A taste of Provence, Roquefort-les-Pins

HOME MADE TOMATO AND GARLIC PIZZA, LIGHTLY BATTERED ZUCCHINI FLOWERS (ALL FROM THE GARDEN) > TOMATO SALAD WITH FOUR DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF TOMATOES FROM THE GARDEN… ADD SOME CÔTES DE PROVENCE ROSÉ AND YOU HAVE IT ALL

The rain seems to have followed me all the way to the South of France ! I do realise that I seem to mention the weather in every post but this topic becomes the national obsession during the summer months… and it’s rubbed off on me.  We did however get some sunshine yesterday (yes, more weather talk) and soaked up the rays over a long family lunch (yes, more photos of food). My sisters’ mother* and her husband are wonderful cooks and masters of Provence cuisine.  Plus, he is a fantastic artist: he has an exhibition coming up in September. I’ll find out more about the details and send you a link soon!

*Some clarification: my two sisters are my half sisters – same Ausie father, different mother. 

Press pause, Les Saisies in Savoie


My sister, my niece and I enjoyed a bit coffee, texting and flower picking after an afternoon mountain walk... making the most of our second day of sunshine for this trip.

Where magic happens, Beaufortain in Savoie

BEAUFORT MADE IN BEAUFORT > ROSELEND DAM  > THE ONLY PATCH OF BLUE SKY OF THE DAY, DIGITALLY CAPTURED > SHELTER FROM THE WEATHER IN HAUTLUCE CHURCH

We visited the land of one of my absolute favourite types of cheese, Beaufort. H-E-A-V-E-N. The region is so peaceful. Its roads are dotted here and there with containers of fresh milk waiting to be collected by the cheese-maker and made into giant wheels of Beaufort. Anyone craving fondue?

Visions of grandeur, Mont Bisanne in Savoie

MOUNTAIN > MOUNTAIN PARAGLIDER > ME > MOUNTAIN FLORA > ONE OF MY BEAUTIFUL SISTERS AND HER TRUSTY CAM

The sky cleared up for a few hours yesterday, so we jumped into our walking shoes and powered up the closest mountain for some fresh air. The views of the Alps were awe-inspiring. I would have shown you some shots of Mont Blanc but it was determined to stay wrapped up in clouds.

Alpine Living, Crest-Voland in Savoie


I left the sunshine in Paris to find wind and rain in the Alps. It’s like summer forgot to come up here. But it’s just an impression: throughout the country, the cold had decided to set in for a few days. This might be my chance to finally learn French Tarot. Not the fortune-telling type, the card game.

Shades of summer, 13ème arr.


Inspired by a lovely girl I met in the streets of Paris, I went and got myself some estival hues. All I need now is a tan! 

Bastille Day, 8ème arr.

PRESIDENT SARKOZY'S ARRIVAL AND TODAY'S PROCESSION ON THE CHAMPS-ELISEES

I've always wanted to be in Paris for the 14th of July and today lived up to expectations. Just about 4000 people marched down the Champs-Elisees in perfect sync and the country's latest aircraft zoomed over the crowds. The celebrations commemorate the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris, key event in French Revolution. The Bastille has since been demolished but I went to visit the site anyhow a few days back. You have to look hard or you won't notice this: a row of three paving stones marks out the outline old prison's plan on the ground. A nice way to keep track of history.

The best éclairs in Paris, 3ème arr.

CARETTE'S CHOCOLATE ÉCLAIR AND HOT CHOCOLATE > terrace seating at Carette,
25 PLACE DES VOSGES, Victor Hugo's old hood*

 The deed is done: I have tried Casette's éclair, rated Paris's number one éclair. The best in Paris? I really can't say. It would take a lifetime of research to confirm that one. It's definitely the best one I've tasted in a long while. But isn't that always the case with baked goods? The one you just had always seems like the best one. Incidentally, the thick as yogurt hot chocolate is pretty fabulous. It's served in a silver pot... that means three cups' worth... so it's best to skip lunch and not order the chocolate éclair too. The whole experience was topped off by chaaaaaaaarming waiters. So charming in fact that I didn't have the heart to tell mine his photo of me sucked (see above). Although you could say it takes some kind of knack to get just about everything in the shot in focus except your subject.  

