We arrived at SeaTac on a direct Delta flight from Charles De Gaul Paris on Friday afternoon, our first time back in the US in almost two years. We stayed downtown for a few days to do a bit of shopping and adjust to jet lag rather than imposing our groggy bodies on friends and family.
The view from the 22nd floor.
Seattle has been changing for a long time, we were aware of that before we left, but our absence of 22 months made the toll that COVID and street people have taken on the city quite dramtic.
My first real impression happened at the airport. After clearing customs, which was quite easy, though slow, I stopped at les toilettes. In CDG airport the facilities are imaculate, at SeaTac it smelled like an outhouse and there were pieces of toilet paper all over, yuck. Not a good first impression.
American showers are a joy, spacious and water that maintains its temperature. This of course is from the perspective of someone who lives in a rural, 230 year old cottage with bad plumbing. Our water is scalding if someone else in the neighboring cottage is using water, it makes for exciting mornings.
In Seattle, at least this part, a lot of restaurants and shops are either closed or gone. Some did not survive COVID, others are victim to the unsafe environment. Many have closed rather than struggle with the rampent shoplifting. We went in a Bartells, which is closing in a week, it was awful. Tricia wanted nail-files, she had to get an employee to unlock a case where they were kept to prevent theft. We needed a gift bag. All of the bags on the rack had the backs cut out so they could not be used for theft, another employee had to go to the stockroom and find us one, it took him close to ten minutes – I almost felt bad for asking. It is a sad state of affairs.
We did get our shopping done. We ended up eating at the same restaurant a few times just because some of our old favorites are gone.
This part of Seattle seems tired. We started to walk to Pike Place Market but with all of the street-people it just did not seem inviting. We did not get to the waterfront which may be more vibrant as it is, or was, a big tourist area.
I hope somehow Seattle recovers, I have so many fond memories of the town.
When traveling we seek out good food, it is one of the most important things for us. I would rather find a good restaurant than visit most museums. Back home food continues to be a priority. We focus on vegetarian meals and seafood. Thankfully we can eat quite well here at La Thebauderie and our surrounding area. Here are a few of our meals since we returned from Norway.
Three dishes stand out as the best over the last couple of weeks. Tricia and I like to cook just as much as we like to eat, so two of the best meals were here at chez nous.
Le meilleur was the scallops that Tricia made last Sunday. Her scallops are alway très délicieux, but this time she outdid herself by creating a lemon butter sauce that is easily one of the best sauces I have ever had. She served them along with sautéed cauliflower and green beans.
Last Monday, I made a lunch of grilled anchovies and vegetables – I would have shared it with Tricia but she is not a fan of some of my grilled fish. Here in Europe canned fish are gourmet quality and considered a delight, unlike the reception they often receive in the US. These anchovies came from Brittany, don’t confuse them with the wonderful salty kind you find on a pizza, these are small whole fish.
We went to Le-Bistrot-Saint-Julien, the first restaurant we went to when we moved here in 2022, and it is still one of our favorites. It is located just a block a way from the chateau in the medieval part of Domfront. The menu-du-jour is usually my choice, this day we both chose it.
The entrée was goat cheese wrapped in a crispy thin dough and a salad.
The main was black cod and risotto, it was so good. Thankfully in France using a bit a bread to sop up the sauce on the plate is c’est normal.
We do like to eat, some of our best memories include food and friends. Tricia had a sign when we lived in Mukilteo, “If you love people cook them good food” – I think that was it. And if you don’t do the cooking then find good places to eat together.
As we walk the streets of European towns we often pass servers and clerks taking their breaks, often it is a pause fumeurs,a smoking break. While we were in Basel, Switzerland I started capturing some candid shots. My interest has expanded to other folks just doing life.
On our fjord cruise in Bergen.Basel, SwitzerlandBasel, SwitzerlandParis, FranceMontsoreau, FranceHonfleur, FranceArles, FranceHonfleur, FranceHonfleur, FranceCarcassonne, FranceSaint-Rémy-de-Provence, FranceThe signs can be confusing. Basel, Switzerland.
What better way to end this post than with a candid photo of my travel and life partner, The Accidental Photographer.
In the movie The Big Chill, Jeff Goldblum’s character says: “Don’t knock rationalization. Where would we be without it? I don’t know anyone who could get through the day without two or three juicy rationalizations.” Thankfully when it comes to food I excel at rationalization.
