To see bass or not to Sea Bass

We got to sleep in a bit and not show at the kitchen till 10.00.  This day we were joined by 5 of the 8 South Africans who were doing a series of bicycle day trips out of the hotel; they let the 3 keeners go up hills and came to cook. We were making a ‘pudding’ of eggplant for starters and Sea Bass Stuffed with Fennel and onion and garlic, with chocolate fondant for dessert.

We now know how to professionally bone a fish and leave both fillets in the skin! I can make Chocolate Fondant cake. We learned the coolest way to mince garlic and I started responding ‘Oui Chef’ to everything Pascal asked of us, which amused him no end. We would make lots of things that seemingly didn’t fit the menu but when they arrived later they all made sense in the combinations. It was all very fresh.

We made nine fish for us and one for pascal and once again the waiters brought each dish and magically put it in front of the right person! More great talk and wine. 

Then the fab four went out to Avignon for the afternoon. We walked and walked and walked. A nap was called for then into town to an organized late dinner and late to bed.

Cooking with Pascal Volle

The first day we were a little nervous, not knowing what to expect. We had met two others who were doing the whole week with us. Nick and his grandmother Janet are from New Mexico and Texas. We were dropped off from the hotel in to St Remy, the nearest town, at the markets and told to enjoy ourselves for an hour then meet Pascal at the church steps. We excitedly started looking around and at this point a little unease crept in as we realized we didn’t know what Pascal looked like!

We have been looking for something with the bee on it as a souvenir of our trip and it turns out that is the symbol of Provence so we found lots of table cloths and bedspreads in Provence colours and with bees on them. We arrived at the meeting point and this way too young guy with two strangers looks at us and we look at them and he thinks tourists with way to much baggage and we think who are these strangers and he’s too young….. it turns out we were cooking with two more that day and, indeed, this was Pascal.  We met Larry and Belinda Wrun (google them!) and we 6 and Pascal were off with Chef in the lead through the food parts of the market. The fresh veg and small goods were amazing. We picked up a bunch of stuff and without really understanding what it was all going to be used for, made our way backto the Hotel in Pascal’s car. Larry and Belinda were staying else where so had their own car. Pascal gave several gallic shrugs as we packed all our shopping in to his village car but it all fit and we arrived at about 10:30 at the hotel kitchen. As we put on aprons, did the required hand washing and grabbed the tea towel to tuck in the apron, Chef kept muttering we are late we are late.

Pascal has some good English but it is a bit limited. But between Joyce’s French, Larry’s good French, and Janet and Nick’s Spanish, we made do; it was fun figuring out what he said as he whipped around the kitchen. He had been pretty quiet in the market but in the kitchen he just let go in ‘franglish’ and he even had some amusing things to say.

We cooked Chicken for mains with all sorts of vegetables and we made a broth around artichokes and carrots for starters. We chopped and peeled and learned how to do artichokes hearts brilliantly. We learned a salsa that he pored hot oil over to ‘cook’ the shallots and garlic gently. We used fresh garlic, not dried, so you use the whole thing, no peeling, We made these tiny round parsnips and carrots in water oil and honey that were amazing.  We worked till about 12:30 that day then went out and sat at a prepared table under a bamboo cover looking at the gardens, lawns and patio in the Provence sunshine and drank wine while the food we cooked appeared beautifully plated and was delicious! We got a sense of Pascal’s memory because as we were cooking and chatting and we thought he was occupied, we talked about which bit of the chicken we liked and when it arrived it was exactly what we said, even though they were all different. He’s a very clever guy. Dessert by the way was fresh strawberries gently poached by pouring the hot syrup over the berries. The syrup was favoured with lavender!

Lunch was a riot of talk and congratulations on our efforts and Larry entertained with his expectations of bull fighting training in the afternoon with the locals. He had heard they do this acrobatic stuff and kept saying “it can’t to too hard its just physics, you grab the horns and vault over”. To this day I don’t know if there was ANY truth to his plans but it provided a great time.  

