Thursday night concert in Sablet

The first thing everyone notices about Sablet day or night, is the bell tower of Saint Nazaire Church standing tall over our village like a beacon marking the position of Sablet across the countryside. Since our house is just down the steps from the church, it also points the way toward home.

During the Middle Ages, Sablet was under the control of the Holy See (the Pope) and unlike many other villages in the surrounding area, it was never under the control of feudal lords, so there is no château - castle in the village.

At that time, the Roman Catholic Church was the law making and administrative authority for the area. In 1577, the village was taken over by Calvinists and the Pope appointed a governor to oversee the village until the end of the religious war.

We were probably destined to end up in a Calvinists village since my father Daniel Augsburger's doctoral dissertation at the University of Strasbourg was about John Calvin. Sadly, my father passed away before we bought our home in Sablet so he never knew we bought a house in Provence. Having lived in the South of France as a young man, he would have been thrilled.

Sablet

Saint Nazaire Church was built in the 12th century and sits at the highest point in the village. There is a pretty garden area which surrounds the church. The bell tower of Saint Nazaire Church is lit at night. The bells ring hourly throughout the day from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. There is no need for an alarm if you want to wake at 7:00 in the morning.

Saint Nazaire Church

You are probably wondering what any of this has to do with a Thursday night concert in Sablet. Well, I am going to tell you. As I told you above, our house is at the bottom of the stairway to the church. So although we are very close to Saint Nazaire Church, I've only seen the doors open once or twice in all the times we have been there.

So I was quite excited last fall when I saw yellow flyers in the boulangerie and épicerie - bakery and grocery store, announcing that the Chamber Orchestra of Hamburg Germany was going to play a free concert in Saint Nazaire Church on the next Thursday.

Every seat in Saint Nazaire Church is filled for the concert

My favorite genre of music is classical and the chamber orchestra was going to play works by Bartok, Mozart, Vivaldi and others. This promised to be an opportunity to enjoy wonderful music and see the interior of the church, kill two birds with one stone so to speak.

The Hamburg Chamber Orchestra at Saint Nazaire Church

Somewhat to my surprise, not really sure what I expected, every seat in the church was filled, and others who couldn't find seats stood along the back and side walls listening intently to the music played by the 30 person ensemble and various soloists.

Thursday night concert in Sablet

No one in the crowd of mostly middle aged and older music lovers left before the last note faded away and appreciative clapping stopped. I walked out to a beautiful evening and stared up at the familiar sight of the lighted bell tower of Saint Nazaire Church.

Lighted bell tower of Saint Nazaire Church

Lighted bell tower of Saint Nazaire Church

We are fortunate to call Sablet home in Provence. Besides being an exceptionally beautiful village, there is an assortment of shops and cafes and many special events. If you are looking for a place to make your home during a one week or longer sojourn in Provence, consider Sablet.

Between the economy and recent cancellation, we still have availability scattered throughout the spring and summer, which are the best times of the year to be in Provence. If you are interested, check out our website or email me at chcmichel@aol.com. I would appreciate if you would pass this on to your Francophile and Provence loving friends.

Here in Northern California, heavy rain has finally arrived. While it won't be enough to end drought conditions, it is welcomed, especially by the vineyard owners and farmers. Have a great rest of the weekend. Chat soon.

Visit to Martigues and a scrumptious lunch at Le Bouchon à la Mer restaurant

I told you here that cousin Annick lives near Rognes but before that she spent some time in Marseille and knows the surrounding area very well. Although she has suggested we visit Martigues several times, the closest we have been was when we drove along the Côte Bleue after a day in Marseille.

That all changed one day last fall when I was looking through Michelin's "Bonnes Petites Tables" to find a Bib Gourmand restaurant to try. I noticed one in Martigues and thought it would be a good way to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. So a quick phone call to make a reservation and off we went.

Martigues is located on a narrow strip of land between the Mediterranean Sea and the Étang de Berre not too far from Marseille Provence Airport. The two are connected by the Caronte Canal, the town's main canal, while other pretty waterways link the three separate "villages" that make up Martigues.

As the name suggests, L'Ile (the Island), sits in the middle of the canal. Here you will find the pretty Madeleine Church as well as Le Bouchon à la Mer restaurant on Quay Lucien Toulmond which runs along Baussenque Canal.

Le Bouchon à la Mer restaurant

The two-story restaurant was opened by chef Christophe Perrin 18 years ago when he was 20 years of age. His wife Stéphanie runs the front of the restaurant and serves diners. Upon arrival, we were led upstairs and seated in a room overlooking the colorful fishing boats, already full of hungry diners.

While we studied the menu, we nibbled on olive crisps with sun dried tomato tapenade. Our meal began with the amuse bouche of foie gras over toast with pickled onions seen below.

