I am contemplating the recently departed summer on a rainy day in early October. Here in Narbonne, 'sunny southern France', we have been having a rare inundation of rain for the past two days.  One more day of rain to go, according to the météo.  What to do, what to do especially since our Internet, television and fixed telephone line all went down with the rain as well!  Usually, I write of more idyllic times in Narbonne, but a little rain falls now and then wherever we are ~ n'est-ce pas?  Otherwise, we wouldn't have all the greenery and flowers.  Wait, the flowers come in Spring not Fall ~ well, at least the streets are getting a good cleaning after all the summer parties. 

What delightful parties they were!  They left sunny memories of summer and blue skies, tanned tourists, boaters and festivities galore.  Narbonne's population doubles in August because there is such a choice of things to do that one cannot lose.  If the weather is cloudy or a bit cool for the beach then there are the city attractions to keep visitors happy.  August is sunny as usual with the occasional mild and breezy day to give us all a break from the heat.  On such days, the town is particularly crowded and the restaurants fill up so fast that many are complet by one o'clock. 

Record numbers of tourists fill our main attractions: the ancestral home of Charles Trenet, La Musée Lapidaire, the museum of stones that used to surround Narbonne when it was a walled city, The Horreum, subterranean streets from the first century when Narbonne was a Roman town, Le Donjon, the 13th century tower on the Place de la Mairie that provides a magnificent view of the city all the way to the sea, and the Museum of Art and History.  A pass can be purchased for 9 euros to see all of these sites rather than pay the 2 to 5 euro fee individually.  A good deal!  Evidently, many people agree as the City of Narbonne recently announced les chiffres for July and August:  59,947 visitors pushed through the doors of the Tourisme Office alone ~ a few thousand over the population of Narbonne itself!

The slate of festivals is fuller than ever with more outdoor dancing venues each weekend in both the Place Contemporaire and the Place Forum.  Of course we still have the Festival de Memoires d'Antan and the Charles Trenet Festival, our two classics.  Just so you understand what all the fuss is about, here is a YouTube of Mr. Trenet singing one of his famous compositions called La Mer - you may recognize this song.  It is the same tune that Bobby Darin sings in Beyond the Sea: 

Trenet sings so passionately about la mer that you can imagine idyllic days on the Narbonnaise beaches of his childhood. 

There are so many people in attendance at the Charles Trenet Festival this year that they begin lining up at the stage two hours ahead of the show.  It is a daunting task to get anywhere near the stage by show time, so we have to content ourselves with watching one of the several big screens in town.  Success brings its own set of problems. 

The parraine of the Charles Trenet festival is none other than Charles Aznavour!  It was a thrill when I received the invitation to meet the man in person.  Because we have a small business in Narbonne (and pay taxes to the Mayor) we are invited to community events such as art show openings or receptions for visiting celebrities.  Imagine my amazement when I opened the envelope containing an invitation to meet Monsieur Aznavour himself!  Despite a schedule full of work and play in the heat of August, I am not to be discouraged and make it a red-letter day on my calendar and mobile.  We take a friend in tow and arrive at the Office de Tourisme to find about 50 people waiting in line outside. 

Again, not to be deterred, we take our places to wait to see The Great One in person.  About one hour later we finally arrive at our destination: a petit but grand homme autographing copies of his recent book.  The place has an air of hushed reverence; the mayor and his entourage are standing nearby; society ladies with 10-carat diamonds stand alongside tattooed and pierced adolescents.  All of us understand we are meeting a legend.  He is still the same person we have become used to seeing in the media, and he looks just as he always has in his photos.  I was able to meet his famously liquid brown eyes for a second ~ and I will always treasure the moment .  We no longer have our Charles Trenet but we still have Mr. Aznavour.  Thank you, Monsieur Charles!

Well, after such an event a good encore is hard to find.  The other French classic that visited Narbonne this season is not as glamorous or well loved but uniquely French all the same ~ the not-so-shiny celebrity known as La Grève.

