France – October, 2018

Decided this was the year to visit France and October is the perfect time to go.  Flew to CDG from SNA which was very convenient and arrived the following morning.  Took the RER to Gare de Lyon where my Airbnb was not far away.  They let me check in early and leave my luggage so I had plenty of time to stop for coffee and a tarte normande and take the metro to the Louis Vuitton Foundation designed by Frank Gehry.  This glass building takes the form of a sailboat’s sails inflated by the wind and lies at the edge of the Bois de Boulogne.

When I arrived there was a long line of people waiting but it moved fast and soon I was enjoying the inside of the building as well as the very interesting exhibition by Egon Schiele, an interesting expressionism artist from Austria inspired by Klimt.  Afterwards I walked up and around the outside of the building enjoying its beauty. 

Later that evening I took the metro to Invictus, a cute little restaurant full of people where I enjoyed gambas with cabbage and sesame, mille feuille filled with vanilla and a glass of wine.

Walked to Blu Sucre for coffee and pain aux raisins in the morning then stopped by the open air market nearby before wandering down to the Place de Vosges to see the art galleries.  Last stop was a nice walk along the Seine before returning to my room, packing my bags and walking to the car rental place nearby.  Turning on the GPS I brought along with me, I headed to Chateauroux, taking the paid highway as it was a bit farther than I had originally thought.

Arrived in the center about 4 p.m. where I stopped for double espresso and an almond/chocolate pastry.  I called my airbnb to find out the check in process and Michael met me at the gate where he showed me where to park and into and around the little loft I had booked.  Took a walk to the cathedral and into the center where I returned later for dinner at Jeus2gouts which was delicious!!!  Started with a glass of wine, salmon sushi style with grilled avocados, cod with caviar and potato gratin, a 3 cheese course and a chocolate tart to finish. 

Walked to the inside market in the morning to pick up some little oranges and had a few with my double espresso and almond/chocolate croissant outside in the square.  Walked around the old town a bit and then drove to Perigueux where I parked outside the old city and wandered through the old cobbled streets to the Cathedral which was awesome.  A bit later I drove to the airbnb but couldn’t find any parking spot available for about 20 minutes which was very frustrating but at last one appeared and I was able to check into my loft.

Walked back to the Cathedral area where I was planning to dine but found another more interesting one star Michelin restaurant L’Essentiel which looked even better so went there instead and had a fabulous meal.  Even though I wasn’t dressed particularly well everyone was gracious and I had a wonderful time.  Started with a glass of wine, broccoli mousse with lavender ice and parmesan sable, foie du canard with roasted figs, ris du veau with potato puree and perigord sauce and finished with a chocolate crunchy dessert.  The French sure do know how to dine!!!

Walked into the old town for pain aux raisins and espresso in the morning, wandered around the Cathedral area and then drove to Bergerac to do a self-guided tour around this old medieval village.  Found a little café and had coffee and a lemon tart before heading to Issigeac, a very ancient walled city almost uninhabited except for a few little shops.  Arrived in Roque Gageac in the Dordogne about 3 p.m. and checked into the Belle Etoile, a nice little hotel where I had stayed many years ago.  Had dinner there later that night, i.e. rack of lamb and a chocolate dessert, nice but not as fabulous as I remembered…

Drove to Sarlat in the morning for chocolate croissant and espresso and a quick walk around the town and then to the chateau des Milandes, a 15^th century chateau famous for its former owner Josephine Baker, glamorous dancer and music hall singer (1906 – 1975) who took Paris by storm in the 1920s with her risqué performances.  First watched the raptor show which was fun and then toured the chateau filled with lots of memorabilia about her life, 12 adopted children from all over the world, clothes, etc. 

Drove on through the beautiful valley to the quaint old town of St. Cirq La Poupie where I had very fond memories of visiting years ago…Stopped at a cute little café for traditional walnut cake with walnut sauce and walnut ice cream and just explored the city for about an hour.

