Pic I

Thursday began with a good and proper housecleaning before we set off to collect Guy from the TGV station in Valence. It is about a 90 minute drive (taking the autoroute). We stopped for lunch at a little restaurant (La Truffe Noire) in the town square in Grillon, where we were amused by a small canine habitue of the premises who spent his time alternately begging silently for table scraps from the various diners and being chased away scoldingly by the server. Our appetizer there was notable -- a pureed soup of potiron (which is a kind of pumpkin).

We got to the TGV station just a few minutes before Guy's train was due to arrive, and even though it was almost ten minutes late, I still got to enjoy the triumph of once again getting in and out within the free parking window. From the station we followed the signs to Valence Centre and, despite not really knowing where we were going, managed (with the assistance of just one person on the street) to get quite promptly to our destination, Maison Pic. So promptly did we get here in fact, that we arrived just shortly after 4:00pm (earliest available check-in) although Guy hopped off his train (where someone else had taken his seat) at 3:50pm.

We were immediately agog to discover that we have private elevator access directly to our suite, which has a large lovely sitting area with a white sectional sofa and coffee table and large-screen TV (on which I finally managed to catch a little US Open tennis action). There was a nice little basket of fresh fruit there when we got in and shortly afterwards someone arrived with some little desserts and a bottle of water. The desserts were very architectural -- a bright-pink glazed bombe of a cookie crust, raspberry puree and chevre mousse. Very tasty.

Guy washed off the transatlantic flight and then we went for a little stroll about the place while Kate made some further travel arrangements. There are some beautiful gardens and terraces, and an especially lovely allee to the pool. Guy and I found ourselves pretty promptly on one terrace with a nice glass of champagne. When asked for our room number (there are only 15 rooms) we blanked, and had to describe it as the large one with the elevator (#15 apparently). That little gaffe was compounded not much later after Kate had arrived and we had guided her about the gardens. When we were ready to return to the room to get ready for dinner, we discovered that each of us thought one of the others had the key, so we had to get the desk to activate the elevator for us.

The lobby itself is quite impressive at reminding you exactly why you are there. There is a long glass-topped museum table containing bound volumes of all the red michelin guides mentioning the Restaurant Pic, which since it opened in 1889 and has been featured ever since the first guide was published, is quite a few! There is also a large wall panel, showing photos of Anne-Sophie Pic's grandfather and father, as well as her own photo.

Dinner was so spectacular it deserves a separate posting. In fact, the cheese course alone deserves a separate posting.