Category Archives: Restaurants

An Anniversary Dinner in Romorantin and a Bike Ride to Mer

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balcony_facadeWe’ve been to Romorantin in Sologne before and loved the fresh produce market. At the bread baking day in Les Grouets, Le Lion d’or was recommended to us as being one of the best restaurants in the region so we’ve decided to try it out for our 16th wedding anniversary.

We’re coming directly from Paris so we’ve timed it to arrive at about 12.30 pm. We leave slightly later than planned and encounter traffic jams. Traffic is obviously being rerouted for the 70th anniversary of D-Day. I’m a bit on edge because I hate being late but as we approach the turn-off to Chartres, things get back to normal.

The brick façade of the restaurant
The brick façade of the Lion d’Or restaurant

It’s 12.45 when we park outside the hotel restaurant which is perfect. I straighten out my linen skirt which maybe isn’t the best choice for a 2 1/2 hour car ride and we walk in. The garden is visible from the doorway and it looks incredibly inviting. The service is friendly and discreet and remains so throughout.

amuse_bouche

The set menu is 68 euro for 3 set courses (no choice) and doesn’t tempt us. We decide to order from the regular menu and choose local specialities – asparagus, which Sologne is famous for, a chanterelle mushroom vol au vent, rabbit and pigeon.

To accompany them, after our initial glass of champagne, we choose two local whites (a glass each, of course, not a bottle): a cour cheverny with the famous romorantin grape imported by François I and a touraine sauvignon, both of which are excellent. There is only one local red sold by the glass, a respectable saumur champigny, so we take the only other choice, a tarn, to accompany the pigeon.

cakes

We choose not to have dessert as I notice that the people at the next table have an excellent selection of mignardises with their coffee.

The perfect weather, surroundings and service help us to digest the 328 euro bill. We regret that not one of the dishes we ate flattered our taste buds which is really the only criteria for good cuisine, no matter what the price. In our books, Les Hauts de Loire, at Onzain halfway between Blois and Chaumont, remains by far the best dining experience within an hour’s drive of home.

Celebrating our 16th wedding anniversary
Celebrating our 16th wedding anniversary

The weather is so beautiful that as soon as we reach Closerie Falaiseau, we unpack the car, change into more comfortable clothes and drive to the bike path on the other side of Blois. By 5 pm, we’re in the saddle.

 

 

Roses at Cour sur Loire
Roses at Cour sur Loire

It’s lovely to be back on our bikes after the awful month of cold and rain we’ve just experienced. We keep to the bike path that is part of Eurovélo 6 (the one that took us along the Danube last summer) and runs along the Loire.

The lavoir in Cour sur Loire with its original trestles
The lavoir in Cour sur Loire with its original trestles

The roses are just stunning in some of the little villages such as Cour sur Loire. We stop to take photos of the lavoir, relieved that it’s not pelting with rain the way it was last time we were here.

Free-range chickens and guinea fowls
Free-range chickens and guinea fowls

We pass some free-range chickens and guinea-fowls and eventually get to the outskirts of Mer. You’d think with a name like that that it would be on the coast but in fact mer comes from mera meaning marsh.

Courtyard of L'épicerie in Mer
Courtyard of L’épicerie in Mer

I see a sign advertising a bar/grocery store/local wine store called L’Epicerie and soon see it on the left before we get to the centre of the town. We put our bikes in the racks and make our way to the inviting courtyard. We treat ourselves to a very cold local sauvignon but refuse the Iberian platter. We’re not really hungry, I have to say!

Chocolate champagne glasses, no less!
Chocolate champagne glasses, no less!

We start chatting with the very friendly owner and learn she also has a brocante. Goodness, what a find! The grocery shop is full of all sorts of local foods and delicacies, including chocolate champagne glasses.

The very friendly owners of L'Epiceire
The very friendly owners of L’Epiceire

The brocante, which is more like an antique store, is beautifully kept with quite a large range of interesting finds. Unfortunately, nothing takes our eye but we’ll be back another day.

The brocante section of L'Epicerie
The brocante section of L’Epicerie

By the time we get back to the car, after 40 k and over 2 ½ hours in the saddle, I’m rather relieved that next day is going to be relâche!

