Our quiet little Christmas

Since Sherry and I don’t have any children, Christmas is typically a quiet and peaceful day for us.  Don’t get me wrong.  We still have are share of holiday stress and chaos but usually not on the day itself.  This year was no exception.

Our festivities usually start on Christmas Eve with a family dinner hosted by Sherry’s mother.  This year it was a little more special because Sherry’s brother and his family have moved back to Santa Rosa from Phoenix.  That means the entire clan of siblings, aunts, uncles, niece and nephews were all there.  After great food, a little fun and games, gift opening and dessert we finally called it a night.

Christmas morning is a time for us to sleep in and just be a little lazy.  At around 9:30 we headed up to Centro Espresso, probably our favorite coffee shop, to meet friends.  Centro definitely got the word out they were open from 9 – 12 because the place was happening.  We hung out for just about an hour chatting, laughing and really just enjoying the beautiful day . 

Once we got back home it was time for our real breakfast.  If you have read my blogs in the past you know that Sherry makes awesome french toast. This might lead you to safely assumed that’s what was on the menu for Christmas Day.  However, she has now perfected Belgian waffles as well.  What a dilemma!  In the end, the french toast won out this time.  Now, sometimes we go all out on the Christmas morning breakfast but this year it was simply french toast with a little fresh coffee.  Sometimes keeping it simple really is the best way to go.

Just after noon I decided to go out for a ride on the bike.  Really, the weather was just too gorgeous to pass up.  Plus, there was a threat of rain for Saturday and Sunday so you got to take advantage of these opportunities when you can.  If you want to know how the ride went head over to my other blog, Lee’s Life Adventure, for a full report.

Our tradition for Christmas dinner is to go all out and try new recipes.  In many cases these meals take hours to make.  This year it wasn’t too bad in terms of time.  Our menu consisted of pork tenderloin roasted with pears, gratin dauphinois, endive salad, and warm bread.  It was all very good.  The only question was what wine should we serve.

I consulted Bob who is my neighbor, good friend, and wine aficionado.  After some research, we decided that either a fruitier style Pinot Noir or a German Riesling would work best.  Since Sherry and I do not know Rieslings very well we decided to use this as a chance to broaden our horizons.  Ultimately, we settled on a German 2007 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese.  It was very good and paired with the pork quite nicely.

This afternoon, Bob and his wife Karin, came over for a little holiday cheer.  The plan?  Well, we drank a little champagne, ate a little cheese, and then perhaps open numerous bottles of wine to experiment a little more with which wine would have been best with the pork.  I actually made a second roasted pork tenderloin just for today’s pairing test.

After Bob and Karin arrived, we started with a taste of the bubbly.  Our choice?  A non-vintage Champagne Lallier Grande Reserve  Grand Cru.  It was excellent!  Then we did our pork-wine taste test.  We opened two German Rieslings and a California Pinot Noir.  Everyone agreed the Rieslings were the better choice.

So that was our quiet little Christmas holiday.  We spent time with family, drank coffee with friends, ate a romantic dinner together, and enjoyed a wine and food pairing afternoon with more friends.  What more could you ask for from a Wine Country Christmas.

Au revoir!

The long weekend

It was another great weekend for Sherry and I.  It actually started Thursday night with dinner at one of our favorite places, Riviera Ristorante.  Giampaolo and crew were up to their usual high standards and he was even able to sit and chat with us for a bit.  I choose the pasta special of the evening while Sherry had the carbonara.  We left the wine selection up to Giampaolo and settle in for a lovely dinner.

Friday started in an unusual way for me.  I had taken Friday off to participate in a ride that afternoon so I slept in and didn’t get up until almost 7:00 (I usually get up at 5:00).  There is something so civilized about waking up gently to the sound of birds singing and not being jarred awake by some obnoxious alarm.    

After a little early morning relaxing, we ate breakfast at Viola  Pastry Boutique & Café followed by a few errands.  The rest of the day was uneventful in a relaxing way.  I did my ride while Sherry decorated our tree and home for the holidays.  For dinner, it was pizza and stand-up comedy specials on TV. 

Saturday was a beautiful, but chilly, day in the Sonoma Wine Country.  After another ride with friends, Sherry and I joined our neighbors, Bob and Karin, to go see the play Hello Dolly.  Surprisingly, none of us have seen either the play or the movie and I didn’t even know the storyline.  The play was performed at the Roustabout Theater, which is a local theater group that supports the developing talent of kids 11-20.  The show was excellent and there was a consensus among us that these kids are already very talented.

