I call Nimes the most Roman of all French cities. At every Boulevard and every Rue, there is an artefact of Roman history. Being a traveller of history, Roy had a plan: to see all of the Roman landmarks in Nimes. It was ambitious and we only had one day. I was trailing Roy as he went from landmark to landmark. From the Amphitheatre of Nîmes to the Tour Magne, passing by the Jardins de la Fontaine along the way. We had to climb up the cobblestoned stairs for a view of the city. Us in our flats and a perfectly coiffed woman in her stilettos. All the way I was following Roy, half arguing with him on whether we could make it to the Museum Romanité in time. I was certain that we would not. While I hate to admit it, Roy was right. We did ultimately reach the museum just as the doors closed at 6 pm and right before dinner, we saw the Maison Carrée along with its sparkling lights.
LE CHABANAIS
When we were at Le Chabanais, there were plenty of cabbages and mushrooms. It was fall, a time for something wet and earthy. Everything on the menu was either a tapa or a drink, the former being obligatory. There we were, enjoying our tapas – brioche with candied wild boar, feta cream and honey-harissa; oysters and jambon serrano wrapped in cabbage; veal tataki with orloff sauce and chive cream; pita souffle with yogurt and chives – when we decide to have another look at the menu. As always, we ordered more than our appetites could afford. We were barely through with what was on the table when a hunk of breaded pork loin flavoured with chanterelles, currants and pickled pomegranates came our way. It took only a moment of greed for tapas to become a feast.
Days later, we were still talking about the oysters and jambon serrano wrapped in cabbage. A combination that tasted out of this world.
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