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Back from France - Cote d''Azur and Paris review

LaurenThePartier

LaurenThePartier

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 2, 2004
Messages
10,100
I''ve been back for about a week, but my company is in the midst of planning the biggest trade show of the year, so I''ve been working non-stop since I got home. At this point, it''s too late to plan anymore since the first keynotes start today, so I thought I''d share some pics I took on my trip. I also wrote a bit of a summary, so I thought I''d post it here.

First up, the villa we rented; Villa Margarita in Beaulieu-Sur-Mer;

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Food!

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I know, I know. It’s been a long time coming. Since about October, W and I have been excitedly awaiting our trip to the Cote D’Azur and Paris. The culmination of every birthday and holiday since last October. We skipped a big vacation last year to finally upgrade our backyard and get our garden started. This. This was the trip I’d been waiting for since our amazing experience in Italy and the Amalfi Coast. It did not disappoint.
If Italy was the trip that broadened my horizons when it came to food, this was the vacation that validated my love of simple, local, and extremely fresh ingredients, and that although presumably biased, the Michelin star actually means something, from the level of food preparation to the flourish of presentation. Our first visit to a Michelin starred restaurant was Melisse in Santa Monica, CA in October, and after that experience, we committed to making an attempt at visiting a Michelin star in France.
 
Just a collage of pics from our first couple of days in Beaulieu.

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We succeeded in finding our Michelin Star in Chateau Eza, at the very top of Eze Village, but found that a meal at the proverbial hole in the wall across the South of France or Paris was just as rewarding a meal as a 1 or 2 star meal in California or France.

As for our first week in Beaulieu-Sur-Mer, we couldn’t have been more blessed with amazing weather, or a more perfect location. On our windy drive along the French Riviera from Nice in our rented Mercedes A Class (an upgrade from a Golf - yeah, right) we were frantically passed by two classic rallye prepped Porsche 911s. We were already disappointed that we were a bit too early for the Grand Prix of Monaco, but more on that later. Beaulieu was holding the French Riviera’s annual “Tour Auto” rally which changes location every year, so W was able to see his fill of Renault Alpines and within 3 hours in the South of France, we had already seen 4 Ferraris (topping Italy’s ONE) in the wild.

The villa we rented was named Villa Margarita, owned by an amazing couple who originally met in Aix-en-Provence while they were at university. Suzy’s an American who has a wonderful Chicago accent when she speaks English, married to Jean-Pierre who happened to get stuck in Paris because of the unpronouncable Iceland volcano’s ash cloud, which began our direct communication the week before we left. Luckily, I was worried for nothing, but it was a bit too close for comfort.

So, as we met Jean-Pierre at Villa Margarita, we were absolutely overwhelmed with the view. Perched over Beaulieu, with a direct view of Cap Ferrat to the east and Eze Village to the west and up the sheer limestone cliffs, the house sits on Suzy and Jean-Pierre’s property with direct access to Suzy’s overwhelming terraced garden. I think W has something to aspire to.

Once we were settled, we started to explore Beaulieu and visited the cars that were still left at the Optic Rally. We were too late to get to the market in the square, but we found the Supermarche and walked around the port. Famished, we decided to eat at a small hotel and Italian restaurant at the base of the 169 stairs up to our villa. W chose to have a Four Seasons pizza and I ordered my first iteration of Taglietelle Carbonara with a fresh, raw egg yolk sitting atop it’s own egg shell. This was an incredibly fresh egg, with a brown spotted shell and a bright orange yolk. Even the chickens are happier in the South of France.
 
The next day, we drove about 10 minutes to the village of Eze which sits dizzyingly high above the Mediterranean. Thanks to my lovely friend Sarah and the wonderful Samantha Brown who also showed us Le Sirenuse on her show, Passport to Europe, I had a bit of an idea of where I wanted to lunch, but W seemed skeptical as we headed to the top. He was unaware that I had done my research and knew I wanted to go to Michelin Starred Chateau Eza, where Sarah had taken her Mum on their recent vacation to the French Riviera. Lunch did not disappoint. At a reasonable 39 EU, the 3 course lunch was perfect. Starting with an asparagus soup with a goat cheese crouton, moving on to a filet of local Corsican fish with a fennel salad and mache and celeriac, and finishing with a tiramisu with the most amazing pistachio macaroon, W and I relished in the view, the ambience, and the food. So much so, that we’ve bought about 40 macaroons to gift to some of our lucky family members.

