Paris was never on my bucket list. On our recent vacation, my destination was actually Provence in the south of France, but thanks to the cheaper airfare we took a little detour. But since we landed in the City of Lights it would be insane not to see it, so we budgeted three days to explore the place. It was quite an intense itinerary: three days in Paris, then a train to Avignon (just as a place to stay, there is not too much to see or eat there). With Avignon as our base, we took several trips to Pont Du Gard, Nimes, Arles. We spent a whole day on a Côte Du Rhone wine tour that ended in Chateuneuf-du-Pape, the most famous winery of the region. Then stops in the small villages of St. Remy and Le Baux on the way to Cassis – a small, cute town by the Mediterranean where we spent two nights. It was quite a change of scenery – from the elegant streets of Paris with its art museums, Eiffel tower, churches, cathedrals and shops to Roman ruins in Provence, endless vineyards and orchards, and then – the impossibly turquoise water of Côte-d’Azur with picturesque calanques (sea inlets).
Too much has been said about French food, but I think the word “perfection” sums it up. There are probably lots of words to describe a croissant: fluffy, buttery, crispy, airy – but it just cannot be any better than the one I had in Bo&Mie bakery. I felt the same about every meal in France – so much care has been put into every piece of food on every plate, not only in restaurants, but even the street food to which the term “junk” could absolutely never be applied – even the inexpensive food is lovingly cooked and beautifully wrapped.
Of course I saw and tasted a very tiny fraction of what France has to offer, but everything was exciting and delicious. I will certainly try to reproduce some of what I enjoyed. My biggest food takeaways are:
- Whole wheat and buckwheat crepes,
- Onion soup with onions that are still crispy,
- Tea-smoked salmon,
- Foie gras,
- Beef tartar,
- Bouillabaisse
Bouillabaisse was absolutely the crown of the food journey. It is a traditional fish stew, originating in Marseille. It used to be a working-class meal for fishermen cooked with everything they didn’t sell during the day. By definition there is no “classical” recipe for it, but I will try to reproduce it the way we had it – a bowl of rich and fragrant soup and in a separate platter – a grand pile of grilled fish, shrimp, langostini piled on top of each other, baked potatoes infused with herbs and spices and homemade aioli sauce, the best one I tried.
Amazing write up on Paris, the next time I visit France I’m taking you with me Stella!
thank you Reena!
I can almost smell that bouillabaisse and those breads! Thanks for sharing.