I have mentioned a few times on this blog that I have had a preoccupation with Provence lately. I have been drawn to it in a way I cannot fight against - like some inevitable cosmic force was drawing me to it. I know I am not the first to be romantically swept away by this region, but I certainly never thought I would actually find myself on vacation there any time soon.
And yet that is exactly where I found myself last week. I somehow found myself in hotel room in Nice overlooking the aquamarine water of the Baie des Anglais charting out all the places we had to eat over the next few days. It was...amazing.
It was Olive Tapinade, Rosé Wine (be still my heart), fresh Goat Cheese (that may have actually brought tears to my eyes), and absolutely perfectly cooked Scallops with shaved truffles that there is no pictorial evidence of because I could not wait one second to devour them (nor will I ever forget the way they absolutely melted in my mouth. Melted I tell you).
I always say I am new to this whole "foodie" thing - and so the idea of Provence as food mecca is pretty new to me as well. I knew it was the land of truffles and lavender, but I had no idea it was also the land of fresh seafood, perfectly light and fruity olive oil, and candied fruits.
We ate everywhere from street stands (Socca & Rotisserie Chicken) to Michelin-rated fancy restaurants (Chateau Eza) to hip new joints across the street from the Cannes' Palais des Festivals (Mocca), to cute little bakeries with deliciously simple breakfasts.
I think the highlight of my whole trip was wandering through the market at Cours Saleya in Nice. I have never seen such exquisite fruits and veggies in my life. Next time I visit there, I will have to rent someplace with a kitchen so I can enjoy all those gorgeous fresh fruits and vegetables.
I have been very tired of cooking lately (as you can see by the lack of posts for an entire month)- and this trip gave me just the jolt of inspiration that I needed. It reminded me why food (and cooking it) can be so amazing and what drew me to it in the first place.
I cannot wait to go back and explore more - St.Tropez! Marseilles! - not to mention the beautiful countryside and majestic mountains....sigh...why do I have to return to reality?
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Great post. The hubby and I almost went there for the Easter weekend as well. My heart lies in Italy though, so we ended up in Tuscany instead. Not surprisingly, most of our trip also was centered around food and wine.
ReplyDeleteHope reality isn't too bad.
Oh I love Italy as well I think Tuscany is next on my "to visit" list. But I was surprised just how much I loved Nice. In fact, one of the things I loved about it and Monaco was the way french and italian cuisine all mixed together.
ReplyDeleteReality today is making marinara sauce and pizza dough which isn't too bad at all :)
Where is the first picture from? It looks like Cassis near Aix-en-Provence, but I suppose most places look similar along the coast there.
ReplyDeleteThe first picture is in Nice - if you walk straight out to the beach from Cours Salaya then you will find yourself standing in that same spot :)
ReplyDeleteI think that it is so cool, I would like to take vacation in a similar beach, the restaurant looks so elegant and very fine,excellent pictures!22dd
ReplyDeleteSimply marvelous!!! Your article provides a fresh new insight to this topic which was yet undiscovered. I must say your research skills are sharp and your narration is interesting. Splendid work…
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