Chocolate - Exploring Provence

Exploring Provence with a Visit to the Puyricard Chocolate Factory

March 4, 2017 by Ashley 4 Comments

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Without a doubt, the best chocolates in France are made by Puyricard. The long standing family tradition of making chocolate is, indeed, at its finest here due to the company continuing with the old-school way of chocolate making and the fact that everything is made with all natural ingredients. The name Puyricard is symbolic in France for fine tasting chocolates and as luck would have, the factory is open to the public for guided tours. The experience will allow you to dive into the heart of the chocolate-making processes. You will be able to watch the artisans as they meticulous work on their craft while the guide explains to you the intricate details of how the pieces are made. You will also get to do some taste- testing along the way, which of course will leave you wanting for more.

If you’ve ever wanted to watch and experience the old-fashioned way of making chocolate, then you will want to visit the Puyricard Chocolate Factory in Provence. The love and care the family and artisans put into their craft of finely made chocolates (and other confections) contributes to Puyricard being considered, in my opinion, the best chocolate in the world.

The Best Chocolate in the World in Born

The history of Puyricard begins well before the name and chocolaterie was ever thought of. It all began in 1960 in the Belgian Congo by Marie-Anne and Jean-Guy Roelandts, both of whom were Belgian expats there. At that time, Jean-Guy had an advertising agency and Marie-Anne was an apprentice for a chocolate maker. A few years went by and Marie-Anne became well known for her mastery at making fine tasting chocolates. At this time, she and Jean-Guy opened their first chocolate-making factory and were quite successful.

Though their business was a success, Marie-Anne and Jean-Guy were forced to leave their home in the Belgian Congo in 1967. In search for a sunny place to live, they moved to the village of Puyricard in the south of France, not far from Aix-en-Provence. Here they opened their little, chocolate making factory which they decided to name Puyricard, after the village they had come to love. Their hard work and continued commitment to making the finest chocolates paid off and today, Puyricard is considered to be the best chocolates in France, but I would say they are the best chocolates in the world.

Today, Tanguy Roelandts, the son of Marie-Anne and Jean-Guy, runs the company and continues to honor the tradition that his parents began nearly 50 years ago. He travels around the world searching for the just-right ingredients and flavor of cocoa beans ensuring that only the finest made chocolates are produced. Nearly every facet of the chocolate making process is done by hand and there are no artificial flavors, no additives or preservatives. Do to this, the chocolates must be consumed within a short duration of time. All of this put together makes Puyricard chocolate one of the most pleasurable eating experiences I’ve ever had.

The Tour Starts With A Film

The tour of the factory starts in the main boutique. I would suggest getting there early so you can shop around and sample the many chocolates and dessert biscuits and other confections that are available.

Next, everyone on the tour will be taken to a room just next to the boutique where you will watch an excellent short film (around 10 minutes) on the history of the Roelandts family and Puyricard. The film is only in French, but there are English subtitles so not to worry for those of you who don’t speak French. I quite liked this part of the tour, because it gives you a feel and flavor of why and how things were, and are, done in order to bring you the finest chocolates imaginable.

Once the film is over, you will be directed to leave all your items behind in the room. This means purses, cameras, coats, scarves, etc. The room is securely locked so you don’t have to worry about anything being taken.

NOTE: THERE ARE NO PHOTOS ALLOWED ON THE TOUR

NOTE: Wear comfortable shoes. This is not a tour for high-heeled or uncomfortable shoes.

The “no photos during the tour” rule is a bummer for obvious reasons, but once the tour is under way you realize why. The company of course would want to publish their own photos for press and proprietary reasons, but what I think might be more important is that once you see how the artisans work, it would be way too distracting and bothersome for them to have tons of people come through on tours every day snapping photos. It would also take away the privacy of the artisans so the no photo rule is, I think, a good one.

