Provence – Page 4 – Tales and Travel

NICE: Enchantment on the Riviera

I wrote the following for the newspaper Stars and Stripes three years ago after a visit to Nice. I’ve been back several times, most recently after Christmas. This time we lounged on the beach, enjoyed delicious food, and soaked up that seductive ambience of the Cote d’Azur. Nice — it’s my kind of town..

After many, many years in Germany, my husband and I and our two cats (we now have three) left Deutschland behind and moved to the hinterlands of Provence in southern France. We’ve been here five years (now eight), and it’s lovely. We don’t regret the move. But I’ve found a corner of this part of the world I like even more: Nice.

Our quiet life in the countryside has its pluses, but I miss the vibrancy and excitement of a city. Nice offers that, as well as the sea and beaches, museums, markets, intriguing old town, excellent restaurants, lush parks and outstanding architecture, all wrapped in an enchanting ambience.

France’s fifth largest city is the capital of the glamorous French Riviera. There’s plenty of elegance along the Promenade des Anglais, its seaside boulevard lined with palms and turn-of-the-century hotels and grand apartments. There are traces of North Africa in the tangle of dark alleys of Vieux Nice, (old Nice). The outdoor markets and restaurants, as well as the numerous street stands, capture the flair of neighboring Italy. It’s an irresistible mélange.

Nice’s roots go back thousands of years to prehistoric times. By the 4^th century it was settled by Greeks, followed by Romans, then Saracens. Nice was part of the House of Savoy (Italy) from 1388 until 1860 when citizens voted to join the Second French Empire.

The English discovered its charms in the 18^th century, followed by those from other countries, especially Russians. The Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, commissioned by Czar Nicholas II and inaugurated in 1912, is the largest Russian religious edifice outside Russia, and a top tourist attraction.

By the 19^th century Nice had become a favorite winter haunt for the British. It was an Englishman, Reverend Lewis Way, who is responsible for widening a former water front footpath in 1820 at his expense which was dubbed “Chemin des Anglais” (road of the English). In 1931 it took its final form, two roads with a palm-planted center strip, and became known as the Promenade des Anglais.

On one side of the famous avenue are Belle Époque buildings. On the opposite side are miles of beaches. Thanks to Nice’s microclimate, even in winter you can sit at a beach café and soak in the rays. You may even see brave souls who spread their towels in the sand and sunbathe in bathing suits. In summer, of course, the beaches are crowded with both tourists and locals.

During our winter visit, after a stroll along the beach we climbed the steps to Castle Hill where a citadel once stood. It’s now a maze of greenery, perfect for getting some exercise and enjoying superb views of Nice, its beaches and harbor, with the backdrop of hills and the distant Alps.

We took the easy way down, riding an Art Deco lift which deposited us on the edge of Vieux Nice. I love taking pictures at the flower market on the Cours Saleya in the heart of the old town. I also love wandering in the labyrinth alleys in this part of the city, checking out funky boutiques, admiring Baroque churches, taking more pictures. One place that has become a favorite is Oliviera, a shop with 17 different kinds of olive oil where owner Nadim Berouti is happy to offer tastings. The shop also has a mini-restaurant.

“When I understood that every morning I would see again this light, I could not believe how happy I was,” artist Henri Matisse wrote about Nice. The light of the Riviera has inspired numerous artists, not just Matisse who lived in the city from 1917 until his death in 1954. A Nice museum devoted to his works is a must.

We rode a bus up the hill to the Cimiez district where the museum is located in a 17^th century Genoese villa. Works from every period of the artist’s life are on display, including early paintings, the famous gouache cut-outs, studies (drawings etc.) for his renowned chapel in Vence, even personal effects such as Venetian furniture and Oriental wall hangings.

It was a long hike back to the center, but worth the trek to admire great pillared houses and rows of cypress trees along the route.

The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in the heart of the city is another gem with a collection of 400 works including sculptures and canvases by New Realists, Pop artists including Andy Warhol, whimsical creations by one of my favorites, Niki de Sainte-Phalle, and more. The avant-garde building with glassed-in ramps around an atrium is a sensation, as are the great views from its roof terrace.

We ran out of time and postponed a visit to Nice’s Chagall museum for another trip when we rode the Nice hop-on, hop-off tourist bus to the museum where I was in awe. The 17 huge, colorful paintings depicting Biblical scenes are amazing. Also to marvel are mosaics, stained glass windows and tapestries.

