Provence – Bedding down.

29 Monday Sep 2014

Posted by anneeuropeantravel in Provencal ways to vacation, Provence Food

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domaine des Andeols, fresh smell of pine trees, Le Chateau de Valmer, Mas de Peint, Provencal life

As a gourmet as well as a seasoned connoisseur of the Provencal Life, here is a sample of my favorite places to rest and eat. Growing up, I have spent a lot of summers in the South of France. I loved the fresh smell of pine trees, the easy way of life and the cuisine.

Le Mas de Peint was introduced to me by one of my sisters who happened to stay there on a family vacation, LE SAMBUC ; 4-9097-2062; http://www.lemasdepeint.com

This beautiful ranch is located in the heart of La Camargue and is the home of

Arles in Provence. Le Mas des Peints.

Jacques & Lucille Bon. A very friendly couple who shares their home and beloved land with guests as they would with old friends. From horseback riding through the beautiful countryside to wonderful local specialties prepared with love by very gifted chef Philippe Guillot. This hotel has both elegance and true authenticity.

Domaine Des Andeols. ( Saint Saturnin- les -Apt) 4-9075-5063; http://www.domainedesandeols.com. This is a very beautiful hotel featuring works by artists and designers – Andy Warhol, Philip Starck are among the artwork featured, it is a very cutting edge hotel in the heart of classic and rustic Provencal landscape.

Domaine des Andeols
Saint -Saturnin-les-Apt

Le Chateau de Valmer. (La Croix Valmer) 4-9455-1515; http://www.chateau-valmer.com. Every room just steps from the sea and is truly beautiful, but if you go just ask for the tree house, the bedroom in the tree – A suite perched in an enormous oak tree. There is a terrace overlooking the vineyards nearby.

La Bastide Saint-Antoine (48 Ave. Henri-Dunant, Grasse; 4-9370-9494; http://www.jacques-chibois.com. This hotel has the atmosphere of a grand house of the South of France. The owner, Jacques Chibois, has a great sense of hospitality and his cuisine is fabulous. This Bastide has it all – a superb restaurant, a great library, a pool and a terrace- garden and the hills as a backdrop. Extremely chic.

Grasse in France.

Grasse, France.

La Croix Valmer

Anne Suire

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Is the truffle a mystery or a delicate diva?

24 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by anneeuropeantravel in Provence Food

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diva, elm, get together 9 friends., lime, mapple, mystery, Provence, tartuffo Italian, Tartufoe Tartufole e truffolae, thanksgiving 2014, Truffle, Tuffolae, win a free tour, win a trip

Is the truffle a mystery?

The truffle has had a chequered history stretching back to antiquity. It has been a mineral, a plant created by thunder and lightning, and -as ascetic clerics put it about the middle ages – a monstrous creation of the devil. The truffle belongs to the species of ascomycetous fungi. The actual fungus is a ramifying network of hyphae threads that extend many metres in the ground – When the hyphae of different fungal branches meet, the result is the tuber in question.In our case a truffle -assuming the weather has been clement and the soil contains humus and chalk. There is a very close symbiotic relationship that the filament networks of fungi and tree roots enter into. In fact a regular two-way trade goes on between them. From what i have researched the truffle supplies nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other similar goodies. But the truffle does not enter into this arrangement with any old tree. No,it must be a maple, a birch, a lime or an elm. Most of it all it likes to cohabit with the oak, a liaison which we can thank for this wonderful aromatic truffle.

The truffle – a delicate diva?

Truffles are very sensitive to the weather. Hard winter frosts and dry summers are the ruination of a truffle. In particular August is the making of a truffle. And, also unfortunately, of wine. Which leads to a very surprising observation. A very year for truffles in tantamount of a bad vintage. For wine likes moderately humid-to-dry conditions in the period of August – October.

In 1986, an excellent year for wine in France, Gallic truffle production slumped from about 100 tons to 20, a big loss. The year 1987, by contrast, saw a disastrous vintage but the truffle crop of the century. Poetic justice!

Anne Suire

Thanksgiving 2014.

November 22 – November 29, 2014

Win a free one week stay in Luberon, Provence when you get together a group of 9 friends.

$ 4, 000 per guest.

Villa Accommodation ( double occupancy)

Drivers/ tour guides/ transfers & touring the region

TGV round trip

Breakfast, lunch, dinner are included, 3 bottles of wine included with dinner only.

Activities include: a visit to an organic truffle farm with lunch & Champagne. A visit to an organic vineyard with lunch. Bouillabaisse in Marseille and more.

Air fare is not included.

