California Dreaming

Tags

Los Angeles, The Point, True Food Kitchen, Westdrift Autograph Collection

We love Los Angeles – the vibe, the bright flowers, the warmth and the long sunny days are food for the soul. We arrived here this morning after a very smooth and comfy flight in Business class. We were lucky enough to be picked up from the airport by Roger and Frances, taking the chance to catch up over lunch while we waited for our room at the Westdrift to be made ready.

Westdrift Autograph Collection

The hotel has been made over and has a very relaxed beachy feel to it plus it is very close by to all the shopping places we know – so off we set this afternoon just as the marine layer was lifting – quite late in the day for LA. Our our New Zealand dollar is not buying as much as it has in the past so we will have to be more frugal ….

Having said that we have wandered through The Point, which is a nice oasis beside the very busy Sepulveda Blvd and also El Segundo Plaza finishing up at a favourite eatery True Food Kitchen – elegant and delicious healthy food. We have done a few steps today and jet lag is setting in …. goodnight…

On the to the Point

The Point has delightful water features

Another Point Water feature

True Food Kitchen crudités, organic wine and skinny citrus Margarita – outstanding place to eat in The Point

Destination Paris – and beyond…

Tags

Annabel Langbein, Callas, Dordogne, Eurolease, Eurovillas & Tours, Eygalieres, France, Jo Seagar, Languedoc, Loire, Paris, Provence, Radicondoli, Rick Steves, Steve Smith, Versailles

With Christmas well and truly over, we recently had the luxury of spending a few days at home with our Kiwi travelling companions, Roger and Frances. On their previous visit from LA in August, we sat down over a good old Kiwi-style lunch ( Annabel Langbein’s bacon and egg pie and Jo Seagar’s lemonade scones), and set about trying to create our itinerary – four weeks on the road in France, beginning with another cool ride on the Eurostar to Paris, where will start the trip with a much-anticipated four day stay.

However, deciding where to go after Paris was the challenge – should we scoot across to Honfleur, St Malo, or Mont-St Michel (after visiting Monet’s Gardens at Giverny), or should we head straight on down to the Loire?  From the Loire, should we continue on down to the Dordogne or across to Burgundy? Perhaps we could go from the Loire to Languedoc and then down to Provence and the Riviera? So much to see, so little time … but this is where both contacts and research are worth their weight in gold. When our friends returned to Los Angeles in August, the itinerary was still up in the air, and we all vowed to put together some ideas on how the trip should play out.

In the ensuing months I sought advice from Michele at Eurovillas and Tours, with whom we booked the Tuscan villa in beautiful Radicondoli (in 2012). She is an absolute mine of information providing ideas on where to begin, where to stop, where not stop, and offering advice which helped to shape an itinerary which flows…simple things, like keeping one night stop-overs to a minimum and pointing out the value of taking a Eurolease car rather than a rental (this is a great idea by the way, and one we embraced, and latterly have booked).

The View up to Radicondoli

The Pool at the Villa

Podere Colombaiolo (Bella Vista) in Radicondoli

After just one email outlining our possible routes, Michele had provided informative brochures describing tried and true places – endorsed in the main from her personal experience. I discovered beautiful little Provencal towns, I had never heard of –   Eygalieres, and Callas for example, which offer the most beautiful accommodation for a relaxing week in the June sun. I was able to forward all the information and accommodation brochures to LA for approval and before we knew it, everything was booked!

By the time Roger and Frances returned to visit a couple of weeks ago, our itinerary just needed some fine tuning – where should we stay in London for instance, what London show we should see, and on what days should we do the celebrated tourists sites once in Paris etc? ( Versailles for instance is closed on Mondays).

