"Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience." Francis Bacon

Regular readers probably know that I am a fan of Ridge wines.  And I also complain all the time about how you can never find decent American wines in England!

I was gratified to notice how Jancis Robinson’s column in today’s Financial Times talked about both of these issues.  I already think that Ms. Robinson is the best wine writer in the world, but when she reinforces ideas that I have already talked about, I think she simply a genius!

She also talks about how Ridge is different from American wines as they tend to create a more classical wine, avoiding the sweetness, high alcohol, and overwhelming fruit that often characterizes American wine.

Click here to see Jancis Robinson’s excellent article about Ridge wine.

Click here to see a recent post I put up about Ridge Geyservile 2007.

This story is a continuation of one that you can see by clicking here.

This was not the right day for Megabus.  The weather people had talked about plenty of rain, and I was expecting torrents, but, fortunately, there just seemed to be a dreary drizzle all day, reminding me of when I lived in England!

In the last post, written from the bus, I described how one bus had been in an accident and the company struggled to cram to busloads into a single bus.  Things got worse after that.  When we got close to the services at Mount Laurel, NJ, 78 miles from New York, our driver, Anita, announced that she was losing power and would have to stop and call a mechanic.

After about half an hour, another bus came, which was only half full, and I was able to get a seat on that.  This got me in the city at about 1:15 — or about an hour and half late.

The ride back also got off to a rocky start.  The rain was getting a little heavier, and it is fairly obvious that one of the ways in which Megabus manages its costs is by not having sheltered bus terminal.  So, when things get a little rough, and buses are running late, there is pretty much no alternative except to stand in the rain.

I arrived at the bus stop about half an hour early, and there seemed to be huge crowds of people, and I began to wonder whether I would ever get away.  I even contemplated buying a ticket for a later bus and coming back when it was less crowded.

Waiting for the Megabus in the rain

Surprisingly, though, my bus that was scheduled for 6:30 pm showed up about only about 20 minutes late.  We left New York at about 7:00, and we arrived in Baltimore only about half an hour late.

Would I take a Megabus again from Baltimore to New York?  Absolutely!  All in all, I think they did pretty well when everything (weather, accidents, and mechanical problems) was going against them, and I just love being able to visit New York for a low price.  I really recommend this service!

I am off work today, and I decided to spend the day in New York, meet some friends, take photographs, walk in the park, drink some wine, and take the bus back.  The dreary weather forecast suggests that the wine part will become a more important part of the day than originally anticipated!

It is always interesting to observe how a travel company behaves under stress.  I was booked on the Megabus that leaves Baltimore (White Marsh) at 8:25 in the morning.  The bus arrived about 10 minutes late, and, Anita, the driver got off to make an announcement.  She told the long line of passengers that the bus that had been scheduled to leave White Marsh at 7:55 had been in an accident, and she asked everyone to form two lines — the people with reservations for 7:55, and another line for those due to leave at 8:25.  Once the passengers had categorized themselves, she told the crowd that her instructions were to accommodate the 8:25 passengers first and then she would do her best to accommodate the people with reservations on the earlier bus.

I felt sorry for her as she had to deal with howls of protest from the 7:55 group, and she (very courteously) explained that she was simply following instructions from her company.  My guess is that about half the early group was left standing at the bus stop.

As you can imagine, it took a while to sort out the passengers, seat everyone, and, finally a very crowded bus left White Marsh at about 8:50.

I don’t know when the people with 7:55 tickets will ever get to New York, but I write this post comfortably seated on the bus with a Wi-Fi connection still thrilled with my ticket that I bought for just one dollar!

The rest of the journey and the ride back to Baltimore on Megabus can be found by clicking here.

Lufthansa LH 419 Washington (IAD) to Frankfurt (FRA) on February 11, 2010, Economy class

I have flown Lufthansa a number of times over the years, and I believe that this was actually the first time I have ever flown in long-haul Economy on this airline!  Click here to see the report of the last time I was on this very flight in Business Class.

Lufthansa Boeing 747-400 at Frankfurt Airport

The plane was a Boeing 747-400.  I am not sure how old it was, but I was surprised to notice that the film was shown on an old-fashioned screen in the center of the plane.  I was in a bulkhead seat, and there was an empty seat between me and another passenger in the window seat.  Quite comfortable although I did get the sense that we were flying on a very old piece of equipment!

I think I was already tired when I boarded this flight!  This was the first day that flights were open after the huge snow storm, and I wondered whether I would leave at all.

My usual strategy for making my way to Washnigton Dulles is to rent a car the day before in this area, usually at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), and then I return the car at the airport in Washington the next day.  This is usually the cheapest way — particularly on weekends — and you can leave when you like!  But the Budget rental car location was closed, and, in the end I used Columbia Airport Shuttle, which worked out just fine.