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That evening, Suzy and Jean-Pierre invited us over for a drink and amuse bouches. Seeing Jean-Pierre’s framed racing photos on the wall in the kitchen, W and JP bonded quickly. By virtue of her job of hosting visitors in their villa, you can tell Suzy loves entertaining, and her home is to die for. They bought the house 18 years ago, and built the villa in 2005. I wish I’d taken a picture of her outdoor dining room when we were in it. With an overwhelming uninterrupted view of the Mediterranean from the Cap to Eze Village, it just felt so French! The balcony on the other side of the villa has an even better view of Cap Ferrat. This evening apertif was probably the moment I decided that we were honestly living in paradise for the week.


Later that night, we made our own version of Spaghetti Carbonara with our floor-to-ceiling windows open and a view of the full moon reflecting off of the water.


On Monday, we walked the Cap Ferrat and ate at Bar de la Mer. Eating next to the multi-million dollar yachts was a bit of an experience, but the restaurant was super casual boardwalk food. I decided on my first Croque Monsieur and W ordered a bruschetta dish. After such a warm walk, a beer and a croque monsieur with a plate of pommes frites was incredibly refreshing. We stopped at the market on the way back to the house, and watched a Frenchman parallel park a daily driven classic Ferrari 275 GT. At this point, we’d lost count at how many Ferraris we’d seen.


Tuesday morning, Suzy met us in her garden and took us on a tour. I think I’ll cover that walk in a separate post, because at last count, Suzy thought she had 35 or 36 lemon trees on the property. It’s just an amazing collection of flowers, fruit trees, and she’s very proud of her new raised vegetable beds.

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Wednesday, we drove to Monaco and toured the Prince’s personal car collection. W was in heaven, and I think this tour was the highlight of his entire trip.

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Monaco was a very car-oriented destination for us. Jean-Pierre had told us that they were busily setting up the stands for the Monaco Grand Prix. It was a bit surreal walking the streets that will be dominated by racing in the next couple of weeks. I couldn’t imagine how the city must just absolutely shut down for the event - major streets are closed to become a racetrack.

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The next day, we drove to Menton, a relaxing beach city close to the border of Italy. So close, that I’m pretty sure we saw an equal distribution of French and Italians. We walked the narrow streets, eventually climbing the 8 flights to the church in the square, visited the Jean Cocteau museum, and decided to finish up our day in Monte Carlo strolling the streets of shops of the likes of Cartier and Hermes.


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Cafe de Paris is a must see. Adjacent to the Monte Carlo casino, the prices are sticker-shockworthy, but the food is worth it for the people-watching and the quality of the classic French dish, Boef au daube over fresh pasta. This version includes nicoise olives and pearl onions, and I’ll make my best attempt at recreating it when the weather turns a bit colder in October.

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Nice was next on our list, and with abundant parking, about 4 different Michelin starred restaurants in a 2 square mile area, I thought for sure we’d have great luck finding a place to eat. I was wrong. The Negresco Hotel was closed until July 4th. We couldn’t find Keiusekese, and so we gave up, and ate at a Brasserie and once again ate our pizza/carbonara meal. I couldn’t even tell you the name of the restaurant, but though the crust was good on the pizza and the carbonara was once again fresh with that orange eggg yolk, it was only a small notch above our first meal in Beaulieu. We toured the Massena Museum in Nice, and although the content was interesting, it was free, and the house in which the antiquities are stored is beyond beautiful. Walking through the petite mansione with the original herringbone wood floors and inlaid marble and wrought iron balustrade is not an experience I will soon forget.

