October 2013 – THE GRAPE BELT

Honfleur and Rouen

After a few days focused on WWII history, we had two days before we had to get to Paris for our flight to Barcelona and a miniature family reunion. We took full advantage of whatever time was left and headed for Honfleur, the ancient fishing town an hour or two away from Bayeux, depending on […]

by Tom Riley

World War II Sites Along The Normandy Coast

On our third day in Normandy we set out to view as many important WWII sites as we could, starting out in Arromanches, where the incredible Port Winston was constructed. A floating dock and pier system that allowed Allied ships a safe harbor from which they might supply the hundreds of thousands of troops who […]

by Tom Riley

On To Bayeux

Following a stop in Chartres and an overnight on Mont Saint Michel, we headed east (northeast?) to Bayeux, where we would stay a few nights at the wonderfully comfortable Hotel Tardif while exploring the WWII sites nearby. (Coincidentally, our room was a room used by de Gaulle following the liberation of Bayeux soon after D-Day!) […]

by Tom Riley

Normandy, Day One

For those folks who are not following our travels on Facebook, I thought I’d post a batch or two of photos from each leg of the trip. So far, we’ve enjoyed Normandy, Barcelona, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, and points in between. We are now planted in Beaune, Burgundy, for a few days, and hope to catch up […]

by Tom Riley

Barcelona is Very Far From Normandy

On a map, Barcelona and Normandy are hundreds of miles from each other. On any scale using wine as a measurement, they are galaxies apart. In Normandy, a good wine list is usually a surprise. In Barcelona, the surprise comes when the wine list is anything less than good. Over the course of five days […]

by Tom Riley

Seek And You Shall Find…Sometimes

On our first night in Bayeux, the owner of the B&B where we were staying, Hotel Tardif, made a reservation for us at L’Angle Saint Laurent, telling us that it was one of his favorites because it tended to draw a crowd that was more local than tourist, something we always appreciate, despite the fact […]

by Tom Riley

Wine In Normandy — Off To A Predicted Poor Start

Just before leaving Alameda, a local wine merchant pointed out that Normandy was a land bereft of wine, but overflowing in Calvados, their famous apple brandy named for the department or state where it was invented and where it reigns supreme. Being an invincible optimist, I remained confident that I would find some good wine […]

by Tom Riley

Hands-On Learning

In the next month and a half, The Grape Belt will be on the road in pursuit of some advanced wine education. You can read about wine all you want, but going out and meeting the grapes in person is the best way to learn. Seeing the vineyards up close and talking with the winemakers […]