Let’s have lunch in France!

My Mom (Nina Wallace), and Divot in Soufflenheim, France

It has certainly been awhile since I last updated this travel blog. I’ve been so busy these past four weeks with traveling to Des Moines, Iowa, for the 2008 AQS Quilt Show, and because my Mom has been visiting since the first of October. I have been blogging quite regularly on the quilting blog but I just haven’t had time to update this one, until now.

The villagers have been making pottery by hand in Soufflenheim for centuries.

Last Friday, my Mom and I have awoke to a gorgeous fall day and decided to drive just across the border to France for a morning of shopping for French pottery and a delicious lunch. As I mentioned, the weather was perfect — sunny, cool but not cold, and crisp — just like an autumn day should be! We drove west for about an hour and fifteen minutes and arrived at the quaint village of Soufflenheim, France.

My Mom just couldn’t get over the fact we live so close to France. It is amazing when you think about it — w can easily zip across the German border by car or train and be in France by 10am! Soufflenheim is absolutely charming and is known for wonderful, colorful and artistic pottery. Although I’m sure other villages and towns across Europe claim to be the birthplace of what we now know as the casserole, Soufflenheim claims this bit of history due to the fact they have the oval shaped pots and the legend to prove it. Tradition tells the story of each household having pottery with their own unique, distinguishable designs. The women would fill their pots with vegetables from their gardens and take them to the local butcher who would add the “kill of the day” — whatever type of game meat he happened to have — to their pot. The butcher would then bake these dishes all afternoon in the village ovens. The women would pick up their casserole pots in the late afternoon and have a wonderful, hearty, hot, all-in-one meal ready for their families by sunset.

The colors, designs and shapes of the pottery are beautiful!

I love the pottery — the shapes of the pots, dishes, and serving pieces are unique and different than other types of pottery. The colors range from vivid and bright to subdued and mellow. Each pottery shop features their own unique patterns and designs — no two shops sell pottery that is the same as any other shop in town! There is no mass production of this pottery, either. Each piece is cast and glazed by hand, and it is an art form passed down from generation to generation. My Mom and I had a very difficult time deciding what to buy!

A different shop selling more subdued colors and designs -- still beautiful and unique.

The oval shaped casserole pots are the most traditional.

At noon, the shops all close up tight; time for the mid-day meal. We walked to a charming restaurant near the center of town called the Restaurant Au Boeuf and went inside. It was crowded with local villagers (there didn’t seem to be any tourists in sight.) The decor was traditional French country with exposed timbers with warm colors and quaint accents. The waitresses welcomed Divot, and even brought her a bowl of water to the table. She hopped right up beside Mom on the cushioned bench seat and made herself right at home throughout the duration of the meal!

This restaurant has been in business for almost 400 years!

This restaurant has been in business since 1664!

The meal was beyond fabulous! We couldn’t believe how delicious everything was from beginning to end! Mom had a scrumptious Quiche Lorraine, and I had a version of coq au vin; grilled chicken in a light white wine sauce with mushrooms and herbs, served with real potatoes au gratin and steamed vegetables. In addition to the meal, we were served with crusty, chewy, FRESH French bread and butter. Every mouthful was divine! We were so tickled to realize that here we were, on a Friday afternoon, enjoying a fabulous French meal in a gourmet French restaurant!

Mom and her delicious quiche Lorraine!

The kitchen at the Restaurant Au Boeuf was astounding — it was completely open to the dining room for viewing by the patrons, and the management boasted six award winning French chefs including Jean-Luc and Phillipe, according to the photos and stories about the chefs in the menu. Even with all the cooking and meals being prepared, the kitchen was spotless! We couldn’t have enjoyed our fine French meal more. Every mouthful was simply scrumptious!

Before we left Soufflenheim, we stopped into a small French Patisserie and splurged on a sweet treat for the drive back home. I bought a box of six vanilla eclairs. Mom and I shared one on the spot — the rest we took back home for the guys. This special dessert was the perfect end to a perfect outing of shopping, dining, and sightseeing, on a glorious fall day. Even the drive home, through the back roads (instead of via the autobahn) was breathtaking and oh-so-stunning with the sun pouring through the trees with the late autumn russets, oranges and browns of the leaves.

As my Mom said to me, “we made wonderful memories today!”