French Flavor

My husband and I went to France on our honeymoon in September 2015. We spent most of our time in the South of France, but we did enjoy Paris for a day and a half since we were flying through (you can't NOT spend time in Paris!) We received some great restaurant recommendations from friends, which I'll share with you.

The itinerary includes 1.5 days in Paris, 2 full days in Provence, and 4 days in Nice. We "hit the ground running" in Paris, but also carved out some time to slow down and relax in the South of France. My favorite type of art is Impressionism, so we spent some time exploring the art museums in the French Rivera.

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The Inspiration Behind the Meals

France is known for having some of the best cuisine in the world. Each region is unique and specializes in its own dishes. The country is known for both its rich sauces and meats, as well as simplicity in bringing out natural flavors when using fresh herbs and vegetables. Since I visited Paris and the French Riviera, I will be sharing a dish that was inspired by each of these places: French onion soup from the city and a Niçoise Salad from the south. I will also share a ratatouille recipe that I've been cooking for years.

ITINERARY:

Day 1: Paris | We landed around noon after a flight from Newark to Paris. We were tired after the excitement from our wedding weekend and wanted to have a low-key day, while still soaking in as much time as we could in Paris. After checking into the hotel and freshening up, we went to the Eiffel Tower and took the elevator to the top. The views were extraordinary in the late afternoon. After a leisurely walk through the city, we had dinner at Au 35 (recommended by a friend). Everything at this cozy restaurant was delicious. We had steak-frites and finished with a cheese platter.

Day 2: Paris | Our second day in Paris was a Wednesday. If you can schedule your France itinerary to be in Paris on a Wednesday, I'd recommend it! The museums are open late that day, so you can pack your day with a lot more activities (if you have the energy!). In the morning we took the train to the Palace of Versailles. There is so much to do and see here. If you are in Paris for a week, I'd recommend spending an entire day here. Since we only had one day, we saw the highlights in the morning and headed back to the city before lunch. When we returned to Paris, we grabbed a quick baguette sandwich and coffee before continuing to our next destination - Cathedral Notre Dame (note: this was in 2015, prior to the fire in 2019). We also went to the Musee d'Orsay and Sainte-Chapelle. I highly recommend both of these attractions! The Musee d'Orsay has many famous paintings and Sainte-Chapelle is one of the most beautiful chapels I've seen, in my opinion. We finished our day at the Louvre, since it is open late on Wednesdays. Just like Versailles, if you have more time in Paris, you should spend an entire day just at the Louvre. Since we were only there for a bit over an hour, we only hit the famous pieces, like the Mona Lisa.

My feet were aching by the end of the day... but it was all worth it!

Day 3: Travel + Provence | We took the TGV high-speed train from Paris to Arles. We watched many Rick Steves specials on TV while planning our trip, and he highly recommended the city of Avignon as a stop on the way to the French Riviera. It is a medieval town with the original walls surrounding the city. It is home to the Palais de Popes (from 1309 to 1377 it was the seat of the Catholic popes) and the Avignon bridge. It is centrally located in Provence, with easy access to wineries and is close to Roman sites like the Pont-du-Gard. Avignon is a quaint university town with a slow and friendly vibe.

We arrived in the afternoon and had plenty of time to enjoy a leisurely lunch before checking into our hotel. We then took a 1/2 day Roman Ruins tour (booked on Viator) which included sites in the city of Nimes, the Pont Du Gard (I highly recommend!), and the city of Uzes.

Day 4: Provence | During our second day in Provence we spent the morning site-seeing in Avignon. After lunch we joined a wine tasting tour (also booked through Viator) through Tavel and Chateauneuf du Pape. We had dinner at Le Caveau du Theatre in Avignon. I highly recommend their fois gras - one of my favorite foods!

We took the train from Arles to Nice in the evening. I would recommend avoiding taking a train late in the day. We arrived at the train station in Nice at midnight and there were no taxis or transportation to our hotel. We ended up walking. The city felt safe, but I don't recommend walking with luggage in any foreign city at midnight.

Day 5: French Riviera | We spent the morning exploring the art museums of Nice - The Chagall Museum and the Matisse Museum. They were both small museums in residential neighborhoods. It was nice to walk around and take in the culture of the city. In between the museums we stopped for lunch at McDonalds (gasp - I'm not going to lie to you!) We were curious if it tasted different than in the US. At night we got dressed up and took the train to Monaco for a few hours to enjoy dinner and the casino.

