Provence from Fayence: Provence Guide

Provence Spa

The Four Seasons (Terre Blanche) has finally opened its spa. We are sooooo excited and have watch the development with interest over the past year or so. You can expect steep prices, but you can expect the Rolls-Royce treatment (I mean Louis Vuitton).

Julia Brookes from the Times went and she writes: "My 110-minute Espa Provencal Escape started with a tingling body scrub using Camargue coarse salt, olive oil and lavender buds which I showered off before being cocooned in a white heather honey, aloe vera and red clay concoction and then wrapped up snugly to relax while my hands were massaged. After another shower came a massage using olive oil infused with lavender and rosemary which was hard enough to feel that it was making an impact but still enabled me to drift off."

Mmmmm.

What have the French done for us?

I am indebted to "La France Profonde" for bringing the wonderful Bill Maher article about the French to my attention. Well, more like how Americans have got it all wrong about the French, as most of their best ideas came from France.

"The American ideas of individuality, religious tolerance and freedom of speech came directly out of the French Enlightenment—but, shhh, don't tell Alabama... (The French) have weird ideas about privacy. They think it should be private. In France, everyone has a mistress. Even mistresses have mistresses. To not have a lady on the side says to the voters, "I'm no good at multitasking."

Hehe.

Fayence Video

Fayence the Movie. Came across this video of the Fayence neighbourhead on Youtube. If you want to see what the area looks like, it's a great start.

Restaurants in South of France

I am indebted to Doug for spotting Suzanne's File on Provence Restaurants. Top picks are:

• Luc Salsedo, Nice
• Le Clos St Pierre, Le Rouret
• La Bastide de Moustiers Chemin de Quinson, Moustiers Sainte-Marie
• Kei’s Passion, Nice
• La Bastide Saint Antoine, Grasse
• Le Padouk, Nice

Suzanne likes nice things and tracks them down around the world.

Le Castelleras, Michelin-starred restaurant

Le Castelleras, between Fayence and Seillans, was the location of our annual early summer gastronomic indulgence. Run by Chef Alain Carro, Le Castelleras is the closest Michelin-starred restaurant to chez nous. Certainly our favourite.

At 45 euros for the 5-course menu gastronimique, it's excellent value. You can push the boat out for another 10 eruros and get the menu gourmand. Moi had the foie gras and grilled prawn salad thingumme, followed by veal on artichokes (OK, it sounds better in French), creme brulee to finish. Some fine Bandol to go with it.

The best thing is the setting: on a hillside overlooking Fayence. You pick at the exqusite things in front of you and bask in the views across Fayence and towards Cannes. Trigger-happy photographers are tempted beyond reason. (Le Castelleras' business cards are fronted by a painting of the view below and I can never resist pocketing one or two as bookmarkers).

Here's another photo of the Castelleras view.

Even little M (three years old) had a whale of a time watching the giant carp in the pod, playing catch with the little french boy she met there: together they ate noodles - with a fine tomato sauce - and doodled.