France – DJmotortouring

Autingues (Hauts De France), France October 2025 (Tour 12)

Settled at a fine little camp site (Camping Saint-Louis) in Autinges, a tiny village of less than 300 inhabitants, just 10 miles south east of Calais.

There’s little of interest in Autingues. We chose it because of it’s proximity to the ferry port in Calais. However, the journey from Cambrai took us near Haucourt and Arras and we paused at both these places; Haucourt to pay our respects to the fallen interred in the British & Commonwealth Cemetery and Arras because I had heard such promising things about the city.

The Vis en Artois cemetery at Haucourt is unusual by British standards in that a number of the graves contain the remains of two men. I’ve seen this before in German cemeteries but not in those managed by the War Graves Commission. This particular cemetery holds the graves of 1,748 British, 582 Canadian, 6 Australian and 2 South African soldiers and airmen. However, the memorial names a further 9,806 British and 16 South African soldiers who fell in this immediate area but have no known grave.

I had never previously visited Arras. It’s quite beautiful and I will certainly return for a longer stay. It has two fair sized market squares, La Grand Place and La Petite Place (also known as the Place des Heros) and markets are held on these squares on Thursday and Saturday mornings. Both squares are lined with ornate Flemish style town houses. They also hold a Belfry (the Beffroi d’Arras) and the City Hall. There are some fine views over the city from the top of the Belfry and, just as interesting, there’s an entrance near the City Hall to a well preserved network of tunnels (Les Boves de Arras) built underneath the city by British and New Zealand miners during World War I. The larger caves and tunnels were given names by the miners, the British naming sectors after towns in England (e.g. London, Liverpool and Manchester) and the Kiwis naming sectors after towns in New Zealand (Wellington, Nelson and Blenheim) and; the underground complex, which included a power station, light railway system and even a 700 bed hospital, became home to 24,000 Allied troops in the weeks leading up to the 1917 Battle of Arras. Guided tours through the caves and tunnels begin at the Carriere Wellington on Rue Arthur Deletoille and are highly recommended.

Much of Arras, including all the buildings on the two market squares, were completely destroyed during WWI. Indeed, by the end of the war in 1918, only 5% of the city’s houses were still habitable. So much had to be rebuilt. The good news was that sufficient records were unearthed to enable all the buildings on the two squares (the Belfry, the City Hall and the Flemish Town Houses) to be completely restored to their original specifications.

This was just a fleeting visit and I was unable to get a real feel for the city or see much more than the area around the two market squares but; there’s easily enough here to warrant a second, longer visit. There are two sites almost adjacent to each other which I definitely want to see next time. They are (a) the 17th century Citadel built by Vaubin known locally as ‘La Belle Inutile’ (i.e. the Beautiful Useless One) on account of it failing to prevent German occupation of the city in the last two World Wars and (b) the Arras Memorial which holds more than 2,650 British and Commonwealth Graves and a wall engraved with the names of a further 35,000 British soldiers who fell during the three WWI battles for Arras.

Also to be seen, a little to the north of the city, is the Canadian Memorial at Vimy Ridge; the French Necropolis of Notre Dame de Lorette; the nearby Ring of Remembrance (inspired methinks by the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington DC) and; the ruins of the 7th century Mont Saint-Eloi Abbey.

Arras is a deeply moving place and, for me, a must see. Lest We Forget.

Roll on Tour 13… although it will be some time coming. It was a complete oversight on our part but; upon arriving at Calais to catch our ferry home we were advised by the local Gendarmerie that we had overstayed our allotted time on mainland Europe (Brexit) and so fell foul of Schengen. We were not aware that, despite electing against joining the EU, Norway and Iceland both subscribe to Schengen. As result, we stayed too long and received a 198 Euro per person fine. We also have a very much unwanted stamp in our passports…

Cambrai (Hauts de France), France October 2025 (Tour 12)

Apologies, we’ve long since returned to the UK from Tour 12 and I’m still playing catch up with the blog. Just one more entry after this and I’m up to date.

I was so disappointed with Cambrai. It looked such a mess. The place needs tidying up (the Jardin Des Grottes in particular was overflowing with trash) butI think too the city should employ someone with a better understanding of urban planning. Take a look at Cambrai and then visit Arras, less than 25 miles away, and you’ll understand precisely what I mean. Both suffered terribly during the two World Wars but while Arras has been transformed into something very appealing and is well maintained (it’s delightful), Cambrai is … well, very much the opposite. I think Cambrai lost it’s way a bit during it’s reconstruction after the two World Wars but, hey, that doesn’t explain all the rubbish scattered around the city. The last time I was moved to make such a comment, I was in Canterbury (at the start of Tour 1).

