Giving Thanks for Elegant French Meals

Feeling Beautiful in the French Basque Country

I’ve been very spoiled in my life. Not spoiled in general. But most definitely spoiled with fabulous meals. As a travel writer, one with an expertise in France, I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy some very fine dining. And each experience remains etched in my mind. Really.

Part theater, part culinary extravaganza, part voyage à deux, or among a few and yes, even all alone, dining out promises an all encompassing sensory journey, especially when it takes place in France. 

Here I want to highlight two extraordinary meals in the Basque country of southwest France that I shared with my guy, Steve Togni, an Italian-born hotel general manager (in Telluride) who is–not surprisingly–blessed with a discerning palate. These dinners were all the more exceptional because they took place during a surf trip to the French Basque country. Well in truth, it was a vacation for both of us with a very strong emphasis on surfing for Steve. Typically during such trips, he’s to bed by 9pm because when it comes to surfing, he’s all business. His dinners usually consist of a plate of grilled fish, rice and beans and a couple of cold beers, particularly when he travels to countries such as Costa Rica and Nicaragua. But he told me he’d be up for nice dinners out and boy was I happy that he more than obliged.

more »

Bodacious Biarritz

Biarritz: Breathtakingly Beautiful

La Grande Plage

Bobbing Heads in the Surf Capital of Europe

Steve & Me

I took a trip of a lifetime with my boyfriend, Steve, a while ago and now seems like the right time to write about it.

It was stunning and dramatic, sweet and endearing, intense and oh-so memorable–all very much like our relationship. It left us in awe and amazed and full of desire for more.

We both chose the destination; I chose France and Steve narrowed it down to Biarritz, an oceanside resort in southwest France in the Basque region that I had only visited once–very briefly–on a cold winter’s day during the research phase of my book The Riches of France: A Shopping and Touring Guide to the French Provinces. At that time, I did just a cursory tour of the town, one that was more focused on the boutiques of Biarritz than its spectacular coastal scene and its sensational surf.

Biarritz Beauty

Gorgeous

With Steve, it was all about the surf. No surprise there, since this is where the waves roil in with the greatest, most consistent force in all of Europe. And Steve is big on surfing. It sounded like the perfect fit to me; he had the surf and I had France. What came as a surprise, however, was how he became so taken with the whole French experience and the French themselves.

more »

 
  • Follow A Tour of the Heart

     Follow A Tour of the Heart
  • Email Newsletter icon, E-mail Newsletter icon, Email List icon, E-mail List icon Sign Up Today for My Email Newsletter
    For Email Marketing you can trust
  • Categories

  • Recent Posts

  • Ads



  • Meta

  • Disclosure

    This blog is a personal blog written and edited by Maribeth Clemente. This blog sometimes accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content. The owner of this blog is sometimes compensated to provide opinion on products, services, Web sites and various other topics. Even though the owner of this blog receives compensation for certain posts or advertisements, she always gives her honest opinions, findings, beliefs or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blogger's own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question. This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.
  • Permission

    Please note that unless otherwise attributed to someone else, the content that appears on this Web site/blog is the property of the author, Maribeth Clemente. Written permission is required if you choose to use or excerpt any of this material.