About mid-January of 2016 we headed out for 2 days in Paris, 3 days in Lyon, and 3 days in Malaucene, a town in northern Provence, close to Avignon. The time in Provence and a major impetus for this trip was a scheduled Wine and Truffle Tour through our friends Philip and Jude Reddaway and their www.rhonewineholidays.com. More about this later.
Paris
Perhaps no other city looms so large in our collective travel imagination. "We'll always have Paris" Syndrome comes easily to anyone lucky enough to visit and then return to The City of Light. Fond memories and special moments abide here. For most people I know, being in Paris is like walking around in a movie. In fact, my own advice to return travelers who have crossed off their Top Sights List is to search out an interesting neighborhood and do exactly that --- just walk around and explore.
Anyway, for this trip we stayed at The Molitor, way out there in the 16th Arrondissement http://www.mgallery.com/gb/hotel-7326-hotel-molitor-paris-mgallery-collection/index.shtml. The original structure was built in 1929 and existed as a prime swimming destination for Paris party people in the '30s. It was closed in 1989, fell into disrepair, and became an underground gathering place for artists and "happenings." It has been completely transformed in the last three years, and has re-opened with very comfortable, modern rooms, an all-weather outdoor pool, and a hip, artsy vibe.
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| Entry wall at the Molitor |
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| Graffiti Rolls Royce inside the Molitor |
The Molitor rocks. If it was good enough for Johnny Weissmuller, it's good enough for you.
Our best meal in Paris this trip was at Spring in the 1st Arrondissement. It was suggested by our concierge "even though the chef is American." The 88 Euro pre fixe is well worth the money for the imaginative food and great service. The Zagat review looks like this:
"Enthralled" eaters hail the "incredible" New French offerings of native Chicagoan Daniel Rose at his "don't-miss" table in Les Halles, "one of the hottest reservations in town", where the "open kitchen provides entertainment" to accompany the "beautifully harmonized" multicourse menus (no à la carte); the townhouse setting with exposed-brick walls is "gorgeous", service is "charming and relaxed" and the wine selection "brilliant" (oenophiles: check out the separate basement wine bar), so it's "worth every shekel" for an "experience that you won't soon forget."
Our menu included hot and cold oysters, a scallop dish with fried sweetbreads and creamy spuds, a miniature "king cake," and other treats. There is not a lot of choice, mind you. They cook dinner for you from their own menu and it's different every night, but superb. Highly recommended and excellent value.
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| Oysters hot (with lemon creme au gratin) and cold (with iced sea weed) at Spring |
Lyon
From Paris to Lyon is a just few hours by TGV. Lyon is the third largest city and second largest metropolitan area in France, with a population of about 2.1 million. It is known as the Belly of France because of it's gastronomic emphasis and history, and probably because Paul Bocuse hails from this area. Founded by the Romans, with many preserved historical areas, Lyon is recognized by UNESCO and shaped by its two rivers, the Rhone and Saone.
We stayed at The Villa Florentine, a Five Star Relais & Chateau property up on the hill above Vieux Lyon. You need to climb a lot of stairs to get up and down to Old Town, or take a long way down, so this is not for everyone. It does have a great view, and it was built in 1700s as a chapel. There are still frescoes in the entrance downstairs. Prices are steep, roughly 350 Euros with a full breakfast. Our bedroom had a little porch with a view on the old quarter, and a fine and spacious bathroom. It also had something I have never seen: a light under the bed that follows you around the room at night to light your way, and turns off when you put your feet up into bed! I spoke to the manager about it, and he explained it was a new feature. Almost creepy. Based on Trip Advisor reviews, I believe this is one of the best luxury choices in Lyon. It does have a fine ambiance.
Vieux Lyon is really the touristy part of town --- kept old in appearance, lots of restaurants and shops to buy treats and gifts (but no tacky souvenirs, thankfully). There are definitely some good places to eat and a wine bar worth a visit (BMD, on Rue Trois Maries). We had dinners at Aux 3 Maries (on Rue Trois Maries), Bistro Retrouvaille and our favorite, Aux 24 Colonnes http://www.aux-24-colonnes.fr.
Aux 24 Colonnes is all homemade, locally sourced food, with respect for traditional Lyonnaise favorites and prepared under the loving attention of my man, Eric Violet. Eric bought us a bottle of wine and took special care of us after he had to reschedule our reservation. He served a perfect minced duck casserole with clementine sauce that was unforgettable for 13 Euros. The sausage with Lyonnaise potatoes was the perfect hearty treat for a winter's night with a glass of red Cotes du Rhone.
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| Eric's killer homemade sausage and Lyonnaise potatoes |
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| This appetizer salad at Retrovaille features delicious smoked salmon, a thick slice of pate, and a prawn |
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| Minced duck with clementine sauce, Aux 24 Colonnes |
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| Eric Violet and me |
A couple of touring notes for Lyon. We spent several hours on a private food tour with Localers (booking@localers.com) and it was both educational and fun. Besides, we needed to walk off at least part of a meal. Localers has a branch in Paris, too. They are recommended by international travel press, give good value, and are painless to work with. Camille, our guide, was a history buff, which brought color and interesting backstory to her explanations. The cost is 150 E per person, and there are three tastings, some in the famous Bocuse Food Hall, included in the price.
