A dinner I could only dream of ...

Later, back at Le Vallon we rested and changed for dinner! Tonight, we were joining Fred and Michelle for dinner down the road at the auberge of Michele Philiberte. Along with Fred and Michelle, we were also joined by the two other couples (a couple from Dallas who's names I am sorry I forgot, and Jerome and Marie from Paris) staying at Le Vallon. We all gathered in the gardens at Le Vallon at 8pm, and then took a short 10 minute walk down the road bordered by Cypress trees, vineyards, and fields scattered with poppies, to the auberge.

Once we arrived, we sat in the garden and got acquainted. We were joined by two couples from Alsace/Lorraine, who had just come from participating in a racing exhibition in the region. Michele's wife Katie welcomed us with champagne and homemade tapenade. Wow! It was local champagne and like none I had ever tasted before...I could taste the green grass and the flowers and even a hint of apricot. And the tapenade was so creamy and good. Because the olives were so fresh, I swear I could even taste a bit of nuttiness. Everything just tasted so FRESH.

Part of what made this so special is that this is not a restaurant that is open to the public, but the chef's home. You can only come to dinner here if you have been invited or invited by someone.

As the sun set and the sky played out it's symphony of colors against the beautiful landscape, the string of lights in the tree we sat under started to glow and Katie pulled back heavy red velvets drapes to reveal where we would be enjoying our dinner.

It was large covered porch area. Possibly at one time, the previous owners may have used it to house animals or machinery. But tonite, it looked like a movie set (if you were shooting a movie about a romantic countryside dinner in Provence)! The stone walls have all been whitewashed, the decor is warm and spare - lights are strung through ladders and around pictures. Each couple has their own table, covered with a red tablecloth, a simple flower arrangement, and candles glimmering in the twighlight. I wish I had a photo to show how beautiful it was, but since the batteries in my camera died at the precise the moment I tried to capture this incredible scene...you'll have to live with my words instead.

Outside, rain began to fall as the dinner commenced. To start our meal, Katie poured us all a beautiful Cote du Ventoux white wine. It was full-bodied, with a floral nose and had a nice minerality.

Our first course was Gazpacho w/Egg and Mint. So simple yet so good! The cooked egg had a consistency that had me convinced it was artichoke and complimented the acidity of the tomatoes. For me the fresh mint evoked the provenal spring. The gazpacho was also served with an amazing Puree d'Aubergine (eggplant) and a piece of toast and topped with a Carmelized Cherry Tomato.

For our second course, we were served a Brandade (codfish and potato puree,a very typical Provencal dish) drizzled with an Orange Buerre (butter) sauce and with a Pain Croquant. Mmmm! I've had brandade before and been disappointed, but this was incredible! You could taste the cod without having that fishy taste that usually turns people off. The sweet citrus of the sauce was so unique and really took the dish to another level. It was served warm, which was good to offset the chill that was creeping into the night air.

As the air temperature dropped, Katie and Michele turned up the heat in the cafe heaters and Michelle of Le Vallon pulled out scarves she had brought for Marie and I, in case we got cold. Do you see why we love Fred and Michele? It's the little things like this.

As the chef and his wife put the finsihing touches on the third course, they switched our wine to a Cote du Ventoux red. It was medium bodied, with lot of fruit with a touch of spice. I think I have yet to have a bad or mediocre wine in all the times we have ever been in Provence, and this time is no different.

Our third course was Veau Rossigny. It was served with pureed potatos and what I am pretty sure are shaved black truffles. Roissigny is special dish prepared with meat and a slice of sauteed foie gras is served on top. Brendan is in heaven! Last year, he was on the hunt to try this dish and never was able to find it on a restaurant menu. As we savoured our meal, Fred told us that this dish earned it's name because it was the favorite of the famous composer, Rossigny.

Next, the cheese course, St. Marcellin warmed and sliced in half - filled with a thin later of tapenade. It was accompanied by a salad of mache tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper. So simple, so good.

And finally dessert! For dessert (can you believe we still have room for dessert?) we were served fresh raspberries in a berry coulis topped with Chantilly cream and Glaceau Banan (banana ice cream). After such a splendid and sumptuous meal, this was the perfect closing statement. Each flavor stood out intensely on it's own yet complimented the others.

So, fours hours and five courses later, we are all beaming with happiness from the symphony of food. Katie offered us all after dinner drinks...a choice of St. Remy, Mirabelle, or Grand Marnier. I declined the strong stuff, while my husbad happily chose a Mirabelle (pear brandy). We stayed another hour,talking with one of the wives from Alsace/Lorraine.

Since the rain had turned quite heavy, Fred returned from Le Vallon with his car to bring Brendan, myself, Marie and Jerome back to Le Vallon. He swore it was really to have another glass of Mirabelle, rather than being a kind host. Hmm, I think it was a bit of both.

I confess we didn't go to bed yet, but instead had a wonderful late evening chat with Marie and Jerome, over a bottle of wine. By the time we turned in for the evening at 3am, we had exchanged phone numbers and emails and made promises to meet up again when we returned to Paris at the end of our trip!

