Image copyright: M. Colin
Cloud Travel Destination: South France
Cloud Tour Highlights: Food Tour
Provence and the Côte d'Azur region on the Mediterranean coast of southern France have been famous seaside resorts since the second half of the 18th century, with sun, sea, lavender and a variety of southern French cuisines. From Marseille to Nice to Provence, almost every city has its own unique delicacies that visitors can eat while strolling around.
Image copyright: Lamy
Marseille, France's second largest city, is the capital of Provence and can be reached in about 3 hours by high-speed train TGV from Paris. When you're in Marseille, don't miss the delicious Maasai fish soup. You will find the raw material for the Maasai fish soup as "what is used for in the fresh fish market in the port". At first glance, the "wayward" ingredients may seem out of place with sophisticated French cuisine, which is actually to preserve the tradition of Maasai fish soup. It is said that in ancient times, local fishermen returned from the sea and gathered at the fish market in the port of Marseille to sell fresh seafood, and those small fish that were left over would be taken home by the fishermen and boiled a pot of delicious fish soup to enjoy with their families, which gradually evolved into a local specialty , Maasai fish soup. As the sun sets, you can enjoy a bowl of Marseille fish soup in the port where boats are lined up, or go to Le Péron restaurant and enjoy the Marseille fish soup with the sea breeze blowing over Eve Island.
Nice has a total of 7.5 km of Mediterranean coastline, and the coastal road "Brit promenade" is decorated with flowers all year round, along the way is a private beach, lined with high-end hotel restaurants. The old town of Nice still has the old buildings from the 18th century, and the colorful walls, shutters and Baroque churches add a mysterious touch to the bright sunshine of the Côte d'Azur. The Nice Carnival in February is one of the largest festivals on the Côte d'Azur, culminating in giant themed dolls, parades of floats and street art performances walking through the streets. The famous local delicacy is the Nice Salad, and although there are various creative versions, the classic version is a mixture of fresh vegetables topped with olive oil, garnished with boiled eggs and anchovy meat. Another nice risotto dish is also very southern, mixed with bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and onions, cooked in a special sauce.
Image copyright: CRT
The lemon town of Menton is also known as the "garden balcony on the Mediterranean Sea", and the special climate and soil make the lemons grown here the first choice for French cuisine. Every February, the Nice Carnival is followed by the Menton Lemon Festival, and don't miss the Miramar restaurant, which was named a three-Michelin star restaurant in 2019. In addition to the beautiful lavender, Provence also has interesting traditional markets, such as the Provencal Bazaar in the old town of Juan Rebbin, where you can find Provencal vanilla, which collects a variety of traditional spices from the Mediterranean and Provence regions, such as thyme, rosemary, basil, laurel, etc. The locals often buy a bundle to take home, hang it in the kitchen, and use it when cooking.
Beijing News reporter Qu Xiaoyi
Edited by Li Zheng Proofreader Wei Zhuo
Photo courtesy of The French Tourist Office