What I Ate at Coté Sud Vivre

What to eat at Coté Sud Vivre?
Fruit and more fruit. Olives are a fruit. Did you know.

Abricots are fabulous here. Last night I got to taste fresh apricots from a fruit grower in Provence who supplies Galeries Lafayette Gourmand, Thibaud Piqué Selection. He said his fruits (cerise, melon, strawberry varieties) were picked ripe off the tree yesterday and you must eat them today (note the pit above). His father and uncle have been growing fruit for 40 year. Nothing tastes like fruit fresh off the tree does it?

Eat ice cream in Aix. Very refreshing in the heat. Giovanni Gelateria on the far end of 47, cours Meribeau, the main street. And Aix & Terra has excellent ice cream fruity flavors. Both were at the salon Côté Sud event.

Here's a regional specialty not-to-be-missed, Delices de Provence - candies that look just like fresh green almonds but there's not any almond inside. Just melt-in-your-mouth chocolate ganache. I brought them back to paint but in a moment of temptation tasted one and soon all three were gone. I have seen them in La Mere de Famille but they cost a fortune.

Save yourself a trip to Saint Tropez and eat their famous pastry, la tarte Tropezienne on 15, rue Gaston de Saporta.

First created in 1955 and even as a non-cream eater they are very hard to resist. Fortunately they have minis.

You can save calories and not overdo it with the full-size Tropezienne.
 

For all those fabulous spreads like anchioade, tapenade, moutarde, exotic salts, amazing jams like melon and the best lemon curd ever you must visit Aix & Terra. They were at the salon Cote Sud Vivre. I tried out every single jar on chunks of bread. Certain people can not be trusted with a whole jar of jam. You will be different and will not go hog wild woofing these down with a spoon.

Go to the Aix marché for the best all round food and buy yourself a picnic.

Fresh and prepared foods, plus the famous herbs de Provence and calissons.

Then find a seat at a café and eat all the regional specialties. Much better in my opinion than most of the touristy restaurants I saw overflowing with crowds.

Pick up a typical Provencal market basket to show off when you get home. Everyone will be envious and impressed at your boldness.

Make a watercolor blob. And buy a Provencal dish towel for heaven's sake.

What to Wear in Aix at Coté Sud

A French gent dressed head-to-toe toute en l'orange (like in Fontainebleau) he's Aixoise.

Chere PBers, when you head to Coté Sud do not go toute en noir like yours truly svp!

White/blanc = YES/oui but of course

Even if it looks like you stepped out of bed in your nightie, if it's white you're A-OK in Aix.

Neutrals OK if they are layered, flowie and you can pass as a 60s hippie gypsy.

White Panama hats are de rigeur

Any hat is preferred to none since "mad dogs, Englishmen and Aixoises like to go out in the noonday sun".

On ze feet, wear as little as possible.

Havaianas flip flops are the permanent flavor of the month here, so Brazilieras can feel right at home. The rest of us will have to shell out the 28€ for a couple of strips of rubber/plastic? to blend in...

Les kidlets can get away with wearing black evidently...

But most will be wearing a riot of colors as kids do anywhere in the world. So be it.

Dogs can come as they are to Cote Sud Vivre.

No color required.

BONNE VESTIAIRE!

Cote Sud Color

For years and years I collected Côté Sud magazines. Oh why didn't I bring my stacks with me to Paris?

It was all round thrilling to attend their Salon Côté Sud Vivre in Aix and as presse no less. It's still going on today so you can run there VITE!

Cote Sud has always been an amazing source of inspiration. And the Salon didn't disappoint.

COLOR COLOR COLOR of such intensity. The most beautiful combinations. These are from Les Toiles du Soleil. That's my fan btw. They have a divine shop on west 19th street in New York. I am marching over to their Paris shop toute a suite to get me some more COLOR! I'm in love.

La Table de Nana asked me if people were wearing linens and balloon trousers. How did you know? And why didn't you tell me ahead so I could blend in.

Jeanette, Mistress of Longears asked me what paints I travel with.

I take my basic Kremer paintbox (although I moved the pans (I only use pans but refill with Winsor and Newton tubes when traveling) into my mom's old paintbox. I do use Winsor and Newton Brt Sienna, Fr Ultramarine, Cerulean, Permanent Rose for their nice washy quality. I take only a small sketchbook 6" x 8" to do color studies and thumbnails in. Plus a bunch of old paint brushes on their last legs but I love Da Vinci Junior synthetics series 303. I use real artist grade colors. Would you buy cheap hamburger for your family? Never! So please think the same way about your watercolor paints.

Honestly PBers...tsk tsk

The natural colors of Provence are just stunning bien sur - small olive trees - I wanted to take one of these home.