In the afternoon Philipe took us (minus Jan ‘cause she wanted a rest) to four hill villages  --the towns of Luberon, made famous by Peter Mayle in his book ‘A Year in Provence’ -- near by and we saw medieval castles and towns. After a return and rest we had dinner at 8:30 and crawled into bed late in the evening.

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Yesterday, we had our last full day en Paris. We headed out to see the largest hardware store in Paris. Through the Marais to Bazarre Hotel de Ville: another beautiful walk! Both Chris and I love hardware – it’s a’thing’. Interesting specialized bits to do neat stuff…. We weren’t disappointed in having made the sojuourn! Need a safe? There are forty different styles to choose. Intercom system…what style would you like? Light switches and bulbs, hand made nails and braided ropes; bells and walls and walls and walls of door pulls of every style and variety. Chris took video and photos, much to the amusement of several young service assistants. You may be thinking what's the big deal about a hardware store but last time you went to get a hook to hang a picture what variety did you have? Have a close look at the photo EVERYTHING in the photo is for hanging pictures!

We hopped the Metro to Place Charles de Gaulle, only to meet another totally unique and completely Parisian site.  The Champs Elysees was been closed to vehicles for a three day art installation ‘Capitale Vert’. Parisians in their droves and tourists from around the world had come especially to see it. The Champs Elysees must be nearly 50 metres. For the length of it, maybe 8-10 km, it had been covered with turf (sound familiar Sydney-siders?) and displays of all manner of food crops were available for people to see, smell and touch. Cows, sheep, and pigs also attended. The artist’s vision was to better inform people about where their food comes from, and the challenges that face farmers.

We strolled across Pont Royal, between Palais Beaux Arts and Palais Petit Arts – what a site on such a splendid day – and were back in Saint Germain. We had intended a fancy dinner out to complete our Paris leg, but fate had other and better plans for us. We stopped at the bar next door to our apartment for a drink, and soon were making friends with all the ‘locals’. They thought we were cute, and we thought the same of them! After lots of animated discussion, our new friend Nicolyne has invited us to return to Paris and stay in her summer home in Lyons. It was such a fun night!

All I can say is that I have the very best impression of Paris. I felt perfectly safe. People were genuinely kind. Everyone wanted to help us. I really can’t recommend a visit highly enough!

Chris alluded to another adventure earlier in the piece. We bought a house, in Paris. Well, we were in Paris and bought a house! All things being equal, we may be in our new home by July 01. We have been planning to build on Sommerville Parrish for years, but any number of things have stopped us. This is a new Queensland style home adjacent to Sommerville Parrish, with an additional ten acres. It is a fabulous property, and we are delighted to have this opportunity. It is a bit sad though that the builders of this house and our neighbours have had to give it up to move back into town for health reasons. We have given them blanket visitation rights.

We are now enroute to Avignon. The TVG is a highspeed train, and so far, I am pretty impressed. We’re cruising along at about 200kms/hr, and should reach our destination in about another hour.

I’m impressed too with the speed but also the country side. There was a bit there with rolling hills, fields of grain, hay crops being taken off by Green John Deere tactors, the difference to Alberta was the small size of the fields  and large number of buildings, farms, houses along the edges. Oh and a medieval castle every so often. This train is so fast and so big that they can run up a grade over a hill that is three of four times our height in a kilometre or two no long slow ramp  just up and over woogie tummy style. When we pass another train at this speed the is slam as the air cushions hit and we are literally knocked to the side a bit and then back when they pass. It is FAST!

Bring on the cooking school!

The golden palace and the golden man

We had a great day on Sunday. We got a bit later start as we have been doing each day. Par example we are at 2:00pm and we are still here. I just went out and got coffee and croissant fresh, as I have each day. We have a bit of excuse because we were up in the middle of the night on the phone. All is very, very well! We have acted on an opportunity but more on that later.

