We zipped down to Avignon last week. Our neighbors from Austin were visiting us in Paris. I knew they'd love the Chef's hosted dinner at La Mirande, so we all made a short getaway to Avignon.
While the dinner was great, and the place we stayed was a treat, Sarah and I did have our plans ruffled by a French public holiday. We had planned a hike along a grand randonee (national French hiking trail) out in the country. Our first plan starting from Pont du Gard was bust because the bus schedule evaporates on public holidays. A very kind lady at the Avignon TI helped us formulate a new plan of hiking starting from St. Remy, and found a bus schedule that worked. That plan was nuked because the bus never showed up. ...sigh.... So we had to settle for a much shorter walk, but found a killer pizza joint along the river. I found the lavender in this picture blooming, and managed to get a nice shot of it with the famous Avignon bridge behind it.
Dinner in the restored kitchen of La Mirande included: Pan fried Sardine with creamed artichoke, oven baked halibut with white asparagus in a divine red wine and shallot cream sauce, confit du canard with mashed potatoes and baked cherry tomatoes, strawberries in citrus juice with honey, saffon, and baby basil. I sat right next to the chef this time, enjoyed it immensely. He's very 'unfussy', and has a great sense of humor. He let me taste the rasberry vinegar, and showed me his favorite olive oil. Believe it or not, he adds olive oil to his mashed potatoes. We had a very enjoyable red (Chateau Paradis Terre des Anges).
The next day we went to Arles for a quick trip. I wish we had more time there, and I wish I had my other camera. Arles looked like a fun place to take photos.
Photos at....
http://picasaweb.google.com/suzypics/Provence2
