It’s always sad to leave after the long summer break. That drive back north with the temperature plummeting every kilometre is a killer. At least with the drive down you have the whole summer to look forward to.
This year on the way home the weather held until we left Avallon on the second day after a mega storm overnight that continued for several hours in the morning.
The stay at Le Relais Fleuri was most relaxing with a quick swim before dinner, a wander around the extensive grounds with Blodri and a pleasant meal. My canard (and yes, there is a strong possibility I may begin to sprout wings myself after all the duck/quail/guinea fowl I’ve eaten this summer!) was good but not great but Graham’s veal was great. My dessert was interesting – a chocolate egg shaped shell filled with a dainty fruit salad and swimming in a raspberry coulis.
It’s a while since I stayed here and I’d forgotten what an attractive area it is. You are just on the edge of the Morvan, a beautiful and mysterious landscape filled with forests and lakes. And the drive cross country to get back to the motorway takes you through quaint little Burgundian villages and impressive forests.
Will be booking for next year.
Blog
The long journey home
Written on Wednesday, August 31st, 2011 at 12:33 pm
L’Adresse
Written on Wednesday, August 31st, 2011 at 12:27 pm
Are there no lengths to which this woman will not go in order to provide you with restaurant reviews??
Yes, I’ve forced myself to go out for yet another meal. Jo, our local Shiatsu guru, told me about this place which is right at the end of rue des deportes in Nyons. As she also told me about Crocodile which was excellent I decided to try it out and was not disappointed. Very friendly front of house and interesting food: foie gras layered with peach – sounds a bit odd but worked for me; magret de canard which was excellent served with polenta and a good melange of legumes; caramel fondant with caramel ice-cream for dessert which was stunning and a new one to me. You can eat inside in the quiet or sit outside and observe the world passing by.
Will definitely be returning!
Update on Le Petit Caveau
Written on Tuesday, August 30th, 2011 at 9:17 am
The restaurant has now reopened under the new management and we tried it out a few days ago. Very friendly front of house but the restaurant seemed a tad desolate with no pictures on the walls and no table flowers/candles etc. The whole experience seemed to fall between two styles – neither quite relaxed bistro nor high-end dining. So butter with the bread but no side plates. Front of house in jeans but still smart tablecloths. They are no longer doing the formule for wine whereby they suggest a suitable glass of wine for each course and I think that’s a big mistake. It was a signature of the restaurant dating back to the days of Muriel and Christian and means you get to try out different wines and can be flexible on quantities. These days with the gendarmes on the prowl, a bottle is too much for a couple. For us it meant that I only had one glass as nothing else by the glass really went with my other courses and my other half didn’t have anything.
And the food? Well, it’s early days so I don’t want to be too harsh but let’s just say it was very disappointing. Not up to our gastro-pub at home. I think they’re going to have to up their game if they want to survive the hot competition in the area.
Landmarks
Written on Friday, August 26th, 2011 at 9:58 am
Do you have special places or things you look out for on long journeys? It was a way my parents kept me amused as a child on journeys and I still have fond memories of the full-size horse outside a garage on the way to Cornwall who only wore his tail in good weather; the mysterious pool on Bodmin Moor that I was told was bottomless; and the amusing sign outside the Wibbly Wobbly Wheel garage near Exeter.
What things do I look out for driving down through France?
The slag heaps of Northern France which always remind me of Zola’s ‘Germinal’.
The impressive sight of Laon, the ancient capital, perched on its hill. I once broke my journey there in a hotel (I think Bannieres de France) memorable for two things – a massive en suite with the door hidden in the flowery bedroom wallpaper and a huge cheeseboard in the restaurant which included a pyramid shape cheese that I seem to remember had a touch of ginger. I’ve never found it anywhere else.
The sign for the ‘vallee d’aa’ – what a great name – I wonder what its derivation is?
I love the elves and mushrooms which pop up in various guises and varieties beside the autoroute between Troyes and Beaune.
Before Troyes there is the Aire de Charmont with its sign for ‘station carburant automatique’ which turns out to be one solitary pump. Why???
I’m also intrigued by the seemingly random windsocks that occasionally appear.
