Provence Report

McDonald’s to become Mona Lisa’s new neighbor

"French culture and American convenience will come together in December - thanks to plans by the McDonald’s restaurant chain to hang its shingle in the shadow of the Louvre" writes the San Diego Union Tribune. "The McDonald’s will be installed in the food court of the underground mall adjoining the museum, known as the Carrousel du Louvre, as the fast food chain fetes its 30th anniversary in France, McDonald’s France said."

While the New York Times maintains that the French take it in strides, the website Louvre pour Tous, a privately run information site for Louvre visitors, is pointing out that the Louvre should have put its foot down. There are complaints about the Disneylandization of French museums.

McDonald’s runs a very successful operation in France with 1.140 outlets generating sizable profits, surpassed only by its US operations. New York Times: "Local menus offer sandwiches that aim to please local tastes. Le Royal Deluxe features a whole-grain mustard sauce on top of the standard beef patty, cheddar and vegetables, and it is now the second-largest selling burger in France, after the Big Mac. Le Big Tasty, a seasonal offering with a sauce that imitates the charred flavor of meat grilled on a barbecue, promises "le goût de l’Amérique" or the taste of America. McDonald’s France offers its version of the Caprese salad, called Little Mozza, and beer and espresso are also available. The company emphasizes the French origin of the beef and vegetables in its restaurants. Prices are also higher than in the United States. Items are more expensive, in part, because of the current exchange rate - a Big Mac in Paris costs $4,95, tax included, compared with $4,12 in New York." Frankly, I wouldn’t know! I have never eaten in a McDonald’s in France nor do I plan to.

It’s interesting that McDonald’s foray into the Louvre generates little excitement in the French Press whereas the US newspapers celebrate this as something of a "victory" of US culture - the country of hormone beef and salt water injected chicken! A rather myopic view in my opinion given the high obesity rate in the US, the world champion in the girth-size competition - not yet Olympic, but of Olympic proportions. For more on this read my post Eat petite, be petite and take your time! or take a look at Steve Breen’s hilarious cartoon.

There is at least one positive aspect for travelers in France: 1.140 clean McDonald’s bathrooms free of charge, as compared to the virtual non-existence of clean public toilets.

The Terroirist

"What is terroir? That is not easy to say. It is a French word, and everyone agrees that it is untranslatable. The disagreement is over whether it exists. To its defenders - notably the Old World winemakers of France, Italy and Germany - terroir refers to the ineffable way that soil, light, topography and microclimate conspire, over generations of human stewardship, to endow a wine with its unique soul. It’s a sense of place you can taste. To its detractors- especially the New World winemakers of the Americas and Australia - terroir is a marketing slogan dressed up as a poetic reverie. In other words, it’s a hoax - and they should know, since they’ve had precious little luck getting any terroir into their own wines.” writes Jim Holt in this weekend’s New York Times Sunday Book Review.

Holt continues: "Nobody has done more to keep this debate on the boil than Jonathan Nossiter - filmmaker, former sommelier at various New York restaurants (including Bal­thazar) and son of the foreign correspondent Bernard Nossiter. Like his father, Nossiter takes pleasure in goring sacred cows."

Nossiter’s book Liquid Memory: Why Wine Matters, strongly defends the traditional way of European wine making versus the "rich, fat, sweet, super-concentrated, overripe, jam-dense, high-alcohol, oaky, inky-colored, vanilla-y wines with no sense of place or identity" of the new world. Nossiter has particluar disdain for Robert Parker and many other winemakers and consultants, who in his judgment direct winemakers towards "sweet and easy things.".

Having read Nossiter’s book (available in paperback on Amazon since January 2009) I can only agree that (a) it’s fun to read if your are an enophile like me and (b) it is a strong albeit at times exaggerated defense of traditional European wine making. I disagree however with Nossiter’s rebuke of Robert Parker. Parker is, after all, a strong defender of Côtes du Rhône wines. "I probably drink more Southern Rhônes than any other kind of wines because it fits in with our cooking. These are wines that are not oaked. You can drink them young and I appreciate the purity of their fruit. I love grenache." (Parker in the New York Times on March 22, 2006). In my opinion Nossiter uses here the Rush Limbaugh approach: "Throw enough mud against the wall, and some of it will stick". But in any case: Vive le terroir!

