another cigale trip
Jun 23rd, 2009 | 11:29 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 43,742
Likes: 4
another cigale trip
posting to keep my memories in one place
postcard from the road
After picking up our car, we headed to Burgundy with no reservations for two nights. Our first stop was Avallon, the Burgundian hill town perched serenely on a promontory between two ravines where there are more treasures of architecture-and good food. The church there of Saint-Lazare is one of the rarest Romanesque curiosities.
Years ago I stayed at the Hostellerie de La Poste. This venerable hostelry dates back to 1707 and received Napoleon on one of his trips. Alas they were not serving lunch but recommended a place. "Le Relais des Gourmets," where I tasted my first Soupier d'Escargots, a snail soup that is topped by a crust so that it looks like a mushroom.
Luck took us to Tournus where we found an unusual motel. Our room was a little wooden cottage with a porch bedecked with hanging geraniums and located in a parc behind stone walls. There was a fountain and benches of wrought iron with wooden seats. Breakfast was served by a lovely pool. We were amused by an English lady who was perplexed why there was not any cereal. "Like Kellogg’s."
Now we were on our way to the Gorge du Loup, we stopped in La Mure at a place called, Le Pub. I had a salade Grenobloise, that is greens, walnuts, gruyére cheese, poivrons. The drive through the Grenoble area is wonderful, with mountains all around you. We were driving on the Route de Napoléon, just outside Gap in the Commune of Senez, when suddenly our car wouldn't steer and stopped right before the archway of stone where drivers toot their horn to let you know they are passing through. J. had to stand on the road and wave trucks and cars to pass us. What to do? Stranded at nowhere it seemed!! Suddenly a red car pulled over and a lovely lady stepped out. She was amazing. She phoned Eurocar for us and our hotel, as we would not be there for dinner. She stayed with us for two full hours until the tow truck came. Kisses all around and many thank yous. The mechanic drove his in his truck to the garage in St Andre Les Alpes. He called a cab for us and locked his shop and said to call him in the morning. It was way over an hour before the cab came because it was from a distant town. None were available in St Andre. It was an hour and a half drive to our hotel and 11pm when we finally arrived. Jean Pierre, the wonderful guy who runs this hotel and fabulous salads for us of fruit de mer. I ordered my favorite Rosé from Bandol, Domaine Templier. In the middle of the meal, the Sirocco struck, knocking over umbrellas and glasses, one umbrella following on our table where we were sitting in a somewhat sheltered corner of the terrace. The Sirocco is warmer than and not as fierce as the Mistral, but during the night, you couldn't convince me as I heard pottery being smashed and shutters banging.
The next morning all was calm and when we came downstairs for breakfast, Jean Pierre said, Eurocar phoned for J. to taxi to Nice to pick up another car in the afternoon. We had reservations for La Table de mon Moulin and we had to call another taxi to take us to the village of La Rouet. I thought reservations were for 12 but when I rang the gate buzzer, Mme Silva said 12:30 was the requested time. I explained our situation, so she buzzed us in and had this chance to wander the grounds followed by one of her cats and two English setters. This restaurant is lovely. Only six tables. Two tables of Germans, two of Brits, one French. This is a set menu. Chef Silva comes to each table to explain what you are eating at every course. The Moulin has a luxury of details. Huge embroiled white linen napkins, the table settings unique and not available as I found out because of the six tables, I was the only one that ordered an apero of pastis which arrived with a beautiful pitcher of water. The design was of grasses and insects. Mme Silva said she commissioned the table settings from a potter in Valbonbe. There are knife holders, the dishes, the fleur de sel holder lovely all made by the potter. Our taxi arrived at 2:30 in order for J. to catch another waiting at the hotel to take him to Nice, so we did not have the destined dessert but a plum and a maribelle and a thick stick of sugared ginger.
When J. returned from Nice with the car, we drove up to Gourdon, which stares down at us from its perch when we are at Breakfast. We stopped at the top at the Le Nid d’Áigle for a pastis because the view is spectacular. After leaving the Gorge de Loup we were not booked anywhere for a few days so I suggested we try to stay at an old favorite in the Aveyron. The Magnolias in the sleepy village of Plaisance where a chef named Patrick is one of the funniest guys I have ever met. There was room at the Inn!!! We had a funny time chatting with him. This hotel was once the country residence where the French writer, Paul Valery and his family use to live.
