LIFE AT LA VUDELE - summer's in the air

After a mild and short winter and a lovely spring we are now gearing up for summer here in Provence!

Along with two more yoga & vegan cooking retreats coming up we are expecting quite a few returning guests which is fantastic and shows that what we offer -  cozy rooms, a delicious organic breakfast, vegetarian/vegan dinners, a relaxed atmosphere - is what our clientele likes and enjoys! And this gives us the energy and affirmation to continue with what we have created here at La Vudèle.

So a big THANK YOU to all of you who have made and shaped La Vudèle and "organic living in Provence" into what it is today!

merci beaucoup

thank you

danke

bedankt

grazie

謝謝

kiitos 

Dziękuję Ci

tak

 and a big hug!

 

RECIPE - sage pesto, with a twist

Classic pesto is made with fresh basil; this is the variety everybody knows and loves, be it from their vacations in Italy or a visit to their favorite Italian restaurant. But how about trying something new? With the abundance of sage plants in our herb garden, grown from seed and growing in massive bushes, I one late spring afternoon decided to try this wonderful herb in a pesto. Et voilà, it not only tastes almost like basil, it tastes even better! And it tastes best when the leaves are young so in late spring, though it is possible to use the leaves all year round but the taste will become stronger and more pungent.

During our yoga & organic vegan cooking retreat last weekend Top Vegan Chef Paul decided to add some green olives and freshly squeezed lemon juice, and my o my, was this pesto a treat!

Sage is a very versatile plant, a quintessential Mediterranean herb used in cooking, as an essential oil, as a decorative plant in the garden with its pretty purple flowers. Salvia officinalis can  be used to make a delicious tea.

on croutons as an appetizer

Pesto is easy to make, considered a "raw food" as none of the ingredients are heated and can go on anything, from pasta bien sûr to sandwiches or tasty little croutons as appetizers with an apéritif or on pizza in place of or with tomato sauce

the ingredients:
* fresh sage leaves
* nutritional yeast
* toasted pine nuts
* depitted fleshy green olives
* freshly squeezed lemon juice
* garlic
* olive oil
* freshly ground sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper

All ingredients are approximate as this is really to everyone's personal taste. If you can get a hold of this season's fresh garlic use it sparingly and allow the fresh taste of sage to be the most prominent. Make a paste in your kitchen machine and season to taste. The great thing about pesto is that its all about personal preference.

on pizza as a base

Try something new today and remember to enjoy not only the result but also the process! Preparing food from scratch is a fantastic way to spend time, observing the making of something delicious, with one's own creativity, passion and hands!

bon appétit! 

YOGA - extra retreat in June vegan cooking

Top Vegan Chefs

We just finished our first yoga & organic vegan cooking retreat and would like to thank the participants, Paul & Anna who were already here for last year's 6-day retreat, and Justine & Sofiane from Taiwan, for coming here to La Vudèle and sharing their spirit and enthusiasm with us during this weekend!

And for those who would like to attend this summer we have 2 more dates before August: Tuesday, 14.6. - Thursday, 16.4. & Friday, 1. - Sunday, 3. July

retreat goodie bag

Friday afternoon we started out with a welcome workshop, blind-folded with the eye mask of the La Vudèle goodie bag and using the sense of smell only to explore the various beautiful aromas of herbs and flowers like lavender, thyme, sage, and essential oils like orange, rosemary and fennel. Also contained in the goodie bag were
~ the yoga & nature en Provence apron
~ the La Vudèle guest book with recipes, mantras, yoga sequences and various information
~ a post-yoga tea blend
~ a special herbes de Provence salt
~ all presented in a typical Mediterranean straw basket

This was followed by our first afternoon yoga session outdoors, enjoying the beautiful sun, vistas and sounds all around.

