As a tribute to the late Keith Floyd who died last week I feel it would be fitting that today’s post be about Provence, that delightful region of south-eastern France where this witty and voluble cook latterly made his home. In fact for the widely travelled Keith there are numerous other places that would also make equal tributes, as he covered cookery all over the globe, with an interest in cuisine was truly international and cosmopolitan.
Floyd settled finally near Avignon, a small walled city on the banks of the Rhône. Walk through Avignon and you are immediately impressed by its beauty - its magnificent 12th century Romanesque cathedral, the Palais des Papes, and other fine buildings. Needless to say, one of Avignon’s most famous sights is its medieval bridge, the Pont d’Avignon which was immortalised in song.
The climate and lifestyle of Provence has attracted writers, painters, and other creative people for a long time. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby here, living at St. Raphaël. Somerset Maugham lived here at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. The list of painters who lived in Provence and were inspired by its light and colour is so long that I’d need a book to tell you about them, but suffice to say the list includes such names as Van Gogh, Cézanne, Renoir and Matisse.
So it’s no surprise really that Keith Floyd chose to live here, particularly as the cuisine of Provence is sensational, along too with its wines and social life. As for places to go in Avignon, Floyd was fond of the Café de la Comédie, saying, “The regulars are wonderfully eclectic - the vet, the road sweeper, the mayor. It's a place where I can be just another punter, order a pastis and have the kind of benignly philosophical conversations about politics or France thrashing England at rugby that make being in France so inspiring.”
Floyd was fond also of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, a small town famous for its waterside cafes and restaurants, as well as its Sunday market, saying, “At home in France, this is where I shop for food. It's the best market in Europe, I reckon. Whatever you want, you can find it here. Sunday is best – everyone’s got the day off, and they make a party of food shopping.”. In his blog Floyd also mentions happy times here sipping pastis in the Café de France, and enjoying the wine in Rocky’s wine bar.
So if you find yourself in Avignon, or in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, you might well check out some of the places recommended by the great man himself, who will be sadly missed.
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