Now off to Provence!! We arrive at our hotel; there is a message from my French friend in a nearby town. She says to come for aperos to her home after checking in. We arrive and share updates in our lives and families and return the next night for a dinner party for us. The next afternoon we have reservations to return to La Chassagnette in the Camargue. This time we are seated on the terrace facing the potager where butterflies are dancing over flowers and herbs but this idyllic occasion is dampened by a man at the next table who is puffing away on his cigar at and between every little lovely tapas that arrives. What a HIMBO!! After the wonderful meal, I stopped by the bar where that wall I mentioned last year is covered with laurel (BAY) leaves under chicken wire to buy a gift of their yummy coing (quince) confiture. We dined that night at the Auberge The next, the party thew next night. I don't keep notes but things we did were to visit the musée in Arles that Mistral founded, attended a fete in Lourmarin, the Saturday market in St Remy, a terrible flea market in Plan de Organ. We ate at La Petite France again as they are not as stuffy as before, lunched also at our favorite bistro of Paradou where Vincent, the waiter greeted us even after I called him a mouse! Many a pastis and a few dinners at our Local "Le Progress” in Eygalieres where we know the regulars and a wonderful lunch by the fountain in Maussane where I had the best Pave of Taureau(bull). Our favorite meal was dinner at Au Ravi Provençau in Maussane where again the chef Jean François and his sweet blind wife Aurore are very welcoming. Next to us was a table of three, what sounded like Americans with three dogs on leashes sprawled on the floor in everyone's way. The waitpersons had to climb over them while carrying trays. I decided to ease their distress. I rose from my seat and said to the dog lying in my way, "please move doggy, I must go to the toilette." All three at that table drew in their mutts, and two waiters thanked me on leaving. Dinner with friends the next night at Petite Bru, around the corner from its pricier Bistro of Eygaliers. We said goodbye at Le Progress and friends with so many kisses that thought I may have looked like Angelina Jolie, she whose lips enter first!!!....
Now we are on the way to the Loire. Friends have booked us into a hotel in Noyes sur Cher. One picks us up after check-in, gives us a tour of some sights and chateaus; what a giving host! And they brought us back to their enchanting house and garden. We sit drinking wine and pastis on the balcony, later dinner at our hotel with much laughter. The next day they pick us up and take us to the weekly market and buy the food for the lunch they will serve us. We eat in their glorious garden and he gives us some tomatoes to take with us.
On the road again. We stopped in the designated beautiful village of La Couvertoirade and lunched at the first place we saw, the Bar Restaurant Des Remparts. J. is 6' and 4 and 1/2 inches and is always hungry so I recite an old poem:
"What good this life so full of care,
if we've no time to stop and stare."
Our next stop looking for a place to bed down is in Treignac another designated B.V. We found a place on the outskirts called La Brasserie. Lovely with its climbing ivy on the outside but especially charming rooms but what the heck, it's only for a night.
OOPS! I forgot to mention, a new place we discovered in Maussane, LÁnge et L'Eléphant. It's a combination café-boutique, selling, crafts from India, Morocco. There's a huge white tent where you can eat a marocaine meal or sip your mint tea. Juliette is a lovely young woman with her husband that has started this unusual place. It's located right before the olive mill where we buy our olive oil for home, the Jean Corneille.
We now have arrived near Poitier, staying with friends in a nearby commune (that means smaller than a village). Our friends greet us with a pastis and all the dogs coming running to see me because they know I will take them for walks. There is a new litter, and I'm offered one as a Christmas present but can't bring it home, don't know how to go about it. We have dinner that night, wild boar that our friend has caught. Another night it is polet that they raise. The wife loves birds and has three large cages of birds in every color of the rainbow. This day, Caramel, the cat has caught and killed a small rabbit. I know that's how it is on farms bit it distresses me. Our friend takes us to his buddy's place that raises hunting dogs. Never have a seen so many dogs in one place. There were eighty surrounding me. Down the road from their farm is the Chateau Touffou which we visited. Two 12th century keeps and four round towers linked in the 16th century by the Renaissance building.