Beef would be far easier for me to give up than fish and seafood. Well of course “meat in tube form” (a nod to Anthony Bourdain) and steak tartar are completely rational exceptions.
Steak tartar is one of the foods that I eat more frequently than I did in pre-France days. Steak tartar is made of finely chopped raw beef, often seasoned with herbs, or in France mustard. Apparently Brits are not big fans of steak tartar since I have often had servers, assuming I am a Brit, ask me if I know what steak tartar is, but this expat does like steak tartar.
One of the best steak tartars I have ever had was at Restaurant le Cerasus in Saint Savin in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. It had a lot of mustard, which in France is always Dijon, and it was served with frites, bien sûr.
Thanks Tricia for the photo.
Here are a few others, some better than others.
Another best – Basel, SwitzerlandOK, not greatGood one, can’t remember whereNot great
Grilled fish, often whole, are another of my new favorites. This Flounder in Bergen was the first time I had flounder, I am now watching for it on menues.
A waiter in Quarteira, Portugal gave me some lessons on using the fish knives they provide and showed me the technique of separating the flesh from the bones after I ordered these grilled sardines. For those in the US who only think of canned sardines, these will make you reconsider. Grilled sardines are another of my favorites.
There are plenty of other options when it comes to grilled seafood.
Octopus in HonfleurTrout in BergenIn Alta, Norway
Coming from Puget Sound we are of course familiar with oysters, but for some reason since moving to France, and all of the traveling we do, oysters are on our table far more often, and they are far more affordable here.
I have heard the term “pescatarian” used to describe someone who eats seafood and an otherwise vegetarian diet. It describes me pretty well as long as you can accept my occasional rationalizations. Let’s not talk about shortbread cookies and Scotch, OK.
Every trip and every travel destination have their iconic places and views, yet it is the surprises that add the seasonings that make it memorable. Here are a few from our visits to Norway this year.
I did this sketch of the Troll King at The Troll Museum in Tromsø last June. The Norse troll stories are such fun. Once you learn that trolls love the darkness, because they know that they will turn to stone if they see the sun, you begin to find stone trolls everywhere you look. If you are ever in Tromsø be sure to visit The Troll Museum, it is well worth the time.
We left Tromsø on a cruise headed north. The terrain soon became barren and rocky. The weather got colder and more windy. Our first stop was Hammersmith. It was blustery and bleak looking so we decided to stay onboard. After a bit I got restless, so, leaving Tricia to the comfort of the cabin, I headed for shore and the town. Walking along the road into town I came to a gardening and flower shop. The thought of plants and gardens just seemed out of place, though the colors were nice. I am sure the growing season that far north is quite short.
A couple of weeks ago we visited the Fram Museum in Oslo. The Fram was one of the ships that Amundsen used on his arctic explorations, and the whole ship is restored and inside the museum.
Thanks Tricia for the photo.
The ship was well equipped, complete with indoor, sort of, plumbing.
The train ride from Oslo to Bergen had plenty of beautiful sites, but to some of us this was quite a delightful view.
AND, it was one of the best hot dogs ever – apologies to my friend Dave who bought me many Husky Dogs at the University of Washington football games we went to.
On our first day in Bergen we rode the Fløibanen funicular up to the viewpoint – great views and mountain goats.
If you want to spend the night in the company of the goats there is an accommodation for rent.
That evening we went out for one of our favorite meals, Spanish tapas. Even in far away Bergen the realities of the world were brought near. I took this photo through the window of the restaurant. There was a protest going on regarding the Israel Gaza war. A bit chilling to have it this close, but thankfully it was peaceful.
On Thursday we took a cruise up the fjord. Tricia took a photo of another rare site.
Thankfully I bought a stocking cap from a shop the day before; it was really cold. I rarely wear them, but the delightful economics major working at the shop explained to me some different ways to wear them – I guess living in Norway you know such things. So me wearing that cap and drinking hot chocolate on a boat in a fjord qualifies as a strange site.
That afternoon we did some shopping. We stepped out of a shop and saw fire trucks just a block or so away. A bit more excitement in Bergen. BTW, on the left is the tour boat we were on.
As Tricia so frequently reminds us in her weekly postings of travel quotes, travel broadens our minds and brings surprises we would never imagine, I can’t agree more.
The good traveler has the gift of surprise. W. Somerset Maugham
On Thursday in Bergen discovery was the entree, surprise the piece de resistance.