* Carette has another patisserie at 4 Place du Trocadero, 16ème arr. Next time...

Fluro cycling, 6ème arr.

BOULEVARD SAINT GERMAIN, IN FRONT OF CAFE LES DEUX MAGOTS, FAMOUS HANGOUT OF 
JEAN-PAUL SARTRE AND SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR

Where the VIP come to RIP, 20ème arr.

Where lies the remarkable Oscar Wilde > hot stop, Jim Morrison’s grave > the cemetery’ golden boy, assassinated journalist Victor Noir. The urban myth goes: “rub the shiny crotch and love and fertility will be yours”. That old story > Cimetière du Père Lachaise, 16 rue du Repos

This is Paris’s ultra exclusive cemetery, le Cimetière du Père Lachaise: resting place of the late rich and famous. A friend of mine and I popped by this weekend and we ran into the nicest tour guide, whose tour group hadn’t turned up and who offered to show us around. He took us under his wing and on a two hour guided wonder through the cemetery. The place and its history are amazing! The most popular graves are covered in little offerings left by visitors: thank you notes and abusive notes from philosophy students for Marcel Proust (depending on how their exams went), potatoes for Antoine Parmentier, alcohol and cigarette butts for Jim Morrison… or even Lego pieces for Mr Henri Lego, who has nothing to do with the toys but gets a gift anyway.

France's oldest patisserie, 2ème arr.

Layers of chocolate pastry, cinnamon infused chocolate mousse and fig and raspberry couli > the Storher patisserie, 51 rue Montorgueil, since 1730 > the organ at the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral*


Here’s a patisserie with 280 years of baking under it’s belt. The chef’s recommendations: “the baba au rhum, which was invented here**, and the chocolate éclair, rated the third best éclair in Paris”. Third best? I don’t think so***. “I’ll go with the baba… and one of the little chocolate cakes please.” The baba didn’t survive long enough to make it into the photo shoot so I can only show you the chaser. As for the number one éclairs in Paris, I have the address... I’ll be reporting back shortly.

* The cathedral puts on beautiful organ recitals every Sunday. A perfect setting for digesting baked goods.
** It’s a sweet cake-like bread saturated in rum and topped off with cream.  It kind of tastes like churros dipped in rum.
*** To be fair, depending on who you ask, Stohrer arguably make the best éclairs in Paris. But I wasn’t taking any chances.


Big decisions, 4ème arr.

My life long friend and her sister outside La Maison Georges Larnicol, 14 rue de Rivoli > Pots of salty caramel > 16 different flavours of macaroons, including bergamoth and vervain (tea)


I went to an Yves Saint Laurent exhibition, which was a complete let down. I'm scrapping 3 rue Léonce Reynaud from my Paris map. I paid 7€ to watch a 2 minute snippet of an interview and walk past a few tattered outfits. Not too worry, the disappointment was more than made up for by an unplanned visit to La Maison Georges Larnicol. Only 4.50 will get you a bag of eight of their beautiful macaroons. Needless to say, I'd rather put my money where my mouth is. Appropriately, the shop's logo is simply the letter "g", circled. The message is clear: ladies, this is the magic spot. And I can confirm, this was without a doubt the climax of my day.

Playing house, their cat and I

A dear family friend has very kindly invited me to live in her Parisian apartment (for the next two weeks) while she is on holiday abroad. I will be eternally grateful! All the essential elements to "la vie de parisienne" are here: a cat who sits on the windowsill > cosy bohemian chic interiors > a view of the local church, which catches the beautiful golden sunlight in the late afternoon > check, check, check. Ok, for the sake of keeping things honest, the cat can be a bit naughty. He's already broken two things and uses the pot plants as his litter. I hope my family friend doesn't think I'm trying to frame the cat for the broken items... and for the pot plants.

Yesterday in the 8ème arr.

HAND-ME-DOWN TOP AND SHORTS > OROTON BAG > VINTAGE BELT


Here are some pics from my meanderings through the grand streets of Paris 8ème: a typical apartment block, rue de Constantinople > a lovely gated entrance to Parc Monceau (the park,...not that lovely) > a visit to Musée Jacquemart André, former home of art collecting couple, Edouard André and Nélie Jacquemart > me after a visit to the Musée Jacquemart André water closet.