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On Friday, we stayed in town and walked to the Villa Kerylos, a recreation of a classic Greek Villa perched over the sea. The couple who commisioned the building of that villa over 100 years ago kept Italian tile artisans busy for years. The entire 4 level villa is tiled with intricate mosaic tile on nearly every surface available. It was a stunning villa, though a little too tight in keeping with tradition, but made for an amazing tour with expansive views.

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And then we made it to Paris.

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What an amazingly lovely city on the Seine, rich with history and culture . . . and FOOD!

I’d wanted to go to Paris for at least the last 10 years. With our fourth anniversary approaching, Weston and I decided France would be our anniversary gift to each other.



So, arriving in Paris was interesting.We again rented a flat through VRBO, and although it lacked the charming owners of Villa Margarita, it had its own appeal.At 123 Rue Saint Honore, it was so close to the Louvre that we were able to walk the grounds ever day.We were also above a very highly rated patisserie (that appeared in our Paris Insight eating guide) and every morning we were greeted with the smell of baking bread.



Our first day in Paris was spent relaxing from our travels, and walking through the Tullerie Gardens that are adjacent to the Louvre.On our way back to our flat, we found a small Italian place with a cherubic Italian chef out front giving passers-by a hearty thumbs-up.I, once again, had a Carbonara dish, if only to see that lovely orange fresh egg yolk, and Weston also had his Four Seasons pizza.It was becoming “our thing”.

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The weather seemed to look a bit hit or miss for Sunday, and because it was the first Sunday of the month, admission to the Louvre was free.And it was absolutely mobbed.So, although it was a bit chilly, the sun was out (mostly) so we decided to walk to the Arc d’ Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, and around the Champs-Élysées in between bouts of rain.Highlight of my trip in terms of shopping?Walking through the Cartier on the Champs-Élysées.

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Sunday night was our night to indulge.After doing some research, W found a restaurant located by the Pompidou Centre that served authentic Auvergne food.Every tripadvisor review gave L’Ambassade d’Auvergne 5 stars, except for a few who were obviously unfamiliar with the French dining protocal.Every single person raved about the aligot, an Auvergne specialty of potatoes, garlic, and cheese that is worked to a pliable consistency that absolutely melts in your mouth.Before your main course is served, the waiter brings a well-worn copper pot by your table to show you how your aligot has fared under the constant stirring.The thick consistency looks a bit iffy, but once you take your first bite, you begin to understand why so many people raved about it.Rich, flavoured with garlic, and super creamy, I have had dreams about this along with the duck that Weston ordered and the Blanquette de veau that I ordered.If you do go to the restaurant, make sure you have the chocolate mousse.It is not to be missed!

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Stuffed from dinner the night before, Weston and I decided that the rainy Monday would have to be our day to see the Louvre. We made sure to stop by and attempt to see the Mona Lisa, but quite honestly, I don’t see the appeal. Waiting in that crowd was a flashback to my ska concert going days. I’m too old to stand shoulder to shoulder and face to neck with hundreds of people who just want a glimpse of Leonardo Da’Vinci’s most famous painting. I think Weston and I made it only about 5 minutes in that mess before we decided to bail. My heart isn’t broken over it.



By far, my favourite exhibit in the Louvre was Napolean’s apartment, with a close second to the antiquities on the same floor. Those of you who know me are aware of my fascination with shiny objects, and there were plenty of them in this wing!


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By Tuesday morning, we were ready to come home. To our house. To our kitties. To our routine.
 
Lauren: Thank you for the pictoral journey and the wonderful description of the sights and tastes of France! It looks like your research and planning really paid off. I hope you''ll be able to re-create some of those dishes in your kitchen, to help keep the memories alive.
 
Date: 5/16/2010 7:40:27 PM
Author: VRBeauty
Lauren: Thank you for the pictoral journey and the wonderful description of the sights and tastes of France! It looks like your research and planning really paid off. I hope you''ll be able to re-create some of those dishes in your kitchen, to help keep the memories alive.
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Thanks, VRBeauty! We had such a lovely time, and we''d love to go back sometime very soon!
 