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Some of my favorite moments in Provence

22 Monday Sep 2014

Posted by anneeuropeantravel in Provencal ways to vacation, Provence Food, Wines of Provence

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Antibes, Bormes les mimosas, bouillabaisse, Calanques, Camargue, Cap Ferrat, Cassis, Chateauneuf du Pape, Cheeses, Chevre d'or, cistercian monastery, Couvent des minimes spa.Antique l'isle sur la Sorgue, Envau, Eze, Gordes, Grasse, La Turbie, lavender, market, Marseille Van Gogh, Mas de Peint, Miramar, monastery Saint Paul de Mausol, perfume, Porquerolles, Uzes, Vaucluse

Riding the white horses of the Camargue. The desolate marshy flatlands of the Rhone Delta are also home to the Pink Flamingos, bulls and white horses ridden by French cowboys, called Guardians. Saddle up with La bergerie de Maguelonne or at the well known Mas de Peint. You will discover a world of wild birds, salt lagoons, and beautiful panoramas, definitely not reachable by car.

A wondeful , gastronomic meal at a Provencal Table D’Hote. Life cannot get any better than indulging at Michelin starred Chateau de la Chevre d’Or in the tiny village of Eze, perched above the Mediterranean.

Following the Mimosa trail. Between , January and March, the Cote d’Azur comes alive with very sweet scented balls of yellow mimosa flowers. The mimosa trail is an amazing ( 80 mile) path along the hilly back-lands between Bormes-les-Mimosas and Grasse, the capital of perfume and you can watch the landscape bloom with the fragrant buds.

Bathing in the Calanques. You can explore the truly hidden splendor of creeks and beaches, snuggled between the jagged white cliffs between Marseille and Cassis. Envau, is the prettiest calanque, known for its sandy beach and needle like rock formations.

Eating Bouillabaisse in Marseille’s Miramar. You can grab a table at the Miramar’s sunny terrace, order a crisp sunny white wine and wait for the Bouillabaisse to arrive. This rich recipe – made from many of fresh fish, saffron and orange zest is one reason you should visit Marseille.

Tasting Chateauneuf du Pape wine. In the green vineyards around Chateauneuf du Pape grow France’s most famous product. When you travel around the Vaucluse, just pop into one of the many chateaux whose cote du Rhone wines are among the best in the country.

Having a picnic on Porquerolles. Is a must for nature lovers, who will truly adore the expanses of pine forests, olive groves, vineyards and beautiful beaches.

L’Abbaye de Senanque in bloom. All of us have seen cliched pictures of L’abbaye de Senanque in bloom, I saw it a couple of time but I will admit that the seas of lavender surrounding the 12th-century Cistercian monastery are just breathtaking, especially when approached from Gordes.

Basking in the glory of Rome. In the bougainvillea-scented village of La Turbie. The gigantic trophee des Alpes to celebrate emperor Augustus‘s victory against the Ligurians in 13 b.c. it used to mark the frontier between Italy and Gaul, and it stills over seeping views over Cap Ferrat and Eze.

Spending an afternoon at the antique mecca, L’Isle sur La Sorgue. Sifting through antiques is one of my favorite pastime,even here in San Francisco. Whether you covet an original Louis XIV chair or just search into other people’s junk for a hidden treasure. This place is a paradise for antique lovers of every stripe.

The haunting tranquility of Saint Paul de Mausol monastery. It is where Vincent Van Gogh committed himself after lopping off his ear in Arles. The tormented artist silently painted the cloisters and monastery gardens. It can be a very moving experience. A series of illustrated panels show his works on the sites where the artist painted them.

A spa day, rejuvenate at le Couvent des Minimes. As the sun sets over the hills in Haute-Provence, let the couvent knead away your tensions in the spa ( they are the only one in France to use Provencal Occitane products). Later on you can dine on fine Mediterranean cuisine in the hotel Restaurant.

Fill up at Antibes Provencal market. Provencal markets are very colorful, bustling and the stalls are filled with beautiful and delicious produce, charcuterie and cheeses. Antibes ‘ covered market makes a plum spot to stock a picnic basket.

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Anne Suire

Antibes INDOOR MARKET.

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Traveling to France, where to rest your sleepy head?

16 Tuesday Sep 2014

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Arabic, Aubrac, Dordogne, Franco, Indo, L'ange et l'Elephant, Laguiole, Languedoc, le canard a trois pattes, Maussane les Alpilles, Perigord Noir, restaurant Bras

Le Canard a trois pattes ( the duck has three legs), Dordogne, France

Le canard a trois pattes is situated 16 km from the historic town of Sarla, in the heart of the Perigord Noir, Languedoc. This very unique project is the inspiration of Belgian brother and sister Helgi and Greet Decreus and artist Armand Van Lierde. They bought this 15th century “Perigourdine” in 2000, and working with architect Eddy Francois, completely restored the main house, fitting it with every comfort and convenience. The objective was to achieve a symbiosis of contemporary architecture, design and art, while retaining the historic character of the manoir. The result is a lyrical melding of beauty and tranquility, forming an ideal for setting a break from it all. In the kitchen the dishes that Greet Decreus creates from her retro Smeg fridge and butter- yellow Aga stove are no less simple : Grilled eggplant involtini piped with fresh goat cheese, cherry- tomato risotto, a cinnamon apple tart.

