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!

Perfect Provence Rentals: 3,500€ & 10,000€

 

Scores of gorgeous homes in the South of France are available for rental at various times of the year. For the traveler, the perfect rental can make or break a trip, of course, but finding it can be tricky and time consuming. (Rental agents can be a huge help and you'll find a few recommended ones among my advertisers in the sidebar at left: JustFrance.com, Home-Hunts.com and Just-Provence.com.) But since the 2013 Provence travel planning season is fully upon us, I thought I might also share a special house with you here, every now and then. This week, it's two homes on the same property, rented separately. If you're interested in either, contact the owners directly. And if you mention ProvencePost.com when you book, they'll treat you to dinner in one of our favorite local restaurants, the Bistrot du Paradou. So read on, oh brave villa hunters! Summer's coming!

For the first time ever, Nick and Andrea Morris are planning to rent out their very unique, very beautiful home to one family or group at a time, by the week or longer, in July and August. Normally the five-bedroom property is rented room by room, B&B style. Luxurious, refined and private, La Maison du Paradou nestles at the foot of the Alpilles Mountains,  in the tiny village of Paradou, close to Maussane and Les Baux, not far from St. Remy. This 17th-century postal inn has been lovingly renovated;  each of the five bedrooms is luxuriously furnished with a bathroom en suite.  There are three sitting rooms as well as a multi-level double-vaulted grand salon...a very unique room with a wonderful ambiance. Throughout the house you'll see Nick and Andrea's collection of fine art, antiques and sculpture and find lots of quiet nooks and corners for privacy and quiet. Outdoors La Maison du Paradou offers elegant flowers and landscaping, a lovely pool surrounded by loungers and a large shaded dining table. The 10,000€ per week rental includes daily maid service and daily garden/pool maintenance. Outside of July and August, La Maison du Paradou will return to hotel-style lodging, with B&B room rates of 295€ per night. 

A smaller home on the property, this one called La Maison Bleue, is now being offered in the same manner, meaning you and your family or friends take the whole house. La Maison Bleue is completely separate from the main house, with its own entrance, garden and swimming pool.  There are three double bedrooms, all with en suite bathrooms, and a small but fully fitted kitchen opening out onto a private dining area. Summer rates for La Maison Bleue are 3,500€ per week, with twice weekly maid service and daily garden/pool maintenance. Rates off season are negotiable.

Don't forget to mention that you saw the house on ProvencePost.com because Nick and Andrea will spring for that dinner if you do. For more info on everything, click here. You can also email (reservations@maisonduparadou.com) or call them: +33 (0)4 90 54 65 46.  

Photos: (1, 2, 3) The five-bedroom Maison du Paradou is a renovated 17th-century ''relais de poste'' where a mail carrier and his horse could find food and lodging. The wisteria is--wait for it!--200 years old. (4) La Maison Bleue is completely separate; here's the pool. (5) Owners Nick and Andrea Morris. Many more photos are on the website here. (6) Paradou is a quiet village with one main street and it's a perfect base for visiting many of the most-popular sites in the region, including Les Baux, just a few minutes up the road. Les Baux photo by Philippe Clairo.

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Xmas at Estoublon: Hot Air Balloons & More

There are scores of Christmas Markets in Provence; the ones in Aix and Avignon are two of the largest and loveliest. But many wineries now host beautiful Christmas Markets as well, selling their own products alongside other regional and seasonal goodies. Among those, the one at the Château d’Estoublon in Fontvieille has definitely become a favourite, a regular stop on the holiday-shopping circuit for many families and visitors in Provence. The Marché de Noël at Estoublon is now in full, festive swing...and, as in years past, you’ll find new products, activities and surprises.

Estoublon is a large wine and olive domaine, spread out around a magnificent 17^th-century chateau, not far from the villages of Les Baux, Maussane and Paradou. (For the history of the château and the property—which dates to the Middle Ages--click here.) This year, their 12^th annual Marché de Noël fills three floors, with beautifully displayed Estoublon products, holiday foods, lots of candy for the kids, home decor, ornaments, clothing, elegant gifts, whimsical toys, art, handicrafts and more.

