You're Invited: Thanksgiving in St. Remy!

Co-owner Bastien Matagliati and chef Richard Smache will host their first-ever American-style Thanksgiving at the Bistrot de Saint Remy on Thursday November 28. Chef Richard has spent lots of time in the US and is very familiar with the traditional Thanksgiving menu...but plans to give it a little French twist, of course. "No worries!" he told me. "I've got this!" 

The 60€-per-person lunch is open to everyone--singles, couples, families--and all nationalities are welcome! 

The Bistrot de Saint Remy is a sister restaurant to the Bistrot du Paradou; Paradou owner Vincent Quenin is Bastien's business partner. These are two of my favorite restaurants and I'm so delighted that the owners have offered to host this special fête! Vincent (who also has the Bistrot Saint-Roch in Maussane) says he hopes it will become an annual event. 

The festive afternoon begins at 1 pm with a sparkling Thanksgiving aperitif. Seating will follow at communal tables of 10 to 14 people each, with the meal served family style. The party will be indoors or out, depending on weather, and is expected to end around 4 pm. 

MENU

*Starter of squash soup
*Turkey with French-style stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce
*Mashed potatoes
*Green beans
*A selection of traditional Thanksgiving desserts
*Serve-yourself wines in red, white and rosé

Cocktails, coffee, tea, bottled water and soft drinks will be available at an extra charge.

Seating is limited and you must reserve and pay in advance; booking info is below. The deadline to book is Thursday November 21.

Chef says most special dietary requests can be accommodated but please let him know as much in advance as possible. Do this by sending a message with your name, phone and request to the email below. 

My friends at the dining-and-travel club La Table des Amis have kindly offered to handle booking and payment for Thanksgiving. You need not be a member to attend but think about joining anyway...they'd love to have you! 

To book for Thanksgiving, click here. 

Questions about the event? Email: info@latabledesamis.com. Or, call me (+33 6 29 22 16 96) or Barney Lehrer (+33 6 19 82 36 27). 

For the backstory on La Table des Amis, click here. For info on joining, click here. 

The Bistrot de Saint Remy is located at 12 blvd. Gambetta, 13210 St. Remy de Provence. Parking is on the street or in nearby lots. To see what I wrote when they opened in 2020, click here.

Can't join us in St. Remy? Dommage! Just in case, here are some other nice holiday options for you...

*The Avignon Chapter of Democrats Abroad will hold their annual Thanksgiving lunch on Saturday Nov 30 from 1 to 5 pm. This will be a pot-luck, family-style celebration in a private home in Cavaillon, for 40 people max. For more info or to reserve: dennis.shibut@gmail.com. 

*If you'll be on the French Riviera rather than in Provence in late November, not to worry! The American Club of the Riviera hosts an annual Thanksgiving luncheon for members (195€) and guests (245€), at the Hotel Hermitage in Monaco. This year it's Thursday Nov 28 at 12:30 pm. Non-members who join the ACR for 2025 get special Thanksgiving pricing; email Timothy Molyneux (teldata.consulting@gmail.com) for details. Otherwise all the Thanksgiving info is here. 

*American chef Jon Chiri will once again offer a Thanksgiving plat du jour for lunch on Thursday Nov 28, at his cafe and cooking school in the Les Halles Market in Avignon. For info: +33 6 46 89 85 33, contact@jonathanchiri.com. 

Wishing you and your family a joyous Thanksgiving, wherever you plan to spend it!

Just Out: Jamie Beck's Provence Book

In 2016, Texas-born photographer Jamie Beck was living in New York—running her own studio, doing commercial work for brands such as Chanel, Donna Karan and Nike and editorial work for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and others--when she decided to take a one-year sabbatical in the South of France.

Her husband, Kevin Burg, was understanding. “I think we were both ready for a little break, some fresh air and a little perspective,” she remembers.

Six years later Jamie is still in France, thriving personally and professionally, and this week is huge for her because yesterday, her first book officially came out in the U.S.  Called An American in Provence (Simon Element, $40), it’s now widely available online and from your favorite bookseller. 

When Jamie sent me an advance copy of An American in Provence last week, I knew I wanted to share her book news with you. But I was leaving on a little trip, had other deadlines and needed to hold off writing about it for just a few days. Still, I thought I’d dip in and read just a bit, then enjoy the rest later when I had time. But at 2 am I was still savoring it and I finished it the next day. I literally couldn’t put it down…it’s exquisite!

Organized around the four seasons, the book is essentially a memoir, illustrated with 204 of Jamie’s lush, evocative photos. But it’s also a cookbook (with seasonal recipes created by Jamie, her friends and local chefs), all of them based upon Provencal ingredients. And it’s a travelogue too, with Jamie taking you by the hand, through text and photos, introducing you to some of her favorite people and places. And it’s a photo tutorial, with solid tips for improving your own images. There are sections on shooting indoors and out; shooting kids, self-portraits and nudes; learning to pose; and yes, even tips on pinning bugs for still-life photography. Anyone who knows Jamie’s work knows how she loves bugs!

