Les Poissonchats

We’ve been on another one of our legendary road trips through France, mainly to get our dream wood fired stove, but then as goes with our legendary road trips, these come with the most interesting sides included. The stove really is a dream, a big black beast with brass fittings and it stood in a tiny kitchen of a nice old lady who never really used it, for whenever she would, her tiny kitchen turned baking hot and everyone fled outside to roll in the snow. But she insisted it stayed there, in her kitchen, until the day she died, for it meant home.

I’ll do a job of cleaning and polishing it and sure will show you the result once it’s in its right place. Because it’s a little heavy we rented one of those mini lorries with an elevator platform at its back, and I packed up a little pick nick with green beans salad and ham and cheese sandwiches that we had in an enchanted spot in the midst of the forest of Auberive, a medieval abbey with vast surroundings.

We then headed on for Chatillon sur Seine, one of my very own favourite tiny towns in France. It’s got the most beautiful old ramshackle buildings, telling stories of knights and secrets whispered in dark passages. We had a petit cafe and then on to the wine region of Chablis. Of course we tasted their beautiful whites and given we had ample space in our little lorry, decided to bring back home a good stash from the humble to premier cru wines. I particularly like the ones from the Fourchaume, they’re very light and elegant yet spilling over with an abundance of golden notes, so delicious.

Then an impressive orage, a thunderstorm rolled in over the vineyards and we decided to seek out the inn we had booked us a room in for the night. It was one of those typical French roadside inns which seem to have existed forever – it’s on a high road of old days, connecting the ancient cities of Troyes and Moulins – and where you always get a decent meal for dinner. We decided for oeufs en meurette, followed by lobster.

The next day meant hard work but the daughter of the nice old lady was so kind as to organise her entire extended male family and so we had the bulky heavy beast of a stove up on in a jiffy. Which was just as well for I had booked us a table for lunch at a hidden little restaurant in Tonnerre, apparently a wise move for when we approached, the sign at the door said complet, which means it was fully booked!

I’ve been wanting to go to Tonnerre for a long time because tonnerre means thunder, what a fabulous name for a town, don’t you think! It sits nestled in low hills and the old town runs the steep slope up to the church, from where you have a stunning view over the rooftops of the town and the vineyards beyond. It’s home also to the weirdest absolutely eeriest fairy fountain I’ve ever visited. It’s called Fosse Dionne, which basically means the holy hole, but I guess in the very old days it’s been the seat of a powerful and rather short tempered deity who had a knack of throwing lightning and thunder. Its waters bubble up from unfathomable depths and abundantly, looking at it it’s as if it’s a boiling pot of milky blue water.

The town has ever so many quaint little streets and very beautiful old houses with huge gates through which, in the old days, stately carriages passed. Unfortunately we weren’t able to visit the church, courtesy of modern day times, when even holy places aren’t safe from thieves and bored people with a hang for destruction.

Alas, we ate very well in Tonnerre! There was a homemade Pate Richelieu with foie gras, which is kind of a very tasty pie eaten cold, then scallops and ecrevisses, fresh water crabs, and the most delicious Tajine. Tajine, originally from North Africa, has long been a staple of French cuisine, and one day I’ll wrap my head around it and learn how to properly cook it, for, if well made, it’s really divine!

On our way home we stopped at an enchanted castle, the Chateau de Tanlay, to wander the nice French lunch away in its vast park. It’s been ever so nice to get away and be on the road! Given that hosting season now is over (we reopen on 28 May 2025 but I’m already taking bookings), road trip season has now officially begun for us. Lots of more stories to be continued!

Also for those of my readers who to plan to visit us next year with a private group, please be sure to book early as I already get in bookings for 2025, and weekends are especially in demand.