1 Cynthia enjoying the view in the Cantal region in south-central France

2 Pierre and Jamie - The Cantal region was so amazing - you did not know if you were in France or England. We are actually in the "Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d’Auvergne" a beautiful Natural Park with breath taking views.

3 The Cantal Mountains used to experience volcanic eruptions.

4 Passing on the roads - too close for my comfort!

5 Vive la France! The rooster is the national symbol of France.

6 The cheese of the Cantal. Cantal is in the Auvergne region France (south-central France) and produces lovely cow milk cheeses.

7 There were many varieties of sausages from the Salers Cattle, a breed originating in the region. The Village of Salers has been awarded the distinction of "Most Beautiful Villages of France".

8 An amazing humming bird

9 Salers - the village drink. Every region has its specialty "aperitif." This one was quite bitter - Perfect for putting you "in appetite."

10 A beautiful door on a residence dating back to 1701! The whole village of Salers dates from the 16th century.

11 Jamie loved Argentat, a charming village which lies on the Dordogne River.

12 Argentat was like a story book village.

13 Sharing after dinner drinks with Marc, who runs Domaines Lapalu, a group of 5 chateaux in the Medoc region of Bordeaux, France. We spent the night here at Chateau Liversan which is located in the area of Saint Sauveur next to Pauillac.

14 After 2 bottles of wine and too much "digestif", Jamie had a little fun.

15 So did Cynthia

16 The view from my room - oh Bordeaux!

17 Cynthia wearing a dress by designer Lesley Evers - We were in the vineyards of Chateau Liversan, just 2 miles from Chateau Mouton Rothschild.

18 Another Pierre who was a great host. This property was formally owned by Prince Guy de Polignac before being acquired by Lapalu family.

19 In the cellar of Chateau Liversan - We had to do some tasting for upcoming parties.

20 Chateau Doyenne - more tastings - more wine! This is the lovely property of Mme and Mr Watrin in Saint-Caprais-de-Bordeaux.

21 Cynthia with Mme Watrin, the owner of Chateau Doyenne

22 The historical village of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. It is an important town, cross-roads of the "Route de Saint Jacques de Compostelle" or the Way of St. James, the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

23 A shop with colorful espadrilles

24 The Espelette Pepper has become a cultural and culinary icon for chefs throughout the world and even has A.O.C status, a French quality certification based on "terroir".

25 The village of Espelette is home of the famous peppers, unique to this region of the French Basque Country.

26 Pierre cooked with Tati Marie, our beautiful hostess, who prepared duck confit for dinner as I took notes.

27 The waves of Biarritz, France are very popular with surfers and tourist alike. Hotels and apartment building look over the ocean. Not a bad way to wake up.

28 Biarritz has some beautiful beaches and stunning rock formations jutting into the Atlantic. This was our view over morning coffee and croissants!

29 Biarritz has miles and miles of beautiful beaches. All the little specs in the water are surfers. It was clear but the ocean mist makes it look hazy.

30 The famous Hotel du Palais overlooks the beach. The Hotel was the former residence of the wife of Napoleon the 3rd.

31 Si, Espagne - San Sebastian, Spain

32 The sunset in San Sebastian was amazing. Only 1/2 hour drive from Biarritz, but the atmosphere was definitely Latin!

33 Tapas, a Spanish tradition

34 This is the only way to drink Txakoli, a dry white wine from Basque Country.

35 Pata Negra hangs from the ceiling - This is another famous ham that has received government controlled status and must be made from Black Iberian Pigs.

36 As we headed back east, we drove through "The Pyrenees", the mountains which span the national borders of France and Spain.

37 This gives new meaning to "driving through the mountains"!

38 Banyuls sur Mer, a seaside village know for it's wine.

39 We had to sample the world famous wine Banyuls, which is great for sipping as an aperitif and wonderful for cooking with - think chocolate desserts!

40 The views as we were leaving Banyuls were almost as good as the wine. Cynthia was driving - the speed limit in France is around 105 miles per hour and she did not let anyone pass her!

41 We were invited for dinner near Carpentras, France. Our host brought us fresh asparagus from the garden. That is something Martha would do.

42 Some of the many digestifs sampled - Who was driving?

43 L'Isle sur la Sorgue is a beautiful village south east of Avignon, known for its market.

44 I love to make Paella and have prepared it many times for Martha's parties.

45 Pans and pans of paella!

46 The most amazing olives

47 Only the French could make such beautiful soap.

48 Lavender! Lavender! Lavender! - Yes, the south of France!

49 The Wetlands and Natural Park, The Camargue, and her pink flamingos

50 We went to the salt mines where the world famous sea salt comes from - a staple of my kitchen.

51 These are salt crystals picked up right off the ground.

52 Yes - running of the bulls in Arles

53 Standing behind the protective barriers

54 The Roman Amphitheater of Arles.

55 A hat vendor

56 Physalis, or Cape Gooseberry (if you're English) - a classical dessert decoration

57 The French just have the art of table decoration - A chilled bottle of wine and water on each table.

58 My terrific travel companions

59 The beautiful roofs of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, in Provence, southeastern France

60 Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and a georgous day for sky-diving!

61 Beautiful panorama

62 The Gorges du Verdon is in the background. Cynthia was not nervous at all with no barrier behind her!

63 Gorges du Verdon, one of the most beautiful places in Europe. Also called the Grand Canyon du Verdon. It is a spectacular canyon that forms a border between the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and the Var.

64 Cynthia was driving, Jamie was sticking his head out the window to capture the picture and Pierre was in the back seat with his eyes closed.

65 The Chapel Nôtre-Dame-du-Rock perched high above the village of Castellane. We we so surprised to see rock formation jutting straight up out of the valley. The church dates from 1703.

66 We drank in honor of Jay Loeb, a dear friend from Pittsburgh, who loves this special exlir from Holland.

67 Saint Paul de Vence - You must see it to believe it.

68 A little (a lot) of Rose - The Perfect way to start the evening

69 In the Deux Chevaux

70 Off we go!

71 Dusk was amazing in the village - magical!

72 Les galets, or the incredible pebbles used to make the sidewalks - they are a piece of art in themselves.

73 A walkway in the village. We were lucky that we arrived after the high season and the children were back in school. Only 300 people live within the fortified walls, but 2.5 million tourists visit annually.

74 The fruit was fresh and delicious.

75 The views were as beautiful as the village was charming.

76 Nice, France - Cynthia wearing another dress by Lesley Evers. Martha loves her designs. Plus, they are made in America!

77 This is Pierre's old apartment when he worked for Alain Ducasse.

78 The streets and the apartments were narrow in the old town of Nice.

79 We had to have some Pastis before our Socca. Socca is a classical dish from Nice make of chickpea flour.

80 And afterwards, ice cream, of course!

81 These two ate ice cream every day. It is true that in France the portions are smaller (so they ordered a double).

82 The amazing skyline of Nice

83 Memories

84 Pierre's window was the first little square you see on the left - Little is right!

85 As we drove from Nice to Monaco, we passed St. Jean Cap Ferrat, a seaside village in a beautiful location, on a peninsula jutting into the ocean.

86 Cynthia is truly a "Bohemienne". She used to manage a restaurant in Geneva, Switzerland named La Boheme.

87 Eze, France - A medieval village on a hilltop in the French Riviera.

88 Good Friends - Great travel companions!

89 A little fun, and a great idea for a menu display

90 The colors of Eze were amazing, especially at the Church Our Lady of Assumption, which was built by an Italian architect Spinelli in the 18th century.

91 A great silhouette

92 Monaco

93 And Good Night from Le Negresco, the most famous hotel on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice.