Provence from Fayence: Provence Guide

I imagined this piece about Monte Carlo would be full of typos and bizarre facts & figures! Actually, the Hindu's description and history of Monte Carlo is succint and readable. Well, it is India's biggest paper @ 14m subscription and with 130+ years of history.

I have to say, I am not sure that it has a 4000km coastline, but still...and I'm not certain about this: "Monte Carlo, which lies in the French Riviera on the Mediterranean sea in Monaco, surrounded by France and close to Italy, is one helluva place. Not for nothing is it known internationally as a favourite haunt of the rich and famous."

I'm very happy to plug this book, available early next spring. I have followed Julian loosely since I started this blog and am happy to see these marvellously evocative paintings in print.

Heading to the Riviera? Check it out online first here:

We love the Four Seasons (Terre Blanche) near Fayence in Provence. OK, it's shockingly expensive - especially in the current climate - but sometimes you just have to say; "hey, let's take senior management there on expenses." And that's what BT did - per the Telegraph.

"Just a month after announcing plans to double job cuts to 30,000 and plunging to its second-ever full-year loss, BT took 150 of its sales staff and their partners on a £1m trip to the south of France. The trip to the Four Seasons hotel in Provence came as Ian Livingston, the company's chief executive, apologised to shareholders for the company's "unacceptable" performance which saw the shares drop to an all-time low."

Maybe they could have just had the burgers - they only come in at 28 euros, but the service is impeccable, the views spectacular and the wild boar are kept off the golf course by the tall green metal fences.  I am sure the senior executives would have been well rested and looked after - thereby helping them make good, strategic decisions about BT's future.

Plus, the mobile reception sucks round there, so few interruptions - or maybe the telco chiefs are scouting untapped markets?

Can't wait for this to travel. Toni Harting - a photographer from Toronto - is exhibiting is pictures of everyday life in Provence.

You can see some exmples of the show online.

Planning your Christmas in Provence? Check out this:"This square is cornered by large plane trees, cascading with tiny lights, and centred with a fountain. Above the plane trees strings of fairy lights form a canopy circus style. The square appears brilliant against the night sky as if dressed with diamonds. "

Read more Chez Kelli.

The Haut-Var - often overlooked by tourists, thankfully - offers many delights. Here picked up by the Telegraph. Bargemon we like, although there is traffic trying to find Beckham's haunted chateau. The general message is that away from the coast (Cannes, St. Tropez, Frejus etc), you get real olde worlde Provence which starts at about 500m of elevation. I like the markets: "Rather than the worst tourist tat, the bustling markets are filled with the best local produce – rough-cut cheeses, misshapen sausages, aromatic herbs and lavender soap, as well as freshly baked baguettes, honey and crisp rosé wine. "

From us to the Gorges and Ste-Croix, it's about a 90 minute drive.

The classic Provencal salad - Salade Nicoise) is paid homage by the Chicago Tribune. I like the sound of these olives "Nicoise olives are small, dark and oval-shaped. Their briny meatiness adds a unique and defining signature to this zesty vegetable and tuna mixture."

For those of you who wondered about the nutritional value of Salade Nicoise, here it is: 390 calories, 46% of calories from fat, 20 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 25 g carbohydrates, 28 g protein, 309 mg sodium, 5 g fiber.

The Four Seasons Terre-Blanche near Fayence gets a gushing review in the WSJ: "beautifully landscaped with lavender, white and pink oleander, and other flora that make the air intoxicatingly fragrant."

The writer was troubled by the bugs, though: "Many creepy crawlers found their way into our suite (as one manager told me, “It was a forest; they still think it is their home”). To discourage them, I put plastic shower caps over the cookie-and-sweets plates left daily in the suite."

Watch out for the Caesar's Salad: "...with four nuggets of chicken and roughly five romaine leaves for about $40. "

Coastal style? Sea scents, driftwood mirrors etc. Am sorely tempted by these mediterranean sea-style Lavender sachets I came across from a company called Florestine.