Using the freshest ingredients from the market and our favorite organic food store "Nature & Vous" in Manosque we prepared an apéritif dinatoire in the evening, with lots of delicious delicacies like
* caviar d'aubergine
* black olive tapenade
* white bean dip
* our freshly baked sourdough bread
* and a superb quiche, with the recipe to be found in the La Vudèle guest book

Saturday morning we met for an invigoration morning yoga session and a mindfulness meditation, to the rising sun, followed by breakfast in the morning sun. Afterwards we went to the local market in Riez to purchase delicacies for dinner like artichokes, the first courgettes and strawberries. In the afternoon another lovely yoga session outdoors, under the beautiful blue sky of Provence, with a Metta meditation and some challenging asanas!


We then started cooking in our farmhouse kitchen, with everywhere assigned to different tasks: there was a dessert station, a pesto making station, pea shelling of peas fresh from the field, marinating the tofu, and the artichokes also had to be prepared, cleaned and then boiled, to be grilled for dinner.

Sofiane at the grill

Anna, a trained nutritionist

master sage pesto maker

Mia the cat with Justine

lavender custard - yum!

Sofiane and his new toy

The copious gala dinner, with lots of candles, we enjoyed accompanied by local wines of Quinson, thanks to Jim's selection and expertise. The two desserts, a lavender custard and a chocolate mousse, finished off our meal, and we all went to bed feeling accomplished and light-hearted.

Sunday morning started out with another morning yoga session to the rising sun - simply wonderful -  and breakfast with crêpes à la Jim were served at the breakfast table.

the flag ceremony

As a parting gift the participants designed their own flags, to be added to the Tibetan prayer flags fluttering in the wind....

This was a wonderful weekend, thank you so much, you all! 

And for those who would like to attend this summer we have 2 more dates before August:

yoga & organic vegan cooking

Tuesday, 14.6. - Thursday, 16.4.

and another weekend of yoga & fun
Friday, 1. - Sunday, 3. July

On our web site is more information, photos and prices, or simply email us 

Hope to see you here

this summer!

ACTIVITIES - 2 extra guest rooms in guesthouse

We opened up our home at La Vudèle as a B&B about four years ago, with a spacious double bedroom with en-suite bathroom, overlooking our garden. Since then many people have come to stay with us and enjoyed the calm and our vegetarian organic breakfast.

Starting this year we can offer two more bedrooms in our guest house which is also part of the old farmhouse La Vudèle. Two modern bathrooms were installed and the entire house restored whilst keeping its original charme, dating back to 1880. Built using traditional methods with solid stone; in front of the house is a large sun terrace, and behind the house you can enjoy the shade on a hot day, with a beautiful view; the Pre-Alpes and Mont Lure are within plain view, and on a clear day the white top of the Mont Ventoux is visible.

La Chambre Bleue
This double bedroom is called "La Chambre Bleue" because of its ancient walls in faded blue and views onto the Provencal blue sky. From the large iron bed measuring a comfortable 2mx2m you have beautiful views toward Provence's tallest mountain, the famous Mont Ventoux.

La Chambre Bleue with awesome skylight in the shower

La Chambre Blanche
This double bedroom is called "La Chambre Blanche" because of its vaulted white ceiling. It offers space and tranquility and beautiful views over lavender and wheat fields. If booking for 3 or 4 people there is connecting room with 2 single beds.

La Chambre Blanche

The rate for each room is € 85 including our copious breakfast with freshly baked sourdough bread

Happy holidays
&
à bientôt!

EXTRA - cat sanctuary Cinque Terre

Whilst walking a section of the world famous foot path of the Cinque Terre in Italy this past September - on the stretch between picturesque village of Vernazza and the beach resort of Monterosso al Mare - we came across a cat sanctuary in the middle of a forest! 
We were exploring this area known for its perched villages which are connected by a foot path high above the sea, with splendid views onto the Mediterranean and the entire coast line. "Cinque Terre"or Five Lands are 5 ancient fishing villages which have turned into a very popular and very frequently photographed tourist destination all year round. Supposedly it is accessible to anyone and any ability but we found some parts to be rather "sportif" and slightly demanding, especially for the ladies in flip-flops and heels and even more people in sandals...

So we were walking along this path when, on the ascent from Vernazza, we discovered this picnic area with a fence in front, with kibble and soft food and some notes to the passer-bys so as to not feed the cats too much as volunteers descend two times per day to take care of this feline population.