Returned to Roque Gageac to regroup before driving around the corner to O’Plaisir des Sens for a fabulous dinner!  Started with a herring appetizer, sautéed foie gras with a baby pear, sturgeon with Swiss chard and wild mushrooms and finished with a crisp chocolate “tartlet” and petits fours.  Delightful!!!

Took a walk in the morning and then enjoyed a complimentary breakfast at Belle Etoile which was delicious, i.e. mini pain au chocolat, mini croissants, cheese, fruit and many cups of espresso!  Headed south to  Carcassonne which proved to be a lot farther away than I had anticipated…

Stopped outside the city at a little café for mille feuille and espresso and then drove to my airbnb near the bridge to the medieval city.  Was able to park nearby and check in to my little studio very quickly.  Wandered around the old town first and then crossed the bridge to the old city and walked up to the castle on the hill where there are lots of restaurants, shops, etc.  Pretty touristy…

Had an outstanding meal later at two star Franck Putelat on Chemin des Anglais, i.e. little appetizers, beef tartar with oysters, bouillabaisse with foie gras de canard, fish with cauliflower puree, beef filet with a Swiss chard tourte, cheese selection, poached pear with pear sorbet, chocolate tart with chocolate mousse and little petits fours.  My best meal during the whole trip!!

Walked across the bridge in the morning and stopped at Kristin’s patisserie for pain aux raisins before walking through the Narbonne gate into the old city.  Wandered around the ramparts and around the castle and then headed to Aix en Provence.  Got a bit hungry along the way so stopped in Arles at a cute little bistro for three cheese quiche and salad with sun-dried tomatoes.  Found my airbnb but there was nowhere to park so finally caved in and parked in the underground parking garage which was pretty expensive.  It was a relief, however, to have time in the city…

Airbnb wasn’t quite ready even though it was almost 6 p.m. so I wandered around the old city streets which was fun anyway.  It’s a busy town with lots of fun little shops, restaurants, etc. to see.  Returned later that evening to La Bouchee on one of the side streets I had walked along earlier and had magret du canard with scalloped potatoes and a rich chocolate fondant dessert – all delicious.  A very quaint little place with a lot of atmosphere and nice friendly people.

Walked by a sweet little bakery in the morning and sat outside to enjoy a pastry and espresso.  Had to check into my airbnb in Nice before 12:30 p.m.; otherwise, my host would not return until 9 p.m. so there was some pressure to get moving.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t enjoy the coastline this time but did arrive, after some drama finding the correct entrance, before he left.  Parked nearby close to the Chagall Museum and spent about an hour inside.  The most important works were the twelve large size paintings he made illustrating the first two books of the old testament.

Walked to the old part of town and had a lemon tart and espresso outside a little café.  This part of the town is charming and I walked to the port and out along the sea.  Returned to my studio and changed into something nice before driving to Eze, a charming hilltop town with its beautiful cobblestones streets filled with art galleries and cafes.  Had dinner overlooking the cote d’azur at chateau eza, i.e. autumn salad with mushrooms, truffles and egg yolk confit, crumbled crab with seaweed chips, cod fish with oyster sauce, veal with hazelnut crust and spinach, vanilla mousse with fresh figs, apple cake with apple sorbet and mignardises.  It was lovely…

Walked down the hill to a little café I had seen yesterday on my way into the old city and had a pastry and espresso before driving to St. Paul en Vence about 40 minutes away.  I had been told that there was a fabulous museum called Maeght Foundation which I found easily.  It was filled inside and out with fabulous Miros, Calders, Giacomettis, Legers, etc. some so large they were outside in the sculpture garden!  Amazing.

Walked down to the town which is one of the oldest medieval towns on the French Riviera.  Wandered a bit through the galleries and shops and then stopped at a little café and sat on the terrace enjoying my leek quiche and salad.  Would like to return when I had more time.  Drove to Vienne where I stayed at a delightful airbnb with the loft all to myself.  Wandered around to find the two important roman monuments still standing, i.e. the Temple of Augustus and the Gallo Roman pyramid from a roman circus.  Had dinner on a little side street at La Muse, i.e. cubes of gravlak salmon/salad and beet puree/pickled vegetables and radishes and a chocolate “success” for dessert.  Years ago I had eaten at the Michelin starred “La Pyramide” but it was closed the evening I was there…

Found a little café in the morning and then wandered along the quai to the cathedral.  Said good-bye to the lovely hosts of my airbnb and then drove to Vezelay, whose town and 11^th century Romanesque Basilica of St. Magdalene are designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  Parked my car down the hill and then walked up to the city, first stopping at a little café for a lemon tart and espresso.