Read the full NY Times Book Review article here. You find more information on the Côtes du Rhône terroirs and the French A.O.C. classification system on Provence-Hideaways’ Côtes du Rhône webpage.

2009 Provence Tourism Survey

Regular surveys taken by the PACA tourism department make an optimistic assessment of this year’s tourist season: 82% of those surveyed reported good results over the period from May to mid-August 2009 as compared to 81% during the same period in 2008.

Having feared the worst as a result of the financial meltdown in late 2008, this result appears to be more than satisfactory. 63% of tourism professionals in the region agree that attendance of the 2009 season should be stable or even higher than in 2008, with the best results for tourism in the hinterland. [PACA Comité Regional du Tourisme]. However all agreed that the 2009 summer season was impacted by the declining purchasing power, whether real or felt, which resulted in more budget conscious vacations. There is plenty of evidence that especially the lower end of the income spectrum did scale back.

For the mid-July to mid-August survey 92% of those surveyed stated that visitor numbers were good or very good (89% in the same period 2008). The number of French visitors increased slightly, whereas foreign visitor numbers remained stable as compared to 2008. The majority of those surveyed stated that the key factor which contributed to this good result was the weather. As usual the Provence had a great summer, whereas further north it was less than satisfactory. Again, the key negative factor was the economic crisis. As a result 1 in 3 of those surveyed believed that specific action needed to be taken to boost attendance, like promotional offers and more advertising.

The poll was conducted by phone among a sample of about 400 to 500 professionals from the six departments of Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur (local tourist offices, hotels, B&Bs, campsites, vacation rentals, catering, sports and cultural activities) in 4 interview series (mid-June, mid-July, mid-August and mid-September). This information is complemented with statistical information.

Read the 2009 PACA tourism surveys (in French):

• Survey No.1 (May to mid-June)
• Survey No.2 (mid-June to mid-July)
• Survey No.3 (mid-July to mid-August)

We made a few phone calls with some of the B&B owners listed on Provence-Hideaways:

1. Most of them kept prices for the high season at either 2008 levels or increased them slightly. A few reduced prices for the shoulder seasons or offered promotionals.
2. Bookings started later than usual due to the global economic crisis.
3. Bookings for April and May ran at about the same level as in 2008.
4. Bookings for the high season (June to September) were at a slightly higher level than 2008, with the number of foreign visitors stable.
5. B&Bs in the Euro 75-150 per day range were nearly completely booked from June to September, those above Euro 150 did experience slightly higher vacancy levels than in 2008.
6. More than 90% of new clients were acquired over the internet. Owner’s website describing the property in detail was considered equally important as listings on a number of internet platforms. The Gite de France B&B website was considered less important due its simplistic rating system and the large number of B&Bs listed there [746 in the Provence Côte d'Azur].

We did some more research on the last point, i.e. the websites. Frommers pointed out at the Travolution Conference in London (April 2009) that it takes a month to book a holiday. The stats have been banded about before, but it’s fascinating stuff: the average holiday booked online takes 29 days and 12 searches on 22 different travel sites. Fellow travelers’ opinions and searching through content rich regional websites and blogs were instrumental in making the final choice. Sounds complicated? Just check your own behaviour when you book a holiday.

A Passion for Provence

We have a passion for Provence, passed on from someone who loved Provence and came to settle here himself. There is no better way to discover an area than in the company of a "local" and if you can speak a little French, the experience is enriched even further. My husband, Derek, and I made the move to live here permanently in 2007 and set up a business aimed at helping English-speakers to get more from their visit to Provence by learning the language, painting its sights, or simply introducing visitors to some of our favourite places.

Our journey here began way back in 1968.

My family were driving through northern Spain on an isolated road miles from anywhere when my mother, who’s turn it was to drive, pulled over on seeing a woman standing beside her stranded car. It turned out that Jacques was inside the car fuming as his wife Andrée hadn’t stopped for fuel when he’d suggested it! Through a stroke of luck, we were carrying a small amount of petrol for the outboard motor on a little inflatable dinghy we had with us and this got the stricken French couple to the next town. The resulting friendship has spanned decades and allowed me to visit them regularly and learn French. Without that fortuitous meeting, would I have gone on to study French at university - who knows? What I am quite sure about though is that we wouldn’t now be living in Provence.

