A La Vie Niçoise

LIVING ABROAD ON THE TRAVEL CHANNEL

Out of the blue, Jeanne and Kevin Shipman sent off an email and a video to us that they had filmed way back in 2003 for the Travel Channel about Living Abroad. It consisted of an interview with myself and my then assistant, Schuyler Hoffman, who amazingly still works with us today—he produces these Nouvellettres® from far away Bainbridge Island, near Seattle.

I must admit, I had totally forgotten about it, having taken place such a long time ago. But the answers to their questions still apply today, even though at that time I had only lived in France eight years. There’s a scene walking in Place des Vosges and another having dinner at Chez Omar with friends, two places I still frequent.

You might get a kick out of it—it’s only 3min37sec long, so you don’t need much time. You can view it on our YouTube channel. If you want to be notified each time we post a new YouTube video, be sure to subscribe to our channel!

LA NICOISE

La Niçoise, Rosa Jackson, an author and culinary instructor, as well as an “Ambassador of Nice,” spoke Thursday afternoon at Après-Midi in Nice. We convened upstairs at Oscar Restaurant with a packed room, just after a huge storm hit Nice, even bringing on same hail! Some people came in soaked to the gills, but happy to be there.

One of the first things we learned from Rosa was that her Vieux Nice building had been condemned for structural problems (sounds familiar!) and had to be evacuated, losing access to her atelier and teaching kitchen, Les Petits Farcis. In several articles carried in local press, she was quoted as saying, “If I can’t give lessons, I’ll have no income.”

(Does anyone know of a space where she can give her classes?)

Rosa never looked back after tasting her first coffee éclair at the age of four, when her family came to live in Paris for a year. After working as a food writer for a daily newspaper in Canada, she moved to France in 1995 and founded Paris Market Tours, the first company to offer tours of the city’s food markets. She long dreamed of combining market tours with cooking classes, and chose Nice for its vibrant food market and unique culinary traditions influenced by Italy and other Mediterranean cultures.

Rosa has edited several editions of the Time Out Paris Eating and Drinking guide and contributed to publications such as Food & Wine, Eating Well, The Financial Times, Australian Gourmet Traveler, and France Magazine. She has published three cookbooks in French with Marabout, a division of Hachette and now she is proud to have published Niçoise, a tome of a cookbook filled with some of the most beautiful photos devoted to Niçoise cuisine.

Her presentation at Après-Midi was conducted like an interview, with me as interviewer, giving Rosa a chance to casually answer questions that would enlighten the audience on her story, the book and Niçoise cuisine. There was a wonderful Q&A exchange of great places to market, find the best breads and other gourmet treats in the vibrant city of Nice.

I remembered that the first time I came to Nice, I rented an apartment she owned in Old Town, up many flights of stairs, but was sweet and charming, reflecting Rosa herself. She is every bit of that if not knowledgeable and talented.

The new book, Niçoise, will debut at a book signing and launch party on June 22nd from 5 to 7 p.m. at a new English Language Book Store in Nice, “Librairie Masséna,” (58 rue Gioffredo).

To read the report from the session and see the photos, visit our website. You can also watch the video on our YouTube channel. And be sure to subscribe to have access to all our videos!

LA FAMILLE A NICE

My niece, Shari, passed away this past January from a short but intense battle with cancer. Having just turned 50 years old, it devastated the family beyond belief, but did a wonderful thing without intention. Her passing resulted in reconnecting her sister, Stacy, and her family, who we had not had the pleasure of really knowing…until now. As kids we (the family) knew them and were connected, but as adults, they had gone their separate ways, again without intention, but leaving a void for all of us.

At this time of grief, we were able to rediscover one another, and all this past month, I’ve had the pleasure of my great niece, Ryan, staying with me in Paris while she was exploring the city as part of a grand and long European tour. This past weekend, we all reconnected in Nice—Stacy, her husband, David, and Ryan, for a few days exploring the Riviera and getting to know one another again after so many years of being apart.

We dined at water’s edge at Le Galet their first evening, lunched on Niçois specialties at Le Safari on the Cours Saleya on Sunday, after which we climbed to the top of Château Hill (aka Castle Hill). We didn’t take the elevator up and we didn’t count the stairs, but there were plenty! With many stops along the way, it’s not too difficult to manage…just take your time and head straight up to see the waterfall (man-made but beautiful), the stunning views from all sides, enjoy the shady park with a playground for the kids and wander through the cemeteries out of interest. It could not have been a more perfect day for such an adventure.

The color of the Mediterranean sea this past week has been overwhelmingly blue and beautiful. I managed to spend a lot of time walking along the water on the Promenade des Anglais, dining at the seaside restaurants and just taking in the sights and sounds. It is a barrage of eye-candy that never gets old.

Stacy, after having been in town only a few hours, remarked, “I’m already thinking about when I can come back!” By the end of their five days on the Riviera, she may be crying to stay.

If you have never had the pleasure of visiting Nice, I urge you to do it now and see a part of France that will both seduce and delight you. You may never want to leave, just like our clients, friends and family…and me.

A la prochaine…