Have you heard of La Grève?  She is a very difficult and familiar presence in France.  She stops the trains, the airplanes, closes the airports, jams the highways, blocks the waterway traffic ~ in sum she is one of the most powerful and least liked French creations yet often much admired.  'She' is known in English as 'The Strike'.   However, 'strike' sounds somewhat small and uninteresting compared to La Grève, which takes on a personality of its own.  The reason is that La Grève truly brings people to hold their breath when it is announced.  The news of its arrival causes a flurry of last minute changes to travel plans and work commutes.  Cities brace for the thousands of people that will be chanting, shouting and marching in the streets, and Narbonne is no exception.  Due to the heated political fight over the raising of the retirement age by two years from 60 to 62 years of age, La Grève has been a frequent and vociferous visitor to Narbonne and most of France this year.

As serious as it sounds ~ and it is ~ the atmosphere can be jovial among the manifestants.  Music is played, loudspeakers blare and people wear all kinds of signs and outfits.  The scent of pastis and beer is in the air.  Who can blame the French for wanting to keep these extra two years of retirement?  We are all familiar with the slippery slope of taxation and governmental authority.  The French people believe they know better how to spend their golden years than the government does.  In France the Revolution never ended ~ it remains a process that evolves daily. 

Because the French are so ardent about their liberté they enjoy five to six weeks of vacation annually.  August is when most of the country is on holiday so it is a special time for the villages of France.  They all hold big parties to celebrate the warm summer days.  Narbonne is surrounded by dozens of small villages, and we finally partake in some of their festivities.  After visiting Chateau de Nouvelles (see review below) we happen upon a Fête du Vin in Villeneuve-les-Corbières not far from Tuchan.  We spotted the festival signage on our way to the domaine and decide to partake on the return trip home.

Arriving around noon, we park the car and walk into the center of town.  At the Place de la Mairie there is a brass band playing alongside several dignitaries each wearing a large golden enameled medal hanging on a substantial chain.  The medals are emblematic of each person's governmental role.  The Mayor has the largest.  We proceed to find the food and wine that is served from a nearby cantine.  For eight euros we each receive a plate of sausages, various meats, a wedge of Camembert with bread, a large slice of sweet cantaloupe, a gigantic white peach, a cup of expresso, red wine and a sweet wine.  The biggest surprise is when we cut into the peach ~ so ripe and sweet that the juice squirts out and runs all over our plates!  As we sit at a long table of townies that we had never met before we are welcomed as family.  A man picks up his accordion and plays for each table.  People share their bottles of rose with us, and grandparents chatter as if we were their kin.  No one seems to notice our accents or asks where we are from.  We are all one for the occasion.  It is warmth that lasts until now. 

In Bize-Minervois we attend a much larger festival of thousands.  Located in a charming setting on the river Cesse this is a popular summer swimming locale due to the cool, clear mountain waters that feed the river.  This village festival draws people from miles around and lasts from noon until three o'clock in the morning.  There are three small stages for live music, comedy shows and dancing.  Hundreds of people line up for food and drinks.  Nothing very fancy, just the usual French staples of steak frites, saucissons, oysters, mussels, baguettes, cheese and plenty of wine to wash it all down with.  Row after row of long tables are set and soon filled to capacity.  We are lucky to get one table for our party of eight near the music.  One could most likely go from village to village, all within a half-hour drive from Narbonne, and partake in a festival every single day for the month of August.

Come September the tourists are going home ~ for the most part.  At Narbonne Plage the English and German tourists are replaced by the Scandinavians.  Since August is the most beautiful month in Sweden, Finland and Norway, we find ourselves invaded by Vikings in September.  Too cold for the other Europeans to swim in, they find the chilly Narbonnais waters perfect for end of summer swimming.  We Narbonnaises, on the other hand, go to the beach strictly for tanning and walking this time of year ~ the sun is still shining, but the water is icy.  The Vikings come en masse and swim to their hearts' content and then bask in the gentle, warm Meditteranean sun.  It reminds us how central we are to the majority of Europeans.  And how lucky we are to be here!

As the Scandinavians leave, we know the reality has sunk in:  summer is over!  We edge into La Rentrée and the cooler temperatures waste no time in arriving as well.  La Rentrée is France's fifth season of the year.  No other culture that I know names this time of year.  La Rentrée is when the vacation is over, the schools are reopened and Fall is officially on the way ~ it is the end of August and the beginning of September.

