En Provence

Greetings from Mollans-sur-Ouveze in Provence, where I arrived yesterday for an eight-day cooking class and tour at Maison Mollans.

Maison Mollans is owned by two American chefs who, once a year, host a group of six for eight days at their home in Mollans. Owners and teachers Hallie Harron and Mary Evans have strong French connections and a love of France. When not here, they teach in the United States.

When we arrived in Avignon yesterday, they drove us the approximate 40 kilometers to Mollans, our home for the week. We stay at the Hotel Saint Marc, a lovely hotel that is about a two-minute walk to Maison Mollans.

Compared to my hotel in Paris, the Saint Marc is palatial.

The photo at the beginning of this post is the view from my window.

I was not at all familiar with Mollans and this area, but am quickly having my eyes opened to this beautiful region in the Drome region of France, high in the hills.

The Tour de France frequently comes through here, making it a popular biking destination for tourists from around the world.

It's also a thriving wine regional in the southern part of the Rhone Valley.

Last night Hallie and Mary hosted us for a dinner that they prepared at Maison Mollans.

After cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, we were treated to our first "home-cooked" meal. During cocktails, Hallie introduced us to Pamlemousse Rose, a pink grapefruit syrup that is a new popular flavoring that the French are wild about adding to sparkling wine and water, as well as to white wine. It's not yet in the U.S.

Dinner was a salad of local vegetables, followed by a Basque chicken dish made with preserved lemons. Dessert was a slice of Gateau Basque, a cake made with pastry cream and almonds.

Why Basque food in Provence, you might ask? They told us that we'll be eating so much Provençal food in the next week, they wanted to give us a taste of another region.

Early this morning, we got to explore the area, starting with the weekly Market in Vaisson. We spent the entire morning meeting Hallie and Mary's favorite vendors and learning about local specialties. Vaisson Market is the biggest and most congested Outdoor market that I've ever been to.

We left Vaisson for lunch in Cairanne.

My lunch started with an Endive and Tomme cheese salad to start, followed by Lyonnaise Sauage, and, for dessert, Fromage Blanc with local honey and almonds.

I passed up trying the Caillettes as a first course. It's a local specialty..sort of a pork meatball mixed with greens and seasonings. Kelley, in our group, was more adventurous and shared with those who wanted a taste. I passed, but Hallie has assured me that there will be even better Caillettes at Sunday lunch! Guess my day of reckoning is coming!

There rest of our afternoon was spent tasting locals wines, first at a wine cooperative with a wonderful wine museum, in Cairanne, Maison Camille Cayran, and then at Domaine des Girasols in Rasteau.

Rick Steves first "discovered" Domaine des Girasols and then Oprah "found" them. Despite, this, this family winery makes wonderful wines that can be now found in the U.S.

Last Day in Paris...until next week

A few years back, I met Terrance Gelenter of "Paris Through Expatriate Eyes" at an event he hosted in San Francisco. Since then, I've been receiving his weekly e-letters where he talks about all things Paris.

Each week he mentions his Sunday "office hours" at Cafe de Flore. There is always a photo of him with that week's new-in-Paris guests. No charge; just show up and buy a drink or lunch/ brunch.

High on my must-do list was going to " office hours."

So off I went to the famous Cafe de Flore.

Even though it was a few minutes past 11:30, Terrance was not there. The maitre'd directed me to a corner where Claire, aka "Madame Chapeau" in Terrance's emails, greeted me. She was puzzled at his absence. Only one other showed up, Penny of Florida, whom I'd met at dinner the night before.

Claire made several frantic phone calls to Terrance, to Terrance's girlfriend, but there was no Terrance to be found.

Penny and I ordered the Croque Monsieur, which is said to be a house specialty.

This French version of a grilled ham and cheese sandwich was good but not great. It was only topped with cheese..no top layer of Bechamel to be seen.

But, it was lunch and an adventure.

Oh, Terrance did call the cafe about 1:15, with copious apologies for not showing...he said his phone wasn't working correctly.

My thoughts are that either his phone ran out of charge or, even better, it was a woman to blame!

All the same, I visited Cafe de Flore and made some new friends.

Penny and I parted ways.

She headed off to a favorite bakery and I went off to find the building on Rue de Fleurus where Gertrude Stein lived first with her brother and then with Alice B. Toklas.

It is hard to believe that this is where the likes of Hemingway and Picasso hung out in Gertrude's apartment.

Gertrude lived a block from the Luxembourg Gardens.

