If you’ve been glued to the Tour de France this week, as we have, then you’ve seen them: those sweeping aerial photos of the villes and villages they pass through. I’m forever exclaiming, where is THAT? I want to go THERE! I will never cease to be amazed by the fact that in France, a country smaller than Texas, there are so many beautiful terrains, buildings, villages. Snow-capped mountains pass into deep gorges that slide into rolling hills which flow past charming villages that nestle into lavender fields which fade into olive groves that fall into azure seas. How can one small country possibly have so much beauty?
And so we continue on our quest to see our own adopted country, a lifetime quest to be sure. This past week we traveled northward a couple of hours to the Nivernais, where we found the village of Apremont-sur-Allier, and, in the center of this town on the banks of a tributary of the Loire, their parc floral. Of all the villages in France with the “Most Beautiful Villages of France” designation, this is clearly one of the best.
OK, they cheated a little. The family that has owned for 290 years the château which towers over Apremont also owns the whole VILLAGE. They lease all the houses to others, and have their own team of gardeners do the landscaping. And it is mostly the gardens which make this medieval village so stunning, along with the quirky architecture of each adorable little house: tiny towers, narrow stairways to nowhere, many-paned windows framed by vines and roses.
The Parc Floral is one of the prettiest gardens I’ve visited, and I’ve seen a lot of them. Although I haven’t been to the major English ones, and the inspiration for this garden seems more English than French. We wandered through allées dripping with wisteria and paused on bridges arching over the lake. We marveled at the pointy beech topiaries, and petted the resident cats, especially one who was obviously practiced at posing and being admired (“Elle est une star," said the cat-parents, who were sipping wine on their porch–'she’s a star').
Apremont is a town that is probably not on your tourist radar. If you’re ever driving down the road from Paris to Beaune, or perhaps visiting Autun, be sure to take a little detour to see it. You will begin to understand that in a lifetime you could never see ALL of this gorgeous country! (and many thanks to our friends Betty and Bertil, who recently visited Apremont and convinced us we HAD to go!).
Now, for lunch in the garden:
RECIPE: Beautiful Bulgur Salads
Everyone’s trying to cook with more whole grains these days. It’s good for health, and weight loss too. And for flavor! I’m currently obsessed with bulgur, which is very common in France. It’s similar to quinoa or couscous, but has a nuttier flavor. I like it in salads.
With bulgur you can make the traditional tabbouleh, which I did this week (see photo). No need to measure really, you just throw it all in, but here is a guide:
For a side salad for 4, I used ½ cup bulgur, cooked according to package directions, and cooled I chopped half a large cucumber and 2 tomatoes, several white onions (scallion bulbs), and 3 cloves of garlic, plus lots of chopped parsley and mint. I stirred in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of half a lemon, sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Voila! the perfect summer salad.
But don’t stop there! To make a bulgur salad you need olive oil and something acidic: lemon, lime or orange juice, or white wine vinegar for example. Then you can add whatever pleases you. Toasted nuts and cheeses are nice additions with veggies, or even chopped fish or chicken, if you want your salad to play a starring role. Take your pick of the fresh herbs in your potager.
My Australian friend Mariella has Italian origins and she’s a fabulous cook. At their fête for Bastille day she made a bulgur salad I loved, with these wonderful flavors and additions: chick peas, fresh parsley and coriander, chopped bell pepper, cumin, dry coriander, toasted sesame seeds , a spoon of turmeric, white balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.
Here are some other possible combos:
- apricots, pecans, Italian parsley, snipped chives
- lemon juice and zest, dill, toasted walnuts, smoked salmon
- feta cheese, red peppers, basil, green onions
- pine nuts, orange zest, sliced yellow squash, shallots
- tomatos, arugula, yellow peppers
Our Reader's Blogs: If you're an architecture buff, you'll want to go to Stephen Alderdice's new site, Blogwork. He talks about French cadoles, discusses the new trend toward remodeling, muses on the nature of shop windows, and much more. And while we're visiting the Nivernais, do stop by Delia's blog–she lives nearby in the Morvan! Go to Mon Coeur est dans la Campagne.