All of these things combine to create a passionate love letter to Provence--to the beauty of the landscape, climate, lifestyle and people--and a testament to what can happen when one decides to listen to that inner voice, drastically change their life and take a terrifying leap into the unknown.

So what exactly was wrong in New York? What was it that made Jamie leap?

“I had it all,” she explains, “A ‘dream life’ with a cool job, amazing clients, luxury trips, designer clothes, a cute little vintage Mercedes convertible, a house in the Hamptons, a French-looking apartment by Riverside Park and I could eat at any restaurant I wanted, any night of the week in New York. Full disclosure: I hate writing this out. It sounds privileged and grotesquely shallow. But that is what I was taught to work toward. That is what I was surrounded by, what our culture rewards…That is what I was paid to capture professionally with my lens, the ‘perfect aspirational lifestyle,’ in photoshoots that were all façades. As my mom in her Southern accent likes to say, “All meringue, no substance.”

She continues: “I dreamed of having time to focus on my craft, to explore a richer meaning in my work, but most of my time was spent working for clients, as if I were an unlimited resource, a photographic, copywriting, photoshoot-producing, post-production-editing machine. Until I wasn’t anymore. Until I fried my creative engines.”

An American in Provence is just the latest in a long, long line of creative projects that Jamie has pursued during her time in Provence. For someone who came here to slow down, her output has been beyond prodigious! First and foremost there’ve been numerous fine-art photo projects such as a series of Provencal self portraits and the 60 gorgeous one-a-day “Isolation Creation” still lifes she created and photographed during Covid lockdown. (She sold the images in her online shop and donated funds to the Foundation for Contemporary Arts' Covid-19 Emergency Grants Fund.) More recently, there was a similar project called Rose Month. Then there have been collaborations with a wide range of Provence people, businesses, and brands, including the winery Domaine Milan, Luxe Provence, Le Mas de Poiriers and many others.  And periodically Jamie still hops on a plane to shoot for fashion clients, magazine clients and luxury brands in various far-flung locations…and sells her work online as prints and posters…and markets products based on life in Provence, some of which she creates or co-creates.

She shares most everything on her Instagram (372K followers), through photos, stories, highlights, reels, captions and comments. In Jamie’s hands, Instagram is truly another art form.

One of the things I love about Jamie’s Instagram is how she involves the audience in the process. For example, she’ll write about the experience of finding the right printer or frame-maker and then take you there, through video, to actually meet them and watch them work. Or she’ll share a video of how she creates one of her still-life photos, which is fascinating to see and adds so much to the appreciation of the finished image.

“You’re fun in Provence,” Jamie’s husband Kevin announced, the first time he came from New York to visit her in France. The couple had vaguely talked about the future, where they might live separately or together, but that early trip cemented what was the right next step (and the next and the next) for both of them. Their daughter Eloïse was born in 2019 and Jamie writes beautifully about the experience of pregnancy, birth and motherhood in France. Today Kevin does all product and digital design for Jamie's company...and produces remarkable “cinemagraphs” and digital art of his own, which you can see on his Instagram here.

I remember talking with Jamie when she was working on the book. She was unsure about her voice, nervous about her approaching deadlines, juggling emotions that ranged from excited beyond words to total imposter syndrome. And now that she's deep into a cross-country whirlwind of parties, readings, signings and more, you can see how delighted she is with the end result. 

"This was the hardest thing I have ever done," Jamie tells me, "and yet (aside from my daughter) the thing I am most proud of in my entire life. It feels surreal. I just keep describing it to people as feeling like a Cinderella moment!"

So what's next for the American in Provence...will she and her family stay? Jamie says the time passed long ago when she and Kevin went from saying “one more month,” to “one more year” to “we live here now.”

“I had traveled for years to the far corners of the earth without knowing this particular kind of comfort,” she writes. “I am not lost when I am here. The second I leave, I can’t wait to get back…I am alive within myself, breathing every fiber of my being.”

“At the end of that very first year,” she continues, “I felt like I was still just beginning a journey of discovery both within myself and of French culture...I didn’t want to leave. And guess what? I still don’t. Like all the layers of human history around me I’m still uncovering, Provence continues to show me things, teach me things, while allowing me to live and breathe with her in harmony and balance.”

For More Info

To catch up with Jamie at a book signing, see her schedule here.

All of the photos in the book are now available as prints; you can buy them here.

À la table, Les Amis !

 

La Table des Amis de Provence is a new non-profit association based in St. Remy, designed to highlight the food, wine and culture of Provence through meals, cooking classes, winery tours, artisan visits, live music and more.

La Table des Amis is bi-lingual and multi-cultural, open to all ages and nationalities. While French members are wanted and welcome, the group will probably appeal more to expats, much the way that BritsNimes, AAGP, the American Club of the Riviera, Network Provence and others do. 