Breakfast at La Cigale

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Family events are not always easy, particularly when you are a pièce rapportée as they say in French. The first time I heard the expression, which literally means a patch, to describe an in-law, I was shocked. A patch indeed!

La Cigale at Place Graslin
La Cigale at Place Graslin

When we finally decided that everything would be much smoother if we took a hotel room in Nantes rather than stay in the family home, our visits became much easier and we always treat ourselves to breakfast La Cigale on the last day.

The main dining room at La Cigale
The main dining room at La Cigale

This beautiful Art Deco brasserie built in 1895 which has all the extravagence of the Modern Style is the work of ceramist Emile Libaudière who mostly designed sober bourgeoise homes and religious buildings.

One of the frescoes
One of the frescoes

After becoming a listed monument in 1964, it was turned into a cafeteria until it was rescued in 1982 and restored to its former splendour. Its tiled frescoes, myriad mirrors and windows are an absolute delight.

Place Grasln is now pedestrian
Place Grasln is now pedestrian

We’ve noticed its increasing popularity over the years, particularly now that Place Graslin is closed to traffic but we always manage to find a table for two in the first room, our favourite. At 15 euro each for a full continental breakfast, it’s excellent value for money – two hot beverages, a mini croissant and mini pain au chocolat, a slice of brioche or cake, toast with butter, jam and honey.

The toast has arrived yet
The toast has arrived yet

It’s not exactly Angelina’s in Paris or Caffè Florian in Venice, but we love it.

The inside is very hard to photograph with all it's windows, especially in the morning
The inside is very hard to photograph with all it’s windows, especially in the morning

We’ve never eaten lunch or dinner there, because of our family co, but Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, tried it last winter when she spent New Year in Nantes.

Weekly Blogger Round-Up: Secret hot chocolate spots in Paris – The blue church in Bratislava – Good & bad in Istanbul

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This week’s Blogger Round-Up starts with a post by Judy MacMahon from My French Life who shares 4 secrets spots for hot chocolate – I shall be the first to try! Next Phoebe from Lou Messugo takes us to visit the Blue Church in Bratislava – I’m so jealous because I didn’t know of its existence when I visited the city last summer. Anda from Travel Notes and Beyond then tells us the good and bad of Istanbul which will stand me in good stead when I go there in September. Enjoy!

Paris off the beaten path: 4 secret spots for hot chocolate

hot-chocolateThe French know their chocolat chaud like no one else: it’s how they begin their day! After all, there’s nothing quite like a proper French hot chocolate – except perhaps drinking said French hot chocolate in Paris…

There are the classic, well-known spots to sip a hot chocolate in Paris. And then there are those little cafés that the Parisians would love to keep for themselves; but secrets have a way of getting out. Read more

The Blue Church, Bratislava

by Phoebe from Lou Messugo, a traveller, francophile, expat, mum and foodie now living in Roquefort les Pins where she runs a gîte after many years of travelling and living in Asia, Eastern Europe and Australia

Blue_Church_Bratislava_2After two years of writing exclusively about France, mostly about the area where I live and French culture, I’m diverging into wider pastures, so this, my friends, is my first offering not about France. I’ve been itching to write about other places I’ve been and having just returned from a trip to Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava I’ve decided it’s now or never!

Bratislava, the tiny capital of Slovakia, is only an hour’s drive from Vienna, making it perfect for a day trip.  I had done a little research about the place and knew that I wanted to see the Blue Church, no matter what. And in this case the “no matter what” was a big black cloud and rumbles of thunder coming from the general direction of the church.  Read more

The Good and The Bad of Istanbul

by Anda from Travel Notes & Beyond, the Opinionated Travelogue of a Photo Maniac, is a Romanian-born citizen of Southern California who has never missed the opportunity to travel

istanbul_andaIt is difficult to judge a city of the size of Istanbul after a 5 day trip, but if I were to describe the little that I saw of it in just a few words, I would say: huge, crowded, majestic and uniqueHuge, because the city boundaries cover almost 2,000 square kilometers, while the metropolitan region, or the Province of Istanbul, covers 6,220 square kilometers. Crowded, because everywhere you go in Istanbul you walk almost shoulder to shoulder with thousands of other people. Read more

 

Friday’s French – terrible & formidable

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“I love your blog. It’s terrible”. This comment was left on my daughter’s blog. I’d hate to think what the comment would be if she didn’t like the blog!