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| Savory macarons, including the superb Foie Gras |
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| Bocuse mural oustide his Hall |
After the Gallic Wars of Julius Caesar, at a time when Lyon was known as Lugdunum, the Roman amphitheater was constructed at the top of Fourviere Hill. One of the oldest Roman sites in France, the site and its related museum are open and make a wonderful destination for the visitor. Take the funicular up for a few Euros, and combine a visit here with some time at the sumptuous Basilique Notre Dame of Fourviere.
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| The amphitheater |
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| Decorative Sculpture from the museum |
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| Astrolgical Clock from 14th Century at St. Jean's Cathedral |
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| 1970 Citroen, Museum of Confluences |
The impetus for our trip to France this time came in the form of an enticing e-mail from our friend Philip Reddaway, who, with his lovely wife Jude, run Rhone Wine Holidays (www.rhonewineholidays.com). They live in a converted convent called La Madelene in Malaucene, northern Provence, and from there they conduct brilliant wine tours to mostly Chateauneuf vineyards. Philip invited past guests to come during "truffle season" for a three-day "wine and truffle" tour that included, among other things, meeting a seasoned truffle hunter and going out to forage with his dog. This was an opportunity that we could not pass up, and it turned out to be even more amazing than we hoped. Five of us were on the bus (or "in the van"). Here is a broad-brush re-cap of the tour:
Wednesday: Arrival mid afternoon. Drinks and dinner with fine Rhone wines at La Madelene.
Thursday: After breakfast, we drove to the Luberon hills to meet Nicholas, the truffle hunter,and his dog, Junior. No mere amateur, Nicholas has a deep passion for truffles, and has devoted decades to the culture, farming, and preparation of the fungi. He provided a slide show presentation before we went out over his property to hunt for (and find!) some of these black diamonds. Then Nicholas brought us back to his kitchen for a champagne lunch that included a cooking demonstration and the best eggs I have ever eaten --- laced with lots of truffles, of course.
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| Nicholas rewards Junior for a find |
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| The killer truffle eggs, with truffle butter |
After lunch, we retraced our steps back to the appellation of Chateauneuf du Pape to visit two wonderful vineyards ---Bois de Boursan and Domaine de la Solitude. Philip knows the winemakers well, and actually owns a small share of Solitude, so we were treated well and looked after, with wonderful tastings of fine bottles. That evening we dined at Fleur Bleu, an excellent restaurant and gite in Crestet owned and operated by a Dutch couple. Philip arranged a wonderful truffle meal, which included a stunning ravioli with poached egg (inside!) and truffled bernaise sauce. Oh my god! Philip provided top shelf bottles of Chateneuf from his cellar.
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| Bois de Boursan, the Versino family |
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| Freeform ravioli with inner poached egg, Bernaise truffle sauce |
On Friday: Breakfast at La Madelene, followed by visits to Chateau St. Cosme, Domaine Saint Amant with a lovely view from its hilltop, and a stop at the Carpentras truffle market. The truffle market is part of the larger weekly traveling market during the truffle season. Best quality truffles were being sold at 850 Euros per kilo (2.2 pounds). Truffle yields are way down this year due to a very dry summer, but apparently Spain has stepped in to supplement local supplies in many cases, so the price has remained stable.
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| Truffle market in Carpentras |
At lunch time, we visited olive oil farmer, creative chef and major character Bernard Bijaoui at his farm for a tasting of different olive oils followed by lunch at his home. Bernard is one of the most entertaining people I have met, an outsized personality with tremendous humor, joy and a tendency to burst into song. He prepared a superb Tunisian-style lunch with a show-stopping starter of handed-smashed truffle potatoes with his own olive oil, butter and cream. This was truly one of the best dishes I have ever tasted.
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| Bernard's olive oil label |
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| Wonderful Bernard, serving his guests |
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| Bernard's truffled potatoes --- one of the 5 most delicious things I've ever eaten! |
We ended Friday with a visit to one of the new breed of winemakers, a young maverick who is currently working out of a rented garage space, but garnering 94 point scores from Robert Parker. This is Phillippe Gimel of Saint Jean du Barroux --- a man with incredible passion, savvy use of social media, and an ability to talk about wine to anyone who will listen (for however long they will listen!). He is awesome, and promises to be a giant in Chateauneuf. Finally, back to a delicious last meal at La Madelene.
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| Dynamic, organic and a bit manic -- Phillippe Gamil |
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| Cheese course at La Madelene |
On Saturday, there was an early visit to another market or winery, but we had to leave for our return to Paris CDG.
With this, our second tour with Philip and Jude, I can give them my highest props and recommendation. Their tours are luxurious without a hint of pretense. There are always cultural dimensions and a bit of education involved. The food and drink are absolutely first class, and La Madelene is very comfortable and homey in the best sense. These folks are pros, and make it look easy. Do yourself a favor and book a wine tour with them.
Thanks for reading my blog! Feel free to contact me or comment for more info.
Thanks for reading my blog! Feel free to contact me or comment for more info.
Hand smashed truffle potatoes with butter. The new gold standard I fear.
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