Le jour du mariage - Wedding Day!

Thursday was wedding day for Chris and Julie.

Most everyone woke up late, and had a relaxing day.  Well, I know that I did at least.  Julie spent nine hours doing her hair, makeup and dress, which seems like a long time.  Then again, I'm not an expert or aware of any benchmarks in this arena.  Maybe it's just an average amount of time for a bride to get ready.

I spent the morning, and a good portion of the afternoon lounging poolside.  There were actually some swim races and underwater breath holding contests as well, but for the most part it was a pretty chilled out session, as the wedding organizers got things in place for the main event that would begin in the garden right around 6:00 pm.

Whereas Julie gave herself nine hours to get ready, I budgeted about fifteen minutes, which, as it turned out, wasn't quite enough for a shower and putting on my tuxedo.  I didn't sacrifice the shower, which probably made everyone happy...even though we were in France, and I probably could have coasted.  Oh snap!

I digress.  As I made my way down the staircase, I ran smack into the bride and groom (not literally, of course), and snapped this candid photo of Julie handing some flowers to Chris.  I'm not sure of the significance of this exchange. There may have been none.  Just thought it was a nice photo to share.

The garden ceremony was just how I like my weddings "short and sweet."  Chris and Julie's good friend Anjali officiated, the couple exchanged vows, a few poems were read (not mine), and voila, we were all done!  Now it was time for a few celebratory drinks.  The rosé and champagne made for a really nice photo opp, but I'm not sure Philippe, displaying his best "Are you for real?" face, concurred.  

Maybe he was still stewing over de-plate-gate from last night's dinner.  As a side note, his name is not Philippe.  I mean, I'm not really sure.  I just named him that. But he easily could be a Philippe.

We stayed around the garden and pool area for a bit and socialized before dinner began.  Here is a rather awkward looking photo of a bunch of us, including the bride and groom.

Two long tables were set up in the courtyard, and we then made our way over to start dinner and the rest of the evening's festivities.

Once again, the table was set beautifully, and I had a prime seat right across from Chris and Julie.  I should mention that I was also next to a couple with a nine-month old baby boy, Gus.  Gus and I had hung out earlier by the pool, so there was some rapport that had already been established.  In fact, so much so that his parents felt comfortable plopping him on my lap while they ate their first course.  It was all going really well.  Then he started crying, and I handed him back.  Great experience though.

The first course was gazpacho with a crab beignet; an innovative and interesting combination.  The gentleman below standing next to Chris was in charge of the wine, and apparently quite an expert, formerly the sommelier for Alain Ducasse in Paris.  He aptly explained each of the wines we would be enjoying during the evening, giving us a bit of background on the history of the Rhone region and some of the grapes.

There was a fish course (seabass), a vegetable course, and some farro risotto, but in my opinion, the best dish of all was the lavender marinated duck breast; even better than it sounds.

For dessert, there was a refreshing bowl of cherries in lemon verbena gelee with citrus creme fraiche.  Another unique dish, that was actually quite good and tasted like...spring in Provence.  

And of course there was a wedding cake, a beautiful vanilla cake with raspberries and plenty of buttercream I have no doubt.  I'm not really much of a cake-guy, but even I had to get in on a slice.

After dinner, there were a few more speeches, then drinking and dancing late into the night and the wee hours of the morning.  I on the other hand, had a driver coming to pick me up at 6:30 am for the airport, and Irish-goodbyed at around 1:00 am to try and catch a few zzzs...which proved elusive and before I knew it, my alarm was buzzing.

A quick splash of water on the face, some serious stinging as I placed my contacts into my reddened eyes, and I was off.  But there was one small challenge.  The house was gated, and I didn't know the code.  Evidently, one was required not only to enter, but also to exit the estate.  And so, my morning workout consisted of hurling my bags over a twelve foot wall, then scaling and de-scaling (?), myself.

And just like that, we were off in the direction of Marseille, arriving at the airport in plenty of time to board my flight to Barcelona via Munich.

Rehearsal dinner - practice makes prefect

Bonjour mes amis.  Ça va?

Okay, it is a little after noon here on Thursday, or wedding day, and we are just lounging around the maison.

