Pétanque & Pastis

All That Jazz

July is all about Jazz in Antibes, starting with Les “Before” de Jazz-à-Juan in the beginning of the month, followed by Jazz-à-Juan taking center stage for ten days in the middle of the month, and ending with Les Nuits de Juan closing out the month of July.  And that’s not to mention the parades of music in the streets throughout the month.  Most notable in this category is the omnipresent Oscar Washington’s New Wave Brass Band, whose busy schedule has them marching all over the streets of Antibes and Juan-les-Pins in the warm summer sun, with their colorful parasol bobbing up and down and all around.  Another important aspect of the Jazz Festival is the Festival “Off” de Jazz-à-Juan, better known as, simply, Jazz Off.  These concerts are performed most evenings of the Jazz Festival under two different venues.  The first, and more casual, venue is outside, under the small grove of pine trees known as the Petite Pinède, where different jazz bands perform most evenings at 6:30pm, free of charge to the jazz-loving public.  The other Jazz Off concerts are performed in various hotels around town at different times in the evening, where, for a special price, you can enjoy the music along with an apéritif, or a buffet, or a full-fledged dinner.

  We enjoyed three nights in front of the main stage of Jazz-à-Juan this year, starting with Tigran Hamasyan at the piano & the Jazz-à-Juan Révélations All Stars on the 14^th, followed by a great night with The Ricky Ford Coltrane Project & Roy Hargrove Acoustic Quintet on the 17^th, and ending with Richard Bona & Gilberto Gil on the 20^th.

  We also really enjoyed a couple of Jazz Off performances, including the Jef Neve Trio, who hail from Belgium, and, from our old neighborhood in California, we got to see the Stanford Jazz Orchestra, directed by the animated trumpet player, Fred Berry, and featuring another trumpet player & Californian, Jon Faddis, who has played with Charlie Mingus and the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Band.

The Stanford Jazz Orchestra featuring Jon Faddis

L’Onde’Art: Art + Nature = Féerique

For our first weekend back in France, after a busy five-week stateside hiatus, we got to peruse some interesting artwork and soak up some rays in the beautiful outdoors at the same time.  In this year’s Sentier Artistique L’Onde’Art, about 20 artists displayed their work along the popular hiking trail that follows La Brague river between the two villages of Biot and Valbonne.  In this landscape, the artists are able to use the natural elements to enhance their works:  the reflection of the water, the sunlight, the colors of nature, the rocks, the trees, the shrubbery.  It was truly magical (féerique).

Dragonflies ?  Angels ?

By Olivier Roche

By Jean-Louis Charpentier

By Bernard Abril

A Plant Camped Out by the River

By Michèle Gaudard

By Jean Rosanis

By Sally Ducrow

By Peppe Cappello

A Work in Progress by Gabriel Fabre

Water-Filled Rubber Gloves By Doo Hwa Gianton

Earth Tones

By Eric Corbier

By Cathie Cotto

   

Italy - Cervo, Badalucco, Taggia

We headed east today to explore some small Italian villages in the hills above the Italian Riviera.  It took about an hour on the A8 autoroute from Antibes (which turns into the A10 autostrada once you reach Italy), exiting at San Bartolomeo al Mare and following the SS 1 Aurelia for about 3 kilometers, to our first destination, Cervo, in the province of Imperia in the region of Liguria.  This medieval village of about 1200 inhabitants sits atop a 66-meter high cliff overlooking the beautiful Mediterranean, which seemed a bit moody today, with a little bit of gray fog floating by once in while.  The colorful 18^th-century Baroque Church of San Giovanni Battista dominates all the winding, arcaded walkways and piazzas throughout the village.  The church is sometimes referred to as Chiesa dei Corallini in reference to the fact that the church was built primarily with the offerings that the local fishermen donated from the proceeds they received from the sale of their coral.  The piazza in front of this beautiful church is the venue for the Festival Internazionale di Musica da Camera (International Chamber Music Festival) held here each summer.

   We didn’t have a lot of choices for lunch today.  Things are pretty quiet this time of year and many restaurants have their annual closures, so we didn’t get to try the Ristorante San Giorgio ( Via A. Volta 19, tel: +39.1.83.40.01.75), as we had hoped.  We did, however, get a perfect table right next to the large windows overlooking the sea at Ristorante Serafino (Via Matteotti 8, tel: +39.1.83.40.81.85), where we received no menus, just an oral description of what they were offering today.  We noticed that not everyone got the same offerings, but we were happy with what we ordered:  a local white fish shredded and drenched in lemon juice and a flavorful local olive oil, nero di seppia (cuttlefish cooked in its ink), spagetti with shellfish, ravioli stuffed with local seafood, and everything was accompanied by a local white wine called Riviera Ligure di Ponente Vermentino 2005.  The proprietor even presented me with an orchid upon our departure – maybe he was just happy to have our business during this slow time of year.

