The best olive oil..for us

During the planning of our trip, The Trout searched about where to buy the "best" olive oil in France.  It was in the area we were going to, so it was put on our travel destination list.

The name of the village is Maussane.  The olive oil maker is Jean Marie Cornille.  The tasting room was very pretty.  The variety of different oils were awaiting us as we entered.  A young woman, a member of the family, spoke perfect English and invited us to taste.

We tried 3 different oils and tasted them with a small plastic spoon.  Much like wine, you let the oil slowly be pulled into your mouth, hold it and then swallow.  It is surprising how they can taste differently.  We chose one we liked a lot.  It was only a small bottle of black olive oil and we paid 10 Euro.

This was excellent for our salads while we rented the small apartment in Provence.  The Trout makes our vinaigrette and with using a fork, he gently whipped the oil with a small amount of Dijon and some lemon juice.  It almost turned to mayonnaise in seconds.  It was so very good.

Of course, the lettuce we found in the markets was soft and tender.  Yes, we enjoyed!!

The Roman architecture in Glanum

Outside of the town of St. Remy are the ruins of Glanum and the remarkable Roman ruins known as les Antiques.  Beside the road you see this well-preserved mausoleum and arch.  It is estimated that they were erected around AD30.

On the opposite side of the road is the true entrance.  Excavations have taken place since 1921, and many different layers of habitation have been recovered.  

I have a real love of walking through these ruins.  It is like my imagination gets carried away and I wish I could have been there at the time all this land was inhabited.

Several times I ran my fingers along the edges of this carved stone.  I can only imagine....

And who might have sat here?  I am so glad we found this area.  Enjoy the pictures.

Seeing France, Our Way - Avignon

This week, I almost succeeded in filling my second travel journal since we retired 12 years ago.  Let's just say, I have never been one to keep a diary for more than a month.  I know many that do this faithfully.  But, I knew that as I grew older and traveled more, all my experiences would blend into one big trip and many details would be lost...I love details.  I started keeping a travel journey in 1999, of each day we are in Europe.  Laughingly, I ALWAYS write about what we eat along the way.  We love Europe for the food, the wine, the people and the history that is so very old.   So, if you care to, you may follow along on one more trip over the big pond.  Europe..the place that my heart always yearns for.

With one checked bag, one carry on, a backpack and my large purse, The Trout and I flew to Paris on May 25.  We caught the TGV (bullet train) to Avignon where we spent two nights in a studio apartment.  Surprisingly, that night we slept 12 hours straight.  Woke very refreshed and ready to start our trip.

The Palais des Papes, where the papal court moved in 1309.  After the return to Rome, the papal property remained for the next 300 years as the summer home for the popes.

The last remaining arches of Avignon's famous bridge, The Chapelle St.-Nicholas.  It is part Romanesque, part-Gothic.

The side of the Palace of the Popes

I found this small street amazing.  Just look how man built housing out of the rock and left the rough, untouched rock as a foundation.  This is a walking street that is photographed many, many times a day.

The next day we went to several museums seeing art from the 13 through 20th centuries.

For dinner that evening at "Brigadeer at the Theatre" The Trout had Durade a la creme a'Amade.  This plate is a work of art, and it tasted wonderful.

I enjoyed Saute de Volaille Chilindron, a curried chicken.  Notice the balsamic vinegar that kissed the plate.  We noticed that a lot this trip.  A nice added touch.  Of course, this was very old and heavy balsamic.

On the second day, we went to the train station to pick up our rental car.  With our trusty GPS that we brought from home, we plugged in "Sylvie" and were off on our driving adventure.  To rent a GPS in France costs about $20 a day.  This is the second year we brought our's from home.  It has European maps which work wonderful.  Sometimes we did not trust Sylvie, but she always got us there.  Road signs can not always be trusted.  You have to know the map of the country well.  As always, I am the designated navigator.  In otherwords, I would not drive in Europe for anything!!  If you want to drive to a town 20 miles away, you need to know the location of the largest town in that direction, perhaps 200 miles away.  You do get used to it.  

So, I have started you on our journey.  The views get better...the food becomes exceptional...and we do have fun.  Bientot!

Almost forgot...I wanted to add a little French fashion to the end of the posting.  The Trout could hardly turn these down as we walked by the store window.