So we set out on Sunday to conquer the RER or regional rail system, suburban trains to you. We took the train to Versailles and that was one line from a station very near us so was not very tricky except the ticket machines were a bit of challenge and we had to go get change. Credit cards are taken for just about everything but they have to be the new ones with a chip and they have to use a pin. We have the cards but no PINs so it’s an issue. Future European travellers advised!

Versaille is huge! The small stables block dwarfs the humans as you walk up and the large block looked like it was a grand house of Europe.  The Palace is just amazing and that is an opinion held by the 500,000 other people that were there to see the house and gardens! We felt like cattle going through the palace. It got to the point that the large breasted lady behind me propelling me along with said bumpers stopped being amusing after about an hour. Okay it stopped after about twenty seconds. I did have to point it out to Joyce before I gave the woman the evil eye.

We did see beautiful views across the gardens and the rooms were very beautiful and it was quite wonderful to contemplate the history of the place.  We tried to get into the gardens but our pass did not cover the entry and the ticket line at 4:30 pm was still a half hour long and we were bruised so gave it up. As it turns out we just had time to return to town to the unit change and then conquer the metro system to get to Jim Haynes for Dinner.

We may have mentioned this, we did FB about it but Jim Haynes has held a dinner at his studio every Sunday night for thirty years. Give him a google and check the videos! They even shot an After Eight commercial with him as the feature. He is a very charming and unpretentious guy. We got on to him through Jo and contacted him before we left and were welcomed warmly.  He gave us very good directions and a few block stroll from the Metro station brought us to his gate. There were already people in the garden and we were quickly welcomed and given a drink and sent off to find interesting people. And did we ever.

These are the ones that we talked with for a few minutes

Jim Haynes – Raconteur I now truly get this title!

Leslie – Team building consultant works between Sydney, where her son, is and London just finishing a contract in Amsterdam.

Perry and Sally – an older couple from England that though it all very interesting.

Rick – runs a not for profit in Portland Oregon that does environmental clean up using volunteers on the ground. They have developed a program to train volunteers and last year trained 50,000.

Christine , Casey (sisters) and their cousin Laura- on a grand tour with the sisters parents but the parentals didn’t come to the party. They are from Texas and had been in Pairs two days.

Jan – from South Africa

?? from Paris and not so old friend of Jim’s and seems to help out at these dinners very good at introducing others. (but not herself)

Seamus - Very handy at service devlivery, in logistics ;-) helps by serving up at the dinners.

?? – recently moved back to Paris from America where she grew up but has lived in Paris for two years previously. Got her Phd in Psychology and has returned for good.

Clara – from the next Atlleier English father French mother has been there for a number of years. Told us that Mattisse used to own the unit that Jim now occupies.  Jim later confirmed He doesn’t know whether he painted there but his son dropped by to have a chat with Jim!

Nick  from England who has retired from the education department and has had two “indepth” looks at Paris and NewYork. Was at Jim’s 9 years ago and says it seems the same!

Carol and Roger – From Buderim he’s ‘in the building game” he is a fanatic 4X4 and camper but his wife got him off to Europe for a month.

Matilde and her daughter’s friend Ricardo. They are from Florence Italy. Her daughter has just competed her college in Vermont in Theatre, she wants to act but has been told that her accent will be an issue so she took directing route. Ricardo in finishing his Chemistry degree but may go back into Maths.

Almadine – a friend from around the corner that helps sometimes and has been coming for 18 years

We were pointed out the two sisters from Sydney Kate and ?, the guy from Melbourne. All in all I would say there were 75 people there. As it was warm, we could spill out into the entrance garden.