Le Castanet, Tamnies, Dordogne, France.www.troispattes.com

L’hotel-Restaurant Bras, Laguiole, France

Ten minutes up the road from Laguiole, a mountainous town in the sparsely populated department of Aveyron, is Hotel-restaurant Bras, a large , luminous, and sparely portioned property with sculptural beige wicker armchairs and huge beds covered in sheets that are indescribably fine. The main attraction is the three-starred restaurant Bras, a very futuristic metal-and-glass structure poised on an immense carpet of vegetation. Father-son team Michel and Sebastien Bras prepare signature dishes: a first course of gargouillou, a sauteed medley of more than 50 vegetables that contrasts a complex preparation with an exquisitely simple presentation. At lunch, light fills the restaurant, which is cantilevered over the plateau of Aubrac, giving diners the impression they are in a spaceship hovering above the all countryside.

Rte de L’Aubrac, Laguiole, France; michel-bras.fr

L’Ange et l’Elephant, Maussane Les Alpilles, France.

Historically, Provincial Maisons D’Hotes are a lot of things – deliciously louche, poignantly decrepit- but rarely are they scenes-y . L’Ange et L’Elephant is the exception, an all-in-one inn restaurant, tea-salon, and boutique. The guesthouse, in a massive 18th-century staging post, is a nice three-minute walk from the town’s main square. Inside, two-room Franco-Indo-Arabic inn is decorated with a mix of disparate transporting elements : tole cacti, cedar panels of lacy latticed moucharaby, and vintage Coca-Cola picnic coolers. The 750 -square-foot suite has a salon that drifts into an open kitchen, and a terrace overlooking the courtyard below.

9, rue de la Reine Jeanne, Maussane les Alpilles, France; elephange.com

Gather a group of 9 friends and spend a free week in Provence for Thanksgiving, 2014.

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Posted by anneeuropeantravel | Filed under Hotels in France

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Country Tables . A culinary experience

15 Monday Sep 2014

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Apt, Arles, Avignon, basilic, bistros, Cavaillon, chez Bru, Eygalieres, farmers markets, garlic, Gordes, Jules Pernod, La Charcuterie, Le Bistro de France, Le bouquet du Basilic, le jardin du quai, numero 75. Bistro de Luxe, Provence, St Remy

In the French countryside, nothing compares to a multi- course dinner, but the noon- to three-o’clock slice of the day provides the fresh opportunity for leisurely lunches, with fresh-from -the-market ingredients. The best bistros in Provence possess four basic characteristics: a distinct personality, intimacy , a very convivial atmosphere, and a very generous spirit.

In Arles, the owners of La Charcuterie, wanted to create a bistro for friends and they succeeded. The space has a very modest decor of red-velvet banquettes and pig figurines. The menu features the main courses featuring Charolais beef and grilled duck, a carnivore’s dream.

With its Michelin two-star rating and refined interior, the Bistro d’Eygalieres has maintained while offering a menu of exquisitely nuanced regional cuisine. A lunch at the Bistro de Luxe, located a few miles away, south of the road between St-Remy and Cavaillon, might include grilled fillet of baby pig and a wonderful Gazpacho of fragrant strawberries.

The former Avignon mansion of Jules Pernod, creator of the liquor of the same name, now houses Numero 75. Behind an iron gate, 75 feels like a secret garden, fragrant with mimosa, bougainvillea, and lemon. Regarding the menus, they are short, with a few choices, such as pan-roasted guinea hen and a wonderful lemon confit.

L’isle sur la Sorgue is east of Avignon, a riverside town you will find a great little bistro, le jardin du Quai, a great restaurant to open in the past five years. The menu is very sophisticated and market fresh ( cod fillet, a poached peach in sugar syrup) is served in a retro atmosphere, complete with an old zinc bar and vintage tables.

In Gordes, one of the small perched villages of Luberon, it’s not easy finding authentic, reasonably priced food. Le Bouquet du Basilic, tucked behind a souvenir shop, are very adorable discoveries. Most of the dishes include the owner’s fresh basil and locally pressed olive oil.

In the little town of Apt, at Le Bistro de France , meals are as good as the best home cooking is : fresh and very generously served.On the menu, seasonal specials and menu classics like the tasty Blanquette de Veau – a creamy veal stew that’s the ultimate bistro comfort food and it is is truly no surprise that the Bistro plays to a full house.

Where to stay

Chez Bru, 4 rooms for rent above a 2-star restaurant. Rue de La Republique, Eygalieres;www.chezbru.com

Hotel d’ Europe. 16th- century mansion on the city’s central square. 12 Place Crillon, Avignon. http://www.heurope.com