Kern – A fabulous lunch in Seytroux

This restaurant is the passion and inspiration of Jean Philippe Lemaire an experimental and talented chef who hails from Brittany. As described in his bio on his website:

“Jean-Philippe Lemaire is a perfectionist who constantly questions his work, developing a refined cuisine with clear and honest tastes”

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A weekend in Beaujolais, Grand Bourgogne

Enjoy a weekend in Beaujolais and find yourself surrounded by rolling hills, grape vines as far as the eye can see, pastel stone houses with pantile roofs all within about one hour and 40 minutes of the Haute Savoie and Geneva. The contrast in the countryside is astounding, considering this is so close to the alpine mountainous region of the Haute Savoie. I had the sense I was delving deeper into the heart of real France, into one of the most important wine regions and one of the main things that France is known for.

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A Weekend in Besançon

Why a weekend in Besançon? Or where is Besançon – as a few friends asked when I said I was visiting. Well, one of the reasons I wanted to visit the city of Besançon was because Raymond Blanc was born there.

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Raymond Blanc’s “first great food experience”

During a weekend visit to Besançon in the Franch Comte region of France we enjoyed dinner at Le Poker d’As restaurant. Raymond Blanc said this was where he enjoyed his first great food experience in Besançon at the age of 14. As a longtime admirer of Raymond Blanc, I just had to try it!

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Restaurant L’Alexandrin, Lyon

Every time I go to Lyon I love to try a new restaurant and as there are so many I’m never going to run out of great dining experiences in this gastronomic capital of France. So my lunch choice on a recent trip was L’Alexandrin. Very conveniently situated close to The Halles de Lyon-Paul Bocuse

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Cassoulet from Castelnaudary

It is said that you can buy anything online these days…well, it would seem so. Last week I ordered a fresh authentic Cassoulet from Castelnaudary! On the opposite side of France to the Haute Savoie. Castelnaudary is THE home of Cassoulet in France…

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Six Things To Do in Chambery

Having lived in the Haute Savoie region for over ten years I thought it was high time to visit Chambery the capital of the Savoie region.  I enjoyed my day of discovery and have created Six Things to do in Chambery which I enjoyed on my day trip!

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Chez Castillon – A Magical Place in France

Walking through that big blue door into the long high ceilinged hallway which leads to the gorgeous courtyard garden, terrace and pool, once again I am transported into my little haven of laughter, fun and relaxation. It wasn’t by accident that I found myself at Chez Castillon for the tenth time. Every week I have spent there since 2010 has been just wonderful. A journey of discovery; learning new skills, honing current skills and meeting and making new friends in this beautiful region of France.

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One Night in Sarlat

Sarlat, what a gorgeous medieval town.  I had time to enjoy a quick stopover in Sarlat la Caneda on my latest road trip from the Haute Savoie to the beautiful South West region of France.  I’ve been wanting to visit for a while and these beautiful cobbled streets with their tall old stone buildings didn’t disappoint. I stayed at Le Glacier and my room which was huge was No.1 looking out over the square – Place de Liberté. 

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Taste of Savoie on tour in Reims and the Champagne region

Reims has always been one of those cities that I have known as a quick stop-over when en-route to France for holidays in years gone by. Often an overnight stay in some hotel just off the autoroute and apart from knowing that it is in the champagne region of France, I had very little other knowledge of this wonderful city and some of the amazing sights and tastes it has to offer.

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