Letter from Provence

I’m on vacation. I began in Provence, southern France. Oui, major ‘ooh-la-la”: the victuals, the many ancient villages, the views, les vins—a collusion of deliciousness, beauty, history, and near-constant awe. (Am too early for the lavender, but it’ll be coming big this summer.)

Gordes, for example, a “village perché,” a town perched on a hillside, is at once all of these, emphasis on awe. Last year, Gordes was voted “the most beautiful village in the world” by Travel & Leisure magazine—and by anyone’s eyes.

I have eaten well, much at the hands of Gérald Konings, a private chef who’s prepared five meals in as many days, each tastier than the last. Konings, a Swiss-Dutch, has lived in Provence for years now. In the coming days, I will feature two of his recipes on this site, a unique rendering of “Salade Niçoise” and Konings’ gluten-free cookies using his proprietary blend of GF flours, mixed with oats, dried cranberries and, mais oui, dark chocolate chips. These, you will love, whatever your diet, its restrictions, or its relaxings.

My host, my brother, Marc, gave us spins in a French icon, his Citroën 2CV, the model affectionately known by all as a “Deux Chevaux” (“Two Horses”), a toss to its two (taxable) horsepower. In effect, its air-cooled, 80-miles-to-the-gallon engine puts out nine horsepower. Yes, slightly more than a lawnmower, earning it the sobriquet “goes from zero-60 in one day.” Yet, while it struggles up a steep hill, any newer Citroën, Renault—any conveyance of more recent vintage—waits for it patiently, honklessly, reverentially.