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My first trip since breaking my leg was a huge success - 9 nights in a house in Provence. The house was great, the weather was great, no tourists except for us... This is my first all-digital vacation photo shoot, and I'm very pleased with the results. Click a photo to enlarge. I've now integrated my diary with the pictures. It may be a little rough around the edges, since it has not been edited and is often written under the influence of evening cocktails. I hope you enjoy the "spur of the moment" feel! Every day includes a description of exactly what we ate, and what it cost. Not that fascinating, but fun to look back at in later years!
Day 1 - 10/30 - 10/31/2003 Today was probably our smoothest trip to Europe ever. I worked at home for BNY and Jill picked up Kristen from school around 2:30. Kristen was all excited to be going to France and told the woman who escorted her from the library all about it - she wouldn't stop babbling. We drove to Staten Island and Bob dropped us off at the airport for our 5:20 flight. We were all set to "lose" our luggage in Paris, as had happened twice before when going to Toulouse. We packed a couple of days clothes in a carryon and I was sure I would be in the lost luggage office once I got to Marseille.
Our plane was an older Air France Airbus A300 with less-than-comfortable seats. The meal was mediocre; Kristen watched TV for several hours. She had really been looking forward to the TV-on-the-plane thing again. Dave got about 3 hours sleep, Kristen 2, Jill less. We arrived at Charles de Gaulle's new terminal 2E at about 6:15 am. After a long wait for immigration, and a 1 mile walk, we finally ended up at our Marseille flight with 5 minutes to spare. The plate in my leg sets off every metal detector, which is already getting old. Kristen thinks it's hilarious. The captain announced they were holding the plane for connecting passengers, then connecting baggage. How exciting! Sure enough after a turbulent ride to Marseille, our bags appeared too! We picked up cash and our Renault Scenic. Seems like the Scenic has gotten bigger - too big - and they have made it into a "car of the future" with a credit card key, pushbutton start, auto parking brake, etc. Nice, but annoying when you can't figure out how to use the radio.
It started to rain as we drove up to our house between Lacoste and Bonnieux. I had asked the owner to have someone meet us at 11 am, and amazingly we got there just about on time at 11:15. Door to door in about 14 hours! After knocking on several doors trying to figure out which one was the "front" door, we were met by Mariette - the nicest caretaker we've ever encountered. Completely fluent in English, bright, enthusiastic, friendly, funny, she spent over an hour showing us around the lovely house. Kitchen, dining room, living room, 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, multiple patios, etc. - 4 acres of land. It's perfect - nice antiques, art, etc. $850 a week at this time of year - a bargain considering it's $3100 in the summer.
After we said goodbye to Mariettte, we drove back to Cavaillon to do 100€ worth of shopping at LeClerc. We started to feel really tired while shopping and the rain didn't help. Got home and figured out that the heat wasn't set properly and re-set it in an attempt to raise the interior temperature above 60.
Lit a fire in the living room fireplace around 6 that helped a lot. Dave napped from 4:40 - 6 after a late lunch of cheese and baguettes.
Then a couple of drinks, followed by Jill's dinner of pork cutlets in a mustard - balsamic sauce, green beans, carrots & bread. Kristen insisted she wasn't tired but finally passed out at 9, followed shortly thereafter by Jill.
The house is really nice and I'm looking forward to exploring the grounds tomorrow. It sounds like the rain has finally stopped. The house is really hard to heat - a minimum number of radiators, retrofitted to the house. It holds the chill well but the fire is just the ticket.
Kristen missed Halloween but didn't mind. She wore an orange witch shirt and got a few comments. We saw a couple of French people dressed up, and the LeClerc clerks were witches. Mariette invited us to the festivities in Lacoste - apparently they have been celebrating for 30 years since an American art school opened. We didn't go due to tiredness and bad weather. Day 2 - 11/1/2003 What a great way to wake up - after going to bed during a tempest, we awoke to a sunbeam coming through the curtains and right onto the bed. What a great start! We awoke late (9:00) and after chocolate croissants & coffee for breakfast, headed out into the sunshine. Kristen & I explored the property, finding a giant seesaw, play set and a bench I sat on while Kristen picked a fistful of yellow wildflowers. The view across the valley to the Petit Luberon is gorgeous, just a few houses visible. Plenty of olive and cherry trees. Kristen tried a raw olive and proclaimed it nasty.
