It was gray and drizzly, and we knew not much would be open on Sunday, so we spent the day relaxing in the beautiful home. I did a load of laundry, and so happy to have a dryer! Susan (owner) had left instructions to be sure to select a certain cycle on the washer or your clothes would wash for hours!
We had three meals at home. Scrambled eggs for breakfast, tuna for lunch, and grilled cheese for dinner. Simple stuff that suited our mood.
We slept well, and in the morning Ron set off for the boulangerie to get fresh rolls or baguette. Luckily, the closest boulanerie was closed on Mondays, and he had to venture further afield to the place Susan said had the best baguettes in the area. He said it was a beautiful bakery with desserts that require a photo. There was also a fantastic green grocer there, AND a presse where he was able to get the "International NY Times".
Susan was correct about the baguette. Maybe it is the best in the world! Ron was sorry he hadn't bought two. BUT, you can't buy ahead, as bread here doesn't keep! We had five or six kinds of cheeses, Serrano ham, salami, pepper cheese spread, and lots of bread.We stayed in the rest of the morning, as it was pouring rain and miserable.
Around 1 PM, the rain began to let up, and we set off for the medieval old town of St. Paul. It is a typical fortified village. The town burst into popularity in the 1920's when famous artists, including Modigliani, and movie stars began to frequent the area. The famous hotel Colombe d'Or played a big part. The owners would apparently accept pieces of art in exchange for rooms, and in that way amassed a famous collection of the modern artists such as Miro, Chagall, Calder, Braque and Picasso. Yves Montand and Simone Signoret held their wedding reception there. We had hoped to have a special meal there, but it was already closed for the season.
We walked in the narow cobble-stone streets, up and down - hard on the back and hips and legs. But very interesting to see. There were many beautiful galleries of sculpture and paintings, statues at every turn, and the ancient buildings.
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| One of many galleries - liked these horse sculptures |
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| Famous Urn-shaped fountain off Rue Grande |
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| Tiny restaurant that looked so adorable |
I had researched restaurants, but not exact locations, so as we passed by places, I would comment if I knew about them or not. I was looking for a Thai place, rated #2 of all restaurants in St, Paul de Vence on tripadvisor, but never found that street.
We had walked far and were ready for a respite, and went into Le Caruso. It was a great choice for us. It was very small, and we sat in the back room that had only seven tables. One stone wall and the rest white rendered walls - barrel ceiling. People sitting at nearby tables were speaking a Scandinavian language. Prices were reasonable for this area. I had read about the goat cheese profiteroles. They were delicious - a little like having an appetizer and dessert all in one since there was a bit of sweetness from the light caramel glaze and honey. Delicious!
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| Tapenade - one of the best we've ever had |
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| Profiteroles with goat cheese, caramel and honey |
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| Ron's mushroom soup - love the presentation - with the drizzled "spoon" |
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| Ron's fish on a bed of yellow rice with a sage sauce |
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| "UGA" in beautiful colors |
We walked along the ramparts (constructed in the mid 1500's) from where we could see the Mediterranean and Cap d'Antibes. At the edge of the town is the cemetary where Marc Chagall is buried.
We were worn out by the time we got back to the car. The GPS then sent us a bit awry, but got back on track and made our way "home" shortly. The narrow roads are quite alarming - especially when the people accustommed to them go so fast!
We were happy to come back to such a cozy, charming environment and settle in for the night. We even have CNN and BBC on the television.
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