The location is pretty special. There is a building on the street that has a gate into an internal lane through the building and out to the back area which is about 100meter deep and only 20 meters wide. Down the right side of this area are the atelier or studios. Some are used for living with little lofts built into them. Some are artist studios I think. Jims is a writing studio. Down the length is a wide gravel path with trees and bushes on the left for a few meters. It lovely and cool and surrounded by French architecture and odd building bits that rise 6 or 7 stores in some cases. We could see into some units and see fluorescent lighting in a modern refitted kitchen or up in the top a dormer window with rich curtains and soft incandescent glow. I saw neighbours peeking out of curtains down into the courtyard.

There was laughter and lots of talking almost right away and it was a pleasure to attend this soiree.

So many painting we have seen in books!

Saturday

Walked up to the Musee D’orsay. The D’orsay is an old train station built for the Exhibition the same year that the Tour Eiffel was built. It later stopped being used for trains and even later fell into disuse entirely. It was rescued in the later part of the 1900’s and restored and turned into an art gallery for modern French painting and sculpture, Monet, Manet, Degas, Rodin etc.

I have never seen so many paintings that I recognized, having studied them in lighting class or in the art classes I took as options. Joyce saw even more from her art history classes. We were both quite moved by so many great works. It was a bit tighter space as some were in a temporary space while refurbishment was going on. We got to see Monet’s water lilies, Degas dancers, Toulouse’s cabaret girls. Rodin did a number of 3D studies on women holding a foot up, putting on stockings, doing an arabesque etc. and it was eye opening to see them all together in one giant display case.

We popped for a Taxi ride to the Galleries Lafayette. Joyce thought I would like the architecture and she was right. There is this amazing central atrium right up the middle of all stories, topped with a deco style stained glass dome. It really has to be seen to be believed! All around the atrium, high end bars and cafes punctuate the  designer boutique fashions!  Gentlemen sip Moet as the wives and girlfriends (hopefully not together) shop for La Perle.

Taxi ride to a shop that has been making uniforms for 100 years to see about some special gifts. We both forgot that 14 was ‘quatorze’ for a minute so I said ‘Dix et Quatre’ the driver laughed for two blocks saying that our French was not that bad.  The shop has not gone totally chef wear and modern so we didn’t see anything we liked.  We strolled through the Maris back home to St Gemain De Pres via the St Michael Fountaine. Too tired to go out so we foraged in the neighbourhood the most amazing cherry tomatoes with taste for days… no, for weeks. A hot chicken from a street deally in front of a butcher store. Fresh meat inside and cooked outside very sensible. We got a few things from the Carrefour (Woollies) including a bottle of wine. We went home and finally found some English news on channel 166.

It is almost too much to handle. So much to do, and the overwhelming sense is that it is best to walk from one place to another, open to the unexpected events and sites along the route.

It’s What day? It must be what location?

Okay I’m doing this later but about before. We have been so busy, squeezing blogging time in has been a challenge!

Friday

Notre Dame in the morning we walked over one of the many bridges to the Ile in the Seine and looked at the cathedral from the park/square in front. To be truthful the crowds and heat made us more interested in the river, so we went to the next bridge --the one closest to Notre Dame -- only to discover a river tourist boat thing, called Bateauxbus (Chris loves this pun) It is a large tourist boat that just circles 8 stops on the river from the l’tour Eiffel at the west end and the Jardin de something at the other. It was great to just drift along and get this grand tour. It’s a hop on hop off thing but we just took it the whole route minus one.

We walked across the river and entered the Louvre, this time to see Mona and the Grand Gallerie. When we were there two days before there was a new flash looking restaurant that was in training with signs that they were opening the day between. We stopped there, on their day 2, for a late lunch. It was not so crowded and the staff were just wired in a happy way that they were doing it. Part way through an air grill fell off the wall onto a shelf up on the wall so was safe but startled everyone and the staff looked at each other and laughed then straightened up.

It was very good and not at all pricey. Later in the grand Gallerie, we spent some time just sitting and watching people and the art in a couple of different spots and the salles are so large you can actually see art between groups of people! We stopped for dinner at a brassiere, gallerie, café, restaurant, tainture or what ever it was called at this place.

