Chenonceau

It is certainly one of the most romantic place in the Loire valley. We call the Chateau of Chenonceau, le Château des dames, The chateau of the Ladies. It was builded in 1513.

Baby Turtles going to the Ocean.

One of the best places to Spot Sea Turtles in Cancun and Riviera Maya is, of course, in the gorgeous Caribbean Waters. Learn about some great places where you can spot or swim with these beautiful animals and get ready for goosebumps.

Betjeman & Barton, best tea in Paris.

For those who love tea, there is in Paris, a place where you must go.

Betjeman & Barton, 24 boulevard des filles du Calvaire in the 11th district. Its the shop where you will get the best tea but as well its a tea bar. I had a bubble tea cocktail (sparkling iced tea), and could not believe it. Simply great.

Marcillac sur Cele.

You need a car to reach that adorable little village. In a beautiful valley where the river Cele is going slow. 

Lynch Bages, a real dream…

Chateau Lynch Bages, has a long history in Bordeaux and takes its name from the local area where the domain is located in Bages.

Mexican wines.

When I came for the first time in Mexico, I discovered that this country does produce wine. I had to try some. What a nice surprise. Why is that, that nobody knows about Mexican wines ?

I always look for a French wine when I travel. But one evening, the Headwaiter of ” La China Poblana” in Puebla was sorry as the restaurant was out of French wines. He recomanded that I should try a bottle of Mexican wine, and I am so pleased I did.

The history of Mexican wine production begins in the 1500s, when Hernan Cortes and his conquistadors exhausted their supply of wine while overthrowing the Aztecs. He ordered the colonists to plant 1000 grapevines for every 100 native “employees. The Spanish conquistadors had vines brought over for religious mass, and more likely, wash down their food. With failed attempts to grow grapes in the more tropical regions of Mexico, the first grapes, known as Criolla (the mission grape of California and the Pais grape of Chile), were successfully planted in the Parras Valley of Coahuila. Growing in Puebla and Zacatecas soon followed. The first Mexican wine estate, Casa Madero, was founded in 1597 by Lorenzo Garcia in Santa Maria de los Parras in Coahuila and still exists.

After Mexico’s War of Reform in 1857, all of the Catholic land holdings, and the vineyards, were seized by the government and became property of the state. These were then sold to a private group of investors who to this day operate as the Bodegas Santo Tomas.

Prestige wine production in Mexico, began in the 1980s with the promotion of modern techniques. Many of the grapes grown are of either French or Spanish origin. The main grapes for reds are Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Carignan, Grenache, Merlot, Malbec, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Tempranillo. Whites are Chardonnay, Chasselas, Chenin Blanc, Macabeo, Moscatel, Palomino, Riesling, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

Mexico is divided into these subregions:

*Sonora

*Baja California (which includes Valle Guadalupe)

*Coahuila

*Durango

*Aguascalientes

*Zacatecas

*Queretaro

The Baja valleys can hardly keep up with domestic demand. Wine consumption has doubled in the past 10 years, though Mexicans drink double the amount of imported wine that they do domestic. Baja wine producers ship mostly to Mexico City, Monterrey, and Cancún.

In the 1980s, the Mexican government removed trade barriers that had kept imported wines out, which threatened to shutter small Mexican wineries.
But ultimately, the move put pressure on them to create better quality wines to compete with foreign imports.

My job as a Butler.

It is funny to notice than a lot of employers have no idea of what is the job of a Butler. It is an extremely important position but some do abuse and make you do what is not your duty.

Some do not have enough money to get a fully staffed house so they get someone who they believe, will do the lot. Of course with the lowest salary possible. I had two different way to practice this stunning job between private households and for a luxury hotel.

My favourite is for a private employer. You become all he needs. Of course you must know everything about the person so you can anticipate the needs. You must make sure that everything is perfect at all time. You are a personal assistant, a concierge, a multitask employee, a chauffeur, a accountant, a human ressource manager, a confident, well you must become the soul of the household. I enjoyed this job and I was lucky enough to start with a great single guy who was a movie producer from the US. Nothing was never a problem as long all you were doing was first class and at the top that he was expecting.