We were joined by Chico the black cat, whom we were told would be joining us. When we came back in, he scooted in under my legs and stretched out in the still-warm bed and fell asleep.
We, on the other hand, got ready and headed out for a tour of the Dentelles, with a food fair in Vaison-la-Romaine as our destination. We quickly recognized the summit of Mont Ventoux, shrouded in the only clouds around. After getting lost in Carpentras, we took some really nice scenic roads around the foothills of the mountain, passing a lone psycho bicyclist.
By the time we finally pulled into Vaison la Romaine it was near 2 pm. We quickly found the "Journees Gourmandes" festival, a huge tent with vendors inside and outside.
Our 4€ admission got us each a souvenir wine glass. Inside were about 100 vendors, selling all sorts of local specialties. We could have survived a month on the free samples. We found a table, shared by French and Italians, and enjoyed duck confit ravioli (6€), 7 oysters (4€), a couple of glasses of Cotes du Rhone (1.50€), a plate of raclette over cured ham (6€) and some pastries (2€ per). Plus we bought as souvenirs: a 3 kilo bag of sea salt, walnut oil, a ceramic flute, and a chocolate nut nougat. A splendid time was had by all!
After the wine and food we were kind of tired and bagged the Dentelles tour. Oh well, maybe another day. Food fairs like this don't come along every day.
On the way home we stopped at a mobbed LeClerc for slippers (Dave & Kristen) and dinner stuff. Home around sunset (6:00), and were greeted by Chico. Kristen and I went out onto the swing set but retreated inside when some hunters began firing in the adjacent field. Too close for comfort (100 yards). Mom is making a tricolor pasta with Tomatoes, olives, rosemary and garlic. I have a fire going, "Paris Accordions" is on the CD player and I'm sipping my third Pastis. Life is good!!!
Day 3 - 11/2/2003 Got up late again (9:00) had eggs & ham for breakfast, plus toasted cheese on baguette with coffee. Kristen picked more flowers. Then out to the market in L'Isle sur la Sorgue where we arrived before noon.
We were expecting an antique market, and there was a little of that, but mostly lots of souvenir-type stuff, food, etc. It was way too crowded and gave Jill claustrophobia. Jill bought 6 placemats and napkins with cigales (cicadas) on them. The antiques we saw did not look cheap, but I have a feeling we did not see the best ones.
We were very wishy-washy about what / where to eat (pizza on the street, 1 star Michelin restaurant)??, but the end result is we did not commit and it was 1:30 and too late for anything!
Jill bought 2 baguettes in a boulangerie, and we came back home for cheese sandwiches and olives with Orangina. Kristen & I explored the yard after lunch and Kristen chased the cat around the yard and up a tree! It was soon 3:30 and we headed out to Lacoste. We climbed up the the Marquis de Sade's ruined castle along very unsafe rock strewn pathways. Still did not see much of the town of Lacoste though.
Then down toward Menerbes, passing (we think) Peter Mayle's house from "A Year in Provence". We parked in a lot in the lower part of Menerbes and walked the narrow streets in search of another house we almost rented. We walked up a big hill but realized we were on the wrong side of town, but were too tired to walk to the other side. Maybe tomorrow. Then we drove back past the house and up to the pretty village of Bonnieux. The purpose was to find a future restaurant. Bonnieux has a couple of candidates, but it was too early (5:30) so we ended up back home. The views from all 3 towns were spectacular of the Luberon valley, with sunset near and the sun low in the sky.
PS we also stopped at the old wash house down the hill from Lacoste - can you just picture the town's women trudging up and down the steep hill every week to do their laundry in the icy pool?
Then home at sunset, where Chico tried to gain admittance but was rejected. Dinner of nice leftovers after a call to Mom & Dad. Diary by the roaring fire with wine, and Gershwin on the CD player. And a couple of games of "Uno" before Kristen's bedtime. Maybe the stars tonight will be as bright as last night... sure is quiet outside. It doesn't get this quiet in New Jersey. No gunshots since sunset!