Visited the Musee Zervos, a fabulous modern art museum with works by Picasso, Calder, Giacometti, etc. as well as a special exhibition of Hans Hartung which was very interesting as well.  On up towards the cathedral to visit the Jules Roy House, home of the Algerian born French writer. 

Spent some quality time in the Cathedral which is enormous.  As my airbnb still wasn’t ready I wandered around the gardens and the cemetery behind the Cathedral.  Once checked in I quickly changed and drove out to the Chateau de Vault de Lugny for dinner as Wednesday night all the restaurants in Vezelay are closed!!!  Had a lovely fois gras brulee appetizer, rich pumpkin soup, salmon with white beans and a chocolate mousse dessert.  It is a lovely restaurant and I enjoyed my dinner very much.

Took a little walk up to the cathedral in the morning, stopped for pastry and espresso at a nearby café and then drove back to Paris.  It is always a bit intimidating to return a rental car but all went well and before I knew it I was walking down Diderot street heading to my airbnb nearby.  This trip I hadd booked only lofts and studios, having the whole place to myself which I really enjoyed.  Once settled in I found a bakery nearby and had a quick almond tart and espresso before taking the metro to my favorite museum, Musee de la musique where I spent the remainder of the day.  It has over 7,000 instruments from all over the world, some of which you can hear play with the free audio guide.  A fabulous place!

Dinner later that night at Chez Delphine which trip advisor recommended.  It was easy to find and the atmosphere was charming but I was somewhat disappointed in what I ordered, i.e. squid with peppers and lava cake served warm with ice cream and custard sauce…

Stopped by the bakery in the morning for a last chocolate croissant before taking the RER to Chatelet and on to CDG where I caught a flight home.  Watched “won’t you be my neighbor” en flight and thoroughly enjoyed learning about Mr. Roger’s life.  I had a wonderful time in France and look forward to my next trip…

France, 2011

October is a bit late to be going to Europe as it is rather cold but rates are low and few people are about!!  I chose the Jeanne d’arc hotel (www.hoteljeannedarc.com)  in the Marais area for my initial stay.  My first morning I visited Victor Hugo’s house nearby and afterwards had a standing room only lunch at l’avant-comptoir near the metro stop Odeon which was delicious.  It is a tiny little place with the “menu” items hanging from the ceiling.  My afternoon was spent at the Arts Decoratifs Museum (www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr)  on the rue rivoli with its exhibits of period furniture, objets d’art, tapestries, etc.  Dinner that night at Spring (www.springparis.fr) , a restaurant run by chef Daniel Rose from Spring in Chicago.  If you want to eat here you need to plan two months ahead!!  My prix fixe dinner of eggplant caviar, warm octopus salad, fish stuffed with foie gras, pigeon with a rich glaze and pear clafouti was quite nice. 

The next morning I took the RER to Fontainebleau Castle 55 km away and it was enchanting.  Constructed in the 12^th century it was used by many kings.  In the 18^th century Napoleon Bonaparte began to transform it into a symbol of grandeur after it had fallen into disrepair.   In the evening I dined at my favorite restaurant Le Salon d’Helene (www.helendarroze.com/en).  The prix fixe menu of little exquisite small plates was  absolutely delicious.  A few of the wonderful dishes were foie gras with fig confiture, eggplant ravioli with cepes, fish with leeks and caviar, squid with black rice and praline mousse with hazelnuts.