   After a hike just above the village of Cervo, among groves of beautiful olive trees and beautiful views, we returned to the car and headed back toward the west to our next destination in the hills above the Riviera dei Fiori (the Flower Coast), this time avoiding the autostrada in favor of the coastal road.

   

Badalucco in the Argentina Valley is another small fortified medieval village of about 1200 inhabitants, which sits at 179 meters high along the River Argentina.  From the autostrada A10, you take the Arma di Taggia exit, and continue up the valley for about 12 kilometers.  It was even more quiet and deserted than Cervo today, but very interesting to stroll around.  In the process of restoring the village, it has been turned into an open-air art gallery with the walls and sides of buildings displaying large murals, painted ceramics, wooden art objects, sculptures, frescoes, etc.  The sunlight was diminished by clouds today, but I would love to return when the sun is bright and more conducive to viewing all the artwork along the winding pathways of the village.  Maybe we’ll make a return visit in September for the Festival dello Stoccafisso (Stockfish Fair), where they pay tribute to the dried fish whose stock provided nourishment to the locals as they fought off their attackers in a 17^th-century siege.

Our last stop on our Italian Village Tour today, was a larger town of more than 13,000 inhabitants, which you pass on your way to Badalucco when you take the Arma di Taggia exit off of the A10 autostrada.  Taggia is actually split into two parts.  Along the coast is the seaside village of Arma di Taggia, while three kilometers into the Argentina Valley is the medieval village of Taggia.  We only had time to visit the medieval Taggia, and not really much time for that even because it was starting to get dark.  It was much livelier than the previous two villages, maybe because it was ten times larger.  We only spent enough time there for a quick look around, and to pick up a few things for tonight’s dinner (bresaola with rucola, shaved pecorino, a generous drizzle of truffle oil, with a crisp white Riviera Ligure di Ponente Vermentino vino).  So, once again, we have to plan a return trip to do some real exploring of both the old town of Taggia and the newer seaside part of Taggia di Arma.

Musée Escoffier de l’Art Culinaire

We started our visit with a lovely lunch of baked sole with herbs in a saffron sauce accompanied by saffron rice and haricots verts and a chilled rosé, followed by strawberries with chantilly and vanilla bean ice-cream, at L’Auberge Fleurie (Rue piétonne – 11 et 13 rue des Mesures, Villeneuve-Loubet Village, tél: 04.93.73.90.92) in the middle of the old town of Villeneuve-Loubet Village.  Since the museum didn’t open until 2:00pm, we had plenty of time to savor our meal at this colorful restaurant.  It was just two steps from the restaurant to the Musée Escoffier de l’Art Culinaire, which was the reason for our visit to this small Provençal village, just the next town over from Antibes on the way toward Nice. 

   The museum is situated in the house where Auguste Escoffier was born in 1846, with each room preserving many of the appliances, utensils, books, recipes, menus, photographs, and other memorabilia from his distinguished career.  The “Father of Modern Cuisine” enjoyed creating dishes in honor of his special guests, which is how his famous “Pêche Melba” came into being.  He created it for the Australian opera singer, Nellie Melba, who sang at the Covent Gardens Opera House while she lived at the sumptuous Savoy Hotel in London where Escoffier was the Chef de Cuisine.  Among many other dishes, he also created “Fraises à la Sarah Bernhardt”, and a dish that we often see on menus in France, “Tournedos Rossini”, after the famous Italian composer.  Escoffier was also the innovator of the “Prix Fixe Menu” during his tenure at Le Savoy.  His innovations also extended to improving the atmosphere of his kitchen team and minimizing confusion and misunderstanding by dividing up the tasks in the kitchen.  The team was organized by their responsibilities of sauce chef, fish chef, vegetables chef, roast chef, larder chef, pastry chef, confectioners, etc.

   He is probably best known for what is often referred to as the Bible of French Cuisine, “Le Guide Culinaire”, published in 1903, with approximately 5000 recipes and garnishes.  An abbreviated version, “A guide to Modern Cookery”, was published in English in 1907.  In August Villeneuve-Loubet Village hosts a celebration of Escoffier called Les Fêtes Gourmandes, with many of the village restaurants providing menus with dishes prepared from his famous tome, often listing the page number from “Le Guide Culinaire” where the recipe can be found.