Despite being tired I did not fall asleep until past 12, and then only with medical help. I did however read a lot of "A Year in Provence", which perfectly describes this area. All the local towns are mentioned. Mayle did indeed live along the Lacoste - Menerbes road. Which house we don't know. He mentions all the local towns - Lacoste, Menerbes, Bonnieux, etc. Also mentioned the bakery in Lumieres, which we'll have to try, and the Cave Cooperative along the N100 near Bonnieux, which we tried to find. But more of that later. Day 4- 11/3/2003 We got up late again but I guess it's relative because the sun doesn't rise until 8:00. Jill wasn't feeling so hot so we didn't go out till noon, when we went to Bonnieux' Hotel Cesar for lunch with a view.
We were the first in at noon, and had a nice, not great, meal. Dave - Fish soup (excellent!!!), chorizo/calamari salad and a lemon meringue pie with a shot of espresso. Literally a shot, but zoom! Jill - warm goat cheese salad, boeuf bourguignon & chocolate cake, Kristen - cured ham & frites, chocolate cake. All just "OK" - 66€.
Then took Kristen to a modern playground where she had a grand time. Jill's tummy was upset so we drove 10 minutes back home where we met the gardener Patrick who spoke no English but loved it when I told him the property was beautiful. His wife and daughter were picking the olives.
Then we headed out to find the Pont Julien, a 2000 year old Roman bridge that still carries car traffic. Very impressive, especially when you consider it was built by hand! Unfortunately the views were spoiled by the adjacent construction of another bridge, but I got some photos anyway.
After we got back in the car and started moving, I noticed my window going down slowly. I started to yell at Kristen, but stopped. It was going down too slowly. Like it was broken, which it was. Oh shit. We started to panic, but recovered. Hey it could be a lot worse - we could be stuck in one of the many deep roadside ditches. So we regrouped, and tried to find the local wine co-op. This is where all the local wines are sold, by locals to locals. We found one just outside Apt, not the one we were looking for, but why not? So I went into the very attractive warehouse, where many types of local wines were stacked up on pallets, Price Club style. Mostly bag-in-box type (labeled "Bag-in-Box"), but some bottles and about 10 gas pumps in the rear where all the old guys were filling up their 1-5 gallon jugs. I bought 4 bottles of "expensive" Cotes du Luberon and Cotes de Ventoux for 30.90€. I guess I don't look like an American the checkout guy gave me a 5-minute dissertation on the proper care and serving of my bottles, temperature, decanting, aging, etc., about 10% of which I understood. But he didn't realize I didn't understand. Then back up to Bonnieux, where we parked and walked around. Checked out eh "New" Church (1875), tried and failed to find the old. Also found "Mayle's" wine co-op, and checked out some restaurants, most of which are closed for dinner and early in the week at this time of year.
Then back home, waving to Patrick on his way out, for Pastis / wine before we go out to dinner. Kristen is looking forward to it - how many 6 year olds can you say that about? And I called Europcar to report our window trouble, in French, and arranged with Christophe to exchange our car at the Avignon TGV station tomorrow at 10. Very friendly. Dinner tonight may be just pizza, we'll see. Today was another gorgeous day, bright blue sky, 62 degrees. I got a little sunburn. This house is perfect - location, view, quite, ambience - and this time of year is great because there are no crowds, traffic, or tourists. Except Us!. ... Well, dinner was ok, and expensive. 1 Pissaladiere, 1 Pizza de Parma, 1/2 carafe wine, chocolate ice cream, 2 very good profiteroles, 41€. A pizza / snack kind of place, with a bunch of locals at the bar, only 1 or 2 women. But they had a fire going, hand made pizza, and courteous service. And a very dark, windy (broken window) ride home. Bonnieux looks beautiful lit up from afar.
Day 5 11/4/03 Up and out early today; we had an appointment to change the car. Woke up to a dense fog, eggs for breakfast and out at 9:15. It was a rather chilly drive to Avignon - about 45 degrees with a window open. Yikes. We go the the Avignon TGV station about 10:15 and had no problem exchanging our car in French. The woman was very nice.