None of the above is to suggest that we will not one day revisit Cambrai. After all, Cambrai was classified as a city of history and art in 1992 and; there is much of interest yet to see both in the city and the surrounding area and; of course just like Canterbury, it can always be tidied up. Among the more interesting sites I did see during our visit were the Cathedral of Our Lady of Grace (beautiful inside although it doesn’t look much from the outside); an imposing Mairie (city hall) on the Place Aristide-Briand; a 15th century Belfry; the Chateau de Selles; the Porte de Paris (one of only two remaining gates into the city, the other being the Porte de Notre Dame); the Maison Espagnole (the sole remaining half timbered house in the city, now used as a tourist office) and; the Chapel des Jesuits (which is alongside the aforementioned Spanish House). Oh, I did also see the Eglise Saint-Gery and the city’s covered market but both were closed.

I approached the city centre from the municipal campsite; crossing Canal de Saint-Quentin on my way in and passing first L’Eglise Saint-Gery; then the Belfry; and, finally, City Hall. I missed out on the Rubens painting inside Saint-Gery but the interior of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Grace more than compensated for this disappointment.

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Grace is actually Cambrai’s second cathedral; the first having been torn down during the French Revolution. This second cathedral was originally an early 18th century church which formed part of the Abbey of Saint-Sepulcre. It survived the Revolution only because the revolutionaries converted it into a ‘Temple of Reason’ as part of a strategy towards replacing Christianity with ‘State Atheism’. The strategy failed

After enjoying the peace within the cathedral for a short while(I seemed to be the only one there) I crossed the Avenue de la Victoire to visit the local tourist office which, as I mentioned above, is housed in the only remaining half timbered house in Cambrai (the Maison Espagnole) and they kindly supplied me with a tourist map of the city which identified a few other nearby places of interest.

Cambrai is a compact little city and easy to explore. Adjacent to the Maison Espagnole is the Chateau des Jesuits with it’s beautifully sculpted facade and; a short walk south along the Avenue de la Victoire is the impressive Porte de Paris, one of the few surviving aspects of the city’s medieval walls. Beyond this old city gate is another fine looking building but I was unable to find out much about the place other than that it is a school now.

I missed out on La Maison des Templiers, the Cambrai Tank Museum and the Cambrai Memorial but did get to wander the City Park with it’s Palais des Grottes and I passed by the covered market. I understand this market is only open twice a week. That was a shame because amongst other things I missed out on the Betises de Cambrai (assorted mint candies) which the city is famous for and it’s Maroilles Cheese Sauce. Next time.

Saint Raphael (Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur), France September 2025 (Tour 12)

The weekend over, we continued south down the A7 and then east along the A8 to Saint-Raphael on the Cote d’Azur; passing the first 1,000 mile mark of this tour on the way. According to the weather forecasts we had at least one more day of fine weather in France before wet weather arrived and Vanya wanted to revisit Esterel Caravaning where we stayed earlier this year when visiting Saint Raphael. She was being troubled by her arthritis and desired a lazy day in the sun at what turned out to be her favourite campsite of Tour 11 (so much so we stayed seven days instead of the one we originally booked).

I’ll not risk repeating myself here regarding Esterel Caravaning or Saint Raphael. If you want to know more about what attracts us to this place, you need only use the website search engine and enter ‘Saint Raphael’ (to find out about the town of Saint Raphael) or ‘Esterel Massif’ (to learn about the Esterel campsite, the surrounding area and the other places in the area that we visited during Tour 11). During this visit we weren’t blessed with the same wonderful weather as earlier in the year (The bad weather arrived a day earlier than was forecast and, because of the particularly heavy rain, the drive down took over an hour longer than anticipated) but, no matter, the weather improved sufficiently after our arrival and our second stay at the campsite went well although we did little more than chill for 24 hours.

A few photos, some of them from our last tour. That’s how lazy this visit was. I couldn’t even be bothered to leave the campsite.

However, the wet weather wasn’t finished with us. More was forecast and it would be the south of France and the north of Spain which would bear the brunt of it. It was time to head east into Italy…

Tain L’Hermitage (Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes), France September 2025 (Tour 12)

On the left bank of the Rhone, in the department of Drome and directly opposite Tournon sur Rhone, is the pretty historical little village of Tain L’Hermitage. I heard it said that Tain was once a suburb of Tournon sur Rhone but some locals thought to raise the profile of the place on the back of it’s celebrated Hermitage Wines (which are grown on and around the large hill on the left bank) and so was Tain L’Hermitage formed. Of course that may just be a tale.

