Annual visit to Viviers – Part 2

Anna at entrance to Aubignas

Since Madame had so highly touted Aubignas, we thought we should check it out.  It was once a busy place with basalt mines and a factory that created a variety of building materials – all of that is gone now.  Just outside of town, we walked through a self-guided exhibit complete with pictures, timelines, and examples of basalt and products to illustrate the village’s past. 

What remains is a charming, sleepy, residential village. (Not even a store or restaurant!) The village is surrounded by its medieval ramparts and includes a castle.  It was built on a promontory for defense purposes – this was a fortress castle!  Of particular interest is the 11^th century church that was once actually the private chapel of the lord of the castle.   




 

Castle at Aubignas

The village lavoir - one place to wash clothes,
one to rinse them, and one for cattle to drink from.

Probably the newest thing in the village is the town bell; it seems the sexton was so energetic ringing the bell to announce the armistice that the original bell was broken.  Even in this small, remote place we had a conversation with a gentleman who was pleased to tell us about his trip to the US and visits to San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, and New York.  (We have always been warmly welcomed when folks learn we are Americans!)

The 1st Alba la Romaine as it looks  today

After visiting Aubignas, we drove to Alba la Romaine.  There are actually two Alba la Romaines!  The first one was a Roman provincial capital which now sits in the middle of vineyards and farm land.  It is unique among the Roman ruins because it wasn’t a large, rich city like most of the ruins that have been discovered and lends itself to the discovery of what everyday life might have looked like 2000 years ago.  Excavation and study continue, and we were very impressed with the excellent museum on site. 

The impressive museum.

Outside the museum there is a walkway with placards explaining the parts of the Roman town and including drawings of what the structures must have looked like.  As we left, folks we getting ready for a musical performance in what remains of the Roman theater.  The Romans built things to last!

Opening through city wall in
 "new" Alba la Romaine.

Our next stop was across the road and up the hill to the “new” Alba la Romaine.  We had been there very briefly before and knew there was a lot more to see.  This village dates back to the 13^th century.  The medieval city was constructed in an arc around a castle, and parts of the old city wall remain. 

David and our lunch choices on the chalk board.

We had a pleasant, relaxed lunch outside at a local café.  That is, we were outside until a sudden rain squall sent everyone running inside.  The rain stopped as quickly as it came, and we wandered over to the tourist office for a brochure to guide us in our walk around the village.  In addition to the remains of the castle (now privately owned), there are houses dating back to the 14^th – 16^th centuries, interesting bas reliefs from the 1500s, and a clock tower erected in the 1600s. 


View of the front of the café -
that's Anna sitting at the table.

After our walk, we stopped at a local tavern for a cold beer on the front porch while we watched two men playing boules.  Very French and very picturesque!  Then it was time to head back to the auberge to freshen up and get ready for another delicious dinner.

Watching a game of boules.

There are many, many lovely small villages to visit in France, and we have only sampled a small number of them.  However, if you are ever driving south along the A7 and want to stop for a very pleasant break, we highly recommend you cross the Rhone on D86 and check out Le Relais du Vivarais.  Do make reservations and then get ready for a delightful stay or just a delicious meal.  And, be sure to say hello to Madame for us!

Annual visit to Viviers – Part 1

David, Roger, and Tony found a lovely auberge in the village of Viviers on their bike ride from Lyon to Arles.  David was so impressed with it that he booked two nights to celebrate Anna’s birthday and their anniversary.  And, we’ve gone there every year since then.  Michelin has been impressed, too, and continues to list it in the vaunted Red Book.  The owner knows us by name now and takes especially good care of us.  (Life is rough.)

First a little background about Viviers…It is on the Rhone River an easy drive south from Lyon.  It was established as a supply depot by the Romans so it’s been around a while.  A Roman bridge just outside of town is still in use!  Today it is a lovely little village with lots of narrow, winding, medieval streets, old houses of note, its share of ruins, and the smallest cathedral in France.  (The bishop preached a sermon in favor of the revolution early on, and the church and village survived unscathed.)  It also has an active artist population, and paintings and ceramic items are on display and for sale in a variety of places.