The following morning after a walk to the Arc du Triomphe and a wander down the Champs Elysees, I picked up my rental car and headed into Normandy.  I had purchased a TomTom GPS with a European map before I left the U.S. and it worked perfectly throughout my trip.  My first stop was Les Andelys (www.lesadnelys.com)  where I climbed to up to Chateau Gaillard, a fortress designed and built by Richard the Lionheart and now an interesting collection of ruins.  On to Lyons La Foret, a charming little town with Normandy style half-timbered houses.  I stopped at a little café overlooking the square for a creamy lemon tart and café before visiting  the L’Abbaye de Mortemer, a former Cistercian monastery.  The ruins are interesting but amidst the grounds are 13 larger than life size unique wooden carvings of the kings and queens of France – very impressive.  Rouen was my final destination that day and my Hotel de la Cathedrale (www.hotel-de-la-cathedrale.fr) was right around the corner from the famous cathedral and a perfect choice.  Originally built as a Roman Catholic Gothic Cathedral it was added to in the Renaissance style.  The famous impressionist painter Claude Monet painted a large series of paintings of this cathedral during his lifetime.  Dinner at the two star Gill (www.gill.fr) was salmon mousse in little porcelain spoons, scallops with mushrooms and butternut squash puree, chicken with truffle sauce, local cheeses and a medley of chocolate desserts.  After a lovely buffet breakfast I drove to the Abbaye de Jumieges founded in 654 and at one time numbered nearly a thousand monks.  The French Revolution ended its existence leaving only the impressive ruins to wander in.  On up through Fecamp to Etretat, where I hiked along its famous white cliffs to the Falaise d’Aval – a large arch.  After a warm sugar filled crepe I headed for Honfleur, an adorable port city where I stayed at L’Ex-Voto, a friendly little bed and breakfast inn.  After strolling along the little narrow streets, past the impressive cathedral and down around the port I had dinner at Le Breard (www.restaurant-lebread.com) which was outstanding.  The chef had spent time in Japan and it showed in many of the dishes from the appetizer sushi roll of salmon to the tuna three ways (tempura, rare with a wasabi sauce and grilled with soy dipping sauce) to the rare magret of duck with a maki of vegetables wrapped in nori!!  One of the chocolate desserts was tempura filled with melted chocolate.  It was one of the best meals I had on my trip.

After a warm crisp croissant and café I drove to Trouville and its twin city Deauville, both beautiful resort cities and then on to Houlgate with its quaint little houses.  I visited the Abbaye des hommes in Caen, a former abbey church finally donated by William the Conqueror inside which he is buried.  I drove on to Bayeux as I wanted to visit the tapestry before the museum closed for the day.  I first checked into the elegant Tardif Hotel (www.hoteltardif.com) nearby and spent a couple hours viewing the famous tapestry.  The embroidered cloth is nearly 230 feet long and depicts the events leading up the Norman Conquest of England.  There is also a museum upstairs which explains in more detail how it was made.  That evening I looked into the cathedral and then walked around the little streets and shops until I arrived at the quaint little restaurant La rapiere (www.larapiere.net) for dinner.  It was filled with people from everywhere and the food was excellent.  I chose foie gras de canard served with chutney and apple cakes, duck with pommes anna and roasted cauliflower, local cheeses and a crisp apple tart with cinnamon ice cream – really delicious!

After a  truly gourmet breakfast of local cheeses, cured ham slices, croissants, breads, homemade jams, fruits and rich café, I tried to visit the Belleroy Castle nearby but it was closed when I arrived.   Instead, I stopped in St. Lo, and walked around the remains of its medieval walls and into the partially restored Notre Dame Church before heading to Coutance famous for its many cathedrals.  Granville, the last city to visit that day, was charming.  The old part of the city is up on a hill and you walk through an ancient drawbridge to access it.  On to Hambye where I stayed at Auberge de l’Abbaye (www.logishotels.com) in the countryside a few hundred metres from hambye abbey which was closed when I arrived.  I drove 5 miles into Villedieu les Poeles for dinner as, unfortunately, the highly acclaimed restaurant at the auberge was closed on the night I was there.  In this cute little town famous for its copper pots I had a delicious entrecote du boeuf with béarnaise sauce (who makes that anymore!!!???) at Le Fruitier, a rather gaudy restaurant decorated in pinks and reds and my chocolate dessert oozing melted chocolate was also excellent.  

