MY FRENCH GIFT TO YOU

Two of our kiddos just returned from an amazing journey that began in Barcelona and ended in Paris,  with a leisurely road trip up through Provence in between. They are now basking in the giddy afterglow, pouring over photos, telling stories, trying out recipes, etc. I remember that period well, after we did our Viking River Cruise through Provence. Paris was gorgeous, but Provence? Well, it was so much more than a bunch of famous landmarks to have your photo taken in front of. It's about a certain way of living -- the way we were hoping to live here in the Texas Hill Country, and our reason for choosing this as our forever home.

After that trip I was even more obsessed with that way of life, and may have gone a bit bonkers in my efforts to hold onto that glow. I read books set in Provence, bought French cookbooks, poured over all the photos we took and wrote blog posts about it all.

Even the pages in my art journals around that time were all about Provence!

Then, just as the afterglow was beginning to fade, I discovered a blog called My French Corner. It's not specifically about Provence, but it is about the French way of life -- about how they eat and shop and cook, what they think about exercise and skin care and clothes, how they decorate and celebrate, etc. It's actually written by an American teacher whose sister married a Frenchman and went to live there permanently. The teacher then began spending her summers there and fell madly in love with the French way of life. When she had shared all that she had learned, she stopped writing the blog. But, it is still out there, just waiting for you to stumble upon it as I did, start from the very beginning and work your way through to the end.

 
 Bon Voyage!
 

ACCIDENTAL FRENCH TOURISTS IN OHIO

Just got back from Middletown, Ohio -- setting for the Hillbilly Elegy book and where Ron Howard is now shooting the film version. We were there to visit Hubby's big bro and his family, and on our first day there, the guys did what they always do. They got up early and headed out in search of the manliest, greasiest breakfast they could find, and we wives didn't dare interfere. It's a tradition! Sister-in-law Priscilla is not a morning person, so by the time she was up and moving, the guys were back and ready to head out for a day in Cincinnati. First stop? Findlay Market, reminiscent of the wonderful covered markets you might find in Paris and Provence.

Mike and Prisi were leaning towards grabbing some yummy sausages or salads and going outside to eat, but Hubby and I wheedled a bit and convinced them to try the cute cafe we'd spotted across the street, so we could sit in air conditioned comfort. Turned out to be our best decision of the day!

Apparently Jean Robert has other larger, fancier restaurants around town, but this little cafe specializes in delicious French omelettes, salads and sandwiches made on wonderful French bread -- just what you might crave after a morning shopping at the market!

Then we were off to the Taft Museum of Art, where they just happened to be hosting an exhibit called L'Affichomania -- The Passion for French Posters!

Our last stop before heading off to meet the kids for dinner was at my favorite little gift shop/bakery from our last visit there, French Rendez-Vous. Priscilla had called ahead to reserve some fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate and almond croissants for our breakfast the next day, and we bought a couple of yummy macarons to munch on while we wandered the rooms filled with French antiques and tablecloths from Provence.

The most amazing thing about the day? We did not even plan this French-themed day. It just happened!

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: MY FIRST FOODIE MYSTERY TRAVEL GUIDE

Who out there has never read anything by Peter Mayle? If not, why not?

His most famous book, A Year in Provence -- based on his and his wife's real life experiences -- was the 2/1/09 giveaway in my Year of Reading Dangerously, and had much to do with my determination to live a life imbued with "seasonality". It also made a trip to Provence the #1 item on my bucket list, which finally got crossed off in June of 2011, when we took our Viking River Cruise there.

 

The best part of the trip, however, happened after we disembarked from the cruise, and headed off on our own to spend a few days in Marseilles. You see, I had just finished reading one of Mayles' mystery novels called The Vintage Caper, which took place in Marseilles. And, using that as our only guidebook, we had one of the best adventures, and ate one of the greatest meals, of our lives!

Ever since, I have made a point to seek out and read at least one novel (preferably one written by a foodie) before heading off to a new country.

P.S. For any of you who are considering a trip to Cuba, I highly recommend the novel I just finished reading, Next Year In Havana, by Chanel Cleeton. It's one of Reese Witherspoon's book club picks, and one that I sincerely hope she ends up making a movie out of!
 