The regional Provencal foods at the Salon were simply out of this world and not pricy. I couldn't find anything comparable near where I was staying. Too many touristy joints for the masses so I saved myself for the salon and lived on apricots and almonds.

My raspberry tarte and lemonade. but I also had tartines of tapenade, anchoaide, fig confit...miam miam

I could have really used one of these hats. Next time!

I did buy peach soaps on a rope from Cote Bastide. YUM

There were loads of soapy- spa items made from regional olive oils etc.






Of course the Rose was flowing!!




And PLENTY of ice cream/glace for tired, hot ole moi. Nothing like an ice cream to perk you up instantly is there? Do take a look at Cote Sud magazine for instant perks and mountains of inspiration!

Colors of Provence

I got back yesterday from a two-day jaunt to Aix-en-Provence to Cote-Sud Vivre salon which was terrific.

I booked my last-minute accomodation through AIRBnB. Have you tried them? Quite an experience.

They are serious about the Bee in their name. My room, in a beautifully decorated apartment in the historic section (deep, deep..like going through an endless maze to find it in the blistering heat) of Aix - my petite chambre/room was full of BEES! I kid you not. 

And the windows were closed. Why not let the bees find another place to sleep or was I sharing? Did my hostess forget to mention it? During the night a neighbor's cat came in the window for a nap on my bed. Shouldn't I have gotten a discount? I much prefer a chat to bees as a room mate anytime ahem. So BEE it.

The little adventures of traveling. You just never know. It's all part of the fun oui?

What really hit home were the brilliant colors everywhere in Aix.

Naturally I brought my Paris black to wear = All wrong in Provence.

I'll do a post on what YOU should wear dear PBers. When in Rome.

There is a flower market and a vegetable market on Saturday.

Both are an utter delight. Just get out early by 8am before the hoards of tourist groups hit the cobblestones. Maybe like Bayeux it's way better to go during the week? 

So many yummy shops painted in brick red and yellow ochre.

tres charmante oldie-worldie cafes to hang out in.

And endless regional delights as well..endless. Calissons d'Aix is top of the list, made of almond paste and melon-flavored.

My little box says I must eat the contents before 12/5/14. I misread that as 12/6/13. Being semi-dyslexic has it's advantages. I woofed down my delicious quartet of Calissons.

Such beautiful heads of garlic in the marché. none of which I brought home since I still have garlic from the Agricultural Fair in March.

I did buy irresistible sun-dried tomatoes. The seller said to reconstitute in water and then olive oil, but I love the way they look as is. It can get blistering hot in Aix. Bring your parasols PBers unless you like having sunstroke which doesn't agree with all of us.

Here's the instructions my host sent to help find my lodgings in the old town.

How to get from TGV Aix-en-Provence to XXX's Apartment From TGV station:

Catch Navette (shuttle) to Gare Routiere.

Note: The Gare Routiere bus stop is in a new location while the old bus station is being renovated. The navette will drop you at the number 11 stop next to the Hotel d’Police (Police Station). You are now on Avenue de l’Europe but there are no signs.

Walk up the hill, past Rue des Xllumettes and the bus information office on your left. Continue walking past all the bus stops until you get to the round-about at Square El Xadate, then turn left into Avenue des Belges. Again, at the time of writing this, there are no street signposts due to renovation work.

Follow the Avenue des Belges to the large fountain at the large round-about in the Place de Gaulle.

(I loved this next instruction!!)

*You will see a small group of trees on your left and if you wish, you can detour to the Tourist Office in the low building on the plaza behind the trees. (How did I never find the tourist office?)

To continue, cross rue Bonaparte and follow the round-about where you will see the Le Festival Cafe. (Oh sure)

Turn left here at Place Jeanne d’Arc and you will see a small street called Rue Espariate leading into the old city.

Once again there is renovation work and the signs may be hard to find.

If in doubt ask a local shop keeper for directions. (Hahahaha)

Follow Rue Xspariate (the streets are now well signposted) and then turn left into Rue Xedarrides. Follow along and turn left into Rue X Foch and follow to large old arch and clock tower that is attached to the Hotel d’Ville. Continue through the arch into Rue Gaston de Xaporta. Continue along and look for the Xstienne de Saint-Jean Museum on the left and just next to this you will see a small side street called Rue des Xremondis.

Turn left into this street and you will come to Rue de l’XXX, turn right and then immediately on the left you will see a low iron fence with gate. Enter here into the small courtyard and you will see the flat between X and X.

(Some names have been changed to protect the innocent...)

Bonne Chance PBers
Next time I'll try couch surfing.