After breakfast alone in the dining room (since this was the off season I was often the only person staying at many of the inns I booked), I headed back into town where there was a cute little farmer’s market near the cathedral.  After a quick look around I drove on to Mont St. Michel.  Coming upon Mont St. Michel, a rocky tidal island, is breathtaking.   The Benedictines settled in the abbey in the 10^th century and the island was an impregnable stronghold during the hundred years’ war, its ramparts and fortifications resisting all English assaults.  During the revolution, following the dissolution of the religious community, the abbey was used as a prison.  It is now listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.    I stayed at Hotel du Guesclin (www.hotelduguesclin.com) and had lunch at La Mere Poulard

(www. merepoulard.com).  The restaurant dates back to 1879 and is most famous for its grand omelettes several inches thick and cooked over the open fire – buttery, crisp and delicious.  After lunch I took a guided tour of the abbey and then spent about 2 hours watching the tides slowly come in as the sun set covering the land around the island.  A peaceful (since most people had left the island) dinner at Auberge de St. Pierre (www.auberge-saint-pierre) of foie gras de canard with fig jam and warm toast, rack of lamb with ratatouillle and tarte normande with caramel sauce. 

The next morning I drove to Dinan, a small medieval town with cobblestone streets and half timbered houses; to Saint Malo, a walled port city in Brittany in the English Channel; and ended up in Paimpol, a tiny port city.  I stayed at Pondevann (www.pondervann.com) , a delightful inn set in the countryside near a gorgeous lake.  I drove into Paimpol that evening for a fresh fish dinner outside overlooking the port.  In the morning, I was heading up to Perros Guirec and the cliffs of red granite when I had a flat tire.  I stopped at a little tabac shop to call Europcar and within an hour they had replaced my tire and I was off again.  I drove on up to Ploumanach and found the path leading to the pink granite rocks along the sea wall and up to the lighthouse – gorgeous.  From there I drove across the Quimper on the coast where I spent the night at the Manoir de Lanroz (www.lanroz.fr)  surrounded by lakes and countryside.  It was the best place I stayed during my entire trip.  Genevieve and Erik, the owners, were friendly and delightful and suggested I have dinner in Quimper at Ambroisie (www.ambroisie-quimper.com) which I did and it was outstanding.  A tiny glass of gazpacho, a little spoon filled with crab to start followed by foie gras with roast apples, fish with artichokes and tomatoes, pigeon with phyllo stuffed mushrooms, cheeses and “baked Alaska” on a pool of chocolate sauce – divine.  The owners were waiting up for me to see how I liked it as they had never been!!!

Breakfast the next morning in the elegant dining room with the fire blazing and classical music playing was wonderful.  There was an apple cobbler and well as the usual croissants, homemade jams and fruit and the ambiance was unique and restful – I didn’t want to leave.  On my way into Quimper I stopped by the famous ceramic factory but it was closed until 2 p.m. so instead I visited the ceramic shop in town to get a feel for its famous porcelain and wandered the town a bit. 

As suggested by my hosts, I stopped in the medieval town of Locarn for a quick look around and then to Pont Aven,  a lovely little city where the Gauguin lived and painted.  I visited the Bois d’Amour which he loved and later sat by the quai and had a Crepe Bretonne – crisp with sugar before driving to Carnac, the site of more than 3,000 prehistoric standing stones.  These were erected during the Neolithic period (from around 4500 BC until 2000 BC) and easily accessible.  On to Rochefort en terre

before it got dark where I stayed the night at Le Pelican (www.hotel-pelican-rochefort.com) in the center of town.  The hotel is also known for its restaurant and dinner that night was delicious:  terrine of quail/fois gras/mushrooms, roast fish with sun-dried tomatoes and chocolate covered caramel mousse.

