With the help of our bespoke tour organizer Exclusive France Tours we planned an over the top once in a lifetime experience in France, and we happily paid for an over the top experience.  Even so we could not have imagined the variety and depth of experiences we are having, all of  which are expanding our quest for food and wine appreciation. 

Here are the highlights of just three days in Burgundy.

Monday morning found us first at the famous Hospices de Beaune with our private guide.  It is normally filled with people, yet there were only three other people, and we spent 1 1/2 hours learning all about its history.  Then we went to a baker, who took us into his shop to actually make croissants and baguettes the french way.  Hands on. 

After lunch we met privately with Jean-Pierre Renard, who travels the world as an expert on Burgundy wines and terroir.   An introduction to the wines of Burgundy.  At 4:30 pm Philippe Marques came to our apartment to begin a three-night series about wine and food pairing.  Philippe is former sommelier at a Michelin three-star restaurant, so first we went to five different wine stores to source the wines for our three evenings – an experience in itself.  Then we retuned to our apartment where a private chef was preparing the meal for our first evening.  That evening we focused on the role of pepper in influencing the ideal food and wine pairing.  Philippe had a collection of forty peppers, and we actually went through an exercise to determine which peppers had the most harmony with the wines we had selected for the evening.  Then of course we added the peppers we chose to the food, and appreciated the with and without.

On Tuesday Philippe joined us for a journey through the vineyards to two wineries.  Wines from Romaine Conti are the most expensive in the world.  Each bottle made from this vineyard sells for $9,000 – $20,000.  We have to say that in general we have been very pleased with the cost of wine in France.  It is well below Napa Cabs.  

Most wineries in Burgundy have no wine to sell.  It is all sold through export and local wine shops.  Many have no tasting rooms either.  They are just production facilities with centuries old wine cellars, and family run businesses producing Premier and Grand Cru wines.  Getting into them is a special treat.  Philippe could go at any time because of his sommelier status.  Bringing two guests was  a very special favor granted to him.

The first one was Hubert Lignier, who produces Premier and Grand Cru rouges and blancs.  We spent an hour in his cellar barrel tasting six different 2020 and 2021 wines.  In this cellar we began to fully appreciate the French approach of a larger taste and chewing the wine to fully appreciate it, then spitting it out.  It took us a while, but we finally realized that we could only enjoy it if we followed that approach.   The custom here is to pour any wine left in your glass back into the barrel.  There is plenty of alcohol to sanitize anything one might “deposit”.  At the end he opened a small unlabeled bottle of 2016 to taste to appreciate what four years adds, which is an even more rare treat.

After lunch and more discussion with Philippe we went to see one of the vineyards in Aloxe Corton, and spent an hour with his son in their cellar.  They had just bottled their 2020 (no labels yet). Nothing is labeled until shipment because the natural dampness of the cellars ruins the labels. He amazed us by opening six bottles for various tastings.  As we concluded he said “I cannot drink all of these bottles we opened tonight.  Please choose on to take home as my gift.  We chose a Grand Cru blanc.

Most of these vineyards are multi-generation family affairs.  They are now facing dual challenges.  The first is that the inheritance tax in France is 35%.  When the parent dies the inheriting son or daughter must pay the tax on the current value of the land.  With the incredible prices that can be millions of dollars, which they cannot afford to take on even as a loan.  And the second is that taking over the family business is a lifetime commitment.  Aloxe Corton had wisely encouraged their son to try his wings, then decide.  He studied Japanese in college, and spent time as an interpreter to Japanese visiting French wineries.  Then one day he decided that he wanted to “come home” and join the family business.  His parents were relatively young, which made it easier.  The baker we spent time with on Monday was fifth generation, and his children were not interested.  That is a really hard business, of course, and one has to absolutely love it.  So he will have figure out what to do with the business when it becomes too tough for him. 

Tuesday ended back at our apartment, where Philippe and our private chef had designed two meals with sea bass.  The first featured sea bass carpaccio, designed to pair with white wine.  The second featured a thicker sea bass filet with a veal stock sauce, designed to pair with red wine.

