Art & Culture Food & Wine French Life French Provinces Girl Talk Paris Podcasts Romance & Relationships Travel: Art & Culture Food & Wine French Life French Provinces Girl Talk Paris Podcasts Romance & Relationships Travel
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Elizabeth Bard Talks About Lunch in Paris, Love and Provence
Elizabeth Bard
I don’t think there’s a woman out there that hasn’t dreamed about falling in love in Paris. C’mon, admit it to yourself. See, I told you—I’m sure you’ve allowed just a shred of this fantasy to play out in your head at least once in your life. Many women indulge themselves with full-blown visions of strolling hand-in-hand with a lover alongside the Seine or sharing a tête-à-tête in a cozy French bistrot over a savory coq au vin and a good Bordeaux with the man of her dreams. Others just allow a glimmer of a romance flash through their minds. I bet there are some men (those sensitive types!) that have thought wistfully about love in Paris as well. I may be biased but Paris is surely the most romantic city in the world.
What makes it so? Well, it would take a whole book to divulge that—the decor, the mood, the ambiance, the food and wine. Elizabeth Bard does just that in her book “Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes.” I found it to be a terrific read. And I know Paris, love and the whole bonne salade of it all. Elizabeth has done a wonderful job at describing the sights and tastes of the moveablefeast that is Paris. (I haven’t yet tried the recipes she shares, but they seem wonderful and quite easy which is actually what most French cooking is all about.) And of course, Elizabeth meets a love, a Frenchman, and we are swept into their lives like a tourist on a fourteen-day European tour. Fortunately she provides many opportunities for us to savor their moment as well.
Freshly Made Chouquettes: A French Specialty
French Market Scene
Listen to what Elizabeth has to say about “Lunch in Paris,” her new life in Provence, her passion for cooking, the French and more in the interview she recorded with me on Travel Fun. Be sure to check out her blog as well for recipes and more about her life in France. Most of all, though, if you’re looking for a love story that takes place in Paris, pick up her book.
Click on the play button below to listen to my interview with Elizabeth Bard.
French Provinces Restaurants Shopping: French Provinces Restaurants Shopping
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Dreaming of Deauville
Distinctly Deauville
With Deauville and the G8 summit in the news right now, I’ve found myself dreaming of this princely Norman town by the sea. How I loved to go there for weekend getaways from Paris, especially during spring when the bucolic scenery of Normandy—this renowned apple-and-cheese region of France—is most verdant.
Northern Riviera Splendor
A speedy two-and-a-half-hour drive from the capital, Deauville rates high on the list of favorite Parisian weekend destinations. Aside from socializing, gambling, and playing golf, the favorite thing to do in this pristine seaside resort is to walk along les planches, one of the most famous boardwalks on earth. Even on blustery days you can spot pleasure-seekers strolling along as the wind snaps at the myriad brightly colored parasols and their thick sashes of contrasting hues.
Where Horse Shopping and Other Types of Purchasing Reign Supreme
Deauville's Beach Scene
Another activity that scores major points as a popular Deauville pastime is shopping. One look around this perfectly manicured storybook town and you can see why: Big-name boutiques abound. Set up mostly on the streets surrounding the casino, these chic showplaces look like satellite shops of their larger mother houses back in Paris. If you walk inland toward the heart of the commercial district, you’ll see further evidence that Deauville is the Norman town à la parisienne; the impeccable half-timbered houses, the irreproachable flower beds, and their Haussmann-like alignment of streets create a look far more refined than what you would expect in a quaint Norman town. There are so many traiteurs (a more upscale version of our delis) here that you’d think that you were in the 16th arrondissement in Paris. Between these pricey takeouts and the plenitude of restaurants, it’s clear that second residence dwellers don’t cook at home much. Visitors also regale in these food and wine lovers’ boutiques, since there you’ll find a wagon-full of fine comestibles such as farm-fresh cheeses, cider, Calvados and more.
Regional Gastronomy at Les Vapeurs: Cider, Calvados, Cheese, Oh My!