I’ll start this entry with an amazing photo I saw of Tain on an Ardeche Tourism site. Taken from the Tournon side of the Rhone this photo by Eric Labrot captures the Rhone, Tain and Hermitage Hill so perfectly. I spent a fair while trying to take a decent photo across the river and gave up after I saw this. It says it all.

An amazing photo of Tain across the Rhone by Eric Labrot. What a photo!

Vanya and I popped into Tain early on a Sunday afternoon, after first visiting the Tournon farmer’s market. We didn’t realise Tain’s market day was also on the Sunday morning or we might have strolled across the Marc Seguin bridge earlier and enjoyed both markets. Neither market is very large but, together, I think there would have been enough to keep us amused for a while. We both enjoy mooching around French markets. Having said that, I was up early that day and had noticed two river cruise boats moored on the Tain side of the Rhone and was happy to wait until they had departed before crossing the river.

Cruise boats on the Tain side of the Rhone

As if we needed reminding that this is wine country

The Place de Taurobole fountain wasn’t as impressive as when…

Tain’s primary church is L’Eglise Notre Dame. It was mostly destroyed during the French Revolution and France’s earlier Religious Wars and was rebuilt in 1838. It is not one of France’s more impressive churches, either outside or inside although, Louis XVIII of the house of Bourbon was petitioned to donate some religious paintings as part of the church’s restoration (after being reminded that in 1350 the original church was the scene of the marriage of the 13 year old future King Charles V to the 11 year old Jeanne de Bourbon).

While wandering Tain on my own, later in the day, I passed the Valrhona chocolate factory and shop (the Cité du Chocolat). It was closed or I could have been tempted inside. Founded in 1922 by a French pastry chef, Alberic Guironnet, Valrhona has grown to become arguably the most well known high quality chocolate manufacturer in France. From these same premises the company also operates the ‘Ecole du Grand Chocolat’ (a school for professional chefs with a focus on chocolate-based dishes and pastries) and the ‘Comptoir Porcelena’ (a restaurant where you can eat chocolate from starter to dessert).

My final words on Tain L’Hermitage must be about it’s red wines. Although white wines are produced in the area, Tain is reputed to be the birthplace of Syrah and, as a result, it is the Hermitage red wines which reign supreme here. Hermitage red wines aren’t cheap. This is a small wine producing area and smaller yields often serve to push prices up but; the prices were probably hugely inflated after Louis XIII visited the area in 1642 and made them a ‘wine of the French court’. None of the main producers on the hill were open for tasting sessions and I therefore allowed myself to be influenced by the proprietor of one of the bars on Place de Taurobole who suggested I try a more affordable Domaine Gallet Cote-Rotie (from nearby Ampuis) rather than his Heritage wine which he claimed is okay but overpriced. I wasn’t disappointed with his recommendation. In fact I took a second glass. It was seriously good.

And a couple more photos… One of the Marc Seguin Bridge from Tain…

…and one across to Touron from up high on L’Heritage Hill from…

Tournon sur Rhone (Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes), France September 2025 (Tour 12)

We’ve long moved on from France and I’m playing catch up with the blog at the moment. Heavy and prolonged rain was forecast over most of the country and it was that which prompted us to leave Jura and head south on the N7 towards San Raphael. From there we’ be better placed to run for either Spain or Italy once the bad weather hit. Tournon sur Rhone was on the N7 and Vanya had found a campsite close to the town centre which would suit our needs for a day or two.

Tournon sur Rhone sits on the right bank of the Rhone. I was advised it once straddled the Rhone here but that better wines (i.e. Hermitage AOC Wines) were produced on the left bank of the river and so those people living on the left bank renamed their side of the river Tain L’Hermitage. I’m not so sure that is true, especially since Tournon is in the Ardeche department of the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes while Tain is in the Drome department. Whatever, we elected to stay two nights so that we could take our time to properly explore both Tournon and Tain.

The first sights we saw as we entered the town and drove along Quai Gambetta and on to the Quai Charles de Gaulle to the camp site were a splendid cable suspension bridge over the Rhone and an equally impressive World War I memorial carved into the rock on which Tournon Castle is perched. I subsequently learned that the bridge is an 1847 replica of one built by Marc Seguin in 1824 and which is believe to have inspired the design of New York’s Brooklyn Bridge. The 11 metre high war memorial created in 1922 by Antoine Sartorio, himself a French soldier during WWI, is carved into the limestone rock underneath Tournon Castle. It features Nike, the Greek Goddess of Victory delivering the victor’s laurels to those named on the memorial.