Wednesday featured a classic Burgundy experience, driving a Citroen 2CV through the vineyards — with Jean-Pierre as our personal guide.  We stopped many times to  look at differences in the terroir.  Burgundy soil is full of rocks and marle, which date back hundreds of  millions of years.  They provide warmth to the vines — sometimes too much.  We saw the differences in the terroir in which $9,000 bottles are grown and less expensive bottles — and it is subtle.  Here is one example of a piece of marne which shows it age from when the sea covered Burgundy.  

Here our wine tasting was in the middle of the vineyards of the Montrachet and Batard  Montrachet plots, followed by a picnic al fresco.  And I was driving the 2CV all day except for departing and entering Beaune and chance for Betsy as well.   

The afternoon concluded at a cooperage.  Parts of the barrel making process have been forced to become automated, which makes seeing the process impossible for safety reasons.  Yet we were really curious to see how they are made.  One family run cooperage decided to create a demonstration center, and we not only got to see how they are made but make one ourselves.  

We have another four days in Burgundy, with yesterday a planned “vacation from vacation”.  Then we head to Dijon and then the Champagne area.  These three days have been absolutely amazing.  We have learned so much.  Anything Grand Cru will command high prices, yet there are many plots nearby that are 97% as good at 1/3 the price.  We are grateful to our two experts for sharing their secrets, and actively learning the distribution system.  If you buy wine here for shipment they deduct the VAT, which is 20%.  Shipping cost for several cases is about $12/bottle.  So a $60 bottle basically ships free.  Before we come home we will have ordered several cases for direct delivery.  

Throughout our journey we have been appreciating the difference between French and American cooking.  When we get home we are throwing all of our bottled salad dressings out.  A freshly made blend of olive oil, vinegar, honey, dijon mustard and salt will become our standard. We will spend the extra time to go to our Farmers Market for produce, and only buy vegetables in season.  We will strive to augment any item on the plate with multiple flavors and texture.  Our pepper selection will expand, and be used a lot more.  

And our approach to wine and food pairing will change.  Now we will open the bottle we choose first, and sense the wine.  Then we plan to alter how we cook and season the food to optimally pair with the wine.  All of this will take more time of course.  Luckily we have that luxury, and really look forward to that activity together.  

Two final photos.  We love strolling through these villages, and had 15 minute walk to the restaurants.  On our way home last night the sunset over the ramparts and canals was stunning.  And while out visiting more wineries today we picked up a fresh summer truffle.  So we will have truffle butter beginning tonight.  

Thank you for reading all of this.  It is a message only for special friends and family who will really appreciate it.

– Betsy and Jim, reporting from Burgundy

We finally made it to France — after deferring the trip in 2020 and 2021.  We knew the COVID surge was well past its peak in France, while just ramping up again in the USA, and wondered what we would find.  We were delighted when our airline, Lufthansa, still  required masks.  France is 90% vaccinated, and new cases are very low.  So masks are let’s say “very infrequent”, even indoors.  We are wearing ours in crowds because we want to stay healthy, and do think our timing is lucky to be here right now because their surge is clearly behind them.

After checking into our hotel we were driven to Cap d’Antibes, which is a wonderful viewpoint of much of the Cote d’Azur coastline. 

And, of course, a glass of Rose.

We have now been in Provence for a week, and enjoyed quite an array of experiences.  

• The Cannes Film Festival had just begun, and we spent the afternoon in a 40’ chartered boat going from Antibes to Cannes and sailing through the harbor and all the super yachts and party tents, finishing with a swim in the Med.

• The European car Rally Championships were the weekend we stayed in Antibes, and our panoramic balcony looked out over the starting line.  Lots of fun to be in the midst of all of that.

• Met the most creative and highest quality gelato master I have ever encountered, then thanks to a friendship with our trip organizer were invited into his “workshop” to make a batch. Ever had saffron gelato?