I happen to have another hot tip on a Burgundy house for sale this week, pictured left. This one is really special. It's in a small, perched village near Cluny, renovated to a high standard, with spectacular views of the Guye valley. Anyone interested should contact me at lmcbride@southernfriedfrench.com.
12 thoughts on “Endless Beauty, in a Small Package”
I do think you have found a real jewel! We have yet to get outside of our very small bubble, but can’t wait to start the adventures further afield. Thanks for the vicarious tour. Thanks too for the recipe. Was trying to decide what to take to the ‘potluck’ this Sunday.
Beautiful, just beautiful.
Dreamy–beautiful–a capsule of what we love about France !
I agree with you about all the castles and villages some of the ones in Belgium were very fairy tale-like. Watching the tour is a lesson in geography. Now bulgar, cous-cous and summer salads. Uncle Ben’s has a new line of micro-waveable quinoa and rices with flavor. microwave, add chicken or veggies and voila! dinner in 2 minutes.
My quick and easy summer dessert. 1 can comstock cherry pie filling.
drain. add med size cool whip. stir..add bit of juice. stir. put in fridge for awhile or overnight..it will thicken..can put in gramham cracker crust pie shell as well (overnight in fridge)
Lynn, what a beautiful spot! And I too will take your recipe to an August potluck. I’ve never done bulgar.
Hampton, I just bought one of Uncle Ben’s new rices; brown rice mixed with quinoa, I believe. I’ll have to try it.
I’ve lost 15 pounds since Jan., mostly by changing to whole grains.
Oh, you find the best stuff! The photos are also great and oh, so evocative. I love it when I can live vicariously through you. Thanks!
-Mark Craft
parisinsidersguide.com
Oh,wow,Lynn, this really just takes your breath away!
Absolutely gorgeous!
If it wasn’t the middle of the morning,I’d say “Sweet Dreams” because that is exactly where it sends you!
Also loved the bulgar recipe( and possibilities for add-ins!)
Perfect for Summer!(and dinner tonight!)
One word: YUMMY!!!
What a way to start the weekend!
THANK YOU!!!!
Bon journee!!!
Lynn,
I have to admit that your little factoid about the size of Texas as compared with the size of France sent me to the internet. Indeed, Texas is 262,400 square feet while France is a mere 260,558. Just squeaked by. And I’ll store that in my noggin for the future. My apologies for having questioned your information.
When I lived in Chile many years ago, I used to cook with bulgar, but I haven’t used it for years. This was perfect motivation for me to run right out and buy some. We are great salad eaters, and this would make a lovely change. One son will hover over the salad like a vulture in the hopes there will be something left in the salad bowl after all the rest of us have sufficient. It’s a wonder what one can do with a little olive oil and vinegar (we use a lot of balsamic and red wine) or lemon juice. My mother used to rub the wooden salad bowl with garlic when we were children. A lovely touch, I might add.
Thanks for the geography tip. We won’t be so far north when we’re in France in October, but I’ll keep Apremont in mind for future trips–in the summer.
Regards, Chris
What a find! And yes, I couldn’t agree with you more about the wonders of this country. Hop in the car and in a few hours you are usually in a totally different environment! That is especially true here in Arles (which has a reputation for being centrally located). Two hours west=the Cevennes Mountains. Two hours east=the Cote d’Azur!
Bon weekend et merci pour la recette!
We’ll be spending three weeks in Burgundy in August and I’ve just added Apremont to the list of places to visit. Thanks for the tip! Barbara
Yes, this village is quite a treasure. It was very comforting to just sit on a bench there and take in the silence and beauty. I loved it! And, we will start using this bulgar so we too can lose weight. Sounds just delicious. But, are these Uncle Ben’s problematic with preservatives? Gee, anything fast is the best but….?? Bisous, Ali
Hi Lynn, Yes, we too have been enjoying the Tour de France and have wondered the same thing you did — where is that beautiful village — again and again! We are so looking forward to being there in Sept. and enjoying your beautiful country. I would love to see those colorful gardens in Apremont. Thanks too for the recipe and the additions to bulgar salads. I love the idea of feta cheese and apricots and Mariella’s addition of tumeric. I make a quinoa salad that is much like the one you made and will add in some new ingredients now. We’ll see you soon. Wish I knew someone who wanted to buy the house! 😉