Jacques loved the Alpilles and built a house in Eyragues, just north of St.Rémy de Provence, in the 1970s with the view to eventually moving down here. Following his retirement in 1985, we made regular visits and Jacques was the perfect guide. His enthusiasm for the culture, landscape and history of the area couldn’t fail to rub off on us. Whether it was the Roman sites of Glanum, Pont du Gard or Arles, the nature and landscapes of the Camargue, the Alpilles hills or the Luberon, or the Provencal fêtes and customs, like the bull running or the "Courses Camarguaises" (the local style bull fighting), we experienced everything through the eyes of a real "aficionado".

Sadly he didn’t get to see us settle here but Andrée lives just 30 minutes away from us and my parents, similarly initiated to the area by their friends, still enjoy their visits here.

Share our passion for Provence: We offer tailor-made holidays to help others coming here on holiday to get closer to the real Provence and to experience the culture and lifestyle we enjoy in this beautiful area. You can take advantage of our local knowledge to discover the Alpilles and to find accommodation and activities to correspond with your idea of the perfect holiday. Read more about it here.

In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. That, more or less, is the short answer to the supposedly incredibly complicated and confusing question of what we humans should eat in order to be maximally healthy. I hate to give the game away right here at the beginning of a whole book devoted to the subject, and I’m tempted to complicate matters in the interest of keeping things going for a couple hundred more pages or so, writes Michael Pollan in his newest book In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto. Pollan is a contributing writer for The Times Magazine and a professor of journalism at the University of California, Berkeley.

When I read Pollan’s September 10 OpEd in the NY Times I became really interested. Because most of what we’re consuming today is not food, and how we’re consuming it - in the car, in front of the TV, and increasingly alone - is not really eating. Instead of food, we’re consuming "edible foodlike substances" - no longer the products of nature but of food science. Many of them come packaged with health claims that should be our first clue they are anything but healthy. In the so-called Western diet, food has been replaced by nutrients, and common sense by confusion. The more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we seem to become.

Pollan points out that most of us no longer eat what our mothers ate as children or, for that matter, what our mothers fed us as children. This is, historically speaking, an unusual state of affairs. He continues: What is driving such relentless change in the American diet? One force is a 32- two- billion- dollar food- marketing machine that thrives on change for its own sake. Another is the constantly shifting ground of nutrition science that, depending on your point of view, is steadily advancing the frontiers of our knowledge about diet and health or is just changing its mind a lot because it is a flawed science that knows much less than it cares to admit.

Which brings me to my favorite "back to the roots" subject: The Mediterranean cuisine in general and Provençal recipes in particular. "Eating mostly plants" can be extremely boring unless you jazz it up à la Provençal. Our cuisine, similar to those from other Mediterranean regions, is all about flavors and aromas. The freshness, simplicity and healthiness of the Mediterranean cuisine is based on four principles:

1. The reliance on seasonal produce with emphasis on fish, poultry, vegetables and fruits.
2. Seasoning the food with natural fresh or dried herbs.
3. Frying and sautéing food in olive oil, which is also abundantly used to drizzle on dishes.
4. Eating more moderate amounts of food, but placing value on a well-balanced diet.

Back to Michael Pollan’s book. You can read an excerpt here and if you like it buy the book. You can also get some great Mediterranean recipes from a couple of good food blogs:

• Café Fernando, recipes by a 32 year old Turkish food enthusiast from Istanbul
• Chez Basilic, a treasure trove of Mediterranean recipes
• Chocolate and Zucchini, great recipes from Paris-based Clotilde Dusoulier
• Lucullian Delights, Italian recipes from a Tuscan-based Swede
• La Tartine Gourmande , inspired recipes, great photos

Rosé Wine Scare Over

This is an update to my post EU rosé wine plans unacceptable to France.

"It’s important that we listen to our producers when they are concerned about changes to the regulations. It’s become clear over recent weeks that a majority in our wine sector believe that ending the ban on blending could undermine the image of traditional rosé. I am always prepared to listen to good arguments, and that’s why I am making this change" said Mariann Fischer Boel, the EU agricultural commissioner.