We started the day by discovering that there is amazing beauty in the fiords of Norway. Our travel in the far north was a stark arctic desert beauty, Oslo did not inspire me, but Bergen and the fiords we sailed were stunning.
Off the boat, a bit chilled and hungry, lunch was our priority – pasta puttanesca for me and risotto for Tricia at a snug restaurant seated by the window to watch the parade of people enjoying the cold sunny day. Sated, we wandered the waterfront a bit, shopped for a friend or two, then took a break at our hotel. We were staying at the Magic Hotel Kloverhuset.
The sun was hovering over the rooftops as we headed out, but where to go? Our hotel had a beautiful lobby bar, we looked at each other and said why not? So we settled in to one of the overstuffed leather couches at Sjø, it means “sea” in Norwegian. Soon, Sandra, the bar manager, set glasses of dry white wine and nuts on the heavy wooden table – the ambience was perfect. The next two hours were magical.
Thanks Tricia for the photo
We were enjoying the time and chatting about the day on the water when Sandra returned with two small coups of bubbles to try, they were a delightful surprise. It was Saint Martin de la Garrigue, a label of the hotel, which also owns the vineyard.
Bubbles are the perfect accompaniment for caviar, which I remembered seeing on their menu. I went up to the bar to place an order. Sandra was chatting with Gabby, the head server, who would become our new best friend. She was not sure if they had caviar at the moment as they were out the day before, so she headed off to talk to the chef.
When she returned she moved us to a table in the restaurant, explaining that the chef was going to do something special.
Thanks Tricia for the photo
After a few more sips and a bit more conversation Gabby returned with a plate of Antonius Cavair, a Siberian cavair from Poland. It was accompanied by smoked sour cream, chives, pickled red onions, and of course bilini – nous étions très contents. Tricia discovered that she loves caviar, bien sûr.
The only thing as good as caviar with bubbles is oysters, which of course Gabby recommended, and we accepted. She said the chef was doing something special for us, we were quite curious. The next plate she brought is best shown in a photo:
Each oyster was topped with a dollop of foam made from oysters and edible flowers. I love oysters but have never had anything like these, the foam gave it a slightly sweet flavor – a magical surprise.
Next we met Chef Mateusz. He came to the table to see how we liked the oysters. We realize now that we have most likely met a future Michelin Star chef.
We chatted a bit, thankfully the restaurant was not busy. He asked if we liked scallops, which of course we did, then he headed off to create the next bit of magic. Through all of this Gabby stopped by to chat and keep the bubbles from running out.
The uncooked scallop was topped with trout caviar, and mayonnaise made from the liver of the scallop. It was a taste of the sea, Tricia said “it had a taste like rose petals.” In a lifetime of experiencing impressive food this scallop pretty much tops the list.
What a day! We discovered that there actually was some green beauty in Norway, we discovered the best restaurant in Bergen, and we discovered an amazing chef. We hope to taste his food again one day.
Thank you Sandra, Gabby, and Chef Mateusz. You gave us the gift of surprise from the time we walked in at 5:00pm until we left two hours later. Most of all, your smiles and kindness will be one of the best memories of our time in Norway, thank you again.
This week we have been in Oslo; tomorrow morning we catch an early train to Bergen. This train is considered one of the most beautiful routes in the world, so we are looking forward to it.
Even though there’s some Norwegian blood in my veins, I’ve never been particularly inclined to visit Norway. Yet I’ve now been to Norway twice: in June we departed Tromsø (above the Arctic Circle!) on a cruise (Tricia wrote a blog with photos), and this week we met friends in Oslo.
On that first visit to Norway (the cruise from Tromsø), we anticipated steep, forested mountainsides that pitched down into fjords. And we realized such scenes early in our cruise. Here is Tromsø, a beautiful place and so far my favorite place in Norway:
Yet as we sailed north, the terrain became barren, even bleak. No more charming fishing villages, clinging to the edge of the fjords: the views quickly became stony, treeless, windswept—a kind of beauty that I wasn’t expecting. You can see here the bleakness of Longyearbyen, in Svalbard, the most northerly point we went:
Now on our second visit to Norway, we had no particular expectations of Oslo—Nordic population, maritime history, modern Scandinavian architecture, yes. Yet…yet… Folks in Tromsø warned us that their countrymen in southern Norway were not especially friendly—which has been our experience. What we have experienced is that the most conversational, outgoing, friendly folks are not native Norwegians, but immigrants, or children of immigrants..