While we were awaiting the car's arrival I went inside the TGV station to go to the bathroom and ran into a typical French paradox. Here we are in a major symbol of France's technological sophistication and I have to pay 50 cents to a woman to take a leak. Gimme a break. Trains are arriving at 200 MPH but the only way in is via 20 steps with no handrails. I guess the old and handicapped don't use the TGV. And the front auto entrance is through 2 huge metal gates that allow one car in and 1 car out at a time. Come on!
Anyway since we were in Avignon (in an unscratched car, with working radio and window) we went to the Palais de Papes, where the Popes lived when there was a schism in Rome in the 1300's.
The huge building is 100% intact, built on the backs of countless peasants who were dying of the plague while the Popes and Cardinals enjoyed the good life inside. Our electronic tour guide described the documented party supplies for one papal coronation - several hundred oxen & cattle, 1000 geese, 3000 chickens, 50,000 carp, 1000 sheep, the list goes on and on.
The place was like a huge Stairmaster, we ate lunch of cheese sandwiches in a tiny one man cafeteria atop one tower about 8 stories up. Nice view.
After the palace, we did a quick walk around the Place de Horlogue where Kristen went on a carousel, followed by a drive-by of the Pont Bezenet, the half bridge in the Rhone of the French nursery rhyme "Sur le Pont D'Avignon, on y danse"...
Then up to Chateauneuf de Pape stopping on the way for Kristen to have a Happy Meal at McDonald's and play on their playground.
Chateauneuf de Pape is the home of yet another (ruined) papal stronghold, when another round of Popes split from the Avignon crowd. But more importantly, the wine, made from a mix of 13 grape varieties. We walked around the chateau but didn't sample the wine - it doesn't really mix with Kristen or a 1 hour drive home.
We got to Lacoste around 4:00, and decided to scope out Mariette's mother-in-law's restaurant (Café de Sade) for dinner later. As we pulled into a parking spot in the town square, who pulled in behind us but Mariette and her 2 boys 1 1/2 and 3. The 3 year old was throwing a tantrum, a daily occurrence. We kissed Mariette hello (3 times each) and talked for about a 1/2 hour as we made our way slowly towards the restaurant. Slowly because Mariette of course knows everyone and many people stuck their heads out of doors to see who was throwing the tantrum. And to offer advice (a good-natured "give me a week with him and he'll never to that again") and to talk with friends, etc. a 100 yard walk took 30 minutes. We went in the restaurant with her but found that this time of year only lunch is served.
We bid Mariette farewell with more kisses and explored the steep streets of the town. Nice cobblestoned streets, dogs running around, cars impossibly parked, beautiful views. Then home for a glass of wine, and the diary, Jill called her folks, Kristen watching TV. Tonight dinner at 7:30 in Bonnieux... I hope tonight's dinners is good, so far the food has been nothing to write home about except my fish soup. ... Unfortunately another culinary letdown... we went to Bonnieux to the restaurant we had picked out, entered the well-decorated bar area and asked for a table. Madame said it was not possible, they were close for a private party. "Demain soir?", I asked. No, they don't open for dinner until December. Bummer. So we drove up the hill, and even the pizzeria was closed. The Hotel Cesar was open, but we had just eaten there for lunch yesterday, so I decided we should try to find a country house / hotel I remembered being 2 km south of Bonnieux towards Lourmarin. After 6 km of driving on winding roads (pitch dark) we finally saw the sign and headed down the rutted dirt drive. It was a member of a high end hotel association, but in the dark the driveway was not welcoming. We wimped out and turned around, stalling the car because the ruts were so deep. L'Augerge D'Aigbrun turned out to be pretty well rated in the Michelin Red Guide, but our hunch was right - it's closed Tuesdays anyway. So it was back to the only game in town - Hotel Cesar, where the waiter greeted us, remembering us from the previous day. There were only a couple of other folks in the place and unfortunately the menu was the same as at the prior day's lunch. At least I got to have the fish soup again, Jill a salad, and both an OK lamb daube. Kristen gorged on frites again, chocolate cake and apple tart for dessert. At 76€, overpriced with wine. I left a 5€ tip since I had forgotten him at lunch the day before. Home and bed after looking at the stars, unfortunately washed out by a bright 3/4 moon. Day 6 - 11/5/03 Stepped outside this morning to hear the birds twittering and the church bells chiming 8 am in Bonnieux, then Lacoste. Another bright, clear morning, about 45 degrees.