After breakfast in the morning, I drove to the large city of Rennes, visited the old part of town, the famous cathedral and found an enormous farmer’s market on my way back to the “parking”.  It started with fresh flowers and continued with fruits and vegetables, fish and ended in a hall filled with local cheeses, pastries and bread – what fun!!!  I drove on to the historical medieval castle of Fougeres surrounded by a moot and used as a stronghold and then to Vitre Castle nearby, considered one of the most beautiful fortresses in Brittany and also a personal residence.  I decided not to go inside Fougeres but held out for Vitre and was not disappointed – even the little city was delightful.  That evening I stayed at Hotel Ricordeau in Loue and dined in their elegant restaurant acclaimed for its cuisine.  I had squash soup following by scallops with Brussels sprouts leaves on celery root puree, fish with fennel puree, fennel jam and creamy risotto, local cheeses with arugula salad and chocolate tart with caramelized bananas.

Into the Loire Valley – first stop Saumur Castle constructed in the 10^th century and recently restored. This lovely old castle has a dungeon and watchtower and houses a unusual museum of the horse.  The nearby L’Abbaye de Fontevrand founded in 1100 was majestic and extremely interesting to visit.  It became a double monastery with both monks and nuns on the site and it is easy to imagine them wandering the lovely gardens.   The Chateau d’Usse was one of the loveliest castles I visited and was the inspiration for Charles Perrault’s “sleeping beauty”.  That evening I stayed near Azay-Le-Rideau at Pom’Poire (www.aubergepompoire.com) , a charming inn overlooking some lovely gardens.  As the restaurant was closed I went into town and found a little French bistro filled with people and enjoyed ripe melon slices with local cured ham and a delicious pave du boeuf with cheese sauce.  In the morning after another wonderful breakfast alone in the dining room of croissants, pain au chocolat, home jams, fresh fruit, cider and strong French café, I visited the Chateau d’Azay-Le-Rideau, a splendid fortified castle built on an island in the Indre River.  After stopping to see Alexander Calder’s mobile in Sache, I arrived at the Castle of Villandry and its famous gardens.   The kitchen gardens are planted in a rotation of more than 40 types of vegetables arranged with regard to color, form, etc.  A fascinating experience.

I took the long picturesque road to Sully sur Loire, passing many lovely castles along the way. I spent the night at La Closeraie (www.la-closeraie.com)  with its delightful staff and had a delicious dinner (fish filet with crisp skin and vanilla crème brulee) at the charming Cotes et Jardins (www.cotes-jardins.fr) nearby.   That night I slept extremely well in my cosy little room after a nice hot bath…  In the morning, I visited Chateau Sully Sur Loire, an idyllic little castle surrounded by a moot containing numerous tapestries.  and period furniture.   With good luck, I arrived at the L’Abbaye de Saint-Benoit-du-lac (www.st-benoit-du-lac.com)  at 12:00 p.m. just in time for the Gregorian chant service  which was awesome!  The Abbaye is beautiful and 50 monks live inside in silence.  I stopped by Briare to see the famous aqueduct designed in part by Gustave Eiffel beween 1896 – 2003 which was unique and ornamental.   My last stop of the day was Gien to visit the porcelaine museum and to purchase a plate or two.   It started to rain so I was happy to finally reach Les Conviv’hotes (www.lesconvivhotes.com) , a charming bed and breakfast in the old part of town of Chartres.  I parked my car in the locked garage and walked to Le Grand Monarque (www.bw-grand-monarque.com) where I had an elegant dinner composed of a tiny glass of gazpacho, zucchini “pasta” stuffed with crab, carpaccio of fish with tiny cauliflower forets, foie gras with mushrooms, langoustine tails with caviar, fish with bread crumb crust, roasted pepper dice and baby spinach, duck with pistachio crust, local cheeses, chocolate decadence and petits fours.  Carefully following my map and asking a person or two along the way, I found my way back to the hotel.  In the morning after a wonderful breakfast of homemade bread, jams, fruit and croissants, I walked to the enormous Chartres Cathedral built in the 12^th century.  The majority of the original stained glass windows survive intact and the exterior is dominated by very impressive heavy flying buttresses.  I left town about 9:00 a.m. and returned the car in Paris. 