Because the La Table des Amis was founded by four amis with very different backgrounds, who are equally passionate about food and wine, most if not all events will have a strong gastronomic component. All experiences are designed to be “authentic, memorable, value for money and always enjoyed in the company of others.” 

The new association was the brainchild of David and Nitokrees (Nito) Carpita (she’s Egyptian, he’s American) who ran the popular cooking school Mas de Cornud in St. Remy for 25 years. In a 19th-century farmhouse with seven bedrooms, indoor and outdoor kitchens and a large potager, Nito did all the culinary (teaching and cooking) while David handled the business side and the wine. The cooking school (officially known as Seasons of Provence) had a reputation far beyond Provence, due to its thousands of happy guests from around the world but also thanks to David and Nito’s dedication to industry groups such as the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals).

For 25 years the Carpitas were very plugged in to the food world both in France and abroad…and then they pulled the plug. They closed the cooking school in 2015 and sold their large, gorgeous mas a few years later.

They were tired, I remember Nito telling me, and wanted to retire while they still had good health and energy. They wanted more time with family and friends, more travel, more time outdoors and more time to explore. The world they loved was food and wine tourism and they wanted to be on the other side already.

Once Mas de Cornud was sold, the Carpitas moved into a smaller St. Remy home (that they already owned) and began to renovate…and that’s where this new idea took root.  

“As the construction was progressing,” David explains, “I joked to Nito that it looked like we were building a new super duper kitchen…with a few bedrooms tacked on as an afterthought. And Nito confessed that she missed teaching cooking and would love to start giving classes again, so she wanted a kitchen that had all the right bells and whistles.”

David reminded her that they had been officially retired since late 2015 and that neither of them wanted to reverse gears. 

“But what about doing it for pleasure, not money?” he suggested. “What about doing classes for fun, for friends, for people who want to meet new people over great food and wine?” The Carpitas were already doing this very informally--organizing hikes, day trips and regular restaurant forays for pretty much anyone who wanted to join them—and Nito loved the idea. 

So a few weeks later at a meeting with his friend Jean-Yves Martin, a retired accountant, David suggested setting up a non-profit with the purpose “as wide as the sky—bringing friends together at the table.”

Jean-Yves loved the idea and even agreed to be President, as long as it wouldn’t take too much time. (Among other projects, he’s currently developing a rice farm outside his village of Tarascon…but we’ll save that story for another day!) David promised it wouldn’t, the papers were prepared and submitted, the sous prefecture approved and the new association became official in March, 2022.

Another founding member is our friend Barney Lehrer, a former professional cellist who brings to the table great credentials in the worlds of wine and tech. “Barney’s expertise in designing web sites has been an immense boost to our start up, not to mention his many contacts in the wine industry in France,” David says.

Pre-launch in April, the four founding members met up with the leaders of the AAGP, BritsNimes and the American Club of the Riviera (over lunch, of course!) to discuss ways in which the groups might work together, to complement each other rather than compete.

“We were really happy at how enthusiastic everyone was,” David reports. “They’ll all be spreading the word to their members.”

So far, there have been two official outings, both sold out with waiting lists: a gastronomic walk in the vineyards in the Duchess de Uzes AOP and a lunch celebrating the annual Transhumance festival in St. Remy. The next five events have just been announced:

• July 1 – Dinner/concert with Los Cortes (Gypsy/Gipsy/Gitan music) at Bistrot de la Galine, St Remy. 

• July 8 – Soiree musicale at Manade de Caillan, St Remy.

• July 9 –  A very special event in Châteauneuf-du-Pape: a tasting of older Mayard vintages with Beatrice Mayard, the sixth generation of this Chateauneuf winemaking family.

• July 12 – Dinner spectacle with Pablo at Sampado Village, Palud des Noves.

• July 14 – Celebrating Bastille Day at the Bar Tabac des Alpilles in St Remy with dinner and a "jazz manouche" concert featuring Coco Briaval.

While you need not be a member to attend events for now, members will get advance notice and special pricing whenever possible. Members will also be encouraged to suggest and create their own events as long as they align with the group’s core values. Annual membership is €15 for singles and €25 for couples; you can sign up (or just join the mailing list) on the website here.  

