Cooking Class in a French Chateau!!

We had been told we were going to a French Cooking Class....but imagine our surprise when we pulled up in front of THIS beauty!

And not to Name-Drop or anything, but this chateau was visit many times by Louis XXIV as a hunting lodge!

Our host, Mark, now lives in this family home that was once occupied by the German's during World War II. He was the ultimate host and showed us around before the cooking class started.  Have you EVER seen a fig tree this big?

This was just a "little guest house" on the property.  I think I could just stay there forever!

Here's the pool and garden that the guest house looks out on.WHAT a view, right?

And the other end of the pool.  Beyond that stone fence were some pet donkey's. 

This is the view looking back to the house.....rough life, huh?

Mark obviously has a green thumb and has a way with begonias.  Loved the fact that just random pieces of concrete fences decorated the flower beds.

A pretty little stair way to lead to secret parts of the garden.

Stunning, right?

More of the hidden garden............

Then around the corners was a century old bathhouse.  The walls of the little domed building were decorated with shells. 

The mosaic ceiling of the bath house.

Pretty Garden shed............

An interesting planter.............

A winding stairway..........

Another out building...............There's SO much room there....I don't think they would notice if I moved in, do you?  Until all my friends started traipsing thru; because if I'm going to live somewhere THIS cool, you are ALL invited to come and visit!

A beautiful old (maybe I should quit saying "OLD" because everything THERE is old.  LOL!

A random little cactus garden in the South of France.

The beautiful green house.............

Not sure what this building was....but who cares!  It's COOL! 

The bird house for fancy French Chickens.........

And THEN, we are invited into the special Cooking Class Kitchen.  We all sat around this beautiful table and watched our host prepare a scrumptious meal of lamb.....and, OF COURSE, the wine was flowing.

Mark, our host and chef, was so personable and cute....AND a sexy French Accent!

This is a ricotta pie he made for dessert.  The bowl is lined with fig leaves (from that huge fig tree, no doubt) and then baked for dessert.

More dishes and more wine.....................he even provided recipe cards to we could write down the recipes.

And here is the ricotta pie after it was cooked.  Interesting, huh?  It wasn't my all time favorite dessert but it was SO French....what's not to love.  The other dish is a rice and chickpea side dish.

The buffet in the cooking kitchen.....

Being the nosy guests, we asked the walk through his REAL kitchen.  Check out this stove and tile work. 

And finally, just a funny thing I found in the hallway......This is PROBABLY one of his relatives....I just liked the shadow. 

Check back later in the week for MORE FUN FRENCH ADVENTURES!  Bon  Jour..........

Visit to Provence, France---Part Deaux!!!!

One of our little day trips out of Aix en Provence was to Lourmarin.  What a picturesque (a much over-used word and still not adequate) village.  My travel companion, Tyra and I found a shady spot for a bite of lunch. You might recognize a famous writer, British expatriate Peter Mayle lives in Lourmarin. One of his books is A Year in Provence.

This is their delicious version of Caesar Salad with Chicken....Yummy!

Tyra ordered a meat and cheese plate......So delicious!

Everywhere you turned there were cute little boutiques. 

Our guide arranged for us to visit a local home. The charming owner, has a linen and lace shop that you can see in the background of this picture.  It was attached to her home and was opened by appointment only.

A picture of her beautiful "jardine" where her grandchildren swing and play.

A little side yard with lots of pretty birdhouses.

Here's a shot of her garden wash-up and tool storage. 

Then we were treated to a visit inside.  Her home's been featured in a French home & garden magazine!  It's elegant yet simple...and of course, beautiful!

A shot of the living room......so French....with muted tones of cream, green and pink.  Check out the stone stairs in the background. 

And here's the homeowner, showing her large stash of beautiful cooking pots.

Check out this cool kitchen.  I would DIE for that stove.  The backsplash, the sink and the counters are local stone.  Notice how she uses lace and embroidered pieces in all sorts of places?

Another shot of the kitchen...................

Out by the lace shop is an old-fashion lace making machine.

 The shop was tiny, but filled with all sorts of goodies.  An interesting fact we learned:  Most collectors of antique lace and linens do not look specifically for their initials embroidered on the fabric.  They think nothing of collecting fabrics with other initials.  :)

 More goodies...........

 A beautiful display out in the garden near the entrance to the shop.

And since it was October, the French also decorate with pumpkins and gourds.  This is a shot of her herb garden....Can't you just SMELL the Herbs of Provence? 

The tranquil backyard, with a hot tub and pool.  Can't you just imagine sitting out there with a glass of wine, staring up in the the clear French sky!  No big city lights for 40 miles to block the view of the stars!  Ahhhh....Heaven!

Check back for more of my Colorful French Adventures! 

Bon Jour!!!!

Oh La La......I Loved France!

Well, I've been back from Paris for over a month now and I'm still glowing, excited to talk about the trip to anyone that will listen and ready to make plans to go back!  I took over 1,000 pictures so it's hard just to whittle down to a few favorites. 

Every morning we began the day with these WONDERFUL croissants....and Cappuccino.  YUM!

Many of our days were in flea markets and farmers markets and the produce was beautiful and the flea market items were extraordinary. We had a the sweetest guide name Jill who grew up in California but went to university in France and still lives there.  If you are ever in France and are looking for an interesting view of French life, please look her up.  You won't be disappointed. She found out of the way stores, shops, trunk (garage sale type) shows, antique fairs....A DREAM VACATION! 

This cute chest was in a Salvation Army type shop!  Awesome, huh?
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Along the main street in Aix en Provence we found a cool Antique Fair......We got out and about early and beat the crowds!

Vendors hawked all kinds of wares, from old to new.  This pottery reminded me of Fiesta Ware.

I couldn't get enough of the beautiful vegetables.  Total Eye Candy!  The epitome of Organic!

And the SPICES!!!!!  It smelled SO good. 

The French sure do have a way with baked goods.  This whole store sold nothing but small cookie-type treats. Notice their presentation......the store owner obviously had to assist the customer or the whole cookie stack might fall down....giving a whole new meaning to:  You Break...You Buy! 

The first thing I noticed was how cute and small this orange truck was, but then when I grabbed my camera I noticed the bread in the back.  It's NO JOKE....everyone buys their bread daily because it's against French law to put preservatives in their French bread, so it goes stale quickly.  Many times we saw people walking down the street with a baguette under their arm. 

Another fine example of beautiful desserts that the French create and sell.

And....finally, a CHOCOLATE shop! 

I have tons more pictures and haven't begun to scratch the surface.  So, if you are interested in seeing more of Provence and Paris, leave me a comment and I'll post more.  :)