or not, you should also make the Traiteur a target. The traiteur, often the butcher, offers delicious prepared dishes, sometimes local and national classics. All you have to do is take them “home” and re-heat. And you’ll end up with a top notch meal for about a third of the restaurant price.

The local market is another great source of food and indeed some of the traiteurs turn up there as well. Normally, your accommodation provider will give you a list of market days but, if not, head to that tourist office.

So there you have it, my three tips for happy holidays in France: Tourist Office, Traiteur, and local market. Of course a little bit of advance research and a few words of the language will also help!

Good accommodation also helps. For the past few years, we have researched our own gites or apartments. This time we stayed at an apartment within a large villa right in the middle of Hendaye-Plage, minutes from the beach, the beautiful bay, the marina and the little ferry crossing to Spain, yards from the bus stop (free buses around town), and a few minutes also from the big train station.

Newly built, the apartment was top class with a state of the art kitchen and a lovely shared pool. In all, there were five apartments in the building but no problems arose because of that. No problems at all.

Happy holidays!

Tips for driving Bordeaux – Roscoff.

Raspberry tart on board Pont Aven

Seagulls follow Roscoff trawler out to sea

Pont Aven

Home, sweet home!

Tips for driving Bordeaux – Roscoff. On Coming Home

Friday/Saturday 22/23 June 2012


Drove close to 900 kilometres up through France on Friday without a bother. The initial road from Hendaye to Bordeaux is mainly motorway and not the best you’ll come across in France. It probably will be better soon as there are improvements underway, some over huge stretches.

The autoroute from Bordeaux to Nantes is different class. Just a brilliant 130 kph ride, with magnificent facilities over its 300 kilometres. Having negotiated the efficient Bordeaux Rocade (ring road), I felt I deserved a stop and made one a few miles up the road at the smashing Aire de Saugon. Very good facilities here, including hot food, but then that is true of most of the motorway stops in this section.

Foodies should make a special note of the Aire du Vendee, closer to Nantes, as they sell some delicious concoctions of the area. Well worth a stop.

You should be well stocked with petrol as you wind your way around Nantes, which is just as well, as the motorway (no longer an autoroute) between here and Rennes is poorly served with Aires, with just one petrol stop just outside of Nantes.

Mostly there are just places where you can pull in and stretch your legs. There is one to avoid very close to Rennes, with a “Hil” in the title, as it has one of those toilets with the hole in the ground and water on the floor, built especially for the ladies!

Back in early 80s, there was hardly a Cork driver on tour who didn’t get lost in Nantes. Roads have improved hugely since then but there is still at least one slightly dodgy spot on the return journey. That comes on the péripherique (ring road) after exit 38 and before exit 37 (which is the one you want for Rennes). After exit 38, keep to your left.

It is motorway all the way from Rennes to Roscoff. Again, the level of services alongside are not great, so you should make a note of the excellent Aire d’Armor et d’Argoat, a few miles out of Rennes, and top up your petrol if you are running low. Of course, you can always go off piste to one of the local villages or towns, but sometimes you may be up against the clock.

Brittany Ferries have introduced a new facility and I’m sure parents will be very happy with it. While the Pont Aven doesn’t sail until 9.15pm you can now board at 6.30 and get those hungry kids a feed and a deserved drink for yourself!

I did get myself a drink, a rather timid Beaujolais Villages in one of those small bottles. The food though, particularly the main course, slices of juicy bacon, was excellent and reasonably priced in the self service La Belle Angel.

Service is really excellent on board the Pont Aven, lots of friendly staff willing and able to help you find your cabin or your way around the big ship. Great to sail back into the familiar harbour even if it was cloaked in the familiar grey! Nice to be home.

Night of Music in France

Music in the French Streets! Why not here?

June 21^st, Thursday
More pics here

We had a very agreeable surprise on our last night in France. While walking to local Chez Kake, we noticed quite a few stages set up and indeed by the time we reached the restaurant, music was already being played close by.

Checked and were told this is the French Fête de la Musique which has been going on since 1982 and which has spread to dozens of countries. Amateur and professional musicians are encouraged to perform in the streets. Many free concerts are organized, making all genres of music accessible to the public. More here

Guns leave their marks

There was a terrific buzz around the streets with adults and kids out checking the various bands. 

Irish gig in Hondaribbia

After an excellent meal, we checked out some nearby venues and, within less than 100 metres, found a terrific Cuban band, a band playing The Band’s music and another group doing songs by The Doors. Great stuff and not an ounce of trouble. Maybe we Irish could copy this one!

