Gabriel went on a grand road trip with his wife Angie this year. I loved hearing all about their adventures!
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles episode 125 - click here to listen
Guest: Gabriel Gâté
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Gabriel Gâté is a treasured iconic French chef in Australia! He is also a tv presenter, an author, a wonderful advocate for France and French events/businesses here Down Under and has been a fabulous friend to the Loulabelle’s FrancoFiles podcast from almost the very beginning!
Recently Gabriel and his wife Angie travelled through France on a grand vacances. It occurred at the same time I was over in France and it seemed that we were travelling to the same places at different times!
Gabriel flew into Paris and collected a car straight away. I have often found issues with car hire in France, the process is never seamless for me! Gabriel told me of a process where non-French citizens can “rent” a brand-new car for at least 3 consecutive weeks. Basically, we buy the car fully insured and then sell it back to the car company! This arrangement was organised by Drive Away which Gabriel highly recommends.
Gabriel went first to Reims (pronounced Rance) capital of the Champagne region, as it is an easy drive from CDG Airport. They stayed in the centre of the city where everything was accessible by foot once they were settled into accommodation. From there they travelled to Strasbourg to visit with Gabriel’s niece Charlotte who together with her husband Guillaume Scheer, owns Michelin starred restaurant Les Plaisirs Gourmands. At Gabriel’s recommendation I went to Charlotte’s restaurant last December and I was not disappointed. It was an exquisite dining experience! If you’re considering a treat that is memorable but not too over the top, this restaurant is definitely for you!
Gabriel then went through Switzerland and Italy before stopping in Provence in St Remy-de-Provence. I also travelled there during my last trip! This is a magical village with a market that is highly regarded. From Provence they travelled to Sarlat which is a beautiful medieval village in the Dordogne. Again, there is an amazing market, one of my favourite ways to pass time in country France! If travelling to France it is worth checking the website for Jours de Marché, to find the market days for the various villages. There is also some wonderful wines in this region, being not far at all from Bordeaux. The produce such as the local fromage, yoghourt, wines, fruit and vegetables, charcuterie, all grown or made locally is wonderful to explore.
One of the reasons Gabriel visited France this year was to host a cruise departing from Lyon along the Saône River run by Scenic Cruises. The food, the entertainment and the experiences to choose from on this cruise sound quite amazing. Having Gabriel as a host would be a wonderful and informative experience in itself!
With further stays in the Loire Valley to visit with family, as well as some time spent up on the north coast of Normandy with family who had come in from all over France and the globe, Gabriel chatted with fascinating anecdotes about his travels all across the country.
Recettes
Gabriel’s dishes mentioned through the podcast episode will be listed here soon!
Musique
Serge Gainsbourg – La Javanaise
