• escape to wonderland

    My Breton Feast: The Connoisseur’s Guide to Taste Elevation

    We are all foodies, but appetites come in many forms: ravenous, impulsive, artistic, disciplined, cultivated, refined, or simply passionate. And just as I have no doubt that everyone will discover at least one galette that makes them hum with delight, I also know that, after truly experiencing Brittany, three things will change forever: your relationship to crepes, your expectations of oysters and mussels, and your understanding of the miraculous role of salt in dishes. Oysters Is it the almost otherworldly shell, the promise of aphrodisiac powers, or simply a fashionable reputation? What’s certain is that oysters create fascination, if not addiction for some. I’ve never been a huge fan myself,…

  • #SINEQUANON

    NORMANDY #SINEQUANON: FROM D-DAY TO MAGIC DAY

    ONE: MONT SAINT MICHEL There is only one possible number one. Though more intimately connected to Brittany’s wild coast, Mont-Saint-Michel remains the absolute top-of-mind wonder for any escape in Western France. It is an island fortress of faith, an ethereal vision, a pilgrimage of the sea, a place where tourist guides seem inadequate and only a magnificent mystery remains. I wrote more about “the Wonder” here. TWO: THE ALABASTER COAST AND PAYS DE CAUX The Côte d’Albâtre is the French counterpart to the famous white cliffs that define the English Channel coastline. It’s a road trip of striking beauty, with quaint villages and the high falaises. Stop in Etretat, Yport,…