There are various ways to explore Tournon and the surrounding areas. Most tourists will use the local tourist train which also takes in part of Tain and the Hermitage Vineyards. There is also the Two Towers walking path that follows the route of the old town walls which once connected the two observation towers still standing at the back of the town. There use to be 12 such towers. This route follows a small part of the Sentier GR42 (i.e. the Sentier de Grande Randonnee 42) and offers panoramic views over Tournon, Tain and the Rhone. For those wishing to go further afield there are frequent boat trips along the Rhone with the Compagnie des Canotiers and/or there’s the Chemin de Fer du Vivarais (more often than not called Le Mastrou or the Train de L’Ardeche) a 100 year old narrow gauge steam train which ferries train enthusiasts and tourists up and down the Doux Gorge.

I started with a stroll along the Two Towers path (leaving it at one stage to descend directly down through the very steep vineyards which form a backdrop to Tournon) and then; over the course of the next two days, I simply walked Tournon and Tain until I had seen pretty much everything. The Two Towers path is easy walking and there’s an orientation table along the way which helps identify many of the features in this part of the Rhone Valley. The most celebrated feature is Tournon Castle, parts of which date back to the 10th century although; it was constantly being added to by the Counts of Tournon. It has been a museum since 1926.

Tournon Castle and the Rhone from the Two Towers path

The Holy Virgin Tower, the second of the Two Towers

A view of Tain from higher up on the Two Towers path

For my part, the most impressive building in Tournon is the early 14th century Eglise de Saint-Julien. This former collegiate church was built on the site of an earlier 11th century church which, before that, was occupied by a Roman temple. Saint-Julien was a Roman centurion who was beheaded for his Christian beliefs during the reign of the Emperor Diocletian. This imposing Gothic style building is filled with treasures including, in the Chapel of the Penitents, some interesting and renowned 15th century murals.

That first night in Tournon we ate at a small restaurant just outside the church; with Vanya (not really knowing what she was doing) ordering two dinners for herself and me ordering the most unusual pizza ever – a snail pizza. A great deal of our meal was left uneaten. The pizza was so awful even Beanie refused one of my snails.

I like Tournon although I was disappointed that one of the sites I was most interested in seeing, the Jardin d’Eden, was closed and; it appears the closure is permanent. Time will tell.

Poligny (Bourgogne-Franche-Comte), France September 2025 (Tour 12)

I’m thinking I should count the Jura Department amongst my favourite places in France. The scenery is stunning; the people are friendly and; the food and wine can be considered amongst the best we have tasted. What’s not to like about Jura?

And so to Poligny. It’s an old fortified town (not that there is much left of the ramparts) with approximately 4,000 inhabitants. With the help of the town’s authorities, the Tourist Information Office has established a walking tour (the Circuit Tour?) which is a marked trail that leads around some of the town’s historical sites (e.g. the Chateau de Poligny, Saint Hippolyte Church, the remains of the city’s fortifications, etc) and some of it’s gastronomic delights (e.g. the Maison du Comte Visitor Centre, Le Caveau des Jacobines, etc).

The tourist information office is in the town’s main square, the Place Des Deportes; where the Grande Rue , the Route de Geneve and Rue Travot all converge. It’s not a particularly large square but, with it’s lively restaurant-bars, boutique shops and farmer’s market on Mondays and Fridays, it lays claim to being the beating heart of the town. The square is conspicuous by a large fountain towards one end and a statue of the town’s most famous son, General Jean Pierre Travot, at the other end.

Born in Poligny in 1767, General Jean Pierre Travot was one of Napoleon Bonaparte’s more succesful generals so much so that his name is one of those inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe. He was also one of Napoleon’s more loyal officers and in return was made first a baron of the Empire (1814) and then a Peer of France (1815). After rallying to Napoleon’s cause during the 100 days, Travot was tried for treason and condemned to death. This was subsequently commuted to 20 years in prison but, unable to cope with the incarceration, he very quickly went mad and; despite getting a reprieve in 1819, he spent the remainder of his days in a lunatic asylum and died in 1836.

We didn’t get to see as much of the town as we would have liked during this our visit because, we were advised that first and foremost, the town is famous for it’s gastronomic expertise and; on this occasion at least we were there primarily to sample it’s wine and food. My particular interest was with the Arbois Jaune Wine, Poligny being just 9 kilometres from Arbois. Vanya’s interest was Comte cheese and, in this regard, Poligny considers itself the Comte cheese capital; a claim which can be justified as at least a third of the Region’s total production of Comte is aged in the town’s cellars.

