A Culinary Long Weekend: "Taste of Provence"

Bonjour France... Je t'adore... 🇫🇷!!!

It's so wonderful to be back here. It's been a few years, but I feel at home immediately. The flight to Marseille takes just one hour and 15 minutes. After that, it's an easy train ride to Avignon, and suddenly I'm in the heart of Provence!

On the way, I meet Clara, who has just arrived from Sumatra. We chat in French — hopefully, I'll have the chance to improve it over the next few days! I enjoy a petit déjeuner and meet Costas, the owner of the château. He and Allison are an intriguing couple. They met in England during their studies; he's Greek, and she's from Newcastle.

Their paths separated for years as both married and had children. However, they never forgot each other. Eighteen years ago, Costas made a determined effort to reconnect with her — and succeeded. Despite the passage of time, they both felt their bond was still strong. They parted ways with their respective partners and built a new life together in Paris and Provence.

Costas had already been living in Monaco for many years. Together, they purchased Château Victor La Coste, which dates back to 1543, and now rent it out to guests and host cooking classes. What a couple, and what a love story!

The château is like a labyrinth, filled with grandeur. The garden overflows with roses and peonies. At every turn, I discover treasures: artwork and tapestries on the walls that are hundreds of years old.

In the evening, Allison shares the history of the château and cooks for us. Our group is from England, the USA, Italy and Germany, and we're all excited about the days ahead!

Breakfast is at 8 am with homemade jam and of course, freshly baked petit pain au
chocolat. How does Allison manage all of this?

We head to the market... everything here feels more intense, more vibrant and more abundant, with an incredible selection! The first stall immediately captivates me — I pick up truffle pâté, artichoke cream and pesto loaded with garlic... Bon appétit! My second breakfast!

"Eating is a religion in France," says Allison. I'm fascinated and overwhelmed. The square is full of people, naturally sipping rosé at 11 am — this is savoir-vivre! I can feel Provence, I can smell its scents... We stroll through the streets, surrounded by pottery shops and drenched in sunshine.

Afterward, we continue to Uzès, a picture-perfect town. Uzès is a medieval city with a fascinating history. It was first under Roman occupation, and by the 5th century, it became an important bishopric. Its landmark is the Ducal Palace. In 1632, Uzès became the first duchy of France and remains the country’s oldest surviving duchy.

We enjoy a coffee by the fountain and simply soak it all in.

In the afternoon, we relax by the pool and decide to postpone the cooking class to Saturday so we can have more time to enjoy the sun and unwind. The château is like a dream; I swim in the magnesium pool, sip rosé and look forward to the delicious dinner.

At the table, there's a lot of talk about politics and legal cases — no surprise with four lawyers present! Patrizia and I really have to concentrate to keep up. We drink a lot of wine! Exhausted, I fall into bed and can't wait for tomorrow.

Today, we meet at 9 am and head to an antique market. There’s almost everything you can imagine — old vinyl records, dishes, books, postcards, tablecloths and more. Patrizia and I, with her dog Isotta, stroll and haggle our way through the stalls. In the end, I don’t find the tablecloth I’m searching for, but the experience is absolutely delightful.

At noon, we meet up with the others for a feast of oysters, shrimp and merguez sausages. By 1 pm, we are all completely tipsy. When it starts to rain, the ever-wild Debra from Denver starts dancing and asks the band to play Singing in the Rain by Gene Kelly. Costas can’t resist either and joins in. By now, it’s pouring rain, but we don’t care — we’re having the time of our lives and have formed an incredible group bond.

We still have to make it to a wine tasting — after all, we need to maintain the “levels”! We get a tour in French, but no one is really following along. That doesn’t stop everyone from buying plenty of wine, though! A siesta by the pool is a must before our cooking class starts at 6 pm.

We prepare green asparagus with olive pesto and parmesan, duck breast with cherry marmalade and roasted potatoes for the main course, and panna cotta for dessert. There’s so much laughter and conversation — we share our life stories, struggles and triumphs. It feels incredibly good to connect with one another, and we quickly develop a deep bond.

After cooking, we linger on the terrace for hours, admiring the sunset. Dinner is served late tonight — just before midnight, someone begins with a short speech (a toast seems to be a tradition in England), and everyone takes a turn. Costas says this group is special; apparently, we’ve set the record for wine consumption! Completely exhausted and a little drunk, I collapse into bed once again.

Today, I take my time to explore all the intricate details of the château. Before that, I have to say goodbye to everyone. In the afternoon, I share one last glass of rosé by the pool with Debra, reminiscing about the amazing days we’ve had.

We are so grateful to have met each other. What Allison and Costas have created here is simply incredible, and I am thankful for this wonderful experience. In France, food truly is a religion, making this the perfect place to cook together!

A Taste of Provence... Je reviens!