Un restaurant terrible dans la rue Montorgueil
Un restaurant terrible dans la rue Montorgueil

The reader making the comment is French of course and not aware that terrible is something negative in English. Like formidable. Telling someone they are formidable in French means they’re great whereas in English it’s means you wouldn’t like to get on their wrong side. Hardly the same, is it? In French you’d say redoutable or even terrible.

Il est terrible can mean that he’s fantastic or awful depending on the context. That makes it easy to remember, doesn’t it?

Although terrible comes from the Latin terribilis which in turn comes from terrere, to frighten, it now has several meanings in French:

1. Inspiring terror or fear e.g. Une terrible catastrophe

2. Reaching a violent or considerable force e.g. Il s’est produit une terrible secousse – There was a terrible earthquake

3. Very unpleasant e.g. Il a un caractère terrible – He has an awful character

4. Representing a large quantity e.g. J’ai un travail terrible à faire – I’ve got an enormous amount of work to do

5. And more familiarly, out of the ordinary, inspiring admiration or surprise e.g. Il est arrivé avec une fille terrible – He turned up with a terrific girl.

And there you have it – the English version of terrible meaning something positive, namely terrific, which is usually positive in English, except for expressions such as “There was a terrific storm”.

Un autre restaurant dans la rue Montorgueil qui a l'air terrible
Un autre restaurant dans la rue Montorgueil qui a l’air terrible

Formidable, which comes from the Latin formidabilis, which in turn comes from formido, dread or terror, has kept its original meaning in English, whereas as its meaning in French is always positive, whether the idea is colossal or imposing e.g. Une volonté formidable – Incredible determination, inspiring admiration e.g. un type formidable – a terrific person, or something astonishing e.g. C’est quand même formidable qu’il ne vous ait rien dit – It’s really astonishing that he did say anything to you.

So if someone tells you about un restaurant terrible, you can add it to your list of places to go!

Secret Venice – Exploring the Lagoon – Treporti and Erasmo

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We have already visited Burano, Murano and Tortello, the best known islands in the Venetian lagoon. We want to return to Burano and Murano but also go to Erasmo via the Lido and Treporti. The sun is shining when we depart from Fondamenta Nuove at 11.15 on line 14 and after an enjoyable one-hour ride seated at the back of the vaporetto, we arrive at Treporti.

Forte Massimiliano, on the way to Treporti
Forte Massimiliano, on the way to Treporti

During the fifteen minutes we’re there, we admire the terrace of the only restaurant in sight and hope we’ll find something similar in Erasmo, which is Venice’s orchard and vegetable garden, according to Le Routard. As we haven’t been getting many vegetables apart from our 5:2 fast days, we’re hoping to make up for it.

The marshland between Treporti and Erasmo Chiesa with Burano and the snow-capped peaks of the Dolomites in the distance
The marshland between Treporti and Erasmo Chiesa

Our little vaporetto takes us past marshy land with decoy ducks on the posts instead of the usual seagulls, and Burano and the snow-capped peaks of the Dolomites in the distance.

The inviting terrace at Antica Dogana in Treporti
The inviting terrace at Antica Dogana in Treporti

It takes us twenty minutes to get to Erasmo Chiesa and we are almost the only ones to alight. Apart from a couple of those little three-wheeled pick-ups they have in Italy and a few bikes, there’s no one in sight. We walk about 5 minutes along the water to the right and decide it doesn’t look like restaurant material so we start walking in the other direction.

The church on Erasmo
The church on Erasmo

After the constant throng in Venice, we’re amazed at the tranquillity. We pass fields of artichokes, zucchini and rosemary  and can smell a barbecue somewhere but no sign of a ristorante or a trattoria or even a bar. After a half an hour we reach the Punta Vela vaporetto stop just as the boat arrives and waive to the driver so he’ll wait for us.