Day 6: French Riviera | On our second day in the French Riviera we took the local train westbound to the water-front town of Antibes. We visited the Picasso Museum, which is housed in one of Picasso's homes. Afterwards, we walked through a local market and enjoyed lunch. There are many fabulous beach towns along the French Riviera, and you'll see them through the rest of our itinerary. Antibes was one of my favorites!

Day 7: French Riviera | The next day we took the local train eastbound. We got off at the Villefranche station and took a bus to the medieval hill-top town of Eze. The town has amazing views of the Mediterranean and wonderful souvenir shops. The town is built into the hill, so there is a lot of walking up and down steps. We decided to hike back down to the beach, rather than taking the bus. We walked along the beach of Villefranche sur Mer before taking the train back to Nice. For dinner we ate at Coco & Rico.

Day 8: French Riviera | We spent the day relaxing at our hotel's beach, Ruhl Plage. The beaches in Nice are known for being pebble beaches, not the regular white sand beaches that we think of in the US. Many hotels have private beaches where you can relax on beach chairs and enjoy lunch or a cocktail. We also explored some more sites in Nice, including historic art deco hotels and churches. At night we completed our vacation by enjoying a delicious meal at Flaveur, a Michelin Star restaurant in Nice.

PLANNING TIPS:

• Check museum times! Certain museums are open late on Wednesdays in Paris. Also, like most of Europe, most museums are closed on Mondays.

• Don't drink and drive (obviously) - book a small tour for wine tastings so everyone in your group can enjoy!

• The beaches on the French Riviera are not always sandy. If you are seeking a sandy beach, be sure to do your research beforehand.

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French Flavor Recipes

#1 French Onion Soup

Total time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients: [makes 4 bowls] 4 large white onions, olive oil, 2 tablespoons butter, salt, sugar, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/2 cup of dry vermouth or dry white wine, 8 cups of beef stock, thyme, 4 bay leaves, French bread, cheese of choice (recommend: Gruyere and parmesan)

Step 1: CARMELIZE | Caramelize the onions by heating 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the onions and toss for about 15 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of butter, top with sugar and salt, and cook until brown (another 15 minutes). Finish by adding the chopped garlic and cooking for 1 minute.

Step 2: DEGLAZE | Add the 1/2 cup of wine or vermouth to the pot and scrape all the bits on the bottom and sides of the pot.

Step 3: STOCK | Add beef stock, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot and set heat to low so it simmers for about 30 minutes. When ready, season to taste with more salt and black pepper. Remove the bay leaves.

Step 4: BAKE | Ladle the onions and broth into individual oven-safe serving bowls. Top with slices of French bread and cheese. Put into the broiler for 10 minutes at 350° F, or until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned.

#2 Niçoise Salad

Total time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients: lettuce, potatoes, green beans, olives, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, salt, pepper, fresh thyme, tuna (either seared or canned), French baguette

Dressing choice A: olive oil, lemon juice

Dressing choice B: olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder

Step 1: Boil eggs for 10 minutes.

If you are making this dish with seared tuna, rather than canned tuna, sear your tuna.

Step 2: Cut potatoes into small cubes and boil them for about 10 minutes.

Step 3: Steam your green beans for 10 minutes.

Step 4: Top your lettuce with the potatoes, green beans, olives, tomatoes, and hard-boiled eggs. Add salt, pepper, and fresh thyme.

Step 5: Dress your salad with either dressing A or dressing B. I created two versions of this salad: a simple lemon vinaigrette or a traditional mustard vinaigrette.

Tip: dip your bread in the dressing that's left on your plate when you're done eating the salad!

#3 Ratatouille

Total time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients: eggplant, zucchini, squash, bell peppers, onion, crushed tomatoes (28 oz can), garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, basil, thyme

Step 1: MAKE SAUCE | Add olive oil to a pot and set the stove to medium. Cook the garlic until slightly brown. Add the can of crushed tomatoes and cover. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and fresh basil. Continue to cook, uncovered on low heat, while you prepare the other ingredients. (Extra: I like to add a little lemon juice to my tomato sauce for some zest! Also, if you like spice, add some crushed red pepper.)

Step 2: PREPARE VEGETABLES | Slice the eggplant, zucchini, squash, and bell peppers in rounds. Lightly brush some of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan. Line up the vegetables on a baking pan, alternating each vegetable. The vegetables should be standing up. Top the vegetables with the fresh tomato sauce. Top with fresh thyme, salt, and pepper.

Step 3: BAKE | Cover the baking pan with a top or tin foil. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes. Uncover the vegetables and cook for an additional 15 minutes. The vegetables should be soft.