It was early afternoon when we settled at the Au Platanes Restaurant on the Place Des Deportes for a light lunch and to plan what remained of our day. For my part, the restaurant proved an inspired choice because, joy of joys, the first item on their menu was ‘Croute au morelles et au Vin Jaune’; that’s (French) morel mushrooms (morchella elata/esculenta) cooked in a cream and yellow wine sauce. I’d not eaten them before; probably because they are highly sought after and yet cannot be farmed. They have a price tag second only to that of the black truffle but my goodness they taste good. They are delicately scented and the taste is enhanced when cooked in yellow wine. They were glorious. And for my main course? Well, this Region’s full name is Bourgogne-Franche-Comte; Burgundy is famous for it’s snails and so, I opted for a dozen of the ‘Escargots au beurre d’ail’. Delicious!

The Place Des Deportes is a great place to stop for lunch. We enjoyed some fabulous food and then sat for a while in the sunshine with a cup of coffee. That is one of the great joys of France; just sitting, well fed and comfortable in a prime spot just watching the world go by. Of course, it didn’t last long. We were sitting directly opposite the tourist information office and Vanya, who had eaten next to nothing (so impatient was she to taste more Comte) was off looking for guidance as to the best places for Comte.

We were too late for the tour at the Maison du Comte Visitor Centre (which also offers a cheese tasting session) but that wasn’t going to deter Vanya and; after a short while she exited the tourist information office with a grin like a Cheshire cat eating cheese – Comte cheese. They recommended the place next door, the Boutique Badoj Vins et Fromages, and in what seemed like no time, Vanya had returned with three of the largest slices of Comte I have ever seen. We have since devoured one of them and it really is the best cheese I have ever tasted. I’m no expert on cheese but it seems to me there’s a big difference between cheese freshly cut from the wheel and that which has been vacuum packed in plastic. I much prefer the younger cheese while Vanya favours the more mature, friable version.

Not long after we were esconced in a wine shop in Poligny tasting yellow wine. Well, I was. It’s a strong wine (see the Arbois blog) and it’s not to everyone’s taste – certainly not Vanya’s. This was in the ‘Fruitiere Vinicole d’Arbois’. There are 5 such shops (all part of a co-operative); two in Arbois, one in Arc et Senans, another in Saint Laurent en Grandvaux and the one in Poligny on Grande Rue known as the ‘Caveau des Jacobins’. What a great wine and have I mentioned in any of my blogs that it is even better when paired with Comte cheese? It’s a marriage made in heaven.

And now I have a confession to make. I’m not sure that the bottle in the above photo is the one I purchased in the Caveau des Jacobins. I opened a bottle of yellow wine later in the tour while in Austria (Yes, I’m playing catch up again with the blogs) and finished the whole bottle (it was so good). That may have been the bottle I bought in Poligny. No matter, we’ll simply have to return to buy some more and I’ll have to re-visit both shops in Arbois and Poligny. Hurrah!!

Baume les Messieurs (Bourgogne-Franche-Comte), France September 2025 (Tour 12)

The weather forecasts were warning of approaching wet weather and it was almost time for us to move further south. There was enough time, however, for one more trip around Jura which would see us visit Baume les Messieurs (another ‘plus beau village de France’) and the small town of Poligny (the self proclaimed Comte Cheese Capital of Jura).

Our first stop of the day would be Baume les Messieurs, just 30 miles south of Dole, and the approach couldn’t have been easier. We were nearing the end of the holiday season and there was ample parking at the entrance to the village. Moreover, we’d arrived shortly after a coachload of tourists and all we had to do was follow the crocodile queue along the banks of the River Seille to the centre of Baume les Messieurs.

The village is picturesque and it’s setting, underneath a 200 metre high escarpment of limestone cliffs is absolutely gorgeous but having said that; there is little to Baume les Messieurs other than the former Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter (which was in the process of being renovated); a handful of expensive craft shops and; two cafe-bars which were mobbed by the coachload of tourists we had followed in. I’m sorry to say, pretty as the village is, we weren’t that enamoured with the place.

Mind you, instead of aimlessly wandering the village while waiting for a table to become available at one of the cafes, I could have made better use of our time by visiting the nearby Herisson Waterfalls and/or the Baume Caves. Like I said, the village is located in a splendid setting and the weather was wonderful throughout our short stay. Alternatively, we could have combined our visit to Baume les Messuriers with one to the nearby Chateau Chalon which we passed on the way in. More fool me.

Oh well. On to Poligny.

Arbois (Bourgogne-Franche-Comte) France September 2025 (Tour 12)

Located in Jura, one of Franche Comte’s most beautiful Departments and surrounded by vineyards, Arbois is a small town of about 3,500 people but, despite it’s limited size, it’s a jewel of a place, oozing charm and character.

