| Travel
Would They Have Had Wine?
Recalling Historic Irish-French Links, Trains Touch
Old Times
By George Houde
Irish American Post Chicago Bureau
It was 18 hours from Rosslare to Cherbourg on the good ship Normandy,
a proud but aging ferry that has plied the route between Ireland and France
for several decades. I stood on deck and watched Ireland recede into the
distance, a rime of gray clouds scraping the land, as the ferry’s engines
thrummed to cruising speed.
Eighteen hours? We would have plenty of time to think, to drink, and
to think some more on a mini-cruise south to round the head lands of England
and then east to the warm shores of France. Our travel writers group was
on a forced march, of sorts, but a pleasant one and often an exceedingly
lovely one as we re-tested the waters of European travel via the old, traditional
ways – ship and coach. The latter would be railroad coach, still perhaps
the most comfortable and luxurious way to see the scenery, the cities and
the culture.
The wake of the ferry set my mind adrift and it washed up in the time
of Wolfe Tone and the United Irishmen in their efforts to get France to
help them in their struggle against England. French ships landed troops
on the coast we had just left, but not enough of them.
We had seen the monuments to those Irish patriots, some of them armed
with only hoes and pitchforks, who had been slaughtered by the red-coated
troops of the crown in the ill-fated 1798 uprising. In the end, the French
failed the Irish, and the Irish failed in turn for more than another century.
The stark stone memorial we had seen in Wexford served as a reminder that
once, more than 200 years ago, Ireland and France were allies in revolution.
Now they were allies in tourism and we had linked up with Irish Rail,
then Irish Ferries and thence to French Rail for passage to Paris, Avignon
and Dijon following a crisscrossing of the Emerald Isle by train. Yes,
there are trains in Ireland and good ones that carry passengers from Dublin
to the north, south and west. We had the handy Eurail pass, good for getting
us across Ireland and France, and on to the rest of the continent if so
desired.
On the ship, Desclan Mescall, managing director of Irish Ferries, acknowledged
that discount air carriers and the opening of the tunnel link between England
and France have chopped into the ferry trade. But the big ships can offer
a wide variety of entertainment, fine dining and sleeping cabins for a
unique ocean adventure. That evening, we watched as the setting sun turned
the ocean bronze and the first stars peeped from behind lumbering cumulus
clouds.
We landed in Cherbourg in late morning, a bright, sunny mid-September
day which held out the promise of good weather. Nearly destroyed in World
War II, Cherbourg has been rebuilt into a bustling port with lots of cafes,
tourist shops, and wonderful French patisseries where one could easily
gorge on tarts and croissants for most of the morning.
The harbor now serves as a port for tall ships, too, those wonderful
reminders of the time when ships were made of wood, men were made of iron
and the wind carried them across the world. Strung along the river wharf
in downtown was a row of the square riggers waiting to ply the seas for
tourism or charter business, landing perhaps in Ireland and England on
peaceful missions.
From Cherbourg, we caught the afternoon train to Paris and Gare St.
Lazare, then took a taxi to Gare Lyon where we stowed our bags for an evening
at Le Train Bleu, a wonderful, noisy, large and spectacular restaurant
with beautiful vaulted, frescoed ceilings. It could have been a restaurant
right out of the pages of The Da Vinci Code which everyone is talking
about these days as the film version of the best-selling novel is ready
to come out. Tours taking the novel’s fans on pilgrimages to the scenes
in the narrative are quite popular in Paris. Le Train Bleu had lots of
tables, starched waiters and rooms for people to relax and have refreshments
over talk about the work day, the night life, politics or even The Da
Vinci Code.
Our group was the dinner guest of French National Railways which provided
us with a dinner of monkfish or duck l’orange, but the best thing on our
special menu was the foie gras with the 2002 Fevre Chablis. An excellent
choice. Le Train Bleu is a place worth re-visiting.
On the TGV train from Paris to Avignon, the French countryside flew
by in dreamy visions -– golden fields, green pastures, barnyards, quaint
farmhouses, vineyards. It was a fine spectacle of rural charm and a sharp
contrast to the slow, relaxing passage of the ferry from Ireland.
What if the French and Irish alliance had succeeded in defeating the
British and driving the royal forces back to England? Would French have
replaced English on the Emerald Isle? Would Guinness have fallen to a ripe
Bordeaux as the national drink? Interesting musings on a train barreling
across the French terrain and they seemed rather apropos.
Two days before, we had been scuffling around examples of Neolithic
sites in Ireland. Now we found ourselves on the TGV, a mechanical marvel.
