Goult, Gordes and Rousillon - Les Plus Belles Villages de France

'Les Plus Belles Villages de France', simply 'The Most Beautiful Villages of France' as they are widely regarded.

We were blessed to be perched quite literally in the countryside between these 3 amazing villages, and spoilt rotten to wake up on any given day and suggest a coffee in Gordes, a beer in Goult or dinner in Rousillon.

Goult was our nearest and dearest haunt. A short drive, even a possible walk from home to this quaint little village. An amazing Thursday market, the famous Cafe de la Poste, beautiful views and some terrific shops, most notably the fromargerie and the direct-from-farm fresh fruit & veg shop on the way into town, affectionally known by E as the 'Goat Lady Shop'.

Gordes is a picture perfect village. It attracts all the crowds that visit Provence, has tour buses coming in and out every single day, and is home to French artists and movie stars.

The fortified castle at the very top of the city houses so much history with parts dating back to 1031.
The lovely cafes and restaurants in the town put on a fine display of French food, they have a (very busy) Tuesday market, and a fantastic view from the end of almost every street to the villages below and the surrounding mountains.

A 15 min drive through stunning countryside from Saint Pantaléon was Rousillon. Famous for its ochre, found in the clay surrounding it, which was mined from the 1800's to early 1900's. It is yet another gorgeous hilltop village offering a lot to it's visitors. Beautiful views across the mountains, a range of great restaurants and bars, and of course 1,001 shops selling postcards, lavender and all things made with ochre.

Yet another stunning town within easy reach of our base in Provence. Blessed.

A xx

Bistrot des Roques

Our local (and only) non-residential address in sunny Saint Pantaléon is Bistrot des Roques.

  

We stopped here on our very first afternoon in Saint Pant, and again on our last day, 16-odd weeks later. And my guess is some 45 times in between.

Right there is a clue for our fondness for this Bistrot. 

The star of the place, other than our friendly hosts, is the 16€ 3-course lunch menu. That, plus a carafe of Rosé for 8€, 2 post-lunch espressos for 3€, makes for a terrific and affordable lunch, only a short walk from our house. Perfection. 

Think of starting with mushrooms stuffed with roquefort and walnuts, or a wheel of goats cheese wrapped in flaky pastry baked with honey, or a simple but delicious salad of tomato, mozzarella, drizzled with the worlds best ever pesto. From there, perhaps entrecôte with roquefort sauce, a 7 hour slow cooked famous Provençal lamb with sautéed vegetables, or perhaps the fresh fish of the day, be it a red mullet or daurade, with seasonal salad. And let's not forget the best creme brûlée in France! It's the type of meal the French take for granted and us tourists remember for years.

Outside of lunch time, our Bistrot was a frequent coffee and croissant stop in the mornings, a semi-regular beer stop in the afternoons, and an all too frequent mango ice-cream stop for Elliot during opening hours, he didn't tend to discriminate on the morning v. afternoon thing.

This place was just so special. When you get to know the owners and their family, and when saying goodbye becomes difficult, you know that it is more than just the local restaurant. It was our Bistrot, plenty of memories, we'll miss it.

But like everything we miss - we'll be back. We'll find a way!!

Scott.

Paris je t'aime

"Paris is always a good idea"
- Audrey Hepburn, Sabrina

Audrey, I couldn't agree more. I will never tire of this city. When Elliot's Nanna and Pop told us they were flying out of Paris and asked if we wanted to join them for a few nights before their departure, we jumped at the chance.

Window shopping, actual shopping, sipping a wine and watching Paris go by. A perfect weekend.

I don't think there is ever a bad time to visit Paris, but Autumn is the prettiest. The parks are shades of yellow and orange and the morning light has you whipping your camera out at every corner - or every tree and garden bed in my case.

For the first time we cruised the Seine, a great way of seeing the sights from the water. Then we walked it - along the riverside, stopping at the secondhand book stands, picking up some little trinkets and vintage books along the way.

We were lucky enough to enjoy a dinner date thanks to Nanna babysitting E on her final night in France. We headed to our favourite neighbourhood, Saint Germain des Prés, and dined at the famous BRASSERIE LIPP. With its original art deco interior, waiters dressed in black jackets and long white aprons, this place doesn't look to have changed in 130 years.

On Sunday, we treated ourselves to breakfast at the famous Angelina cafe, a tea room dating back 110 years. Famous for it's decadent hot chocolate, (a favourite of Coco Chanel), deliciously thick and rich, and the perfect kick start to a chilly morning in Paris.

Of course, no trip to Paris (or anywhere) is complete without 6 rides on the carousel ... Elliot's most favourite thing in the world ... that and "bin tip" trucks of course!

Paris you were fantastic as always. Merci Beaucoup.

À bientôt, j'espère.


A  xx