It’s the self styled regional capital of Jura and I’ll not argue with that claim given that the vineyards around Arbois currently account for almost 70% of Jura’s wine production and the wines themselves were well renowned way back in the times of the Roman Empire. We had come to Arbois to taste some of these famous wines.

The town is distinguished by it’s many ochre-coloured, stone buildings which make for a warm, golden appearance. The centre is resplendent with cafes and restaurants (including a 2 star and a 1 star Michelin restaurant), numerous boutique shops (we saw no chain stores here), countless wine shops (most of them on the different approaches to the town’s main square) and, especially worth visiting, the Hirsinger Chocolate Factory which deserves a paragraph all of it’s own in this blog.

In 1900, after training as a chocolatier in Paris, Auguste Hirsinger founded his own chocolate factory in Arbois. This business was passed on, first to one of his sons and then; in turn, to one of his granchildren and; more recently, to one of Auguste’s great grandsons, Edouard Hirsinger. Edouard Hirsinger has taken the family business to unparalleled success with his unusual flavour combinations and; he is one of very few chocolatiers to have been awarded the MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) in recognition of his skills. However, it is the story of his grandfather, also called Edouard, which most impressed me. Grandfather Edouard Hirsinger took over the business from Auguste in 1929. In 1940, after France was knocked out of World War II and the Germans arrived in Arbois, he courageously closed the business down for 5 long years until the town was liberated by US soldiers. That takes passive resistance to a whole new level.

I was writing in general terms about the town itself. Arbois was fortified during the 12th and 13th centuries but little remains of it’s medieval walls except for some of the towers (the most impressive of which is the Gloriette Tower) and the 12th century Chateau Pecauld (now a wine museum).

To my mind, the three most interesting features of Arbois are it’s church (L’Eglise Saint-Just), it’s main square (La Place de la Liberte) and it’s river (the Cuisance) and I’ll write a little about each of those but there is so much more. Some would argue that Louis Pasteur’s house (La Maison Pasteur) warrants inclusion in the top three and, yes, La Maison Pasteur in Arbois (now a museum dedicated to his life) is a site worth visiting (if only to see the reconstruction of his home laboratory) but, the house where Pasteur was born in in Dole and lived the early years of his life was also converted into a museum (see my blog on Dole). So, been there, done that, got the t-shirt and I’m not going to include Pasteur’s house in my top three here.

The most imposing building in Arbois is, without any doubt, the 17th century L’eglise Saint-Just which was listed as a historic monument in 1913. It’s remarkable 60 metre bell tower dominates the town. During summer months it’s possible to ascend the tower’s 209 steps for panoramic views over the town and surrounding vineyards but, visiting too late in the year, I missed out on that. No matter, Saint-Just’s interior with it’s three naves separated by a mix of square and round pillars; no less than 11 chapels and; an exquisitely carved pulpit makes it about as fine a church as anyone could want. It’s so full of character. I’ll let some of my photos do the talking…

The most charming part of the town is the lively Place de la Liberté (Liberty Square) where all of the town’s principal streets converge. It is stunning. A ‘Fountain of Lions’ built by the architect Lapret in 1806 sits in the centre of the square which is framed by elegant arcaded yellow brick buildings (most with coloured shutters) and almost completely covered by fluttering flower shaped decorations – bunting? What a place to be on market days!

Approaching Place de la Liberte on Rue de l’Hotel de Ville

Place de la Liberte and the Fountain of Lions…

…and another view of the Place de la Liberte

The River Cuisance meanders through Arbois and makes for some very interesting features (one of which is the narrow Pont des Capucins) but it is a few kilometres outside of the town where the river is at it’s most impressive. There’s a magical little waterfall where water cascades down over tufa terraces into a series of shallow pools which are ideal for cooling down in on a hot day. This is the Cascade des Tufs. There’s a fine 17.5 kilometre circular walk from Arbois which leads through the beautiful Planches Pres d’Arbois Valley to this waterfall but most people prefer the easier and considerably shorter 1 kilometre walk from a free car park in the village of Planches Pres d’Arbois (Coordinates 46°52’35.0″N 5°48’24.7″E). The choice is yours.

So, back to Arbois and a little about the local wines. That was, after all, the main reason for our visiting Arbois. Vanya had previously tasted Cremant de Jura but not been very impressed. Me, I’m not a great Cremant drinker but I was keen to try the famous Yellow Wine of Jura for the first time. We started in the Cave Jerome Arnoux, sampling at least 8 local wines and we were delighted with the outcome.