The Rules of the Puyricard Factory Tour

Once everyone has shed all their valuables and are ready to go, the guide will walk you across the parking lot and into the first area of the factory. Upon entering, each person must wipe their shoes on a special mat. Then everyone must wash and dry their hands in the cleaning area. Lastly everyone will be given a white, paper gown to put on and a white, paper hat called a Charlotte. For people with long hair, you must put all your hair up and tuck it inside this hat.

The Main Entrance to the Puyricard Chocolate Factory

Next, before entering the main part of the factory, the guide will give you the rules. All rules are common sense rules so it’s nothing out of the ordinary. The top ones being:

Do not touch anything. If you touch something, the workers have to go through and painstakingly clean everything down from top to bottom and they obviously don’t really want to do this since it stops their all-important chocolate making work.
Stay together at all times. Please do not lag behind in the group or wonder off.
Don’t bother the workers. You are there as a guest and to listen to the guide. If you have questions then ask them to the guide and he/she will undoubtedly give you the most detailed answer imaginable. Don’t bother the workers, remember, they have important chocolate making to get to.
Walk carefully. The floor is a bit slippery due to the chocolate shavings or ingredients that have fallen onto it. Be very careful and walk slow as you proceed through the tour.
If you are going to faint or feel like you are, signal to the guide before doing so and falling face first into the chocolate or on the floor. Apparently, there have been cases where the strong and over-powering smell of delicious chocolate has caused some people to faint or feel like they are going to. I completely understand this sensation and so does the guide. No judging here, just signal before you cause a scandal.

Getting Started on the Chocolate Factory Tour

Once everyone is all gowned up and clear about the rules, the doors to the factory open and the tour begins. The first thing that hits you is the most magnificent smell of fine chocolate. It’s actually overcoming in such a wonderful way.

The guide will take you around to different stations and while you watch the artisans work, he/she will tell you about the processes they are preforming from start to finish. At each station, the guide is super detailed on how things are done and why they are done in such a fashion. As you move around the factory you will get to see the different types of jobs the artisans do as well as all the differences in how certain chocolates are made. At multiple different times during the tour, you will be treated to taste-testing what the artisans are making.

The best chocolates in the world are from Puyricard

You will also get to see all the different molds that are used and how they are filled, emptied and cleaned. Depending on what time of year you visit, the finished products on the shelves will be different. My family took the tour in the spring, just before Easter, so much of the tray-filled items were chocolate Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies.

Not only will you see the processes on how the chocolates are made, but also the process by which some are coated with even more chocolate and you will get to watch the wheel of chocolate. This happened to be my personal favorite. It is actually a wheel that is covered in liquid chocolate and as it rotates around, a chocolate waterfall lands in a basin. To have one of these in my home would be a marvelous thing, indeed!

The last thing on the tour is the care and cleaning of the facility and the plastic, chocolate molds. This is really interesting because apparently it all has to be done in such a specific way and with a specific type of product because if not, the product will stay on the molds and will affect the taste of the chocolate.

As you exit the factory, you are lead back into the room you first started in and will discard your paper gown and hat and then head back towards the room where your personal belongings were left. To conclude the tour, a tray with a lot of different chocolates is set on a table and you can have as many as you want to your hearts delight.

Chocolate all packaged for the season at Puyricard

Warning on this: My husband ate too much chocolate while in the boutique before the tour, during the tour and on this last part of the tour. So about 5 minutes after leaving the facility he had a complete sugar rush proceeded by a total sugar crash. Needless to say, I did the driving home while he slept on the passenger’s side. So, if you really, really like chocolate and are not able to control yourself (which is so understandable here) then maybe have a designated driver on the way home!

Facts About Puyricard’s Best Chocolate in the World

Nearly 50% of their annual sales takes place during the Christmas season

90% of their chocolates for Christmas are made in December

Molded chocolates are nearly 70% of their production

A master chocolate maker can make 20 kg of molded chocolate per day

Puyricard only has chocolate boutiques in France. Today, there are 20 such boutiques all around the country.