Antique markets, antique theater...

We awoke to our first full day in Provence. The sky was crystal clear blue with clouds hugging the summit of Mt Ventoux. The Mistral was the blowing this year, so it was too cold to have breakfast in the garden. So we enjoyed our breakfast of coffee, croissants, yogurts, fresh fruit, walnuts, honey and fresh orange juice in the dining room.

It was a Sunday, the day of famous weekly antiques market in L'Isle sur Sorgue. So on to L'isle sur Sorgue we went. The market is quite well known, and gets packed with people on the hunt for beautiful and interesting objects (i.e, antiques). The whole town was packed with vendors selling everything from furniture, to prints, to old copper cooking pans, and various odd and unique old objects (antiques) plus the usual market stuff of fruits, vegetables, cheese, sausage, etc. We had a good laugh at the manequin pis a vendor had set up on a pool filled with canned drinks for sale. Antique and culinary treasures were found at every turn we took. I drooled over several Louis XIV chairs we came across (another obsession of mine, though i may be mixing up my Louis)... and fantasized about being able to purchase a pair to ship back home. Fantasies are great, but as my husband would say "Champagne tastes, beer budget".


After the market, we jumped back in the car and headed to Orange, to visit the ancient roman amphitheater, Le Theatre Antique. According to their website and my guidebook, it's the best preserved Roman theater of it's kind in Europe. Dating back to the 1st century BC, and it's still used for performances to this day. The theater is quite an impressive site the stage wall is 37 meters high and 107 meters wide. The audioguide tour was both entertaining and enlightnening. We easily spent an hour and half listening to the history, the stage mechanics, the social hierarchy of the seating, and the development of theater in the time of Roman rule. As we reached the top seating tier, we both admired the views and I fought off my mild case of vertigo. Long legs are great for ascending, but not so wonderful for descending.

Photos- Provence 2007

Provence 2007

Good morning Paris, good afternoon Provence, continued

We decided to visit the nearby Musee Cluny, officially titled in french "the national museum of the middle ages". It's probably sacrilege that we still haven't visited the Louvre or the D'Orsay, but we will eventually get to them...when we spend more time in Paris. it's just that neither of us has the patience for long lines and it's not worth getting a museum pass for our short stay. The Cluny is a nice little museum, and it's even nicer that we have no lines to wait in.

Since the middle ages is not really my greatest area of interest in art history, I don't have any strong visual imprints on my brain to describe everything we saw. Though I did find the jewelry particularly beautiful, and my husband enjoyed the armor and battle weapons. But my favorite piece, was Jesus on an Ass (my title) carved in wood. The way the artist represented his holy halo reminded me more of those goofy kids who stick straw in their hair to be funny. All in all, it was a good way to enjoy something more of Paris, and something new to us.

Time to say goodbye to Paris! We gathered our bags and grabbed a taxi to the Gare de Lyon where we were to take the TGV to Avginon.

My husband gets really excited at train stations. I mean, really excited. My friends say this is a "guy thing"...the way we women get excited about shops. We are both excited to be travelling south and my husband is even more excited about the TGV. It doesn't matter that this is our third time travelling by TGV, as he points out how the train is built to split apart, as he marvels at the track design, as he rants about our lackluster american rail system...I'm glad he's happy. We both share excitement over the fact that he managed to score first class tickets through prems!

Two and a half hours later...we arrive in Avignon. We picked up our little Renaut at Europa Car and headed off to Domain Le Vallon in Aubignan.


I discovered Le Vallon three years ago while planning our honeymoon. Our first stay here was so enchanting (really, I can't think of a better word!) that we made a vow at the end of our HM to try and return there every year. So far, so good. This is our third stay in three years.

What makes this place so special??? Hmmmm. Where do I begin? The setting is beautiful- surrounded by five hectares of private land in the countryside. The house is beautiful and beautifully decorated. Our hosts, Fred and Michelle Vogt are wonderful and have always made us feel like we are guests in their home. We look forward to seeing them again each year. I really have trouble finding the right words to describe what we feel in our hearts. I could go on for days about how much we love this place...

As we drive down the small country road and even before we enter the grounds of Le Vallon, true vacation bliss starts to set in.

This year, we are very lucky to be staying in the apartment. When we arrived last year to greet Fred and Michelle, we found Fred in the still unfinished apartment, dripping with sweat, nails in his teeth...as he helped out with the construction. We were amazed when it was finished two days later, ready for the arrival of his brother and his family. The finished apartment is truly spectacular...

Fred and Michelle greeted us with open arms and warm hearts and proudly showed us the newest addition to Le Vallon...a sitting room for the guests. In keeping with the rest of the house, it is just perfect.

