Gourmet Country
Date: 08/15/2006International Living Postcards-- your daily escape
Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006
St-Jean de Côle, France
France offers an almost infinite number of gourmet options for the foodie, and comes up trumps if you also require historic surroundings and an atmosphere conducive to appreciating the finer things in life. I recently stumbled across such a spot, where you can enjoy home-made ice cream in the shade of a trim black parasol overlooking an ancient hump-back bridge, far from the roar of traffic in the little village of St-Jean de Côle, in the Dordogne.
Tucked away in the north of the Dordogne (known throughout France for its gourmet food, particularly foie gras, truffles, and walnuts), it has a picturesque appeal, which regularly wins it the title of one of the “Most Beautiful Villages in France.”
St-Jean de Côle attracts hordes of locals--and visitors--for its Floralies festival in May, which sees the center literally blooming in a dazzling display of blossom and greenery. This is where to come to feast your senses on the colors and scents of the myriad flowers, and where you can sell, buy, or exchange cuttings and potted plants. We had arrived too late for this event, although the gardens were still blush with roses, but were happy to settle for a rare moment of bucolic bliss. Having snapped our souvenir shots of the Romanesque church and the gritty 15th-century Château de Marthonie in the heart of the village, we simply wanted to sit down and drink in the sights, with a little refreshment, s’il vous plait.
While the Auberge du Coq Rouge and the Hôtel St-Jean beckoned with their shady tables, L’Heure des Thés was more out of the ordinary, selling unusual décor and home items designed by the owner, Catherine Aerts, and offering a narrow terrace for cooling down. This discreet address has an unbeatable view of the river and the main square as well as a fine menu of Mariage Frères gourmet teas and a selection of sweet treats. Where better to enjoy a rose petal ice cream?
Leigh Fergus
For International Living
P.S. L’Heure des Thés is a play on words, meaning Teas time, but also sounding like Summer Time.
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