Whether at home or traveling, I try to eat as local & seasonal as possible. I hope you enjoy my collection of recipes along with my favorite localites from Savannah and my travels.
Not far from Roussillon was Gordes, a beautiful, ancient hillside village. There was a carnival on the day we were there, so once we got past the music, bumper cars, games and carnie food, I got to see exactly why people flock to Gordes.
especially when it's also surrounded by vineyards...
and has dogs roaming solo...
Yes, it is just carpaccio of beef (or boeuf) but it was the best I've ever had. The beef was so tender and the taste was amazing. In addition to the salad and Parmesan, it was drizzled in a beautiful olive oil, sprinkled with course sea salt, and chives. The flavors were all so distinct and pure - and went so perfectly together. If I had to come up with my final menu, this would absolutely be the starting point!
If you order flowers in Annecy from FTD.com - this is where they just might come from...
If you are in Annecy and looking for something for a very pampered pooch, Au Chien Elegant is the place for you! They had designer everything for the most discerning pup.
We then went for a walk in the park where we experienced two seasons in under five minutes. Let's start with Autumn: the leaves are just starting to change color.
Next enters Winter: the mountain tops were starting to get their first dusting of snow...
It is a large campsite that also boasts their own caravans that you can hire - along with apartments for those who aren't too camping friendly: that would be me. Despite my hate for camping, how could you not like the view:
Along with the view, they had wild strawberries growing amongst the campsites...
Next to the campground was a sailing school/boat rental facility.
One of the guys working there had the most amazing dog. She was such a sweetheart and insisted that I rub her belly. She bore a striking resemblance to my Cookie that I had when I was a little girl, so I could hardly resist. It broke my heart to leave her, and if I could have taken one thing back with me from France, she would have been top of my list. Hopefully someday, her twin might end up in my life...
On the way back to the car, we passed this pedestrian walking symbol. The leaves made me smile..
The "Dog Parking" out front is a complete give-away that we are in France. Yes, they love their dogs so much that there is a specific place outside for you to tie-up your faithful friend while you go inside to get your baguette.
City Hall and Church in Duingt.
A short drive up into the mountain provided stunning views into the valley looking onto Lac d'Annecy.
Here is a close up of the Château de Duingt or "Châteauvieux", the 1896 subject of a painting by Paul Cézanne. The village across the lake to the left of the photo is Talloires, which you might remember from an earlier post.
While they were not open for service, we utilized the parking of the restaurant at Auberge Terre de Bellevarde. This appears to be a collect enterprise consisting of Restaurant, Guest Houses, and Apartments.
They had a kitchen garden next to the road where these lovely little beauties were sticking out.
Here is their kitchen garden. While there wasn't much there, I'm pretty sure they were just finishing up for the summer and were beginning to let the land rest. However, with the size of the garden and the position looking into the valley and lake, I would be in absolute heaven calling this home.