As in years past, the chapel is open for visits and the historic carousel is back....plus there are pony rides for the little ones (2€).  Santa arrives at noon on Saturday December 22nd and he'll be around until 5 pm.

But what caught my eye were the hot air balloon rides, being offered for the first time this year by Montgolfières Méditerranée. On three Saturdays (Dec 8, 22 and 29), you'll be able to take a short (10 to 15 minute) ‘’baptême’’ (baptismal) flight for just 8€ per person.  (Private rides are 200€ per person). The flights depend on weather conditions, of course, and it’s best to reserve ahead because they’ll fill up quickly. I’m sure that seeing this vast domaine and surrounding countryside from the air will be a fabulous experience. To book, call 06 65 46 32 32 or email: paulhenrycarail@aol.com.

Meanwhile, Estoublon's atmospheric, vaulted restaurant Mogador is open throughout the holidays, all decked out with pretty lights. Plus, there’s a new chef in place, Franck Dumont, who worked previously at the well-known Le Passage in Aix and later, took over the restaurant at Golf des Baux (now closed for a major re-do). I’m hearing great things about his food. During the holidays, Franck serves lunch and afternoon tea (with a decadent array of desserts), from noon to 6 pm daily. Dinner is offered as well, but only on Friday and Saturday evenings. A special Thanksgiving dinner will be served for the first time on December  8th. For more info and reservations at Mogador, click here or call: 04 90 96 22 40 or 04 90 97 12 46. 

Also on December 8^th, Estoublon will be displaying a number of high-end Harley-Davidson motorcycles...and rides may be possible. For more details on that,  call 04 90 59 78 70 or just show up.

The Christmas Market at Château d’Estoublon runs until December 29^th. It’s open 10 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 7 pm, but closed on Sundays and on Christmas Day.

For more info, see the Estoublon website or call 04 90 54 54 00.

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Another Fine French Travel Book Giveaway!

Edwin Mullins was a young boy when he discovered Roman tile shards on a riverbank near his home in Sussex, England. This led to a lifelong obsession with Roman history and for years, he's been scrambling over and under the half-buried ancient Roman ruins of Provence with his eager dog, Star, and beleaguered wife, Anne. The results of these expeditions can be seen in his latest book, The Roman Provence Guide, where he shares his vast knowledge of both the known sites and hidden traces of this ancient empire. 

The 192-page Roman Provence Guide was designed to appeal to anyone interested in ancient Roman and French history, archaeology, travel and more. And Mullins' very-kind publisher, Interlink Books, has graciously offered me two copies to give away here. Details on entering appear below.

Although the Roman Empire was eventually vanquished, its impact on the world has never vanished of course. In Provence particularly, Julius Caesar'’s grandiose plans live on in countless ruined aqueducts, monuments, triumphal arches, roads, temples, amphitheaters, baths, ramparts and other feats of engineering and architecture. Part historical account, part traveler’s companion, The Roman Provence Guide puts in historical context Rome’'s 600-year rule of ancient Provence, which also included regions of the Pyrenees, the Alps, and the Rhône Valley. The guide also includes maps, black & white and color photos of the sites, a list of museums and visitor centers and a Further Reading List.

The Roman occupation of Provence (“Provincia” in Latin), lasted six centuries, beginning more than 100 years before the birth of Christ, and surviving until well after most of Europe had become Christian. Today the region remains richer in Roman monuments than any other place in the world, with vast amphitheaters, triumphal arches, paved roads and aqueducts spanning the countryside.

Provence owes its name to Julius Caesar, who described the region as “the Province of Rome.” It was then a much larger area, stretching westwards to include Languedoc and Roussillon as far as the Pyrenees, eastward to the Riviera and the Maritimes Alps, and northwards up the Rhône Valley as far as Lyon. This book covers much of that larger area while concentrating on present-day Provence and neighboring Languedoc, the heartlands of the former Roman colony. 

In the book, Mullins tells the story of how the Romans came to invade Provence, how they stayed to colonize it, and how they transformed Provençal cities into imitations of Rome. He relates how Emperor Constantine brought about the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity from his favorite city of Arles— and how the Romans were eventually driven out by the Visigoths.