It takes 1 minute and 10 seconds to make a piece of their chocolate

Other Random Facts About Chocolate

The French eat nearly 7 kg of chocolate per person, per year.

In the year 2010, the French consumed 403,000 tons of chocolate.

France is the third largest consumer in Europe behind Germany and the United Kingdom

Information About The Tour

Address

Avenue Georges de Fabry

13540 Puyricard

France

Taking the tour at the Puyricard Chocolate Factory

Tour Availabilities

Tours takes place during the months of January through October. The tour does not operate during November and December.

Tour days are Monday through Thursday only

The tours are in French, but there are English tours available and you will need to specifically ask for when one is available.

There must be a minimum of 10 people on the tour or it will be canceled.

Prices

10 Euros per person

Age Requirement

Children must be over the age of 10 years (this would definitely fall under family fun things to do)

Duration of the Tour

Around 2 hours

Reservations are Required

There are set times for each day when tours will take place therefore you will need to make a reservation. There are a few ways to do this:

Call the main office at 0033 (0)4 42 28 18 14
Email them for information at visite@puyricard.fr
Go online here, make your reservations and pay.

For any additional information you can find it on the company website which is in both French and English.

BONUS: Since 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the Puyricard Chocolate Factory, anyone born in 1967 gets a special gift when visiting the boutiques this year. Just let them know that you are celebrating your 50th birthday in 2017, too, and show proof of this and your special gift awaits you.

I would love to hear how your tour went and what your favorite part was so please let me know by leaving me a comment below.

The location map, along with my Google Local Guide review, is here.

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Exploring Provence with a visit to the Christmas Market in Aix-en-Provence

December 10, 2016 by Ashley Leave a Comment

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It’s that magical time of year, Christmas in Provence. If you happen to be here during the month of December, visiting Aix-en-Provence and the Christmas Market is a must.

Visiting Aix-en-Provence

Even if your main reason for going to Aix-en-Provence is to explore the Christmas Market scene, taking the time to discover the village is also an exciting thing to do. I have a personal connection to this village since I lived here for two years while attending a university in the city center. There is a rhythm and flavor here that is all its own. The village is popular with the young crowd due to the high volume of universities in and around the area and the large population of students that live here during the year. It is equally popular for tourist during Christmas time and the summer months.

The Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur or in English, Cathedral of the Holy Savior

The village was founded in 123 B.C. by the Romans, hence, the wonderful architecture that still exist today. During the month of December these buildings are lit up with Christmas decorations that give them an even more amazing feel and look and all of the shops are “dressed-up” for the season.

Savon de Marseille — Store of savon de Marseille during Christmas time in Aix-en-Provence

Colorful display of soaps from Marseille — The wonderful display of colorful Savons de Marseille in Aix-en-Provence

Even though there are lots of goodies to partake of when shopping at the Christmas Market, I still have two favorite places I go for treats for myself and presents for my family and friends.

The Delectable Chocolates of Chocolaterie de Puyricard

One of those places is the Chocolaterie de Puyricard. From the moment I was introduced to this amazing place, I was hooked. I have never found another company who makes chocolate as delicious as Puyricard. To prove it, I’ve tested it out on family and friends and they’ve all had the same reaction and the same phrase comes right out of their mouth (after downing enough chocolate to put them into a comma), “This is the best chocolate that I’ve ever tasted in the whole, wide, world”, they all say. Each year at Christmas my family makes the trek to Aix-en-Provence to not only explore the Christmas Market, but to gather the traditional Puyricard chocolate presents. We seriously have friends who ask us months in advance if we are getting them their prized chocolate gift for Christmas!

Inside the Chocolate shop of Puyricard — The Chocolaterie de Puyricard

The moment you step into the store, is the moment you’ve been held captive. The sight of all the different chocolates behind the glass and the scent that hangs in the air just doesn’t let go of you. The workers behind the counter are courteously waiting to take your order, but you can’t move or think about what you want because you’re so mesmerized by what you are seeing and smelling. I know you all reading this are thinking that I’m off my rocker, but I’m telling you that I’m immobile in this place. I would think that after so many years of going here I would get used to it, but no, it never happens. I have the same reaction each year.