Our final itinerary is based, for the most part, on the first half of a 3 weeks road trip outlined by Rick Steves and Steve Smith in France 2012, and we will be staying in accommodation recommended by Eurovillas, all of which we have found to be very well reviewed on Trip Advisor.  To ensure we would have current information,  I pre-ordered the 2014 edition of Rick Steves’ book, and as luck would have it, I received it on Friday, just in time to share it this morning with Roger and Frances. They are on their way back to LA, but we managed a final trip review over a leisurely morning tea on the deck, this time with delicious Ministry of Food cheese scones and Annabel Langbein’s divine Choconut slice.  Not only that, Roger bought us a gift – a stunning photographic publication called Destination Paris.. just to whet our appetites even more – in fact, I am about to dip into now….

Note: Rick Steves’ website has recently been revamped and is even more informative now than previously. Take a look the all-new site here with the fantastic addition of “Watch, Read, Listen” where you can view free, full-length TV shows, on demand. It is a fantastic resource!

The Christmas feast dilemma …

Tags

Annabel Langbein, Bill Granger, gluten-free diet, Nadia Lim, Strawberry Cloud cake

How on earth do you decide what will appear on your Christmas lunch or dinner table with such a plethora of fantastic recipes to choose from – and from so many sources, including the Internet.  A week or so before Christmas, I thought I had settled on a final menu but then some Facebook posts threw me….

I am a big Nadia Lim fan, and prior to the big day, her posts made me change my mind several times about what I would prepare. Regarding dessert for  instance,  I had pretty much decided on trying her Lemon Curd and Blueberry Pavlova, just for something a bit different, – less ‘Christmassy’ but no doubt divine. Then a few days later she posted Dark Chocolate and Cherry Cheesecake (gluten-free) which looked like Christmas and sounded luscious as well. Then, on flicking through Annabel Langbein’s Summer Annual, I discovered a layered meringue dessert, and in a recent Australian Women’s Weekly I came across a Pavlova Christmas tree. I love pavlova, but my girls are not keen, so I put aside the last two recipes and resorted to a favourite – Annabel’s Strawberry Cloud Cake – it is so easy and so impressive! And because it looked pretty I made Nadia’s cheesecake as well – it was easy, decadent and delicious!

Traditionally I bake a ham using Jo Seagar’s apricot and maple syrup glaze, but I discovered in the Annabel annual, a similar glaze but with the addition of rum – so I combined the two and it worked well! I love concentrating on the desserts for Christmas,  because they are a more creative project – once the ham is prepared I can leave it to my husband to take charge of that in the BBQ, along with the other meats  – this year it was Bill Granger’s Herb-Crusted Lamb Racks, and some chicken sausages for the little ones.

I left it up to my elder daughter to bring yummy pre-lunch nibbles and wine, and my younger daughter brought a divine Prawn and avocado Salad, based on Bill Granger’s Prawn Cocktail recipe, and a very nice champagne. So ultimately, with the help of the Internet, magazines, and recipes books we had a wonderfully varied and delicious Christmas lunch from which I am still recovering!

Posted with Blogsy

PS – the grandchildren were not forgotten – they got a wee gingerbread house to demolish – with a hammer…

The Ostro-phile…..

Tags

Auckland, Britomart, Cobus Klopper, Josh Emmet, Ostro, Seafarers Building, The Denizen, Tommy Doyle

Well, I finally made it to Ostro, the new brasserie in the Seafarers building in the vibrant Britomart complex.  Venturing out in the worst possible weather for an early summer evening meal was worth it, as Ostro definitely came up trumps.  It was a brilliant dining experience, despite the inclement weather – some thoughts follow:

The entry: My friend and I took the stairs rather than the lift up to the third floor entrance, ushered in through a cafe by a large but friendly security guard. With our umbrellas dripping from the heavy rain, we reached the landing, and encountered the weathered but somehow welcoming face of old seafarer, Tommy Doyle. What perfect placement of a fantastic photograph.

The Space – it is huge – almost breath-taking when you see it for the first time, and pretty amazing in every respect – with the City Terrace Bar on the Tyler street side which offers a great range of food, an amazing long bar in the centre space, and the brasserie itself facing the harbour. Lined with floor-to-ceiling windows, if offers a stunning view – on our visit, we watched through the rain-splattered glass, as a car freighter disgorged cars onto the wharf in a fascinating and well-orchestrated routine. The tables on the balcony outside were unoccupied due to the dreadful weather, but I can imagine they will be highly sought-after during the summer, for cruisy lunches and evening meals.

