On 1st July, this great sporting event will be back. And with it, via their screens, millions of fans will be criss-crossing France. A wonderful opportunity to get fired up about one of the great sporting events, but also to take the time to appreciate a few other classic French “attractions…”
One France? More like a thousand.
Brittany, Pays de la Loire, the Centre – including the Loire Valley and Burgundy, Franche-Comté, Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, Occitania, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and of course the Paris region, Île-de-France: in three weeks, the 2021 edition of the Tour will travel through eight of the thirteen regions of mainland France. Beyond the performance, spectators will enjoy its stunning (breath-taking, really) regions. The Pink Granite Coast, the bay of Mont Saint Michel, the grapevines of Vouvray, the chateau of Chenonceau, the Mont-Blanc region, the ochre tones of Roussillon, Provence’s Mont Ventoux, the gorges of the Ardèche, the ramparts of Carcassonne, the Ariége Pyrenees Regional Natural Park, Lourdes, the Tourmalet pass, the vineyards of Saint-Émilion, the Champs-Élysées… all will set the stage for an incredibly multifaceted France.
From the regions to your table…
Each day will serve up its own slice of heritage, the consequence of which will be a regular desire to pause—in the metaphorical as well as literal sense. Which is perfectly alright. Everywhere there will be something to see… and eat. In each and every one of these regions the specialities are legion. Over the years, farmers, livestock breeders and winemakers have unceasingly preserved their heritage and honed their expertise, producing first class products: Roscoff onions, Emmental from the Savoie, Corbières wines, black pork from Bigorre, Armagnac, Brie de Meaux… each tells the story of their local soil and contributes in its own way to another “Tour”: a gastronomic one.
… By way of Taste France Magazine
Ever mindful of our mission to share such regional richness with you, Taste France Magazine has created a bountiful gastronomic itinerary. With each bend in the road, we’ll spotlight products and recipes of the highest quality on our social networks. As well as helping you learn how, whilst “riding” for days alongside your favourite competitors, to find the best replacements for your pancakes, learn to slow cook Bayonne ham à la japonaise, discover the hidden side of pigs and learn all you need to know about the “king of cheeses”, acclaimed in his time by Louis XIV himself. All with the aim of toggling happily between fork in hand and pedal underfoot. Enjoy the ride!
Contributor
Jérôme Berger
Editor