The thing that makes this chocolate so much more delicious than any other is the fact that it is all hand-made, the old fashioned way, with no preservatives and no artificial flavors. While in the store, there is a film playing on the making of the chocolate. This happens to be another thing that they captivate you with.

When ordering, I always choose to go the custom box route. This is where you choose a box size, out of a few different sizes and weights, and then the workers go about picking and choosing all the little chocolates that will go inside the box. They have every type known to man including those with liquor inside. Once your box, or boxes in my case, are full, then the workers wrap them up neatly with beautiful, seasonal paper and decorations. If an entire box of chocolate is too much for you to handle, then they also offer chocolate bars, breaker chocolate and all sorts of other types of specialty chocolate items. There is something for everyone in this place. Then to top it off, they offer you a sample taste of what’s special that day. It’s impossible for you to leave without a smile on your face and something to take with you.

For the faint at heart, be careful about how much you purchase. The overwhelming feeling of being in this fantastic place that snares the senses will run away with you and in turn, your pocket book. For this chocolate does not come cheaply my friends so be prepared when the cashier rings up your purchase. It is well worth it in my book, though.

My review on Google Local Guides is here along with some photos.

Cookies, Chocolates, and Lollipops of La Cure Gourmande

As if the chocolate was not enough for me, the very next place I go to is La Cure Gourmande. This is an all together different kind of experience. In here, you will find delicious cookies, lollipops, chocolates, caramel squares (my personal favorite) and specialty treats. Their store is a wonder of pastel colors and they have the most amazing posters that you can purchase. The displays are so appealing to the eye that you feel as if you stepped back in time. Their style is very traditional, late 1800’s or early 1900’, as is evident on all of their packaging. Vibrant and detailed illustrations are seen everywhere.

La Cure Gourmande-treats — La Cure Gourmande in Aix-en-Provence

Cookies — The chocolate chip cookies or biscuits at La Cure Gourmande in Aix-en-Provence

When entering the store, my husband heads straight for the lollipops and I make a beeline for the caramels. We never fail to grab these items right off the bat. His recommendation for the lollipops is the raspberry ones, and my recommendation for the caramels are the chocolate, café, and vanilla ones. I stop myself at 3 each for fear that I’ll just go hog wild because usually I eat them all in one sitting. Once I start, I can’t stop. For the lollipops, if you buy ten of them, you get one for free and of course, that’s what my husband does.

We usually end up buying a few extra items to put with the chocolate gifts we send to our family and friends. Go big or go home, right? There happens to be two La Cure Gourmande stores in Aix-en-Provence. One is situated just across from the tourist office and the other is across from the Hotel de Ville. Both have the same items, but their look and feel is a little different. If you have the time or inclination, visit both.

The Caramel Squares — My favorite caramel squares at La Cure Gourmande

My review on Google Local Guides is here along with some photos.

The Santons of Provence

When you finally head towards the Christmas Market lining the streets of the Cours Mirabeau, make sure you stop to see the Foire aux Santons. This is a specialty of Provence and if you have never seen these little, terracotta, hand-painted figurines and villages before, then it is a must. Children and adults alike will be delight by the small villages, animals and traditional costumes of these masterpieces. Pay close attention to those that are still handcrafted by the traditional method. They are the ones you will want to purchase. The art of handcrafting Santons originated in Marseille during the late 1700’s. The tradition remains alive and well in Provence and though they can be purchased all year around, the most popular time of year to see and buy them is at Christmas. I’ve long been amazed at the beauty and intricacy of the Santons. The color, the detail and the old, Provencal clothing that is painted onto the figurines is just spectacular.

The little Santons — The wonderfully, hand-made Santons of Provence

Usually the artisans are all together in one area so you can walk through and admire their handy work and purchase items for your collection. It can get very crowded so you will have to be patient and wait to get up close to see everything, but it is well worth it.