I guess Norway just doesn’t dazzle me.
Except, maybe, its cuisine. In Tromsø:
The food in Oslo has been wonderful.:
So here’s hoping that Bergen is all of the picturesque Norway we have hoped for. My sketchbook is ready to capture that wonder.
If we ever left France and returned to the USA, which would not be a bad thing since we love the PNW, there would be things I would miss. Here are just a few that come to mind.
When we first moved to France we spent a lot of time visiting châteaux and old churches in the area. However, after seeing a bunch of châteaux they do tend to all look alike. After a few months we just quit looking for new ones to visit. We do still visit churches whenever we can, but that is for more than the architecture, there is a spiritual element going on there. Yet I would miss living in a country where views like this, the citadel of Carcassonne, are the norm, not the exception.
We drive through village after village, each one is postcard-worthy, but, here in France it is the normal ambiance, the terroir of the place, and I love it. I would miss living in a place where old buildings are a common site, not torn down to “put up a parking lot.” (Joni MItchell)
Being the foodies that we are we love the outdoor eating scene, with city squares filled with restaurants, each with an outdoor eating space. In the USA many restaurants do have outside seating, but it is hard to find a place with ten restaurants within a 200’ x 100’ square like we found in Arles. This view is along the Sorgue river in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue – there are five restaurants in this photo. Most of the river in the city is lined with wonderful places to eat and enjoy friends.
In France, and much of Europe, eating outside is just the way you eat out, unless the weather is so inclement that it is impossible. I have had coffee, wine, and food many times in the winter months, sitting outside, and no one thinks it strange. I would miss living in a place where alfresco is the first choice, not an afterthought.
As often as I write about my morning coffee and sketches it is quite easy to understand how I would miss that. Starbucks just isn’t the same as something like this.
Then there is the cheese, oh my! Not only is the variety mind boggling, the prices are unbelievable. Here are some of my favorites, and just a few at that. None of these is over 4€ here. Most would not be readily available in Seattle or Portland unless it was a specialty shop with specialty shop prices.
There is more than food and history I would miss, how could you not miss a country where in the park you can’t ride a bike, play soccer, or walk your dog, but there is an urinal close at hand. Such facilities are the norm in this country, no one thinks a thing about it.
For years we loved visiting France and Europe, as a place to travel for les vacances it is wonderful. Now that we have lived here, it is the everyday environment that becomes more appreciated.
After five days in Arles I can confidently say that the food here does not disappoint. Well, except for the one time I ordered a small steak cooked saignant, which in the US would be considered bloody rare, thus the name. As is common here, once they hear my accent, she said, in English, “medium”, I replied, “non, saignant”. It came with just a touch of pink, medium-rare at best by US standards. Thanks to the multitude of folks here from the UK, who tend to like their meat cooked well done, the restaurants often try to compensate, c’est la France.
Our first meal was at Bistrot de Pitchounet, located in a restaurant filled square in the heart of old town.
I chatted with the lady in the photo, not only does she work there, but her father is the owner. All of the staff were wonderful, and the food was just as good. I started with a bit of smoked herring, so different than the smoked herring in Norway. This had a much stronger smoke flavor and I liked it better than what I had in Tromsø a few months ago.
My main was tuna steak, just lightly seared, bien sûr.
Saturday we ate at Gaudina, a small place on a narrow street with service and amazing food. For my entree I had roasted eggplant with olive oil, almonds, tomatoes, and parsley.
My main was grilled octopus. As I have said before octopus must be prepared perfectly or it ends up rubbery, when done right the outside is charred a bit and the inside is moist, this was perfect. The sauce had a bit of spice and it was served on the black rice that is ubiquitous to this region. I have no idea what the crispy, golden accompaniment was, but it was delightful.
Yesterday I had a wonderful wood fired pizza at Bistro Arlésien. How can you go wrong with a wood fired pizza? They are one of my all time favorites. This one had ham, anchovies, olives, onions, and cheese with a light tomato sauce. I don’t think anyplace in Naples could do better.
Today, we went back to Le Pitchounet, this time I was able to chat a bit with Nikola, the lady in the photo. We started with oysters, the third time this week we have had them. One of the servers told us about the part of the oyster that they call “the foot”. It is the dime-sized, round disk that is usually left connected to the shell after the rest of the oyster is eaten. I have never thought about eating it. He cut it out with a knife so I could taste it. His description was that it was like a sea scallop, and he was right. Why have I never heard of this? We lived and ate oysters for years in one of the top oyster regions of the world, Puget Sound, Washington, USA. Well now we know.