Photos: (1) Nito and David Carpita ran Mas de Cornud and the Seasons of Provence Cooking School in St. Remy for 25 years, before retiring in 2015.  They created the new non-profit with two like-minded friends. (2) La Table des Amis just hosted its second event, a luncheon to celebrate the Transhumance festival in St. Remy, at the Bar Tabac des Alpilles. Another TdA event will be held there on Bastille Day. (3, 4) Barney Lehrer, left, one of the four founding members, on Transhumance day with his wife Madeleine. (5-8) Manade Caillan is the only ranch in St. Remy. They raise Camargue bulls on 100 hectares (with AOP and bio certification), sell meat and homemade charcuterie, welcome weddings and other events, offer overnight stays in a four-bedroom villa...and throw great open-to-the-public parties such as their Markets at the Manade which happen pretty much every other Friday night June through September. (9) We all love Bistro de la Galine, the laid-back roadhouse on the D99 just east of St. Remy. They have live music most Friday nights and the last meal I had there, in February, was fantastic. TdA will have a big table there on July 1st. (10-13) Winemakers in Châteauneuf-du-Pape for six generations, the Mayard family currently cultivates 43 hectares: 40 red and three white. On July 9, Beatrice Mayard will host the Table des Amis for a private tasting of old vintages accompanied by small plates. (14, 15). The group known as Coco Briaval, led by Henri (Coco) Briaval, has been performing locally and internationally since 1965. These days the children of the three original members (Coco and his brothers Gilbert and René) and other family members often play with them. For more about the band, click here.

You're Invited: Thanksgiving in France 2021

Because I totally live to please you, once again I've rounded up a great selection of American Thanksgiving celebrations here in the South of France and in Paris. Who attends these gala soirées? Local expats of course, but also hungry French folks and other Europeans, travelers, house guests...whomever! 

Over the years, many of my French friends have told me they love the idea of celebrating this American holiday...to meet new people, to sample unusual foods, to learn the history and traditions. At a friend's Thanksgiving in Provence a few years back, one French guest told me he loved how the various dishes were served all at once—family style--rather than in courses. Another said he was looking forward to his first taste of cranberry sauce, which he called red fruits jam. 

While the literal translation of Thanksgiving is Action de Grâce, most French people just call it Thanksgiving...except for my friend Philippe who refers to it as Merci Donnant, which he says "means absolutely nothing at all." Over the years, we’ve shared many wonderful Thanksgivings together at various friends’ houses. “It’s like having a second Xmas in the same year,” Philippe says. “But I miss that I never got to see the big family argument part you see in many movies!”

As in years past, I’ve only listed below the Thanksgivings that still had space available as of today. But book soon because most have limited capacity and fill up. For a Thanksgiving meal on Saturday Nov. 27 at 5:30 pm at the American Church in Paris--the first American church established outside the United States, with roots back to 1814—tickets are now available to the public online, with pick up at the church the day of.  And there's a special service at 12:15 on Thanksgiving Day, open to all, with a speaker and coffee reception afterwards.

And this year for the first time, I have a Thanksgiving to offer you in Nimes, at restaurant Gamel, and one in Mazan, at the Cafe du Siecle.

In Paris, in addition to lots of delicious sounding eat-in and takeaway options in clubs and restaurants, there's a Thanksgiving baking class that sounds like great fun.

This year what’s different of course is that you’ll need a Pass Sanitaire to attend most of these Thanksgivings. If you’re not sure of the rules, call ahead to check.

For those of you hosting your own Thanksgiving or sharing in the food prep, I've provided two sources for traditional ingredients in person and online; a third shop, called My Little America, seems to have disappeared since I last did this roundup in 2019.

When it comes to the juicy bird itself, order from your butcher or poultry farmer early and remember that turkeys here in France are smaller than those at home. The Real McCoy in Paris sells them both fresh and already roasted.

If you're hosting or know of a Thanksgiving celebration in the South of France or Paris that's not listed here, email me the info (provenceblog@aol.com) and I'll happily add it. Actually, I'm happy to add any Thanksgivings, anywhere in France, as long as they're open to the public and still have space. So fire away...I'd love to know about them.

And finally, a big American hug and thank you from me to all of you: for reading and supporting my blog...for sharing it with friends...for commenting on the stories you particularly enjoy. I wish you all the most joyous and delicious Merci Donnant, wherever you plan to spend it!  

Thanksgiving on the Côte d’Azur

The American Club of the Riviera's Thanksgiving is a gala, annual affair...large, elegant and extremely popular. This year it's in the Salon Belle Epoque at the Hotel Hermitage in Monte Carlo on Thursday Nov. 25, starting with a 12:30 Champagne reception, followed by a traditional American turkey feast with and all the trimmings. All nationalities are welcome but book quickly as this event always sells out; it's first come, first served with priority going to members and their families. Once again, there will be members of  the US Navy and the US Army as well as other distinguished guests attending. Pass Sanitaire required. All the info is on the ACR website here. Questions?  svanessche@gmail.com.

Once again, MonacoUSA will host its annual all-you-can-eat Thanksgiving dinner at StarsNBars (Monaco) on Thursday Nov. 25  starting at 7 pm. This year, seating won’t be at communal tables; you’ll sit with your family or group only. Non-members are also welcome.  The menu: Stuffed turkey with cranberry sauce, creamed onions, sweet potatoes, corn on the cob and cornbread. Desserts will be apple tart, pumpkin pie, pecan pie and brownies. Also included: a glass of wine, beer or soft drink,  and espresso.  Cost: 45€ adults, 25€ kids under 12.  Seating is limited, you must reserve, last seating is at 8:30 pm and no walk-ins allowed. Health pass required. StarsNBars will also serve a Thanksgiving plat du jour with dessert at lunch, starting at noon, for 25€. To book: + 377 9797 9595. Pass Sanitaire required. Questions: info@starsnbars.com.