Traditional figurines called Santons — Traditional figurines of Provence called Santons

The Cours Mirabeau and the Aix-en-Provence Christmas Market 2016

As the sun sets and the Christmas lights of the Cours Mirabeau come on; you really start to get into that magical feeling of Christmas in Provence. The street is lined with little, wooden chalets where artisans are selling food, drinks, barb-a-papa (cotton candy), toys, traditional soaps and oils of Marseille, dishes, jewelry and much, much, more.

I prefer to visit the Christmas Market the very first weekend of December. The crowds are less at that time and it allows you to get up close and personal to the chalets. As Christmas time approaches, it becomes too crowded and hard to see anything, and in my opinion, not so much fun.

The crowds at Christmas Market in Aix-en-Provence

The first weekend, however, is delightful. There are enough people out and about to still give you the feeling of that Christmas hustle and bustle and all around enjoyment of the excitement of the season, but you are still able to maneuver around and see everything. It’s also the time to get your pick of the good stuff! Some of my favorites are the hand-made dishes and glassware, the colorful candles, the chocolates molded into life-like items and the hand-made, wooden kitchen items. Of course I love the food, too! There are also rides for the kiddies.

Hand-made dishes at the Christmas Market in Aix-en-Provence

Chocolates and Calissons at the Christmas Market in Aix-en-Provence

The nice thing about the Christmas Market in Aix-en-Provence is it’s just the right size. Not too big, not too small and it’s contained on one street only, the widest and most popular, the Cours Mirabeau. I’ve been to other Christmas markets and even though they were fantastic, I felt a bit overwhelmed by just too much to see, do and eat. The market in Aix-en-Provence, is the perfect size for everyone. You can find all the gifts you need and grandma, grandpa and the kids won’t feel like they got run over by a Mac truck and need to sleep for a week afterwards!

Chocolates Molded into Shapes — The amazing display of chocolates molded into shapes at the Christmas Market in Aix-en-Provence

Colorful candles — The colorful candle display at the Christmas Market in Aix-en-Provence

Since the chalets are in one, straight line, it’s easy to go from one to the other and take as little or as much time as you need. Many of the artisans speak English and can answer any questions you have about their items.

I must give a plug for the Polish man who is there every year to sell his photographic masterpieces. Unfortunately, he has no website and remains fairly anonymous to the rest of the world, but you cannot miss him. He has the chalet that is full of his most amazing photography all ready to be mounted and displayed. His photos of the region, and of Aix-en-Provence, are a wonder and should not be missed. They are well worth the purchase in order to have a souvenir of your trip. If you want to take home something lovely from your time in Aix-en-Provence, then his work is it.

The Final Hours

As you come to the end of the street and the chalets, take a walk across to the other side of the Cours Mirabeau where the bars, restaurants and shops are. It’s a nice and less hectic walk and you can see all the chalets from a different perspective. It also gives you the opportunity to pop in and have a nice warm drink while people watching (which happens to be a sport of mine). You can rest those weary feet and still continue to enjoy the evening.

The crowds — A little crowd of people on the Cours Mirabeau at the Christmas Market in Aix-en-Provence

Before leaving, my family visited the International Christmas Market of Twin Cities that was being held in the new part of city center. Here we found items displayed from Portugal, the United Kingdom, Israel, and Morrocco, just to name a few. It was very crowded in this indoor tent that the city had put up especially for this year’s market, but nevertheless, I was able to get a few shots and taste tests, of the goodies and specialty foods being sold.

Goodies from Portugal at the Christmas Market in Aix-en-Provence

Painted Dishes — Painted dishes and items from Portugal at the Christmas Market in Aix-en-Provence

Treats from Italy — Specialty chocolates from Italy at the Christmas Market in Aix-en-Provence

Selection of Tea — Selection of tea at the Christmas Market in Aix-en-Provence

If you do happen to make it to the Aix-en-Provence Christmas Market, I would love to hear how you liked it and what your favorite stores and chalets were to visit. I’d also love to hear about your chocolate experience, too!