The Roman Provence Guide features all the principal sites in the region as well as those rarely visited. It has separate chapters on triumphal arches, aqueducts, farming, city life, bridges and road-building, temples and shrines, theatres and amphitheaters. Another section considers the aftermath of Roman rule, the restoration of ancient ruins, and the debt we owe to the remarkable engineers who inspired the first great achievement in medieval church architecture known, appropriately, as “Romanesque.”

Mullins is a writer, journalist, filmmaker and the former art critic of London'’s Sunday Telegraph. His books include The Pilgrimage to Santiago, Avignon of the Popes, The Camargue, and the award-winning In Search of Cluny: God’s Lost Empire.  

The book is available directly from the publisher (click here or call US 800-238-5465), from Amazon and Barnes and Noble or in bookstores. But better yet, enter to win a copy by simply leaving a comment under ''comments'' below. Please be sure to leave your email address somewhere within the comment box or we won't be able to reach you; simply signing in with your website or Google account is not enough. The more creative your comment, the better. Bon Chance!

Welcome To Our Newest Advertiser

Pam Siddiqui’s love affair with all things French blossomed many years ago--on that first trip to Paris after college. “It was love at first sight,” she says, “and smell, taste and language!” Since then, she has traveled extensively throughout the country, always on the prowl for new experiences and beautiful things.

“I’ve been lucky to have visited my grand-père's birthplace in the Haute-Saone region and my great aunt's homeland,” she says. “With my family, I’ve traveled to Paris, the Pyrenees and back to the Alpes-Maritimes on many fabulous holidays. We've stayed along the Cote d'Azur many times, visiting the glass blowers of Biot and the potters of Vallauris. We've played in the sand on the Mediterranean Sea.”

Back home in the U.S., Pam’s friends always admired the beauty and workmanship of the things she brought home from France. Eventually she decided to open a retail shop in Acton, Massachusetts and it thrived. But wanting more time for travel she decided to close it in 2009 and transition to mail-order only. She also realized that a mail-order business would allow her to reach a much wider audience. And indeed it has: since 2004, OliveandBranch.com has been shipping a wide range of beautiful European and French-made products worldwide. “We’ve shipped to Australia and England,” Pam reports. “We even did 20 gift baskets for a gentleman in Paris!”

Today on Pam’s site you’ll find everything for the home, table and body, from hand-embroidered guest towels to the famous Savon de Marseille to Souleo Provencal-style pottery, hand-painted ceramic La Pintade Guinea Hens, traditional French market baskets and much, much more.

Pam and her family now have a home in Provence where they spend as much of their spare time as possible. They live in the Alpilles, the small mountain range immortalized by Van Gogh, with the charming Provençal villages of St. Remy, Maussane, Paradou and Fontvieille nestled at its base. It’s a perfect location, Pam says, from which to make her frequent sourcing and buying jaunts, always on the look out for authentic, finely made goods.

“We pride ourselves in offering quality French or French-inspired products, excellent prices and superb customer service,” she adds. “Most are direct imports from France and I only buy what I love. Our goal is to make you feel, while on our shopping pages, that you’re experiencing the very best that the wonderful local markets of Provence have to offer.”

Olive and Branch for the Home

oliveandbranch.com

shop@oliveandbranch.com

Toll-free (from the U.S.): 1-855-6FRANCE 


Pictured: Pam, her logo and two of her best-selling items.

A Few Announcements...

First, I wanted to call your attention to my new(ish) blog pages "Advertise on Provence Post," "Where to Stay" and "France Travel Experts." Click the tabs just above this post to open them. More pages will be coming soon but in the meantime, you might find helpful information there. Meanwhile, here are a few other fun things I wanted to share...