A EU official dismissed as "complete nonsense" the notion that the change of mind was a result of French president Nicolas Sarkozy’s strong showing in the European elections and Mr.Barroso’s plan to run for another term as commission president. Whatever the reasons are, wine growers in France, Spain and Italy are relieved.

Rosé is made from red grape varieties, where the skin is removed after a short while from the juice instead of leaving it during fermentation as with red wine. The EU commission’s proposal to allow the mixing of red and white wine - as practised in the US, Australia and South Afirca - was deemed "heretical" by Michel Barnier, French agriculture minister. It also would have resulted in thousands of job losses in the Provence.

Rosé’s market share worldwide is only about 7 per cent, but demand has grown much faster than for red or white wine in recent years. The Provence is the largest producer of rosé in France. It is much liked as a light wine, low in alcohol and perfect for a hot summer’s night. The mixing of red and white wine would have been another step in the wrong direction. We need to take control of how we produce healthy food. The insatiable pressure to produce profits regardless what needs to be checked. The move by the EU was ill conceived and again totally underestimated the growing dissatisfaction with its agricultural policies. Rosé wine is a minor issue in the big scheme of things, genetically modified (GM) foods is the major battle field.

Americans visiting the Provence for the first time are a bit sceptical when it comes to rosé. They are probably suffering from the bad rap pink Zinfandel has achieved thanks to Almaden, Sutter, Gallo and other mass producers. As they say in the US: "Never drink pink wine. Good rule of thumb!". They are pleasantly surprised when they drink our rosé here, a light wine with character. By the way my favorite rosé is from the Cave Chantecôtes in Sainte Cécile les Vignes. In 2008 they received another gold medal at the Concours Général Agricole in Paris. But the king of rosé wines remains the one from Tavel, a small wine growing region west of Avignon. A rather heavy rosé it has a faithfull following in France.

Le Tourne au Verre, Cairanne

A real gem in the wine village of Cairanne! What used to be one of those sleepy and worn places serving mainly steak and frites was transformed into a country style wine bar and restaurant by new owners in 2007. Alexandre Gilbert, a former sommelier from the 3 Michelin star restaurant Regis Marcon in the Haut Loire, and his wife Sabrina run a veritable "coup de coeur" in this well known Southern Côtes du Rhône wine village.

As residents of Cairanne, we have all felt for a long time that our excellent wines deserve an excellent restaurant. The concept chosen by Alexandre and Sabrina preserves the informal village bistro character. The no-choice lunch menu (appetizer, main course and dessert) at Euro 13.50 during weekdays is unbeatable. Dinner - also of the one menu variety (but a vegetarian dish is always available) - runs at around Euro 23 (amuse-bouche, appetizer, main course and desert). The fare is light and healthy: salads and vegetables prepared with that special touch, fish, chicken, rabbit and the occasional meat dish. Desserts are simple but elegantly prepared.

How do they manage to keep prices low? Sabrina told us that they prepare about 40-45 no-choice menus for dinner. That keeps prices low. One can only hope that this concept spreads around a bit more in the Provence. The menu is written on a blackboard as are the choice of wines by the glass (Euro 1.80 - 7). A well chosen and ever changing selection of Côtes du Rhône as well as a few from other French regions. You can order a bottle of course and take a couple home if you like - they sell wine retail. Take a look at the wine list and you see the "take away" and the "drink here" prices side by side. Honest approach, n’est-ce pas?

The Tourne au Verre is very popular. It has become a real meeting place in the village. The other day, when we had lunch there, Laurent Brusset, one of the largest wine growers in Cairanne, was sitting at the table next to us. The place was brimming with people, locals as well as visitors. French, English, Dutch and Schwizerdütsch - truly international. But the ambiance remains casual, village bistro like and Sabrina’s informal style and cheerful personality will keep it this way. During the warmer season lunch and dinner is served outside under - you guessed it - plane trees.

Special theme dinners are offered throughout the year. On the 1st Thursday of every month there is a women only table with blind wine tasting, where locals and expats meet. Haven’t seen this too often in the Provence. But then again Cairanne is a special place.

One last piece of advice: make a reservation!