Now on to the auberge…it is located on the outskirts of town (steps away from the Roman bridge

Our patio and view of pool and grounds.

that is still in use).  It is actually on the highway that goes through Viviers, and we are always amazed that huge semis can actually navigate through town.  It can be a bit noisy close to the road, but the grounds are an oasis of peace and relaxation.  David always makes sure to get unit #5 which is one of the newest and largest units, with its own patio with grape arbor, and in the back with easy access to the pool.  The chef prepares dishes using local products, and, weather permitting, meals are served outside under umbrellas and shade trees. 

Outside dining area.

After we got settled in, we sat on our patio sipping a nice, cool Rosé, while we discussed what side trips we might want to take.  Last year it was so hot that we spent most of our time in and around the pool, but this year the weather was much more conducive to exploration.  We had wandered through the village of Viviers on a previous visit so we decided to check out other options.  The local Tourist Office was very helpful with maps, pamphlets, and lots of suggestions.  And, our hostess recommended we visit Aubignas, and very, very small village to the north.  We certainly didn’t lack for options! 

(To be continued)

Jazz at L'Opera de Lyon

We have heard that the Lyon Opera House created quite a stir when it was renovated.  Apparently, the dispute was over the superstructure that was added to the top of the original building.  Another part of the renovation was the expansion of the front terrace with the ability to protect it from the elements without actually enclosing it.  The result was the Péristyle, now an area for an informal lunch or late night dinner and a glass of wine or other beverage.   During the summer months they also have jazz concerts in the Péristyle – free jazz concerts!  Needless to say, they are well attended, and it’s often advisable to get a table early if you don’t want to spend the concert on your feet. 

L'Opera de Lyon

The Péristyle from the outside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since we like jazz, we decided it was time to check this out.  The sets are at 7PM, 8:15PM, and 10PM.  We decided to go to the 7PM set; we arrived around 6:45 and were fortunate to find an open table.  The group, Adèle Bracco – Absolute Swing, included Adèle on vocals along with a sax, trumpet, guitar, piano, string bass, and drums.  They featured traditional jazz standards and were very good. 

Adèle Bracco – Absolute Swing

 (As a side note, the pianist, Bastien Brison, was excellent, but he appeared to be 16.  David checked online and found that he is actually 23, plays at quite a few venues and even has a band of his own.  We could tell the piano was just a natural extension of him – he played effortlessly, beautifully, and with obvious enjoyment.  Anna remarked that he was one of those kids she would have hated back when she was taking piano lessons.) 

The Péristyle from the inside.

 

 

Anyway, we enjoyed the band and the venue so much that we asked Dominique and Roger if they would like to join us there on the following Wednesday, this band’s last night at the Péristyle.  We arrived at 6PM this time and were able to find a good table for four.  Adèle and the group came through with another great set, and the audience (standing room only) obviously enjoyed it.

Afterwards the four of us walked over to a tapas restaurant and enjoyed a leisurely, late meal (though not late by Lyon standards) accompanied by good wine and great conversation.  It’s always nice to have a nice long chat with Dominique and Roger – we haven’t solved many world problems, but we’ve done an excellent job of identifying them!  Eventually, it was time to walk back towards the Opera House and the metro station.  Another very enjoyable evening in lovely Lyon!

End of the year soirèes – AVF Lunch at a Château

The AVF group we belong to always has an end of the year party, and this year Victoria and Régis, members of AVF, hosted us at their family château in the countryside.  The château has been in Régis’ family for generations, but they only use it  now for visits during the summer and occasional parties and weddings.  We appreciated their making it available to us!

The front of the château.