Ice cream and chocolate for dessert that I foraged because it was getting too crowded for us mere puny humans by this time 10:30pm (and that’s still just getting cranked up it seems. Joyce headed for the unit and I headed for the late night grocery store (Yeah Carrefour)

Yesterday the Louvre… Today, La tour Eiffel

Wow Wow Wow

Too tired last night to finish or even start blogging so we are behind a day. We had a big lunch at La Tour so have retreated to our quiet and cool cave to regenerate and this will give us time to blog.

Got going at a leisurely pace yesterday, ate in, then walked across…  “Wait wait” says Joyce “go back farther to dinner at Christine’s”

Okay we bought the groceries and had figured out the place and went back out to get dinner and ate 30 meters from our front door at a place that would be be the best restaurant in HB if it were there. We made an effort to read the menu in French since there was NO English and I actually got 90% of the dishes. Then we ordered in French and the lovely waitperson graciously helped us to an understanding. It was beautiful food in a tiny, 16 century room.  It was contemporary cuisine and very ‘fresh’. Joyce has declared at least 6 times since that if I learn to make the sliced veg salad and dressing she was served then I would have to make nothing more for her …ever….again … for… ever. Now that’s got to be good dressing because it was just regular zucchini, carrots etc. I had chicken in cream and mushrooms. We went back to the unit and fell asleep early.

Just a word about the bed, If Joyce could get it in the suitcase…….. We are having some good sleeps!

“Okay can I do the paragraph I started with?”  “Good to go!”

Got going at a leisurely pace yesterday, ate in, then walked across…  “Wait wait” says Joyce “have we described our little flat?” “Uh No”

So we are in the unit on the premier etage of Stair C. at 17 Rue des Grands Augustine. Most of the buildings in our area were constructed in the C16 and the streets are all still cobble stone. Close by were the Saint Augustine Brothers’ Monastery. Piccasso’s Parisienne  Atelier is two doors down, and Henri 4 was crowned in the building across the street.  It’s a pretty interesting area. That carries on today, in the evening the place is just packed with French folk out for dinner and or drinks.

The unit is recently redone in the very latest materials in side this 16 century shell. Which means everything is small. The toilet is so small you have to come out to put your pants up. There is a room with a couch, table chairs and two big windows on to the internal courtyard. This also has a small kitchenette on the back wall that includes the laundry, ¼ size dishwasher, and oven we can’t figure out cause its both a microwave and regular; and the sink, two surface hotplate, and a Nepresso machine. And big fridge sits over the washer so we are all set. Behind this wall is the bedroom with a queen bed, tiny wardrobes, a writing desk and window with miniature garden balcony over another internal courtyard . Off to the side of these two room bracketing the stair well are the tiny toilet and the salle de bain. All with the best facilities and materials. The curtains are as rich as you might expect from a 5 star place. The ceilings are about 12 foot high so it has a nice feel.  It’s just a bit dark cause there are 4 more stories above so the sun gets down here at high noon  on June 23 only. The light gets down but its just nice and filtered. It is nice and cool in here even now that the weather has warmed up.

“Okay?”

Got going at a leisurely pace yesterday, ate in, then walked across… 

“Still good?” “Okay”

…. The Pont Neuf to the Louvre. We entered the big courtyard at the east end of the whole complex and  were stunned at the size of the whole place. Its like two foot ball fields surrounded by building then the even bigger part is next door! Its wider by half a field and 4 time longer with building on three sides.

So I decide a 360 degree vid in required and as I get half way round Joyce is approached by a pleasant looking man who tried to pull the ‘gold ring scam’ I caught the end of it on the tape (vox only). Luckily the greeter had heard about our first Gypsy man story and gave us the gen on the Gold Scam. He pulled it like a pro. He palmed a ring but Joyce saw him do it and watched him pick it up off the ground. The mark is supposed to see him pick it up but Joyce saw the part where he dropped it first! Anyway he brings it over to her and says “ is this yours?” “No” says she. “well it’s not mine” says he “and look it’s real gold and stamped even”. At this point we say bye and march off.  Apparently it goes that he will barter with you to keep it, or gives it to you then later comes up asking for money, and some times it’s just a distraction to pickpocket you by an accomplice.  Thank You to Shannon our Greeter.