Or the Lavender-scented candle to burn on the patio in the evening - our lavender normally does for the wasps, so maybe a replacement for citronella candles? Florestine obviously have an expensive copy-writer: how  purple is this:

"Blissfully infused with true lavender essence distilled from organic lavandul officinalis and lavanda vera, the indigenous signature scent of a Mediterranean summer. This fragranced and richly lavender coloured candle is hand-made by small family companies for Ortigia, a boutique Italian scent and accessories company in Sicily."

Interesting observations from Jim Budd about Provence rosé. One - that most Provence rosé growers are  "completely stupid" for not using screw caps - only 4 out of 80 used them. Jim's argument is that it's just a a darn sight easier. Two, that the same Provence rosé growers are being silly about getting upset over the mix up red and white to get rosé debate.

Still, Jim does prefer wines from the Loire region.

Engaging images and commentary about Provence from Lonely Planet - maker of the guides. Holly the Australienne creates a pleaseant, warm feeling about the place, featuring roman ruins, French markets with heaps of garlic, lunches in vineyards, Plane-tree lined avenues and lots of sunshine - enjoy!

It's amazing the lure that Provence has for non-residents or distant watchers. I am not undermining its charm and splendours, but some of the notions folk concoct about life in Provence are amazing.

In Evansville, USA, they imagine this: "Wouldn't it be nice to live somewhere romantic such as Provence or Tuscany, where all you have to do is step out your back door to find tasty wild greens and herbs growing on the hillsides?"

In Canada, it's this: "The roots of the Roman Empire run deep throughout southern France, no more so than in rural Provence. With its sunny scrublands, Riviera, vineyards, olive trees and Mediterranean cuisine, parts of Provence could pass for northern Italy. But Francophiles will find Provence also offers the best of la belle France -- Sunday markets, sleepy towns where locals play petanque, fields of lavender and salade Nicoise."

Maybe I shall compile a guide book of journalistic expressiveness about Provence.

Have updated the page about books set in or about Provence. Check out books in Provence.

I have been asked about birds of Provence. The feathered variety, not the St-Tropez species. Not being an ornithologist, I reached for Google, fearing the worst. The search "Birds of Provence" brings up little of immediate value and, to be honest, the internet offers very little on Provence's apparent wealth of birds.

So I made a reference page of the best I could find, called Birds of Provence. The pink flamingoes of Camargue are the main attraction.

"Sir Sean Connery has won a multi-million-pound court battle over a business deal involving diamonds, villas and property on the French Riviera. "

The winner is the Telegraph.

More grumblings regarding rosé production - this time from Anjou. "The debate threatens to re-ignite a much wider, and more explosive, argument on the nature of wine itself. Is wine a mysterious product of soil, soul, weather, grapes, sweat and tradition? Or is it an industrial product for mass-consumption like any other?"

The answer - label real rosé as "traditional": "when news of the decision began to circulate, pink grapes of wrath fermented in Provence and Anjou. "Real" rosé wines could be marketed under a new label: "traditional rosé". Blended or "fake", rose wines would have to be labelled "rosé coupé" or "rosé de coupage." But, claim producers, "it should not be for us to have to rename our wine. If the others want to label their bottles 'rosé made from jumbling up red and white', that's fine."

The debate threatens to re-ignite a much wider, and more explosive, argument on the nature of wine itself. Is wine a mysterious product of soil, soul, weather, grapes, sweat and tradition? Or is it an industrial product for mass-consumption like any other?

There's an extraordinary proposal that the EU would allow any wine producer in Europe to blend white and red wine to produce rosé. "Pink plonk can be made by simply mixing red and white."Naturally, Provence rosé producers are up in arms.