Lufthansa’s flight (LH 419) leaves at 5:40.  So, under normal circumstance, I would have left the house at about 1:40.  This would safely get me to IAD by 2:40, three hours before my departure time.  (I am not one of those travelers who likes to arrive at the last minute!)  But February 11th 2010 was not a normal day.  Most of the local roads near where we live were still covered with snow, and I thought extra time was a good idea.  So I ordered my shuttle for 12:15.  And, as usual Columbia Airport Shuttle arrived on time.

I was expecting Dulles airport to be very overcrowded, and in the line waiting to check in, I chatted with other travelers.  One person was very frustrated.  This was her third attempt to get back home to her native Croatia, via Vienna on Austrian Airlines.  What I was really thinking about was the possibility of being bumped!  After all, this was Thursday, and there had been no flights on Tuesday or Wednesday.  Unfortunately, there seemed to be plenty of room on the plane.

Checking in was quick, efficient, and I was especially impressed by the fact that they offered soft drinks and snacks at the check in counter.

As expected, the plane was delayed and departure was rescheduled for 8:00 pm because the plane was late coming in from Frankfurt.  This, of course, was completely expected, and the news was announced in a timely way causing me no distress whatsoever.  I am often baffled when I watch people on the news on television weeping because their planes are late!  The joy of traveling is something to do with dealing cheerfully with the unexpected!

When we finally boarded, getting on the plane was quick and efficient, and the friendly flight attendant were helping all the passengers to put their bags in the overhead locker.

Flight 419 from Washington to Frankfurt on 11 February, 2010

Not long after take off, the attendants served drinks.  (Alcoholic drinks are free on Lufthansa.)  I had a scotch whisky and soda before dinner, and a very pleasant Riesling-based sparkling wine with my dinner.

Economy class dinner on Lufthana LH 419 on February 11, 2010

I did not have high expectations for the dinner, but it was actually rather tasty.  There was a nice appetizer course (top left of picture) consisting of large shrimps served over a bed of salad.  The main course was chicken served over a mixture of mashed potatoes and scallions with green beans.  The pudding looked dreadful, but it was actually very good — chocolate mousse with a fresh strawberry on the side.  The only minor complaint was the rubbery dyed cheese and the very artificial tasting “Naturally fresh” salad dressing.

Then it was resting time.  Before landing in Frankfurt, we were served a forgettable light breakfast with surprisingly good coffee.

Frankfurt Airport was suffering from delays too because of snow.  We were put in a holding pattern and eventually landed several hours later than the scheduled time.  I was delighted to fly at all on this very difficult day, and the Lufthansa crew provided us with excellent service.

The Stump Jump, Shiraz 2008

The Wine Spectator not only gave this McLaren Vale wine 90 points, but it also made it into the 2009 Top 100 Wines of the Year.

The label describes it as “gently crushed, fermented in open tanks, basket pressed and matured prior to bottling.”

The praise heaped upon this wine is richly deserved.  It has deep tastes of dark berries (blackberry and cherry).  An approachable wine, it displays some sweet fruit, relatively high alcohol (14.5%), and a nice mineral finish.  You may want to use a wine funnel with this wine as several bottles seem to have had lots of sediment.  The bottles have a screw top.  (I approve!)

So good that I bought a case of this wine, and I am off to buy a second one!  At only $10.99 a bottle, it is a terrific bargain.  It is going to be my “house wine” as long as it lasts.  Recommended.  A “must buy” wine if you can get your hands on it.

Readers in Columbia, Maryland can still get it at The Perfect Pour, where it is $10.99 before they have applied their case discount.  (Note that this post is written on March 9, 2009.  I doubt if it will be there for more than a few more weeks.)

Le Château Fort et son Musée Pyrénéan
Rue de Bourg
651 000
Lourdes

Tel: 0(033) 562 42 37 37

www.chateaufort-lourdes.fr

Prominently perched on the top of a high rock in the middle of Lourdes, the Château Fort (or stronghold) is virtually impossible for anyone to miss when they arrive in the city. It was certainly the first thing that caught my eye after I had made my way from the train station into the centre of town.

Attracted by this imposing yet fitting monument’s reign over the city, I navigated the streets below, and weaved my way towards the jutting outcrop of rock that is the castle’s base. Easily guided by a constant view of my destination, I found the entrance fairly quickly- a little wooden cabin on the north east side of the castle. I enquired about prices, and found that they were as follows:

Adults: 5 euros
Students: 3 euros
Children: 3 euros
Children under 6: free
Family (of 4): 12 euros

After paying the entrance fee, you have the choice of taking the lift or the stairs up to the castle. Not wanting to miss any views of either the city or the exterior of the castle, and rather liking the idea of the walk up anyway, I took the stairs. Seeing the castle slowly approach as you climb the stairs was a wonderful way of experiencing it for the first time, and I would advise everyone to do so, unless there’s a real reason you need the lift.