The ambience: buzzing, vibrant – definitely a great vibe. It was simply humming – packed with animated diners and those enjoying after-work and pre-dinner drinks. As we ate, we almost felt part of huge party, yet we were able to converse without shouting and could hear each other around a table of seven quite easily. Our table was very near the kitchen and we noted how calm it seemed, despite the huge number of dishes which they must have turned out during the time we were dining.

The service: The dapper Maitre’D lead us to our table and left us in the care of the attentive but unobtrusive wait staff, who made sure we had what we needed throughout the meal. Our water was continually topped up, the tables cleared quickly and efficiently between courses, and the dishes were very well explained when delivered to us.  I liked the variety of uniforms too – with an understated nautical feel to them, they are simple but apt.

 The food: Josh Emmet’s menu is stunning, and perfectly executed by Head Chef Cobus Klopper and his team.  With emphasis on seafood as you might expect , there is variety enough to suit all palates.  We shared platters for our entree, just two dishes but they complemented each other perfectly – Seared Yellowfin Tuna with the delicious Curious Croppers Tomatoes.  I would have been happy with the tomatoes as my main dish they were so delicious! We wisely complemented our entrees with moreish, freshly-baked Ostro Stecca Bread with Seaweed Butter.

Mains choices at our table included Line-caught Tarahiki, with Candied Grapes, Fennel and Toasted Almonds, and Snapper ‘a la Plancha’,  both of which were delicious and beautifully presented. My own choice was Roast Canterbury Lamb Rump, with Farro, Cauliflower, Capers, Raisins and Pedro Ximénez – I can honestly say I have never eaten lamb that virtually melted in my mouth as this did – it was a taste sensation.

Desserts were very different, quite retro even, and very well received by all. The Vanilla Pannacotta was fantastic, especially served with the contrasting berry sorbet,and the pansy on the top was a delightful touch. The Brandy Snaps were delicately thin as they should be, and the Rum Babas were exquisite, as were the Petit Fours. As most of us were driving we didn’t test the comprehensive wine list with gusto, but we did share an excellent bottle of Prosecco and finished the meal with a great coffee.

The verdict: While I admit that I have a connection with Ostro through family, I can honestly say that my blog post would have been identical, had this not been the case. Ostro has been receiving excellent reviews, and I was looking forward to my meal there with great anticipation. I can truly say I was not disappointed, and neither were my companions. It was wonderful venue to celebrate a 50th birthday in style, and we all left feeling that we had enjoyed a meal that was truly special. Ostro, you have me, hook, line and sinker.

PS For an independent and more eloquent review with beautiful photos of the interior and the food, plus information regarding the building design, see The Denizen here and also this link. For great photos and a foodie blog post see My Dining Journey.

Main ingredient? Nadia Lim …. and a dash of Josh Emett, Julie Le Clerc, and Nici Wickes

Tags

Britomart, Cookbooks, Josh Emett, Julie Le Clerc, Nadia Lim, New Zealand, Nici Wickes, Ostro, Recipes, Seafarers Building, World Kitchen

I recently blogged about my growing collection of New Zealand cookbooks and I am delighted to confess I have just added another.  As a librarian responsible for the acquisition of New Zealand material, I was lucky enough to have Nadia Lim’s new cookbook pass across my desk, and what a beauty it is. Nadia Lim’s Good Food Cookbook is cram full of healthy, delicious and easy recipes – as soon as I started flicking through it, I knew I would buy it. Having owned it for just a week I had made four recipes from it – all were fast, easy and incredibly delicious, the stand out so far being Steak with Orange Miso Sauce, Sesame Cavolo Nero and Kumara Mash – we savoured every delicious mouthful! The Lamb with Tzatziki and Roast Cauliflower Pearl Couscous was a taste sensation, as was the Spanish Fish Stew and we greedily devoured the Barbecued Lamb and Olive Panzanella.

