France Day 6: 6/3/2010: Yet another wonderful day in France! We woke up this morning and had a casual breakfast at a local patisserie before heading to the museum. I don’t think I’ll ever get accustom to such fabulous baked goods! We then worked for a couple of hours on the collection, took a leisurely lunch in the town of Les-Eyzies, relaxed a bit on a stone wall near the Vezere River, and then finished up the work day at the museum.
We had reservations for dinner at 7, and had time to kill, so decided to check out the “Prehisto Parc”-an absolutely hilarious and tacky area of land devoted to all things prehistory. This of course, was my idea. I had picked up the brochure earlier that day and was dying to see it. The park itself is located in an amazingly lush and gorgeous bit of woods, and the walk through the trees and singing birds alone was worth the price of admission. It was an added bonus that there were statues of Neanderthals hunting wooly rhinos, trapping cave lions, and slaying mammoth. And did I mention the sound effects? As Alex stated “If it weren’t for you I never would have discovered this place”. (Truth be told, he loved it, and we ended up buying stickers and a post card for Dr. Whittaker, who like me, will appreciate this place).
Bidding the Neanderthal statues farewell, we then made our way through the thick woods and winding roads up steep hills overlooking valleys to Auberge De Layotte, a fabulous restaurant in the south of France.
This ‘restaurant’ is a couple’s house (after dinner we got a quick tour. Alex told them to watch out, because living in this kind of house is my dream). The husband once worked as a chef in Paris for 4 years before moving out into the country, purchasing a 400 year old home, and partitioning off the patio as a restaurant. For 28 euros a person we got the following served ‘family style’. That is, all you can eat, presented at your table. Reservations are a must because he makes a limited amount each day. What he decides to make, you eat. The place was very popular, and by the end of the night all of the tables were filled by locals and their pets. Oh, and this restaurant is known for serving “Sauvage food”-stuff from the woods.
Appertif: This before dinner drink was made on site from delicious herbs and spices and “tasted like deliciousness” as Alex says.
Soup: Nettle soup. You know, the whole savage food thing. Literally nettles, and onions, carrots, etc. It was amazing. Alex had to stop me from getting a second bowl so I could save room.
Appetizers: Pate-the best pate ever. Even Alex liked it, and he’s not a pate fan. By the end I was just shoving it straight into my face without bread. It was phenomenol.
Head cheese: made from animal head. Not our favorite. Lacked the flavor of the other pate. But it was delicious none the less.
Smoked ham: Delicious in every way. Perfect meat-to-fat-melt-in-your-mouth ratio.
Salad: This included rose petals, and other edible flowers with a nice tangy dressing. It was pretty AND tasty!
Wine: Table wine was also included!
Meats: Duck confit with rhubarb. The confit was delicious. The rhubarb was wonderfully unusual and savory! Served with roasted potatoes.
Cheek of beef: Cow cheek (the most delicious tender part) marinated in red wine.
Cheese: 5 cheeses were given to us during the cheese course. They ranged from mild to stinky, to “you better not kiss me with that mouth” stinky.
Desert & Coffee: A nut cake (the nuts in this region are famously delicious) with 5 different kinds of jam. There was pine jam made from pine needles, basil jam from basil leaves, rose jam made from rose petals, dandelion jam from dandelions and a 5th herb we couldn’t understand the name of. Probably only slightly toxic. J
Digestif: An after dinner drink to settle our stomachs after that intense meal. Alex had “the kind the men drink…or the ladies with mustaches” while I had the “rose”. I was at first offended, but Alex’s drink made me choke!
All in all a great meal, but I feel like one of those poor geese made to eat until their liver is nice and juicy for foie gras…Mmmm….foie gras….but that’s another story for another meal.
Tomorrow we head out into the world to look for rocks! Wish us luck. It’s going to be a hot day, and dirty, heavy work. But that’s why I married Alex…or rather, that’s why he married me. Either way, it turned out well for all parties involved.
We’re continuing to have a magnificent time, and are thinking about everyone back home. And despite what Alex says, I am not “kitty cheating” with all of the local cats. Just a little friendly petting. Tula and Dexter are still my true loves.