Three-wheeled pick-up next to an artichoke field on Erasmo
Three-wheeled pick-up next to an artichoke field on Erasmo

By now it’s 1.15 and we’re wondering how long the Antica Dogana in Treporti will keep serving. A few sunny tables are occupied on the terrace but it’s windy and a little chilly. We find a spot at a small round bare table close to the wall and ask if we can eat there. The waiter looks askance and goes off to find his boss. Other people arrive at the same time and suddenly the two waiters are moving laid tables in every direction. Our round one is whisked away and replaced with a square one.

Waiting for our table at Antica Dogana
Waiting for our table at Antica Dogana

After a short time, the first waiter arrives with a cold bottle of water, one menu (they’re short today because there are a lot of people inside) and a basket of grissini (bread sticks) and bread. Fortunately, we have a great view with a lot of boating activity because we don’t get to order for another 30 minutes!

Lots of activity on the lagoon including kayaks
Lots of activity on the lagoon including kayaks

We choose an excellent soave wine and a house welcome turns up consisting of fried baby prawns and polenta.

Strozzapreti - priest stranglers!
Strozzapreti – priest stranglers!

We then share strozzapreti with Dublin Bay prawns, queen scallops and asparagus and fresh egg pasta with cuttlefish. I check my iPhone app to see what strozzapreti means and think I must have misunderstood but at home I learn that it does indeed mean priest stranglers, one explanation being that that gluttonous priests found the hand-rolled pasta so delicious that they ate too quickly and choked themselves, sometimes to death.

Antica Dogana from the vaporetto
Antica Dogana from the vaporetto

By the time we are served it’s nearly 3 pm so we finally take the 3.44 boat to Burano after an excellent meal and very friendly (if not speedy) service – and no choking – promising ourselves desert in the form of a gelato on Burano, which turns out to be another interesting story!

The Best View in Venice, a Disappointing Lido and Sunset at Santa Elena

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It’s the first of May, Labour Day, and the sun is shining brightly unlike the day we arrived. There’s a gondola race in Venice but it’s not in the centre and we’re afraid of the crowds. Instead, we head for the island of San Georgio to visit the church there. We push our way through the crowds near Piazza San Marco to San Zaccharia to take the vaporetto across the lagoon and I’m glad we decided against the gondola race!

San Giorgio
San Giorgio

We take photos of the opposite shore, with the Doge’s Palace and the famous column in the middle of the Piazza, then enter the church. Strange. It’s free. I see a sign “Lift to the top of the belfry” and suggest we take it. We pay our six euro each (that’s why the church is free!) and stand in line for the 6-person lift.

Our first view when we get to the top of the belfry
Our first view when we get to the top of the belfry showing the Renaissance Cloisters

At the top, there is a spectacular 360° view but only a very small space so we take turns to get a bird’s eye view of Venice through our cameras and binoculars. We can see right across the island of Venice to the other side. Nothing could beat this view.

We have to forego a visit to the Renaissance cloisters because they are closed. The vaporetto arrives and we manage to get two seats outside at the back so we stay there for the next hour, going halfway around the island and up through the Grand Canal discovering new palazzi until we arrive back at San Marco by which time the crowds have doubled, if that’s possible.

Palazzo Barbarigo on the Grand Canal
Palazzo Barbarigo on the Grand Canal

As soon as we can, we leave the main area and head homewards. On the way, we find a little restaurant called Luna Santada on Rio di San Severo canal which we’ve already noticed. A table awaits us and we have another perfect view – it’s obviously on the gondola route!

Our lunchtime view from
Our lunchtime view from Luna Santada

After a poetic evocation of Marco Polo’s return to Venice after his voyage across the globe, the placemat tells us that Luna Santada is a culinary voyage that takes you from Venezia to many different gastronomic worlds, on his trip, on my trip, be my guest and travel with me. Could we have chosen better?

Walking past the Maritime Museum
Walking past the Maritime Museum

The obligatory siesta and we’re off again, past the Maritime Museum, along the lagoon and over the bridge to Santa Elena island to see the sunset. There are no bars along the way and sundown is still a couple of hours away so we decide to take the vaporetto to the Lido, Venice’s iconic island that I have been reading about in novels ever since I can remember. For some reason, we didn’t go there on our last trip.

