OUR JOB IS REALLY FUN SOMETIMES!
A lot of our job looks like many other lines of work : sending and responding to endless emails and phone calls, meeting with accountants and lawyers, running numbers and solving problems. But a lot of it is REALLY fun ! We get to plan exciting menus, meet very cool people, taste new things, and get to know parts of the world in a beautifully intimate way. We feel super lucky to do what we do, and last month we felt extra lucky as we went on a week-long trip to solidify some details for our new retreat locations this year in Normandy and the French Riviera.
It was indeed a work trip, filled with little sleep and constant movement, but boy did we have a good time ! It’s been a while since Lisa and I got to be in France together, just the two of us, and do what we do best - eat and laugh.
We flew into Paris, rented a car, and immediately drove the winding country roads up to the Château du Saussard (with a couple of bakery stops along the way, of course!) Michel Gicquel, the owner and designer of the château, told us all about his journey with his home. Purchased in ruins in the 90s, he took the stunning edifice from drab to glam over the course of several years. For a long time, he only allowed family and friends to stay, but in recent years decided to open the doors to newcomers like us. The park surrounding the home sees the Epte River running right through it, lined with 300 year old plane trees and lots of room to take in the sun or breathe in the aromas of the gardens. One thing we love ? The kitchen is absolutely stacked ! We are beyond excited to spend a week cooking and sharing secrets at Saussard.
Lisa D at the Château du Saussard with our bellies full of local cider from Michel.
We left Michel to meet up with Annabelle who showed us around the cheese making facilities of Jean-Marie Beaudoin. Jean-Marie has been making cheese for 25 years after a career in IT and with one look, you can see that it is where he is meant to be. Passionate in his domain and with great respect for tradition, Jean-Marie sought out the traditional recipes of his region from local villagers and proceeded to recreate a cheese they hadn’t seen since childhood - La Tomme au foin - a raw cow’s milk cheese that is wrapped in hay (le foin) for the ageing process. We had a taste and it is a real treat ! Delicate notes of hay come through in a pleasant way that I couldn’t have imagined. Looking across the field in front of the workshop, you can see the cows who produce the fresh milk every morning to make into a new batch of Tomme.
La Tomme au foin from Jean-Marie Beaud
We then drove up to the northern coast, to Fécamp, and the next day we visited Le Palais Bénédictine, home to the Bénédictine distillery. If you’ve never had or heard of this special liqueur, get some !! It is so versatile and so very tasty. We’ll be taking our Normandy group on a tour of the Palace followed by an in depth workshop and tasting of the marvelous breuvage.
Being very cool outside of the Palais Bénédictine in Fécamp
We then made our way up to the Cap Fagnet (Fahn-yay, kinda like the yogurt!) and our breath disappeared as we took in the amazing views of the chalky cliffs of Normandy. This lookout hosts several WWII era German bunkers and is an electrifying piece of history.
The view of the cliffs from Le Cap Fagnet
We headed to Rouen and ended our Normandy visit at La Couronne, France’s oldest restaurant dating back to 1345 !! It was like the Sperry’s steakhouse of France, only reeeeally old school. The radio was set up Frank Sinatra and Sam Cooke and their French counterparts, and we wined and dined like never before. We are downright chuffed to take our guests to this place in June!
We’ll save the details of the rest of our trip down south for another time. Normandy left us in the clouds, and June can’t come soon enough!