We left about 10:00 and immediately diverted from the planned itinerary by going down a side road to the "Foret de Cedres" (Cedars) outside Bonnieux. I thought it would be a short road but it ended up being a road along the Petit Luberon ridge across from our house. The road itself was not spectacular but some of the views across our valley were.
It had some hiking trails back down to the valley that would have been nice if you could get dropped off at the top and find your way to the bottom.
Then since were were almost in Lourmarin, another diversion to that pretty town, where we walked around and bought a baguette with twisted ends, took some photos, etc.
Someone asked me directions in French and I had to tell him "I don't know, I'm not from here" in French. No problem. I get asked for directions at least once on each trip.
Then up to the town of Buoux, where we picnicked in a parking field, whose beautiful valley view was only slightly spoiled by power lines.
Then up over the Petit Luberon again, more spectacular views, the temp now about 70 degrees, to the outskirts of Apt for a LeClerc visit for supplies and a clock radio, since we, and the house, do not have an alarm clock that we need for Sunday morning. Feeling really tired we pointed our chariot to Roussillon, where we just about had the "Ochre Town" to ourselves.
The silence here can be deafening, especially at night. All the buildings in Roussillon are painted in various shades of the local ochre rock, that is used in their paint. We saw several overflow parking lots outside of town that are used in the summer, we parked right in the town square.
The views, and the atmosphere in general, are marred by the many fires the locals are burning to get rid of God Knows What. At one point I thought grape vine trimmings, but it looks like they burn anything. Unfortunately it clouds the entire valley with a haze worse than Los Angeles, and an acrid smell at times. By now I was exhausted, but we went to the large hill town of Gordes anyway. Mariette described it as a dead town, with too many vacation houses and not enough locals, but I couldn't find parking in the town center. We just drove around a little and left. The town looks well kept, with a spectacular, if smoky, view, and a great potential photo when entering that I want to go back and capture. Then back home via Goult, where we tried and failed to find a Michelin starred restaurant. But first on the way there we did run across a windmill out in a field, restored as a tiny house with pool. Cool!
Home at 4:00, Kristen and I took a nap. Dinner tonight God willing at Le Fournil in Bonnieux, but our luck so far has been less than stellar. Kristen has been a real trouper and loves France, driving around and picnics. That makes it fun.
... We were finally pleased with a dinner. Got to Le Fournil in Bonnieux at 7:30 and were ushered into the troglodyte cave. It was pretty empty but soon filled up. We had a candle and potato (???) on our table and enjoyed a mackerel / goat cheese thing (Jill), fried Crevettes (shrimp, Dave), veal that tasted like pork loin (Jill & Kristen). The girls split a chocolate thingie. With kir, Pastis & wine the total came to a high 108€, but a better value than Hotel Cesar for 75€. Home to bed where we were rudely awakened by our new alarm clock at midnight - someone in Taiwan leaves them in the "alarm" position on purpose, just to piss me off! Day 7 11/6/03 Another beautiful day, same weather. Too bad our plans didn't quite work out. We were out around 10:00, a little late, sans breakfast 'cause we're out of supplies.
We took the autoroute up to Orange, first stop the market. We found one market just off the autoroute but it looked like an Arabic thing and we turned around. Found the main market, still many Arabs, and nowhere to park. We tried to find parking for the Roman theatre, but none was available. It's now 11:45, nowhere to park, and too late to go into the theatre before lunch. We're screwed. We stopped at the 2000 year old Roman triumphal arch, in the middle of a road on the road north out of Orange. The Romans built it to say "nyah, nyah we kicked your butt" to the Gauls. It was about 50 feet high, surrounded by a modern traffic circle.
