Vaga-Blog - Volume II - St. Remy, Les Baux and Gordes
(June 18-19)

NO, WE DON'T HAVE RESERVATIONS. IS THAT A PROBLEM?

We’ve spent the last two days exploring some nearby small villages – St. Remy, Les Baux and Gordes. Les Baux is carved out of rock, so the whole village just rises up from the side of a mountain. Its cobblestone streets are even charming in the rain, and we spend most of the time talking about what it would be like to live in a place like this.

From Les Baux we went to St. Remy, which spokes out like a tire from the center of the village. We stop at Joel Durand, one of the world’s best chocolatiers, to sample his chocolate alphabet – 32 different infused flavors of chocolate. I prefer the mint, but savory flavors like curry, rosemary and Szechwan pepper, are intriguing as well.

Next is the market in Gordes. Markets are huge in Provence and they sell everything from cheese and meat to olive oils, jams, linens, soaps, baskets, pottery and produce. It’s a very appealing way to shop, and the temptation to buy things I don’t need and can’t carry are almost enough to strangle me. I developed a crush on a guy selling ceramic door pulls, so I made my mom buy some while I talked to him.

My dad found a restaurant recommended by his Rick Steve’s guide book that promises the best Provencal food in the region. It also said it’s a tough, hilly drive at night so it’s best to go for lunch. After we drove an hour straight up winding curves, we learned that ole’ Rick didn’t mention that reservations are required, and the chef begrudgingly allowed us to use the restroom before he coldly threw us out on our derrieres.

We ended up at a cute hillside restaurant in Bonnieux for lunch. The waiter, who is about 22, looks just like an old boyfriend. Unfortunately, he’s oblivious to my charms and has little tolerance for my broken French. We got back to Oppede and made a steak salad with leftovers from last night. My dad and I picked some cherries from trees on the property, and for dessert we had a blind chocolate taste test. Just before dinner, it rained for a few minutes and a rainbow appeared. It wasn’t just any rainbow – it was a full sky of color and you could see it to either end. After a few minutes, a second one appeared over the first one. We decided it was a sign of good things to come.

McCreepy is still threatening to sue. The woman from the website wrote back and asked if she can share my photos with him and promises to have him contact me. Feel free, I said – and I haven’t heard from him since.

Score: Katie 1; McCreepy 0
French men I threw myself at: 2
French men I threw myself at who paid a lick of attention: 0