• An authentic absinthe tasting experience

• Enjoyed a day in the hill towns of Saint Paul de Vence, Vence and Tourette sur Loup

• Walked a number of ramparts and learned about the histories

• Spent an hour in Paul Cezanne’s studio, learning about his life and the inspirations for his work

• Visited the hospital where Van Gogh recovered after he cut off his ear, then the place where he painted one of the Starry Nights collection over the river

• Learned about his techniques and the use of many colors during a private three hour painting workshop

• Spent a day in the Camargue, the agricultural area of Provence.  Such diversity, from salt mining to growing rice to raising bulls that are used in a game where very athletic young meet  to try to get ribbons off their horns and forehead.  The bulls do not get hurt and are superstars.  The human competitors often have to leap over the barrier to avoid getting hurt.

• Dined at a couple of Michelin starred restaurants

Today is one of our planned and coveted “vacation from vacation” days, so we have time to catch up.  

One take-away.  French food is amazing, in both taste and texture.  Every dish seems to have many subtle ingredients, from nuts or beans to flowers and herbs to amazing sauces.  We find a connection between the food and painting.  In the painting workshop we learned to never use the colors out of the tube as is, and to never just use three or four colors.  The vibrancy comes from mixing a number of variations of the same color, and blending them in.  The French also only use seasonal ingredients.  No hothouse tomatoes over here, because they are never as good as the ones in season.  So just use other ingredients.

The other take-away is that one spends a lot of time eating here.  Breakfast always has many choices, lunches take 1 1/2 hours and dinners 2 – 3 hours.  How have we also seen so much?

Finally closing with our favorite artistic picture.  It is so representative of Provence.

– Jim & Betsy

While in Amsterdam we visited the world’s largest market for flowers and plants — Royal FloraHolland.  We were fascinated by learning how quickly fresh flowers move through the system, and how quality is graded.  

Major growing regions include Kenya, Ethiopia, Israel, Belgium and Germany, with Dutch growers.  Flowers are picked, boxed and air shipped to Amsterdam.  They are kept at 35 degrees (roses 42 degrees) throughout the journey, and timed to arrive between 2 and 6 am.

Upon arrival they are photographed, graded, issued scanning codes and put in containers that are a global standard for shipping (with water).  Then they are moved to the ready for auction area.

The auction is a reverse dutch auction, meaning that the price starts high and drops until someone hits the “buy button”. The person who hits the button first gets the deal but is paying the highest price. It moves fast.  32 auction clocks produce 96,000 auction transactions on an average day.  The buyers used to be on-site. Since COVID they are all remote, and will remain that way.

Once purchased the containers are moved to the “gathering” area, A buyer is likely to purchase multiple lots for multiple groups, so it gets pretty complex.  The various lots for each buyer need to be assembled for shipping.  

Good to know:  Buyers are really agents, and can represent many different groups. A pattern has emerged that buyers representing supermarkets bid the lowest, and get the wimpiest flowers.

As soon as the buyer completes their order their lots are moved to the shipping area, typically before noon.  Then they are loaded on a plane, still in their standardized containers.  By 3 pm they will have arrived in New York, for example.  

Some key facts:

The physical space under one roof is the size of 250 soccer fields. Twin facilities this size – one for flowers and one for plants. As you can imagine, tractors and carts are in constant motion to achieve this kind of volume. Some quick facts:

• 2.8 billion roses and 1.8 billion roses sold annually
• Average daily sales = 18.2 million Euros, 44 million flowers

The auction started on a pool table in a local cafe in Aalsmeer in 1910. It has certainly come a long way!

(scroll below for photos)

–– Jim Deupree

My collaborator for this post was Frank K, our superb tour guide for five days.  We toured from Brussels to Amsterdam with him, then from Amsterdam to Bruges.  In between in and around Amsterdam.  Highest recommendation.  info@holland2go.nl

Windmills are a favorite subject of artists and photographers. They intrigue us! We mostly associate them with Holland, or The Netherlands. Now only about one tenth (1,000) are left. Before we answer the question about where have they gone it dawned on me that I did not know why they are there, and why so many in that part of the world? 

Half of the windmills in The Netherlands were industrial, used for grinding grains, pressing seeds into oil and sawing wood.  Similar to water wheels in the USA.  The other half were for water management.  One fourth of The Netherlands is below sea level. Not just Amsterdam – the whole country. Sixty percent is at sea level or below. Much of the farmland and some villages were reclaimed from lakes hundreds of years ago. So the whole country depends heavily on a system that moves  water to the sea. And not just after a big storm. All the time. 

