Staycation: Day Six

Porquerolles

I think this was my favorite of this year’s Staycation days. We went to Porquerolles, which is an island just off the coast of France, near Hyères. The island is small, just 7km by 3km, and is a protected nature reserve. There are no hotels on the island (though there are houses available to rent) and no cars are allowed. Visitors and inhabitants get around by bike or boat, which are available for rent everywhere on the port.

Porquerolles

The only restaurants on the island are along the port, with the exception of one on the Plage d’Argent (silver beach). We had lunch there and both ordered the sea bass in creamy sorrel sauce with sautéed potatoes and onions. Yum! It went well with the fruity cocktail and cold white wine we had with it. We intended to stop back later for some ice cream, but once we got to the beach, we couldn’t tear ourselves away again.

Our lunch in Porquerolles

Of the three beaches on Porquerolles, it turns out that we chose the most crowded one (it was closer to the port). Plage d’Argent’s geographical location on the island also means that the sea grass offshore washes up here, which we were told doesn’t happen on the other beaches. If we had it to do over again, we’d bike to one of the farther ones and either eat lunch at a restaurant on the port or pack a picnic. But it was still beautiful there, with the water that magical blend of blues that makes it look as if the Mediterranean is full of sapphires and aquamarines instead of water, and the trees along the shore leaning toward it as if to get a better look.

Johann with his rum punch in Porquerolles

We returned our bikes and took the six o’clock boat back to the mainland. Then we drove the two hours back home. It was a lot of travel for one day, but what a day! The sea, the sun, the ride on the boat… And we haven’t been biking in years! If you’re ever in the South of France, don’t miss Porquerolles.

Staycation: Day Five

Jackie Talouarn shows us her uniform from the concentration camp in Ravensbruck

On Saturday we drove Johann’s grandparents to visit an old friend of theirs. Jacqueline (Jackie) Talouarn and Marco (Johann’s grandfather) knew each other during the war. She was married to Jean LeGalleu, who was the head of Marco’s resistance group in Paris. Just one month after they were married, Jean LeGalleu was denounced by a fellow Frenchman and sentenced to five years in prison. He spent nearly three years in a prison in France before being sent to the concentration camp in Mauthausen, one of only two “Grade III camps, which meant they were intended to be the toughest camps for the ‘Incorrigible Political Enemies of the Reich.’ Unlike many other concentration camps, intended for all categories of prisoners, Mauthausen was mostly used for extermination through labor of the intelligentsia.” There he was used as a medical guinea pig and injected with various serums as part of Nazi experiments. He spent one year in Mauthausen and was one of the few to go home again after the liberation, but his brutal treatment at the hands of the Nazis had broken him. When he returned to Paris, the flesh was falling off of his body and he had a grapefruit-sized hole above his hip. He never recovered his health. He died on Christmas day, two years after his release.

A photo of Jackie taken before World War Two

Jackie, in the meantime, had been arrested herself, two years after her husband was arrested. She had been hiding members of the resistance in her house and was sent to a French prison also. Her luck was bad. Just after D-Day, the Nazis cleared out the prison in France and Jackie was sent to the Ravensbruck concentration camp. The trip took four days, with the prisoners wedged into cattle cars. After arrival, the women were stripped and told to line up for a medical exam. An older woman in line with Jackie couldn’t bring herself to disrobe and was sobbing. “Just do it, and don’t let them see you cry,” Jackie said. But the woman didn’t listen and was brutally beaten.

Jackie’s concentration camp uniform

After the medical exam, they were told to line up for showers. Even in prison back in Paris, word had gotten back about what the “showers” in the concentration camps were really for. Jackie thought she was going to die and has never felt such a sense of relief as she did that day when the water came on. Ravensbruck was notoriously brutal and exterminated 130,000 women between 1939 and 1945. Jackie is one of only 40,000 to survive it. When the American troops finally made their way into Germany and liberated her camp, it was May 5, 1945, nearly a year after D-Day. She was 24 years old. She weighed 81 pounds. She and her fellow prisoners had been digging a large hole, which they were all sure they would be shot and thrown into when they were finished with it.

Jackie didn’t cry when she told us her story. In fact, her voice didn’t betray much emotion, even when she took out her concentration camp uniform to show it to us. She has told the story many times, as she speaks at schools around France to help educate next generations about the horrors of racism and anti-semitism, in the hopes that such a thing will never happen again. What an inspiration it was to meet such a heroic woman.

Staycation: Day Four

The Durance

I’m so far behind! Day four of our Staycation was last Tuesday, and while there’s not a lot to report from it, we still really enjoyed ourselves. In the morning we went kayaking on the Durance, which was deliciously cool and refreshing in this hot August weather. We ate a simple lunch of tomato, basil and cucumber salad from the garden, then made a trip to the grocery store for that evening’s provisions. We hosted a little family barbecue in honor of Momo and Elodie, Johann’s cousins visiting from the Champagne region.

