Travel is what you make of it. You can hit the tourist highlights, get the Instagram photos, and leave without truly understanding the heart and soul of a place. The alternative is to move in, slow down, and allow yourself to get integrated into the rhythm of a place, to let it share it’s heartbeat with you, and to learn to breathe when it breathes. Buy flowers from the lady that runs the shop on the corner, make friends with that early morning baker at the bottom of the road, take a class and spend time talking with your classmates, or just sit and people watch, all of those will help you listen to what a place wants to tell you. In Paris, we found ourselves being absorbed into the life of the city. We slept a little later, stayed out longer in the evening, and our meal times changed.
We were incredibly lucky to stumble onto Jean-Yves’s exquisite private dinner experiences through EatWell.com, and now know you can find him directly through https://www.jeanyveslechef.com. Eat Well offers private dining experiences all over the world, and we are now forever converts. It is one thing to eat an exquisite meal, but when you leave the impersonal restaurant settings, and go out into someone’s home, it becomes something completely new. It is an experience that is intimate, comfortable, informative because your chef explains each course, tells you about the ingredients, and teaches you how to source them for yourself. You don’t have to think about the menu, as it is already decided, and the perfect wine pairing just appears for you. You walk into an experience like that, meet a group of strangers, and leave with not just a full stomach, but a nourished soul at the end of what rapidly becomes an evening with friends.
I won’t even pretend I remember all the subtle nuances of that sublime meal, as the chef is brilliant in his way of combining multiple ingredients and creating something truly unique, with multiple layers of flavor. We left that evening feeling mellow after a lovely evening of wine, conversation, amazing food, and excellent company, and we will forever remember it as truly one of the best meals ever.
Vagabond.Belle 