What a wonderful journal! Thank you for sharing, the sights are beautiful and the food sounds absolutely delicious! Your pictures would make for a fantastic planning brochure
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ETA: glad the weather cooperated, too!
 
What fantaaaaaastic pics of a fantastic time!!!
Did you guys buy all those cars and Cartier jewels?!!?
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You make such a beautiful couple you should have hundreds of kids!
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Lauren,
THANK YOU for posting your wonderful photo journal!!! My fiance went to Paris, Nice, Italy, and to the Monaco Grand Prix this time last year, so your pictures were such a lovely reminder of how beautiful the countries are! We rode the scooter from Nice to Monaco and on the way back, stopped in Eze, which is the quaintest little village I have ever seen. I was so excited to see your pictures and hear about your experience.
My FI is dying to know how you were able to tour the Prince''s personal car collection???
 
Beautiful photos!! Thank you for sharing your trip with us!
 
I have never enjoyed a photo montage as I have yours! It is so rich in detail. Color, textures, even flavors. You treated all of my senses! The editing is balanced and perfect. And then getting to see you and your W...Kenny is right, you too are quite a striking couple! My hubby is just like your W...all the scenery and food of the world is great, but toss in a few prancing ponies, in their native country and he is DONE. No food would have be necessary from that point on. Stick a fork in him.

Thanks for sharing such great photos. I hate to post this, I know you may not even get to read it. But I can''t help it, your photos are just too rich I am bursting!

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Yay, the old PS is back, so I can post for a minute!!!

Yssie - thank you so much for your kind words! We''re happy the weather coopoerated, too! We heard that the week we left Beaulieu horrible storms hit the south and Cannes had to basically hurry up and clean up and rebuild their coastal restaurants, etc. for the film festival. We were very blessed to have missed that and that the volcano ash cleared!

Kenny - I didn''t try on nearly as many jewels as I should have. Thank you so much for the lovely compliment, especially coming from the pic master himself!!!!! Oh, and W and I will get right on that.
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Mol42 - Oh, I bet your trip was just fantastic! I think W and I are going to try and coincide our next trip with the Grand Prix or find a WRC event and travel during that time. My hubby''s a rally fan at heart. The prince''s auto collection was on display in Monaco. The owner''s of our villa are into cars as well, and he told us exactly where to go. If your FI just looks it up online, he should be able to find the museum next time you''re there!

Laila619 - Thank you!!! I always appreciate all of the travel tips I get from PSers, so I thought I would pay it forward.

CasaBlanca - Thank you, your words are really too kind! I just discovered Mosaic Maker and I felt like this was the best way to condense 1,500 pics into just a few posts. If there''s anything you''d like to see more of, I''d be happy to post! As for the car guy thing, I totally understand, my dear! My dear husband was so gutted that we only saw ONE Ferrari in the wild in Italy in 2008. Just ONE! At the Prada Outlet of all places. So, we drove to Maranello and went to the Ferrari Museum and spent nearly the whole day there. I couldn''t believe the number of rally cars we saw in their full livery. It helps that I like cars/motorsports, as well, but I can only take so many tours of car museums, ya know?!?
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What a great journal of your trip -- thank you! I am so glad you had a wonderful time!
 
beautiful pics LTP!
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thanks for sharing.
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Thanks Lauren, awesome pictures.. so glad you had a great time...oh my goodness.. the food...
 
YaY! I feel as though I was on vacation with you....beautiful. Now...let''s plan a DFW get together?!?
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Mscushion, Dancing Fire and gardengloves - thank you!



Date: 5/18/2010 10:56:55 PM
Author: fsu1227
YaY! I feel as though I was on vacation with you....beautiful. Now...let's plan a DFW get together?!?
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Thanks, FSU! Absolutely! We need to do one soon! I'll be seeing both Renee from Whiteflash and John from Inifinity Diamonds this weekend, so I'll try and wrench their arms behind their heads so they can get us into the World Trade Center after we do lunch someplace like Luna de Noche at Northpark.
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Margaritas and diamonds! Ahhh, what could be better!
 
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