Outdoor table

The dinner started with Champagne (of course) and a trayful of snacks, which we enjoyed out on our new(ish) terrace. Then we moved to the table, where we had a starter of salad with smoked salmon, followed by Liz’s special recipe for apricot glazed chicken (a hit!), garden zucchini au gratin and taboulé with cucumber and tomato. Our guests brought a pear cake for dessert. This may not have been the most photogenic of our Staycation days, but it was a lovely time all the same.

Staycation: Day Three

Châteauneuf du Pape

Day three of this August’s Staycation found us in Châteauneuf du Pape. Sound familiar? It’s more than just fancy wine, it’s a whole REGION of fancy wine. We set the GPS for the general area and when we got close, we just drove in the direction of the prettiest castle around. I love doing this, driving somewhere without a specific plan or itinerary in mind. France has yet to disappoint, with lovely surprises no matter where we go.

Châteauneuf du Pape

And true to form, the castle we selected turned out to be a good choice. This particular château houses a wine-tasting bar and a fancy hotel and restaurant with a pool and terrace featuring spectacular views on all sides. We bought a beautiful red wine, which isn’t hard to do in this region, and a gorgeous white. White Châteauneuf du Pape is hard to come by, and the bottle we tasted instantly became my new favorite white wine. Sadly (for you), they don’t export this wine, so if you’d like to sample some of the divine Domaine Patrice Magni, you’ll just have to come visit us.

Châteauneuf du Pape

Châteauneuf du Pape is a region known for its excessive beauty and the quality of its wine, which is achieved with the help of the rocky landscape. The grapevines grow amidst layers of quartz stones that cover the soil. The heat generated by the sunlight on these stones affects the taste of the grapes. “Châteauneuf du Pape” literally translates as “new castle of the Pope” and the history of wine and the Vatican has been intertwined for centuries (read more).

Châteauneuf du Pape

On our tasting route we passed a sign pointing in the direction of the Domaine du Vatican, which Johann assured me was not really associated with the Vatican in any way. Still, even for a non-believer like me, naming your wine “Domaine du Vatican” seemed a little… Blasphemous. At the very least, it smacked of trademark infringement. I was glad I didn’t have to write their product brochures.

“The 2008 vintage of Christ’s blood has spectacular topnotes of blackcurrant!” “Domaine du Vatican, it’s sin-sational!” “Buy this wine. He will know if you don’t. And you’ll go directly to hell.” “Free holy grail fridge magnet with every two-case purchase!” “Our wines are second to nun!” Actually, that brochure practically writes itself. Maybe I’ll call and offer my services.

Châteauneuf du Pape

We wandered the village of Châteauneuf du Pape and learned that we had just missed the annual wine festival, which was due to start the following weekend. To be honest, though, having a wine festival in a village that is pretty much wall-to-wall wine tasting bars with a couple of cafés and bakeries thrown in seemed a little redundant. The whole place is a wine-tasting festival! Only the very laziest sort of customer would need the free wine-tasting bar moved ten feet forward for his convenience. I’m sorry. I’d love some free wine, but I just don’t see how I can be expected to take those extra six steps to your bar. You’re gonna have to put it out on the sidewalk for me.

You know, put that way, it does sound kind of tempting…

More pictures of our day in Châteauneuf du Pape are at right, under “Photos.”

Staycation: Day Two

Flooding from the storm

Day two of our staycation started with a bang. Literally. We were woken at 7.00 a.m. by a thunderstorm so loud and violent that I reverted to my six-year-old self, pulling the covers over my head and reminding myself again and again, “The thunder can’t hurt you, the thunder can’t hurt you.” I have never in my life experienced such violent storms as I have since I moved here.

Flooding from the storm

There was one bolt of lightning that lit up our room, even with the shutters closed, and whose impact could be felt throughout the whole house, making the windows shake in their frames. It was so close that we ran to the window to open the shutters and check for damages, expecting a smoking crater where our garden used to be. The garden was intact, though underwater. It was pouring sheets of rain, which, sadly, you can’t really get the full effect of in these pictures, though you can see how soaked the property was. It knocked our power out all morning, and by the time it came back on, it was time to leave for lunch.

Loulette’s table

Lunch was in La Tour d’Aigues at the home of Johann’s best friend’s parents. Yannick and Laetitia were visiting from Lille and had very kindly invited us to join them, along with Yannick’s mother and stepfather, for lunch. Lunch at their (Loulette and Guy’s) house is always a treat. She’s a wonderful cook and always goes the extra mile to make sure every detail is absolutely perfect. I don’t think I’ve ever had cheese at their house that wasn’t served on a bed of fresh grape leaves that she picked herself.

Roast wild boar and ratatouille

The menu included cold green vegetable soup, sliced white summer truffles (!) on fougasse (a rich, buttery pastry/bread), sliced melon, wild boar (which Guy had roasted on a spit), ratatouille, cheese and a light dessert of ice cream with thin almond cookies and homemade strawberry sauce. This was all served with Champagne and rosé, until after the meal, when Guy broke out his stock of homemade liqueurs, including one made with apricots we had given them.