After you have reached the castle, you are guided around its interior by white arrows, sometimes formed of mosaic on the floor, other times just painted on the walls. You follow these through a variety of reconstructed rooms, taking you from an 18th century kitchen to a 19th Century bedroom. Some are even complete with models of appropriately dressed people.

Some of the rooms you’re guided through are more museum-like, with glass cabinets of numbered artefacts ranging from ploughs to candle-holders. Amongst the topics of the rooms are: wine-making, agriculture, funeral candles, weaving, Samadet porcelain and Pyrenean costumes. Each display has information boards which I found interesting, but would be of little use to anyone who doesn’t have a fairly good level of French, as they are not available in any other language. There are free 8 page paper leaflets available at the entrance in multiple European languages however, which give you basic information about most of the rooms you are led through.

A highlight of this tour is the view from the defensive platform at the south end of the castle, which gives you a 360 panorama of the city and the mountains. It is far more impressive than the disappointing keep, which, though higher, has no open roof and is therefore not nearly as good for views, as you have to peer out of the small, low windows.

The majority of the courtyard at the base of the keep has been turned into a pleasing botanic garden which works well against the stone of the cobbled floor and surrounding walls, and presents some species of Pyrenean fauna.

Dotted about the botanic garden are delightful little 1/10 scale models of Pyrenean (both French and Spanish) architecture, which kept me entertained for a good while.

I then descended the on the west side of the castle planning to exit on a different side. More wonderful views met me on the steep and sometimes cobbly way down.

I reached the Pyrenean cemetery at the bottom, had a quick glance at the tombstones and sarcophagi, and headed towards the big wooden gate. It was locked. I didn’t mind much as there had been lovely views on the way down, and, on reflection, I probably would have gone down and up again even if I had known I couldn’t get out that way. For anyone who doesn’t want an unnecessary descent and climb however, you have been warned! The real ways of getting back down from the castle are the same as those to get up: the stairs or lift on the east side of the castle.

I climbed back up the slope and, once back in the main courtyard, was spotted by a caretaker who had seen me go down and come up again. Clearly assuming that this a pointless excursion had bothered me, he kindly directed me into the lift on the other side of the castle, and, obviously thinking I was desperately thick too, pushed the down button for me before I had a chance to think up the kindest way to tell him I didn’t want his assistance as I would far rather take the steps back down. Alas.

I would definitely recommend a trip to the castle for anyone visiting Lourdes. At just 5 euros for marvellous views and a visit to a castle, museum and botanic garden all in one, it is well worth the price. I went around the castle in a very relaxed way, reading most information boards, and spent just under 2 hours there. You would be pretty hard pushed to try and spend more than 2 and a half hours I think, but trying to fit the castle into say an hour however, would be both stressful and wasteful in my opinion.

The bottle of Geyserville, 2007

If you think of Ridge Geyserville as a Zinfandel, look at this year’s label:  58% Zinfandel, 22% Carignane, 18% Petite Syrah, 2% Mataro (Mourvedre).

I am a great fan of Ridge, and this actually went way beyond my expectations.  At 14.4%, this wine had the best qualities of California Zinfandel-based wine with added complexity.  In addition to the deep blackberry fruit, there were added notes of chocolate, liquorice, and spiciness that created a marvelous sense of sophistication.   I suspect that this wonderful wine would have improved with age, but it was sensational when we drank it tonight.  Usually, you think of very drinkable wines as lacking in elegance and finesse.  This wine eloquently explains why that does not have to be true.

Our guest paid about $35 for this wine, which is more than our usual bottle price, but it was worth every penny of his money!  Highly recommended.

One thing I love about Ridge is the detail they provide for the consumers on the back of the bottle.  Click here to see the level of detail that they provide.  I think it is impressive.

Finally, I looked back at the last Geyserville I had written about when I had the 1999.  What a totally different wine!  It is interesting to see how differently the wine is made!  Click here for my tasting notes.

I had read a lot about Canadian Icewine for years, but I had never actually tried it until I flew in the First Class cabin of a British Airways flight from Washington to London in 2001.  The wine they served after dinner was a Riesling Icewine from Henry of Pelham.  I was hooked and resolved to try other Icewines and find out as much I could about them.  But I have never had an Icewine that is better than the ones from this little winery in St. Catharines, Ontario.

