Hidden Provence #5

9/5/13
In those days Le Barroux, a village in the Vaucluse
Countryside, had Les Geraniums Hotel, a charming
Logis de France hotel (Logis de France are an association
of hotels that are rated zero to four stars).
In those days, the hotel offered home style cooking.
I never thought that eating leek pie in the Vaucluse
would be one of the highlights of my stay in Provence, but
it was. But of course there many more highlights to come.
Each morning, Monsieur the owner went to his
garden to pick basil, mint, thyme and rosemary—with
garlic—the essence of Provencal cooking.
Each evening he concocted another specialty. I remember baked
chicken in a basil sauce, with a glass of Cotes-du-Ventouse, a local
red wine, and I recall other delicious saucy chicken and lamb dishes.
These five course meals were a bargain and included in the price of
the room with half-board. Meals were served in the dining room or on
a quiet terraces—a perfect spot for relaxing.
At twilight, swallows dipped and swooped over the hotel eaves
adding to the magical atmosphere.
Le Barroux is a tiny old village, with a church and a castle,
and it lies in a land of gardens with pale purple lavender, and vineyards
curving over hillsides. Here, and throughout this region,
the indescribable quality of Provence’s famous light is sheer glory.