On one of our first days here, we had taken the short boat trip (€1.70) across the Bidasoa River to Hondarribia in Spain. Did the same on a low key last day as we wanted to see their unusual riverside airport.

That we did, and we also had a closer look at the luxurious Government parador in the town, to see the pock marks made by the cannon balls back in 16^th century when it was a chateau.

This is quite a lovely town and its Calle Mayor was used in the opening shots of the 1973 film Papillon (starring Steve McQueen).

Hockney at Bilbao's Guggenheim

Hockney at Bilbao's Guggenheim 

Tulips by Jeff Koons

The Puppy, by Jeff Koons.

 David Hockney: A Bigger Picture opened in Bilbao's Guggenheim last month and is scheduled to go on until September 30th. Some very impressive works here, some huge. Favourites would include Pearblossom Highway, the bright Yorkshire landscape series and the Grand Canyon works. There is so much of Hockney here, including video works, one would need to spend a week on this show alone. If you can't visit, the next best thing is to check it out on the museum's site.

The Guggen is featuring the work of important post WW2 artist Georg Baselitz who makes "whimsical nods to history" and uses a lot of name-dropping. All the paintings here, 16 large scale works in one room, are painted upside down. Okay for an occasional impact, say one or two at a time, but 16 together?

There is so much going on here, it is unreal. Found some rooms full of photographs. One thing that has disappointed me about the North of Spain is the amount of high rises here. Xavier Ribas highlighted them and the people who live there in his work while by contrast you have Cindy Sherman's lively portraits of younger Americans.

And so much more, including the large sculptural works of Richard Serra. Don't believe me? Just get on to that website and check it out. Fantastic.

And, of course, there is an Irish connection. The Spanish lady who sold us our tickets is married to a Dubliner and will holiday in East Cork this summer. Hope the weather improves for her, and for us.
More pics here

The Guggenheim (Bilbao) in Black & White

Star Lunch at Bilbao’s Nerua

Star Lunch at Bilbao’s Nerua

With Chef Aitor on the Nerua terrace.

20th June 2012, Wednesday
Didn’t expect to be getting a tour of the kitchen when I made an electronic booking for Bilbao’s Michelin starred restaurant Nerua earlier in the week but that’s exactly what happened within minutes of our arrival for lunch on Wednesday.

We were handed over to Chef Aitor who showed us their three work sections: Pastry, Meat/Fish, and one whole section for vegetables (which they regard as very important and source locally). We had a few nibbles before Aitor took us up to their exclusive terrace overlooking the Guggenheim in which the restaurant is located.

He explained how the “Guggen” has transformed the city, especially around here where it had been run down and ugly. Before it was an industrial city, now it is a tourist city, he explained. Could do with something transformative like this in Cork.

Onion!

After that mini-tour, we were handed over to the waiting staff. No shortage here. Formal and so well coordinated, but friendly, even time for a laugh (most had good English), and the service overall was immaculate in a white room with subdued lighting and just one window, a big one, overlooking part of the museum and the Spider Mama. Lighting is discreet, behind hanging cream ceiling tiles. No art on the walls here. Only on the plates!

An Amuse Bouche that contained a little egg yolk, thin crisps and oil, was first up. CL’s starter was Baked White Onion, cod fish and pimiento verde (12). I had chosen the Anchovies, Bilbao style, with grilled onions (15). We were off and running, a very promising start.

Anchovies

Turbot, turnip, rosemary

 My main course was outstanding: Turbot with rosemary, pickled turnip (35). Perfection on the plate and on the palate. But I have to say, CL’s was something else, with a humble piece of pork elevated to a height I’ve never before tasted: Piece of Iberico Pork, with carrots and artichoke emulsion. Incredible, more than a match for the best of beef, the best of lamb.

Delicious pork

Potato, apple and lime

That pork was a highlight and then another came quickly in the shape of my dessert: Ashes of black olives, aromatic herbs and soft ice cream (12). A very unusual feel on the palate, quickly lifted by the liquorice in the herbs. The other dessert was a Millefeuillie of potato, apple and lime (11), also excellent.

There is quite an extensive wine list, with a strong local element, many at very reasonable prices. Our pick was a Rías Baixas Nora 2011 Albarino (26); we enjoyed it very much and lingered with it for a while after we had finished off the main meal and the little surprise that followed: a warmed chocolate boule with a cold centre and we were happy to oblige with the order to eat it with one bite!

You may see the full menu here  . The prices do not include vat of 8%. Total bill, including a bottle of water and the wine, came to €150.66.

Black Olive Ashes...