“Calligraphie” by Bernard Abril

The beach is adorned with the red bamboo signature of a local artist, Bernard Abril, in the form of a sculpture at the water’s edge of Plage Salis, here in Antibes.  Using the landscape as his canvas and stalks of bamboo for his letters, he created his calligraphy for everyone to muse.  He painted the bamboo red because he wanted to add ink to his script, and also because he says that red does not exist in nature.  The stalks of bamboo are planted into the sand and linked together, balanced by suspended stones which are also painted red.  He creates his signature sculptures in different places from time to time, and each time the calligraphy is different, drawing inspiration from each unique landscape. 

Hot Off The Press

Today we hopped onto the number 10 bus from Boulevard Dugommier (next to the tourist office) in Antibes for a 40-minute ride to the village of Valbonne, so that we could meet Carol Drinkwater, who was speaking at the English Book Centre at 12, rue Alexis Julien in Valbonne Village, promoting her new book, “The Olive Route”.  The compact attic-like room above the Book Store was packed, with standing-room only for many.  Over wine and slices of Galette des Rois, the well-known British actress and author started by talking about her Olive trilogy, which includes “The Olive Farm”, “The Olive Season”, and “The Olive Harvest”, summarizing each book and recounting the events of her life at the time.  As she shared the trials and tribulations she encountered at her beloved Appassionata, her olive farm situated nearby in the hinterlands above Cannes, her passion for olives was unmistakable.  It was clear how her enthusiasm and curiosity naturally led her toward an inevitable pilgrimage to the genesis of the olive tree, resulting in the publication of her latest endeavor, “The Olive Route”.

   As an added bonus, while she was expounding on her love affair with the olive tree, one of the main characters in her Olive trilogy, her husband, Michel, was dashing up to their olive farm to retrieve some of their A.O.C. olive oil, hot off the olive oil press, to bring to the Book Store for us to taste tonight.  It wasn’t certain that they would be able to get the olives pressed in time for our dégustation, but, fortunately for us, he made it back down to Valbonne just as his wife’s talk was winding down.  With a glass of wine in one hand and a morsel of crusty French bread in the other hand, we dipped into the glistening, unfiltered, “Liquid Gold”, and  found our tongues dancing with delight !  Now, we’ll have to figure out where we can find it for sale. 

La Rentrée à Antibes

We’re happy to be back in the beautiful sunshine of Antibes for another séjour of undetermined length.  It’s almost as if we never even left, with the apartment remaining in good shape, and the car still running, and no problems encountered.  The only signs of our absence were a very full mailbox and the dead plants on the terrace. 

   We’ve noticed a few changes in town since our departure at the end of September, such as “Maison Rober” no longer exists on rue de la République.  It was a small boucherie and market which has now been replaced by a small chain market called “Shopi”.  Another thing I had never noticed before, and I’m assuming they are new, are the paintings near Plage Royal.  The first one, pictured above, is a reproduction of a painting called, The Harbor of Antibes (1897) by Eugene Boudin, which must have been painted from this very perspective.  The other, pictured below, is a reproduction from Antibes’ Musée Peynet (Place Nationale, tél: 04.92.90.54.30) of his famous characters, “Les Amoureux” (The Lovers), of whom he drew over 6000 illustrations.  This one is called, Les Amoureux aux Remparts, which Raymond Peynet painted in 1985.  “Les Amoureux” were based on Raymond Peynet himself and his beloved wife, Denise, with whom he shared his life for 60 years.  This painting too could have been painted from this very perspective.

All Aboard to Île Sainte-Marguerite

We started the day with a walk along the ramparts of Antibes, on our way to the Provençal Market to pick up some goodies for dinner tonight.

Plage Les Pirates in Juan-les-Pins

Later on, we walked over to Juan-les-Pins to have lunch on the sandy beach at Plage Les Pirates (23, Boulevard Edouard Baudouin, Juan-les-Pins - tél: 04.93.61.00.41).  As soon as we were seated, the first thing we did was take off our shoes and stick our toes in the sand, and the second thing we did was order a bottle of cold Côte de Provence Rosé.

