paris – Gayle Smith Padgett

Café Culture Springs to Life in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

Le Bistrot de Saint-Remy awaits the lunch crowd.

Cue sunbeams, blue sky, and a balmy breeze. Add an April Sunday afternoon in brasserie-rich Saint-Rémy, and bingo, a robust café culture springs to life.

Strolling by restaurant terrace after restaurant terrace, filled with families and friends of all ages, enjoying leisurely time together over a delicious meal, soothed my soul and put a smile on my face. Every scene revealed a vibrant slice of la belle vie that captured our hearts so many years ago, with the allure only growing stronger with each passing season.

And for this, I am extraordinarily grateful, especially after an extended stay in Southern California, concluding with the inevitable, sorrowful farewells to family and friends. I miss them every day, yet every day, la belle France reminds me that this is home-sweet-home. It’s the place where, for Ralph and me, joie de vivre (j-d-v) moments flourish best, making for a layered life bursting with simple pleasures.

Come take a Sunday stroll with me in picturesque Saint-Rémy, where j-d-v thrives:

Cafe La Place is *the* place for Asian fusion.

Enjoy your joie de vivre moments, wherever you are. However many you experience, there’s always room for more, n’est ce pas?

Here’s to health, happiness, and hope.

Bises, Gayle

Spunky roadrunners are everywhere in Palm Springs.

Not only do I miss loved ones in the US, but also some members of the Southern California animal kingdom–like roadrunners, hummingbirds, and the Vermillion Flycatcher.

PPS

Pleasures of Provence update: After tweaking the manuscript a tad more, it will be time to move forward. How great it would be to find a new literary agent (or publisher), preferably a certified Francophile, who represents authors of upbeat narrative non-fiction. If you have suggestions, please do not hesitate to share! And share away with this summary of the story, which, most likely, will assume a new title as it nears publication:

***

Americans Ralph and Gayle, who have happily lived in Provence for a decade, unwittingly risk losing their right to live in their adopted country. The scare shocks Gayle into heartfelt soul-searching about the cherished life they’d put on the line. What makes this French life, anyway? Why does it mean so much? And most importantly, how does it blossom—by pure magic?

Though much of the attraction may remain mysterious, Gayle is confident that notable, knowable elements of the allure do exist. Identifying them and how they evolve, she theorizes, is crucial to protecting and preserving their belle vie.

How to begin the search for an unknown, a veritable je-ne-sais-quoi quest? At Ralph’s suggestion, Gayle recounts a dozen of their French adventures, near and far-flung, culinary and cultural, urban, rural, and wild—in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Nîmes, Brittany’s Île d’Ouessant, Mediterranean villages, Paris, the Alps, Corsica, and elsewhere—hoping the answers will surface.

One day, without fanfare, they slip into the spotlight. The trio of Pleasure Principles reveals the essential skills for embracing life-affirming joie de vivre. Mastering them means endless (and often delicious) delight, yielding benefits galore, including a better belle vie in France…and beyond.

A Dazzling Day Starring Cezanne & Picasso in the South of France

Mont Sainte-Victoire looms large over Aix-en-Provence

Mesmerizing Mont Sainte-Victoire is a stunner–any time of day, in any light.

Approaching dusk, Mont Sainte Victoire turns to shimmering gold.

If you are doubtful, check in with Cezanne. This magnificent montagne that towers over Aix-en-Provence was the subject of 36 paintings and 45 watercolors produced by the town’s most famous native son, post-Impressionist artist, Paul Cezanne (1839-1906). He is credited with providing the essential link between late 19^th century Impressionism and early 20^th century Cubism.

Cezanne’s obsession with the mountain is understandable. When you have a direct countryside view of it, like Ralph and I did on a recent stay on the outskirts of the artist’s home town, you are glued to the seductive sight of the mountain–glowing in the morning sunshine and casting deep purple shadows at sundown. We just didn’t want to miss a minute of it.

Vallauris, near Cannes on the French Riviera

But there were things to do, things to see. One was visiting a delightful très chère amie in the town of Vallauris, home to one of Cezanne’s famous admirers, Pablo Picasso. (The Spanish artist, along with Henri Matisse, considered Cezanne the “father of us all” and owned several of his works.) The village, just inland from Cannes on the French Riviera, counted Picasso as a resident from 1948 to 1955.

Beautiful bird plate, but probably not for eating on!

In the center of town, the Musée Nationale Pablo Picasso commemorates his work in ceramics. The production of earthenware pottery in Vallauris dates to Roman times, but Picasso raised the town’s profile considerably. The museum collection showcases a wide range of his ceramic works, many of which feature feathered friends, usually doves or owls—my personal favorites!

Picasso’s *War & Peace* at the Musée Nationale Pablo Picasso, in Vallauris.

Aside from the extensive ceramics collection, the highlight of the museum has to be Picasso’s moving anti-war work, La Guerre et La Paix, which covers the interior of a small chapel. Picasso painted the scenes on flat, but flexible panels, which were then fitted onto the chapel walls and vaulted ceiling.

Picasso and a bird vase (Photo by Edward Quinn, ’53, museum collection)

The sky aglow to the west of Mont Sainte-Victoire, on the outskirts of Aix.

Following our foray to Vallauris, where we admired Picasso’s poignant tribute to peace, we returned to the tranquility of Cezanne country in time to witness the sun setting on the artist’s preferred subject, Mount Sainte-Victoire. As the orange sherbet glow blanketed the mountain, a sense of calm and tranquility emerged. As if to underscore the brilliance of the peaceful scene, a silvery dove gently flapped its way through the sky. It was a fitting finale to a day spent in awe and wonder of the harmony and serenity that art and nature can provide.