Thanksgiving in Provence

As in years past, the Avignon Chapter of Democrats Abroad will gather to celebrate Thanksgiving in a private home in Cavaillon, on Thursday Nov. 25 from 2 pm to 7 pm. Yes, there will be political talk (including prep for the US midterms in 2022) but the focus will definitely be food! A full prepared and potluck menu is planned; the potluck will focus on regional US holiday fare. The event is open to all DA members and their families...along with any new Americans in Provence who want to join DA (membership is free at DemocratsAbroad.org).  Note: seats are limited and it’s first come, first served. To book, email Joan Jarowski (joandarcnyc@gmail.com), tell her how many in your party and what you’d like to contribute. Suggestions: A pasta dish, cheeses, veggies or fish, potatoes, yams, turnips, side of vegetarian stuffing, your own favorite salad, whatever!  Expect leftovers and doggie bags!

The Anglo-American Group of Provence welcomes the community to its annual family-oriented Thanksgiving in Aix,  Sunday Nov. 28, starting at 1 pm.  They wrote me this: “Come join us in a festive dining room with garden views and Provençal ambiance and character! We invite all of our members, their children, friends and guests to celebrate Thanksgiving in the spirit of appreciation for all that we enjoy in this beautiful part of the world!”  AAGP membership is not required to attend but a Pass Sanitaire or recent negative test is. The venue: Le Mas d'Entremont, Celony - 315 Route d’Avignon, 13090 Aix.  Aperos at 1 pm, lunch at 2 pm.  Members: 24€ pp, 10€ for kids (ages 5 to 10) and 15€ kids ages 11 to 16. Non members: 58€ pp and 28€ for kids 16 and younger.  Space is limited so reserve asap by sending a check, payable to AAGP, to Michel Parisot, 5 rue Emmanuel Brunet, 13080 Luynes.  Specify the number of member and non-member adults and kids, with kids ages please. Reservations close on November 23 and beyond that date, no cancellations...sorry! Questions? bobkeltz@aol.com or +33 (0)6 37 83 80 45.

Based on the success of their Thanksgiving takeaway and delivery service in 2020, Biocoop - La Coumpagnie in Aix (840 ave. du Camp de Menthe), will offer it again this year...along with an eat-in option for lunch on Thursday Nov. 25. "Our French, English and American clientele really love it," owner Rick Harrison says. Anyone who wants a home-cooked holiday meal without the fuss!”  As in year’s past, the menu (turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied yams, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, pecan pie and classic cheesecake) will be “100% organic, 0% GMOs and 100% homemade from American family recipes.” To come for lunch, no reservations are needed...just show up. For takeaway or delivery, please order with Rick before Tuesday Nov. 22 at 5 pm: +33 (0)6 81 34 85 74, rick@biocoop-lacoumpagnie.fr. 

Once again my friend Jon Chiri, an American chef with 20+ years experience working in Provence, will offer a Thanksgiving lunch at Cuisine Centr'Halles, his cafe and cooking school at Les Halles, the wonderful indoor food market in Avignon. On Thursday Nov. 25, Jon invites you to join his family for a special holiday lunch from 11:30 am to 2:15 pm (when Les Halles closes). The Thanksgiving Plat du Jour (turkey with Jon's version of accoutrements) will be 24€ ...or 30€ with pumpkin pie. Wine and soft drinks are extra. To reserve: contact@jonathanchiri.com, +33 (0)6 46 89 85 33.

At the restaurant L’Epicerie in Beaucaire, the charming chef/owner Christine Nief is all fired up to host her annual Thanksgiving fête, at lunch and dinner, on Thurs Nov. 25. Seating is communal at large tables for 12. Expect to pay 25 to 30€ per person (with a couple glasses of wine) and there’s likely be live music in the evening. Christine will also offer Thanksgiving foods for takeaway but no details or prices are available yet. To book: +33 (0)7 85 40 38 20, niefchristine12@gmail.com. The restaurant has no website but they’re on Facebook here.

Just added! In Nimes, at Gamel restaurant in the charming Place d'Esclafidous, Christian and Morgane are offering a three-course Thanksgiving menu for €35 pp.  Christian used to cook Thanksgiving feasts when he worked in London and is very au fait with what's required!  It's available at lunch or dinner but you must mention Thanksgiving when you reserve. To do that, send a message via Facebook or call: +33 (0)4 66 36 25 80. 