After the play, it was off to another favorite of ours, Kenwood Restaurant.  As soon as we were seated Bob brought out a 1964 Barolo to be opened and decanted.  When our server started to open the bottle she asked, “What year is this?”  Bob simply replied, “It’s older then you!”  So with our magnificent Barolo, we ate our way through a collection of tomato soup, foie gras, crab cakes, cassolet, beef, frites and chocolate truffles.  It was a fantastic evening of good food, great wine and even better company. 

Sunday started with homemade waffles.  About a year ago we purchased the Waring Pro® Belgian Waffle Maker and it is fantastic.  If you are a fan of homemade waffles this is your machine.  It is very easy to use and clean.  It is also nearly foolproof in producing great waffles.  For a real treat, host a Sunday brunch, ideally outside, and make waffles “a table”.

Since Sunday’s weather was not that conducive to riding we did a little holiday shopping.  We also stopped by Luther Burbank Home and Gardens to enjoy the festive decorations and period dress of the late 1800’s.  This is one of those things you say you are going to do but never get around to.  I have lived in Santa Rosa for over 20 years, Sherry was born here, and it was the first time we visited this historical site.

As the cold, wet weather settled in so did we.  We watched football and relaxed.  In the afternoon, we drank eggnog and brandy just to be sure we stayed warm.  As I was heating the eggnog on the stove, you cannot use a microwave for this, it reminded me of making pudding.  Of course that made me want pudding.  Butterscotch pudding to be exact.

So I decide to make butterscotch pudding from scratch.  After a few recipe searches on the internet I decide to use the recipe of David Lebovitz, who is currently a pastry chef in Paris.  After collecting all the ingredients, I start cooking and quickly discovered that pudding is one of those recipes that when you read it you think, “Oh, that’s not so hard.”  But the timing is fairly tricky.  In the end, it tasted fine but was a little lumpy.  Still, it was a great way to spend 40 minutes in the kitchen on a chilly, rainy Sunday afternoon.

Next weekend it looks like it will be raining so who knows what culinary adventures are in store.

Until then . . .

Au revoir!

My cassoulet

Appropriately, I discovered cassoulet, a classic French dish, while in France. My first taste was at a Paris bistro.  Over the years I have tried many cassoulets, both in France and in the United States. We have also made cassoulet at home on numerous occasions. In my last blog, Relaxing on a Sunday, I mentioned making it for dinner and received numerous requests for the recipe. So you now me, instead of just posting the recipe, here is the story of my cassoulet.

Cassoulet has a very long history as rich as the flavors of the food itself. A Google search on “cassoulet history” yielded over 50,000 hits. These opening sentences, from a Time Magazine article, might help you understand how big the myth of cassoulet really is.

“No French dish is as steeped in history, myth and religion as cassoulet. Natives of southwestern France's Languedoc region link their very cultural identity to the archetypical peasant dish, a rich, earthy casserole of beans, meat and herbs. Cassoulet is said to date back to the 14th century siege of Castelnaudary during the Hundred Years' War, when citizens created a communal dish so hearty their revivified soldiers sent the invaders packing.”

Where can you find the true story of cassoulet? How about the Académie Universelle du Cassoulet? Yes, the French have an Academy dedicated to preserving cassoulet and all of its traditions. Check out the link to their web site if you want to read more on the legendary dish.

Unfortunately, the majority of cassoulets I have eaten in the US have not been up to par. They were good, just not authentic. The most authentic  by far was at Bistro Jeanty in the Napa Valley. Fortunately for my taste buds, but unfortunately for my wallet, Bistro Jeanty is only about a 45-minute drive from home.

That brings me to making cassoulet at home. The recipe from the Académie Universelle du Cassoulet takes 2 days to make. Julia Child’s famous recipe fills 5 pages of her book. These are great when you want the real thing and have that kind of time. But really, whose got that kind of time these days?

Enter Jacques Pépin and his 30-Minute Cassoulet. Although not traditional, it is very good. Once again, I am taking the easy way out by not reprinting the recipe and letting you follow the link instead. Plus, there's a video to help you along. Even the most elementary cooks among us can make this recipe taste awesome.

Now it is time to introduce my variation of Jacques Pépin’s recipe. When I first made his cassoulet, Sherry and I both felt that the combination of bratwurst and Italian sausage was just a little too “sausagy” for our taste. We are also wimps when it comes to heat, so we found the hot Italian sausage a little overpowering. So, it’s time to get creative in the spirit of the original dish from 1355 (if you believe the legend).