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, ready for spring.

Stay healthy, happy, and hopeful.

Bises, Gayle

On a recent visit to the terrific Parc Ornithologique du Pont de Gau, near Saintes-Maries-de-Mer, I met up with the very upbeat and engaging director, Frédéric Lamouroux. Here, he most kindly shows off my book, The Birdwatcher’s Wife: A Quest across France for Birds and La Belle Vie. I assured him that the next book, Pleasures of Provence (working title) will definitely include action at the park. I also assured him that it’ll be a while. But like migrating birds, I try to do my best to keep moving, hopefully in a (mostly) forward direction.

A Winter Escape: Provence to Paris

An illuminated Eiffel Tower wows passengers on an evening cruise on the Seine.

Van Gogh made me go. To Paris, that is. Not that the City of Light needed any more allure than it already has to draw me in. And by the fast train, the TGV, this magnificent city with its powerful je ne sais quoi energy is reachable in less than 3 hours from Avignon, just 20 minutes north of Saint-Rémy.

So why now? Because for the first time ever, the much acclaimed exposition of paintings from Van Gogh’s last months in the town of Auvers-sur-Oise (30 kilometers north of Paris) was in full swing at my beloved Musée d’Orsay. This former train station houses an incredible range of works by my favorite Impressionists and Post-Impressionists and a treasure trove of other magnificent masterpieces. The expo would end the beginning of February, so if I wanted to witness this extraordinary collection by the Dutch master who spent a year in at a psychiatric hospital Saint-Rémy, this was the time.

Vintage poster of the Auvers-sur-Oise train station

Portrait of Dr. Paul Gachet, 1890, Auvers

The Van Gogh exhibition lived up to its hype but, the crowds rendered lingering pretty much impossible. Happily, the rest of the museum had plenty of room to roam through the insanely incredible permanent collection–to include many by Van Gogh which he painted before relocating in Auvers-sur-Oise.

The five-day, cram-packed trip was a non-stop whirlwind. I’d over-programmed to the hilt and beyond–even excluding the main tourists sites because we’d been there done that over the years. So we focused on art and architecture, to include the expo by the Latvian-American abstract painter Mark Rothko at the crazy cool Frank Gehry-designed Fondation Louis Vuitton–fashioned after a ship–as well as the Berthe Morisot exhibition at the Musée Marmottan. And we revisited some old haunts like the Luxembourg Gardens and Place Vosges, and indulged in some terrific culinary delights. Luckily, the weather cooperated, which was nothing short of a miracle the end of January, allowing us to walk everywhere. In fact, the last full day there, we clocked 25,000 steps–yikes!

The superbly renovated department store, La Samaritaine

The glorious stained glass dome at Galeries Lafayette

Frank Gehry’s Fondation Louis Vuitton, a splendid art venue

German artist Katharina Grosse’s “Canyon,” 2022, Acrylic on 8 aluminum petals at the Fondation Louis Vuitton

Wait staff at the ready, Le Train Bleu, Gare de Lyon

To cap off the visit, we planned on a “bite” at the splendiferous restaurant Le Train Bleu, at the Gare de Lyon. It’s one of revered food critic Alexander Lobrano’s top 30 restaurants in Paris listed in his compelling book, My Place at the Table, so I was keen to try it. There wasn’t time for a relaxed meal in the ornate main dining room–as this quite pricey option merits–so we headed to the extensive “bar” area, which offers much more casual and reasonable fare. The Caesar salad and club sandwich were sensational. Highly recommend!

At the other end of the spectrum are the falafel pitas we picked up at Maoz (Latin Quarter). Stuffed with fresh veggies selected from a serve-yourself bar, they were delicious. And munching them on a bench, near the Seine while people-watching under sunny skies, made a happy memory.

Historic Brasserie Balzar is ever popular

And in between is Brasserie Balzac, which I’d read about in The New York Times. Hemingway and his crew used to hang out there. We just happened to be passing by around 1:30 PM en route to Luxembourg Gardens. Without a reservation at this historic haunt, which we assumed would be packed, we prepared ourselves to be turned away. Instead, we were greeted most warmly and seated right away at a well-positioned table–one of the few still available. The roast chicken was incredible and the ambiance authentic and lively.

Kids sail boats on a pond in Luxembourg Gardens

Vintage photo Berthe Morisot, Musée Marmottan

Before I sign off, a few words of advice if you are planning a Paris trip soon. Chances are crowds will be even greater as the weather warms and the Olympics near, so be prepared for extended waits, be it trying to buy a metro ticket, browse in Shakespeare & Co. book shop, or munch a decadent treat at Angelina, the elegant pastry shop/restaurant. Target your top must-see and dos and calculate distances/time–considering construction delays–to avoid meltdowns. (Who, moi?) If you do end up walking more than you’d planned on, more reason to wear ultra comfy walking shoes—your footsies (and your emotional state) will thank you.

Bises, Gayle

Cascading blooms adorn cafes across the city

Yes, I’m beavering away on Book Three, to which, for the moment, I’ve assigned the working title, Pleasures of Provence. This seems fitting since it points to the special aspects of life in this region that I’ll strive to convey, perhaps in some surprising ways.

A Rose-ringed Parakeet wishes us adieu by Musée Marmottan.

PPS

Our last day in Paris was dull and gray. But, this cooperative feathered friend–a Rose-ringed Parakeet–flitting about the park by the Musée Marmottan perked up our spirits when it posed for a moment as if to say, “Au revoir et bonne route!”