At 170 mph — and they can go faster — the coach was quiet and smooth. A
stop here and there and passengers with bundles and briefcases boarded
from platforms, sitting down quietly, burying their faces in newspapers,
books or the occasional laptop. Conductors came by for tickets, a ritual
which seemed comforting somehow.
Our rendezvous with Avignon would be another sharp contrast to modern
travel. The historic walled city served as a seat of power at the beginning
of the Renaissance, occupied as it was by popes of the Roman Catholic Church
for almost the entire 14th century. We would see where the pontiffs ate,
slept, prayed and partied, as the hierarchy in those days were a bit different
than those of modern times. Some had lovers. Some had illegitimate children.
When the world was lit only by fire, as William Manchester wrote in his
book by that name, things could be easily hidden in dark corners.
Filled with intrigues, plots and schemers, Rome had become too dangerous
for the papacy at that time and Pope Clement V picked up his chasubles
and skeedaddled. He landed in Avignon and one has to agree with the choice.
The wine may have been a brilliant attraction, along with the cuisine of
southern France. Avignon is what one thinks an ancient, walled, modern
town should be. Ramparts, lofty spires, inspiring churches, vaulting spans,
winding, narrow streets, a palace, a famous ruined bridge, patisseries,
gift shops, open air markets, sidewalk cafes. A stroller’s paradise.
The Palace of the Popes, which has served as a military barracks and
an ambassadorial residence, has an excellent wine cellar and tasting room
catering to the tourists who wander through wondering, perhaps, what the
popes might have drank. It was one of the largest medieval fortresses in
Europe when it was built back then and is now a public landmark.
On our writers’ beautiful death march, the Palace of Popes greatly eased
our suffering. We heard the angelic voice of the young woman who spontaneously
sang for her mother in the great chapel. It was as if we had somehow retrieved
a moment from the time of papal doings and saintly dos.
Even more transformational were the lingering moments in the wine cellar,
la bouteillerie. The long tasting tables had buckets to dispose
of the samplings, but I swallowed mine to ease the grief of the trek. I
bought a few bottles. How could you not, with prices for decent wine such
as "Les Vignerons des Coteaux d‘Avignon" going for 7 Euros ($10) a bottle?
Unfortunately, the region had too much rain last year, according to our
guide.
"The alcohol content went from 13 percent to 12 percent," said Nina
Seffusatti, a long-time resident of Avignon and an expert on its history
and culture.
Well, we would just have to live with that. As we rambled and tasted
and spit — or not — I wondered if any of those Irish patriots had ever
wandered this far south in their travels among their French allies and
if they had a chance to sample such great hospitality. They were thoughts
worth considering, again very apropos.
If you go to Avignon, check out:
* Palace of the Popes is an amazing place and worth the visit. Popes
actually lived in it 800 years ago. See their bedrooms! Spend the money
and hire a guide who can fill you in on the inside details. As a matter
of fact, on Thursday and Saturdays until October, the city provides guided
city tours beginning at 10 a.m.
* La bouteillerie du Palais Des Papes — Great wines in a great place
to taste them and good prices. Way down in the basement. Go. The merchants
of linen in various places. The beautiful tablecloths, napkins and sachets
originated in India and have become a staple in the outdoor stores and
markets.
* Hotel Cloture St. Louis —- Good place for dinner and try to check
out the very modern and chic rooms. A rather stunning adaptation of a former
Jesuit monastery and cloister into a modern hotel.
* Pont St. Benezet is an unmistakable landmark and source of the famous
children’s song, "Sur le pont d’Avignon." When school is in session, you’ll
find grade school teachers taking their charming little pupils on a tour
and singing the song. The bridge was built in the 12th century and was
damaged by Rhone River floods over the centuries. Four arches still remain.
GETTING THERE: From Paris, trains to Avignon run continually
during the day from Gare Lyon. TGV service is usually by reservation. A
basic France Railpass will give you four days of first-class travel in
a one-month period for $269. You can add up to six more days. There are
discounts if you purchase them on the Internet. The basic pedestrian fare
for Irish Ferries from Rosslare to Cherbourg is about $150, plus another
$15 for a reserved seat, and about $55 if you want a cabin with a bed.
WHERE TO STAY: The Avignon Grand Hotel was a great place facing
the ramparts of the old city walls. Beautiful rooms and a rooftop swimming
pool. A little pricey at about 90 Euro ($120) a night if you’re on a low-fat
budget. The Cloture also was $120 per night for a standard double. Alternative
lodging might be the Hotel Alizea in the heart of the walled city at 42
Euro ($60) a night. There are a number of other hotels in that price range.
 
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