Provence, revisited

In two short weeks, we're off to France for the summer! We are still pinching ourselves about it (well, I'm pinching my darling; he does not dare reciprocate).

When first I thought about taking time off between jobs so I could finally write my book, it all seemed like a wild dream. Then the dream inched closer to reality, once I actually had the job offer in hand and could negotiate the starting date. And then my husband popped up with, 'I want to take a leave of absence! That way, we can spend the whole summer together!'

Of course, it snowballed from there. Err... sandballed? We weren't going to spend the whole summer cooped up in our rental apartment. I needed a different kind of space to write - a room with a view! (my current choice of views being between the railway and an auto body shop). My plan was to alternate between writing in a coffee shop and writing in a bookstore. But once my husband joined the chorus, the plans jumped all the way over the pond and into Europe. What can I say? My husband dreams big!

So now we're going to spend most of the summer in a tiny village in Provence. We visited the area in 2009 and fell in love with the landscape.

And the food.

Our favorite restaurant? Le Bonheur Suit Son Cours, which - I unblushingly say - we helped put on the (American tourists') map: we created its first entry on tripadvisor. I'm thrilled to see that it has satisfied plenty of North-American palates ever since. Fingers crossed they still make that sinful blast of pure chocolate called the Mont Ventoux cake. Five years ago, I had a transcendental experience devouring it. Once in a lifetime, I thought, as I licked my spoon clean, and wondered if I'd get kicked out of the place for doing the same with my plate. But you know what? Twice in a lifetime is even better! (I just heard my scale groan. My scale is a very poor winner.)

By the way, did you know that π is called a transcendental number? Clearly, when mathematicians started naming things, they listened to their taste-buds.

Taste-bud pampering was the decisive factor in our vacation plans. My husband wanted us to spend the summer in Italy - but I reminded him that one of us cannot stand the taste of pasta nor pizza! And that said person will therefore keep complaining about the total lack of eclairs in Italy, and is he comfortable with his selfishness? In the end, it was the Mont Ventoux cake that decided the issue. :-)

So we're renting a house in the Luberon. It has a view. In fact, it has several views (none of which includes a railway or auto body shop). It is one hour away from the best chocolate cake in the universe. And five minutes from freshly baked croissants. In other words, it is perfect!

So if you're interested in hearing about our Provencal /gastronomical vacation, or how my book progresses, or (later on) our Anglo-Scottish trip, check back often. I intend to update this blog frequently with lots of photos and stories.

Pi-Pie for now!