Just added! In Mazan, the Cafe du Siecle will offer a Thanksgiving menu all day. Details weren't available yet when I checked in but it'll be be roughly €15 to €20 euros per person for three courses. Check their website for more info or reach out: +33 (0)4 90 66 9689, contact@cafedusiecle.fr.

PARIS

Thanksgivings in Paris Clubs

The American University Clubs of France (which promotes networking, cultural and business-related events for all American University alumni in France), invites you to their traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, Nov 18 at 7 pm at the Ecole Militaire. Founded in 1750 by Louis XVI for the training of military officers, the Ecole Militaire is an important heritage site that’s normally closed to the public so this is rare opportunity to enjoy exclusive access. A four-course meal will be served, starting with an aperitif and ending with pecan pie. (A vegetarian main course will unfortunately not be offered.) Wine and soft drinks are included. Registration is limited to alumni of American universities that are members of the AUC and their guests...150 people max. Price: 67€. Ticket sales close Nov. 11. For security purposes, you’ll be asked to provide an official ID to enter the building; mask and Pass Sanitaire are also required. Tickets will be sold until November 11 only; order them on Event Brite here: Questions? contact@aucfrance.com

The American Club of Paris will hold its annual Thanksgiving at the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature (Paris 3ème) on Friday Nov. 26 at 7:30 pm. This private hunting and nature museum in the heart of the Marais has been described by Smithsonian Magazine as "one of the most rewarding and inventive in Paris."  The evening includes pre-dinner Champagne , an elegant Thanksgiving dinner and after-dinner drinks in the bar.  The dress code is evening attire/black tie optional and roughly 50 people are expected. Pass Sanitaire or equivalent health pass required. Members 160€; non-members and guests 190€. All the info and registration is here. Questions? contact@americanclubparis.org, +33 (0)1 47 23 64 36.

And in a Paris Church...

The American Church in Paris (65 quai d’Orsay) will host a Thanksgiving meal on Saturday Nov. 27 at 5:30 pm. A traditional turkey dinner with trimmings is 27€ for adults, 21€ for kids. Seats (limited due to pandemic restrictions) are available to the general public on the website acparis.org; purchase online and pick up on the day of the event. Also, Pastor Jodi Fondell tells me the annual ACP  Thanksgiving day service will be Nov. 25 at 12:15, with music, a speaker and coffee reception afterwards. The public is very welcome but a Pass Sanitaire will be required.

Thanksgiving in Paris Restaurants

Thanksgiving dinner at Ralph’s Restaurant, in Ralph Lauren’s elaborately appointed store on the Blvd. St.-Germain, is fully booked. But not to worry... each year, more and more Paris restaurants are offering their own. Here are a few of the most-popular ones.

The Hard Rock Cafe in Paris will celebrate Nov. 25 to 28. Details are here.

Thanksgiving at Ô Chateau has become a beloved Parisian tradition. It’s Thursday Nov 25 and all the info is here. 

The American/Canadian owned restaurant Sunday in Soho will offer both dine in and delivery/takeaway Thanksgiving meals for three days: Nov. 25, 26 and 27. Click for info here.  

On Thursday, Nov. 25, Michelin-starred chef Fabienne Eymard at the Parisian bistro Benoit invites you for farm turkey stuffed with wild mushrooms, with cranberries, gravy and sweet potato gratin (48€). For details and reservations, click here or reach out:  restaurant.benoit@ducasse-paris.com, +33 (0)1 42 72 25 76. 

Lindsey and Justin Kent will offer Thanksgiving for eat in or takeaway at Milagro (85 Avenue Bosquet) on Nov 25, 26 and 27. The menu: turkey, sweet potato gratin, mashed potatoes, gravy, cornbread stuffing, kale and Brussels-sprout salad, green beans and pumpkin pie tart with whipped cream. It’s 50€ pp, by reservation only.  Takeaway order deadline is Nov 18. Details and booking here.

Breakfast in America has two Paris locations but will offer Thanksgiving only at the one at 17, rue des Ecoles in the 5th. Seatings are at 6 pm and 8 pm on Thursday Nov 25.  It’s €39.95 and all the details are here.

Thanksgiving Baking Class

The cooking school La Cuisine Paris offers popular mixed-group Thanksgiving cooking and baking classes but they sell out super quickly and, alas, they’re already booked. But all is not lost...you can still take their Thanksgiving baking class on a private basis, throughout the holiday week. See the details here then reach out to them to check your preferred date.

Where to Get Supplies, in Paris and Online

The Real McCoy is the Parisian go-to for American foods, particularly at holiday time.  In their shop (no mail order) they’re selling fresh farm-bred turkeys...or they’ll even roast and package it for you with stuffing and roasting juices. (Be sure to order at least a few days ahead.) The Real McCoy also sells pecan and pumpkin pies, cheesecakes and a wide selection of Thanksgiving products such as fresh cranberries and canned cranberry sauce, turkey gravy, stuffing mix, cornbread mix, pie crusts and fillings, yams, turkey bags, basters and more. They’re at 194 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris, +33 (0)1 45 56 00 00, us.food@wanadoo.fr. No website but find them on Facebook here. 