My All-Time Favorite Dining Spot on the Northern Riviera
Les Vapeurs Brasserie
Obtaining a table here for Saturday lunch is like finding a quiet spot on the beach during the month of August. Here you can at least reserve in advance—just like les habitués who ritually race up the highway from Paris in time for the midday meal aux Vapeurs, THE unofficial start of the weekend. Once here, you will be greeted by effusive salutations of bonjour madame, bonjour monsieur in typical politesse française, but the hurly-burly of this popular seafood restaurant keeps the waitstaff busy enough that they won’t fawn over you—in fact, you may be left to debone your exquisitely prepared sole meunière all on your own. Their moules meunières taste just as delectable, and if you want to order like the locals, you’ll have the mussels, then the sole, followed up by fraises melba (strawberries and whipped cream)! As you languish on their lobster-red banquettes, you’ll have a fine view of the marvelous photos, advertising posters, and neon signs that plaster the yellowed walls like mementos in an old scrapbook.
160/162 quai Férnand-Moureux, Trouville; tel.: 02.31.88.15.24; Brasserie: Moderate-Expensive; Open year-round; www.lesvapeurs.fr
Les Vapeurs: An Institution
The above text was adapted and excerpted from my book, “The Riches of France: A Shopping and Touring Guide to the French Provinces.” It’s currently out of print, but still may be obtained through amazon.com and other booksellers. Although published by St. Martin’s Press over a decade ago, the information is still quite current since most of the places and establishments I included in that book are wonderful bastions of French tradition.
For more information on the Normandy region of France and more, visit us.FranceGuide.com, the official Web site of the French Government Tourist Office. For Deauville specifically, go to Deauville Tourisme.
Thank you to Atout France, CDT Calvados, Jacques Lorin, Elizabeth Parker and Jêrome Meslin for the use of the above images.
French Life French Provinces Paris Podcasts: French Life French Provinces Paris Podcasts
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Bonjour Paris Talks with Bonjour Colorado
View from Pont Alexandre III in Paris
Ah, Paree. There’s nothing like Paris. And it’s true, the City of Light can be delightful in April.
Karen Fawcett
But where does one begin? There’s so much to see and do in the French capital. And how about gaining more insight into zee French? I lived there eleven years, have written four shopping and touring guides to Paris and the French provinces, and I’m still looking to inform myself about France and its countrymen. So where do I turn for lots of helpful information and insightful stories about Paris and the French provinces? Why, BonjourParis.com, bien sur.
I interviewed Karen Fawcett, the driving force behind Bonjour Paris, this past fall on my Travel Fun radio show. Listen to our chat below to hear how Bonjour Paris has been the definitive guide to Paris since 1995. And the range and depth of their reporting doesn’t stop with Paris. (Although every bon parisien has believed for centuries that their fair city is the center of the universe. In truth, moi aussi for a while!) Thankfully Bonjour Paris gives the rest of France its due, another reason why this informative Web site has earned a leading presence on the worldwide web for all things French.
Karen is funny and insightful, so don’t miss this opportunity to hear more about this much-loved land from someone truly in-the-know.
Click to play the Bonjour Paris program
Thank you to DaliParis and Karen Fawcett for the above images.
Art & Culture French Life French Provinces Hotels Paris Podcasts: Art & Culture French Life French Provinces Hotels Paris Podcasts
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Oh Château Life!
A Perfect French Summer Scene: Colza Fields Blanketing the Château de la Motte d'Usseau Landscape
If you’ve caught any coverage of the Tour de France, you’ve seen some glorious shots of the French countryside dotted with fairy tale-looking castles and elegant manor houses. Families still live in most of these impressive dwellings, many of whom have lived there for centuries. And even better, some of these families of long lineage open up their stately residences to visitors on a nightly or even weekly basis. (Yes, you can easily rent your own château in France for your destination wedding, family reunion or other exciting event.)
Château du Fraisse, A Grand Property Near Limoges
But how do you go about connecting with these people, some of whom may be just familiarizing themselves with the Internet? Enter Diane Ohanian, French château expert par excellence. Diane created au Château some ten years ago, a company and e-newsletter that dials Americans into château life in France. In my Travel Fun interview with Diane (and through her au Château Web site and newsletter), I’ve found her to be an incredible resource on French châteaux and on French life in general. As an ardent Francophile for more than two decades, Diane has made it her mission to suss out some of the most glorious and welcoming abodes in the gallic land. Indeed au Château is a great English-language resource for travelers looking to stay in historic places.
Room with a View at Château Sallandrouze and Many Other Châteaux
Click on the play button below to hear what Diane has to say about château life in France, French hosts and what she appreciates most about life in France. Hint: it has nothing to do with traffic jams and fast food.