I was in charge for him of three residences in New York, Paris and Saint Tropez. I had to organise everything for him. Booking his flight on First class making sure he had his favourite seat. Booking ticket for his son, other staff members and myself as well. I had to book his restaurants tables. Organise his romantic week-ends or the party for his Mum’s Birthday. I had to get the presents he needed for someone and remember that it is not the same than last time… I was in charge of preparing the tables and assuring the service. Recruiting extra staff as well when we had a big party. I was very picky on never have twice the same flower arrangement on the table.

I was registered on his Black Amex card and had his credit cards to make all paiements. Everyday he was taking the mail and instantly was giving me the bills. “I want you to be me as I do not want to do it” he said. I knew all his family, all his dates, all his friends and of course I had to remain discret. At all time, friends and staff were asking me things about him, but  I never  did say anything.

I then worked for an other American family outside Philadelphia who owned as well a villa outside Palm Beach and a Chateau in center France. They opened a restaurant on the main line Philly and wanted me to teach the staff and to give a little French touch to the place. There again I had to organise the staff and the daily duties they needed me for.

The Mother had a lot of money, she is the one that got the Chateau. When she passed away, the other son did get the place and when he passed, my boss did get the lot. And this is why he needed somebody for the position of a Butler. He had one already but this other Butler was nearly 80 years old so he would not work for long. I was  shocked to notice than he was nearly all day long in the basement of the house doing ironing. The lady was really crazy and she did not want us to trash a broken glass. She was keeping evrything and they had a lot of storage full of so many things useless. He was a car dealer and a car lover so he had 12 collection cars and they had about 10 regular cars between the three homes including a awefull limousine. Their daughter and son were two little braggers that did not want to work. These four persons did not have the knowledge they pretended . Anyway this was a position I enjoyed a lot specially when I was at the Chateau. Then after a few years, they burned all their money anf losed all their business, they started not to pay the staff. I managed to escape from this position and after a while, my first employer contacted me for a position in Mexico.

He owned a luxury hotel and he had contracts with three owners of luxury villas just along the hotel to rent theses wonderfull houses to his guests. ” I want you to do what to did for me before but for my guests in the villas”. Deal !

But working in a hotel is extremely different. I requested some freedom as I always consider that you cannot please your guests if you start working with the hours of a hotel. My duty was 24/7 and no days off if I had clients.  After three years, a new manager was there and she did not know anything about luxury service in a hospitality business. Nor the Etiquette was of her knowledge. I realised that I had to fight everyday instead of enjoying my extremely busy position. My retirement pension was near to come and I decided on December 29 last yet to quit.

However this career as a Butler was fascinating for me and I now have so much to remember and tell than I decided to write a book about it.

Stunning Mayan ruins of Tulum.

Tulum, was built late in the thirteenth century, during what is known as the Mayan post-classic period. When in the Riviera Maya, not visiting these ruins is a crime.

What sets the site apart from other ruins in Mexico is both the fact that it is well preserved and it boasts its own, inviting beach.

Each Mayan city had a specific purpose, and Tulum was no exception. It was a seaport, trading mainly in turquoise and jade.

As well as being the only Mayan city built on a coast, Tulum was one of the few protected by a wall.

Most prominent among the remaining structures is the Castillo (castle), which is perched on the edge of a 12-metre limestone cliff, overlooking the Caribbean coast. Negotiating its steep steps is best done sideways, a fact which will assert itself on the way down.

Before descending, though, be certain to catch a glimpse of the Caribbean behind the Castillo. The view is as refreshing as the cool breeze coming from the sea.

In front of the Castillo is the Temple of the Frescoes, one of the better preserved buildings. Peer inside the temple to see a mural painted in three sections. The first level represents the Mayan world of the dead, the middle is that of the living, and the final, highest piece, is of the creator and rain gods.

The site’s main structure, El Castillo (Castle), was actually used as an ancient lighthouse! Two small windows at the top allowed sailors to navigate the ocean reef at dusk. If the captain could see daylight through both windows, that meant they were on the correct course.

Flip flops NO.

Hat YES…

When you are are the parking, you will see a little train. Buy a ticket its only 20 pesos for both ways and you will not regret. The site is a bit far and its very hot there.