In thinking of ways to improve the dish to match our personal taste, I remembered back to that first cassoulet I ate in Paris, which consisted of ham, sausage, and duck confit. In fact, this is the most common combination I have seen in restaurants. So, here are my substitutions that reflect our taste .

1. Replace the hot Italian sausage with mild  Italian sausage.
2. Replace the bratwurst with a rotisserie chicken.
3. Replace the ham shoulder with high quality ham steaks, such as Niman Ranch brand.

When it comes to serving, you really can’t eat cassoulet without wine. But which wine? Well, cassoulet was born in the Languedoc region of France so it would be a safe assumption that any wine for there would pair nicely. One such wine is Cahors, which is very good. You could also pair cassoulet with almost any wine from Bordeaux or a California Bordeaux-style blend. If these wines are difficult to find in your area then any good California cabernet sauvignon or merlot will be fine.

Finally, I believe that cassoulet is best served with friends. There is just something about a traditional peasant dish that invites everyone to relax and savor the moment. And really, does it get any better then a classic dish, a good bottle of wine and great friends? Well, maybe 2 bottles of wine and some dessert.

So that’s my version of cassoulet with a little history lesson thrown in for good measure. If you try my recipe, let me know how it turned out. Or better yet, if you live in the area let me know and I will be happy to try it in person. Either way, I hope you enjoy it.

Au revoir!

Relaxing on a Sunday

On most Sunday mornings I can be found cycling with my friends.  However, last Sunday, I awoke to the gentle sound of rain falling on the roof.  After some quick texting, it was decided we would leave at 10 a.m. instead our usual 8:00 since all of the weather sites said it would be clear by then.

As I settled in and began to enjoy my more relaxing start to a Sunday morning, the rain continued.  At around 9:15 it was very clear that the rain wasn’t going to clear by 10.  So after another round of texts I announce that I am taking the day off from the bike since it is the off-season after all.  Let the real relaxing begin!

What should I do first? The answer came to me immediately and I asked Sherry if she would make french toast for breakfast.  I don’t know what she does different but she makes the best french toast.  When she gives out her recipe people just look at her like – “Hmmm.  That’s what I do.  Why is yours better?” I think it’s much like following a recipe from TV.  You used the same ingredients, in the same order, but yours just wasn’t as good.

I think one big secret to Sherry’s french toast is the bread we use.  We typically use a French county bread or local sourdough.  We usually buy it from a bakery and slice it just a bit thicker then the plastic-wrapped beadlike stuff you buy at grocery stores.

After breakfast, and a little Sunday paper reading, we decided to take a drive out to Arrowood Winery.  We belong to their First in Line wine club and it was time to pick up our October release, which consisted of a 2004 Syrah and a 2006 Malbec.  While there are few vineyards that grow Malbec, Arrowood is one of the few Sonoma County wineries the bottles it as a varietal. 

Wine in hand we start heading for home when we realize it’s time for lunch.  So, after a quick stop at the Kenwood Market for that night’s dinner, we ate lunch at Doce Lunas.  Sherry has eaten there once before but it was my first trip.   The whole menu looks simply fantastic. Ultimately, Sherry decided on the  marinated chicken sandwich while I order the special Chicken Dijonaise. The food was excellent.  To round out the meal we each order a glass of sauvignon blanc from Mendocino County.

While we were eating lunch the sun finally arrived.  When we got back home, I decide to become industrious.  Which means, instead of plopping down in my chair and watching football I went out to pick persimmons.  One of the most beautiful features of our house when we bought it 9 years ago was the large persimmon tree in the front yard.  It is big, beautiful, and bountiful.  Each year I pick well over 1,000 pieces of fruit that is shared with friends and neighbors.

After a couple hours of picking persimmons, and just a little football, it was time to make dinner.  Sunday’s night menu focused around cassoulet, which a classic French dish.  However, we will not be making the version that can take days to cook.  We will be making the Thirty Minute Cassoulet from Jacques Pépin Fast Food My Way cookbook.  If you’re a foodie without a lot of time to spend in the kitchen, I highly recommend this book. 

To top off a perfect day, we drank a 2000 Chateau La Serre from the St. Emilion (pictured at the top) region in Bordeaux with the cassoulet.  It was a perfect match of one of our favorite dishes with one of our favorite wines.

