So to sum it up, it was most definitely a four part trip. We started out in Holland, where my parents are from, and have an apartment, so we totally felt like locals. The town where the apartment is (Roosendal) is the town where my dad grew up, and he showed us where he went to school, where he and mum used to live when first dating and we rode bikes around to visit family and see local sights. Lots of fun, and I got to fill in some of the blanks of my own family history, which at times seems so far removed from me. I'm entirely sure that both my parents have been instrumental in my attitude to preparing and eating food, so that was a very important part of the trip. And we haven't seen my parents for about 18 months, so there was lots of catching up to do. And eating. Oh, the eating.
I'm trying to keep myself to one photo of each location or I'll do a blog post with 360 pics... So this is the Holland pic. Kinda sums it up well.
From Holland, Jamie and I caught the train to Paris for four nights. We spent that time walking, walking and more walking. Also a ton of eating (what a surprise). We stayed at the most amazing hotel just off the boulevard st germain. Hotel d'aubisson rocked my world, I cannot recommend it highly enough. Amazing rooms, amazing location, amazing staff, and we will be back any chance we get.
On the first day I accidentally ordered veal head terrine, got abused by a motor cyclist who nearly ran me over, and got told off by a man in a cheese shop for touching and smelling things. Siiigh. But I recovered well.
We had a mixture of hits and misses with meals. Some were gimmicky and average, some were amazing. The blockbuster meal we went for was at the sister restaurant of chateaubriand (which is in the top 15 restaurants in the world accruing to the San Pelligrino list, and which we couldn't get into, even with three months notice). The restaurant is called Le Daupin, and while it was better than good, given we were in Paris, and it was food by one of the best chefs in THE WORLD, it was just ok. My favorite meal was on our last night, at a la petite chaise. I had French onion soup, and then a steak tartare. So awesome. Full of locals and just fantastic (thanks The Guardian, for your recommendation).
This is us in the courtyard of our hotel after dinner one night. The barman was a hilarious campy man, who insisted on climbing up on the fountain to take this pic, because we'd look skinner form that angle. And we do.
After Paris, we caught the train to the south of France, where we met up with the parentals again, and spent a week in a GORGEOUS villa in a little French village. We ate amazingly, with a view over the mediterranean, a beautiful private garden, and blissful country noises wafting up to us.
We did day trips to St Tropez, Monaco, wine country and the beach. If I wasn't me, I'd hate me.
This was the view from our bedroom... We got the place off the website vbro, and we'll totally use it again.
After France, Jamie and I hired a car and spent a week in Italy. We went to Portofino, Lake Como (George Clooney broke up with his GF the week after we were there... Just saying), and Venice for a night.
I loved Portofino for it's smallness and stunning setting, Lake Como for it's grandness and majesty, and Venice for it's sheer improbability and ability to endure 5000000000 tourists every day.
Naturally, we ate amazingly the whole time, and were home all too soon.
This is us leaving Venice, full of end of holiday blues, but so happy for the memorable and delicious time we had.
funny how the best meals are often in the most humble surrounds. A place crowed with locals is the pathway of the righteous!
ReplyDeleteHeaded over to Porto for a weekend of ...port and salt cod. Tastie stuff - I dig it but it's a hell of a staple.... (I think I'd take rice as the cornerstone of my diet...)