This time I stayed two nights at the Studio La Garconniere (www.studiparismarais.com)  in the Marais area, a very small but cute little room with hot shower and stove.  Lunch late that day at Les Fables de la Fontaine (www.lesfablesdelafontaine.net) was absolutely delicious!!!  The daurade (fish) was served with a butternut squash sauce and risotto and dessert was a crisp little cake surrounded by poached fresh figs.  I took the metro to La Musee de la Musique (www.citedelamusique.fr) to see the Paul Klee Polyphonies exhibit but didn’t quite “get” the it so was given a free ticket to return the next day.  I leisurely walked back to the studio and later that night sat at the counter in Les Fines Gueules (www.lesfinesgueules.fr)  and enjoyed my warm chocolate cake before calling it a day.

My last day in Paris was a full one.  I spent the morning at the La Musee National de Ceramique-Sevres which contains collections of earthenware, faience, porcelain and pottery from around the world.  Lunch at les papilles (www.lespapillesparis.fr)  was a delicious rack of lamb with winter vegetables and rice pudding for dessert.  In the afternoon after a quick walk in the Luxembourg Gardens nearby I went back to the La Musee de la Musique and am so glad I did!!!  The permanent collection is 5 floors of instruments from all over the world.  There is also a free audio guide so you can listen to the sound of any instrument that has a number as well as watch videos showing people playing their native instruments in their native countries – it was one of the best museums I have ever been to!!!

Dinner at L’Ardoise was a nice ending to a great trip and my 3 course menu of mushroom and foie gras ravioli/bass with caramelized leeks and crisp onions/chocolate tart with Crème Chantilly was just as delicious as the dinner I had here last year.

C’etait un Bon Voyage!!

Paris and Spain: two of my favorite places...

The best time to travel to Europe is the beginning of October when the tourists have left and it is the “low” season. I always fly in and out of Paris as what better way to start a trip but in the “city of lights”.  I book a stay through parissweethome (www.parissweethome.com) and choose the Alesia apartment on a cute little street, a 5 minute walk from the metro stop.  As I have been to Paris many times I like to take the train to somewhere new each year.  This year I went to Vaux Le Vicomte (www.vaux.le-vicomte.com), a castle built for Nicholas Fouquet in 1656.  It takes about one hour by train to get to Melun and another 10 minutes by bus or taxi to the castle.  Le Notre designed the beautifully crafted gardens and went on to design the gardens of Versailles. 

One of my favorite places to dine is Le Salon d’Helene Darroze (www.helenedarroze.com) where incredible tapa style dishes such as the foie gras de canard with fig chutney are served.  Daniel Rose’s Spring (www.springparis.blogspot.com) had a fabulous prix fixe menu, the sea bass wrapped in a green chard leaf being a highlight.

I left Paris on the overnight train to Barcelona where I “sat” in a reclining chair from 10 p.m. until arrival at 7:35 a.m. the next morning and slept very well indeed!!!  A 5 minute walk from the Francia train station was my delightful little hotel called la casa de marcelo www.casademarcelo.com .  From their window, I could see Cal Pep, the best tapas restaurant in town, but, desafortunadamente, being a Sunday it was closed!!!!  My last trip to Barcelona I missed seeing the Fundacio Miro (www.fundaciomiro-bcn.org), located near the Parc de Montjuic so that is where I headed first, finding it easily by local bus.  After wandering through Miro’s masterpieces for 2 – 3 hours, I sat at the counter of Tellar de Tapas nearby and had a delicious little rocket salad with quince cubes, shaved goat cheese and toasted whole almonds and a small platter of crisp baby artichoke slices - yummy.

Gaudi’s Casa Batllo (www.casabatllo.com) was next as I hadn’t seen it as yet and I find his works so whimsical.  My last stop was the La Sagrada Familia, an ongoing work also by Gaudi, which may never be finished but is breathtaking all the same.