MyAmericanMarket.com sells lots of things you’ll likely need to prepare your holiday feast: cranberry sauce, canned pumpkin, cornbread mix, gravy, corn syrup and more. They also have ingredients and treats for other holidays, too, such as eggnog and candy canes. They are 100% online and will deliver pretty much anywhere in the world. The company uses various couriers but plan to order by Nov. 14 to get your goodies sent to you anywhere in France  in time. Specific Thanksgiving foods are on a special page here. If you have questions, the contact form is here...or call +33 (0)5 34 50 47 36.

Above: The much-loved, often-parodied painting is Norman Rockwell's "Freedom from Want" from 1942. Everyone in it was a Rockwell family member or friend; they were photographed individually and painted into the scene. Learn more about the painting and artist here. 

Want To Talk About It?

Periodically people ask me where they can get counselling in Provence in English...it’s not so easy to find. So when I come across someone really good who does just that, I’m very happy to share the info.

After training and then working as a therapist in London for four years, my friend Jitesh Odedra has officially hung out his counselling shingle in Tarascon.  

Since moving from London to Provence in 2015, Jitesh has done a variety of jobs including teaching English and consulting to the European Union on their Erasmus Program.

Last year, however, he realized he really missed the intimacy of the work--and saw how Covid amplified a need for therapy--so he decided to update his certification so he could practice here in France.

I did some sessions with Jitesh early this year and found them extremely rewarding.  

Jitesh practices “humanistic counselling” which has developed over the past 60 years within the larger field of professional psychology. 

“The focus is predominantly on the individual’s unique story and their potential to explore,” he says. “It includes self-learning, creativity, acceptance and empathy. My goal is to create a space that’s non-judgmental, supportive and understanding, in a setting that’s always safe and confidential.”

Above all, humanistic counselling adheres to the belief that the client has vast resources for self-understanding, for altering their attitudes and for putting new more-constructive behaviors in place.

“The approach focuses on you and your world,” Jitesh continues, “and provides an empathetic, attentive and accepting space in which you can explore the past, present and future, instead of concentrating on one specific period of time. I believe that our stories, memories and feelings are a good starting point. Therapy enables one to change focus and navigate life in a different direction. Culture and cultural differences make this journey richer and more challenging."

Jitesh works in English and in French, in person and online, for individuals, couples and families of all nationalities. His bright, pretty office in Tarascon is located in a renovated priory adjacent to the Eglise Saint-Jacques, in the heart of the village. Personally, I love the guy and find him funny, insightful, discrete, compassionate and wise...and I think you would too.  You’ll find his bio, prices and other details on his website below. 

Jitesh Odedra
+33 (0)6 16 36 52 62
counsellinginprovence.com 
counsellinginprovence@gmail.com
Ancien Presbytere de St Jacques
Place St Jacques (Rue Emile Zola)

Tarascon 13150

Art in the Time of Covid

It's now been a year since the EU closed its borders to much of the outside world. For those of us who rely on tourism to make a living, the impact has been monumental. But of course I don't know anyone anywhere who hasn't been affected by Covid, so much so that I've found myself unable to write much about it at all. And yet, I've marveled at the resilience I've seen, at how people have adjusted both personally and professionally to the losses suffered. Everyone has a Covid story to tell. And when everyone has a story, how do you tell just one? Which one?        

Artist Kamil Vojnar has a gallery in St. Remy where he sells his lushly layered mixed-media photo-based art; he works with his girlfriend Pavlína Šachová, another Czech artist. They've been able to survive this year thanks to a loyal group of regular clients and the ability to sell art online. I've always admired Kamil's work and you'll see some of my favorite pieces below. Sitting in my garden having coffee recently, Kamil told me a bit about what his life has been like this year. He wasn't complaining, just stating facts, and I appreciated his soft-spoken candor. He's like millions of other good people trying to get by, worried about his kids, taking it day by day. And somehow his seemed like a good story to tell. 

The art scene in my village of St. Remy is extremely vibrant, with many art studios, galleries, art fairs, a fine-art museum called La Musee Estrine, an arts association called La Cour des Arts, art classes for all ages, a Van Gogh “trail” and more. We have a wonderful shop called Le Savoir-Faire des Alpilles (reopening, hopefully, in late March) where local “creators” of all types sell their work and take turns behind the desk.

And of course we have the Clinique Saint Paul de Mausole (Van Gogh Clinic), where the artist spent a year and painted roughly 150 canvasses including “Starry Night.” It’s a wonderfully serene and historic site, open to the public for visits, with a reproduction of Van Gogh’s actual room and a beautiful cloister. In the shop, you can buy paintings created by past and current clinic residents, your purchase supporting the ongoing art-therapy program.