For my main I had a tartare of tuna and salmon. It was interesting that they brought me a bottle of Tabasco, which did in fact work quite well.
Eating is one of the main reasons we travel. This week the food in Arles has resulted in a totally enjoyable time. The Roman remains, sights of Vincent Van Gogh, and a huge market day are just icing on the cake – well, ok, the olive oil on everything, we don’t eat much cake.
We left Normandie last Wednesday for our long anticipated road-trip to the South of France. Any trip is just an excuse for some good food, and so far our expectations are not disappointed.
Our first stop was Montmorillon, to visit friends and to explore a town we felt we had missed in April when we were there but everything was closed. Well, it is September and there still are not a lot of things open, I get the feeling that is the kind of place it is. We arrived about 15H00 after a four hour drive. Our only food was pre-made sandwiches from an aire, the brilliant French amenity on the A routes, that have gas and food.
When we got to Montmorillon we were hungry. Of course, since it is a small village in France, nothing was open. Even the places that were serving beverages had closed their kitchens until at least 17H00 or 19H00. After a lot of walking, we discovered a bar that had food, Le Commerce. The rather nice man on duty pointed out what was available from the menu. We both ordered the chicken in some kind of sauce, with frites, and salad.
Mine didn’t taste bad, just not good, nor did Tricia’s. I felt like mine had an odd flavor and really ate only a few bites. We found better food later. When we told our friends, who we had come to visit, where we ate they reacted pretty negatively, we assured them we would not die, and so far we were right.
We started the next day with breakfast at our BnB.
Thanks to Tricia for the photo.
Then we we drove to Saint Savin, about 20 minutes from Montmorillon. It is home to an amazing church and abbey. The restaurant Le Carafus is actually built into the abbey. This turned out to be one of those places that ranks among the best meals ever.
The entree was fois gras, aubergine, and a shiitake mushroom purée. We shared one serving, but certainly could have each had one just fine.
As is often the case on a hot day, I had the steak tartar. This was easily one of the best ever, seasoned just right, and presented beautifully. It came with frites – bien sur. Tricia took the photo and I note that the fries are more in focus than my plate. Personally I think it just an example of Freudian-Slip-Photography as she really likes frites.
One afternoon we stopped at Salon De The. I had a peach milkshake, French style, not Baskin & Robbins. I also had carrot cake which was about as moist as I have ever had. We sat outside on the terrace, with the ancient church looming overhead. I know Jesus used bread and wine, and I get the symbolism, but this cake and shake was quite a celebration.
Our next stop was Carcassonne, to visit one of the largest walled cities in Europe, and what a place it is. Cassoulet is the regional food. Carcassonne, along with Toulouse, and Castelnaudary argue viciously over what is the proper mix of ingredients – lamb and sausage always playing star roles – but the real star is the creamy white beans. Most say that the dish was invented in Castelnaudary.
After another day with a bit of driving we were hungry, and since our hotel was across the street from the Castle we headed there for food. Of course it was mid-afternoon again so we had limited choice, yet found a place open and they had cassoulet. How can you go wrong with sausage and lamb?
We rarely go out for dinner in the evening, we prefer an elegant lunch, then we have cheese and wine for dinner, with baguette. But, we stumbled across Chez Christine, thankfully Tricia was game to have a dinner out, even though we had already had a decent lunch. I am so glad we did.
Smoked trout, with a cucumber sauce, and salmon eggs for an entree. Then I had the most delicious and tender lamb along with thin slices of roasted aubergine. Of course i finished it of with un café. Tricia had pasta with more morels than both of us could eat.
Last night I had a burger, yep a burger. The first one I had in France a year ago was quite a disappointment, then I had a couple from Buffalo Grill that were passable by American standards, but this one was great. It had Camembert cheese, how could you go wrong. I picked it up and ate it with my hands, American style – the French eat their burgers with a knife and fork, somehow it just does not seem right.
So our trip is off to a good start. We are in Arles now, sitting on the terrace of our BnB. We stopped to have lunch with a friend in Olonzac along the way. We got there early enough to catch the market, so we are quite stocked up on cheese, olives, fruit, and other necessities.
I hope you are enjoying fall, and taking some time to wander and eat.
Been There, Eating This 