One afternoon we went into Poitiers and had a marvelous lunch at the stuffy Le Poitevin. My favorite lunch was at the brasserie, La Taverne de Maitre Kanter where J. and I, both oyster lovers, had a plateau of 12 different oysters each and Bar grilled with herbs. Another day we were Liguge to Saint-Martin's churchdating from the 16th century. We attended an exposition in a nearby building, of art works made of des emaux which the town is famous for, it's enamel on copper. The next day we visit Parc De Blossac in Poitier. This parc was given to the city by our friend's great grand parents. J. and I sit in a gazebo, he reading the Herald tribune and nodding off., so I prance of to the zoologique part of the parc. We visit to the Chateau de Rochechouart that has a museum of Contemporary art. I'm not crazy over the works now in the present exhibit but one of the rooms in the chateau has ancient frescoes telling the story of Hercules. These wall paintings probably date from the 16th century but were only discovered in 1965.
On the way back to our friends, we stopped in Chassenon to see the ancient gallo-roman town of Cassinomagus to see the thermal baths exceptionally preserved. A last dinner at our friends the charming (be still my heart) mayor of Chavigny has been invited and he gives us an invitation to visit him next year. We all kiss goodbye after breakfast. They load us with peaches from their trees and grapes from their vine and hopes I can take a puppy. I take the dogs on a last walk and now we are off to Normandy where friends run a B&B. We pick up a bottle of Pastis to Share with our host. Madame does drink. We have dinner this last night at The Moulin de Fourges, a yearly event.
The next morning, after breakfast, my host gives me a small bottle of ferme Calvados and today, I can say it's the best I have ever tasted. We arrive at CDG and leave the car and check-in and go back as last year to Brasserie Flo in terminal F and our plane, later takes off an hour behind schedule.
A foot note: just outside Chavigny, we got caught for the first time, in the radar trap and it cost us 90€, credit cards not accepted.
My dog is happy I'm home!!
postcard from the road
After picking up our car, we headed to Burgundy with no reservations for two nights. Our first stop was Avallon, the Burgundian hill town perched serenely on a promontory between two ravines where there are more treasures of architecture-and good food. The church there of Saint-Lazare is one of the rarest Romanesque curiosities.
Years ago I stayed at the Hostellerie de La Poste. This venerable hostelry dates back to 1707 and received Napoleon on one of his trips. Alas they were not serving lunch but recommended a place. "Le Relais des Gourmets," where I tasted my first Soupier d'Escargots, a snail soup that is topped by a crust so that it looks like a mushroom.
Luck took us to Tournus where we found an unusual motel. Our room was a little wooden cottage with a porch bedecked with hanging geraniums and located in a parc behind stone walls. There was a fountain and benches of wrought iron with wooden seats. Breakfast was served by a lovely pool. We were amused by an English lady who was perplexed why there was not any cereal. "Like Kellogg’s."
Now we were on our way to the Gorge du Loup, we stopped in La Mure at a place called, Le Pub. I had a salade Grenobloise, that is greens, walnuts, gruyére cheese, poivrons. The drive through the Grenoble area is wonderful, with mountains all around you. We were driving on the Route de Napoléon, just outside Gap in the Commune of Senez, when suddenly our car wouldn't steer and stopped right before the archway of stone where drivers toot their horn to let you know they are passing through. J. had to stand on the road and wave trucks and cars to pass us. What to do? Stranded at nowhere it seemed!! Suddenly a red car pulled over and a lovely lady stepped out. She was amazing. She phoned Eurocar for us and our hotel, as we would not be there for dinner. She stayed with us for two full hours until the tow truck came. Kisses all around and many thank yous. The mechanic drove his in his truck to the garage in St Andre Les Alpes. He called a cab for us and locked his shop and said to call him in the morning. It was way over an hour before the cab came because it was from a distant town. None were available in St Andre. It was an hour and a half drive to our hotel and 11pm when we finally arrived. Jean Pierre, the wonderful guy who runs this hotel and fabulous salads for us of fruit de mer. I ordered my favorite Rosé from Bandol, Domaine Templier. In the middle of the meal, the Sirocco struck, knocking over umbrellas and glasses, one umbrella following on our table where we were sitting in a somewhat sheltered corner of the terrace. The Sirocco is warmer than and not as fierce as the Mistral, but during the night, you couldn't convince me as I heard pottery being smashed and shutters banging.