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Exploring Provence with a visit to Garéoult

December 1, 2016 by Ashley 4 Comments

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The town of Garéoult, in the Var department, is a nice, family-fun, place to visit in Provence.

The village is located about 30 minutes north of Toulon in the French countryside. There is no longer a chateau here and no “tourist attractions” per say, but even so, the village offers a nice day trip to those wanting to get off of the beaten path and spend a relaxing, casual day out with the family. It also offers some nice pieces of history to see, a couple of good restaurants and a tea house. There is a newly-made parking lot just off of the main highway D554.

It is situated on a plateau surrounded by hills and vineyards. The forest to the north is called the Garéoult forest and is around 700 hectares. It is made up of mainly white oaks and Scottish Pines. It also serves as a great place to hike and gives an impressive view of the landscape when you are up in the hills. The southern area is made up of around 500 hectares of vineyards. This area is called La Provence Verte (Green Provence) because it is an area where it rains quite a bit. It is also an area where the famous Mistral winds can blow very violently.

Gallo Roman Times and Middle Ages.

This village dates back to the Gallo-Roman time period, but the majority of its known history began in the Middle Ages. During a renovation project in 1988, when the city was putting in a public swimming pool, excavators found 90 burial sites. Archeologists were called in and after careful examination of the remains, found that the oldest dated back to the Gallo-Roman times and the most recent ones dated back to the Middle Ages. Today, in the small town hall (Mairie) museum called, La Nécropole Louis Cauvin, a set of one of the remains from the 1^st century A.D. is on display along with some of the earthenware artifacts that were found.

The skeletal remains from 1 A.D in La Nécropole Louis Cauvin in Garéoult

There are also illustrated panels on the excavation and the burial rituals of that time period. I encourage you to start here so you can get in a bit of history and also find some brochures in the lobby area of things to see and do in the surrounding area.

Historical Timeline Panels in La Nécropole Louis Cauvin in Garéoult

Around the year 1500, an animal powered olive oil mill was constructed in the center of the village. The mill continued to operate until the year 1956 when the olive fields that surrounded the community froze.

The Village Fountains

There are eight fountains in the village that are continuously fed by the spring called Saint Medard. The oldest of these fountains was built in 1745 and restored in 2000. You can see this fountain just outside the town hall in a square by the church. It is called “The 4 Seasons”. The restoration was done by the village’s stone cutter. It has a dagger shape to show the power of the Lord and the four faces that surround it are to represent the four seasons. It is surrounded by trees that are several hundred years old.

Saint Etienne Church

Facing the Four Seasons fountain is the original church which was built in a Romanesque style between the years 1045 and 1048. On top of the church is a wrought-iron, ornamented, bell tower which was built in 1842.

Clock Tower in Garéoult — Clock tower of church Saint Etienne in Garéoult

Saint Etienne Church — Side view of Saint Etienne church and bell tower in Garéoult

The church was partially destroyed, but rebuilt in 1848 using the original stones.

The bell tower in Garéoult — The bell tower of Saint Etienne in Garéoult

Inside the church are fifteen classified works, some of them being statues and busts, bells, a pulpit, an alter and a painting of three saints.

Inside Saint Etienne church in Garéoult — Inside Saint Etienne Church in Garéoult

Some of the historical artifacts in the church Saint Etienne in Garéoult

Painting inside the church Saint Etienne in Garéoult

The Ancient Bread Oven

Walking just north you will find the “four banal” or tax oven. It has been in the center of the village for over 500 years. Here was where the villagers had to pay a tax to the overseeing lord in order to bake their bread. Nowadays, villagers and visitors may go and get some freshly baked bread here twice a year, near Christmas and on Saint John’s day and participate in the celebration of the history of the village.

