Epilogue – Memories to last a lifetime.

When we first talked about traveling to Chablis and staying for a month, we had some doubts. We wondered if it would be a silly attempt to prove how much we enjoyed traveling throughout France. We had questions about whether our limited knowledge of the French language would be a hindrance. We also worried that the townsfolk would not like us as outsiders.

When our friends Nancy and Michael said that they’d be willing to join us for a part of our stay, we were delighted. We would have friends to share our adventure and someone to talk to if others shunned us. I know…how dramatic!

Well, from the first day in Chablis, we knew we had made the right decision.

So these are just OUR random reflections. Not a guidebook, not a promotion…just our opinions. Here we go:

Chablis:

Chablis was exactly what we wanted it to be. It’s a smaller town with a population of around 2,500. It has history, it has architecture, it has character, it has wine, it has charm and it has some very warm and welcoming people.

It was a great location for exploring. We could walk around town or we could drive to many interesting places without much effort. We used the Waze app while driving around, but the roads are well marked and well maintained. We didn’t do much driving when it got dark though, as you won’t be finding street lamps in the middle of the countryside.

We loved our routine walks to the small market and boulangeries. Walking back with our supplies or fresh baguette, sandwiches and pastries had us feeling like we were part of the townscape. We became regulars and were greeted as friends rather than strangers after just a couple of visits.

Being in a small town meant that everything was within walking distance. We didn’t put many miles on the car since we were able to walk to dinners, tastings and shops. It will take some getting used to having to drive everywhere at home. I want to walk around the corner and get a breakfast pastry or fresh baguette instead of having to go to the supermarket.

Accommodations:

There are some nice places to stay within town. However, we struck gold when we found the house that we stayed in. It allowed us to ‘live’ in Chablis, not just visit. What I mean by that is that we could be comfortable in the space rather than having to share common space with others. We had a salon, a kitchen, a dining room, a study, an upstairs, multiple bathrooms and outdoor space. We never felt like we were on top of each other, even when there were four of us in the beginning.

We had great hosts that were always an email or phone call away for any questions. We communicated before, during and at the end of our stay and they were helpful in getting us settled, showing us what we needed to be aware of and even made their housekeeper available to us during our time there.

It was also nice to be able to grab breakfast, lunch or snacks and bring them back home. We didn’t do much cooking at the house, but we could warm things up and that hot cup of tea in the morning was always a treat. Relaxing outdoors on the warm days was an extra treat too, as were our ‘home picnic’ breakfasts and lunches.

Restaurants:

We had a nice rotation going with the restaurants in town. If you followed the blog, you saw some mighty fine eating going on. We never had a sub-par meal at any of the restaurants we went to. Whether it was a lighter meal, tapas or fine dining, the one common thread was that it was delicious and freshly prepared.

Part of traveling is fitting in and trying different foods. We had that chance once again with different ingredients in our meals. There wasn’t any one big item this trip, but there were things like tonka beans, damsoms and sea buckthorn. We’d never heard of them before, but they sure made our meals tasty.

The other important note was that it was all reasonably priced. Most of the time we would select the dinner menu, which was an entrée, plat and dessert for a fixed price. So most of those scrumptious meals were fixed price combos for less than 40 euros. And even when we went ala carte. especially for the tapas, the prices were excellent. The price gauge only moved when we ordered pricier wines, however even the wine prices were reasonable. I can tell you that our selections would have been much different if we were paying Paris or USA prices.

People:

This is probably the thing that stands out above everything else for us. We had spent 48 hours in Chablis two years ago and that was enough to make us want to come back. Now we’d be there for four weeks. Would that same vibe be there for us ? In very big letters – YES!!

Our first encounter was with the house owners and they were lovely people. What a great way to ease into our stay. After that, the next group of people we would meet were all service-related people: restaurant hosts, shopkeepers, and winery people. Everyone seemed to appreciate our attempts at speaking French or encouraged our use by helping guide us through when we’d get stuck. Nobody laughed, were impatient or discouraged us at all.

After a few days, we would get smiles or waves from individuals that we had previously met with. By the time we left, we received some very nice goodbyes and a few hugs or handshakes with pleasant exchanges saying they hoped we would return.

Things to do:

Chablis is located in the Yonne region and within a short drive, there are plenty of things to see and do if you want to wander. Hiking, biking, boating, cave exploration, wine tasting, history, castle building and beautiful landscapes are just some of the options you have nearby. We’re older with some aches and pains, so while hiking and biking weren’t high on our list of activities, there were plenty of other things that we enjoyed.

We loved our visit to the Guédelon Castle site. It was like getting to peek back in history, without having to deal with the plague or rogue highwaymen.

Pontigny Abbaye was another beautiful place to visit. Historic and serene with a well-presented story.

Walking through Noyer-sur-Serein was another wonderful experience. Being from the US, this is another place that has been around longer than our country was even supposedly discovered.

Honestly, I only had one complaint while we were driving through some incredible landscapes. There were no real places to pull over and take pictures and marvel at the beauty. I would have taken many more pictures if there had been.

Wine:

While it isn’t for everyone, it is for us. Since we were driving on our own, we didn’t do any tastings outside of town. All of our wine drinking was done at wineries around town, at restaurants with meals or at the house. Not frat house drinking, but rather getting to taste some of the best wines available with friends or while relaxing.

If you enjoy Chablis wine, then there is nowhere else that you want to be. Each restaurant had incredible wine selections available and at many different price levels. Being in Chablis was eye-opening when it comes to wine pricing. We were amazed at the prices, easily 25 – 50% lower than what we end up paying for them when they finally get to the US.

Summary:

What a magnificent experience!

Our time in Chablis completely exceeded our expectations. People keep asking me what I would change and my answer remains the same…nothing! Even the little stretch of chilly, rainy days didn’t dampen our spirits. You just accept it and go with the flow. (Ok, a little whining is acceptable).

It took a lot of time to plan things out and take care of all the details, but like I always say: “That’s what winter days are for”.

Now, on to the next one…