South of France

0: Charles de Gaulle Airport

Much to my surprise, I was booked aboard an Airbus 380 on my AirFrance flight between Washington, D.C., and Paris. It’s the largest aircraft yet, flying with more than 500 passengers and a flight crew of 25, so of course I blogged and took pictures: AirFrance plane with 538 passengers.

1: Montpellier, France

Montpellier, a university town in the south of France, is where I arrived after catching a connecting flight on Air France at Charles de Gaulle sirport in Paris. Alumni of of the medical school here include both Nostradamus and Rabelais, but Montepellier doesn’t consider itself especially old compared to the communities nearby which were founded by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago.

2: Suite Novetel in Montpellier

The sleek and modern Suite Novetel in Montpellier welcomed my jetlagged self with all the conveniences, including a self-serve area where I grabbed some jarred pate foie gras and crackers for my lunch after a most welcome four-hour nap. Although some say the cure for jetlag is to ignore it, when my body clock says it’s 3 a.m. after an overnight flight, a nap always helps me stay awake through dinner. But many press trips begin upon arrival, without any downtime. This one was different and after a quick shower I embraced my darkened room with its fresh sheets.

3: Mourgues du Gres

The charming wine chateau Mourgues du Gres is near Beaucaire, on the western side of the Rhone River. We met the winemakers and got an escorted walk around the farm where grapes are made into wonderful wines, olives become olive oil, and cherries, peaches and other fruits go to market. We tasted the wines with an eye toward learning about the chateau’s unique terroir.

4: Mas des Tourelles

The winery Mas des Tourelles is on the site of a one-time Roman wine cellar near Beaucaire and specializes in reproducing the wines made 2,000 years ago. A video show captures the methods used and a tasting that follows is quite interesting.The Roman era wines had a lot of other things beside grapes added to them and are quite sweet.

5: Nimes

Walk through the ancient cobbled streets in the center of the small city of Nimes to see slices of Roman life 2,000 years ago. Plots of land here rewarded Roman soldiers who served in Egypt with Caesar to defeat Antony and Cleopatra. The amphitheater in the center of town, still used for rock concerts and bull fights, began its life as a Roman venue for gladiators.

6: Pont du Gard

7: Domaine des Clos

Fashioned from an 18th century farm and located along a dusty country road, the inn Domaine des Clos gives visitors a wonderful sense of another time in France.We spent the night here, soaking up the  ambiance and several of us took a dip in the outdoor pool — an ideal end to a hot day in the south of France.. Several of its lodgings are apartments with full kitchens and make an ideal base for those wishing to visit the area, since there’s lots to see and do within a half hour drive. And as is the case in much of France, breakfast is included in rates.