The bus stops at other tourist highlights, including the Russian church. It’s a great way to take in the city, its neighborhoods and seaside panoramas, as well as travel to the sights. Head sets offer fascinating commentary in numerous languages.

When we get too old for life in the country, maybe we can move to Nice.

TIPS FOR TOURING NICE:

Le Grand Tour, Nice’s hop-on, hop off tourist bus with 14 stops www.nicelegrandtour.com

Nice’s flower market on the Cours Saleya takes place everyday from 6 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. except Monday when it is replaced with an antiques market.

Oliviera for olive oil and small meals. 8 bis, rue du Collet in Vieux Nice, www.oliviera.com

Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Promenade des Arts, open daily from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. except Mondays and some holidays. Entrance is free. www.mamac-nice.org

Matisse Museum, 164 avenue des Arènes de Cimiez, open daily except Tuesday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Entrance is free. www.musee-matisse-nice.org

Marc Chagall National Museum, avenue du docteur Ménard, open daily except Tuesday and some holidays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from May to October. From November to April from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: 7,50 euros. http://www.musee-chagall.fr

Excellent centrally located accommodations at the 4-star Hotel Le Grimaldi, 15, rue Grimaldi. Rates vary with season, from 99 euros for a double in low season. www.le-grimaldi.com

Favorite restaurant: La Zucca Magica (the magic pumpkin), a vegetarian restaurant run by Italians. The decor is pumpkins, gourds and squash — hanging from the ceiling, on the tables and window sills, depicted in paintings and photos on the walls. It’s dimly lit with flickering candles, cozy and inviting. There is no menu. You take a seat, order some wine, and food starts arriving — five different dishes, one after another. www.lazuccamagica.com

More information on Nice at www.nicetourisme.com

Gingered Butternut Squash Soup with Spicy Pecan Cream was a winner at my recent dinner party. Recipe listed in column on right. Comments on blog post and recipes are welcome. See “Leave a Reply” below under Comments. Subscribers also welcome. Don’t miss future posts. Click on Email Subscription at top right

Happy Holidays

Twinkling lights on trees, houses and buildings are as much a part of Christmas as Santa and reindeer. In a tiny hameau in the hills of Provence there’s an illumination extravaganza this holiday season that is a wonder to behold. cars4

Cars – French classics – gleam under the lights of magnificent chandeliers, most of which are antique. The exhibition brings together his two passions, “cars and chandeliers,” says chandelier designer Regis Mathieu. His company, Mathieu Lustrerie, creates high-end lights, as well as restores and replicates antique chandeliers.

At their showroom numerous glittering antique treasures, as well as some contemporary versions, cast their lights on priceless automobiles – most of which you have probably never heard of: 1937 Delage, 1938 Delahaye, 1926 Hispano-Suiza… There’s also a dazzling 2012 Bugati. cars7

It’s a delightfully different – and fascinating – take on holiday lights.

The nighttime exhibit runs daily, except on holidays, until Jan. 13, from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. (Hameau des Sauvans, Gargas) www.mathieulustrerie.com

Wishing all a very Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Frohe Weihnachten.

For more on French Christmas, see my guest blog, “Christmas Feasting in France,” posted on Rantings of an Amateur Chef, http://rantingchef.com Special thanks to Lynne for the perfect accompanying food photos.

See slideshow below for more cars and chandeliers. Blog subscribers also welcome. Don’t miss future posts. Click on Email Subscription at top right

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All about Life in France

The Germans have a saying, Leben wie Gott in Frankreich, (Live like God in France). After living and working in Germany for more than 25 years, I moved to southern France eight years ago to see just how God lived. Not too shabby. Life is good, very good, but not quite paradise. Read on for my observations.

Topping off the list of pluses is Health Care. Americans can criticize socialized medicine all they want, but I’m thrilled with the French system, universal care, which even covers home visits, taxi trips to doctors for those unable to drive, weeks in a rehab facility after some surgeries and much more. For details, see my previous blog post, “My New French Knee, “ all about my recent experience with knee replacement surgery.

Filing Taxes. My husband does ours. Since our retirement income comes from the U.S., we file and pay U.S. taxes. There is a reciprocal agreement between the U.S. and France, so we pay no income tax here. Nonetheless, as residents in France, we must fill out French tax forms. My husband spent many long days on the computer, fighting with form after form, to file the U.S. taxes. The French form, even for citizens, is short and simple. I did it in minutes.