This year there was a new sign warning us that the powers that be are creating ‘les passages pour faunes’. I’m sure it can’t mean that they are being encouraged to cross the autoroute?
My absolute favourite (yes, I know this is very sad) used to be a large ad on the side of a house not far from Nyons for ‘toilettage’(pet grooming parlour) which showed a very soignee poodle – sadly the sign has now been painted over.
New restaurant to check out
Written on Friday, August 19th, 2011 at 9:40 pm
I’ve been told to try out Cafe de la Poste in Venterol where I (Sue) have my house. My son and friends have been a couple of times and really rate it. Of course, a major plus point for me is that I can walk home from there. No worries about having a few glasses of wine! So I shall try it out very soon and report back.
It’s a b….y long drive!
Written on Friday, August 19th, 2011 at 9:39 pm
Despite taking two days to drive down here it’s a bit of a marathon. The second day having to either go through or around Lyon is always a bit of a trial, and this year was no different. Another reason for the title of this post is because I keep having to explain to people why my mini dachshund is called Blodri. It’s not a Welsh name – a weird variant of Blodwyn. She was named by a breeder who bought her in Scotland and then had to drive her all the way back to SE England with wailing children and howling dog – it felt like a b….y long drive!
Driving to the drome
Written on Saturday, August 13th, 2011 at 10:48 am
Although some younger and more energetic (or maybe just foolhardy) friends drive down without breaking their journey I always spend the night somewhere en route. Apart from it being less tiring it’s always good to see another area of France and have a meal out. As I travel down with my intrepid mini dachshund Blodri I have to find somewhere dog friendly. I have experimented over the years but now have two firm favourites Le Relais Fleuri just outside Avallon and Le Val Moret near Troyes – both about halfway. Le Relais Fleuri probably edges it on food and has a very pleasant pool, but does involve about an hour and a half cross country to regain the motorway whereas Le Val Moret is incredibly convenient being close to the motorway and is also quite a bit cheaper. They were building a pool last year so hopefully that will be up and running this summer. They both use great local produce in their restaurants, are extremely friendly, and are both motels so you can park near your room and most importantly you don’t need to disturb half the hotel when your dog needs to faire pipi.
This year I’m sharing out my custom and doing one on the way down and the other driving back.
I’d be interested to hear other people’s favourite stopovers?
Sous (Sue) Chatelaine?
Written on Saturday, August 6th, 2011 at 1:47 pm
Clare has asked me to take over the blog for a while as she’s really busy and unavoidably detained in England. In fact, I have posted before so you probably won’t notice much difference! Clare being in England means that for the moment I get to be the main meeter and greeter of clients coming to stay. Luckily it’s only a short drive from my house in Venterol so I can whizz over if there’s a problem.
Most of our stays this summer are for a week so it’s quite a rush on our changeover day of Saturday to get everything spick and span. Thank goodness for the sunshine to dry all the sheets! Laurent and Sandra who keep the house and pool in top condition have it all under control, and there’s also Gael who tends the garden.
Again this year people are amazed by just how spacious the house is (the team can vouch for that when cleaning it!) while still managing to have a cosy, welcoming feel. Feedback has been very positive as usual.
Say it with flowers
Written on Saturday, August 6th, 2011 at 12:39 pm
Why not add some drama to your cooking this summer by using flowers in your dishes. Flowers not only look attractive as garnishes, but they can add wonderful floral flavours. Whether it’s the subtle scent of roses, the earthy tang of lavender or the spicy kick from nasturtium flowers, the possibilites are vast.
Here in Provence lavender of course is found in many desserts such as ice-cream, pannacotta or creme brulee but why not add some sprigs to your barbecue marinade – it works wonderfully with chicken breasts for example.
Violet adds an amazing flavour to ice-cream – something I first tasted at Le Poeme in Grignan as an accompaniment to a chocoalte souffle – magic! In fact the flavour made such an impression that the car journey home was spent reminiscing about violet sweets we had when young and trying to remember their name.
Nasturtiums make a tasty addition to any salad and courgette flowers and wonderful stuffed or deep fried with a light batter.
What flowers do you use in cooking? Have you any favourite recipes with flowers?