Icewines from Ontario are picked at temperatures from -8 to -13 degrees (centigrade).  The idea is that the grapes are frozen.  Then they are crushed enabling a separation of the water from the grape juice.  All grapes affected by botrytis cinerea (noble rot) are removed from the mix.  This results in age worthy, highly concentrated wine with a wonderful balance of sweetness and acidity.  I find they go nicely with rich pâté or blue cheese or fruit-based desserts.

I travel fairly often to Canada, and they sell Icewine at the duty free shops at the border.  Although I have tried many of them, I have never had better than those from Henry of Pelham, and, although they cost just a little bit more, I find that the Rieslings are much nicer than more commonly sold Vidals.

Tonight’s Riesling from Henry of Pelham was no disappointment.  Our guest wondered how Icewine fared with a little age on it.  My reply was that I did not know, but we would soon find out.  What a treat this was!

I had stored this wine in a wine refrigerator at 13 degrees Celsius since I bought it from the winery.  It was a little darker than I remember it when it was younger, but it had gained a nutty (hazelnuts?) complexity without losing any of its fruity acidity and freshness on the tip of the tongue as it enters your mouth.  It almost sparkled on the tip of the tongue.

To me, this is the gold standard in Canadian Icewine, and tonight’s experience showed that age only improves it.  If you are ever in the area, visit this winery.  The staff know their wines well and are honest in their assessment of the various vintages. I have been there twice and emerged on each occasion feeling more enlightened clutching my precious treasures.  By all means, try the Vidal, which is good.  But the few extra dollars for the Riesling are well spent.

I have had several years of the Icewine from Henry of Pelham, and I have never been disappointed.

I had a special invitation today from The Secret Sherry Society, which represents wine’s best kept secret….Sherry.

In partnership with The Embassy of Spain and Maryland Institute College of Art, they are hosting a cocktail reception next Monday evening (March 8th, 2010) at MICA with a senior mixologist from Washington, D.C.’s Jaleo.

And, very graciously, they are extending this invitation to all readers of louisandlouisa.com!  How very,very nice!

Preview Spain Arts and Culture 2010

6PM-10PM

Maryland Institute College of Art

1300 Mount Royal Avenue

Baltimore, MD 21216

6PM Cocktail reception hosted by The Secret Sherry Society with senior mixologist from Washington, D.C.’s award-winning Jaleo Restaurant.

7PM Lecture with world renowned designers and architects, Toormix, Nacho Carbonell and Vicent Guallart.

Sherry is indeed one of wine’s best secrets!  And I will be writing about sherry in the next few weeks.

Jaleo is also one of the area’s most interesting restaurants.  It is owned by José Andrés, who trained under Ferran Adria, the person behind El Bulli, one of the world’s most famous restaurants.  I love his food, his restaurants, and his television programs!

I will definitely be going, and it might be a nice opportunity to say hello to people who follow louisandlouisa!  If you are coming, drop me a note (louis@louisandlouisa.com) or comment, and I’ll look out for you!

Rue du Pont d’Arras
Les Grands Thermes Bagnères de Bigorre
France

Tel: 0(033) 562 95 86 95

Aquensis, a luxury thermal spa in the French town of Bagnères de Bigorre, takes its name from ‘Vicus Aquensis’, the latin for the town. This name shows what the Romans valued the settlement for- they were attracted by its natural warm springs, and Aquensis has cashed in on the town’s history to create an expensive luxury health resort.

Architecturally bizarre, Aquensis combines an ornate 19th Century building with a modern glass and wood porch surrounded with palm trees. I found myself automatically and involuntarily mildly offended by this seemingly misjudged disparity, before worrying I might be being a bit too conservative and deciding to make an effort to give this odd combination a chance.

I entered and found myself in a grand marble entrance hall with a strange strip of wiggly blue down the centre of the room, leading to a screen of glass and wood at the end.

Inexplicably drawn to the strange blue wiggle, I followed it along to the glass screen and peered between the beams of wood into what was obviously the main chamber of the spa.

Looking in at this room, I found myself close to laughter: it was as though someone, in a gesture of the greatest blasphemy, had taken the floor out of a small but pleasantly formed church (for some reason made of wood), inserted various random shaped pools and irrevently dropped in a few swimsuit clad heretics to complete the peculiar picture.

Aquensis itself describes its pools as `splendidly highlighted by an original architecture which sets up the site as a real Cathedral of the Well-being.’

At 16 euros for a two hour pass, I decided to give the spa a miss… I didn’t have any particular urge to mooch about in warm water for 2 hours at any rate.

I would advise anyone going to Bagnères de Bigorre to pay a visit to Aquensis to see its bizarre architecture at least. Whether you then decide to pay 16 euros (or more) to sample its waters as well is up to you… and your budget.