The uproar has generated some fantastic rhetoric:

"The battle for rosé's nobility risks being lost with a wave of Europe's magic wand. When you go home tonight, try mixing white wine with a few drops of red wine. It comes out orange and doesn't taste good It's nothing like rosé."

"It's as if the ferryboat was sinking and there was only one lifeboat – rosé. The new rules will allow everyone to jump in the boat and the result will be that everyone will drown. All our efforts have borne fruit and have permitted French rosé to be the world market leader. Now they want to saw off the branch which we have nurtured and are sitting on."

Producers say it is sacrilegious to simply throw together different coloured wine rather than following the "nobler" tradition of macerating red grapes for a few hours and bleeding off the rose-tinted liquid.

I am constantly reminding folk what a great place Provence is for cycling holidays - not that I would do it myself. Guests to our house at Mons do the 4km to the local village (with 300m of elevation) with gusto, and David our neighbour punishes his body with a 60-80km road trip every Saturday, dreaming of Lance Armstrong. 

Here's Nicholas Roe of the Daily Mail trying to enjoy 3 days on the saddle.  "If you're going to try a biking holiday, Provence is a wonderful place to start. Sure, it's hilly  -  my own 75-mile, three-day circuit had many climbs on the first two days, although it was almost entirely downhill on day three. But distracting you from the pain of effort is an almost constant parade of scenery...And when you get tired? Well, there are beautiful villages to welcome you with cries of 'Bonjour Monsieur!' and coffee, wine and cakes. "

Here's a review of the latest study in Provence's essence: Seeking Provence: Old Myths, New Paths by Nicholas Woodsworth. The central theme of the work according to the Telegraph is thus: "Provence and the Mediterranean in general are ...unique repositories of a sensual way of connecting with the earth, life and all its works." Hmmm.

I liked the picture - a classic Provence vista.

We are thrilled with this painting that Vicky Claringbold, our neighbour in London, painted of our holiday home nr. Mons in Provence.

This is the view from under the two large olives at the front of the house.

The folk at "Lost in France" were good to enough to publish an article that I penned - full of good tips about what to do near Fayence on your holidays.

Coleen and Wayne are coming to town, according to Marie Claire.

Beats the Wirral, I guess, but I wonder where?

Incredible. France tops the world 2008 "quality of life" index, according to Living Internation (and here's the commentary). I will retire now.

The rest of you can enjoy a taster of life in Provence in Mons.

Fascinating article from San Francisco about Brettanomyces, a fungus that imparts certain odours to certain wines, it appears. The wine cited by the author happens to be a Bandol: " vividly remember the first Château Pradeaux I tasted. This mourvèdre-based red from the region of Bandol in France's Provence had the distinct odour of a horse-filled barn. When I served the wine to a friend, he looked up, smiling, and pronounced his judgement: "This smells like s--t.""

I am truly encouraged to discover that there is in fact an official best baguette. Apparently there's an annual competition: "Best Baguette in Paris Award 2008". 14 of the entrants 143 14 were automatically eliminated for not complying with the criteria of size and weight peculiar to the “baguette tradition” (70 cm long, between 250 and 300 g) - only in France. Or maybe that's the EU?

Well - the baguette tournament was a cliffhanger, coming down to a nerve-wracking run-in between "two baguettes – numbers 132 and 97 – which were tied. The jury therefore carefully re-examined them, still tasting “blind”, in order to decide between them. Number 132 was unanimously found to be richer in aroma and taste, whilst number 97 appealed perhaps more for its attractively browned appearance and voluptuous, gourmet aspect."

Here's the winner brandishing the victorious baguette: Anis Bouabsa,28. Apart from the glory, he will be supplying the Élysée palace for a year so will have to hire someone to deliver the President’s baguettes every morning.

You have to hand it to Browns Fashion (of South Molton Street fame).

Surely, Browns' Jelly Shoes are the ultimate fashion beachwear item? I picture folk all over French Riviera beaches sporting these jelly shoes this summer as they coast the sands in Cannes & Antibes. Of 100% rubber, they must feel gorgeous.

