Issue No. 20

One of my favourite
restaurants is Au Vieux Four
in tiny Gourdon, where I had
a scrumptious risotto
piémontais with roast
chicken, followed by a
chocolate gâteau with mango
sorbet for dessert. It was one
of the best meals I had in the
south of France, also made
memorable by the fact that it
was preceded by a strenuous,
steep, two hour-long
hike up the mountain, all the
way from Pont-du-Loup to
Gourdon!
I love the unpretentious Loco Loco in
Villefranche-sur-mer. Last year, after
having a delicious seafood salad there,
I wanted to pay with a credit card,
unaware of the fact that they only took
cash - which I didn't have. Jean Pierre,
the waiter (and co-owner, but I didn't
know that at the time), graciously
directed me to the nearest cash
machine (which wasn't really that
near), trusting that I'd go back and pay
him, which I did, of course. It felt good
to see him again upon return to
Villefranche-sur-mer one year later,
although I only saw him briefly in the
narrow alley outside the restaurant. I
didn't talk to him but posted this story
on Instagram with a photo of him, and
was surprised in the most pleasant
way when a young girl left a comment
saying, "That man is my father!" Isn't it
lovely how we're all connected
somehow in this digital age!