In the late 15^th century and 16^th century, numerous Jews escaped the harshness of the inquisition in Portugal and Spain to arrive in Bayonne. Among them, there were some chocolate making artisans. With them, they introduced coco beans into the country and brought the techniques of chocolate making. Bayonne became the first chocolate city in France.

The appetite and interest for chocolate only started in the 17^th century. Back then, chocolate was considered a luxury and used as a sought out gift to  famous visitors. Progressively it became a favourite among the local nobility in town and of the Labourd province of the Basque region. By the 19^th century, generations of chocolate makers had established various family dynasties and  expanded their product line to be offered as candies, patisseries or ice cream. Prior to that time, chocolate was consumed exclusively as a spiced coco drink following well kept recipes. Chocolate makers travelled to the homes of wealthy merchants to prepare the drink in full secret in the kitchen of their clients. The techniques and ancestral recipes were indeed the domain of the Jewish community established in the St Esprit neighbourhood of Bayonne. Under the second Empire,, well-off Bayonnais would start the tradition to come and sip a cup of chocolate  under the arches of rue Portneuf where one can still find today the most prestigious chocolate makers in town. In the 20^th century, industrial chocolate making robs the city from its unique title in France. In 1945, 15 chocolate makers remain alive employing 250 employees.

In 1993, the academia of Bayonne chocolate making is created  to promote the unique quality of chocolate making done the traditional way, by artisans. The Journée du Chocolat, the Day for Chocolate is launched to establish this culinary tradition as a key component of Bayonne gastronomy and cultural heritage.

In 2013, the 20th Journée du Chocolat took place on May 11, and made a point to honor the life and history of the first Jewish communities who brought their chocolate making know-how to the town. Conferences were offered at the synagogue to tell the stories of 200 years of the harsh lives of those Jewish immigrants settling and creating a new neighbourhood on a separate bank of the Adour river.  Chocolate deeping, tasting, and  chocolate making tours were proposed by the members of the academia (Andrieu, Cazenave, Daranatz, Pariés, Pascal,…). A parade of giant puppets made of papier mâché, local musicians and inputs from Portuguese folklore were also on the agenda. A great day to be in town!

To finish with a personal note, my grand-mother initiated me to the tradition of going to one of the old fashioned tea rooms under the arches of rue Port Neuf for a cup of  sublime chocolate topped up by divine crème fouettée. I felt the responsibility to share this pleasure with my children who know appreciate a bit more the difference in chocolate quality. Definitely a must stop for my Expérience Authentique guests! Cazenave old fashion tea room is my favourite.

I liked this Globe and Mail article Arrive as a Stranger. Leave as an Expert published in May 7 paper version . It contains travel advice on how to explore a new city in a meaningful fashion. The goal is to  leave with a deeper understanding of the place. The author used Paris as an example many people can relate to since it is such a well traveled place. Unfortunately, I could not find the on-line version of the article with a link to share on this post. Here are the 8 suggestions, all extracted from Alexander Besant ‘s article:

1. Head to the outskirts  [...] and make your way back in to the center: move through the various layers of the city – all through those diverse socio-economic and demographic groups – to find out how people live in various neighbourhoods.
2. Become a regular: make a point to go back to the same spot everyday to sit down ( a café for instance), read the newspaper and internalize the rhythm of the place. Soak up the environment, no better way to feel like you belong
3. Ditch the hotel and opt for some vacation rental option instead  to pretend to live there; open yourself to new opportunities and chats as a local with merchants, neighbours etc…
4. Visit the slums to open your eyes and minds. Part of seeing a city is acknowledging and understanding its extremes. Use caution for sure but these places are rarely dangerous to outside visitors and offer perspective into problems that face that city
5. Act like you own the place: do not miss the other side of the coin. Book a table in the most renowned restaurant or bar in the city popular with its elite. Order a glass of champagne, sit back and watch.
6. Create your own soundtrack: find songs from or about the city you`re visiting and put them on your music player. Plug in your headphones and start walking. When back home, play the music again, and it will bring back wonderful memories
7. Embark on a well-researched mission: the author embarked on finding the best bread in Paris as an example to force himself to visit several neighbourhoods.  Researching the best baguette in Paris  does not inspire me but I like the neat angle of the mission. I would enjoy walking through the various locations described in a book ( like the Da Vinci Code walking tours in Paris) or songs that you love, to trace  back the steps of a person whose life interests you, to explore the various layers of a given  industry the city is known for ( fashion would be a good one in Paris covering the full spectrum from low to high end) . As a young adult, I remember visiting many low key Paris museums, independent of their locations, and hopping in & out of the subway, in very contrasted neighbourhoods. Love that feeling of surprise.
8. Let words take you away: pack a book about the places you’re visiting, or one by a local author. Use that book to scribble notes, observations and quotes which are fun to look back at many years later.

