Photos

Some cheap thrills for the fellow stuff-gutses out there

Pork hocks and sauerkraut from the food hall in Frankfurt's railway station, dirt cheap and loads of yummy porky goodness.

A Paris fruit and veg market. These have been very common in all the larger French cities we've been in, along with butchers, fish shop, bakers, and delis. You would think you'd never go to a supermarket, but even they have great looking produce. It seems the French just don't compromise on food.

Chooks for sale in a butchers. On the premium chooks they leave the feet and heads on, so that you can tell the age and sex of the chicken! We even saw some of the famous Bresse chickens, regarded as the best in France. At 15 euros a chook they'd want to be good. The butchers also often have a cabinet of chooks on a rotisserie cooking out front, a temptation we have resisted so far. I fear it is but a matter of time before we are found in an alley, squabbling over the remains of a cooked chook!

Cote de Boeuf before and after. Cote de Boeuf is french for bloody big steak! It is most commonly served for two, which makes things sound a bit more reasonable, but the steak above was over a kilo! Someone will tell you that by the time she had put the camera away, my half was gone and hers was looking nervous. Those that know what a dainty eater I am will see this for the cruel fabrication it is. Besides I let her nibble on the bone, and left all the salad for her. In truth there was so much meat that we left most of the bread, chips, and salad.
In the countryside we have seen stacks and stacks of Charolais cattle, which are a heavily muscled white beast, and are where the French beef comes from. Deena thinks they look very pretty with lovely, deep soulfull eyes. I think the look yummy!

A light lunch in a Paris cafe. Snails and garlic butter, and onion soup with a cheesy crouton. All low carb, low fat, and full of vitamins and minerals!

Spices, herbs, and dried tomatoes in the daily market in Nice. There is a very strong North African influence in Nice, with spice shops abounding. There is also a lot of Italian food around, owing I guess to the proximity of Italy! The pizzas are really good, thin crust, minimal toppings, and top notch ingredients. The other thing I like about the pizza is the bottle of chilli oil served with them. I don't know if that is an African, French, or Italian thing, but it is a bloody good thing!
We've also had socca, which is a chickpea flour and oil pancake, cooked on the griddle. It is delicious, cheap, filling, and must surely be healthy. It's vegetarian at least.

Another light lunch, this time in Nice. Ravioli with four cheeses for Deena, and mussels in white wine, garlic, and onions, with chips, for me. At first I thought the bowl with the mussels in had a false bottom, looking at the size of it, but no, those bad boys went all the way to the bottom!
Deena's ravioli was filled with cheese, and the sauce was more cheeses melted, most likely with white wine, fondue style. At least I had the restraint to opt for the healthy seafood option!

Some plonk. Last night we sat on a rooftop terrace eating take-aways, and drank a four euro bottle of wine that was so nice even I enjoyed it! I'm sure the French make some dodgy wines, but Deena hasn't managed to find one yet. Either they've all been good, or she is turning into a wino. Moggy Triffet and Stinky Wilson may have company when we get home. The cheap bottle was actually reccomended by the bloke selling it when we asked for a nice vin ordinare from the region.

Off to pick up our car (Renault Megane Coupe, 1.4l petrol manual) in Avignon tomorrow. From there we have a night booked in the Pyrenees, and then we wander into Spain for a bit. Tough life I know, but please don't feel too sorry for us. We are of course missing friends, family, and dogs, but are having a great time all the same.

Au revior, Dave.