What has impressed me with Nadia’s recipes (I own her first book too) , is that they are nutritionally well-balanced, with each one accompanied by a simple nutritional breakdown.  Not only that, they were so quick to prepare, rivalling my well-used Jamie’s 15 minute Meals. The book is chock full of mouth-watering recipes, blending all sorts of flavours- Mediterrean, Middle Eastern and Asian, and the sweet fare looks enticing. There are also gluten-free options. All in all it is one of the best homegrown cookbooks I have seen this year.

I must mention too, the magazine I bought recently- the latest NEXT.  I was attracted by the promise of some great recipes for Christmas fare, and also because it  features Josh Emmet on cover. Due to a family connection, I have been watching the development of Josh’s new Auckland project Ostro with interest.  A brassierie with the most stunning view of the harbour, it can be found in the Seafarer’s Building in Britomart and it is receiving excellent reviews, like this one by another homegrown chef, Nici Wickes. (watch this space for a report on my own personal experience dining at Ostro next week).

But I digress … NEXT is consistently a good read, and always has an excellent selection of articles and recipes, the December issue being no exception. I dove straight in and made Julie Le Clerc’s Tomato Bean and Pearl Couscous Salad with Chilli-Herbal Dressing and it was great! (You can check out Julie’s blog here).

Julie’s Salad

Nadia’s new book and December NEXT

The NEXT cover story on Josh Emmet, gives an insight into what makes him tick and mentions his new cookbook Cut which I also saw in the course of my job. It is a beautiful book, with some brilliant photography and recipes for every cut of meat you could imagine, including rabbit and venison. The one that took my eye was my own personal favourite cut – lamb – Slow Roasted Shoulder of Lamb with Miso Glaze and Steamed Aubergine sounds delicious… perhaps I should be adding Cut to my collection too…

PS if you haven’t checked out Nici Wickes World Kitchen website take a look – it it is great source for recipes – one of my favourites being One Pan Chicken, Rice and Beans…

Those Two Greedy Italians… again

Tags

Antonio Carluccio, Calabria, Gennaro Contaldo, Italian cuisine, Italy, Modica, Nicky Pellegrino, Sicily, The Food of Love Cookery School, Two Greedy Italians

I do so love stumbling upon things which pique my interest. Last evening, while I sat looking through our photos taken in Italy last year, the television was on in the background and I suddenly recognised familiar voices.  I looked up to see two of my favourite celebrity chefs – the delightful Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo – the Two Greedy Italians – in a 2nd series, (2012), Two Greedy Italians : Still Hungry.   As entertaining as ever, and totally at ease with each other, they are travelling though Italy eating, cooking and providing wonderful social commentary on Italian family life and culture. It was fascinating and thoroughly watchable. The orange rice cake Gennaro was preparing in this particular episode, Calabria, looked so easy and delicious that I later searched the Internet for the recipe -and also found this great review on the accompanying book, Two Greedy Italians Eat Italy, which I couldn’t resist buying.

I am now eagerly awaiting the screening of the next episode, but in the meantime I will continue to immerse myself in the book I am currently reading, coincidentally also about Italian food, fiction though it maybe. The Food of Love Cookery School by Nicky Pellegrino is set in Sicily, and based on her research at the Love Sicily Cookery School in Modica, which you can read about here.  If you love Italy and Italian food, then reading one of Nicky’s novels will keep you engaged and wanting more. Excuse me now, I have a book to read….