Then we went up to Serignan to check out Jean-Henri Fabre, a world-renowned etymologist. I bought a baguette and saw his statue, so stopped to take a few pictures for Sieb. 1/2 mile up the road I saw a sign about the town and located his museum. Unfortunately if did not reopen till 2:00 and required a French language tour, so we decided to skip it. Kristen would have liked the bugs.
We found a half-assed picnic spot next to a closed factory, but it had a nice view of some Cotes du Rhone vineyards. The usual, but I had some Foie Gras and some fougasse bread, a little like a big pretzel.
Then back to Orange, where we found a parking spot now that the market was closed. We walked to the Theatre Romain and went in. It holds almost 10,000, one of 3 intact theatres from Roman times. The other 2 are in Syria and Turkey!
The recorded tour guide was very informative and we spent about 1-2 hours walking up the vertiginous seats. Jill had to go down because she got fear of heights.
Kristen and I went up to the top and imagined the plays being performed 2000 years ago. Altogether very impressive, including the Stairmaster workout going up and down a few hundred steps.
Then across the street to a little museum, where we saw various artifacts they dug up on the site, as well as other local history. Kristen enjoyed a 16th century cross used by Rhone boatmen for protection, decorated with various little ornaments, as well as a 2" ivory virgin Mary ad some 18th C. paintings of street scenes,. After the theatre, Jill wanted to buy shoes, but I told her to go into the store and get them without my help, causing a hissy fit that lasted most of the ride home. She wouldn't go in the store without me as "backup". When we got back to our area, we spent a futile hour going to various restaurants looking for one open tonight - we tried the countryside around Bonnieux, Lacoste, and the town of Menerbes. We did get to see the rest of Menerbes though.
Finally back home around 5:00, more futile restaurant calls before I reserved us again tonight at Le Fournil, same as last night. Pastis, wine, TV and ironing, and we go out in 10 more minutes... ... We had a nice meal, not quite as nice as the night before. Jill had the mackerel / goat cheese thing again, I had chestnut soup with foie gras (great, and very rich), Kristen had the veal again, Dave a tough "Col Vert" - literally "Green Collar, pheasant, Jill grilled lamb. Plus a very nice Cotes de Luberon wine, and cassis and peach sorbets for dessert. Our waitress served us totally in French, but was fluent in English and spoke to Kristen in English a few times,. The previous night, she asked if we were "termine" (finished). I told Kristen she was going to be terminated and she said "Stop! You're going to give her nightmares!" There was an unusual foursome at the next table - an older American couple and a Japanese couple. He was head of some Japanese college - fluent in English and about as conversant in French as me! Day 8 - 11/7/03 It's kind of windy this morning, with a cold wind and dark, humid clouds blowing in from the south. Hopefully the weather holds out... Kristen is coloring in her "Roi Lion" coloring book. Breakfast of what was left around - 1 egg, leftover bread, jam, etc., then out around 11:00, too late as usual. First stop Gordes, a touristy village, but basically just us and a busload of Japanese who quickly dispersed.
Jill had fun shopping and bought a santon (terra cotta doll, dressed and painted, of an old woman carrying a tray of cheese), a faux antique wine caddy, 6 glasses with cicadas on them, and a little ceramic cat for Kristen.
We had lunch of pizzas, salad, dessert & coffee for 42€ in a little mom & pop place with 4 tables. Good pizza, too much food.
Then a stop at the Village de Bories, old stone huts. No one knows quite how old, same say as old as 2000 years. They were lived in until about 1850.
We almost didn't go in, but Kristen wanted to. As soon as we paid our 11€ it started to rain, so we made quick work of it. Then out the narrow lane, and on to Fontaine de Vaucluse.
This town is where the Sorgue river has its source, bubbling up from no one knows how far under the earth to form a full-throttle river.
Quite impressive, but a bit of a walk in the rain. It was really nice being in such a tourist town with few tourists around. Leaves falling, truly fall now, about 45 degrees.
After the 1 hour excursion it was time to head home and warm up.