Closed parasols at the end of the day on the Lido
Closed parasols at the end of the day on the Lido

The first thing that strikes us is the presence of cars and buses. The Adriatic and the famous Lido beaches are on the other side of the island which is 500 metres wide and 12 kilometers long. If you’ve never seen an Italian beach, it’s difficult to imagine. They are lined with paraols and deck chairs in neat rows and the sand is usually grey.

Aperitivo at the Villa Laguna
Aperitivo at the Villa Laguna

The Lido is no exception. We can’t see anything to redeem it and even the Grand Hôtel des Bains, where Death in Venice was shot, is closed. So much for our aperitivo. All is not lost, though, because we end up at a table on the lagoon at Villa Laguna, sipping pinot grigio and admiring the view for a surprising 5 euro each. This is the life.

Sunset over Venice from Santa Elena island
Sunset over Venice from Santa Elena island

We head back to Santa Elena in time to watch the sun set over Venice from a convenient bench. Unfortunately, the restaurant we found on the island seven years ago (Osteria Santa Elena da Pampo) is closed so a helpful local tells us to eat at Mario’s which I won’t recommend. The food is average and the service abysmal. But we are sitting outside and the weather is still balmy.

Osteria Santa Elena da Pampo unfortunately closed
Osteria Santa Elena da Pampo unfortunately closed

The end of another wonderful day in Venice.

Breakfast at Caffè Florian, Palazzo Grimmani and dinner at Al Vecio Bragosso

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Seven years ago, we had an aperitivo on the terrace of the mythical Caffè Florian on Piazza San Marco, Venice’s oldest café, which dates back to 1720. This time, we’re having a late breakfast, but inside, surrounded by romantic art deco work. Yesterday’s beautiful sunshine has been replaced by thunder and rain.

Inside decor of Caffè Florian
Inside decor of Caffè Florian

Through the open window, we can hear the café’s live musicians, a wonderful way to start the day.

We order the Colazione Casanova, which consists of fresh blood orange juice, thick hot chocolate, croissants, toasted white bread with butter, honey and jam, yoghurt, fresh fruit salad and chocolate cake (38 euro).

Colazione Casanova at Caffè Florian
Colazione Casanova at Caffè Florian

The waiter asks if we want to share but Jean Michel looks alarmed so we take one each. No need for lunch! It isn’t as good as Angelina’s but we still enjoy it and the presentation is certainly worth it in any case. Most of the other people who come in order coffee and sometimes cake. One couple shares a Casanova.

Frescoes at Palazzo Grimani
Frescoes at Palazzo Grimani

The rain doesn’t let up all day so we mostly stay indoors. After our siesta, we go to visit Palazzo Grimani, built in the sixteen century and famous for its ancient Roman decor. The frescoes are impressive but the general effect is somewhat disconcerting with its somewhat eclectic ancient Roman marble doors and fireplaces.

Series of doors and alcoves in Palazzo Grimani
Series of doors and alcoves in Palazzo Grimani

The main advantage is that we buy a double ticket to include the Academia which means we won’t have to queue when we go there later this week.

The rain lets up and we are able to wander around a bit. We eventually come across a restaurant we remember well from our last visit, Hosteria Al Vecio Bragosso, recommended by the young man at our hotel and run by members of his family who told us that the fish served was very fresh because his cousins were fishermen.

Rainy view during our aperitivo
Rainy view during our aperitivo

After reserving a table, we have our aperitivo on the terrace of a small bar with an awning to keep off the rain which has started again in earnest. We try a soave this time instead of our usual pinot grigio and decide we like it better.

Jean Michel examining the menu at Hosteria al Vecio Bragosso
Jean Michel examining the menu at Hosteria al Vecio Bragosso

At Al Vecio Bragosso, the staff are very friendly and speak both French and English but still let me order in Italian which is part of the fun for me. We share a delicious raw fish dish of scampi, tuna, sea bream and prawns as a starter, then Jean Michel takes the mixed grill of fish while I have the fried fried fish, with grilled vegetables on the side, all of which are excellent.

