CADENET IS SLOWLY waking up. A thick blanket of haze is steadily letting golden sunrays kiss the lush green fields. Undulating shades of gold sprawl over the swollen Durance River. On a chilly day in early December, I am driving through the tree-lined roads of Provence. My guide for the day, William Templer, who has been living in the region for more than a decade, is relieved that the sun is out, especially after the area endured torrential rains all of last week. I secretly feel lucky, too. The most awaited part of my trip to France wouldn’t have been possible without blessings from Helios.
I am on my way to Les Pastras (lespastras.com), a traditional Pepin family vineyard spread over 11 hectares, situated in the hills between Cadenet and Lourmarin. The vast expanse of the farm features a two-storeyed Provençal country house with a fusion of traditional and modern details—pastel shades, stone floors, soft lines, wooden beams, and walls adorned with modern art. But my visit’s raison d’être is outside the cosy comforts of the country house. I’m here for a truffle hunt! Seated under an oak tree, along with a French and an American truffle enthusiast, I first gain insight into the differences among black, white, and summer truffles—and why they are called ‘diamonds of the kitchen’. Our flamboyant host, Johann Pepin, lets us in on the process of training dogs for truffle hunting. Pepin is not only running these truffle tours for connoisseurs and intrepid travellers, but he is also a torchbearer for preserving other French countryside traditions like mushroom foraging, grape stomping, and olive harvesting.
Denne historien er fra February 2021-utgaven av Travel+Leisure India.
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Denne historien er fra February 2021-utgaven av Travel+Leisure India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Lunching In Leh
Turtuk, the last town of India in Ladakh, is having a culinary and hospitality renaissance, discovers Harsh Surti
The Medieval Charm of Elsinore
Elsinore, in eastern Denmark, is a charming city full of surprises, such as its interesting link to Shakespeare, discovers Ami Bhat
Natural Selection
In other parts of the world, natural wine production can be raw, wild, and a little messy. But a road trip through southeastern Austria reveals that, in a land where order and understatement reign, even the low-intervention bottles are elegant and refined.
Where the Wild Things Are
Uncovering Rwanda's natural treasures-and the gift of multigenerational travel
FROM THE VOICE WITHIN
A hit new season of a cult show, a brand new production venture, and a baby girl-it seems Ali Fazal is on top of the world right now. Amid a new parenting journey, the actor talks to SAMREEN TUNGEKAR about his travel persona, his instincts, and what feeds the artiste within him
MONSOON IN THE WILD
For nature lovers craving the lush serenity of monsoon forests, off-season safaris in national park buffer zones offer rare rewards and vital support to local economies, discovers Chandreyi Bandyopadhyay.
Ray of Sunshine
Getting diagnosed with life-threatening ailments can spell doom, but for actor Lisa Ray, it became a testament to her resilience. Diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2009, the former model maintained a positive outlook, blossomed into a vocal advocate for cancer awareness and support, and turned author with a book chronicling her story. In a chat with Bayar Jain, she gets candid about her journey of hope and healing
Championing Change with Conversations That Matter
Aditi Mayer is a responsible storyteller who likes to look at fashion through a lens of social and environmental justice. She tells Samreen Tungekar about how she manages her own mental health and wellness despite work that promotes positive change and requires mental bandwidth
Travelling Through Conscious Well-Being
In the ever-evolving landscape of wellness, where data meets intuition and science aligns with ancient practices, Deepak Chopra stands as a unique bridge between these worlds. Chopra talks to Dipali Patwa about how travel, when intertwined with wellness, becomes a powerful catalyst for personal transformation.
Transcending The 'Trend'
For Rimzim Dadu, the creation of a collection is about lending the pieces a timeless quality. Samreen Tungekar talks to the designer about her creative process, and how her travels intersperse with her approach to design