The next morning all was calm and when we came downstairs for breakfast, Jean Pierre said, Eurocar phoned for J. to taxi to Nice to pick up another car in the afternoon. We had reservations for La Table de mon Moulin and we had to call another taxi to take us to the village of La Rouet. I thought reservations were for 12 but when I rang the gate buzzer, Mme Silva said 12:30 was the requested time. I explained our situation, so she buzzed us in and had this chance to wander the grounds followed by one of her cats and two English setters. This restaurant is lovely. Only six tables. Two tables of Germans, two of Brits, one French. This is a set menu. Chef Silva comes to each table to explain what you are eating at every course. The Moulin has a luxury of details. Huge embroiled white linen napkins, the table settings unique and not available as I found out because of the six tables, I was the only one that ordered an apero of pastis which arrived with a beautiful pitcher of water. The design was of grasses and insects. Mme Silva said she commissioned the table settings from a potter in Valbonbe. There are knife holders, the dishes, the fleur de sel holder lovely all made by the potter. Our taxi arrived at 2:30 in order for J. to catch another waiting at the hotel to take him to Nice, so we did not have the destined dessert but a plum and a maribelle and a thick stick of sugared ginger.
When J. returned from Nice with the car, we drove up to Gourdon, which stares down at us from its perch when we are at Breakfast. We stopped at the top at the Le Nid d’Áigle for a pastis because the view is spectacular. After leaving the Gorge de Loup we were not booked anywhere for a few days so I suggested we try to stay at an old favorite in the Aveyron. The Magnolias in the sleepy village of Plaisance where a chef named Patrick is one of the funniest guys I have ever met. There was room at the Inn!!! We had a funny time chatting with him. This hotel was once the country residence where the French writer, Paul Valery and his family use to live.
Now off to Provence!! We arrive at our hotel; there is a message from my French friend in a nearby town. She says to come for aperos to her home after checking in. We arrive and share updates in our lives and families and return the next night for a dinner party for us. The next afternoon we have reservations to return to La Chassagnette in the Camargue. This time we are seated on the terrace facing the potager where butterflies are dancing over flowers and herbs but this idyllic occasion is dampened by a man at the next table who is puffing away on his cigar at and between every little lovely tapas that arrives. What a HIMBO!! After the wonderful meal, I stopped by the bar where that wall I mentioned last year is covered with laurel (BAY) leaves under chicken wire to buy a gift of their yummy coing (quince) confiture. We dined that night at the Auberge The next, the party thew next night. I don't keep notes but things we did were to visit the musée in Arles that Mistral founded, attended a fete in Lourmarin, the Saturday market in St Remy, a terrible flea market in Plan de Organ. We ate at La Petite France again as they are not as stuffy as before, lunched also at our favorite bistro of Paradou where Vincent, the waiter greeted us even after I called him a mouse! Many a pastis and a few dinners at our Local "Le Progress” in Eygalieres where we know the regulars and a wonderful lunch by the fountain in Maussane where I had the best Pave of Taureau(bull). Our favorite meal was dinner at Au Ravi Provençau in Maussane where again the chef Jean François and his sweet blind wife Aurore are very welcoming. Next to us was a table of three, what sounded like Americans with three dogs on leashes sprawled on the floor in everyone's way. The waitpersons had to climb over them while carrying trays. I decided to ease their distress. I rose from my seat and said to the dog lying in my way, "please move doggy, I must go to the toilette." All three at that table drew in their mutts, and two waiters thanked me on leaving. Dinner with friends the next night at Petite Bru, around the corner from its pricier Bistro of Eygaliers. We said goodbye at Le Progress and friends with so many kisses that thought I may have looked like Angelina Jolie, she whose lips enter first!!!....
Now we are on the way to the Loire. Friends have booked us into a hotel in Noyes sur Cher. One picks us up after check-in, gives us a tour of some sights and chateaus; what a giving host! And they brought us back to their enchanting house and garden. We sit drinking wine and pastis on the balcony, later dinner at our hotel with much laughter. The next day they pick us up and take us to the weekly market and buy the food for the lunch they will serve us. We eat in their glorious garden and he gives us some tomatoes to take with us.
On the road again. We stopped in the designated beautiful village of La Couvertoirade and lunched at the first place we saw, the Bar Restaurant Des Remparts. J. is 6' and 4 and 1/2 inches and is always hungry so I recite an old poem:
"What good this life so full of care,
if we've no time to stop and stare."
Our next stop looking for a place to bed down is in Treignac another designated B.V. We found a place on the outskirts called La Brasserie. Lovely with its climbing ivy on the outside but especially charming rooms but what the heck, it's only for a night.
