Friday, 21 May 2010

Went for a fairly long walk north up the mountain, about 3 ks, to the next village of Montgriffon. Saw a good sized female deer on the slope opposite the restuarant, about 100 meters away, then a big hare. Around 10.00am we drove with Rosemary and Brent down into St Rambert-en-Bugey to buy some supplies at what might be called a butcher but is signed as "Artisan Charcutier" - wonderful selection of both meat and terrines, pates and sausages. We then drove to Bourg-en-Bresse to obtain supplies for the restaurant at the big cash and carry - a great selection of bulk foods along with kitchen implements. Next stop was the village of Vonnas which bills itself as "Premier Village Gourmet de France" On the edge of the village is a sort of self-contained hamlet which is owned and operated by the renowned French (what else) chef Georges Blanc. We enjoyed lunch in his beautiful restaurant, L'Ancienne Auberge. A selection of the dishes we enjoyed with rough translations): Fraicher de Aaumon saumure a la coriandre fraiche (salmon tartare); Le Poulet de Bresse roti a la broche avec une onctueuse pomme puree et une salade de Mesclun (this is the Bresse chicken, claimed to be the best in France); Printantier de cabillaud, beurre battu au curcuma et piment d'Espelette (grilled fish) - all fantastic. This was accompanied by an excellent Macon Villages white wine, Macon being about 20Ks down the road. We were honoured by a visit from Georges Blanc himself. There are quite a few buildings in the complex including a wine and food store, souvenier shop, spa and a Relais & Chateau hotel - this is the up-market group that includes the White Barn Inn, Kennibunkport, Maine which is known to many of us. Drove home and then, with plenty of light left, just the two of us drove back via Amberieu-en-Bugey to the medieval town of Perouges. It is a very well-preserved and interesting village, with streets paved with rough rocks that are tricky to walk on - we were told that much of The Three Muskateers was filmed here. It was very quiet in the evening but judging by the amount of bus parking it would be very busy during the day. Our sumptuous lunch meant we were not looking for a big dinner so enjoyed a selection of the terrines purchased earlier - really excellent. Having a big lunch and a light dinner seems to be common in France - it is a good idea but of course when you are travelling going out for dinner is part of the experience so not always practical.