Surrounded by so much opportunity to enjoy art of all types, it’s easy to take it all a bit for granted. We hurry past galleries on our daily errands and don’t really see them, let alone stop to think about the people who put heart and soul—and maybe life savings—into creating the spaces and all the beautiful work within them. Due to its popularity, commercial rents in St. Remy are “excessively high,” according to one artist friend. Most of the painters, sculptors, photographers and other creatives I talk with tell me, not surprisingly, that it’s a very, very tough time for anyone other than the best-known artists. Winter in Provence, like any other tourist area, can be rough for many businesses to begin with but particularly so for artists, I would think. And then add the specter of the pandemic to the mix--the missing tourists, the missing second-home owners, the cancelled art fairs and exhibits, the people who've lost their jobs, the closed restaurants, the curfews, the lockdowns--and well, you get the picture.

My friend Kamil has a gallery in St. Remy where he sells his dreamy photo montages: mostly large, uniquely layered, mixed-media pieces.  I recently asked him how he was faring and he was candid: “Like everyone, we’re trying to get to the other side of this current headache,” he said. “Covid has made things extremely difficult.” So Kamil has just put a number of pieces on sale, including all the ones you see here.

Born in the former Czechoslovakia in 1962, Kamil studied at the School of Graphic Arts in Prague and began a career as a graphic designer. In 1985 he left the still-Communist country illegally, moved to Vienna and eventually became a US citizen, finishing his studies at the Art Institute of Philadelphia. Graphic design led to illustration and to creating photo-based imagery; during this time he worked mostly for book- and music publishers in New York City. Kamil and his wife had two kids (now 15 and 18, living in LA), and spent years travelling back and forth between New York and France because she had a fashion business in Antibes. 

“At that time I was doing mostly images for book and CD covers,” Kamil remembers. “And as long as there was internet and Fed Ex, I realized I could live anywhere. Visiting St. Remy, I got inspired by the idea of having own little shop on the street, where I could create my art in the back and offer it to passers-by in front. I saw artists here working that way and I realized this could be the missing link, meaning the opportunity to do my own thing, art wise, like I always wanted to do.” Kamil decided “now or never” and opened his St. Remy gallery/atelier, Autres Images, in 2005.

A few years later, he expanded, opening a second studio gallery in the Marais in Paris; he travelled back and forth each week. But a fire set by local teenagers caused an explosion, extensively damaging Kamil’s space and a number of adjacent buildings. “All the dealings with police and insurance took away my drive to continue in Paris,” he says. “It took three years to get the building fixed up again and after subletting it for a few years, I decided to let it go in 2017.”

Kamil and his wife split a few years ago and today he shares his life and works alongside Pavlína, who shows a small number of her own pieces in the gallery. She creates her images (and poetry) under the name Pavi Taire. 

“Pavi’s a very good artist on her own,” Kamil says, “and we share responsibilities, both in the gallery and with our clients and collectors online. Over the years, quite a few of these clients have become very good friends, thanks largely to Pavlína’s personality.”  

Kamil’s work consists of images digitally layered with multiple photographs and painted textures. They’re either archival prints on fine art paper or prints on semitransparent Thai or Japanese paper; they’re then mounted on canvas or wooden boards. They’re varnished with a mixture of oil and wax, with details and colors further enhanced by oil paint.

“In a painting, you can paint anything you want,” he says. “In the photographic medium, it must, on some level, exist first. That tension between what exists and what’s made up is what interests me.”

Generally speaking, Kamil says he wouldn’t see many new clients in the gallery from late November to early April anyway. “And in normal years, it’s ok,” he tells me. “It’s a time to recharge, to start in on new work and to participate in outside exhibitions. In winter, we have clients from the summer season who return to us, via e-mail and internet, and ask us to produce new artwork for them or inquire about pieces they’ve seen in the gallery. We’ve been very lucky in that many clients return over and over: in person in summer, online in the winter.”

But nothing is “like normal” now. A large exhibit of Kamil’s work that opened in Prague in mid-September had to close two weeks later due to Covid … and has been closed ever since. Ongoing travel bans and Brexit have meant that regular and new clients haven’t been able to come to France; there’s been very little walk-in traffic for a long time now. “And my regular customers already bought pieces this year, thanks to our successful email promotion during the first lockdown,” Kamil explains.

Which brings us up to today...and the sale. Kamil’s work is regularly priced from a few hundred to a few thousand euros, and he's now reduced prices on many pieces, some by as much as one third. The images above are a small selection; you can see many more in the gallery and on the website. Kamil’s work can be bought framed or unframed, custom sizes of some works are available, commissions are welcome and Kamil ships worldwide via DHL Express.  For more info: kamilvojnar.com.

Autres Images
17 rue Carnot
13210 St. Remy de Provence
+33 (0)6 33 70 43 62
kvojnar@mac.com
*Note: You can also find Kamil’s work in galleries in Siena (Italy) and Ghent (Belgium); details are on the website.