Ride to Cognac

Wednesday May 18th
Every year we ride to Cognac to have the motorbike serviced and this is a chance for us to visit some of the most famous distilleries in the area. This year we decided to visit Otard with our friends Ian and Robina . We left quite early so that we could look round the Fran�ois 1er park before lunch.
As soon as we got to the BMW garage we left our helmets and heavy jackets and asked someone to drive us to the town centre so that we could walk" light" in the Fran�ois 1er park .
Instead of driving us to the town centre ( which was quite a long way from the garage) they lent us a car. ( They really do care about customer service and satisfaction unlike some garages around Paris!) So we parked the car just in front of the chateau and decided to walk in the beautiful 48 hectares park and forest close to the town. It provides a variety of sporting and leisure activities. It's a good place for a picnic and for those who like relaxing in the shade.
We took the walking route along the river Charente and enjoyed the flora. Then we stopped for lunch in the only restaurant along the river Charente called " La Courtine". We had a lovely lunch and Ian tried the famous " T�te de veau sauce gribiche" former Pr�sident Chirac's favourite dish.
Then we left the restaurant and walked back to the chateau " Baron Otard" , the guided tour scheduled for 2.30 pm was interesting because it was not only about the process of ageing " eau de vie" but also a part of French history and how lively the chateau was during the period of Fran�ois 1er.
Fran�ois 1er was born in the chateau of Cognac and throughout his reign he stayed in Cognac on numerous occasions. Cognac was also the residence for a small provincial court and was a genuine centre of art and literature. During his reign Fran�ois 1st, greatly involved in art and literature, was the patron of many Renaissance artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci.
The State room in the chateau built by Fran�ois 1st in 1517 at the beginning of his reign, is different from the other parts of the Chateau dating from the Middle Ages. The vast, brightly lit room, with its view over the River Charente, was used in the past for royal receptions and when you walk along the impressive vaulted room you can easily imagine the royal receptions.
in 1795 Baron Otard established his cognac house. The Ottar family were influential figures in Scotland near Aberdeen, reknown for their loyalty to the Stuart cause, this loyalty forced James Ottar de la Grange , the eldest son of the last earl, into exile in France as the king was driven from the throne of England and Scotland.
Baron Otard was aware of the thickness of the walls of the chateau and the large rooms it provided. He was the first to appreciate the essential role played by the atmosphere of these cellars in the process of ageing "eau de vie".
The lower vaults situated on the banks of the river charente provide a constant temperature and humidity.
We finish the visit by tasting two kinds of cognac. Today 95% of this exceptionnal product appreciated throughout the world goes to exports. Otard has also been taken over by Bacardi which is a spirits company, best known as a Cuban producer of rums. It is a multi national company which sells spirits around the world.
Then we walked around the town in the narrow cobbled streets . Cognac is a beautiful town built on the river's left bank. As it was very hot we decided to have a cold drink along the Charente river but there aren't any caf�s along the Charente. We eventually found one in the museum.
Cognac is a nice place worth visiting when the weather is not too hot.