Claret and Olives, from the Garonne to the Rhone / Notes, social, picturesque, and legendary, by the way. by Angus B. Reach : (full image Illustrated)
Book Details
Author(s)Angus B. Reach
ISBN / ASINB00FMHH6EE
ISBN-13978B00FMHH6E6
MarketplaceFrance 🇫🇷
Description
CHAPTER I. The Diligence — Old Guienne and the English in France — Bordeaux and a Suburban Vintaging.
"Voila la voila! La ville de Bordeaux!"
The conductor's voice roused me from the dreamy state of dose in which I lay, luxuriously stretched back amid cloaks and old English railway-wrappers, in the roomy banquette of one of the biggest diligences which ever rumbled out of Caillard and Lafitte's yard.
"Voila! la Voila!" The bloused peasant who drove the six stout nags therewith stirred in his place; his long whip whistled and cracked; the horses flung up their heads as they broke into a canter, and their bells rang like a joy peal; while Niniche, the conductor's white poodle, which maintained a perilous footing in the leathern hood of the banquette, pattered and scratched above our heads, and barked in recognition of his master's voice.
I rubbed my eyes and looked. We were on the ridge of a wooded hill. Below us lay a flat green plain, carpetted with vines. Right across it ran the broad, white, chalky highway, powdering with dust the double avenue of chestnuts which lined it. Beyond the plain glittered a great river, crowded with shipping, and beyond the river rose stretching, apparently for miles, a magnificent façade of high white buildings, broken here and there by the foliage of public gardens, and the dark embouchures of streets; while, behind the range of quays, and golden in the sunrise, rose high into the clear morning air, a goodly array of towering Gothic steeples, fretted and pinnacled up to the glancing weather-cocks. It was, indeed, Bordeaux.
The long journey from Paris was all but over, yet though I had been tired enough of the way, I felt as if I could brave it again, rather than make the exertion of encountering octroi officers, and plunging into strange hotels. For after all, comfortable Diligence travelling makes a man lazy. It is slow, but you get accustomed to the slowness; in the banquette, too, you are never cramped; there is luxurious roominess behind, and you plunge your legs in straw up to the knees. Then leaning supinely back, you indulge a serene passiveness, rolling lazily on with the rumbling mountain of a vehicle.
CONTENTS
The Diligence—French Country Places—The English in Guienne—Bordeaux—Old Bordeaux—A Bordeaux Landlord—A Suburban Vintaging—The Vintage Dinner
Claret v. Port—The Claret Soil—The Claret Vine—Popular Appetite for Grapes—Variable qualities of the Claret Soil—French Veterans—The "Authorities" in France
The Claret Vintage—The Treading of the Grape—The Last Drops of the Grape—Wanderings amongst the Vineyards—Wandering Vintagers—The Vintage Dinner—The Vintagers' Bedroom—The Claret Chateaux—The Chateau Margaux
The Landes—The Bordeaux and Teste Railway—M. Tetard and his Imitator—Start for the Landes—The Language of the Landes—A Railway Station in the Landes—The Scenery of the Landes—The Stilt-walkers of the Landes—A Glimpse of Green
The Clear Water of Arcachon—Legend of the Baron of Chatel-morant—The Resin Harvest—The Witches of the Landes—The Surf of the Bay of Biscay—French Priests—Do the Landes Cows give Milk?—The Amour Patriๆ of the Landes
Dawn on the Garonne—The Landscape of the Garonne—The Freaks of the Old Wars in Guienne— Agen— Jasmin, the Last of the Troubadours—Southern Cookery and Garlic—The Black Prince in a New Light—Cross-country Travelling in France
Pau—The English in Pau—English and Russians—The View of the Pyrenees—The Castle—The Statue of Henri Quatre—His Birth—A Vision of his Life—Rochelle—St. Bartholomew— Ivry— Henri and Sully—Henri and Gabrielle—Henri and Henriette d'Entragues—Ravaillac
The Val d'Ossau—The Vin de Jurancon—Pyrenean Cottages—The Bernais Peasants—The Devil learning Basque—The Wolves of the Pyrenees—The Bears of the Pyrenees—The Dogs of the Pyrenees—An Auberge in the Pyrenees—Omens and Superstitions in the Pyrenees—The Songs of the Pyrenees
Wet Weather in the Pyrenees—Eaux Chaudes out of Season, and in the Rain—Plucking the Indian Corn at
"Voila la voila! La ville de Bordeaux!"