In the morning I caught the train to San Sebastian arriving at 2 p.m. as the train was delayed.  San Sebastian is a delightful city with its famous playa de la concha.  Dinner at Urepel was rather old fashioned but the sautéed cepes with foie gras were exceptional. 

The next day I rented a car and drove to a little port city outside of town, took a ferry across to the other side and just wandered around until lunch time.  My 3 hour lunch at the famous three star Restaurant Arzak (www.arzak.es) was one of the best meals of my trip.  The plates were small, very creative and delicious.  Elaine, who cooks with her father, came out to greet me and I was able to visit the kitchen after lunch.

On to Bilboa where I arrived about 8 p.m., parked my car and walked to the Guggenheim Museum.  It is so beautiful to see it at night reflected in the water.  In the morning I visited the old indoor market and then   the museum where there was a fabulous exhibition by Amish Kapoor (www.anishkapoor.com), the artist who created the cloud gate in Chicago as well as many other very impressive pieces displayed all over the world.

I drove to Santillana del Mar after a quick lunch at the Guggenheim Museum and was delighted with my spacious room at Parador Gils Bras (www.paradores-spain.com).  Santillana del Mar is a small, tourist town but I found it charming.  I had dinner at Gran Duque Restaurant and was the only diner so had a delicious meal of fresh fish/salad and great service!! 

Nearby are the original caves of Altamira which have been closed to the public for many years.  I was able to visit the replica which was made in 2001 and gives you a good idea how the bison looked painted on the ceiling.  There is also a great prehistoric museum.  Afterwards, I stopped in the little town of Comillas nearby to visit El Capricho, charming summer home built by a young Gaudi in 1883. 

Gijon was my next stop as it was too far to drive all the way to Santiago de Compostela in one day.  I stayed at the delightful Casona de Cefontes (www.casonadecefontes.com), one of many such casona all over Spain.  These are old, restored houses, 10 or 15 minutes from the center of town.  I had dinner at the Michelin starred La Solana (www.restauranatelasolana.es) where the pork short ribs with pineapple confit were succulent and the “pastel” oozed with rich chocolate.  The next afternoon I arrived in Santiago in pouring rain after a stop in Lugo, a very interesting walled city.

Santiago de Compostela (www.santiago-compostela.net) is the Mecca for pilgrims who start a 780 km walk from St. Jean Pied de Port, France and walk for 6 – 8 weeks to Santiago.  They stay in albergues (hostels) along the way and carry all their belongings on their backs.  They have a card stamped each day to prove they are underway and arrive at the Cathedral in Santiago where they receive their Compostela, proof that they had made the pilgrimage.  I met three English ladies on the train to Paris who had completed this trek and thoroughly enjoyed hearing about their experience.

Santiago is an old, medieval city filled with churches, museums, quaint cobblestone streets, etc.  I spent two days wandering around the streets, in and out of churches, etc.  My most memorable meal was at Casa Marcelo (www.casamarcelo.com) where the food was incredible.  From the crab “cappuccino”, wild raw and cooked mushroom soup to the fresh coconut sorbet, the unique and wonderful dishes never wavered.

I drove back to San Sebastian, stopping in A Coruna to visit the lighthouse, Luarca to visit the port city and on to the Picos of Europa National Park, a beautiful side trip through lush countryside and gorgeous lakes.  

It was nice to have another whole day in San Sebastian before taking the train to Paris.  You can walk to the west end of La concha (the beach) and take a funicular up to the top of Mount Igeldo for a breathtaking view of the city.  Lunch at Bodegon Alejandro (www.bodegonalejandro.com) was a delicious last meal in Spain.  My favorite dish was large slices of sautéed cepes (mushrooms) served with a poached egg to dip them in!!!

Our train to Paris was delayed so I ended up with only an afternoon which I used to just wander the Latin quarter and soak in the atmosphere of this great city.  My final dinner was at a little French bistro called L’Ardoise (www.Lardoise-paris.com) where my lamb and crispy potatoes were expertly cooked and the chocolate tart was scrumptious!!!  A perfect ending to a “grand voyage”.