There you have it.  A great day for going with the flow just to see where you end up. 

Au revoir

How it all began

It was about 16 years ago that Sherry called me to say that I had received a very interesting voicemail.  You see, as a trainer, I spoke at numerous conferences.  It seems this person attended one of my sessions and was inviting me to speak at their upcoming conference.  The location?  Heidelberg, Germany!

You can imagine our excitement.  This would be our first trip to Europe.  To be brutally honest, Sherry and I both grew in households full of love but short on cash and neither of us ever expected to get to Europe.  I called back the next morning, and after confirming my travel expenses would be paid, I accepted the offer.  Now there was some planning to do.

Here’s were we got a little lucky.  We only had about 3 weeks to plan the trip and get passports.  Fortunately, we were able to drive to a regional office in San Francisco and get our passports within a week.  That just left the planning.  As luck would have it, a woman I worked with had a friend who was travel agent who specialized in shopping trips to Germany.  She was so helpful in creating our itinerary and booked us into some really cool places to stay.

The next thing you know we are in a plane on our way to Frankfurt.  As excited as we were, we were also a little anxious.  It was our first trip out of the country and we didn’t speak the language or know how to get around.  Still, we had youthful enthusiasm and a German rail pass so what more could we need.

After landing in Frankfurt, we figure out the train to Heidelberg fairly easily.  Our love affair with Europe began on that train.  As we rolled along the scenery was stunning complete with century old castles perched on hills along the way.  When we arrived in Heidelberg we were nearly breathless.  It was so beautiful and stunning.  After waving off a Ford taxi for a Mercedes (that was a no brainer) we headed to the hotel.  After we unpacked and settled in it was right back into town.

As we strolled the streets we really couldn’t believe where we were.  I mean, we were in Germany!  We stopped for coffee in the town square which is bordered by the University on one side and the Cathedral on the other.  As we sipped our coffee it somehow felt like we belonged there.  We couldn’t believe how spellbound we were.  We also couldn’t believe that we were going in and out of shop buildings that are over 500 years old.

The next day I gave my presentation, which went very well.  With the work part of the trip over, we now set out to explore Germany and eastern France.  This was going to be a whirlwind tour of 10 cities in 8 days.

We started in Strasbourg, France where the whole scenario of Heidelberg repeated itself.  There were long walks exploring the beauty of the city.  The climb to the top of the Cathedral tower.  Coffees in the village square.  And lots of great food and wine.

Next we discovered just how easy it was to get around in Europe.  We were taking a day trip from Strasbourg to Basel, Switzerland.  The train map showed routes on both the French and German side of the border.  However, since we had a German rail pass, we could not use it to train on the French side.  So we simply bought tickets to create a roundtrip.  In the process, we discovered the village of Colmar, France.  Of course it was beautiful but it was early on Sunday morning and a bit closed up.  We vowed to return one day and this was when we knew that many more European trips were in our future.  (We did manage to make it back to Colmar in 2000.) 

The trip continued in much the same fashion.  We spent every waking hour exploring as much as we could with frequent breaks for coffee, wine or beer along the way.  We met interesting people like the man at the Colmar train station who asked if we spoke French, which we did not.  Then he asked if spoke German and that was a definite no.  Finally, we settled on Spanish, which Sherry speaks.  So here we are at a train station in France, waiting for a train to Switzerland and talking in a mixture of Spanish and English.  It was just too cool!

When it was all said and done we also visited Freiburg, Konstantz, Stuttgart, Wurzburg (where we spent the night in a castle), and Rothenburg in Germany.  Rothenburg is walled city that is so beautiful the American general in charge of US forces in WWII ordered that the city not be bombed.

We will never forget that trip.  It was our first and it was unexpected.  Still, it sparked a desire that continues to burn to this day.  So, to all you out there who prefer fun-in-the-sun vacations with rum drinks served in coconuts, enjoy!  We’ll simply settle in with a glass of wine in the heart of some small European village and drink in the old world charm.

Au revoir!

The quest for bouillabaisse

Like many of the stories from our recent vacation in France, this is about finishing unfinished business.  In 2007, we made a trip to the village of Cassis one of our focal points for primarily 2 reasons.  We wanted to eat bouillabaisse next to the Mediterranean Sea.  At the time, the quest seemed simple enough.