Vanya now maintains that Cremant de Jura can hold it’s own against any of the other 6 French Cremants. The problem has been that Jura has never properly recovered from the phylloxera outbreak which devastated the French wine industry at the end of the 19th century. Yes, the area is once again firing on all cylinders and back to producing great wines but it remains the smallest of France’s major wine producing regions and relatively few of the better wines seem to be finding their way to the UK or even on to the shelves of the larger supermarkets in France. Vanya tasted some very good Cremant after arriving in Jura and she’s taking some back home. For my part, I am hooked on Jura’s yellow wine. I bought a couple of bottles of Arbois Vin Jaune 2016 to take home but one of those is already finished.

What surprises me, given that the wineries in Jura are relatively small compared to those in other wine growing regions in France, is the great diversity of wines being produced in and around Arbois. I have been advised the terroir is best suited to the production of red wines but there seems to be no shortage of dry white wines, roses, vin jaune, vin de paille (a sweet wine typical of Jura) and, of course, the aforementioned Cremant.

In case you haven’t already picked up on it, my favourite is the yellow wine but I appreciate it is not to everyone’s taste. It is made from the Savagnin grape variety (which come in small green or yellow grape clusters) and has a very recognizable aroma. It’s taste is not unlike a dry sherry but it is not a fortified wine. It is matured in a barrel under a film of yeast known as voile and it stands for 6 years. It goes exceptionally well with Comte cheese and is used in many recipes. During our stay in Jura, I ate a Morel Soup which contained a fair wack of yellow wine and it was gorgeous. I understand too that a very popular dish in Jura is trout in yellow wine.

Another famous wine from this area (although I have yet to try it) is vin de paille. It is what is known as a straw wine and is very sweet. It seems that vin de paille is made from grapes which have been dried off the vine to concentrate their juice. After a careful hand harvest, selected bunches of grapes are then laid out on mats (they used to be straw mats) in full sun. I’ll be trying that wine next year when we return to France.

Oh yes! Vanya and I both love Jura and we’ll definitely be back next year – not that we’ve yet finished with the place this year. Tomorrow we’ll be visiting two more places in Jura being Baume Les Messieurs (a plus beau village de France) and Poligny (the self styled capital of Comte cheese).

La Ferte (Bourgogne-Franche-Comte) France September 2025 (Tour 12)

We were on a day trip from Dole to Arbois when we decided to pause in the tiny village of La Ferte to check out the local cheese. We have long been fans of Comte Cheese and while travelling the D469 to Arbois through La Ferte we noticed La Fromagerie de la Ferte which specialises in the production of Comte to AOC standards. We decided to take a look…

… and what a find! This cheese factory, unlike others we have seen, operates a ‘Cheese Bar’. It’s brand new, light and airy, with plenty of seating inside and outside and there’s sooo much cheese to see and eat.

The staff proved attentive and well informed regarding the cheese and the menu offered plenty of choice. In addition to a selection of Comte cheese of varying ages) there was Morbier, Bleu de Gex, Raclette, Tomme and others. To accompany the cheese there was also a range of cold meats from Jura (dry cured ham, sausages and terrines) and a selection of locally produced craft beers. Oh and, of course, yellow wine. Yellow wine and Comte is a marriage made in heaven.

We settled down for a small feast with me opting for a mixed cheese and ham charcuterie washed down with one of the artisanal beers (the cheeses included Old Comte AOP, Fruity Comte AOP and Morbier) and Vanya going for a Comte Fondue which she made herself following instructions from one of the staff.

It was pure luck that took us to the Fromagerie de la Ferte but we’ll be back.

A little bit about the production of Comte Cheese in the event you’re interested…

(a) Comte is an unpasteurised cheese and part of the Gruyere family of cheeses. It is favoured by a great many of our top chefs.

(b) The milk used to make the cheese comes from Montbeliarde cows which eat only grass and hay and are recognizable by their dark red and white coats. They are milked twice a day at regular times to avoid stressing the animals.

(c) AOC recognition requires that Comte cheese be made with milk that is not transported more than 25 kilometres from where the cow was milked and within 24 hours of milking.

(d) The cow’s milk, with a fat content of not less than 45%, is transported to large copper vats. A few centilitres of natural rennet (obtained from the dried intestine of a calf) is added to help clot the milk and the resulting curd is then stirred and heated to 54 degrees centigrade for 1 hour. The curd is then drawn off and pressed into cheese wheel moulds before being stored in the fromagerie’s cellars to mature.

