Every French town seems to have a carousel and Aix is no exception. The carousel is in the middle of town near the Rotunde on the Cours Mirabeau. After school one day six of us women decided we should ride the carousel and that it was time for the adults to be children for just a bit. What fun!
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| Elizabeth Ripp |
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| Carolyn & Marlene Hurrell |
Our second cooking clas at l'atelier des Chefs was even more fun and interesting than the first. Again, cooking commenced with the "creating" of the desert. We made a caramel sauce and poured it into small round molds to put in the fridge. These small round caramels would later be inserted into the center of the Fondant au chocolate so that when it was baked, the caramel would create a molten center. The remaining caramel was poured around or on the chocolate fondat.
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| Fondant au Chocolat; Coeur de Caramel au Beurre |
The first course was a pea soup with Raviole de Chevre. We made the ravioli from pre-made pastry squares and filled with goat cheese before cooking briefly in boiling water. I've never been a fan of pea soup but this one, made with frozen petit peas was exceptional. Another recipe to try on Joe! And oh yes, we were always encouraged to decorate the plates with a drizzle of balsamic reduction! (How many like this????)
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| Raviole de chevre, creme de petit pois rafraich |
The main course was an extremely easy to cook fish: Durade Poelee (Sea Bream) which we seared well on the skin side, finished off in the oven, and dressed with a sauce, and served on a bed of thinly shaved fennel. This was accompanied by a "Pomme de terre croquant", basically mashed potatoes into which we whipped a sauce with lemon, olive oil, herbs, and olives. What a way to dress up mashed potatoes! Excellent.
Another day trip and we were off to Avignon and the Palais des Papes. In the 14th century Avignon became the home of the Catholic church when Pope Clement V in 1309 took up residence here. For 67 years and seven Popes the heads of the church were housed here because Rome was deemed too dangerous.
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| Palais des Papes |
This is a huge place with vast halls, lots and lots of stairs, and beautiful arches, tile work and art. I'll let these photos tell the story: |
| Palais des Papes |
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| Typical Cobblestone streets |
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| Fresco in Palais des Papes |
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| Palais des Papes |
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| Tile floor in Pope's bedroom |
We then made a quick stop at the Pont de Avignon, an ancient Roman bridge which once spanned the Rhone River outside of the Palace of the Popes. Only four of the original arches now remain and it has become a major tourist attraction. On the bus we sang a children's song "Pont du Avignon" which many of my companions had learned in high school French class.
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| Bridge at the Rhone River, Avignon\ |
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| By the Rhone River - Avignon |
Brian and Wendy Hickey rented a car for the day and invited Elizabeth and I to join them for an excursion to St. Remy. I was elected to be the navigator (Joe, take note!!) but the assistance of the GPS system was greatly appreciated. The roads in this area are very good and the drive was relatively easy. The toll road flowed smoothly on the way out. However, on our return around 6 p.m. the toll booths (probably 8-10 in each direction) were backed up and we were stalled for probably 30 minutes. This could have been tourists or even students on the way to Aix for the new school year.
St. Remy is a lovely provencial town in the heart of lavender fields and grape vines. It is known as the birthplace of Nostradamus and the place where Van Gogh painted and spent his last years. The open air markets in the center of town attract crowds of tourists and locals alike and I loved wandering the lanes and looking at the wares. The cobblestone streets lined with small shops take you back in time. We went into a small space lined with copper distillation vessels and found that they were distilling lavender for its oil, soaps, and other products.
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| Distillation of Lavender |
| At lunch time we found a small cafe which seemed to be run by a woman and her sister. The woman stayed inside preparing the lunches. Her sister waited on tables in the plaza and carried the plates to the tables. I had the most gorgeous salad ever-----with peaches, figs, and I think....shavings of mango on the top. Feast your eyes on this one. |
| Distillation of Lavender |
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| Luncheon Salad on the Square |
| Luncheon Salad on the Square |
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| Elizabeth, Brian & Wendy |
After lunch we went to the Saint-Paul De Mausole, the monastery of Saint-Paul where Van Gogh spent his last years. He lived only two months after leaving Saint Paul. There are reproductions of many of his paintings lining the entry walls and there is within a reproduction of the room where he lived and painted. It is a beautiful and restful site and it was humbling to be in a place where a great painter had lived and worked. Much of provence is steeped in the history and aura of different painters and you can't visit here without feeling their influence.
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| Brian Hickey & Van Gogh |
| Brian Hickey & Van Gogh |
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| Saint-Paul De Mausole |
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| Reproduction of Van Gogh's room |
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| Saint-Paul de Mausole |
On Sunday, September 6, we visited the area of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, specifically Domaine Mousset for a tour, wine tasting, and a country buffet. I was surprised that the field of grapevines is covered in a thick layer of round stones----what we refer to in Ariona as river rock!. It is amazing that one can even plant vines in this terraine. These stones are critical to the growth of the vines as they are heated by the sun in the daytime and retain the heat for the vines overnight. In the appelation of Chateauneuf-du-Pape there are thirteen varieties of grapes. Supplemental irrigation is not allowed so the vinter relies solely upon rain and the sun and the retained heat in the rocks. The sun, rain and wind have been excellent this year and the harvest is great so look for good wines from this area from 2015!
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| Vines in Chateauneuf-du-Pape |
The wines were all excellent, and needless to say, I purchased two bottles for my return trip to the states. My "bag of goodies" to bring home is growing day by day.
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| Tasting Menu |
I have signed up for two cooking classes while in Aix. The first was held at the L'Atatelier des Chefs where we had a delightful and energetic instructor. We cooked three dishes: a Tomato Tartar Salad with Parmesan Crisp; Ratatouille with Veal; Pear Tart with Creme Anglaise. We made the pear tart first as it had to go into the oven. It couldn't have been easier, including the creme anglaise. I will definitely make this again.
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| Pear Tart with Creme Anglaise |
I've made Ratatouille many times but have never included any meat in the dish. It makes a nice addition and makes it a one dish meal. Of course, all the vegetables are locally grown here (as well as in my friend Pam's garden!) However, we did add green olives and capers. Will try it this way at home and even invite a few lucky friends.
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| Ratatouille with Veal |
I wasn't as enthused about eh Tomato Tartare, as I would never serve this with ratatouille. I think the menu was market driven and there are certainly lots and lots of tomatoes in the markets now. I did like the presentation (done in a ring mold) and the parmesan crisp on the top.
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| Tomato Tartar Salad |
We have another cooking class next week which I'm told will be a fish dish and a molten chocolate cake for desert. What's not to like!
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| Enjoying our Creations |
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