Paris and Provence, 2019: The Trip

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Thirteen days in France: ten based in Aix-en-Provence, then three in Paris. We ate a lot of duck, foie gras, crêpes, and pastries; tasted wine around Bandol, Cassis, and Aix; and packed in Roman ruins, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Picasso, and one very stubborn induction stove.

Where We Ate

Aix-en-Provence and Provence

Place My rating What I thought
Les Deux Garçons ★★★★☆ My pork with morels was a perfect “Josh” meal, and the white wine was very good. Ksenia’s duck was overcooked. Day 1.
Colde ★★☆☆☆ Underwhelming sandwiches. Day 2.
Jacquou le Croquant ★★★★★ Perfect duck confit. We went back for more, and everything was just as good the second time. Days 2 and 10.
Le Coquet — Grilled octopus for me; foie gras for Ksenia. They had run out of mussels and lemonade. Day 3.
Jardin Mazarin — Foie gras and kangaroo for me; truffle eggs and duck in cherry sauce for Ksenia. Day 3.
Crêpes Cidre et Compagnie ★★★★★ Tender crêpes, heavenly caramel, and a nice woman behind the counter. Day 4.
Le Petit Verdot — Artichoke and slow-cooked baby pork for me; foie gras and sea bass for Ksenia. We drank the 2018 Bodin white. Day 4.
Café le Verdun ★★☆☆☆ Mussels were OK, but kind of dry. Day 5.
Le Bistrot des Philosophes — Sea bream with crispy marrow bone for me; duck in fig sauce for Ksenia. Day 6.
Marie-Georgette ★★☆☆☆ Bland burger, lightly cooked and kind of cold. Day 9.

We also ate at market stalls in Aix and Avignon, made dinner at the Airbnb twice, and had a crêpe in Les Baux-de-Provence. The apartment’s induction stove put up quite a fight.

Paris

Place My rating What I thought
Paul — Quiche Lorraine, croissant, fruit tarts, and orange juice after landing. No complaints. Day 1.
Au Rendez-vous des Amis — A quick late lunch: foie gras for Ksenia, escargot for me. Day 11.
Auberge Nicolas Flamel ★★★★★ A fantastic tasting menu, a waiter with personality, and a chocolate ball that melted open when the hot chocolate hit it. Day 11.
Square Gardette — Onglet of beef and wine for me; white fish and Orangina for Ksenia. Day 12.
Au Bourguignon du Marais — Foie gras and beef bourguignon for me; escargot and cod for Ksenia. Day 12.
Mariage Frères — Soba salad and tea for me; salmon and smoky Earl Grey for Ksenia. Day 13.
Qui Plume la Lune ★★★★☆ Great five-course dinner and wine pairing. I loved the chocolate-and-chestnut dessert, though I wish we hadn’t ended with sweetbreads. Day 13.

The unnamed boulangerie breakfasts in Paris were a bargain: two of us ate for less than one hotel breakfast.

Where We Stayed

We made an Airbnb in Aix-en-Provence our home base for Provence. It had odd art, a terrace, and an induction stove I never want to cook meat on again. In Paris, we stayed at a hotel; breakfast down the street was a much better deal than eating there.

Wine and Tours

Fabien took us through Domaines Bunan in Bandol and Cassis Bodin on Day 4. The Bodin white was mineral and flinty. We tasted wines at Château Henri Bonnaud during a market-and-cooking tour on Day 5; the 2016 red Palette was really good. Pierre took us through Saint-Rémy, Les Baux, and Arles on Day 9.

Other Places We Saw

Around Aix, we explored Saint-Sauveur Cathedral, Hôtel de Caumont, Musée Granet, and Cézanne’s grave at Saint-Pierre Cemetery. In Avignon, we toured the Palais des Papes and the Pont d’Avignon, which I still think is the least bridge I’ve ever seen. Saint-Paul-de-Mausole, Les Baux-de-Provence, and Arles’s Roman sites filled our day trip.

In Paris, the stained glass of Sainte-Chapelle was magnificent. We also visited Atelier des Lumières, Père Lachaise, and the Picasso Museum. We walked around Notre-Dame after the fire, and finished with the Eiffel Tower and Louvre courtyard.

Day by Day

Ratings are out of five stars; a dash means I didn’t have a clear verdict.

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