Cruising to Île Sainte-Marguerite

After lunch, we were strolling along the seaside in Juan-les-Pins when we noticed that the ferry to Île Sainte-Marguerite was sitting at the pier.  We made a mad dash to quickly buy our tickets so that we could climb aboard, but as soon as we got to the counter, we saw the boat take off.  As we turned around dejectedly, the woman selling the tickets made a call to the ferry, requesting that it return to the pier, so that we could hop on.  We couldn’t believe it !  We’re not sure what the other passengers thought about it, but nobody gave us the evil eye, nor did anyone make any rude comments to us, so we sat back happily and enjoyed the 20-minute cruise, in a state of disbelief.

Fort Royal Prison on Île Sainte-Marguerite

Île Sainte-Marguerite, which is located just a half mile off the coast of Cannes, is probably best known as the home to the prison where the mysterious Man in the Iron Mask was held for eleven years in the 17^th century, as ordered by Louis XIV.  Through the years there have been many theories regarding the identity of the face behind the mask, but to this day, he has never officially been identified, and the mystery continues.  We were able to explore some of the prison cells, where we read about some of the other famous “guests” of this prison with its beautiful sea view.  Then we stepped next door to visit the Musée de la Mer (Museum of the Sea), with a number of archaeological discoveries recovered from nearby shipwrecks.  Although we didn’t get a chance to do a lot of hiking today, this is a great place for it, with lots of trails winding in and out of the pine and eucalyptus trees, and all along the crystal-clear water surrounding the island.  After a short break at one of the few terrace cafés, we climbed aboard the ferry, along with all the other passengers this time, and enjoyed the cruise back to Juan-les-Pins.

Staying Close to Home

The past couple of days have found us hanging out close to home:  playing pétanque and drinking pastis; hiking around Cap d’Antibes; searching in vain for the captain of the Santa Maria in San Remo, Italy, who happens to be a friend of ours; checking out Charles Garnier’s Grand Casino and surrounding gardens in Monte-Carlo; sipping glasses of cold rosé in colorful Villefranche-sur-mer; and taking in the beautiful sunsets on the Côte d’Azur.

The Port of San Remo, Italy

Adam & Eve in Monte-Carlo

La Plage des Marinières in Villefranche-sur-Mer

Sunset on the Côte d’Azur

Octopus Sighting

On this noteworthy day, which was made so by the arrival of Dave’s brother, Mike DeMoney, for his first visit to the Côte d’Azur, we had the great pleasure of finding Paul Allen’s Mega Yacht, Octopus, in its normal berth at Port Vauban here in Antibes.  It’s been quite some time since we’ve spotted the 414-foot Lürssen, which held the distinction of the world’s largest Mega Yacht in 2004.  Although it has slipped down a couple of notches from its 2004 ranking, its size still takes one’s breath away, and it most certainly dwarfs every other yacht we’ve seen anywhere.  Also notable about Octopus is its professional recording studio and cinema, along with its glass-bottom lounge on the lower deck, its two helicopter pads, its full-length basketball court, and its personal submarine.

La Rentrée at Bar en Biais

Opening night of the jazz season at Bar en Biais in Antibes featured Hank Nobra on Piano with the Eddy Gaulein-Stef Quartet.  The place was packed and the musicians were indefatigable, playing for 2 ½ hours, with several of Hank Nobra’s orginal compositions played to perfection.  If tonight was any indication, this will be a season not to be missed.

Jet Ski Races and American Art in Monaco

We took the train from Antibes to Monaco today, and started out at the Grimaldi Forum to see the “New York, New York” exhibition, which runs until September 10^th.  “Fifty years of Art, Architecture, Cinema, Performance, Photography and Video”.  There was a lot to see, and we found a lot of it quite interesting:  much of the photography, and some of the film clips, and some of the videos, such as the one of Jackson Pollock dumping and dripping paint on large canvasses on the ground and calling it art, and the video of Yoko Ono sitting on a stage while audience members came up and snipped off bits of her sweater.  When we were not fascinated by it, we were sometimes repulsed by it, and sometimes we were confused by it, but we were never bored by the exhibit of 50 years of artistic creativity in the Big Apple.

After lunch, we headed over to Monaco’s Port Hercule to watch the “2006 Championnat du Monde de Jet Ski Féminin”.  Atop their jet skis from 110 to 300 cv, the women reached speeds of 140 km/h in the Runabout category.  The other two categories included Ski Division and Freestyle.  And it was France who came out with the most winners this year, with 1^st, 3^rd, & 5^th place in the Ski Division category; 1^st & 2^nd place in the Runabout category; and 3^rd place in the Freestyle category.  1^st place in the Freestyle category went to Anastasia Potanina from Russia.