Elections. During the French presidential campaign this spring, there were televised debates among candidates, as well as spot commercials. But, each candidate was given the same amount of air time. No matter how much money a candidate had, he/she could not buy extra television time. The issues, the candidates’ positions and record, determined the outcome – not their wallet.

Food/Wine. Both hard to beat. Crusty baguettes, flaky croissants, sinful pastries… and, my downfall, all the fabulous cheeses. Restaurant meals are generally excellent, and the wine is reasonable and good. A glass of wine at our neighborhood café, 3 Euros, ($3.65). As my husband and I like to imbibe with dinner at home, we buy table wine in five-liter boxes (almost seven bottles), from 13 Euros or $16 per box. And, we love to visit the numerous wineries in these parts for tasting and purchasing.

Tips Included. No need to get out your calculator and figure out what 15 or 20 percent of the total is for your tip. Service is included in French restaurants. If you are happy with the meal and service, you can leave a few extra Euros.

Politeness. The French, including children, are extremely polite and courteous. When entering a shop, a doctor’s waiting room, an office… they greet everyone with a “Bonjour Mesdames, Monsieurs.” They also kiss a lot, but more on that to follow.

Laissez-Faire. Life here is not over regulated. If you visit a tourist site at the edge of a high cliff, for example, there will be no fences or walls at the edge obstructing your view and keeping you from falling. It’s up to you to use caution and control your children.

Leisurely meals. The French appreciate good food and conversation. Meals, which consist of several courses, are not eat and run affairs. They can go on for hours. It’s enjoyable and relaxing.

There’s more I love about life here: the beautiful view of the Luberon hills from our balcony, the bounteous markets, colorful local festivals in the summer, poppies in the spring, lavender and sunflowers in the summer, the sunshine, the pool…

But, not all is perfect. At the top of my list of pet peeves are Business Hours which drive me crazy. Every shop, office, restaurant… has its own schedule. You need a spread sheet to keep track of it all, but be prepared for changes.

Here in southern France, almost everything closes for a long lunch hour, but how long? The bakery and grocery store in my small village are closed every afternoon between 12:30 and 4 p.m. The post office only closes between noon and 1:30 p.m. The pharmacy is closed from 12:30 to 3 p.m., plus Saturday afternoon and Monday morning. Restaurants are usually closed one or two days a week, but that varies with seasons. How to remember which one is closed which day during which season.?

What really gets me is “Fermeture Exceptionelle” (exceptional closing). Too often I have made a special trip to the bank in a nearby town only to see this sign at the door. No explanation. Go home and come back another day.

Driving Expenses. Gasoline is very expensive here – about 1.6 Euros per liter (about $7.80 per gallon). Tolls on the autoroute are also expensive. But this can be an advantage. Only during peak travel seasons (certain summer weekends for example) are there traffic jams on these super highways. You can usually sail along at a maximum speed of 130 km per hour, just over 80 mph.

Hunting Dogs. As an animal lover, it grieves me to see how these dogs are neglected and abused. Hunting is a popular sport in these parts, and most dedicated hunters keep several hunting dogs penned up year round. They are not treated as pets and are only released for the hunt. Many get lost and end up homeless. We once found a lost, friendly hunting dog wandering along a country road. We put him in the car and called the number on the collar it was wearing, then met the owner in a nearby town. Instead of being happy to see the animal, he grabbed it by the collar and tossed it into the back of his pick-up with several other sorry beasts. I was devastated, and regretted returning the poor dog to a miserable existence.

Punctuality. This is strange. If you invite French to your home, they generally show up on time. But, go to an event, be it a concert, a performance, or a community dinner, and be prepared to sit and wait at least a half hour, and more often up to an hour, before the show gets on the road. If it’s a performance, you may need to stay an extra half an hour for curtain calls. The French are overly enthusiastic and reward performers with endless clapping and cheering.