(e) The cheese must remain in the cellars for at least 4 months before it can be called Comte. Of course most of it will be matured for much longer. The average is 18 months but it is not unknown for Comte to be left for 36 months which makes for a considerably stronger tasting and more friable cheese.

(f) So many factors affect the taste of the cheese (e.g. the microclimate of the area the cheese is produced in, the time of the year the milk is collected, the time allowed for maturing etc) and every cheese wheel differs in terms of smell and taste – Just look at the aroma wheel below. Generally however, a young Comte will have a milkier taste and aromas, while more mature cheeses can have fruitier (citrus and hazlnut) and smoky flavours.

And on to Arbois….

Dole (Bourgogne-Franche-Comte), France September 2025 (Tour 12)

Eleven completed tours and not once have we visited the Franche-Comte part of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comte Region. That had to change and so we came to Jura. Jura, together with French departments of Doubs, Haute-Saone and Belfort forms Franche-Comte; a beautiful land of mountains, lakes and rivers, picturesque villages and towns, small vineyards and a huge forest (the Foret de Chaux – the second largest forest in France). We started in Dole, a small attractive town on the banks of the River Doubs which is dominated by the impressive Collegiale Notre Dame de Dole on Place Nationale.

At least part of this imposing church can be seen from just about any point in the town but it is the view from the Avenue de Lair, on the south side of the river, which most appeals. Inside it is stunning. It houses several small chapels, the Sainte Chapelle du Miracle de Faverney being the one which attracts most attention. This renaissance style chapel serves to house a relic that was miraculously saved from a fire at Faverney Abbey. However, to my mind, two other chapels are worthy of special mention – one dedicated to France’s fallen in WWI and another to recognise the surprisingly large number of church officials in Jura who were guillotined during the French Revolution.

Notre Dame de Dole (from the south side of the River Doubs)

Dole was once the capital of the Jura although this honour now belongs to Besancon. It’s a small attractive riverside town of less than 25,000 people. The old town, which was built around l’Eglise Notre Dame de Dole, is not very large but neither is it lacking in character. Connected by a jumble of stairways, narrow winding streets and passageways, most of the town’s older buildings are made of pale pink or white stone and date from the 17th century or even later. The most impressive of these is the Hotel de Dieu, the main part of which was completed in 1636. It served as a hospital for the poor until 1992 when it was transformed into a mediatheque (a multimedia library and storage centre for the municipal archives).

To ensure I didn’t miss out on any of the town’s more interesting features (not that my debacle at Les Riceys is still fresh in my mind) I visited the Dole Tourist Office on Place Grevy and obtained a map of what is known as the Circuit du Chat Perche (which broadly translates as the perched cat trail). It’s a 4 kilometre circuit connecting the town’s principal features and the map provides a brief description of each.

I’ll let the photos do the talking…

… although the area behind Rue Louis Pasteur does perhaps warrant special mention.

Louis Pasteur was born in Dole in 1822 and the house he was born in is now a small museum dedicated to his memory while the street he lived in (at least until he was 5 and the family moved to nearby Arbois) is now named after him. Louis was raised in the poorer quarter of Dole (his father, Jean-Joseph Pasteur, was a tanner there) and yet he grew up to become a biologist, a chemist and the father of microbiology. Most famous for developing the treatment of beer, wine and, later, milk to prevent bacterial contamination (i.e. the process now known as ‘pasteurisation’), he also discovered both the rabies and anthrax vaccines.

The south side of Rue Louis Pasteur, running alongside the Canal du Rhone au Rhin(e), was filled with tanneries; so much so it is named the Canal des Tanneurs. Properties in this part of Dole are now amongst the most sought after and the area has become known as the ‘Little Venice of the Jura’. Again, it is not a large part of the town but it is one of the prettiest…

The man himself in the nearby Jardin Public Dit du Cours Saint-Mauris…

And the final word of this blog entry must go to food. After all, this is France and the French like to talk about food as much as we British like to talk about the weather.

At the last count, there were three Michelin Restaurants in Dole but we didn’t check even one of them out. That’s not to say however that we were not well fed during our stay in the area. No, our concern while in Jura was not so much with visiting the local restaurants (although we did our bit in that regard, as can be seen from the photos below) but; with sampling Comte Cheese (and we would be heading for La Ferte for that) and; Cremant de Jura (we’d be going to Arbois for that) and Yellow Wine (perhaps to Poligny).

Oh… and the local markets. Opposite the Collegiale Church on Place Nationale is the Marche des Halles. There’s a farmers market held in this covered glass and steel market hall every tuesday, thursday and saturday morning and, during the summer months, there’s an evening market on Fridays.