I called 2 restaurants this morning and made reservations for our final 2 nights. Jill's thinking about starting to pack but not motivated. The change in the weather makes it feel like vacation is almost over... maybe it will blow thru tonight. My highlight of the day was an extended French conversation with a friendly shopkeeper in Gordes. We kept it simple - he spoke no English. Where we stayed, how long, nice weather, Kristen on vacation from school, etc. About 10 minutes. Tonight dinner at Restaurant Pont Julien, near the Roman bridge. We drove thru a rainstorm and got there 10 minutes early, to the disapproval of of the proprietor, who had asked me to come at 7:45; I confused his place with tomorrow's restaurant. So we sat alone in the dining room, listening to some kind of African? music till precisely 7:45 when we got our menus. We were soon joined by 4 other tables of people, the entire crowd for the night. Maman, waiting tables, appeared to speak no English. The dining room was a little hushed compared to Le Fournil. Dave ordered some kid of seafood casserole (not too good) and a salmon cut into strips and braided with bacon and citron sauce, excellent. Jill - goat cheese salad and duck pot-au-feu (duck/veggie stew), also excellent. Kristen had chicken strips with sauce and potatoes au gratin. Same wine as last night (half the price) and unfortunately madame gave us red instead of the requested rose. Jill creme caramel dessert, Dave -Isle Flottant (floating islands of meringue in creme anglaise). The desserts, like the entrees, did not match the quality of the main course. But the bill was only 63€. Home through the rain to bed, where we wished for a fire but it's too late. To bed with "Toujours Provence" now that "A Year in Provence" is finished. Great books for the Luberon traveler, everything takes place within 10 miles of our house! Day 9 - 11/8/03 Last day - so that means packing, a little cleanup, last minute shopping and a little sightseeing before Mariette comes to finalize everything at 6:00. Breakfast will be leftovers... Out about 10:00 towards Cavaillon via Menerbes. On the way we saw the corkscrew museum, so we stopped in. It was nice, part of a winery, with 1300 specimens on display. Kristen liked an Eiffel Tower model, Jill a mermaid, Dave a multi-purpose tool.
After a quick look at last year's vintage aging in barrels, we skipped the free tasting - it was only 11:00 - and headed to Cavaillon.
At LeClerc we bought enough stuff to fill a suitcase - about 3 lbs. of cheese, cassoulet, soup, small toys ,soap, clothes, etc. The girls were in their glory. Then we gassed up the car and headed home via the smaller roads. Late lunch about 2:30 of foie gras, cheese, etc. The weather was really cold and raw - Kristen and I took a last tour of the property while Jill finished packing. Then inside for a fire and Uno.
Mariette called at 6:10 and said she'd be a little late, her "monster" had not awoken yet. So we started cocktails without her. She finally arrived at 7:25, our dinner reservations were for 7:30. After 12 more kisses, and some quick conversation and exchange of email addresses she was gone.
We got to Restaurant La Gare at about 8:00, only one other car in the lot. It's in an old train station, we basically had a room to ourselves. I had my best overall meal of fish stew, some kind of fish with langoustines, and a pear / chocolate sorbet thing. Jill - salad with a goat cheese profiterole and veal, same dessert. Miss K. - salad and veal and ice cream. Back home at 10:00 and right to bed. Day 10 - 11/9/03 Up at 4:45 am and out by 5:15 - in the airport by 6:30 and after a quick plane change in Paris we're ready for takeoff. Well, the plane change wasn't that quick. The "State of the Art" new international terminal 2F required a 1/2 mile walk, a wait for passport control, bag screening, a walk thru a mall and up a broken escalator, boarding formalities, more stairs, a standing room only bus ride, and a walk up the stairs to the plane. Yeah, real "State of the Art"!
Anyway, it was a great trip overall, all connections smooth, everyone friendly. Even our car problem caused a minimum of disruption. The house was fantastic, nice property and view. A lot of hilly walking thru the hill towns. It was great being in Provence off season, except we had difficulties finding restaurants. The food was a little disappointing, good but not great. Not as many sights as the Dordogne region. The weather was great, except a day at the beginning and 2 days at the end. Overall a really nice trip, and a really nice time. A bientot! PS Kristen saw the Eiffel tower when landing in Paris, and the Empire State building 8 hours later! |
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