Last night's rehearsal dinner began with appetizers, wine and pastis in the living room, but honestly, I was still full from lunch and even the charcuterie siren with all of her charm couldn't lull me into submission.  Have you ever had pastis by the way?  It's kind of like a French version of ouzo; anise alcohol that is very fragrant.  Not my first choice at the bar, but interesting for sure.

Dinner was served al fresco, poolside and by the rose garden.  It was a bit chilly, even here in the south of France, so, good thing I brought a sweater.  Here is a shot of the bride and groom to be, right before the dinner and evening festivities began.

Dinner was good, but not mind-blowing.  In fact, the first dish was a vegetable terrine with a huge dollop of a mayonnaise-y goat cheese mixture.  I picked out the vegetables, which were actually quite nice.  

When I realized that the main courses were going to be family style, I practically begged the server for a fresh plate, so I wouldn't have to stare at the mayo any longer.  I was told (a bit rudely), "c'est impossible," but a minute later that an exception would be made for me, but nobody else.  

Okay, maybe I was being a bit of a guestzilla, but I really couldn't bare to look at that mayo any longer, let alone risk it polluting my entree.

New plate and all, we moved into the mains of both fish and pork, accompanied by some veggies.  Dinner was good, but again, I was not starving, and maybe mayogate had thrown my appetite off a tad.

Fortunately, dessert proved to be a meal saver (or close anyway), with this beautiful strawberry tart with hazelnut tuilles and coulis.

Mine was the fourth speech of the night, and I could tell that people were getting a bit restless by that point.  Fortunately, my "wedding poem" seemed to be well received, and I got that behind me.

After dinner, we re-retired to the living room for more wine and pastis, but frankly, by that point, jet-lag was beating me up pretty good.  I was in bed by midnight to get some sleep for the big day ahead.

Day 1 Activities

Day 1 in Provence began with a light breakfast and some coffee at the maison, followed by activities.  There were several choices, and I opted for the wine tour.  As you can see, the wine cellar at the house was in need of some serious new stock!

About ten of us loaded onto a bus that had been arranged, and headed to the first of three venues.  This particular winery contained a corkscrew museum, filled with hundreds of antique corkscrews. 

The museum was cool, but let's face it, we were here to try some wines that were typical of the region.  We started with rosé, made predominantly with Grenache and a few other varietals.  The wine at this first venue was good, but nothing out of this world. 

We then headed to another spot, where we were met by one of the most important winemakers of the region, and found his blends to be much more palatable.

Next, it was time to head to lunch, which, as you might guess, was also paired with wine.  That said, truffles, or "truffe," would be the stars of the show.  Pictured below are a bowl of white truffles (yes, I know they look black); street value = €200/kilo.  

Our prix fixe lunch included two courses. I opted for the ravioli with Gorgonzola and black truffles, followed by "chèvre chaude," or warm goat cheese.

And, as a supplement, we decided to get an order of foie gras cooked at 72 degrees.  Not sure quite how they got it to that exact temperature....let it sit out at the mall?  Anyway, it was delicious, and a big enough portion for all of us to share.

Here is a shot of me, Chris and his father after finishing our decadent lunch.  

After that, we were all ready to head back to the maison for a brief rest before the rehearsal dinner began.  Ah, home sweet home!

Made it all the way!

Bonjour!  I finally arrived to the town of Isle Sur La Sorgue at about 9:00 pm last night.  I met up with Chris and Julie and some friends, and it was straight to dinner at a bistro in the center of the small town square.

We had a really nice meal, accompanied by several bottles of wine.  We are in the Rhone region, and the majority of wines here are a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.  This one was really good, medium minus, low viscosity, not overly tannic, notes of blackberry, easy on the shoe leather and tobacco ;).

And of course, it was great with  some foie gras.  But then, everything is better with a little foie gras.

 

My main course for dinner was fresh made tagliatelle with "osso bucco" of monkfish and a tomato with pesto sauce.  Very nice!

After dinner, I headed back to the house (la maison) with Chris and the others that were staying there.  It is a pretty large estate, and I was given a tour.  I'll post a few more pictures too, as well as of activities from today, but right now I need to head downstairs as the rehearsal dinner is starting.  Au bientôt!

Je suis arrivé!

And so, I have finally arrived in France.  What you see above is a clouded view of Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in France, visible before making our descent into Marseille.