Tempting Treats in Venice

Beautiful Chicken Dish in Florence

White Pizza in Radicondoli

Gelato in Colle di Val D’Elsa

Fresh fare in Siena

Bruschetta in Siena

Delicious seafood in Levanto

Kiwi cookbook magic …

Tags

Angela Redfern, Annabel Langbein, Bill Granger, Chelsea Winter, Cookbooks, Donna Hay, Elizabeth Lind, Jamie Oliver, Julie Le Clerc, Kim Evans, Nadia Lim, New Zealand, NIgella Lawson, Petite Kitchen, Yotam Ottolenghi

It is no secret that I am addicted to buying cookbooks but the fact that I have been on leave for nearly six months has meant that I have had to restrain myself and make use of my growing library of culinary treasures. Titles by celebrity chefs like Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver, Donna Hay, Bill Granger, and my new favourite Yotam Ottolenghi (whose book Jerusalem is a standout), will always have a place in my collection. Their recipes are doable, delicious and often quick and easy to prepare.  Having talked about restraint, I admit I did recently purchase Polpo by Russell Norman, but I have resisted the temptation to go Italian, delving instead into my collection of Kiwi cookbooks, and I realise what a treasury of fabulous recipes I have, courtesy of writers like Annabel Langbein, Julie Le Clerc, Angela Redfern, Elizabeth Lind, Natalie Oldfield, Nadia Lim, and Kim Evans.

While I do have favourites like Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals, Nigella’s Kitchen, Donna Hay’s Fast Fresh and Simple and Bill Granger’s Everyday Asian, I have been relying recently on homegrown recipes from the books of those talented Kiwi cooks I mention above, and others besides. Each book engenders a favourite recipe or two – from Annabel Langbein’s The Free Range Cook  it has to be Thai Beef Salad and the stunning Strawberry Cloud Cake; from her Free Range in the City, Cheesy Rocket Scones hit the mark along with Quick Zucchini Fritters, while from Simple Pleasures Bang Bang Chicken Salad and Fragrant Lentils are taste delights; Julie Le Clerc’s French Chicken and Mustard Pie (from More Simple Café food) has been a family favourite for years, along with Crispy Noodle Salad with Chilli and Spring onion Vinaigrette; Ripe has spawned the favourite Go Go Chicken and Smoky Israeli Couscous Salad, while the new Ripe Recipes – a Fresh Batch has already provided a favourite pie which I mention below; Elizabeth Lind’s La Cigale provides Chicken, Olive and Preserved Lemon Tagine among others; Treats from Little and Friday has given a favourite biscuit recipe plus the delectable Frittata; Nadia’s Kitchen supplies a wonderful winter warmer- Red Lentil, Ginger and Pumpkin Soup and the Balsamic Mushrooms on Toast are delicious; and Natalie Oldfield entices with the gorgeous Luscious Lemon slice and Neenish Tarts in Gran’s Kitchen.

Owning recipes books like these, is like having a treasure chest – each time you sift through them looking for inspiration, you can find something to suit what is currently in the pantry, plus you have the added bonus that these books are filled with little anecdotes, which often resonate with the reader, simply because of a shared culinary heritage and history. I think that for me, the joy in owing these books is in the reading, not the cooking.

New Zealanders do comfort food really well so here is how I have used some of these books over the winter months – I made the most delicious 7 Hour Lamb dish from the beautiful La Cigale by Elizabeth Lind, followed by the tempting Shepherd’s Pie from the latest Ripe book, and the classic New Zealand favourite – Mince and Cheese Pie found in Treats from Little and Friday, plus each week some sweet delight will be made from that same book, such as scrumptious Chocolate Chip Cookies and Anzac biscuits, or the Extra Thick Ginger Crunch from Julie Le Clerc’s Cafe at Home.

I should mention the wonderful NZ foodie magazine Dish, to which I subscribe – it never fails to deliver and with each issue a favourite will emerge – for instance in the latest issue the Lamb and Eggplant Bake is delish!  Cuisine is another gem – the Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup from the Italian Issue is now a firm favourite. Kiwi blogs and websites too, provide wonderful recipes – Eleanor Ozich’s Petite Kitchen is an excellent wholefood blog and Chelsea Winter’s website is a goldmine.  There are so many other fantastic cookbooks written by New Zealanders and I look forward to experimenting with their recipes… (the beautiful Alice in Bakingland comes to mind!) but that will have to wait until I return to work ….

