Update - Villa Augusta - The Drome Region - France.................

David Mollicone ( chef and co-owner) last weekend, prepared a 'Risotto de legumes au Parmesan, aux truffes d'été', , in the hotel's garden with beautiful weather, and guests...You should have been here..................maybe you will someday!

A year in Provence? A week in style will do me just fine in Provence..in the Drome to be exact...........

For 50 years the "Relais & Chateaux hotel group has been making dreams come true by staying faithful to the "5 C’s" Courtesy, Charm, Character, Calme & Cuisine. They have always been my go too, for clients visiting anywhere in France. Every hotel is independently owned and must have the 5 ‘Cs to even be considered into the exclusive Relais/Chateaux family.  
You don't have to go to St Tropez or Cannes to get your fix of Provencal chic. Inland from the coastal tourist traps, among pretty villages, wineries, pine forests, lakes, mountains and lavender fields, you’ll find stylish cozy rural retreats with great kitchens. 
This year, I visited once again, the number #1 tourist choice for Americans ( for many, many years), beyond Paris of course, that of ,Provence. 
Most, if not all visitors want to see the Provence area that encompasses ( for tourists) Avignon–to the Luberon Valley and everything in between and I will admit this area has lots to offer. This year I decided to check out the area just north of Avignon; an area of Provence called the Drome. Well, not actually the official part of Provence, its part of the Rhone-Alps region (if you must know) but because it’s so beautiful and so close to Provence, I consider it part of Provence; in my way of thinking. 
For American’s it's rarely visited and yet it offers what Provence must have looked like and felt some 50 years ago; what we in France call La France Profonde ( deep France) – an area holding true to its origins , holding back the face of international mass culture. The Drome retains its charm and peacefulness of rural Provence, with olive groves, lavender fields and vineyards belonging to the Cote du Rhone wine region. Here also you’ll find fruit orchards and black truffles, lots of Medieval villages are scattered throughout the countryside; especially the ‘knock-your-socks’ off medieval village of Grignan is a must to visit. 
On my recent drive from Lyon to the Luberon valley, I decided to exit the major highway, just above the Roman city of Orange and stayed overnight in the village of St Paul-Trois- Chateaux (near Bollene). Located in a charming town of 8000 inhabitants, is the romantic and cozy, Roman style hotel (this area don’t forget was settle by the Romans over 2000 years ago) – Villa Augusta. This hotel and village is a good jumping off place for day trips to see the area comfortably. The hotel is part of the Relais/Chateaux hotel group and is run by its charming owners – David and Priscilla MOLLICONE. 

Priscilla is charming and vivacious and her sunny presence really makes this hotel work, if you want the truth. Both she and David offer their special brand of gentle French hospitality and have genuine enthusiasm for welcoming their guests. The rooms (a few over looking a Roman style pool) are a bit on the contemporary side, but cozy and comfortable. Here at the hotel, you are in the heart of the town and walking from the hotel, you can explore this charming historic village.

If I had at first a minor issue, it was that the hotel is next door to an elementary school and during the day you do hear (not seen though) children making noise while playing in the school yard., BUT on reflection, I must admit, it’s a wonderful sound, because you are hearing the voice of a true French village in all its facets. It’s alive and that is what French village life should be and what you should be looking for. 

As with all Relais/Chateaux hotels/inns, top cuisine is a must and the kitchen of chef MOLLICONE is no an exception, and his food, I will go so far as to say, is exceptional. The dining room is not formal, but laid back and relaxed , as it should be in Provence,(attracting lots of locals, when I ate here and that’s always a good sign anywhere) and the food is as good as you would find at any Michelin starred restaurant in France. The food and presentation is not pretentious (Thank goodness), but is straight forward, well plated (not over the top silly – that kind you’ll find in many French ( and USA) restaurants today) and it has taste! Can I say that again, it has taste! It’s seasoned well and prepared well;(
oh! and don't forget the wine from this most famous vineyard area!) TASTE - something that chefs in the USA don’t seem to have a concept of these days. They should come here and maybe they would  learn a thing or two from this master of the Drome area. ….
so.......stand by for part two, the exploration of the Drome area…………

It took four years and €429 million to complete - New Paris Grande Dame Hotel

…and finally the fabulous Peninsula Hotel will open in Paris next week. She joins the other Paris Grande Dames Hotels ( Bistrol, Meurice, Four Season, Plaza Athenee, Ritz ( still closed) Crillon ( still closed) It’s the Hong Kong-based company’s tenth hotel, joining properties in New York, Chicago, Beverly Hills, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Bangkok and Manila. The first guests are set to arrive on August 1st. Just steps from the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysées, at 19 Avenue Kléber in the elegant 16th arrondissement, The Peninsula Paris sits close to some of the world’s most-famous monuments, museums and luxury shopping. It has 200 rooms including 34 suites, five of which have private rooftop gardens with spectacular views over the city. Rooms begin at Euro 750 a night

At least half of Paris restaurants are closed on Sunday...so here is an option as where to eat........

