Plan a trip to Aquitaine

It was one of 22 regions of France according to the administrative division that once prevailed until the territorial reform of French regions in 2014 which ended December 31, 2015. As of January 1, 2016 the regions were reduced to 12 provinces and Bordeaux was the capital city.  It is situated in the southwest corner of France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees Mountain range on the border with Spain. There are about 3.5 million people living in an area of about 41,000 sq km.

One couldn’t ask for more beautiful views and diverse landscapes than in this area including Dordogne, Lot et Garonne, Gironde, Pyrenees Atlantiques, Landes. The New Aquitaine Region incorporated Poitou Charentes and the Limousin, stretching from the Atlantic coast in the English Channel to the coasts of Spain and the Pyrenees in the south. It includes the city of Nantes, which is close to the mouth of the Loire, La Rochelle, which was once an important Huguenot (Calvinist Protestants) safe haven. Residents from Le Chambon sur Lignon have been primarily Huguenot or Protestant since the 17th century.  During World War II the Huguenot residents made the commune a safe place for Jews fleeing from the Nazis. They hid them in the town itself as well as assisted them to flee the country to Switzerland, which was neutral.

Of course, the beautiful city of Bordeaux, which is known to be the world’s oldest and most prestigious wine-growing area and is in an area rich in vineyards. The rivers that cross are the Garonne and Dordogne, both of which come together to the Gironde and form the Gironde Estuary. Although Bordeaux and the area are more populous than the rest of the region, the relatively low population is what attracts the people to this area and makes for life pleasant in the charming villages and towns. Traditionally it was a fishing and agricultural area growing fruits and vegetable. Besides the well-known vineyards that grow grapes for the famous wines such as Medoc, Saint Emilion, Pomerol, a particularly developed agricultural industry is the cultivation of walnuts, grown primarily in the Dordogne area.

The Perigord province is world- known for its highly prized (and priced) truffles as well as raising livestock for its quality meat. Very popular in the past and still being raised in Aquitaine are ducks and geese for the production of the well-known delicacy foie gras. Not only because of agriculture is this region well known, but well-developed industries can also be found here, including famous establishments where fascinating parks can be visited. There is a factory for spare parts for a car, a factory for aircraft equipment, food processing, beverages, a pharmaceutical industry. The industrial centers are mainly around Bordeaux, but also around smaller areas. There are enterprises associated with the extraction of small amounts of natural gas, a chemical industry and on the banks of the Gironde estuary is the Blayais Nuclear Power plant.

The whole area is a popular tourism destination due to the magnificent landscapes, the sites, the caverns and prehistoric caves that were discovered here with well-preserved cave paintings, such as the Peche Merle cave which is one of the few cave sites with hundreds of wall paintings covering the ceilings and walls that remain open to the public and the Lascaux network of caves (the original cannot be visited, only the reconstructed ones for worrying that it will be damaged). In the area of Dordogne there are about a thousand castles and châteaux, many open to the public and the city of Sarlat which is one of the best- preserved medieval cities in Europe. Bordeaux is also an important port, it also has an international airport, and high-speed trains and intricate highways. And before departing this area, do not forget to visit the Dune of Pilat aka as Grande Dune du Pilat, located about 60 km southwest of Bordeaux and is the tallest sand dune in Europe!

A Brief History:

Julius Caesar and after him Augustus brought Aquitaine under the Roman rule, the borders at that time were between the Pyrenees and the River Garonne.
Note: French is the official language and Basque, a variety of Occitan (Gascon and Limousin) is spoken by many.

As for the culinary aspects, there is a kind of perfection achieved combining all that is good with the best of quality. For example; the famous confit de canard, which is a whole duck cooked in its own rendered fat thereby preserves it for a long period and maigret de canard, which is the breast from the Moulard duck and served in slices in delicate sauce. As well Cassoulet which is a stew slowing simmered with sausages, pork and beans and confit (usually duck). Last but not least, as mentioned above, is the foie gras, which has star status as the specialty made of the liver of a duck or goose (however the force-feeding (gavage) of animals is now against the law in most countries).

Excellent lamb, prosciutto and sausage dishes, steaks, nut dishes, mushrooms and truffles, oysters and all the fruits and seafood that can only be imagined are found in almost every place near the mountains and the sea which are close by. All kinds of restaurants and cafes are dotted throughout the area, obviously French but also Lebanese.

We already mentioned that this is one of the most famous and high-quality wine regions in the world approved by Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) in France. This  label identifies an agricultural product whose stages of production and processing are carried out in a defined geographical area and using recognized and traditional know-how. Also slightly less than that, but equally tasty, are cognac, brandy and Armagnac, which the French call "eaux-de-vie” (waters of life), Everything here is of the highest quality and intriguing, the places, the foods and the wonderful relationship between the residents and the tourists.