And that's where I headed next.

On this beautiful Sunday afternoon, the park was filled with picnickers, joggers, sunbathers, and Sunday strollers.

Now you may be wondering why these people are picnicking on the gravel, rather than on the lawn.

I found out the hard way when I stepped over a tiny wire fence onto the lawn and two police materialized out of nowhere to shoo me away.

This is the fence!

And the not-so-gentle reminders kept coming when I sat on a stone wall by one of the garden's palaces and was chased away by another gendarme.

But the gardens are lovely and here are a few more photos. I was especially taken by this well-dressed elderly couple out for their stroll.

Sunday is a hard day to be a tourist in France since most shops and restaurants are closed.

I know of a few restaurants in my Paris neighborhood that are open Sunday. As I was walking to one, I saw lights on at several on Rue Amelie. The menu at Chez Pierrot looked interesting and that's where I ate.

I started with a duck pate salad.
Then went on to the duck breast in currant sauce.
And went all out with the Assiette Gourmand for desert, a sampler of a tarte tatin, creme brûlée and one Profiterole.

And, so ends my second full day in Paris...

Another day in Paris

Call me crazy, but what was my first stop on my first full day in Paris?

Apple Store Opera!

As one of the Apple faithful, I had to pay tribute to this special Apple Store.

Why special? It's in an historic building in the shadow of the Paris Opera! Apple made an exception to its " formula" store design in this three-level store.

Once inside, it is business as usual with two Genius Bars, the same products, and lots of helpful people on the floor.

And, the wifi here is much better than that at my hotel...no surprise..

After getting my Apple "fix," I was ready for the rest of my day.

It's been awhile since I've been to the Decorative Arts Museum and the Barbar and Louis Vuitton/Marc Jacobs special exhibits were reaching their ends.

Wanting to see both these exhibits, as well as to again visit some permanent exhibits, particularly the DuBuffets, that's where I spent most of the rest of the day.

Lunch at the Museum's restaurant on its outdoor terrace, was something I could not pass up on a beautiful day.

I enjoyed a Caesar Salad unlike any I've ever had, all in the shadow of the Louvre and the Tuilleries Gardens.

It was mid-afternoon by the time I left the museum. There was still time to window shop in the elegant Rue St. Honore shops.

And, even to discover that the MacDonald's Mac Cafe serves the very French colorful macarons.

Dinner was at another Christian Constant restaurant, Cafe Constant. It also does not take reservations so at 7 p.m., there I was in line to be seated.

When I was here four years ago, we sat downstairs. This time I was in the much larger upstairs dining room at a table between two Americans, of course.

My meal:
To start, gazpacho with avocado mousse, a grilled shrimp, and a strip of bacon.
My main course was the Veal Cordon Bleu, with, at my request (and no added charge) was served with an array of steamed vegetables.
My dessert choice was the Red Fruit Melba.

All delicious.

Both of my dining companions could not pass up the profiteroles that were enrobed in warm chocolate sauce, poured over then table side.

And so ended my first full day in Paris...could not have been better..

Two Days in Paris

With apologies to Julie Delpy, whose film "Two Days in Paris" I watched while flying to Paris yesterday, I am spending two fulll days and two part days in Paris right now.

Then, I go off for 8 days and will return here for 4 more days.

So far, the weather is mild but not hot...and clear. I'm not complaining at all.

I'm in "my" neighborhood I the 7th at a hotel with a lovely garden that I overlook from my tiny room.

There are many restaurants right in the neighborhood.

Last night I ate at Les Cocottes, one chef Christian Constant's four restaurants on just a single block.

I like all of Constant's restaurants, but chose Les Cocottes because it serves my idea of "comfort food." This was what I craved after a day of travel with little sleep. Most dishes at Les Cocottes are served in iron casseroles...and not just any iron casseroles: special Staub casseroles.

Les Cocottes does not accept reservations. about half an hour before their 7 p.m. Dinner opening, people start lining up.

Seating is on high stools, both at tables and at counters at the bar and along the walls.

I took a counter seat at the bar, where I chatted while I dined with several other travelers. Not surprisingly, the customers at 7 p.m. Are mostly travelers, many of them Americans. The French usually dine later.

And, for dinner?

I started with a salad of three large shrimp, gambas, on a bed of frisse.

My main course was Monk Fish on mashed potatoes, all topped with a braised cabbage leaf and a slice of ham.

Dessert was a Red Berry Crisp.

I ended the day quite content and am planning a return meal before I return home.