We were staying in the village of Saint-Remy-de-Provence, which is about 2 hours away.  So on a very blustery morning we headed out.  The first stop was the city of Marseille.  After drinking cafe crèmes, eating croissants, exploring the port, and seeing signs for bouillabaisse everywhere, we got in line for tickets to take the ferry to Chateau d’If. Unfortunately, the winds were so strong the ferry wasn’t running.  No worries.  We shake off the minor disappointment and head to Cassis.

The beauty of Cassis is hard to describe.  We were quite simply in awe of this port city nestled between coastal hills and the sea.  We took a walking tour of the city and as we walked along, we saw signs for bouillabaisse at every restaurant.  We could hardly wait but it was only noon-ish and a little early for lunch.  We tried to take a boat tour of the calanques, little bays surrounded by cliffs, but once again the wind stop us.  Is this disappointment number 2?

We opted to head for the beach and dip our toes into the sea and enjoy the beauty of it all.  Finally, around 1:30, we headed back to the row of restaurants to decide what lucky establishment was going to fulfill our bouillabaisse quest.  We selected one and sat down only to be informed by our waiter they were out.  What!!!  No biggie. We simply got up and went next door.  They were out as well.  At our 4th or 5th restaurant the waiter explained that everyone only makes a certain amount and when it’s gone, it’s gone, typically by 1:00.  We settle on a fisherman stew, shrimp scampi, and a bottle of Cassis white wine, which were all excellent.  With our day done, and our quest unfulfilled, we headed back home vowing not to make the same mistake again.

Now it’s 2009 and we are starting over.  No Marseille this time.  Instead it is straight to Cassis.  We are staying in a house in Lourmarin that is only 45 minutes away.  We arrive early and find the municipal parking but not a parking space.  This is not a concern because one of the things I think I have mastered is the art of French parking.

First stop, the calanque tours which are running smoothly this day.  We select a tour that carries us to 3 calanques and allows us to enjoy the beauty of the Mediterranean Sea from a new perspective.  As the tour finished, we walked off the boat and straight to the restaurant we ate at in 2007.  Did they have bouillabaisse today?  The answer was a resounding yes although at 11:00 it was definitely to early for lunch.

We explored the town a little more, stop for coffee and enjoyed the beach before heading back to the restaurant.  It was now just before noon but we were not taking any chances.  We got the best seat and ordered our bouillabaisse and Cassis white wine.  (BTW – there may not be a more perfect food-wine pairing then this.)

As we were enjoying our first sips of wine, the waiter informed us the bouillabaisse would not be ready for another 30-minutes and did we want to wait.  Little did he know we had been waiting for 2 and a half years.  So we sat back, relaxed, sipped wine and simply enjoyed being on vacation in France.  The only concern was that we would finish our Cassis wine before the bouillabaisse arrived.  The solution?  We ordered a bottle of Cassis rosé to drink and saved the white for later.

When the bouillabaisse did arrive it was everything we hoped it would be.  By this time we had high expectations but were not disappointed.  The delicious fish, the delicate wine, and the scenic views made this a shared experience we will never forget. 

With our quest fulfilled, we drove back home.  This time our discussions were not about the disappointments of the last trip but about how lucky we were to get the opportunity to try again.

Au revoir!

It’s not France without wine

Sherry and I enjoy wine.  We even have a small cellar at home and are fortunate to live in Sonoma County, the very heart of California’s more traditional wine country.  Our cellar has a good representation of both Sonoma and Napa wineries, which we love to share with friends.

Being true Francophiles, we also drink French wines.  These have been mostly from Bordeaux, perhaps France’s most celebrated wine region.  However recently, we are starting to explore some of the lesser known wines and our vacation was the perfect opportunity to continue our research.

So we thought we would take you on a little Tour de France based on some of the wines we enjoyed while we were there.  How about we start in Provence?

Rosé wines are very popular in Provence.  They are also very good.  Almost all wine regions in Provence produce rosé wines so there is a wide range of options.  We prefer the lighter, fruitier versions that go great with an afternoon of reading and relaxing.

Gigondas is a full body red wine from the Southern Rhone region on the border of Provence.  We visited the village of Gigondas were we purchased an excellent 2003 Domaine du Pradas, which we drank with dinner one evening.  We are actually big fans of the grenache grape so this wine really appeals to us.

Cotes du Ventoux is in Provence in the area surrounding Mont Ventoux.  It is a very fruity red wine.  To be honest, it is not my favorite but I always drink a bottle in honor of Mont Ventoux which I have cycled up twice.