OOPS! I forgot to mention, a new place we discovered in Maussane, LÁnge et L'Eléphant. It's a combination café-boutique, selling, crafts from India, Morocco. There's a huge white tent where you can eat a marocaine meal or sip your mint tea. Juliette is a lovely young woman with her husband that has started this unusual place. It's located right before the olive mill where we buy our olive oil for home, the Jean Corneille.
We now have arrived near Poitier, staying with friends in a nearby commune (that means smaller than a village). Our friends greet us with a pastis and all the dogs coming running to see me because they know I will take them for walks. There is a new litter, and I'm offered one as a Christmas present but can't bring it home, don't know how to go about it. We have dinner that night, wild boar that our friend has caught. Another night it is polet that they raise. The wife loves birds and has three large cages of birds in every color of the rainbow. This day, Caramel, the cat has caught and killed a small rabbit. I know that's how it is on farms bit it distresses me. Our friend takes us to his buddy's place that raises hunting dogs. Never have a seen so many dogs in one place. There were eighty surrounding me. Down the road from their farm is the Chateau Touffou which we visited. Two 12th century keeps and four round towers linked in the 16th century by the Renaissance building.
One afternoon we went into Poitiers and had a marvelous lunch at the stuffy Le Poitevin. My favorite lunch was at the brasserie, La Taverne de Maitre Kanter where J. and I, both oyster lovers, had a plateau of 12 different oysters each and Bar grilled with herbs. Another day we were Liguge to Saint-Martin's churchdating from the 16th century. We attended an exposition in a nearby building, of art works made of des emaux which the town is famous for, it's enamel on copper. The next day we visit Parc De Blossac in Poitier. This parc was given to the city by our friend's great grand parents. J. and I sit in a gazebo, he reading the Herald tribune and nodding off., so I prance of to the zoologique part of the parc. We visit to the Chateau de Rochechouart that has a museum of Contemporary art. I'm not crazy over the works now in the present exhibit but one of the rooms in the chateau has ancient frescoes telling the story of Hercules. These wall paintings probably date from the 16th century but were only discovered in 1965.
On the way back to our friends, we stopped in Chassenon to see the ancient gallo-roman town of Cassinomagus to see the thermal baths exceptionally preserved. A last dinner at our friends the charming (be still my heart) mayor of Chavigny has been invited and he gives us an invitation to visit him next year. We all kiss goodbye after breakfast. They load us with peaches from their trees and grapes from their vine and hopes I can take a puppy. I take the dogs on a last walk and now we are off to Normandy where friends run a B&B. We pick up a bottle of Pastis to Share with our host. Madame does drink. We have dinner this last night at The Moulin de Fourges, a yearly event.
The next morning, after breakfast, my host gives me a small bottle of ferme Calvados and today, I can say it's the best I have ever tasted. We arrive at CDG and leave the car and check-in and go back as last year to Brasserie Flo in terminal F and our plane, later takes off an hour behind schedule.
A foot note: just outside Chavigny, we got caught for the first time, in the radar trap and it cost us 90€, credit cards not accepted.
My dog is happy I'm home!!
Jun 23rd, 2009 | 11:42 AM
#2
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 24,040
Likes: 6
Great trip! I have some friends who owned one of the wonderful old stone houses on the main pedestrian street of Avallon. I was horrified when they sold it for a house in a nearby but inconvenient village just because it had a swimming pool. They are Parisians and don't spend more than about six weeks there the whole year. What a waste!
Jun 23rd, 2009 | 03:49 PM
#4
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 6,818
Likes: 0
Mim:
Your mention of Bistrot du Paradou...we first visited as a result of the first Peter Mayle book...and we had a marvelous experience there at unch...best people watching in Provence. Unfortunately, it has changed...for the worse IMO..we stopped in two years ago and found new ownership and a 180-degree change in ambience...not to mention a minimum prix fixe lunch at €50...we bolted, ended up at nearby Les Baux for a very good lunch outdoors at La Reine Jean.
stu
Your mention of Bistrot du Paradou...we first visited as a result of the first Peter Mayle book...and we had a marvelous experience there at unch...best people watching in Provence. Unfortunately, it has changed...for the worse IMO..we stopped in two years ago and found new ownership and a 180-degree change in ambience...not to mention a minimum prix fixe lunch at €50...we bolted, ended up at nearby Les Baux for a very good lunch outdoors at La Reine Jean.
stu
Jun 23rd, 2009 | 04:21 PM
#5
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,683
Likes: 0