Provence Chef named Top Chef

Stéphanie Le Quellec, head chef at the Four Seasons Resort Provence at Terre Blanche (in the Var), has won First Place in the second season of the French TV cooking competition Top Chef. Her prize? 100,000€. Stéphanie,  28, received an overwhelming 76% of the vote in the finals at the Trianon Palace in Paris on April 5th, with a seasonal three-course meal that wowed both judges and guests. Her dishes? A starter of asparagus and morels; an Asian-style bass, lightly spiced with raw and cooked fennel; and an olive oil ice cream with crushed raspberries. “This experience was very intense to say the least, and it forced me to go beyond my limits in particular in terms of creativity," she says. "I tried to give always my best and worked really hard and today, I am so happy to have won.” Stéphanie is now back in her kitchen at the gorgeous Four Seasons, where she launches a new menu today, to coincide with the re-opening of the restaurant Faventia after its winter break. Stephanie has been at the hotel since 2006 and was promoted to head chef in 2010; this is the first time the menu features only her dishes. At this time, the only Top Chef dish available is a gazpacho of smoked mozzarella (from the run-up to the finals) but dishes from the winning menu may follow.


New Book Club Forming

Tricia Harris, an Englishwoman living in Paradou since 2007, is organizing an English language book club. She tells me "It's principally for the social aspects of it. I don’t see it as being too serious, more an excuse to have a glass of wine and a chat with other English-speakers. It would be a nice way for us all to meet some new people." Tricia sees the club meeting once a month, drawing people from within a 10 or 15 minute radius of St Rémy and rotating the host each session. Interested? Email her: tricia.inprovence@gmail.com

Vernissage This Weekend

The St. Remy-based ceramic sculptor Catriona Manoury and the painter Nissim (who lives near Les Baux) will be showing their work at the L'Atelier Gaston de Luppe (5 rue de la Bastille, Arles) from April 16 to May 15. The vernissage is Sat April 16 at 6 p.m. and all are welcome. For info: 04-88-65-50-80, caitrionaplatts-manoury.com or click here. Pictured: Catriona's Spiky White.

Pilates in Provence

Carlos Stelmach and Olivier Coste Renoult have a few spots left in their weeklong Pilates-themed getaway to be held in St. Rémy June 25 to July 2. You'll stay in an eight-bedroom home with a large pool, nestled among olive groves and pine trees in the hills just outside town. Days begin with viennoiseries, juice, coffee, and tea, followed by a Pilates session. Then the group heads off in a mini-bus for the day, visiting sites such as L'Isle Sur la Sorgue for the Sunday market, Fontaine de Vaucluse, Les Baux, Eygalières, the ruins of a Roman town, the abbey where Vincent Van Gogh stayed and kayaking at the Pont du Gard. You return home for another Pilates session, followed by an apéritif and Provençal dinner at home (most evenings). Pilates sessions are in English. For more info, click here or go to coeurdeprovence.eu. You can also see videos of some of the destinations on Facebook. Mention Provence Post and get a 5% discount.

Artist Seeks Work Space

Cabinet-maker Lenny Heitov is looking for studio/work space in St. Remy, minimum space of 50 square meters, to rent or buy. He's willing to renovate/upgrade at his expense and prefers to be within centre ville. Contact him: 04 90 90 50 69 or 06 43 31 99 32 or lenzoil@comcast.net

New Culinary Tours in Paris and Provence

Diane Shaskin and Mark Craft introduced a generation of Canadians to organic food.  Now the founders of Planet Organic Markets (think Whole Foods, but in Canada) are carrying on their love of food and cooking with their culinary tours of Paris and Provence, brand new this season. Diane gave me a taste: “We'll bake baguettes with a Parisian boulanger, take a private cooking class at the Ritz, make bouillabaisse with a chef in Avignon and enjoy a wine-tasting picnic in the Côtes-du-Rhône." The couple is offering four week-long Paris trips (beginning in late June) and two week-long Provence trips (both in September). For more info: paristoprovence.ca 