For contact information and more dining choices in the area click here.

Vive la différence!

The Economist pays tribute to the success of the formerly denigrated, interventionist, economic model of France and its statist practices.

To be sure, the French economy has been battered by the global recession like any other. Firms are cutting output and shedding jobs. Unemployment reached 8.6% in February. There have been regular mass rallies across France in protest at job cuts. More sinisterly, there has been a wave of “boss-napping”, a form of kidnapping in which managers are kept by workers overnight in their own offices. [Source: The Economist - May 7, 2009]

That’s the bad news, but in comparison to the Anglo-Saxon model the damage is less severe, and here is why:

Yet France’s economy has been less hard hit than many. Its GDP is expected to shrink by 3% this year, according to the IMF, against 4.1% in Britain, 4.4% in Italy and 5.6% in Germany. It is less dependent on exports than Germany, and consumer spending in the first quarter of 2009 was up on the same period last year. The government, usually reprimanded for profligacy, is set to have a deficit in 2009 (6.2% of GDP) well below those in America (13.6%) and Britain (9.8%). [Source: The Economist - May 7, 2009]

And here is more good news:

The French are great savers and most have not taken out unaffordable mortgages or spent heavily on credit. Household debt as a share of GDP is less than half that in Britain or America. [Source: The Economist - May 7, 2009]

The country’s banking system is in reasonably good shape, its infrastructure is top notch (230 mph TGV trains, extensive Autoroute system),  80% of the electrical power generation is nuclear,  its auto producers are producing fuel efficient small and medium sized cars, French-dominated Airbus has overtaken Boeing and Ariane rules the commercial aerospace market.

So why are the French doubting themselves? Well, may be self-denigration is a national sport.

To read the Economist story click here. Don’t know if it continues to be available to non-subscribers after month end.

Eat petite, be petite and take your time!

Obesity is less common in France than in the US, a result of smaller portions, many researchers believe. Much has been written about this so called “French Paradox”. Here are the French eating all this cheese, bread and other food rich in calories and they stay slim! Yes, obesity of children in France is on the increase. A result of fast food, snacks and beverages like Coke and Pepsi? But in general French, like most Europeans on the continent, continue to be in reasonably good physical shape.

When I lived in Chicago for 6 months a couple of years ago, I noticed how I gained weight immediately. While I tried not to eat more than at home I suspect that the type of food had something to do with it. American food contains lots of corn starch, salt, emulsions and artificial flavoring. Cheese is used which no longer contains milk. Not to talk about hormone beef and salt water injected chicken! Drinking Coke or Pepsi doesn’t help either. You go to a restaurant and they serve you so much food! Incredible! Of course I am generalizing. There are lots of Americans who are very conscious of what and how much they eat. It’s mostly a matter of education and living standards.

But many Americans need to get accustomed to the smaller portions, when eating at restaurants in France. And you know what? After a while you will notice that after a three course meal at a restaurant here, you do not leave the table hungry. Breaking up the meal into three segments seems to do the trick. The brain takes a while to recognize that one’s hunger is stilled.

The other issue is of course to eat healthy. Freshly prepared food, natural ingredients, less red meat and lots of vegetables and fruits.  In other words a good Mediterranean diet.

Sources:

Wall Street Journal: What’s really in my healthy food

Chez Basilic: Mediterranean Cuisine

What’s Better Than Walking?

The "Deux Chevaux" or 2 CV, the 2 Horse (Powers) Citroen is probably the most ingenious example of a simple straightforward transportation piece. After encountering this example yesterday with 72 year old Monsieur Bertier in it, I thought it is time for a posting on our blog. Wonderful car - totally uncomfortable but better than walking; no electronic hickups like in modern cars, easy to fix if it breaks down, great mileage! Be careful if the Mistral blows, you might not arrive if you have to drive North. But you will certainly get seasick!

Originally designed by a certain Pierre Boulanger in 1936, the basic design remained unaltered up until the end of the production in 1989. Emissions legislation, crashworthiness regulations and Citroen trying to shed its image did this car in. Still has a sizeable following though. Or simply oldtimers like Bertier using an oldtimer. They produced over 5 million 2 CV and you find them where? In the villages of the Provence of course! I am getting sentimental.