The allure of Venice – in the words of another …

Tags

bacari, Cookbook, Italy, Polpo, richard beatty, Venetian Cookbook, Venice

If you have been following my blog, you will be aware of the impact that the city of Venice had on me during our first visit there last year – ever since, I have struggled to describe the indelible impression it made on me. I have been able to produce only single adjectives – breathtaking, beautiful, colourful, stunning but nothing that truly describes it.

By serendipity, I now have those words, albeit not written by me, but by someone far more eloquent, who has captured in one short paragraph what I believe to be the essence of Venice. Where did I come across this beautiful piece of writing? – well of all places,  in a cookbook. A friend who knows of my passion for Venice, recently recommended a cookbook called Polpo : a Venetian Cookbook (of sorts) written by Russell Norman. I was able to get my hands on the book sooner than I expected as I discovered a copy amongst my daughter’s burgeoning and ecletic collection. As I flicked avidly through it, looking at the recipes and beautifully styled platters of food, I knew I had to have it.

Recently, I curled up on the couch and began to read in earnest, rather than leafing though the beautiful photos, and I was amazed when I read these words: “Venice is a city built on water. It is preposterous. If you couldn’t see it with your own eyes and touch it with your own fingers, you would think it is some poetic fantasy. It shouldn’t be there at all. But it is. And it is beautiful beyond words.” There, in a nutshell, the author effortlessly captures my own first impressions of Venice – the beauty, the impact and the essence of it. Thanks for that Mr Norman! I love too, how he later describes it as a “city of mind-boggling Majesty.”

It would be remiss of me if I didn’t mention the cookbook itself – Polpo is a Soho restaurant set up by Russell Norman and Richard Beatty, and is based on Venetian bacari (backstreet bars). The book of the same name is a wonderful read, with well explained recipes (often with fascinating anecdotal asides), and beautiful photographs of the tempting cicchetti (small plates) described within. I am now eagerly waiting for my own copy of the book to arrive so I can get cooking and tasting, plus I will have a little bit of authentic Venice in my home…

You can see a collection of recipes from the book here and another interesting article here.

Related articles

• Eating like a Venetian in the heart of London’s Soho… (travelbella.wordpress.com)

Au revoir Avignon…

Tags

Avignon, Eurostar, France, L'Isle Sonnante, TGV

While researching for our next trip to France,  I stumbled upon Steve Smith’s presentation on You Tube, which I wrote about in my last entry – and almost forgot to report on the final evening we spent in Avignon before we returned to London, via TVG to Paris and Eurostar to London-so here goes:

On our return in the late afternoon from the magnificent Pont du Gard, we made it our business to soak up as much of the convivial atmosphere in Avignon as we could. Performers in town for the Annual Arts Festival continued to entertain as the sun went down. We walked the lovely tree-lined streets and watched the colourful pagentry unfold as we sought out the two restaurants highly recommended by Elodie, our tour guide.  We had decided to treat ourselves to a beautiful meal to end what had been an exquisite time in Provence. La Fourchette was fully booked but we were lucky enough to gain outdoor seating at L’Isle Sonnante, where we had the best meal of our entire trip – the restaurant owners were welcoming and helpful, the ambience was perfect, the food was delicious and beautifully presented – it was truly a perfect conclusion to a very full and exciting day.

The following morning, we readied ourselves to leave on the TGV for Paris, knowing full well we would return to Provence – luckily that will be in May 2014 . And while I have your attention, if you get a chance to travel via TGV in France or Eurostar – go for it – both trains offer a fast, efficient and very comfortable service – it is a brilliant way to travel, especially if like me, you are not keen on flying. Initially I was not thrilled about being in a train under the English Channel either, but it was so exciting, so different – I would recommend it to anyone. We certainly intend to do it again, just for the thrill of it, when we return to France next year….