Much about the French lifestyle is neither bad nor good, but curious to an American. I’ll start with la bise (the kiss). It’s known that the French greet one another with an air kiss on the check, usually both cheeks, and sometimes more depending on which region of France they live in. I live in the department of Les Alpes de Haute Provence, just 20 minutes from the border of the department of Vaucluse. On our turf, it’s one kiss on each cheek. But, in Vaucluse, it’s three kisses, both cheeks, then back to the starting point for a final kiss. I invariably forget when I visit friends in Vaucluse and pull away after two kisses, only to have the friend, cheek turned, waiting for number three. Then there’s dilemma of which side first. How many times have I knocked heads with someone as we both turned in the same direction and crashed? The good ole American hug is easier.

August This is a mystery to me, but it seems everyone, and not just folks with school aged children, takes a vacance (vacation) in this hot summer month. Doctors’ offices are often closed for the month. Many businesses and offices, including the electric company, close during August. For those of us in the sunny south, August, as well as July, means an invasion: Parisians, Dutch, Belgians. Too many drive huge campers which clog the two-lane roads in this hilly region. Parking places in towns are at a premium. Lines at the bakery snake out the door and down the sidewalk. We’re happy when these tourists go home and life settles back to quiet normalcy.

Apero, short for aperitif and the French preferred way of entertaining. They often invite guests for apero, which can be potato chips, peanuts, and several glasses of wine or pastis (the favored anise drink of Provence) or an array of elaborate snacks which can be a meal. In general, dinner parties are for close friends and family.

I could ramble on, but suffice it to say that God could do worse, much worse.

If you’d like to read more of my tales and adventures, click on “Email Subscription” at top right of post. Comments are welcome. Click “Leave a Reply”

What to do with all that summer produce? Check out my recipe for Great Gazpacho, my summer favorite. Scroll down the recipe column at far right.

Table of Happiness

The name is perfect: La Table du Bonheur (Table of Happiness). The culinary creations prepared by chef Hans would make anyone happy.

“The main reason I cook is to make people feel good, to feel happy. I like to give them something nice to remember,” says Hans, who sports a perfect

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Photo by Gail Polack

handlebar mustache and speaks five languages. With his wife Tiny assisting, this chef extraordinaire creates over-the-top meals for guests at his Bed and Breakfast home, where he also rents a vacation apartment. And, sometimes he cooks for lucky friends.

Thanks to Ben, a Dutchman who was in my French class, I heard about Hans and Tiny, who are also Dutch. Ben wrangled an invitation for me and Bob. We’ve been back many times since, and I’ve even gotten up enough courage to invite them to dinner.

A recent dinner chez Hans and Tiny began with smoked wild salmon (he smokes the salmon himself) and wild salmon tartare. This was followed by cepe bouillon, then an incredible main course, a trio of succulent lamb: filet, brochette and a lamb burger with tomato sauce accompanied by ratatouille and a gratin of potatoes For décor: an edible nasturtium blossom. Then a beautiful cheese course, a blanched apricot split and filled with layers of fresh goat cheese all smothered with warm lavender honey. Dessert: lemon custard pie with homemade raspberry sherbet and whipped cream. We were indeed happy.

Table du Bonheur is high in the hinterlands of Provence, up a narrow windy road, then down a rutted dirt road to a cluster of no more than six buildings. Remote. Off-the-beaten-track. At the end of the world.

Which is just the way Hans and Tiny like it. “The only way you’ll get me out of here is in a coffin,” says Hans.

For 18 years, he ran a Michelin two-star restaurant in Belgium. “It was very difficult. Twenty-six people on the payroll. One hundred forty places. I felt like a slave,” he recalls.

His restaurant career started when he was 22 and went to work as a waiter. He knew he wanted to move up, so he earned a wine diploma. “I wanted to be creative,” he says, so he began working as an apprentice with restaurant chefs, including Les Freres Troisgros who have a Michelin three-star restaurant in Roanne,France.

At the age of 27 he started his own restaurant which, after 18 years, he was happy to give up and move back to Holland and embark on something smaller. “Most people want their career to get bigger and bigger. I want smaller and smaller….I said at the age of 55 I would give this up.” For years, he and Tiny and two of their sons (they have three children) ran a small but very popular restaurant with an open kitchen in Holland. “It was great to have people around me,” he says.

They loved France and spent every vacation touring the country by motorcycle. They knew they wanted to end up settling here. One summer when they were looking for a vacation apartment to rent, he told the real estate agent he wanted someplace so isolated that he could cook naked. The agent took him to a nudist colony — not what he had in mind.

