Who says your day can’t begin with Champagne, caviar and foie gras? I say that it can, and will on A Taste of Gascony tour! Today we had a magnificent time. Following the morning snacks we visited a local market in a vibrante bastide village that was under siege by the Black Prince of England in the 100 year war during the 15th century. There we had a lovely lunch prepared by a young and enthusiastic chef doing great things with local food.
Over lunch we were joined by my French tutor for a round robin of French and English interpretations in the restaurant setting. The conversation went from traditional holiday meals to the comparison of train stations between Europe and France, and many new vocabulary words were learned by all!
After lunch we were treated to a guided tour and tasting at the Domaine de Bilé to learn the history of Armagnac (I had no idea the original distillation process was introduced by Arabs traveling through the region who used it for perfumes) and tried Floc and Armagnac from a few vintage years. Fall and winter are beautiful times to visit, peaceful, quiet and the snow capped Pyrenees are just within reach.