Related articles

• Eurostar launches new services to southern France (twentyfourseveninfrance.com)

Fontaine-de-Vaucluse and Gordes – finally

Tags

Domaine de la Petite Isle, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, France, France-Bike, French Essence, Gordes, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Mt Ventoux, My French Life, Sénanque Abbey, Vicki Archer

Well after a bit of break from blogging in the lead-up to a wonderful family Christmas, I’m back to describe our side trips to Fontaine-de-Vaucluse and the magnificent town of Gordes.

Having had a delicious breakfast in the light and airy dining room at Domaine de la Petite Isle in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, we set off early for Fontaine-la-Vaucluse along a wondefully scenic route. We encountered very little traffic and were able to take in the countryside. Beautiful Provencal homes set among fields of lavender, a magnificent Roman aqueduct and much more … It was fine and warm as we set off and before long, we were entering Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, keen to see the biggest spring in France and enjoy relaxing by the sparkling clear waters.

Our first stop was a riverside cafe for a tasty morning tea of coffee and pastries, as we listened to the waters flowing by. Feeling refreshed, we set off to find the famous deep spring, passing Restaurant Philip, much to my husband Phil’s delight. Set in a picturesque area on the riverside, it would be a wonderful place for a relaxed lunch, though we didn’t have time to do that ourselves. An ancient ruined castle overlooks the town – a place we found thoroughly enchanting – it has a Second World War history involving the Resistance complete with museum (Musée d’histoire 1939-1945 – L’appel de la liberté), which sadly was not open, and also has the Petrarch Museum, which was absolutely fascinating. If you are doing the Lavender and Luberon trip, I can highly recommend the excursion to Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.

Even more highly recommended is the side trip to the fabulous hilltop town of Gordes – what stunning place that is. It makes for a long day on the bike (9am-5pm for us), and ride itself is much more challenging, so be prepared for 6 kms of deceptively steep incline, but every pedal stroke is worth it… This is one of the most striking places we saw on the trip, and that first glimpse of the old town perched on the craggy hilltop, will remain with me forever. Not only that, the French Air Force seemed to be on some sort of practice manoeuvres, doing several low flying passes over the town. This was an absolute payoff for my husband, who works for an airline and loves his planes! Unusually, he had struggled with the long slow climb in the heat, having to stop and re-gather himself in a shady spot, part way up. We later discovered that this was probably the first indication of 3 blocked arteries which made themselves known two years later, on a couple of hill rides here in our own lovely home suburb of Titirangi. While he had no heart attack, the niggly chest pains were an indication of a problem, and now he has three stents, but was back riding very soon after and he continues to do, in preparation for our next cycling adventure in 2014.

Having taken in the amazing view, we set off to find some well deserved dejeuner. The town was very busy, but we found a lovely little cafe, where I had the most delicious and enormous Salade Nicoise, and my husband a tasty pizza. We took our time, enjoying the ambience, the hustle and bustle out in the town, and beautiful food.

After lunch we walked through the town, and decided we must go on a little further to see the twelfth century Cisterician Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque, (Sénanque Abbey) famous for its lavender fields. While we would have loved to visit the Abbey, we decided to simply view it from on high as we had a long way to go to return to our hotel in Isle-sur-La-Sorgue in the afternoon heat. The view from the top the hill overlooking the Abbey is magnificent – the architecture looks impressive and the lavender fields are huge. On our return in 2014 we intend to return to visit the Abbey itself.

The trip back to the hotel was of course easier and uneventful, and we were so looking forward to having a meal at Cafe Bellevue on the riverside. The riverside cafes in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue are very enticing – the residents are so lucky to be able to sit and dine in the summer evenings in any one of the many attractive cafes on the water. It is such an enviable lifestyle .. and one I still hanker after. So much so, that I have just bought another book on the Provencal lifestyle, this time My French Life by Vicki Archer, whose blog French Essence, is one of my favourites.

I should mention too that on this particular tour, France-Bike gives you the option to cycle down Mt. Ventoux, leaving from l’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. Intially we had booked for this, but thought better of it, and France-Bike happily refunded that part of our fee. For those of you who are more adventurous, you may like to try it – France-Bike will take to the top of and you can cycle down at your leisure!