Three châteaux have been featured in the above images including Château de la Motte d’Usseau, Château du Fraisse and Château Sallandrouze. (For Château Sallandrouze, please check with Diane directly at inquiry@au-chateau.com for this property’s availability.) Note that au Château boasts nearly eighty members on their site, so you have a variety of experiences to chose from in every corner of France.
Diane (on the left) with One of Her Hosts
Diane on the French as Hosts
“They’re excellent hosts, warm and friendly. The nobility is nice, too. Not at all condescending. I hope it’s not a disappointment when they (travelers) find out that they (the noble families) are like everyone else.”
Book Pick
“The Paris Neighborhood Cookbook: Danyel Couet’s Guide to the City’s Ethnic Cuisines,” by Danyel Couet and David Loftus
Listen to what Diane has to say about this book in the above interview.
Art & Culture Fashion & Style French Life French Provinces Paris Travel: Art & Culture Fashion & Style French Life French Provinces Paris Travel
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The French Will Always Have Monet and Much More
One of Monet's Views of Rouen
I’ve been thinking lately about a couple of major gatherings I attended for the tourism industry last fall. Both of my beloved lands were covered: France and Colorado. The French event, entitled French Affairs ’09, put on by Atout France (also known as the French Government Tourist Office and Maison de la France), took place in New York City. I attended one full day and evening of this grand gathering of largely travel suppliers and tourism representatives, many of whom had traveled from as far away as France and Tahiti to promote their products and destinations to some of the most attentive travel experts in the U.S. It was a whirlwind day, marked by fine wine and cuisine, tons of networking and colorful multi-media presentations of some of the most alluring regions of France and many other exotic French-y locales, such as Guadeloupe and Saint Bart’s. (Some of our favorite island get-ways also fall beneath the umbrella of the French Tourism Office, hence the name Atout France, which I interpreted as a play on words of sorts meaning all of France although the exact translation of atout is asset. Are you confused yet? )
Now that this year’s tourism season is well underway in France, I’m thinking about how it seems to be shaping up, especially in view of the somewhat jittery feelings that were echoed last fall as the French travel experts touted their products and services. The elephant in the room—the world’s bad economy—was not dwelled upon too much and instead most everyone projected a wistful c’est la vie attitude. Perhaps it was the copious amounts of French wine served at the luncheon, the farewell cocktail and the closing dinner, that contributed to such elevated spirits amid so much recessionary doom and gloom. But I think it had more to do with the fact that the French have seen hard times before and with such extraordinary tourism destinations as Paris, Burgundy, the Côte d’Azur, Saint-Martin and much more, worrying doesn’t make much sense anyway.
So here we are with the euro at a four-year low against the dollar. Who could think of a better time to visit France? Sure, there might be a few concerns about flight cancellations due to ongoing eruptions from Eyjafjallajokull, Iceland’s troublesome volcano. But at least lately glittering images from Cannes have overshadowed that news. No, it seems as though there are more reasons for going to France in these upcoming months than what we’ve registered in a while. Here are a few of my favorites:
Paris
Don’t miss the Yves Saint Laurent exhibition at the Petit Palais, the first-ever retrospective of this revolutionary French fashion designer. You have until 29 August to view this much-talked-about show.
Antibes Juan les Pins
The celebrated Jazz à Juan festival marks its 50th anniversary this July. As the longest running jazz festival in Europe, it promises to be steamy hot with a lineup that includes George Benson, Diana Krall and Maceo Parker. There’s nothing like being serenaded by world-class jazz as a cool breeze blows through the nearby palm trees.
Normandy
The Impressionists drew inspiration from the many varied subjects of this beloved region of France, including its verdant countryside, its ports and its major sites. (Claude Monet captured the many different allures of the Rouen Cathedral in more than thirty paintings.) This year the region of Normandy pays homage to the indelible mark left by the Impressionists by launching the Normandy Impressionist Festival that runs through September. Expect lots of culture, fun events and great restaurant and lodging packages both in Rouen and throughout the region.
These happenings and more were highlighted at this French travel industry event. Find out about others—islands included—at FranceGuide.com, the French Government Tourist Office’s official site. There you’ll also find links to some attractive travel deals.