Cassis is a beautiful white wine from Southern Provence where the land meets the Mediterranean Sea.  We drank both a white and rosé while having lunch in the village of Cassis.  The rosé, a 2008 Domaine du Paternel Rosé de Cassis, was especially good.

Chinon is a lighter red wine from the Loire Valley.  We drank a couple of bottles while in Paris.  One was particularly good and I must have enjoyed it too much since I forgot to write down where it was from.  C’est la vie!

All of these wines are readily available in the US.  They are also relatively inexpensive.  You can find excellent bottles of Gigondas and Chinon for less then $20.

Of course, while in Paris we drank a fair amount of Bordeaux.  Our favorite appellation is Saint-Émilion.  Then there were the numerous bottles of house wine that were excellent even if we did not know where they originated.

We jokingly started our vacation with the mantra – A bottle a day.  In the end, it wasn’t as much a mantra as a goal.  A goal that we were happy to accomplish.

Au revoir!

Highlights from France

Well our personal whirlwind 16-day Tour De France has reached its end. Well, it really wasn't a tour of all of France, just Provence and Paris. Sherry and I love France and try to get there on a regular basis. However, due to work and other boring issues it has been two and half years since our last trip.

On Thursday, September 10th, we are up and ready for the fun to begin. So with the excitement of children we get the trip started. We then realized there was nothing to get excited about just yet. You see, we were flying to Paris and then taking the train to Avignon. Plus we live north of San Francisco. What does all of this mean. It means our lovely French get-away started with a car trip to the airporter bus, a 1.5-hour bus ride, 2 hours of hanging out at the airport, a 12 hour flight, a 3 hour train ride, and finally a 15-minute cab ride to the hotel in Avignon.

Now that we are in France what's the plan. We are spending the night in Avignon as a transition to Provence where we rented a house for a week in the village of Lourmarin. After Provence, it's back on the train to Paris where we rented an apartment in the 6th Arrondisement. Since this was quite a trip, we will simply provide a few highlights from starting with Avignon.

Avignon at one point in history was a palace for the Pope and much of its history and attractions center on the palace. Since we only spent the one night, and have been to Avignon before, we focused on relaxing, finding a great place for dinner, and adjusting to the time change. The plan was to turn in early but we discovered there was light and slide show shown on the palace walls that only happens once a year so of course we had to see that.

The next day we picked up the rental car and headed for Lourmarin. On the way we pick up a rental bike as well. This is our first visit to this Provencal village and it was gorgeous. We spent the next week exploring town markets, cycling Mont Ventoux, and consuming some of the best food and wine you can imagine. There will be future stories that focus on our adventures such as the market at Isle-sur-le-Sorgue, lunch at Le Bistro du Paradou and the life in Lourmarin.

After a lovely week in Provence we are off to Paris. We have been there numerous times before but it never ceases to amaze us. Quite simply, we love Paris. We have never expereinced any of the stories of rude French and this trip was no different. So for the next 7 days we spent our time relaxing, sight-seeing, eating, drinking, shopping and enjoying all that Paris has to offer. Sadly, the last day arrived so we followed our tradition. The last night of every trip we go to the Trocadero and savor the view of the Eiffel Tower. It is then down to a cafe, with an Eiffel Tower view, for a final glass of champagne.

So there you have it. Just a quick little tease of the stories and adventures to come about this fantastic trip.

Until then . . .

Au revoir!

Off to France

Sherry and I are off to France today and we cannot think of a better time to launch our latest blog. We are so excited about taking the opportunity to share our adventures in travel, food, wine and life with anyone who may find it enjoyable.

Sherry and I have been to France many times before. We simply love it! We both think we must have been French in a previous life. We particularly love Paris. I know, I know. Everyone has heard the stories of how badly Parisians treat Americans. Quite frankly, we have never experienced or even seen it.

So what's the plan? We fly to Paris today but don't arrive until tomorrow. Then we take the high-speed train, the TGV, to Avignon where we will spend Friday night. On Saturday, we pick the car, and my rental bike, and head to the heart of Provence. After a glorious week of eating, drinking, cycling, shopping, and relaxing, it's off to Paris for a week.

So stay tuned. And if you promise to read this blog from time to time, we promise to raise a glass of wine in your honor while overlooking the vineyards of Provence.

Until then . . .

Au revoir

The First Post

Coming Soon!!!

Adventures in life as experienced through food, wine, travel and friends!