That system begins with ‘ditches’ cut into the fields to collect water. The ‘ditches’ also form boundaries in the farms, so no fences are needed to contain livestock or define property lines.

Water from the ‘ditches’ is pumped into collection canals (also called ring canals), which are at a slightly higher elevation. Long before there was electricity that was the job of the windmills. To pump the water. They were not just decorative. They were essential. 

Then the water is pumped again from the collection canals to the rivers, which have built-up banks (levees). Windmills did that as well. From the rivers the water flows to the sea. Today it is all done by electric pumps, so the windmills are no longer needed. This whole system is governed by a Management Board, whose officials are elected. It remains a very important role, because they inspect every ditch, collection canal and levees, and the pumps, twice a year. They also control the remaining windmills, and decide which ones to maintain. 

Some of them are now leased as residences, and the occupants are required to operate the windmills a designated number of 60,000 rotations a year to keep the mechanism working.

One other intriguing fact. How much water needs to be pumped varies. More after a big storm. Less after a dry period. So how did they control the speed of the windmills, and therefore the pumping? With sails! Each windmill blade has a canvas ‘sail’ that can be unfurled to cover more of the blade. More sail – more speed! And the blades of the windmill or sometimes the entire windmill can be turned into the wind direction. This simple solution also goes back 400 years.  They can only operate them while at home because tending the sails on the windmills is like sailing a ship — it has to be constantly watched with changing winds.

The heritage and beauty of windmills became important around 50 years ago, and today they all have a special monument status and are protected.

–– Jim Deupree

My collaborator for this post was Frank K, our superb tour guide for five days.  We toured from Brussels to Amsterdam with him, then from Amsterdam to Bruges.  In between in and around Amsterdam.  Highest recommendation.  info@holland2go.nl

I was catching up with one of our busy clients recently when the subject of vacations came up. This client turned down some lucrative roles five years ago because they wanted a better balance of life, instead hanging out their own shingle. The business has gone very, very well.

So now, as they approach a big symbolic birthday, I asked about the balance of life part. “Not much to report there” was the answer. I introduced the idea of a three-week vacation — in part to celebrate the landmark birthday. The response was Wow! Really! So I asked what their longest ever vacation had been. “One week – maybe with an extra day or two” was the answer. I know from many conversations that they are certainly not alone.

But why? On a one-week vacation busy executives spend the first three days thinking about all the things they left hanging. Then they spend at least the last two days gearing up to get “back in the saddle”. One or two days of R&R is just not enough, particularly as we move up the age ladder.

So what about two weeks? Is that a good starting point? Better than one week, of course. But not if it is laid out to rush from place to place to see and do as much as possible. The alternative worth trying is three weeks, with every 3rd or 4th day being unscheduled. That leaves time to deal with any crisis that occur, yet still really enjoy some quality time off and with loved ones or friends. It is enough time to truly refresh, and feels so good the first time you actually do it. For example, we frequently combine a river for ocean cruise with a week “on land” in one or two places. Three weeks might be a week one place, the cruise, then a week at another location. That is a vacation!

While we are on the topic, my lovely wife has a “buy a ticket” saying. The idea is simple. If you say you want to do it yet take no action then in the end something will get in the way. If you buy a ticket you will put it on the calendar in ink and make it happen. As we emerge from COVID people are buying a lot of tickets for travel, and choices are getting leaner. So if you like this idea it makes sense to buy a ticket — even for 2023.

I am pivoting our blog to a “Beyond the Office” theme. The goal is to stimulate ideas for how to have fun beyond work — for the present and the future.

We went on a Crystal cruise in late October — kind of spur of the moment. One criteria was it had to be US to US, in our case Miami. We wanted to avoid any international flights or re-entry.

A big criteria was health safety. Everyone (crew and passengers) had to be fully vaccinated. Still all passengers were tested on the dock before being allowed to board. Contact tracking bracelets were issued. Crew and officer had to always be masked. Temperatures were checked upon entrance to every dining venue, and every entry to the ship.