After catching up with Fred and Michelle about their lives, we settled in and moved out to the pool for a picnic dinner. No need to leave here tonight or go anywhere else, this is all we need. We laid out a spread of cheese, ham, pate, bread, tomatoes, fruit, my macarons stockpiled from this morning, some local wine and breathed in the Provencal air that we desperately crave all year long. Aza, their dog, kept us company and set her soulful eyes to DH. We supped, we sipped, we shared (with Aza) and embraced. We watched the sun set. And again, it was time to find our way to bed.

Good morning Paris, good afternoon Provence!

We awoke on Saturday morning, rested and restless, in anticipation of the love of our lives, Provence!

Growling stomachs let us know that some kind of breakfast should be the first order of the day, so we exited Hotel Studia with a coffee and croissant kind of mind. The Hotel does offer breakfast, but we really enjoy grabbing our morning repast at local boulangeries.

Now, if you've never been to Europe, then you don't know the pleasures of a european breakfast. We Americans have our bacon and eggs or our flapjacks and maple syrup, of which neither I am a fan. In NYC it's a bagel and lox. I'm not saying that other continents don't have their own special way to start the day (I have some pretty good memories of breakfast in southeast asia), but DH and I hold a special place in our hearts for the culture of the cafe. Trying to find a good croissant and good cafe in NYC is an adventure. Here in Paris, you usually only have to sneeze and you find THE STUFF.

Quelle suprise! Not only is there a decent boulangerie/cafe downstairs, but there is also a little market in full swing...everything from fresh fish, flowers, and cheeses, to pastries, scarves and tableclothes. While Brendan ordered us two cafes and croissant for himself, I took a quick run of the market. Aside from the market, there were a bunch of permanent shops open daily, and I paid a visit to the fromagerie...where I purchased a little pot of yogurt flavored with mixed berries for my perfect breakfast.

And right next to the fromagerie, a patisserie with loads of goodies on hand. But what caught my eye were the macarons!

To fill you in on my mind set, my friend Cynthia and I have developed a certain obsession with french macarons. In NYC, we have sampled the macarons of Fauchon and Bouchon and made one attempt at Bouley (they were sold out when we got there). So I have a mission to taste them in France!

Of course I have to buy a few to sample. How decadent to eat macarons for breakfast!? I purchased one each of coco, chocolat, noisette and pistache. I was like one of those little old ladies that save their teabags as I took one bite of each and saved the rest for later...since I don't know the next time I'd encounter the magic macarons.

Cafe, croissant, yogurt and macarons lining our stomach, we still have a few hours to enjoy before we take the TGV to Avignon.

Pictures from Paris - the beginning

Paris 2007

France 2007- Three weeks of southern France, and a little bit of Paris too

We arrived in Paris on a Friday morning, May 25th, after an overnight flight from NYC.

On time, bags arrived, and we're ready to go.

We're staying tonight at the Hotel Studia, in the 6th Arrondissement. It's a little 2 star hotel right on the Boulevard St Germain, and only a short walk to L'Isle de la Cite and Notre Dame. Nothing fancy, but it'll do the trick, and the price is really good.

After we settled into our room, we set off to wander around the neighborhood, meandering our way towards the Luxembourg gardens. A short jaunt from our hotel is the Pantheon. Soon after we pass by, Brendan decides it's time for our first official wine and cheese break of the trip. We stop at a cafe, order 2 glasses of Sancerre and une assiette de fromage.

We can feel the pressures of our daily lives dissipate as we sip and savor and watch the world go by. Sufficiently relaxed, we resume our petite pieton and head towards the gardens.

The gardens are beautiful, as we have come to appreciate from pretty much all the gardens we have visited in France. Having both read Paris to the Moon for last year's trip, we decided to find the marionette theater and carousel so often talked about in the book. As we stroll, we notice several art installations/sculptures built around the statues of the french queens that line the park. Some are more interesting than others. We find the theater and the carousel and notice that there are some really dark storm clouds looming on the horizon....

We decide to head back to our hotel, to change and get ready for dinner...but alas, mother nature had other ideas. Oh yes, the skies opened up and decided to dump giant buckets of rain on us. We sought refuge under the awning of the nearest cafe. Our only option was to stay and have some wine as we waited for the downpour to let up and watched Parisians and tourists alike dart about in search of shelter. In no time at all, the warm temps of the day dropped what felt like a good 20 degrees fahrenheit. We had no idea that this was a sign of things to come.....

Once the rain eased up, we decided dinner would be a good idea, so we wandered around and discovered one of those pretty 'hidden passageway' streets. The first restauarant that caught our fancy (specializing in cuisine from the Perigord region) was already booked with reservations for the evening, so we settled for dinner at Bistro 1900.

The interior was very pretty, and definitely evoked our idea of Paris in the 1900s (supposedly, it dates back to that time). We shared a Terrine du Maison to start. It was paired with a fig confiture spiced with ginger. For our mains, Brendan had Canard Roti with Potato Gallete in Confit du Canard and I had a Salade St Germaine. Our meal was very good. No fireworks (though the terrine was a standout for it's freshness) but exactly what we needed.

Sated, dry and happy, we made our way back to the hotel and to bed.