The sandals and shorts are abruptly replaced with jeans and shoes.  Even boots arrive on some of the more fashionable girls who long to show their new winter wardrobes.  I cling to my tanned toes and summer dresses.  However the summer clothes are soon tossed aside and replaced with jeans and jackets as the thermometer drops.  The sun still shines but the outdoors is now naturally air-conditioned with highs in the low 70s and 60 degrees or so in the evenings.

It is also the time of the vendage ~ when the grape growers turn themselves into vintners by harvesting the heavy purple fruit that garlands the lush plants covering the hillsides.  Trucks are zooming all over Narbonne carrying the pulpous treasures.  Signs pop up with warnings that the vendage is on and vehicles may emerge at any time from the vineyards ~ watch out!  They stop for no one.  Friends who own Domaines suddenly become inaccessible.  They are outside from dawn to midnight harvesting the fruits of their labor.  The vendage has a precise period of beginning and ending in order to achieve the highest caliber of wine ~ and time waits for no man or woman!  This is a serious occasion when the results of many months of painstaking work become evident.

For this issue of Notes from Narbonne we visit a splendid old domaine in the heart of the wine country known as Fitou.  Located in Aude and surrounded by the Corbières, Fitou is a hearty and full-bodied red wine with a deep, dark red hue.  The bouquet is slightly spicy and the flavor is fruity but with a very dry finish.  In 1948 Fitou became the first AOC red wine of the Languedoc, and it is one of the oldest cépages in the region. Fitou wines are popular all over the world and the town of Fitou often has several large tour buses at any time during the summer months.  Several wineries offer dégustations to visitors. 

We meet with M. Jean-Rémy Daurat, the proprietor of Domaine du Chateau de Nouvelles, for a tasting of his Fitou wines.  Don't let the word 'nouvelles' fool you, Château de Nouvelles has been producing Fitou wines for over a century and is located on a hillside in the heart of this beautiful, sunny wine country.  The name is homage to Avignon's 12th century pope, Jacques Fournié de Novelli also known as Pope Benoit XII.  The vines at Château de Nouvelles are Carignan, Grenache and Syrah.  Several have won awards and Guide Hachette recommendations.  As we taste the different years it is apparent that they are wines that will pair wonderfully with wild game and red meats. And, alongside several of the barrels we admired 'tableaus' or artworks that Mr. Daurat enjoys hosting along with his wine. 

A family owned and run business for three generations, we enjoy watching M. Daurat's young son imitate his dad and play with paper airplanes amidst the huge wood barrels.  Bats flutter about as well; we are assured they are fruit bats not the carnivorous kind.  I have rarely seen such enormous barrels as are lined in rows in the main tasting room of the winery.  About eight feet wide and ten feet long they are used to produce the vins doux naturels or Rivesaltes.

I have to admit that I have a weakness for naturally sweet wines and M. Daurat's are exceptionally good.  He explains that the process of creating a naturally sweet wine needs no added sugars.  The wine is put in the extra large barrels where it is encouraged to go through large changes of temperatures varying from cold to very warm and back, the exact opposite of how one would normally age a wine where temperatures are carefully maintained within a narrow zone of just a few degrees.  Over the course of years this change of temperature is what produces the natural sugar content, M. Daurat explains. 

The vins doux are named Rivesaltes and many are several years old.  The oldest one available is from 1976.  The colors range from a light to deep amber and from rosé to dark red depending on the cépages.  We chose a beautiful trio of Rivesalteswith a sample from each color range to take home with us. 
 
 

French words written in Italics:
 

• météo - weather forecast 
• n'est-ce pas? - is it not? 
• complet - full.  used in restaurants, parking lots and hotels to indicate there is no space available 
• les chiffres - the numbers or statistics 
• la mer - the sea
• parraine - sponsor
• Fête du Vin - Wine Festival
• homme - man
• La Grève - the strike or demonstration; in France strikes can be held by students or retirees in addition to workers 
• manifestants - those who are striking or demonstrating
• cantine - a small restaurant or café
• La Rentrée - quite literally 'the re-entry'
• vendage- grape harvest
• AOC - l'Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée – 'Controlled designation of origin'.  It is the French guarantee that the product (wine, in this case) indeed came from the area indicated.
• cépages - wine grapes 
• dégustations- wine tasting
• vins doux naturels or Rivesaltes.- naturally sweet wines