Amuse bouche of foie gras over toast with pickled onions

Check out the rest of our meal.

Chilled butternut squash soup with wild mushrooms. Finished with crème fraîche.

Pan roasted sea bass over onions and leeks

Roasted lamb chops with a garlic cream sauce and baby vegetables

Pear with puff pastry filled with pastry cream and pear sorbet

Apple crumble with vanilla ice cream

Toward the end of the meal, the chef's wife asked where we were from. I told her about our two homes and mentioned that we had a little bistro in Northern California. The next time she came by she brought champagne from the chef which was very nice and much appreciated.

Café with chocolate mousse and almond cake

After our leisurely and very satisfying lunch -- I judge meals based on plating/presentation, ingredients, flavors and service -- we left to tour the sights around the island.

The best way to visit the island is to stroll along the canal and the quays and through the pretty cobblestone streets and squares.

Baussenque Canal near Le Bouchon à la Mer restaurant

Martigues street in the l'Isle (Island) village

The Madeleine church on Rue de la République seen below, also known as the cathedral because of it's baroque style was built in 1680.

The Madeleine Church

The interior of the Madeleine Church

Martigues door

First settled by Gallo-Romans in the fifth century BC, Martigues took shape in the Middle Ages. Three fortified villages, Ferrières in the north, L'Ile in the middle and Jonquières in the south, sprung up in this highly strategic location, which controlled access to the Étang de Berre from the Mediterranean.

Anxious to end the rivalry between the villages and to preserve the strength of the site against the Spanish, King Henri III ordered their unification and a treaty was signed on April 21, 1581.

Shirley standing on bridge near the Madeleine Church

The island is formed by the main channel splitting into the Canal Galliffet that enters the Étang de Berre beneath the new drawbridge, and the northern Canal Baussengue, now blocked by the ancient swivel bridge.

Le Miroir aux Oiseaux (Birds' Mirror) area

The area seen below is called the Miroir aux Oiseaux (Birds' Mirror) and back in the 17th century, fishermen used to live in the colorful old houses lining the banks of the canal.

These houses have inspired a number of painters, including French painter Felix Ziem. He was the most ardent admirer of Martigues; his paintings and works by other contemporary artists can be viewed at the Ziem Museum.

Pleasure boats line the quay in the Miroir aux Oiseaux (Birds' Mirror) area

Spick and span, with brightly painted houses and flowers and shrubs everywhere, the heart of Martigues is the island which is bisected by the colorful Saint Sébastien Canal.

Saint Sébastien Canal looking west

Houses along a Martigues canal

The Miroir aux Oiseaux (Birds' Mirror) area with Saint Madeleine Church in the background

Pleasure boats

The Saint Genest Church seen below was built in 1625.

The Saint Genest Church

Pleasure boats line Quay Brescon

Laundry hanging out to dry on a Martigues house

A Martigues square

Saint in alcove on corner of house in Martigues

Shops and cafes along Galliffet Canal

Shops and cafes along Galliffet Canal

Martigues fisherman

Martigues fisherman heads out to Mediteranean Sea

Saint Sébastien Canal looking east

The young man reads the plate on the monument below which says "To Étienne Richaud, Governor of Indochina, Inspector of Marine and Colonies. Died Wed, May 31, 1889 aboard the "Caledonia". His compatriots and friends wishing to honor the memory of this son of a fisherman elevated by his merit to the highest offices of the French authorities have erected this monument by public subscription."

Monument to the memory of Étienne Richaud

The Notre Dame de Miséricorde Chapel seen below was built during the 17th century.

Notre Dame de Miséricorde Chapel

From the chapel, there is a panoramic view over the Étang de Berre and the town of Martigues.

Panoramic view toward windmill and the Étang de Berre

Martigues windmill along the Étang de Berre

I'm not sure that Le Bouchon à la Mer restaurant is so good that it's worth a drive of 1 1/2 hours to get there. But we certainly think it's worthwhile to visit Martiques and the Côte Bleue and if you are in the area, Le Bouchon à la Mer would be a wonderful choice for a place to have lunch or dinner. I assure you that you won't be disappointed.

Le Bouchon à la Mer
19 Quay Lucien Toulmond
13500 Martigues
Tel: 04 42 49 41 41

Have a great week. Chat soon.

Beautiful villages around the Dentelles de Montmirail

It might seem like our day trips take us a long way from Sablet, the village we call home in Provence, but that is not the case at all. Most day trips are are less than one hour drive and quite a few take just a few minutes.

One of the most scenic trips is the 62 km "Route des Vin" (wine road) that goes around the Dentelles de Montmirail with stops to visit one or more of the pretty wine-making villages along the way. The Dentelles de Montmirail are short, steep mountains with a distinctive rocky ridge extending west geologically from Mont Ventoux which is located just to the east.

