Yesterday I went on a day trip to Arles and Saintes-Marie-De-La-Mer (can we just talk about how I saw the Mediterranean sea for the first time in my life and I loved it and it was just as beautiful as I had ever dreamed it would be?). Arles is a town full of Roman Ruins, a beautiful market, and was an area in which Van Gough painted many of his works. Arles is also the town where I fell in love with French food.
My first encounter with the food in Arles was at the enormous market where they had everything from produce and olives,
 |
| Des courges muscads (a pumpkin like gourd) |
 | ||
| Easily my favorite stand-- it's so nice to see and smell such beautiful spices! |
 |
| The Famous French Macarons |
 |
| Unidentified animal leg-- any guesses? |
For lunch, I had my first traditional French meal since being here. Our tour guide Jean-Paul invited those who were so inclined to join him to déjeuner at his favorite restaurant in Arles L'escaladou to experience la cuisine Provençale. I decided that the time had arrived to have a meal worth more than my normal under-one-euro-American-style-sandwhich (which remained isolated in my lunch bag all day). Dining with a native (Jean-Paul is Occitan) really enhanced the cultural experience! A friend and I shared our meals so we got to try a lot of different things:
Les Escargots de la Mer
| La soupe du possoin: fish soup with crusty bread topped with Rouille (saffron and mayonaise) and Parmesan cheese (Photo Credit to Maggie Grossman!) |  | |||||
Le Lapin aux herbes provençales: Rabbit with provencial herbs (this sauce was so good!)
La Boeuf Guardian: a traditional dish made with beef from the bulls which are raised in the Camargue (the delta region of the Rhone River) , olives, and rice which is grown in the Camargue
 |
| Photo Credit: Michelle Lewis |
Ile Flottant: Crème Anglaise topped with meringue (whipped egg whites)- really very good
Nougat Glace: a sort of ice cream dish with honey and whipped cream
As you can see, I am going quite hungry in France. We all left the restaurant with stupid grins on our faces. Trying new foods that you immensely enjoy is just such a metaphor for life (it's about to get cheesy). In a broader sense, I realize that there is so much out there in the world that I haven't even discovered and which will bring me immense joy (people, places, cultures, vocations, ministries). It's a really liberating experience and I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to experience so many new things.
One of my wishes came true (I'll keep you posted on the others):
I like this picture with the Med in the background - exactly where was that taken? Arles is slightly inland of a large preserve correct?
ReplyDeleteIt was taken at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer which is essentially straight south of Arles. It is indeed a preserve of the Camargue (the delta region of the Rhone river). On our way to Saintes-Maries we saw flamingos and the camargue horses and bulls!
DeleteOne of the first places I ever went mountain bike riding was not too far from there - at Bandol near the Fregate Hotel/Resort. I remember getting a flat tire on a gravel road that overlooked the Med - that was way back in 2001 - we had an international R&D meeting there
DeleteKathleen,
ReplyDeletenow your talking the food looks fablous and you again have done a great job of describing all.
Take Care, uncle tom
I'm planning on touring a vineyard when I go to the Côte d'Azur over February. I'll definitely take lots of pictures and hopefully will learn enough to describe!
DeleteThe spices are really pretty.
ReplyDelete