It pales a little in comparison with as our first experience when we came with a recommendation and had several raw fish dishes off the menu, but we can still definitely recommend it. It’s best to book as it seems to be popular with the locals  and in several guidebooks.

Tomorrow we should have better weather – we hope so, in any case!

Hosteria Al Vecio Bragosso, Strada Nuova 4386 S.S. Apostoli, 30131 Venezia www.alveciobragosso.com . 041.5237277. info@alveciobragosso.com. Closed Mondays. http://www.alveciobragosso.com/restaurant-in-venice/restaurant-venice.htm

An Easter Monday Birthday in Paris

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Jean Michel usually takes me to a Michelin-star restaurant for my birthday but it’s Easter Monday which is a public holiday in France and there isn’t much open so we’ve postponed it until Wednesday. Instead, he surprises me by suggesting we go for breakfast at Angelina’s. I’m secretely a little disappointed because it means I’ll miss out on talking to my brothers and nephews but can I refuse breakfast at Angelina’s?

Entrance to Angelina's on rue de Rivoli
Entrance to Angelina’s on rue de Rivoli

It’s spitting very slightly as we walk down Rue de Rivoli and we hope it will eventually clear up. At 9.30 am, the beautiful turn-of-the-century dining room is still half-empty and we order a full Angelina breakfast with mini croissants, pains au chocolat and pains au raisin, fresh bread rolls, thick hot chocolate (its speciality), scrambled eggs and fresh fruit salad. We can skip lunch!

White chestnut flowers
White chestnut flowers

After breakfast, we wander through the Jardin des Tuileries and discover a large stone arch we’ve never seen before. Yet we must have passed it countless times. We notice the chestnut trees are in bloom. Jean Michel has always told me they’re the first trees to flower in spring but this year they are certainly not. I had never noticed the delicately-coloured flowers up close before – you can have white, pale yellow and pink.

Ponts des Arts weighted down with lovelocks now crawling up the lamp posts
Ponts des Arts weighted down with lovelocks now crawling up the lamp posts

We cross the pedestrian bridge that leads to Orsay Museum which we’d love to visit but Monday is closing day so we continue on to the Pont des Arts where the number of lovelocks seems to have doubled since the last time we were there. They are even climbing, clematis-like, up the lamp-posts! It’s seems that as soon as they are removed, new ones appear.

Courtyard of Hôtel Dieu hospital
Courtyard of Hôtel Dieu hospital

Jean Michel suggests we walk down to Ile Saint Louis for lunch (as though we’re hungry!). On the left, just before Notre Dame, I see a sign for Hôpital Dieu (God’s Hospital), the oldest hospital in Paris, which we’ve never visited. Despite the overcast day (I always prefer a blue sky!), the entrance looks very attractive. We walk in and it’s like an oasis of silence in the noise and bustle of Paris, almost deserted. We are the only ones in the garden.

Etching on the first floor gallery of Hôtel Dieu
Etching on the first floor gallery of Hôtel Dieu

As we walk along the upstairs gallery, etchings of the past tell us the hospital’s story. It was built as a charity hospital in 651 and was added to over the centuries. The two original buildings were joined by two bridges, one of which collapsed from a fire caused by a barge overloaded with hay. Another fire destroyed most of the hospital in 1772.

View of Notre Dame from the second floor gallery
View of Notre Dame from the second floor gallery

The current buildings were constructed between 1864 and 1872 at the initiative of Baron Hausmann within the new perimeter of Notre Dame and completed at the end of the 19th century with the main entrance at 1, place du Parvis.

Pink chestnut tree in the Hôtel Dieu garden
Pink chestnut tree in the Hôtel Dieu garden

The etchings show the extreme youth of some of the novices – they look like mere children – and how the patients were lodged – often two to a bed. They had two meals a day – 11 am and 6 pm – which I find interesting. A visit from the Duchess of Orleans and her retinue one day caused such excitement that several patients died. Hmm.

