in the “shoulder” season”…….
In all reality, when I started out here in October and even as I moved into the middle of November, it really was the “shoulder” season. There were some tourists, however they came mostly on the weekends. But, now, in December a week or two before Christmas, it’s really more into the “off” season. The joy of traveling at this time of the year is that, in general, there are not a lot of people around. And, the people you do find are mostly locals If you want to do something that typically attracts tourists, there are generally very few, if any, people to contend with. You can actually walk up to things and get a good look. And, sometimes, you receive unexpected special treatment that surprises you. I had one such experience last week at “Chateau la Coste”. What a great day! Read on……..
Since almost the first day in Aix en Provence I have shared with everyone crossing my path that I work at a winery in California and have a strong interest in wine. Each time, I have been told that before I leave the area, I needed to make a visit to Chateau La Coste, a winery in the close-by hills near Aix en Provence. Not only would I taste some of the best wines in the region, but I would also view some of the most interesting artwork as well. Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? I thought so, too.
So, last week, I did some research to find out how to access this little gem by bus (no car, remember?). The helpful tourist office in town got me started and then I got in touch with the nice folks at the “chateau” and they guided me in the rest of the way. They helped me to decide that I should take the guided tour of the artwork and the guided tour of the winery. And, I decided that I should do it in english. I speak some basic french now, but probably not enough to fully appreciate the explanation in french. So, it was set. I would do the art tour at 10:00 and the wine tour at 1:00 and have lunch in between at the restaurant they have on site.
Getting there was a little complicated, I have to say. I had to meet a bus here in Aix en Provence and ride about an hour out of town to one of the small mountain towns that I have been telling you about. Then, I had to meet a smaller “Navette” bus for the short ride to the “chateau”. The interesting folks who run the “Navette” require at least one hour notice to come by and pick you up….and, they are very strict about that! So, you have to call them one hour ahead and arrange for this. Oh…..and they don’t speak english….only french. YIKES!
So, needless to say, on the appointed day I was up and out early so that I had time to walk across town to the “Gare Routiere” (bus station) and meet my first bus. At the appointed time, I got on the bus and confirmed with the driver that, yes he was going to the stop I was looking for. (Here’s something interesting to note…I discovered after one or two rides on the local buses that they don’t always stop where the published schedule says they will. And, sometimes the stops that go to a place don’t have a stop for the return trip. This is not always clear on the schedule. So, it’s always prudent to make friends with the bus driver and ask lots of questions.)
Once we were clear on the stop I wanted, I settled into my seat and called the “Navette”. After some negotiation on the phone with those interesting people (the conversation was mostly in french with a little “franglish” mixed in) ….I was on my way. When we got to my stop, the very kind bus driver let me know that this was the place to get off. He wondered if I was going to taste wine. I said I was and then he let me know that I would need to walk another little bit to get to the pick-up point of the “Navette”.
OK…..good to know…..(See what I mean about making friends with the bus driver? I may have missed this very important fact!)
I was still about 30 minutes early and it was cold outside, so I parked myself in a cute little local bakery to warm up with a coffee and fill my tummy with a pastry while I waited. When I went back to the appointed stop, the “Navette” was waiting for me. I got on the bus, and off we went to the “chateau”.
I have to admit that this whole coordination was a little more complicated than I thought it would be, and even the tour guide wondered how I got there on my own without their help. In the end he decided it was because I speak a little bit of french and could communicate with the people at the “Navette”. HMMMMM….maybe……I’ll have to give that one some more thought!
But, nevertheless, there I was, ready for the tour. It was probably one of the best I have had anywhere. And, because it was….you guessed it….. the “off” season, I was the only one on the tour. So, I spent the next two hours on a private guided walking tour of the estate, learning about the works of art that were carefully designed for the location and strategically placed on the estate. It was fabulous! Here are some of my favorites.
I was going to tour the winery at 1:00 and it was around noon by the time we were done with the tour of the art. So, the tour guide took me to the restaurant and sat me down for lunch.
He said, “Don’t worry. You are the only one on the wine tour. Take your time with lunch. The guide will wait for you.”
Score! Another private tour. So, I took my time, had a very nice lunch and went on to the wine tour when I was done. As it turns out, the people who own the restaurant also have one in Los Angeles. Small world!
The tour of the winery and the tasting that followed were outstanding as well. I had a private guided tour of the production area, bottling line and the cave used for aging. It was fascinating. This was one of the most technologically advanced production areas I have ever seen….both on this trip as well as in our region at home. All of the machinery was state of the art and all seemed to be very new.
And, to top it off, the building where all of this was housed was specially designed on the exterior to reflect the artistry of the estate as well as to maximize efficiencies on the interior. The building was a piece of art in and of itself. Very interesting and creative!
Oh, and the wines were good, too. My favorite was a “black label” syrah that cost a whopping $45.00 Euro. I really wanted to buy some. But, it was a little out of my price range for this day. And, honestly, I didn’t know how I would be able to drink the four bottles I already had at the apartment before I head back home. So, I declined.
When I had seen everything that there was to see, the nice tour guide I had at the beginning called the “Navette” for me so that I could return to Aix en Provence. Then……….my last complication for the day….the “Navette” pulled up to the main bus stop where I would get the bus back just as it was pulling away. I started to get out of the “Navette” and the driver shouted (en français), “No! Get back in!” I did and he quickly took me a back route to the next stop so that I could meet the bus there instead. I would have waited another hour for the next one if I had missed it! What a nice guy! A perfect ending to a perfect day!
I will also throw this in…..all of the bus drivers complimented me on my use of the french language. None of them had any english, so we communicated in french. Success!
So, my thoughts are this…some things, even though they are complicated and difficult to achieve, are well worth the effort….like learning french and coordinating bus transportation to remote spots such as this one………. and………the private tours are nice, too!
You gotta’ love the “shoulder” season……….and, the “off” season isn’t too bad, either!
Travel With Betsy 
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