Johann by the pool

He explained the process of making the liqueurs to us. The final step is to cut the mixture with water until its potency isn’t lethal. “First you add some water and taste it. If it’s still too strong, you add some more water. If it’s still to strong, you add some more water. If it’s still too strong, well, then you have to start again tomorrow, because by this time you’ll need to go to bed.” By now, the weather had cleared up considerably and it was sunny and warm. Laetitia and I lounged in chairs near the pool, making plans for a day at the spa later this week, while Johann and Yannick took a dip in the pool. All too soon, it was time for Yannick and Laetitia to leave, as they had a 5:20 train to catch back to Lille.

Photographer’s stand in Aix-en-Provence

We then headed for Aix, with the intention of visiting the Musée Granet’s Picasso exhibit. Unfortunately, though the museum was open until 7:00 p.m., they stopped selling tickets at 5:30, so we couldn’t get in. So we shelved that plan and went to our favorite people-watching café on the Cours Mirabeau. There was lots of action, even for a summer night on Aix’s busiest avenue. Along one side of the plane-tree-shaded street a market had been set up, selling lavender, honey, soaps, jewelry, clothing and artwork of all kinds, including a local photographer who sold prints of his pictures of the region. (Scott, those small prints pictured went for €40 each! You need to get over here.)

Aix-en-Provence

Then we went to a sushi restaurant whose dining room was formerly a wine cellar but had been transformed with the help of lots of paper lanterns, cushy grey velvet pillows and candles. The final stop was the Renoir theater, to see Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard in Public Enemies. Highly recommended.

Again, more pics of day two of our Staycation are at right under “Photos.”

Staycation: Day One

Sunflowers

It’s that time of year again! You often hear that nobody works in August in Europe. That’s because it’s true. But instead of taking off one entire week, like last year, Johann is taking two four-day weekends in a row (I know. It’s rough to be him, isn’t it?). This time, we’re using his vacation days to have a holiday in our own backyard, since we had so much fun doing it last year. And believe it or not, after nearly six years here, there’s still so much we haven’t seen or done!

Garden vegetables!

This morning we got up early and got our chores out of the way. Johann watered the olive grove and ran some errands, while I did laundry and cleaned the house. With that done, we headed out to the garden to pick some fresh vegetables for ourselves and the friends we’re having lunch with tomorrow. After feasting on a green salad with garden tomatoes, basil, sliced avocado and smoked turkey, we were off!

Musée Extraordinaire

We stopped on our way to take some pictures of a nearby sunflower field and then headed to Ansouis to the Musée Extraodinaire (Extraordinary Museum). A collection of a man’s lifetime spent recovering fossils, rare fish, coral, sea glass, pearls, driftwood and both harmless and deadly seashells filled every corner of the space, as did sea-themed artwork that was truly enchanting. Adorably quirky ceramic sea creatures of real and imagined natures covered every surface. For the €3.50 entrance fee, it was truly a bargain.

l’Art Glacier

Then we stopped at Ansouis’s famous l’Art Glacier. They make homemade ice cream and sorbet right on the premesis and in flavors you’d never expect. Try, for example, chili pepper, thyme, lavender, poppy, black pepper, garlic, rose, tomato, basil, violet and just about every flavor of fruit you can think of. Johann ordered the “Mandarin” sundae, pictured, which was a scoop of lychee, raspberry, mango and calamansi covered in whipped cream and topped with fresh fruit.

l’Art Glacier

They’ve added something new to the menu that I believe is intended to entice our friend Ed to visit Provence again: “panier de chantilly.” That’s right. It’s an enormous bowl filled with nothing but whipped cream. Avec chantilly, Ed, always “avec.” I ordered three scoops and chose the chili pepper, black pepper and lavender. I like to mix things up a little. Also, Johann really wanted the giant sundae but couldn’t bear the thought of passing up the opportunity to have a taste of the chili pepper, which is his favorite. We enjoyed our treats on the divine terrace overlooking the Luberon valley. If you are ever in Provence, it’s a stop not to be missed. On our way out, Johann said, “I asked inside if many people order the chili pepper ice cream and they said ‘no.’ I told them if they ever stop making it that I’ll come here and burn the place down.”

“That seems totally reasonable to me,” I replied.

Wine
-tasting party in La Tour d’Aigues

Our next stop was La Tour d’Aigues, a picturesque Provençal village (are there any other kind?) that hosts a summer wine-tasting every year. For €2.50, you get a glass (which you get to keep) and the right to taste as much free wine as you like all night long. I can’t believe this is the first time we’ve gone. The wine stands enclose the giant square in front of the castle and long tables with plenty of benches and chairs are set up underneath the shade of the plane trees. And lest you imagine that the French would let you drink on an empty stomach, there are also vendors selling mussels and fries, grilled kebabs and sausages, paella, daube (a rich beef stew made with red wine sauce) and sandwiches. There was also live music and dancing, which made being at the foot of the spot-lit castle even more magical than it already was.

Day one: Success. Stay tuned for day two! In the meantime, please check out the rest of today’s pictures under “Photos,” at right.