However, he could no doubt cook naked at Table du Bonheur. They discovered their home in the boondocks on a trip in 2000. They rented the house which dates back to the 1500s. The isolated location was ideal, and the house had all the room they needed. The owner, however, would not sell. They came back every year for seven years before they succeeded in purchasing the home. Hans was 56, one year past his age 55 deadline.

They’ve done major renovation, but the kitchen has kept plenty of old world charm. So much so you wonder how Hans can turn out such fabulous food in a simple, relatively small, space – the antithesis of a modern kitchen. The dining room/living room, with beams, exposed stone walls and a fireplace, is cozy — the perfect ambiance on a cold winter’s day. In summer a small terrace area with worn wooden tables and lots of potted flowers all around is an ideal setting for savoring fine cuisine.

Hans has local sources for all his supplies – one farmer for pork, another for lamb, yet another for beef, and one for poultry. Cheese from a local producer. Fish from the market in Carpentras. In the fall he puts on dinners for the local hunting club whose members provide him with tasty game.

“Everyday is an adventure.” he says, with a twinkle in his vivid blue eyes. “I love to cook. I love the creativity of it.”

And, we’re happy to devour his creations!

Check out the recipe in the column at right , Goat Cheese Mousse with Mint Pesto — a winning appetizer.

Fort Buoux: A Discovery in the Hinterlands

This post comes with a new look, the beautiful header across the top. Friend and photographer David Regan (A Fishy Tale) created it using my photos. As you click on different parts of the blog, you’ll see other examples of his skill and creativity. And, recipes are back, now listed alphabetically on the right below “Recent Posts.” For the latest treat, try “Watermelon Salad” at the end of the list.

There’s no shortage of interesting places to visit in these parts. Even though I’ve lived in Provence for seven years, I’m still discovering new attractions. This spring I visited two for the first time: Fort Buoux and the archeological site of Glanum (see future blog post for Glanum).

Buoux was thanks to our friends Lynne and Larry from Germany who rented our guest apartment (www.les-rosiers.com) in April. Lynne found Fort Buoux in a Rick Steves guidebook. Off they went and returned ecstatic with the discovery.

I’d been to a restaurant in Buoux, a tiny place of no more than a few houses, but I knew nothing about the fort. When my cousin Stewart’s son Tom and wife Melissa came to visit, I decided it was time to explore this place.

Tom and Melissa had GPS, but even with this high tech gadget, it was not easy to find. After a few wrong turns and backtracking, we arrived at the parking lot, then followed signs for a long walk down a shady road, under a “baume,” (a natural cave beneath overhanging cliffs), then a climb up a rocky path to the entrance. Fort Buoux is definitely “off the beaten track.”

There were warning signs: Visit at your own risk. Watch children.

What kind of place was this? After paying admission, we set out up a set of treacherous steps carved in the rock. Up and Up. We climbed past piles of ruins, deep trenches, cisterns, all numbered with their identification provided in a pamphlet we had been given at the entrance. The views of the surroundings –ravines, rock outcrops, cliffs and distant hills — are splendid. We even saw rock climbers attempting to conquer a rock face.

The brochure explained that caves in this area, the AiguebrunValley, have been occupied since earliest antiquity. The fort is of the 12^th century, built on the site of a Roman settlement. It was obviously built for defense and was important during the Middle Ages. During the religious wars (1562-98), the fort served as a refuge for the persecuted ProtestantWaldensians, members of a Christian movement of the late Middle Ages who were considered heretical. Later, Protestant families settled in the region. In 1660, Louis XIV, who feared rising religious independence, ordered the fort destroyed.

The brochure identifies 37 different sets of ruins. Following the path which leads to them can be challenging. The terrain is stoney. The trail climbs. You need sturdy shoes – and no fear of heights. Sheer drop offs plunge from the edge of the cliffs. As this is France, there are no ropes or barriers. While children enjoy scrambling amid the ruins, they need a tight rein lest they run too far.

One place, the “Hidden Stairs” had an extra warning: “Not advisable for elderly people, pregnant women and little children.” Melissa and I stayed back, but Tom charged down the crumbling stairs for more discovery.

Among the ruins are those of a 13^th century church, houses, a cistern, towers and defense walls. Exploring them all is an exhilarating adventure.

Fort Buoux is located on a winding minor road, D113, 8 km from Apt. The fort is not in the town of Buoux (population 125), but in the surrounding hinterlands.