We went in to the Louvre  and then back into the ancillary area where the is a complete shopping centre underground related to the Louvre, On the surface there is this huge park and plaza and you have no idea that there is a huge complex underground.  We went to have a bite of lunch in the Louvre food court! What a hoot!  After Lunch we went back into the main part and headed for the Louvre history section and later the French painting. We were there for hours and saw a fraction of the place! It is seriously the biggest building I’ve ever seen. We just loved the experience. We saw so many images that Joyce had only seen in books and to see them for real was amazing. We had an afternoon coffee and sweety, then walked a different way back to our little cave.

We dropped into bed for a nap before supper and I slept for almost three hours! It was 9:30 when we got going and we wondered as we emerged from hibernation what we would find on the streets at this time. (voice switch)

The joint was popping! There were people everywhere!! And for us two, shy little Canuckaroos, it seemed like all eyes were on us! It is very Parisian to sit and watch; great when you are the viewer, a little intimidating when you are being viewed! We strolled past 100  restaurants, before we felt comfortable enough to go in. Once again, people were kind, we had a nice meal, and headed towards home, only to discover a 24 hour grocery store within 2 blocks from our flat.

Always curious, we entered to see how the locals live. Seriously the variety of interesting things – stuff we consider gourmet – sat everywhere on the shelves of the Paris equivalent of a 7eleven.

Today, May 20 was a huge day for us. It was our appointed rendezvous with the Eiffel Tower and the Jules Verne Restaurant. Oh, my goodness me! Chris has some learning ahead of him, and I am sure this experience will set him on the road to a Michelin star!

We decided to stroll from our flat to the Tour Eiffel. It took us about 2.5 hours, with some detours along the way.

For those of you that haven’t seen it, the Eiffel Tower is, indeed, pretty cool. It’s situation in parkland with a backdrop against the Seine allows it to dominate the landscape. Elevators and stairs are situated in each of the ‘legs’, and people enqueue to be able to go to the vantage spots. As guests at Jules Verne, we had the privilege of an express ‘no waiting’ lift to the top.

I was so worried going in. I thought we would be placed in some back corner and ignored. This couldn’t have been further from the reality. We were seated at what I thought was the best window seat in the restaurant. The waiters were friendly, and smiled at our attempts to joke with them. The food was BEYOND our wildest expectations. It was one of the most memorable experiences of our married life, and a tremendous celebration of our 25 years of marriage!

I cannot recommend highly enough that if you are in Paris, and have the time and the inclination, the Jules Verne is the experience of a lifetime.  Chris is going to pop in some photos of plates, because I cannot do justice to the food through a verbal description.

When I made reservations, the Restaurant had asked if there was a special occasion. I explained that Chris and I were celebrating something we never thought to achieve, our 25^th Wedding Anniversary. At the end of the meal, our deserts were presented with candles, and inscribed ‘Joyeux Anniversaire’. Very thoughtful and special.

Chris and I had several toasts to absent friends, to all of you who couldn’t be there, to all of those that helped us get there. In particular, I felt so ‘capable’ thanks to my darling Dad, who taught me how to read a wine list and source a reasonable drop at a good value. I knew I had made the grade when the Sommelier was impressed!

Jimmy Buffet says, “I wish lunch could last forever”. I couldn’t agree more. Three hours later, we were invited to go onto the 2^Nd Etage Observation deck. So very special! I don’t think I’ve ever seen more people kissing!

It’s half past six and we’re snug as bugs. After all the excitement of the day, we are planning a quiet evening. Chris is having a nap, and I have my feed up. Such an intense feeling of happiness and wellbeing….