The name Dentelles, the French word for lace, refers to the jagged, rocky tops obtained by erosion, while Montmirail is derived from the Latin mons mirabilis meaning "admirable mountain" though the alternative connection with teeth, "dents" in French is equally good in my opinion.

The Dentelles de Montmirail mountain range is about 8 km (5 miles) long and runs from Vaison-la-Romaine on the north end to Beaumes-de-Venise on the south. The tallest peak of the Dentelles de Montmirail range is St-Amand, at 734 m (2,400 ft).

View toward the Dentelles de Montmirail with Sablet in the foreground

As you know, we live in Sablet, which we think is one of the prettiest villages along the Dentelles de Montmirail wine road. You can check out Sablet here, here and here.

Sablet

Next door to Sablet is Séguret, a small village elevated above the vineyards that separate Sablet from Séguret and wraps around the bottom of a steep hill topped by ruins of its medieval castle.

We go often to Séguret, sometimes on foot through the vineyards up to Séguret then through the pretty village before heading back to Sablet on the connecting road. Séguret is classified as a "most beautiful village of France" and is most deserving of this honor.

Séguret

When you get to Séguret, you will have to park in one of the parking areas just below the village as Séguret is accessible only on foot. From the parking lot, walk up the hill and enter the village through the arched portal of the old wall around Séguret to the main street.

The small central square of Séguret has a 14th-century stone bell tower with a 17th-century belfry and a single-hand clock dating from 1680. On this same square is a lavoir built in 1846 and the 17th-century fountain with its four stone faces.

Shirley and friends at the fountain in the center of Séguret

The village of Séguret is long and narrow with cobblestone streets and rough stone walls.

Cobblestone street in Séguret

Séguret has a number of tourist-oriented shops along Rue des Poternes including several art galleries and santonniers. In case you don't know, santonniers are makers of hand-painted terracotta nativity scene figurines produced in Provence that I told you about here.

Rue des Poternes in Séguret

The Huguenots' gate which still has its two iron bound wooden shutters.

Séguret's Huguenots' gate

Below you can see one of the village lavoirs near the Huguenot's gate; lavoirs are a public place set aside for washing clothes.

A Séguret lavoir

As you exit Séguret, you will pass the public toilet facilities. Let's just say that public toilets in France are a mixed bag of good and bad and we recommend ladies, that you carry toilet paper in your purse as you travel about. Toilets deserve a post of their own and someday I will tackle this topic as a public service.

Public toilets

Fourteen km on the wine road around the Dentelles de Montmirail we come to the tiny village of Crestet. It is perched on a crest at the northern edge of the Dentelles de Montmirail facing Mont Ventoux.

Crestet

Drive up the narrow winding road, in some places more like a path, up to the medieval castle sitting atop Crestet where there is a spectacular view towards Mont Ventoux.

The castle is one of the oldest castles in Provence. It was renovated and enlarged in the 14th century and for a while the bishops of Vaison-la-Romaine resided there. What remained of the castle was restored in 1984. It is now privately owned and not open to the public.

Crestet castle

The village is tiny, population 434. From the castle, you head down the narrow cobblestone street into the center of the village. You will enter into a medieval world with old stone houses, narrow alleys, arches and cul-de-sacs. Beware, none of the streets are flat.

Narrow cobblestone street in Crestet

The steeple of Saint-Sauveur-et-Saint-Sixte church

Cobblestone stairway

One of many stone structures in Crestet

A statue along the path

Steep narrow cobblestone street in Crestet

All the streets are cobblestone and barely wide enough for two people

The construction of the village church began in 890. Three chapels were added successively in 1380, 1495, and 1563. It wasn't until 1760, that the church was dedicated to Saint-Sauveur.

Saint-Sauveur-et-Saint-Sixte church in Crestet

The beautiful fountain seen below is in the center of Crestet near the village church. It was built in 1843.

Crestet fountain near village church

Cobblestone steps and archway in Crestet

Village lavoir

The Annonciade chapel seen below was built in 1545.

Annonciade chapel

Old stone well in Crestet

Cross against backdrop of the end of the day toward Mont Ventoux

Stone house with sun dial

Stone archway in Crestet

Cobblestone path uphill back to castle

There is almost no commercial activity in the village; a restaurant at the top which we have not tried and Poterie de Crestet, a pottery maker at the entrance to the village.

If you are in the Vaucluse, you should set time aside to drive the wine road around the Dentelles de Montmirail. Sablet, Séguret and Crestet are definitely worth a visit along the way but so are Gigondas, Beaumes de Venise and Vaison-la-Romaine.

Although we have driven around the Dentelles de Montmirail many times, we have not yet stopped and explored Suzette or Lafare. Maybe when we are there in a few week.

Have a great week. Chat soon.