A MAN AFTER MY OWN HEART

Every morning, when I first open up my phone, Google has several stories waiting that they feel sure I would be interested in. They are usually wrong. Yes, I do like Mexican food, but I'm not about to travel to NY or Oregon to eat it, with a Mexican restaurant on every corner here in Texas, now am I? Nor am I particularly interested in learning which celebrity did what to earn public humiliation. So, for the most part, I ignore them. This week, however, was different. In fact, it was spot on!

Almost every day this week I opened my phone to find articles quoting travel tips from foodie Anthony Bourdain of Parts Unknown -- tips that clearly echo things I have written on my blog and on Facebook in recent months. Obviously, he is a man after my own heart. Here are a few examples:

(Note: All photos are from a magical few days Hubby and I spent in Marseilles on our own, just wandering around, following a somewhat blurry trip through Provence on a riverboat cruise.)

"I always bring at least one physical book...often a book set in the country that I'm headed towards. A work of fiction, preferably. The perfect book to read before you go to Viet Nam is Graham Greene's The Quiet American. Fiction seems to capture the place in a way that's more tangible. It just works for me better than a travel guide." NYTimes 4/26/17 Nell McShane Wulfhart

The Amazing Cafe Hubby and I Found Hidden Behind A Butcher Shop in Marseilles, Thanks To a Tip in Peter Mayle's Mystery Novel, The Vintage Caper

"Eat like a local. Wherever you are, eat what the locals are good at or famous for, and eat where those locals like to eat it. Do not rely on your concierge for dining tips. Seek out places crowded with locals. Avoid places where others of your kind are present. Show appreciation. Smile and try to look happy, even if you don't like something. Visit local markets. It's a fast way into a culture, where you'll see the basics of a cuisine." From Travel Channel's Anthony Bourdain's Top 5 Holiday Travel Tips

On choosing a hotel, always the first thing he books: "Look for neighborhoods that are in the center of things, so you can explore your surroundings without planning ahead. I want to find a hotel in a neighborhood that has charm and character -- the sort of place where I can walk into a café, sit down and feel the place. One with a unique look -- old colonial hotels are a favorite." He says choosing a place in the middle of the hustle and bustle of a city gives him a front row seat to everything happening there and allows him to stumble upon local favorites. His one rule? "I don't want to be in a resort -- something I avoid absolutely!" from an article in MONEY, by Emmie Martin

Our quaint hotel in Marseilles was within a block of the harbor, smack dab in the middle of all the shops and restaurants.

From an article in MONEY, by Megan Leonhardt, called All The Things You're Doing Wrong:

"These marathon sprints to as many places as possible are a bad idea. I want to wander in one city, in one town. Creating a hectic schedule of must-see tourist stops, it's punishing. The sort of frenzied compression of time needed to take the tour, to see the sights, keeps you in a bubble that prevents you from having magic happen to you."

"You can't take it in driving by stuff. That's not satisfying. Don't be afraid to just sit and watch."

Last, but not least:

"Just be nice. Getting angry and frustrated in much of the world doesn't help at all. It's incomprehensible. You lose face, it makes you look ridiculous. Have a willingness to try new stuff. Be grateful for any hospitality offered, and be flexible in your plans, because a rigid itinerary is lethal to a good time." (NYTimes, Nell McShane Wulfhardt)

"Don't schedule out every minute of a vacation. Nothing unexpected or magic is going to happen if you have an itinerary in Paris filled with the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower." (CNBC)

No truer words, Mr. Bourdain. On that trip pictured above, Hubby and I started with a riverboat cruise through Provence, where we stopped in a different town each days, ate all our meals surrounded by other Americans, and took lots of guided tours, surrounded by other Americans. Don't get me wrong, it was a good vacation, but it went by in kind of a blur, and I felt no sense of connection with the places we visited or the people who lived there.

But the bit that came after, when we were completely on our own? The part I was most fearful about? The part where we just wandered around lost and were forced to communicate with the locals using my tiny bit of high school French and lots of hand motions? Well, that is where the magic finally happened, forever changed how we would travel in the future, and where we made our first real connection.