Last Minute Rental Discount  Natalie Milani is offering some great prices on rental of her renovated 19th-century "maison de village" in Maillane, near St. Remy. Pick any week in May, 2011 and she'll knock 25% off the regular price: you pay €1,155 per week. The three-story house has four bedrooms (to sleep 8), a cozy living room, family room with plasma TV, gourmet kitchen, dining room, two washer/dryers, a pool with sunbeds, a BBQ and outdoor eating area. For pix and info, click here or email: natalie@lagouttedor-provence.com  B&B for the Festival d'Avignon Michelle Victor has a large bedroom with private bath to rent in her gracious home in Villeneuve-les-Avignon, just across the Rhone from Avignon, for July 1st to 14th, 2011, which coincides with the Festival d'Avignon, which runs from July 6 to 26. The price is 1,000€ total for two people, including breakfast daily. Michelle says that since the master bedroom and bath are upstairs, guests will have privacy on the main floor. Villeneuve is a small, historic village where the Pope's cardinals once lived. The house is in a quiet neighborhood, with a large garden and patio/terrace. It's about ten minutes by car to Avignon and 15 minutes to the TGV (high-speed train) station. Buses and small boats run back and forth to Avignon, Michelle says. For photos and info: cabinetvictor@orange.fr

Where Should We Eat?

I'm always asking friends to tell me about great restaurants they've found around Provence, where the greeting is warm, the food great, the prices fair. At the same time, people ask me the same thing: where should we eat? So I decided to start a new feature --One Restaurant I Love--and anyone who wants can take a turn writing it. This week, our guest reviewer is James Clay, my smart, funny and oh-so-worldly friend in St. Remy. James isn't a hardcore foodie--he actually spends most of his free time making out with his garden--but he throws super parties, loves to eat out and, when invited (or not), is great fun as a guest. (Speaking of James' real passion, plants, in the next week or so I'll debut his monthly column "The Cocktail Drinkers Guide to Gardening." Don't miss it!) But first, let's hear about One Restaurant He Loves: Chez Gigi. James writes:
After 20 years of hanging out in Provence, I've learned to keep a few things secret. So now you're asking yourself then why's he going to tell us about this restaurant? Well I've decided I have to learn to share--they do say giving is better than receiving (though a Cartier watch wouldn't cause a problem for me anytime).

Ok, mustn't lose my train of thought which is so easily done here in Provence in the summer, what with the cicadas chirping away and the heat et al. My favorite resturant in Provence (and oh boy, is it chic--not!), is to be found by the side of the Route National between between St. Rémy and St. Etienne du Grès in Mas Blanc des Alpilles. Chez Gigi can be spotted as you drive (slowly, please) through the little village.

The first time I ate there a few years back I had a Caesar salad which blew me away....so much garlic it could have been called spicy. By French standards, very spicy.

The entrées are imaginative and made with the best local fresh vegetables and meats. In fact, some are so good it's great to chose all of them and eat them tapas style with your friends. 
The principle plates vary from basic pizzas to dorade, ribs, duck, stuffed quail and carpaccio de boeuf with a terrific sauce.

Desserts tend to be fruits in season, chocolate mousse, brownies or whatever else they dream up that day.

Chez Gigi has all the right attitudes toward food and service (which can be mildly erratic but amusing nonetheless). The menu is hand written on boards: another good sign as it changes often. The wines are mainly local and excellent. If the 'vin en pichet' is good, then you know the meal will be too. The bread is great as well.

Owners Michel and Gigi Sivauossian--he's from Nice, she's from Quebec--have travelled widely and, for that reason, the food is so varied and interesting. For a 'local' like me, it's such a relief to find dishes that aren't always typically Provencal.

Michel and Gigi (pictured above) know their market and, as the French say, are 'correct' in terms of cost. Believe it or not you can actually get a three-course lunch including wine and coffee for around 15 € per person. They do dinner during the high season on Friday and Saturday nights...make sure to book for that but it's not neccessary at lunch. And don't dress up--this place is really casual.

There's a 'terrace' (always a high point in my book) and remember this is a fun place so don't go looking for linen table cloths and crystal. I may regret spilling the beans if I can't get a table next Friday night but then I'll know I've 'shared' and that's a good thing, isn't it !? 

If you go, please mention ProvencePost.com or say I sent you! Bon Continuation!

Chez Gigi

RN #99

Between St. Rémy and St. Etienne du Grès

Mas Blanc des Alpilles

04-90-49-10-80

www.chezgigi.beaucaire.net

Photo by James Clay.