On a recent trip through Provence, we decided to hike through the European Grand Canyon, along the Sentier Martel from the spectacular Chalet de la Maline to gorgeous Point Sublime. Hiking this path is no easy feat and should be done only if you are in good shape with proper footwear and sufficient provisions. Climbing up steep—at times seemingly vertical—slopes is impractical with sneakers or sandals and requires a bit of stamina.  At the highest point, only really well-trained hikers do not have to rest.  Along the path, several signs warn ill-equipped hikers of the rigors of this chemin.
Despite the fact that we consider ourselves to be in fairly good shape, even our best man had to stop at the highest point of the hiking path.  In the worst summer heat, we all were exhausted and had to regain our stamina and breath. It took us a little less than the five hours that most guidebooks recommend, but the effort was worth it.  Even though it is not the Grand Canyon, it is a spectacular sight in Europe.

And what better way to celebrate this nice workout than with a good meal at a good restaurant? Our gracious host, Patrice, at Les Cigales, in Salernes, had recommended and made reservations at Food'Amour. We were not disappointed: the evening was a refined, sophisticated event.

On a beautiful summer's evening, the outdoor patio is very relaxing.

The menu offers several options, all of which have a fantastic reputation.

Starting off with two tiny teasers, the meal promised to be a delight: the owner surprised us with a spoonful of avocado cream, topped with shrimp, and a tiny waffle filled with curry cream and chicken meat. So delicious!

These tiny surprises were followed up by gazpacho, a cold Spanish soup, made with dried tomatoes, croutons, mozzarella and bacon. We have never experienced anything more delicious on a hot summer night. It might have been exactly this combination of cold soup on a sizzling hot summer day that made it so delicious.

Veau à l'orange was the main dish: four tender slices of veal, on carrot mousse with a slight touch of orange, and cut-up vegetables. Savoring every single bite of this tender meat was a must. The orange-flavored mousse gave the meal a delightful twist. Why can the French cook so well? Why is it that they can surprise  unsuspecting foodies so enormously?

As is the habit, we finished off the delightful evening with cheese.

Can you enjoy two worldly pleasures—dining and hiking—at the same time? We were not sure when we set out on a hiking tour through the Parc Nationale des Cvéennes.  Following the footsteps of Robert Louis Stevenson—who hiked through the Cévennes from September 22 to October 3, 1878, with his donkey Modestine, after a breakup from his girlfriend Fanny Osbourne—we hiked from La Bastide to St. Jean du Gard. On our way, we lost a cumulative seven pounds—we would have lost more had it not been for some excellent food along the way.  One such outstanding place is the Auberge des Cévennes.

The dining room is a quintessential example of an auberge restaurant: rustic, charming, cozy, warm, inviting, and friendly.

In the restaurant —the very place Stevenson had lunch on September 29, 1878—we enjoyed an excellent four-course dinner. Delighting in the fact that we might have been sitting in the very spot where the author of Treasure Island and Jekyll and Hyde had dined for lunch just 136 years ago, we started with a vegetable soup, which was satisfactory.  We were however, thoroughly impressed with the main course.

The main course consisted of braised wild boar, mashed potatoes, fresh bread from a local boulangerie, and a carafe of the local white wine.  The braised wild boar was an enormous surprise for us as we had not expected it to be so flavorful, lean and tender.  Braised in its own juices, red wine, and shallots, the perfectly blended combination of flavors from the reduction sauce functioned as the perfect foundation to uplift the natural, subtly wild elemental flavors of the elegantly succulent meat.  Together, the flavors co-mingled to create a beautiful and masterful flavor profile that will long linger in our minds as an identifier of the south of France.  The mashed potatoes were rich, creamy, and buttery.  When paired with the wild boar reduction, it added a much richer and profound element to a plate that is by its own nature supposed to be just a simple side dish.  Together, it was but far from simple.

One of the great pleasures of dining in small villages is the unique and surprisingly delightful local wines.  They are not usually grand affairs and are often just simple vins de table or vins de pays - but they always seem to be the most pleasurable wines in that experiential moment!  This wine was one such wine.  Light and aromatic with relatively balanced acidity; this delight cut through the richness of the reduction and balanced the creaminess of the mashed potatoes. Overall, a brilliant finishing touch that balanced the entire meal.

As is common, the meal was followed by a cheese course. However, at this hotel in this tiny place in the Cévennes, we had the most generous helping of cheese we have ever come across at a French restaurant: nine different sorts of soft and hard cheeses made from cow's and goat's milk - many of which were local and made from unpasteurized milk, thereby providing a more authentic element to the cheeses.  As any cheese connoisseur will agree, French cheeses are to die for!

To top it off, the restaurant offered a nice platter of fruit:  apples, oranges, figs, and grapes.  This was the perfect meal to end the perfect day of hiking and village exploring in Le Pont de Montvert!

Caveat:  Sheila is not a member of the Bon Vivant Gourmets but she does offer a very nice and picturesque perspective of the sights and sounds of the village of Le Pont de Montvert.