Roger and Gerard gave us a ride and were on set up duty so we helped set up, too.  While the guys were busy setting up tables, Victoria gave Anna a quick tour.  It was easy to imagine the château as it looked “back in the day.”  It remains impressive today.

Part of the dining room.

In the grand salon.

All the tables and chairs were set up in yard in the back of the château while the food tables were in what had been the carriage house.  We could still see horse collars and so forth stored above the large doors.

Setting up - back of the château on
 the right, carriage house on left.

David and Roger - the dynamic duo.

Before the actual lunch we enjoyed a variety of beverages and fruit, cheeses, salame, etc. The lunch itself was catered and included salads, cold cuts, etc. and, of course, amazing pastry desserts – perfect for the hot day.   No one was in danger of going away hungry or thirsty!

The soirèe in progress.

It was nice to have another chance before the summer break to connect with people.  Many of Anna’s friends from the lunch group were there with their husbands, and we took the opportunity of introducing them to each other.  We found that Sueli’s husband and David shared an interest in researching their families’ genealogy and both had government-issued documents attesting to the good character of an ancestor and listing other family members.  (One was from Italy, the other from France.)

At the end of a very pleasant afternoon, it was time for Monique, our president, to bring our soirèe to a close.  Everyone lent a hand and soon everything was cleaned up and removed.  We restored the château to  Victoria and Régis with our thanks and drove back to Lyon through the scenic countryside.

End of the Year Soirèes – Papilles en éveil

We recently enjoyed our last lunch group “meeting” of  Papilles en éveil  (roughly translated as “awakening tastebuds”) for the year.  We all gathered at Sueli’s apartment with Brigitte, our super hostess and maîtresse, in charge .  (Sueli, a Brazilian, Gillian, who is English, and I were the “foreigners” in the group this time.)  At our luncheons, one person is responsible for the entrée or first course, another the plat or main dish, and another the dessert; and each dish is supposed to be representative of our countries of origin. 

The happy group.  (That's Sueli front and center.  Brigitte took the picture.)

Brigitte had asked me to take on the entrée so I arrived with recipe and ingredients for Shrimp Remoulade from Galatoire’s on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.  (Recipe below)  Sueli had chosen Bobo des Crevettes, a traditional Brazilian dish, and we finished off with a French dessert of Assiette Gourmande.

In the kitchen preparing our repast.

As always, we had a great time preparing and eating our lunch.  We always enjoy meeting and chatting and sampling dishes from all over the world.  Our get-togethers usually start around 10 AM and often finish around 3 or 4 in the afternoon.

The entrée

 

 

The plat.

 

The dessert.

So what do we talk about? First of all, the language used is French since that's the language we all share - more or less.  (We do have occasional detours into "Franglish.")  We chat about the food we are preparing, any history behind it, any unique ingredients, etc.  (For instance, Sueli's recipe called for manioc, a starch made from a root, and used widely in Brazil.)  And, we talk about the usual things friends talk about:  our families, plans for the summer, recent travels, funny things that have happened, etc.

Needless to say, we are all looking forward to the next round of monthly gatherings.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

SHRIMP REMOULADE  (8 servings) This recipe is from Galatoire’s on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.  The restaurant was founded by Jean Galatoire in 1905 and is still in the family.

Ingredients
Sauce:
¾ cup parsley, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup Creole mustard
½ cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbs paprika
1 Tbs prepared white horseradish
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup vegetable oil

 4 cups lettuce, shredded

2 lbs cooked, peeled shrimp
2 lemons, cut into wedges

 Directions:

Sauce:
•             Combine chopped parsley, celery, and garlic in large mixing bowl.
•             Add mustard, vinegar, paprika, horseradish, hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
•             Gradually whisk in oil.
•             Season to taste with salt and pepper.
•             Cover and refrigerate overnight.  (Can be prepared 3 days ahead.  Keep refrigerated.)

•             Divide lettuce among 8 salad plates

•             Top with shrimp
•             Re whisk sauce and spoon over shrimp
•             Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.