Keith Van Sickle's Blog, page 13
October 12, 2022
Secrets of St-Rémy #3: Favorite Wineries
Val and I live part of the year in St-Rèmy-de-Provence, a charming town between Marseille and Avignon. I’ve written a guidebook about the area, An Insider’s Guide to Provence, where I share some of our favorite things to see and do. Now I’ve put together a series of articles I call Secrets of St-Rémy, based on that book
Provence is a wine lover’s paradise, and wine has been made here for thousands of years. You can get any color you’d like—red, white, or pink—because what’s a French meal without wine?
I love Provence’s wines, especially those from around St-Rémy. After some (ahem) deep research, I’ve made a list of my favorite wineries, all of which have friendly tasting rooms with English-speaking staff. Be sure to drop by one the next time you are in the area!
Read all about them in My French Life!
September 28, 2022
Riad Sattouf and The Arab of the Future
Graphic novelist Riad Sattouf has lived a fascinating life. Born in 1978 to a French mother and a Syrian father, he spent much of his childhood in Libya and Syria before moving to France for his teenage years.
Sattouf dreamed of becoming a pilot, but his talent as a cartoonist took him in another direction. His first graphic novel (bande dessinée in French, or BD) was published when he was just 21, and he soon joined the staff of the famous French magazine, Charlie Hebdo. But it was his BD, The Arab of the Future, that catapulted him to nationwide fame, making him one of the most successful authors in France today.
BDs are a big deal in France, much bigger than in the US. They are not comic books, but rather cover a wide range of subjects, from humor to history to politics and more. Remember Persopolis, the Oscar-nominated animated film? That started as a BD that sold more 2 million copies worldwide.
Sattouf’s Arab of the Future is now a series of five BDs, all of which have been translated into English. They are a fascinating look into two sometimes strange societies, including France’s!
Read all about it in Frenchly!
September 21, 2022
Did Italy Teach France to Cook?
If you visit Italy and compliment the food, someone will invariably tell you, “Well, we taught the French to cook, you know. They ate like savages before we rescued them.”
The story goes like this:
Catherine de Medici was the daughter of the Duke of Urbino, of the powerful de Medici family of Florence, and in 1533 she was married off to the future king of France.
Florence was then the home of the Renaissance, the beating heart of European culture. The sophisticated Catherine brought with her an entourage which included her talented Italian chefs. Over the course of her long reign as queen, Catherine’s court developed the first haute cuisine in France.
Is it true? I looked into the question and you might enjoy finding out what I learned.
Read all about it in Frenchly!
September 14, 2022
Secrets of St-Rémy #2: Favorite Places to Eat
Val and I live part of the year in St-Rèmy-de-Provence, a charming town between Marseille and Avignon. I’ve written a guidebook about the area, An Insider’s Guide to Provence, where I share some of our favorite things to see and do. Now I’ve put together a series of articles I call Secrets of St-Rémy, based on that book.
St-Rémy is full of excellent restaurants and cafés, and Val and I love enjoying their meals, lingering over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. I’ve made a list of our seven top favorites, places we’ve been to many times, from simple cafés to special-occasion restaurants.
Read all about them in My French Life!
September 7, 2022
Château Chantilly: A Fabulous Day Trip from Paris
When tourists take day trips from Paris, it’s usually to Versailles or Fontainebleau or maybe Giverny. But a hidden gem is the Château de Chantilly. It’s as elegant as Versailles but more intimate, and is just a short hop from Paris.
The château and its vast grounds were the main estate of the Duke of Aumale, son of the last king of France and one of the country’s richest men. He donated it to the Institut de France in 1884 and it has been a tourist attraction ever since.
What’s there to see? Lots! There’s the château itself, in pristine condition, which houses one of France’s most important art collections. There are the exquisite gardens with their mile-long grand canal. There is the equestrian center with its racetrack and fabulous stables. And you can have strawberries with, yes, chantilly cream!
Read all about it in Frenchly!
August 24, 2022
Secrets of St-Rémy #1: The Must-See Sights
Val and I live part of the year in St-Rèmy-de-Provence, a charming town between Marseille and Avignon. I’ve written a guidebook about the area, An Insider’s Guide to Provence, where I share some of our favorite things to see and do. Now I’ve put together a series of articles I call Secrets of St-Rémy, based on that book.
I think the best part of St-Rémy is just wandering its winding streets, but there are three sights I recommend that every visitor see—the outdoor market; the asylum where Vincent van Gogh was treated, combined with the van Gogh walk; and the Roman sites of Glanum and les Antiques.
Let me tell you more about them in My French Life!
August 17, 2022
The Mystery of French Washing Machines
Val and I are traveling around Europe and have been in France for the last month. I am responsible for doing the laundry in our family, and French washing machines present a special challenge.
Every time we land in a new place, I have to figure out a new washing machine. You would think they would be standardized—or at least kind of similar—but you would be wrong.
Charles de Gaulle famously said of the fractious French, “How can you govern a country with 246 types of cheese?” He could easily have been talking about French washing machines, but I suspect it was Madame de Gaulle doing the laundry while Monsieur le Général sat around eating cheese.
The trick is to find a wash cycle that doesn’t take all day, because French washing machines are a lot like French bureaucrats—they take a long time to get anything done.
Read all about my French laundry adventures in The Good Life France!
August 10, 2022
10 Great Reads That Will Transport You to France
How would you like to travel to France but not have to get on a plane?
The best way to do it, unless you have a friend with a yacht, is by reading a book. I love books by foreigners who’ve lived in France. They see the country differently than the French do, and living abroad helps them see their own country through new eyes.
I’ve put together a list of my favorite books about France. Some are funny, some are touching, and all are excellent reads. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite yourself!
Read all about it at Frenchly!
July 27, 2022
The Underground Wonders of Bruoux
What has 40 kilometers of underground corridors, orange walls, and used to grow mushrooms? If you guessed the ochre mines of Bruoux, you win!
The Luberon Valley in Provence is famous for its ochre. It was mined here for centuries and a walk through the brilliantly-colored quarries of Roussillon or Rustrel is like walking through a rainbow. At Bruoux, rather than carving out the side of a mountain, the miners dug straight in, creating tall corridors hundreds of meters long.
You can take a guided tour of the mines that is about an hour long and just fascinating.
Read all about it in The Good Life France!
July 20, 2022
L’Oustalet Maianen Restaurant for Delicious Food
Just a few miles north of St-Rémy-de-Provence, in the quiet town of Maillane, sits a restaurant that is well worth the trip. Consider it if you want to enjoy a delicious meal in a comfortable dining room—or on a shady terrace in warm weather. Val and I love L’Oustalet Maianen; it’s one of our favorite restaurants.
It’s also a family affair, with current owner Christian Garino having taken over from his parents some years ago. What started as a snack bar with five tables has grown and evolved to the point that today the Michelin Guide lauds it for “exceptionally good food at reasonable prices.”
Read all about it in Perfectly Provence!