The conductor's voice roused me from the dreamy state of dose in which I lay, luxuriously stretched back amid cloaks and old English railway-wrappers, in the roomy banquette of one of the biggest diligences which ever rumbled out of Caillard and Lafitte's yard.
"Voila! la Voila!" The bloused peasant who drove the six stout nags therewith stirred in his place; his long whip whistled and cracked; the horses flung up their heads as they broke into a canter, and their bells rang like a joy peal; while Niniche, the conductor's white poodle, which maintained a perilous footing in the leathern hood of the banquette, pattered and scratched above our heads, and barked in recognition of his master's voice.
I rubbed my eyes and looked. We were on the ridge of a wooded hill. Below us lay a flat green plain, carpetted with vines. Right across it ran the broad, white, chalky highway, powdering with dust the double avenue of chestnuts which lined it. Beyond the plain glittered a great river, crowded with shipping, and beyond the river rose stretching, apparently for miles, a magnificent façade of high white buildings, broken here and there by the foliage of public gardens, and the dark embouchures of streets; while, behind the range of quays, and golden in the sunrise, rose high into the clear morning air, a goodly array of towering Gothic steeples, fretted and pinnacled up to the glancing weather-cocks. It was, indeed, Bordeaux.
The long journey from Paris was all but over, yet though I had been tired enough of the way, I felt as if I could brave it again, rather than make the exertion of encountering octroi officers, and plunging into strange hotels. For after all, comfortable Diligence travelling makes a man lazy. It is slow, but you get accustomed to the slowness; in the banquette, too, you are never cramped; there is luxurious roominess behind, and you plunge your legs in straw up to the knees. Then leaning supinely back, you indulge a serene passiveness, rolling lazily on with the rumbling mountain of a vehicle.
CONTENTS
The Diligence—French Country Places—The English in Guienne—Bordeaux—Old Bordeaux—A Bordeaux Landlord—A Suburban Vintaging—The Vintage Dinner
Claret v. Port—The Claret Soil—The Claret Vine—Popular Appetite for Grapes—Variable qualities of the Claret Soil—French Veterans—The "Authorities" in France
The Claret Vintage—The Treading of the Grape—The Last Drops of the Grape—Wanderings amongst the Vineyards—Wandering Vintagers—The Vintage Dinner—The Vintagers' Bedroom—The Claret Chateaux—The Chateau Margaux
The Landes—The Bordeaux and Teste Railway—M. Tetard and his Imitator—Start for the Landes—The Language of the Landes—A Railway Station in the Landes—The Scenery of the Landes—The Stilt-walkers of the Landes—A Glimpse of Green
The Clear Water of Arcachon—Legend of the Baron of Chatel-morant—The Resin Harvest—The Witches of the Landes—The Surf of the Bay of Biscay—French Priests—Do the Landes Cows give Milk?—The Amour Patriๆ of the Landes
Dawn on the Garonne—The Landscape of the Garonne—The Freaks of the Old Wars in Guienne— Agen— Jasmin, the Last of the Troubadours—Southern Cookery and Garlic—The Black Prince in a New Light—Cross-country Travelling in France
Pau—The English in Pau—English and Russians—The View of the Pyrenees—The Castle—The Statue of Henri Quatre—His Birth—A Vision of his Life—Rochelle—St. Bartholomew— Ivry— Henri and Sully—Henri and Gabrielle—Henri and Henriette d'Entragues—Ravaillac
The Val d'Ossau—The Vin de Jurancon—Pyrenean Cottages—The Bernais Peasants—The Devil learning Basque—The Wolves of the Pyrenees—The Bears of the Pyrenees—The Dogs of the Pyrenees—An Auberge in the Pyrenees—Omens and Superstitions in the Pyrenees—The Songs of the Pyrenees
Wet Weather in the Pyrenees—Eaux Chaudes out of Season, and in the Rain—Plucking the Indian Corn at
