Southwest of France

[Thomas]

I gotta tell ya, the Italians are far better cooks than the French.

As much as I have enjoyed the meals here, today I cooked our lunch (we are staying in a rented house for the week). Went out and got some wonderful sardines, a bunch of veggies and bread--plus trotters to make stock and a few chops for grilling later on.

I cooked up a tomato, onion, garlic, saute in olive oil, added some rose Provencal, and then stewed the sardines in the sauce--with lemon thyme that is growing outside the door.

Boiled a couple of potatoes until half cooked; then sliced and fried them in butter, parsley and rosemary, which also grows outside our door.

With a glass of Provencal red, and a fine salad--who the hell needs restaurants?

Tomorrow we are off to Avignon.