At £80 - surely a steal?

Truffles have become such an important global commodity, up there with oil, gold and pork bellies, that the FT is covering them.

The writer negotiates Richerenches with michelin-starred chef Michel Rostang. His advice about picking them: it's about the dealer (so they don't mix the smart stuff with fakes), the smell and the appearance. And cooking them: "I don't mix truffles with other flavours, it's all about the truffle." He recommends starchy foods that absorb flavour, such as potatoes, pasta or Jerusalem artichokes.

Petanque is the native provencal ball game - it a bit like football in the UK.  I read in the Times that the name pétanque comes from the Provençal words ped tanco, or pieds tanqués in French, meaning having your feet stuck to the ground. Because there is no run-up, the pitch is shorter than in other boules games. These days pétanque is played by about 17 million people in France and in more than 50 other countries.

I sound better than the author of the piece, but then I played squash as a teenager and developed the flexibility of wrist much cherished by boulistes.

The article has a brief summary of the rules. First to thirteen, not the fifteen I've been playing.

Cracking review of the Four Seasons Terre Blanche upmarket resort. We advise friends to nip down for a burger or if you can run to it a 100 euro per head slap up meal.

The Four Seasons now boasts a spa, which our friend Arja who understands and appreciates fine things, has joined and she loves it. Arja has become an Ambassador and offered us a day pass so we could try its delights, but sadly we had to fly back to the grey and cold.

Truffles in France might be dying out. Or rather, after a very dry summer, there's a huge shortage that has got everyone talking.

Prices for the best quality large truffles in the bulk market have reached an eye-popping €900 a kilo. And climate change could benefit the Brits: "If it carries on like this, we are all dead," said one truffle producer. "You may find you have truffles in England in 10 years' time...Truffles need moisture in the summer or they die or never develop."

Unfortunately, it's a black art. trufficulteurs may meet, but no one really understands why and how truffles grow. A series of dry summers, and dry winters, especially the blazing summer of 2003, has had a devastating effect on even the cultivated truffles. The legally recorded harvest in France will struggle to reach 15 tonnes this year, compared to 50 tonnes a few years ago (and 1,200 tonnes in the 19th century).

For more, here's a nice piece in the Independent.

St. Tropez' very own soap "Sous le Soleil" could be coming to a screen near you. The trailers look very fromageux but we can't wait to get the experience. And I quote: "The part drama, part rom-com has tracked the lives of three lovely ladies in the Cote d’Azur town, where glamour, money, large yachts, expensive villas and celebrities are plentiful. The story lines may be shallow, but sales have been rock-solid, with the series selling to more than 120 countries, including 20 networks in Europe. " Here's a trailer from You Tube...

I was shocked to read in Telegraph that pockets of Provence are over-run by giant scorpions, beetles, squabbling hornets, stinging centipedes, allergy caterpillars and the like. Piffle I say, it's a land of lavender, olive oil and figs.

"Twice we've been woken by scorpions crawling over our legs under the covers. The trouble is that, like most countryside dwellings alongside the Mediterranean, it's not just the scorpions you have to watch, it's a whole host of supersized arachnids and unpleasantly shaped bugs that can sting, bite, grip, plague and scare you until you agree that it's their house, too.... At one point last summer we had scolopendra in the roof terrace, wasps stinging people beside the pool, hornets fighting in the fig tree, a giant wasp spider shaking his web in the lavender, a foot-long green lizard hiding behind the back door and a snake hissing from the bay tree, as well as the squadrons of scorpions and black indescribables in the garage. Still want to move to Provence?"

Maybe the writer was an insect-gaoler in a previous life? OK, I confess, there are one or two bugs but they're terribly pleasant, especially the crickets who are soooo playful the children catch them bare-handed.