Les Cocottes 
Though the breezy service and long counter are reminiscent of an American diner; they are not slinging hash at Christian Constant’s Les Cocottes. An easy, no-reservations choice in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. 135 rue St. Dominique, 75007 metro: Ecole Militaire (8) Hours: Open every day  

The hearty food served in Staub casseroles is worth the wait.

'In Flanders Fields the Poppies Blow' -2014 Starts the Rememberance of World War 1 in France and Elsewhere

"In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below."

Starting this August and going through 2018, France and other neighboring countries will have ceremonies and special tours to remember the horror and sorrow of World War 1.

Cave Paintings of the Ardeche - to Open to the Public after 36,000 years....

Discovered in 1994 by speleologists - the Chauvet cave in the Ardèche region ( Just north of Avignon/Provence) of France contains the world's oldest known cave paintings, dating back 36,000 years. 

The replica site will open its doors to the public at the end of 2014, after 30 months of work. The original cave are depicts Lion, cave bear, snow panther, mammoth, white rhinoceros, megaceros, bison, aurochs, ibex, stag… Like its sister site in the Dordogne, (Lascaux caves) the original cave has been closed to visitors, but also like its sister cave, Lascaux, a replica is being built next door. In order to enable the public to enjoy the treasures of the Chauvet cave, a perfect replica is currently being designed. It will be the biggest perfect replica of a prehistoric site in Europe.. Set within a vast wooded area covering 29 hectares, the site will include (alongside the replica cave) a discovery centre and a permanent exhibition dedicated to the Aurignacians and wall art, as well as five sheltered interpretation stations, a temporary exhibition space, an educational area for young people, an events centre, etc. All five of the visitor's senses will be stimulated during this amazing journey back through time: the coolness, humidity, silence, darkness as well as the subtle mineral aroma will help fully immerse the public in the cave.

Quick Tips - Luxury at a bargain - albeit a bit used.......................

Reciproque on Rue du Pompe is the largest consignment store in Paris where you can find gently worn Chanel, Hermes, Lanvin and labels galore at a fraction of the cost.

Is France Still Good?...You Bet……

……… Yes, I will admit, since visiting France for over 20 years plus, I have gone native. 

Like the French I so admire, I do not live to work, but work to live and live well! The Protestant work ethic has been refused a work permit and they are proud of it. One of the things I love about this country is something called ‘le pont’ which means that if a national holiday fall in the middle of the week, French workers will take off enough days before and after it to extend it all the way to the nearest weekend. None of this American rubbish of two weeks vacation a year. From Bastille Day (July 14th until September), the French head off for 5 weeks of well earned eating, drinking, romancing and dozing. Sure there are the less fortunate in France who cannot afford such refined pleasures and maybe are seething about the inequalities of Gallic society – but let’s not spoil my story’. 
You say, ah! what a bunch of lazy, unproductive people, but the fact remains the French have chosen such a civilized, civilizing state over the barbarities of the US. In fact their transportation system is better than ours, their care for their citizens is far better and shall I go on? The French ( and that has been their draw for over hundreds of years to outsiders) is their pursuit of sensual pleasure. True the “pursuit of happiness’ is in our constitution, but the French don’t have to be reminded by their constitution that they have a right to do so. That cultivation of pleasure, so exotic to us and so contrary to how we live in our ill-dressed, ill-groomed, fast-food fetishising, sexually incompetent, health faddism culture is why so many foreigners are seduced by France. France is a country that has seduced me and I love it. Unlike America, where coffee is not savored at pavement tables while making sexy chit chat as it should be, NO, but sucked from drink-through lids as you race from one job to another, possibly shoving a horribly cooked burger down as you do so. I believe France exists as it does now (even with all their problems) as an inspiration for us as to how we might live better( of course to be truthful,) we are temperamentally incapable of doing so.

Brasserie Lipp - A Paris tradition with strict customs and traditions..most Americans are intimidated by it..but..

Here is your chance to get a look at this most famous Brasserie without being intimidated. Most non regulars when they enter , I am sure, tend to say 'Is this all?" But don't be fooled, its the subtle magic of this place that will win over your heart and stomach.
 As the video states, you need to eat here often to become a regular and get the proper table...Mine is always in "paradise', number twenty... something...AH! can't give it away. 
But enjoy the video and here is your chance to see this famous eatery up close. It ain't America and I am thankful for that...........I don't mean to be snobby, but this is my home away from home for good, honest  French brasserie food! and the joy of being among the French/Parisian people.

Cole Porter's Paris - Let's Misbehave.................

If you love the twenties/thirties era ( and I do..its where I should have been alive, if truth be known) it's music and its style, you can still find little reminders throughout Paris - its buildings, cafes and some restaurants and now there is a museum dedicated to the 1930's Paris located in Boulogne-Billancourt, a close suburb of Paris.  The Le Musee des Annees 30 ( the museum of the 30's)  of the 1930'a.
This area in the 1930's was one of the most dynamic towns in France. It was here just at the edge of the city, that film-makers Gance, Carne and Renoir and the architects Le Corbusier, Mallet and Tony Garnier came to live and work.
The museums has over 800 works of art. 
Open Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 5:45pm. Le Musee des Annees 30.