We’re ramping up for the summer season in Colorado now. It’s still pretty bleak here in the mountains but that should all change by mid June. I’ll report on the Colorado tourism industry event and how the season is shaping up in an upcoming posting. As you know, spring is the time to be in France. Here, it’s still mud season and snow remains in the forecast for the mountains the next couple of days. Tant pis, c’est la vie.
Thank you to Catherine Lancien et Carole Loisel, the Musée des Beaux Arts de Rouen and Rouen Tourisme for the use of the above image.
Cycling French Life French Provinces Paris Podcasts: Cycling French Living French Provinces Paris Podcasts
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Listen to Graham Watson Talk the Tour
2010 Tour de France Route
The 2010 Tour de France route was posted just over a month ago which means that hotels along the course are booking up fast. There’s still time, however, to plan a trip to take in some of this renowned bike race next July. Renowned Tour photographer, Graham Watson, will tell you how. Read about what I wrote about Graham and his book, “Graham Watson’s Tour de France Travel Guide,” here. You can also listen to Graham speak about the Tour and more by clicking on the play button here:
French Provinces Hotels Restaurants Shopping Spas: French Provinces Hotels Restaurants Shopping Spas The Beach
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Sizzling Sensations from Saint-Tropez
Sexy Saint-Tropez
O.K., I mentioned Saint-Tropez a few posts ago and I’m still tapping into a well of exhilarating emotions. What a scintillating town! And all under the guise of an old fishing village that exudes a delicious combination of Provençal charm and Côte d’Azur pizazz. It’s both glitzy and real. To me, it’s one of the most picturesque and authentic tourist destinations in the world. It’s also a great place for shopping and gallery going, so be sure to meander within the maze of old streets to seek out your favorite boutique. K. Jacques, renowned maker of sandals, is most definitely one of mine. You’ll also find lots of great pottery shops, antique dealers and fashion-forward clothing and accessories boutiques tucked within this glamorous enclave.
Hotel Byblos: A Saint-Tropez Classic
The celebrated Hotel Byblos is still the magical place to be for lodging, dining, drinks, spa treatments or lolling on the beach (hiding behind designer sunglasses in a skimpy little number, bien sur). The whole establishment is awash with cheerful, fresh colors characteristic of Provence and the French Riviera. The hotel has clearly not spared a dime in recent refurbishments since most of the rooms have been beautifully decorated in luxurious fabrics from leading French names Canovas, Frey and Lelievre. Here your beach experience is extended in bathrooms beautified with Italian marble, exotic tiles and polished pebbles. For further pampering, visit The Byblos Spa that features a host of treatments created exclusively by Sisley Cosmetics for Byblos. A stay here (and to Saint-Tropez) is not complete without dining at Spoon Byblos where you can enjoy Mediterranean-inspired cuisine along with an international wine selection. An Alain Ducasse restaurant, the first Spoon, opened over ten years ago in Paris, a highly successful concept that has been replicated in several other countries.
Les Caves du Roy at Hotel Byblos
If nothing else, you must check out the scene at the Byblos club, Les Caves du Roy. Here you’re sure to have a blast hanging with lots of beautiful people while dancing the night away to some of the most up-to-the-minute music in the world.
Simply Beautiful: La Réserve Ramatuelle
For a sleeker, more stream-lined experience, take in La Réserve Ramatuelle, the newly-opened resort in the oh-so tony neighboring village of the same name. World renowned architectect, Jean-Michel Wilmotte has created an experience here like few others on the Côte d’Azur. Timeless style, seamless design and purity of line have been employed to produce a stunning hotel and spa that integrates harmoniously with the raw beauty of the coast. You’ll find no frou frou embellishments here. The result is a haven of peace and tranquility like none other that you’ll find on the hustling, bustling French Riviera. I sent Dr. Jeffrey Walker, a world traveler and one of my contributors, here for dinner and he marveled about the space, adding that it was the most exceptional establishment he visited in his whole two-week trip to France. This is a must for all discerning travelers. Even if you don’t reserve a room at La Réserve, definitely carve out time to luxuriate at the restaurant or spa.
The Bar and Restaurant of La Réserve
If you do stay at La Réserve, you’ll be so content there that you might not want to venture out. You must though, especially for the Saint-Tropez market (go early), beach going, boating and drinks in the cafés along the waterfront.