The 500 year old bread oven "four banal" in Garéoult — The 500 year old bread oven “four banal” in Garéoult

Buying Community Wine

Continue making your way north to a street called Avenue Etienne Gueit and walk towards the west. Here you will find a wine cooperative which was constructed at the end of the 20^th century. It’s called Le Cellier Provençal and has been newly restored in the year 2016 with a new store in which you can by wine from the community vines. I encourage you to buy a few bottles as souvenirs of your trip. Currently there are several domains in Garéoult which carry on the important tradition of wine making in this area. They are: The Domaine de Cambaret, Domaine de Garbelle, Domaine de la Bastides des Oliviers and Domaine de Château de Chaberts.

Le Cellier Provencal wine store in Garéoult

The Chapel Saint Felix

The little chapel Saint Felix in Garéoult

Make your way to the northern, outer rim and located just outside the village center you will find the Chapel Saint Felix on a small hill. This religious building was built in 1885 and dedicated to the saint who came to Garéoult during August 1854 when a Cholera epidemic killed 70 people in 25 days. He is considered the town hero for helping to save the rest of the population.

The chapel has been newly restored during the last few years thanks to the generous donations and time of the people of the town. It is open each Thursday afternoon and the first Sunday of September, there is a procession to it.

In order to get to the chapel, you must make your way across the street and follow the walking path to the cemetery.

Tree-lined Path in Garéoult — This tree-lined path takes you toward passed the cemetery and towards Saint Felix in Garéoult

Just passed the cemetery, you will see a small house at the edge of a vineyard. Pass by the house and you will see the sign indicating the chapel. Take the stony path to the left of the sign and in about a one or two minute walk, you will see the chapel. On the far side of the chapel is a little area to sit and enjoy the view.

A side view of Saint Felix chapel in Garéoult

The front of Saint Felix Chapel in Garéoult

The view from the front of Saint Felix Chapel in Garéoult

A Walk Around

After a small break, go back down the path you came up on and when you reach the street, turn left. Continue down this street and it will open up to vineyards. Take a right turn at the first intersection you come to. As you walk down this street, vineyards will be on your right and both houses on the hill and vineyards will be on your left. The road wines around for a while.

When you come to the end of the street there will be a stop sign. Turn right here and this street will take you back to the center of the village. You will pass the tennis courts and the public swimming pool (where the ancient burial site was). Then you will see the main, town round-about. Cross the street to enter into the old part of town. This is the main street where all the stores are.

The round about leading to the main street in Garéoult

If you are in the mood for the best cakes you will probably ever have, stop into the bakery just on the left after the round-about. It’s called La Fournee de Bella. There is something for everyone at this patisserie. My review on Google Local Guides is here along with some photos.

Continue to make your way down the main street. If the hunger bug hits you, I recommend the two restaurants in town. One is a pizza place called La Table de Lilou and the other is an Asian restaurant called Saveurs d’Asie and as luck would have it, they are right next to each other on Boulevard du Mourillon. Both offer delicious food and in the spring and summer they have outdoor seating under the trees.

The town also offers a cute, little tea house called Variations Autour du Thé. The inside is very inviting with a small table area. They offer all sorts of teas, coffees, hot chocolates, crepes and a host of other small meals and drinks. It’s a very cozy place and my personal preference, the dark hot chocolate. They give you a large cup of milk with a block of chocolate next to it and you swirl the chocolate around in the milk to make your own hot chocolate. Very tasty!

Getting ready to make hot chocolate at Variations Autour de Thé in Garéoult

Nice cup of hot chocolate — The finished hot chocolate.

They also sell, tea pots, cups made from a local artisan, chocolate, and a host of things that are great for gifts or souvenirs. My review on Google Local Guides is here.

Please note the days and times that specific places are open. Typically, things to see and visit are closed during lunch time and on Sundays and restaurants adhere to a pretty strict lunch schedule between 12:00 and 2:00 and a dinner schedule of 7:00 to 9:30ish.

I hope you take time out and enjoy your adventure here. I would love to hear how your visit went and what you enjoyed the most so please let me know by leaving me a comment below.

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