Walking the Royal Way

One of the reasons to get out and walk is that you see a lot more on two legs. This is all the more evident when walking the old road from Tourrette-Sur-Loop to Vence in Provence. It is all the more necessary in the middle of cooking school when rich sauces and delicious desserts are being consumed on a daily basis!  I took the old road for the simple reason that there would be less traffic on it but had no idea when I set off that it would be so lovely. Neither did I know that this old route was actually fairly famous as the gentry took it from Vence to Tourrette -Sur-Loop paying their respects to Saint Mary Magdalene on route where a little shrine remains in her honour. It was just like a step back in history where cocks of hay still sit on fields and honeysuckle and roses peepout at you from the hedges! No blackberries at all but lots of fig trees bursting with ripe figs just ready for my picnic as well as green olive groves, roses and passion flowers. I even came across a pepper tree which was a first for me! When you remember that this is a walk in late September and I am more minded of summer days in Crete I see why this part of France is so very popular with visitors from more northern climes! 

Truffles in Provence

Well it was lovely to get down to another part of France famous for its great food and wine. We arrived in Nice, well Tourrette sur Loup in fact, last Saturday having had a stopover in Avignon.  The Popes Palace, the theatre and old town walls were very impressive, (particularly the Palace bread oven and kitchen which had to roast 128 oxen for one Pope Clement VI's banquet in 1342!) , the town itself was full of history. The long drive had taken its toll and we were delighted to sleep and prepare for the next five days of gourmet cooking and eating at the famous Nice cooking school belonging to Arne Fusager and Birthe Sandager up in the hills of Cote D'Azur! What a week we had!!

Everything came with truffles including roast pork , scrambled eggs,  truffle risotto, slow roasted lamb, truffle ice cream, artichoke, veal fillet with apples, turbot soup, scallop souffle, orange cake,  smoked salmon, foie gras terrine and mouth watering creme caramel to name but a few of the delights. 

It was an truely amazing experience and I have now eaten more truffles than one normally gets (if they are very lucky) in a lifetime ! Arne took us out to see the truffle market at Aups and we were able to see a well trained dog actually dig trufles out of the ground!  These truffle dogs are very valuable and we are advised that in season (November to March) farmers protect their truffle fields (and dogs) with night patrols and rifles! 

During all this food preparation and consumption we tasted lots of wonderful wines and rose's and were briefed on the local varieties and specific grapes of the Provence region.  These included wines from Chateau  de Cremat, Chateau Sainte Roseline, Chateau La Canorgue (where the film director Ridley Scott shot his  film A Good Year ) and a Le Van which was absolutely delicious. 

All this took place high up in the hills overlooking the most wonderful medieval village of Tourrrette sur Loup with Nice and Cannes visible in the distance. We were surrounded by olive trees, rosemary and lavender bushes, mimosa trees in full bloom and the most wonderful tulips the size of which are rarely seen in Northern Europe! 

And how wonderful to come back home to Kerrouet yesterday  and to find that a local actor from the adjoining village of Plemet, Marion Cotillard (who starred in the Scott film mentioned above), has won a Oscar for her performance as Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose!! Our hills are alive with the sounds of music!!