K. Jacques, 25 rue Allard and 16 rue Seillon, Saint-Tropez, (33) 4.94.97.41.50, www.lestropeziennes.com or www.kjacques.fr
Hotel Byblos, avenue Paul Signac, Saint-Tropez, (33) 4-94-56-68-00, www.byblos.com
La Réserve Ramatuelle Hotel and Spa, Chemin de la Quessine, Ramatuelle, (33) 4-94-44-94-44; www.lareserve-ramatuelle.com
Other Favorite Addresses
Potier Augier, 22 rue Georges Clémenceau, Saint-Tropez, (33) 4-94-97-23-72; for boldly colored pottery
Sénéquier, 2 pl aux Herbes (tea salon) and quai Jean Jaurès, Saint-Tropez, (33) 4-94-97-00-90 and (33) 4-97-97-97-81, www.senequier.com; this sprawling café is a veritable institution and possibly one of the best places in all of the south of France to people-watch.
Saint-Tropez: Where Sailing is King
Thank you to LCI/CDT VAR for the use of some of the above images.
Art & Culture French Life French Provinces: Art & Culture French Life French Provinces
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Pondering Provence
A Quintessential Provençal Scene
Ahhhh, mid August. Here in the mountains I’m already chagrined by a certain crispness in the air. Fall and the first snows won’t be far off. The weather has been glorious lately but I’m still longing for a blast of furnace-like heat, sweltering days that force me to retreat beneath a shade tree until the delightful oppressiveness of the day subsides and I can emerge to take in perhaps a cultural site or just sip a perfectly chilled glass of rosé on a terrace. The desert isn’t far from where I live now and certainly it provides plenty of warmth. But I am thinking of Provence. Sun-drenched days, shady plane trees, a plethora of cultural offerings, delicious wines and so much more.
We are approaching le quinze août after all, the holiday of all holidays for Europeans. Many people don’t even know that August fifteenth marks Assumption, a Catholic holiday that is hardly celebrated in Europe except for the fact that most everyone has the day off. People typically take a whole week off around August fifteenth (if they can’t manage the entire month!). So you can imagine it is the big vacation week of the summer, the biggest of the year in fact.
I have been in Provence during this period many times, battling crowds at the renowned markets of Saint-Tropez and Ilse-sur-la-Sorgue (you have to arrive early at these and most others). Yet somehow I always managed and it was always worth it.
But traveling to Provence in the fall offers a whole other experience. Yes, you might still have difficulty reserving a table on the patio at the famed Oustau de Baumanière, but you won’t encounter the throngs of tourists that invade this most delightful region of France in July and August. You’ll still find the weather to be glorious and the cultural offerings just as exciting.
Bea (on the rt.) with Le Mont Sainte-Victoire, Cézanne's Mountain, in the Distance
So why not consider a small, escorted tour composed of fellow travelers of discriminating taste? I recently became in touch with Beatriz Ball, founder of Golden Bee Tours, a Brazilian-born woman that boasts a huge passion for France, especially Provence.
The Golden Vineyards of Provence in Autumn
Since Bea’s Provence Arts and Scents Tour for the third week of September has sold out, she has decided to offer it the last week in September as well. The highlight of this tour is certainly a guided visit to “Picasso-Cézanne,” a much-talked-about exhibition at the Musée Granet in Aix-en-Provence that explores Cézanne’s influence on Picasso. Being ferried about a beautiful place with a delightful lady in the know—now that’s what I call a real vacation.
Bea, a recent guest on Travel Fun, chatted with me mostly during our interview about why so many artists have been lured to Provence over more than a century. ”I remember being so impressed with the quality of light the first time I traveled to Provence many years ago,” Bea said. Indeed the skies are so clear and vivid that they offer up a kaleidoscope of colors that changes throughout the day. Certainly this is largely why Picasso, Cézanne and countless other artists sought to capture this region of France on canvas. ”The region celebrates your senses,” Bea added and I concurred. It didn’t take much for my thoughts to drift off to the ever present crick-crick-crick of the cicadas, the wafting smells of rosemary and thyme, the taste of a rich tapenade spread over crusty bread, the feel of rubbing a sprig of lavender between my palms, the vision of Abbaye de Sénanque in all its Romanesque splendor on a late summer’s afternoon.
Ah—haaaa. Mid August. I should either book a flight to France or go buy myself a nice bottle of Bandol and a few olives. No wonder it has captivated so many people for so many years.
Thank you to Bea and LCI/CDT VAR for the use of the above images.