Discreet hotel sign inside the Hôtel Dieu
Discreet hotel sign inside the Hôtel Dieu

Then I remember that there is supposed to be a hotel here somewhere. We go down to the desk and ask. Yes, Hôtel Dieu Hospitel is in wing B2 on the 6th floor. There is a lift, fortunately, and when we get there, the lady very kindly offers to show us one of the rooms. They are all under the eaves, small, very clean, with an en-suite bathroom and wifi. I wonder about the heat in summer but all have air-conditioning. Two of the 14 rooms are suitable for people with reduced mobility.

Typical room in L'Hospitel
Typical room in L’Hospitel

The hotel was initially built for outpatients and their families, but there is no restriction on guests and if you’re looking for somewhere peaceful  in the heart of Paris, this could be the perfect solution.  However, the hospital is threatened with closure so the hotel may not last for much longer.

Outside again, the sun is starting to appear and we come across a jazz band on the little bridge leading to Ile Saint Louis. We sit down on the edge of the pavement to listen. Ah, this is Paris!

Hôtel Dieu Hospitel, www.hotel-hospitel.com, 1, place du Parvis Notre Dame, Galerie B2, 6th floor, 75004 Paris 
Singles are 139 euro and doubles 150 euro a night with breakfast from 4.50 euro.

An Anniversary Celebration at La Maison d’à côté in the Loire Valley

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Last year Jean Michel and I also celebrated the anniversary of our meeting in the Loire and were very disappointed with the restaurant we chose. This year, we were much luckier.

biscuiterie_chambord

We arrived early too early for lunch at Montlivaut which is about 20 minutes from Blois in the direction of Saint Dyé sur Loire and on the way to Chambord so Jean Michel had the excellent idea of going a bit further on to Maslives where there is a shop that sells our favourite biscuits de Chambord. After stocking up, we went back to La Maison d’à côté (the house next door) in Montlivault and were the first patrons.

inside

Jean Michel made his usual joke about reserving the whole restaurant, I took a few photos and we sat down. We admired the resolutely modern decor with its beautiful wooden beams.

champagne

We started with champagne, forgetting we were in Touraine (we should have remembered to order vouvray), but it was excellent and accompanied by some delicious little nibbles so we had no regrets. There is a weekday midday menu at 19.50 (dish of the day and dessert) but we were celebrating after all so we chose a starter, main dish and dessert for 39 euro. We had a choice of three dishes each time. You can also have a starter + main or main + starter for 29 euro or an Expression Menu chosen by the chef for 50 euro (including cheese) or 65 euro (including a second starter).

patience

We were brought a patience on a cauliflower theme with an almond biscuit while waiting for our foie gras served with compote.

foie_gras

I then had veal with “forgotten vegetables” while Jean Michel had pintade (guinea fowl) with potatoes.  Both were delicious. I chose a glass of local cour cheverny while Jean Michel had a glass of burgundy.

veal

For dessert we had apple crumble and icecream and a lemon and almond dessert. Not very specific, I know, but unless I write them down (which I didn’t), I never remember the details.

crumble

In any case, everything was delicious. The products were of excellent quality and very fresh.

lemon_dessert

Madame Laurenty,the chef’s wife, told us that her husband buys from small producers all year round. We explained that as we are new to the area, we are still finding our way around. She recommended various markets, particularly Amboise on a Friday and the market at the Halles aux Grains in Blois on a Saturday and Montrichard.

chef

When we talked about our difficulty in finding fresh foie gras to make our foie gras for Christmas while we are in the Loire this year, she suggested we talk to the chef. Ludovic Laurenty is passionate about his profession and generous in sharing his knowledge. He buys his foie gras from a producer in the south-west of France where they sing to the geese while they are force-feeding them so that they won’t be stressed.

outside

We are going back to Montlivault next Thursday because Monsieur Laurenty is expecting a delivery of fresh foie gras and has offered to provide us with one. This year we want to try the coarse salt method so I’m hoping the Mesturet Restaurant will share its recipe on FaceBook. I’ll keep you posted !

La Maison d’à côté, 25 route de Chambord, 41350 Montlivault. Tel 02 54 20 62 30. 
Closed Tuesday and Wednesday all year round. Open Friday evening, Saturday midday and evening and Sunday midday only from 17th November to 6th December.
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