But cold winters got in the way of their quest.
The cold temperatures would pause the fermentation process of the wine, and then, in the spring when it got warmer, the yeast would wake up and fermentation would start again.
The double fermentation had a surprise result - bubbles.
At first, that was not the desired result.
But then, instead of fighting it the locals started perfecting the process of bubbly wine.
But over 800 years it became home to 34 kings, queens and emperors including Louis XIV, Napoleon I, and Napoleon III.
The transformation from a hunting lodge to a regal home began in the 1500's with continuous additions and renovations over the centuries with different rulers.
Unlike Versailles, which became the primary seat of power, Fontainebleau retained its function as a “country retreat” in the countryside away from it all.
It is about 55 kilometers (34 miles) southeast of Paris.
Bonus: It is much quieter than Versailles without the hordes of tourists.
It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Since it is so hard to decide on a “favourite”, I am going to talk about 3 places in Paris that stand out for me as OTT (Over the Top) in extravagance.
I am going to start with Palais Garnier, also known as the Opéra Garnier.
One way to describe the Palais Garnier is as “eclectic opulence”.
There is a combination of Baroque, Classical, and Renaissance elements.
The mix can be summed up as Beaux-Arts.
NOTE: If you can view this post on a big screen, in my humble opinion, you should do so. There are lots of beautiful and intricate details that show up much better on a big screen.
The Palace of Versailles (Château de Versailles) is one of the most famous and opulent royal residences in the world.
Located in Versailles, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) southwest of Paris, we went by train.
The palace began as a modest hunting lodge for King Louis XIII.
It was later transformed by his son, the legendary Louis XIV, into a symbol of absolute monarchy and the center of French political power in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Versailles hosts millions of visitors each year.
But it wasn’t always this peaceful.
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Juno Beach is significant in Canadian history.
It is one of the five main landing beaches of the D-Day invasion during World War II.
On June 6, 1944, Juno Beach was assigned to the Canadian forces in the Allied operation known as Operation Overlord.
We are slowing things down a bit and are in Paris for 2 months.
We “live” a couple blocks from the Seine River and feel like locals.
The Seine is a major waterway in northern France, flowing 777 kilometers (about 483 miles) from the Burgundy region to the English Channel.
The Seine winds through the heart of Paris dividing the city into the Left Bank (Rive Gauche) and Right Bank (Rive Droite) passing by famous landmarks—like the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and Musée d'Orsay.
Construction of Notre Dame began in 1163 and it took nearly 200 years to complete, finishing around 1345.
It has been the religious center of Paris and the site of major events like royal weddings, coronations and national funerals.
Not too long ago, on April 15, 2019, a devastating fire destroyed the spire and much of the roof.
Sympathies and donations poured in from around the world.
Reconstruction began shortly after.
The ground floor of Notre Dame re-opened recently and they distribute tickets on-line over a rolling 3 day window.
With perseverance I was able to book us tickets to get inside.
The Louvre is another Parisian icon.
It is the world’s largest art museum and also a historic monument that attracts millions of visitors each year.
The Louvre covers over 72,000 square meters (775,000 sq ft for those not metrically inclined) of exhibition space.
There are over 480,000 works of art.
The Louvre’s collection includes paintings, sculptures, artifacts and antiquities from prehistory to the 21st century.
Probably the first one that I think of is the Eiffel Tower.
The Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 World's Fair to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution.
It was also to show off the design, engineering, scientific, technical, innovative and cultural expertise of France.
The Eiffel Tower is one of the most visited paid monuments in the world with about 7 million visitors per year.
We took a look at Google maps to decide what options, out of endless options, we could choose from.
Colmar, France, located in the Alsace region of northeast France was less than an hour drive away.
Google maps said it's old town has cobblestone streets with medieval and Renaissance buildings.
That sounds cute to me.
So, we got a wild hair and decided to do a Sunday drive to France to check out Colmar.
When we were in school we learned a little French ditty that went like this:
Sur le Pont d'Avignon
L'on y danse, l'on y danse
Sur le Pont d'Avignon
L'on y danse tous en rond.
Translated:
On the bridge in Avignon
They are dancing there, They are dancing there
On the bridge in Avignon
They all dance in circles there
It seems that little jingle was learned in French classes around the world.
But, truth be known, sorry to say, it wasn't possible to dance in circles on the bridge in Avignon, because the bridge is too narrow.
In consolation though, it is now listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The fields have vines with plump juicy grapes ready to be picked.
Well, that can be variable because of temperamental weather.
It had been beautiful sunny weather for weeks, and, the day our friend's vineyard had scheduled grape picking, it rained in the morning and threatened to do so for the rest of the day.
Harvest can be made or broken depending on the weather.
But having said that, I have yet to taste a bad bottle of wine from her vineyard, Chene Bleu.
Amongst the 400 Roman amphitheatres that are still in existence, this among the 20 largest.
The Roman’s specifically designed their amphitheatres for putting on spectacular combats between gladiators or animals.
John is a big Francophile, so we decided to create a "home base" in Aix en Provence to explore the area and soak up the lifestyle and culture of Southern France.
The history goes back centuries.
The Romans settled here in part due to ready access to natural springs. Aix en Provence is often referred to as the city of water. As the town began to take shape during the Middle Ages, there were hundreds of fountains created for domestic use.
Now there are just 30 fountains that are still in use.