Our first moment of truth was when, after all of this, we arrived in the ship’s foyer and were told that mask wearing was recommended but not required on the ship. It was the first time in a year and half that it was possible to be with strangers and not wearing a mask, and we had to ponder for a bit. We went to the elevator with our mask on, then went to our stateroom, then decided to leave our mask there. How freeing to not have it on your wrist!

The other delighter was that our ship had a capacity of about 1,000 passengers, and there were only 250 on board. We could have any lounge we wanted around the pool, and dine anywhere. It was like a private yacht. Not good for profits for the cruise line, yet everything was top drawer. The speakers, entertainers and crew. We love to dance, and had the dance trio to ourselves. They quickly learned the dances we do, and just played those rhythms.

Net is that we were so happy we took the chance. It was wonderful to be free for a week, in the Caribbean, just relaxing and soaking up the sun. And we felt safer that week regarding health risks than we had for more than a year.

What should the primary driver be for our career?  Is it compensation?  Title – resume value and prestige?  Balance of Life?  Personal health?  Mission and purpose?  What would you put at the top of your list?  And what would you put second?

I have witnessed several recent examples that stimulate these questions.  One was a person that was in global demand as a speaker and trainer, traveling to several cities around the world every week.  Obviously good at what they did.  Then in a candid moment they acknowledged that when they got home Friday they became a puddle, and did not feel human until sometime Sunday.  Even though they were good at it all of the speaking and interactions with people it demanded were constantly draining.  Should that person keep doing the same thing, or make a change?

Another example is much more positive — yet may seem like a radical thought.  Where would you most like to live?  Not where are the jobs — just where would you really like to live?  One client began with that question — and the answer was Wilmington NC.  They loved the arts, water and sailing.  It was close enough to children (and hopefully grandchildren some day) to visit regularly without being too close.  So they made location first choice, then we figured out how to make a living within that location.

As I look around I worry because people are holding onto jobs because the title and perks are “what is expected”.  Siblings debate who is more successful?  So do friends.  Yet by what measure?  Cars, boats, baubles and houses — or true happiness and contentment? 

We applaud millennials because they will not remain in a job, or company, they do not enjoy and respect.  Sometimes it frustrates “us”, because they think differently and march to a different drummer.  Maybe they won’t end up with as much money?  That does not seem to be their driver — and they do seem to be enjoying a less stressful life and having fun.  Just saying!   

– Jim Deupree

As we observe the news, most of us have a desire for finding a way to melt the obvious tensions in our cities.  Polarization seems to only grow.  In an Atlanta roundtable of notable leaders committed to the Servant Leadership model, we recently tackled this question.  Four actions we can all easily do as individuals emerged:

• Have one positive uplifting story (about someone else, like a good deed from the news) to share each day, and share it often
• Do not repeat anything you have not verified as truth
• Be careful not to attribute malice to something that can be equally explained by ignorance
• Pause and consider – what’s the motive behind your comment?

Imagine the difference that would result from broad adoption of these four commitments!

On a broader scale, what is the Servant Leadership approach?  Per Robert K. Greenleaf, it is:

“the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served.”

The best Servant Leadership test, yet difficult to administer, is:

• Do those served grow as persons?
• Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, and more likely themselves to become servants to others?
• And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least be less deprived?

Through our lens, the four actions listed above will help everyone, including those who are searching for trust and “a voice.”  Anything we can do to share respect and avoid adding fuel to the fire has to be good.  Personally I do everything in my power to live by the Servant Leadership model.

If you would like to learn more about the Servant Leadership model, the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership web site is an excellent source:

www.greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/

– Jim Deupree

I happened across one of Richard Branson’s blogs titled “Life is not a journey to retirement.”  The blog post is a wonderful illustration of fundamental beliefs that have guided our work at ChapterTwo^®.  Enjoying what you do at work should always be the goal — and is almost always possible.  If you truly enjoy it what is your ultimate goal?

You can check out his blog via:

https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/life-not-journey-retirement

The video takes about three minutes and is a really good investment of your time. 

Then think about your own approach to your career.  Are you anxious to get to a point where you can finally stop the stress and treadmill, or are you wondering how to keep it going — on your terms?

– Jim Deupree