Canadairs flying low over Provence in groups of three and four is a regular sight in the summer. Unfortunate as well, as its a sure sign of forest fire. See smoke and the Canadairs will follow - and vice versa.
In the Fayence/Montauroux region, its the Lac St. Cassien that feeds the airplanes: they dive in low over the bridge and scoop up water.

Cotes de Provence appellation controlee is so upset that Rose de Provence is being used by PGA to describe its new wine that the case is now with the French fraud office.

"Provence’s largest AOC union, Côtes de Provence, has accused local firm PGA Domaines of “stealing” the region’s name for its new Rosé de Provence wine. Rules prevent wine brands in France from using any part of an existing AOC name."

Experts believe the rose row is part of a broader debate about the creation of one regional AOC to cover the whole of Provence.

A uniquely french debate.

Well, it's official. Lobsters ("homard") and prawns ("crevette) feel pain. Scientists poured vinegar on their antennae and they tried to rub it off anxiously. No surprises there, then. If somebody poured vinegar on my tender extremities, I am not sure I would like it.

Funny how we chastise ourselves horribly for cooking these gorgeous creatures, especially when they are known to practise cannibalism. Bet that doesn't trouble them as much as it does us. Boil them, I say.

Nothing quite like a "plat de fruits de mer", washed down by an exceptionally dry Sancerre.

We love to hate the French - and vice versa. I read an amusing article in the Sunday Times entitled "why can’t the English be more like the French?" and the sub-heading "with the high-speed link to London about to open at last, Hortense de Monplaisir warns her fellow Parisians of the horreurs anglais that await them". I read to find an amusing satire of English mores from a Parisienne's perspective, covering London houses, Boden catalogues, an Englishman's sex life and our love of Marks and Spencer, house price conversation and "me time." Here's a few nuggets:

* It is well known that Englishmen are no good at sex. They go at it in a medieval fashion, blind drunk, ignorant and with no respect for la séduction.

* THE best shortcut to the English Look can be found in the “jolly hockey sticks” Boden mail-order catalogue. Large pale Englishmen are photographed in the country, cavorting with “good sport” girlfriends, with captions that assume the reader has no knowledge or feeling for clothes. He favours large beige trousers to house thighs like tree trunks, while she downs a pint of bitter in a lurid floral cardigan and a camisole “cut to conceal, not to reveal”.

* Documentaries show Londoners happily fleeing their homeland to hide away in some godforsaken corner of la France profonde. Can you imagine a Parisian family abandoning their apartment to begin a new life in a cottage in Wales?

And then I discovered you could buy a whole book on the subject Le Dossier: How to Survive the English!by Sarah Long. I shall buy one.

So here we are in the west side of Milwaukee (beer country). And two cooks start a restaurant which combines a New York deli with French Riviera nuances. What a bizarre concept, especially when it's based on romaine lettuce which one rarely sees in Provence.

"The French Rivera influence comes from the time Schultz spent traveling in France and is primarily represented at Laissez Faire in salad form....the goat cheese with bacon is spring mix with bacon, sunflower seeds and goat cheese with a sherry vinaigrette. The lunch salad starts with romaine and adds blue cheese, cucumber, scallions and hard-boiled egg with a cobb dressing. The Duck Confit tops them all with duck, romaine, spring mix, walnuts and dried apricots with a balsamic reduction."

Food marketing!

Interesting profile of Claude Ellena, Hermes' head perfumer, in the LA Times, "finally where he wants to be: hidden away in a Provençal pine forest where he can explore his inspiration."

"I have no interest in trying to reproduce nature," he says, explaining his philosophy. From a big wooden desk in the living room, Ellena mulls over his formulas while taking in a view of the forest and the Mediterranean in the distance. "I want to transform it, create olfactory illusions. Perfume isn't only about the scent of flowers. I can add molecules to make a fragrance harsh, soft, dry, fresh, bubbly, light, cool and warm." Sounds like a nice life.