There was a café next to our hotel where I would hang out each morning, sipping tea or hot chocolate, eating a croissant, jotting notes in my journal. Once Hubby was finally up, he'd join me for some breakfast, and I watched the town come alive. The waiter/manager seemed impressed that an American could manage to sit still and soak things in, and was willing to try and communicate using the world's worst French. In the evenings, after dinner, we usually ended up back at that same café to relax with a cup of tea or glass of wine before turning in, and the same waiter would come over to chat. When we told him that was to be our last night there, he seemed sad. He told us to wait a moment, he needed to get something. Then he went back behind the bar, and returned with a nice bottle of wine in one of those chill-pack wine sacks -- the first we had ever seen -- as a parting gift for us. It was truly a magical moment. One that brought tears to my eyes, and never could have happened had we not changed the way we were traveling.

Try it. You just might love it!

THE SECRET TO A GREAT ADVENTURE

Hubby keeps asking me where I want to go on our next big adventure, and I keep waffling around. First it was Tuscany. Then it was Quebec. Now I'm thinking we might just have to go back to Paris, even though we've already been there several times.

"Why?", you may be asking. Well, our greatest travel adventures seem to have occurred after I stumbled upon a novel that takes place in that part of the world -- especially when it's a novel written by a foodie. And, hoo-doggie, have I ever stumbled upon a Parisian treasure trove! The book I am reading is The Library of Light and Shadow, by M.J. Rose. It's too early to know whether I will love the novel itself, but what I found inside is priceless, nonetheless. The story hops back and forth between the main character's past and present -- a past where her first love took her on a "secret tour of Paris -- every spot chosen for her enjoyment and delight." First stop? No. 34 Passage du Désir, a chocolatier, where he purchased one small sack of chocolate-covered orange peel. Back outside, he opened it and pulled out a piece.

" 'Open your mouth, and close your eyes. Don't bite on it at first, just let it start to melt. There's an art to eating fine chocolate.' I did as I was told, and he fed me. My body reacted to the delectable citrus and cocoa flavor and also the intimacy of the act. Once the chocolate covering had melted, I chewed the candied peel. Before I could open my eyes, Matthieu leaned forward and kissed me..."

I told my hubby we really need to go back to Paris so we can follow the path of their secret tour, and do everything that they did. Everything. Only problem? This mythical tour took place in the 1920s, so I have no way of knowing if any of these places are still there. My hopes are high, however. When I see the amount of detail the author puts into her descriptions, I have to believe these are places that she has actually been to herself.

Speaking of epic adventures, remember this little travel journal?

Remember how, when I finished it, I felt compelled to send it out into the world, just to see what happens? Well, guess who got an email yesterday from Art Journaling Magazine, saying it has been selected for publication in an upcoming issue?  SQUEEEEE!!!
 

COLOR-MADNESS EN FRANÇAIS

We flew up to Ohio last week to visit Hubby's brother and sister-in-law. Since Pris had just finished up her chemo treatments six weeks before, I figured it would be a very low key, sit around the house and visit kind of week. Ha! I should have known Miss Priscilla would never let something as silly as cancer keep her from being out and about amongst her peeps!

On the first day alone we met one of her friends for lunch at Triple Moon Cafe in downtown Middletown, explored some of the shops and The Pendleton Art Center, dropped that friend off, then headed off to meet up with her line-dancing class (which she kept up with throughout her chemo treatments, having scheduled them to fall on her "good days"). By the time we were done with that, the guys were waiting outside to whisk us off to Cincinnati.

First stop was this place. I knew I'd love it before I even stepped through the door!

And I did!

Unlike his little brother, Mr. Mike is not much of a shopper.

John noticed me eyeballing some serving trays and had one up at the counter and paid for before I had a chance to change my mind! I'm pretty glad he did.

It fit in quite nicely here at home, don't you think?

Best of all? At the back of the shop is a little cafe, where they serve freshly-baked croissants! You can step outside that door above and enjoy them in the garden if you wish.

We took a few home for breakfast the next day.

Once we were done there we headed off to meet up with the kids and grandkid. They live in a wonderful section of town where you can walk to all sorts of shops and restaurants and parks -- perfect for young families. We ate at a great little place called Dutch's, which specializes in artisanal wine, beer and food. Then we moseyed across the street to let Cal-L play in this lovely little park. (Yes, we both have grandsons named Calvin, so we have to call them Cal-L. and Cal-S. I'm thinkin' they may not be the only ones, thanks to all the young daddies who grew up loving Calvin and Hobbes!)

Brother Michael and Little John

Priscilla, daughter Megan, and Sweetie Dave

Nephew Geoff, wife Jessica, and Calvin-the-First

Then it was back to Middletown.

And, this wasn't even one of our more exhausting days!