Of course Cole Porter loved Paris and lived there off and on all his life and the 1930's was his greatest period of work.
So, let Cole Porter serenade you with 'Anything Goes".

France Celebrates Bastille Day - 2014

http://www.france24.com/en/20140714-france-commemorates-bastille-day-world-war-centenary/
Click on the above and paste into your browser to view today's celebration

Which Era Would have You Most Liked to Have Lived in?

This question was posed to me by a friend who is a journalist, after re-watching for the 10th time( with great delight) Woody Allen's 'Midnight in Paris", the other evening.
As an unabashed Francophile, my answer was quick and decisive..'Paris in the 1920's', I responded.   

Ah! this was the time to be in  the city of lights...legendary cafes, haunts of the likes of Hemingway, Picasso and Henry Miller. The place, Montparnasse home to four the most famous cafes in all of Paris - Le Dome, La Coupole, Closerie des Lilas and le Select. Today all are still there, not much has changed since 1925, well maybe apart from the prices. Its still worth grabbing a table outside on the terrace and yes, there will be plenty of tourists, but you'll also be rewarded with a delightfully cliched, but authentic, slice of Left Bank Life, with students earnestly discussing philosophy, businessmen holding an impromptu meeting or elegant fashionistas taking a break from shopping and of course myself, sitting outside at le Select,having a cafe creme in the early morning and watching the city wake up and then later walking a few doors down to La Coupole and having 2 dozen oysters with a bottle of flinty Sancerre. 

Paris Bistros - Low Cost Prix-Fixe Menu's of High Quality

In the last couple of years, I have noticed a tend among many well-known  bistros and even better well known restaurants of providing a prix fixe menu of high quality ranging from Euro 25 to Euro 39 per person.

Its about time, I say!

Alain Ducasse, a few years ago took over the failing, but famous bistro, Allard ( situated in the 6e) founded in 1932 and has turned it around and yet has kept the original atmosphere and cuisine which is influenced by the richness of France's regional heritage. You'll still find the famous dishes that made this place famous - Snails in their shells, traditional frog legs and Duck with Olives.

 Click on the following to see their special summer menu................
www.restaurant-allard.fr

No Wine Please - We are French - Sacre Blue!!

The long-held tradition in France of having a glass of wine over lunch at the staff canteen may become a thing of the past - for some workers at least - after a recent government decree allowing employers to outlaw wine at the office. Just to let you know, that alcohol in French working life is actually mandated by law. 
It was bad enough when Jimmy Carter banded the three-martini lunch and now we have this.

Is nothing sacred anymore?

An Antidote to the Eiffel Tower Lines

With over 32,000 people visiting the 'Iron Lady' a day and pre-advance tickets sold out for months on months, I can suggest the following options for a view without a queue within Paris.
1) Arc de Triomphe - 15 stories and 284 steps up of the grand perspective down the Champs-Elysees through the Tuileries gardens tot eh Louvre and in the other direction to the Grand Arche de la Defense, but above all the craziness of the hundreds of car milling about below.
2) Centre Pompidou - a fabulous view not so much for its height as the way the city unfolds around you as you go up the sequence of escalators.
3) Towers of Notre Dame - You often have to queue here too, but nothing like as long as for the Eiffel Tower. A steep, narrow climb of 240 steps inside the north tower, across the gallery on the west front with the bonus of gargoyles and chimeras and a second shorter climb ( 147 steps) up the south tower onto the roof for a view that places you right in the very center of Paris
4) Tour Montparnasse - The ugliest building in Paris ( built in the 1970s') but here you take a lift ( 38 seconds) up to the 56th floor viewing lounge with interactive panels and a cafe,with stairs up to the 59th floor outdoor viewing deck. Lower than the Eiffel tower, but more central and with the bonus of a view of the Eiffel Tower.

Paris Bag Painting Workshops Create Your Own Paris Souvenir

One of my favorite Paris people, is Heather Stimmler-Hall; whose blog www.secretsofparis.com, is a must to follow to keep in the loop with what is happening in Paris, told me there is a new workshop created by designer, Kasia Dietz, where you get to learn how to decorate a Parisian canvas tote bag over macarons, cupcakes or brunch. So if you are looking for something fun and creative check it out.
http://www.kasiadietzworkshops.com/

Fairground of the Tuileries Gardens

For more than 20 years, the Tuileries Garden has transformed itself into an immense playground with 60 fairground attractions.
From Saturday 28 June to Sunday 24 August 2014    The attractions are located in the heart of the garden, a prestigious setting where one can unwind, have fun, or just attend the concerts and shows that are scheduled during these two summer months.

Small children and big ones can ride genuine wooden horses dating from 1900, enjoy a 360° view from the Ferris wheel or get scared on the ghost train. The most able can test their skills on the chamboule-tout or the rifle ranges. While the braver individuals will try the trampolines and other slides. For food lovers, love apples, churros and candy floss are never far away.