Mulhouse, France
The first stop of our Alsace trip was a tour of the Cite' de l' Automobile which contains the most extensive collection of Bugatti automobiles in the world. Hans and Fritz Schlumpf, two Italian brothers, were moved by their widowed mother to Mulhouse were they became very successful in the wool and spinning industry. Fritz began collecting cars and from 1964 on began housing them in one of the Mulhouse spinning mills.
Over the years nearly 400 items (vehicles, chassis and engines) were quietly grouped at the Mulhouse factory. The restoration crew was bound by an oath of secrecy and a wing of the former spinning mill was luxuriously refurbished for the vehicles.
With the downturn of the spinning industry in 1976 the Schlumpf brothers sold their factories. In October of that year a strike broke out in the area and the Schlumpfs fled to Switzerland. March of 1977 union activists broke into the "museum" and to their astonishment discovered the collection, renaming the find as "The Workers’ Factory". Under threat of sale to cover the corporation’s debts, the car collection was classified a French historic monument in 1978 by the Council of State and later sold to the National Automobile Museum Association.
Displayed in this vast section of the museum are 200 classic cars, dating from the very first cars ever made, to those of the 1970s, with the exception of racing cars and "prestige" cars of the period between the great wars. (www.collection-schlumpf.com/en/schlumpf/)
With the downturn of the spinning industry in 1976 the Schlumpf brothers sold their factories. In October of that year a strike broke out in the area and the Schlumpfs fled to Switzerland. March of 1977 union activists broke into the "museum" and to their astonishment discovered the collection, renaming the find as "The Workers’ Factory". Under threat of sale to cover the corporation’s debts, the car collection was classified a French historic monument in 1978 by the Council of State and later sold to the National Automobile Museum Association.
Displayed in this vast section of the museum are 200 classic cars, dating from the very first cars ever made, to those of the 1970s, with the exception of racing cars and "prestige" cars of the period between the great wars. (www.collection-schlumpf.com/en/schlumpf/)
Colmar in Alsace, France
Some say Colmar is the most beautiful city in Europe, a point that's hard to argue. It is also said that this is the town that inspired Walt Disney in developing the Magic Kingdom and Fantasy Land. All I know, is that you are constantly looking over your shoulder for Cinderella to appear!
Built at the confluence of the Lauch and Thur rivers in Alsace, south of Strasbourgh, Colmar dates back to around 823. The town was spared during the French Revolutionary War so many of the old stone building are still available for the enjoyment of the thousands that visit each year. It became an IDC spot for lunch in 2006 as a part of our tour through the wine regions of France.
We enjoyed the wonderful flowers, shops, winding streets and waterways and visited the Musee Unterlinden, housed in a former monastery, abandoned during the French Revolution and established as a museum in 1849. You can see a little of everything Alsace has to offer here, including archaeological objects, sculptures and paintings from the middle ages, and Renaissance art, as well as Alsatian popular and folk art.
(http://www.musee-unterlinden.com)
Built at the confluence of the Lauch and Thur rivers in Alsace, south of Strasbourgh, Colmar dates back to around 823. The town was spared during the French Revolutionary War so many of the old stone building are still available for the enjoyment of the thousands that visit each year. It became an IDC spot for lunch in 2006 as a part of our tour through the wine regions of France.
We enjoyed the wonderful flowers, shops, winding streets and waterways and visited the Musee Unterlinden, housed in a former monastery, abandoned during the French Revolution and established as a museum in 1849. You can see a little of everything Alsace has to offer here, including archaeological objects, sculptures and paintings from the middle ages, and Renaissance art, as well as Alsatian popular and folk art.
(http://www.musee-unterlinden.com)
Château de Gilly
The Château de Gilly, was home to the IDC as we visited the surrounding area. A former residence for the Cistercian Monks, it is located between Dijon and Beaune, 2-minutes from the village of Vougeot, the finest wine producing area in Burgundy. The Chateau has preserved its authentic 14th and 16th-century character, reflected in its moats, French-style gardens and a dining room with a magnificent vaulted ceiling.
Burgundy, France
The French wine-growing region of Burgundy is legendary for its legacy of both red Burgundy (Pinot Noir) and white Burgundy wines (Chardonnay). Burgundy lies on the eastern side of France and covers just over 100 miles. We toured the Clos de Vougeot, a wonderful vineyard dating back to the 1200s. The vineyard is shared between 80 owners with the average production per owner of around 1,000 bottles of wine with different labels based on placement of the the vines in the vineyard.
Our Gala dinner was at the restaurant Le Clos Prieur, in the Chateau, which offered an exceptional setting to enjoy regional gourmet cuisine. Set in the former 14th-century wine cellar of the monks of Gilly, the rib vaulted room is an example of extraordinary architectural design. Here the monks kept casks and barrels filled with wine from the Clos de Vougeot vines. The cuisine was flavoursome and sophisticated, accompanied by an excellent wine menu of no less than 6,000 bottles and 400 types of wine aged in the Château's cellars.
(www.hotel-chateau-de-gilly-vougeot.federal-hotel) |
Beaune, France
Located in the middle of the Côte d’Or, Beaune is the capital of the wine region. At its center is the Hospices de Beaune , with its inner courtyard and colorful tiled roof.
We arrived early on Saturday morning and enjoyed market day in the center of town followed by a private walking tour of the city and the Hospice. With the end of the Hundred Year War the majority of the people of Beaune were declared destitute. The Chancellor and his wife, Guigone de Salins, reacted by deciding to create a hospital and refuge for the poor.
The Hospices de Beaune received the first patient on January 1, 1452. Elderly, disabled, sick people, orphans, women about to give birth and the destitute have all been uninterruptedly welcomed for treatment and refuge for hundreds of years. Today the site is a museum.
We arrived early on Saturday morning and enjoyed market day in the center of town followed by a private walking tour of the city and the Hospice. With the end of the Hundred Year War the majority of the people of Beaune were declared destitute. The Chancellor and his wife, Guigone de Salins, reacted by deciding to create a hospital and refuge for the poor.
The Hospices de Beaune received the first patient on January 1, 1452. Elderly, disabled, sick people, orphans, women about to give birth and the destitute have all been uninterruptedly welcomed for treatment and refuge for hundreds of years. Today the site is a museum.
L'Ecusson
For dinner we went to L'Ecusson, one of the finest restaurants in the region. L'Ecusson specializes in dishes that strive to balance between the rustic flavours of Burgundy and classic French cuisine.
Virginia and Thomas Companion, owners, opened the restaurant in 1984. (www.ecusson.fr)
Virginia and Thomas Companion, owners, opened the restaurant in 1984. (www.ecusson.fr)
Georges Wenger - Hotel De Le Glare
There have only been a few times that the IDC traveled to visit with a particular chef but this trip was one of those occasions. Georges Wenger is a well renown Swiss chef that never stops reinventing the cuisine of the Swiss Jura region that he loves so much. He researches ancient cookbooks to reinvent a contemporary cuisine inspired by tradition. This is how the -tomme au foin- a mountain cheese left to ripen in hay - which had been forgotten since the 17th century- made its comeback on his menu. The IDC traveled to Le Noirmont Switzerland for this experience. (www.georgeswengerhotel.com)