I had a lovely seat mate who was visiting Marseille from Ukraine for the weekend.   Julia and I had a great chat about everything from inflation in Kiev, Ukranians' (including Crimean) opinions of Putin, to Two and a Half Men (her favorite show).  It was like getting a healthy dose of The Economist, but in real time from a much more attractive source.

So enthralling was our conversation that it wasn't until almost exiting the airport that I noticed I had left my passport in the seat pocket in front of me.  Doh!

I literally sprinted back to the plane, and fortunately it was still there (the plane and the passport).  

Julia and I said our goodbyes at baggage claim, though we are now linked on Facebook, so I've got a friend in Kiev , (where they just call it chicken), and she's got one in SF!

I just boarded a train at this picturesque station on the Côte d'Azur, and will make the one hour trip to L'isle Sur la Sorgue to meet up with Chris, Julie and the guests that have arrived.

Until later, adieu!!

A little Frankfurt(er)

Greetings!  After 11 hours of travel, I find myself in the lovely Frankfurt airport (it really is quite pleasant), on a layover before heading to Marseille in about an hour.

Shunning the gray colored omelet and sides prepared by the chefs at United Airlines, I had somewhat of an appetite when I arrived here in Germany.  

And, after a quick scan of the terminal (no Amex Centurion lounge in sight), I decided to go full German.  You never go full German, but I did.  I went full German.

My breakfast of bockwurst and brezel was unbelievably cheap at €5.  The beer was an extra few euro, but still a bargain.

It was all very nice, and even more so when washed down with this gem of an espresso.  As good as Italy?  Maybe not. But still delicious, in a "puts SF trendy hipster coffee to shame?"  You bet.

As Sky TV showed two local football teams battling on the pitch, I had a nice conversation with a couple from Walnut Creek that were on my flight and also headed to Marseille to visit their daughter.  

We talked real estate (he is the CFO of a REIT), cars (he has an order in for the new Tesla X, which sounds awesome), and food...of course food.  

They were going to be spending a few nights in Aix, and I had been given a recommendation for a bakery there by a friend in SF.  I passed it along to them, though I'm not sure I will visit myself as Aix is about 40 minutes away from L'Isle Sur la Sorgue.  

Incidentally, I found the translation for Sorgue.  So, there you go.  Sorgue is sorgue; just the name of the river in the municipality, or "arrondissement" of Avignon.

In any case, boarding will begin soon.  These Germans are very punctual, you know.  Okay ragazzi, see you in France!  Jajajaja!!!

Bon Voyage!

Well, technically, that ("Bon Voyage"), is what you are supposed to say to me, as I embark on this brief trip to Europe for Chris and Julie's wedding.  But, since my French is very limited (we're about to find out just how much so), I'll be throwing in words and phrases here and there that may not be appropriate or even make sense.  So, let's just go with it.  And....lessgo (in general)!

In a little less than 30 minutes, I will board UA Flight 926 to Frankfurt, and from there will take another flight to Marseille.  From Marseille, I will take a taxi (or I actually think they might have uber) to a town in Provence called L'Isle Sur La Sorgue, which means The Island...on the Sorgue.  I'll have to get back to you on that one!  I will be using the assistance of Google Translate during the trip.

As for now, as luck would have it, I am sitting in the Amex Centurion Lounge between Terminal 2 and 3.  In search of something other than Andale or dodgy Japanese to sustain me for the 16 or so hours of travel, I wandered over to Terminal 2, only to gaze up in awe at this lofted oasis.  What would I do?  What should I do?

Well, I got in the elevator with two other gentlemen, only to find out on our way up that you have to be an Amex platinum or black cardholder to enter.  Membership does have its privileges.

As I am of neither hue, I was a bit dismayed but already planning my attempt at using my Amex SPG to gain entrance.  That didn't happen.

One of my two elevator mates, John, offered up "You will be my guest."  I shall indeed John; I shall indeed!  Side note:  my other elevator mate had a look of disgust perhaps that his annual fees were subsidizing my use of the facility.

And so, after my four course dinner shown above, consisting of consommé, short ribs and smashed peas with potato gratin, salad and iced tea, I posted up in the business portion of the lounge.

And now I have to go catch my flight.

We'll catch up soon ragazzi....er, mes amis!!