The author ends with  a last piece of advice: no matter where you end up, don’t forget to open your eyes to the marvels you may be missing.

Today Bordeaux launches its latest component to a wonderfully integrated public transportation system: a boat service along the Garonne river connected with streetcar & bus stops and public bike stations. With the same public transportation  ticket you can move from one mode of transportation to another. It makes it very compelling to leave your car home or at one of the parking lots on the outskirts and enjoy a pleasant public transportation ride while going to work or running errands. Locals and tourists all benefit. Public transportation was at the heart of the massive urban planning effort and revitalization the city went through 20 years ago to give its grand architecture back to its inhabitants. We all see the benefits now. Bordeaux has been ranked by the French as the 2nd major city the French would enjoy living in after Paris. Bravo Bordeaux!

New for 2013: Bordeaux will host the departure of a high profile sailing race during his traditional Bordeaux Fête le Fleuve festival taking place between May 24 and June 2.

Detailed program for the event …

A BVA poll interviewing over 6,500 French people has produced the following results. People were asked to rank the 10 largest cities in France as per the ones they favour.  Bordeaux came 2nd after Paris and then  Toulouse.

Paris 52% > Bordeaux 37% > Toulouse 33% > Lyon 30% > Nantes 25% > Strasbourg 25% > Nice 24% >Lille 18% >Marseilles 15%

Bordeaux high ranking is not surprising: over the last 15 years, the city went through a huge investment subsequent to ambitious urban planning work . The end result is a grand place to visit on foot, on bike and by eye- pleasing trams. The entire historic part is now a UNESCO site.

Expérience Authentique can help you plan your exploration of Bordeaux and its wine region guided by local experts.

This  Globe and Mail article provides some quick snapshots for travel along the Northern coast of Spain from the Basque country ( San Sebastian – Bilbao) along the coast Cantabrica to Oviedo. I have traveled 2/3 of that route and am quite familiar with the cities of San Sebastiand and Bilbao that are easy half-day and full day outings from the French side of the BAsque country.  I found the article to be a pleasant read but light in research and neat addresses.  That being said I do enjoy the authentic aspect of this region as opposed to more touristy sunny beach type  destinations  the country is known for.

This video left me kind of perplex: lots of sceneries of Bayonne I like but could not figure out the pick of the sound track that goes with it. I could not figure out the language for a while but it seems that the band is Russian. Anyway, a different take on the city probably seen through the sensibility from of a visitor from out of the country.

Good overview and filter of interesting buildings appearing in the last 15 years in the Parisian landscape. Here is the article.

Last Summer some clients and I enjoyed an evening  group hike, near Ascain in the foothills of the Pyrénées,  with the sun setting over the ocean in the distance. Our guide Isabelle explained a few things about the local flora and treated us to an informal picnic of local produce. We came back by Midnight. It just happened to be the day when the local tourism office had hired a film crew to shoot the experience into a video clip. Here is the finished product. For those who know me, you can catch a glimpse of me cutting some Ossau Iraty cheese at picnic time.

Bonjour,

Below you will find a link to download a one page PDF document, either in English or French, with a recap of all the one-of-a-kind French living  experiences designed by Expérience Authentique for children schooled in French, and their families. They take place in Toronto, Quebec and Southwest France. Thank you for sharing the brochure at your child’s school, with teachers and principal, the parent`s association and other interested families or a link  on your Facebook page . MERCI!

Overview in English of all French Immersion programs

Brochure en francais des diverses activites linguistiques d`ete

Also, here are the brochures ready for downloads for the Toronto day camp and the Quebec trip in both English and French:

Laurentides 2013: 1-page brochure in English

Laurentides 2013: 1 page en Francais

Camp Baby Point 2013: English brochure

Camp Baby Point 2013: Brochure en Francais