 

the "guardian cat"?

friendly reminders for passerbyes who want to help

No need to feel sorry for these fluffies as they are living in the good life! Although quite shy they don't seem to mind people passing as that usually means attention and food...

a snooze in the morning sun

complete with a perched cat house

There was also a small money box where we deposited some coins, to help pay for the food and upkeep. 

So if you happen to be walking between Vernazza and Monterosso maybe you can spare a few coins to keep these cats happy and fed.

 To Good Karma!

EXTRA - Solli's blog

One of our first returning guests, Solli, a Swedish young woman now living in Paris writes about her life and travels on her blog, a blog about Paris Life, Food, Fashion & Travel. She writes about food, especially anything to do with sweets, cakes or chocolate, her passion for exploring and traveling, and about glamorous fashion in Paris. But not only that, she is also a very talented photographer, and some of the photos on our web site are from her visits!

We really enjoy reading her blog, and we enjoy her visits here even more! The first time last year she was just a bit too late to see the lavender fields in bloom but this year she managed to come down for a long weekend during the height of the lavender season, and Claudia took her to the local lavender distillery, for a whiff of this precious oil. Solli got up very early one morning, to catch the precious soft morning light above the lavender fields

Solli wrote beautifully and took fantastic photos of her dinners with us, table d'hôtes, and her enthusiasm of food, organic local ingredients, tastes and flavors gave inspiration to some very delicious dishes beautifully captured by her and her camera. In the morning our copious breakfast with freshly baked sourdough bread was also beautifully captured on film; notice her perfectly manicured hand in the photos, isn't that a pretty, personal touch?
 

We are very much looking forward to Solli's next visit!

EXTRA - gift certificate

If you would to give a special gift to your loved one, a vegetarian or vegan friend, someone looking for natural cosmetics or somebody who would appreciate a stay in  our B&B at La Vudèle why not give a gift certificate!

Why not give:

* a stay in our organic vegetarian/vegan bed & breakfast € 85/night including our signature copious vegetarian breakfast with freshly baked sourdough bread

* table d'hôtes our 3-course organic vegetarian/vegan dinner for € 25 pp including beverages (can be combined with a stay in our B&B)

* yoga retreat: a weekend, yoga & cooking weekend or 6-day retreat

* organic cosmetics products produced at La Vudèle: C'etrange Fine Natural Products, never tested on animals, free of perfume, parabens, coloring and chemicals

This gift certificate or cheque cadeau in French can be issued for any value and is shipped free of charge in a classy envelope of frosted paper anywhere in the world or by email as a printable PDF so you can hand it to your friend, spouse, partner any way you prefer. To purchase or enquire contact us

Happy gift giving!

 

LIFE AT LA VUDELE - thank you

Claudia & Jim with Mia

October has arrived, the season of contemplation is starting, the sun shines less strong and the evenings get colder... This is also the time to reflect. And to pick up projects left aside during the busy season, like this blog which we stopped in early summer but gathered new ideas, recipes and other news which we will share throughout the winter. 

To reflect is to look back at our activities the past few months which started in March. We hosted many people in our organic vegetarian B&B, all lovely guests from allover the world who stayed with us, not only from all over Europe but also from South Korea, Australia, the US and Canada, Puerto Rico and India and many more places - we would like to thank each one of these persons for having spent some time at La Vudèle, for having brought this energy here.

We also again held yoga workshops which we as hosts enjoyed very much, and judging by the feedback and emails we still receive our participants enjoyed their time here as well. This also gave rise and inspiration for a cook book which turned into the idea of offering yoga & organic vegan cooking weekends for 2016!

Claudia & Jim with Mimie
Mia somewhere else ;-)

We would like to thank all of our guests for making this place so special, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming back some of them next year who already booked for June and July, for the famous lavender season! 

A bientôt!

Jim & Claudia

Mimie & Mia

EXTRA - new retreat: yoga & vegan cooking

Based on the success in running our yoga retreats for several years now and on the positive comments we received from our guests dining with us at our table d'hôtes we decided to combine our two passions, yoga & cooking, and will offer 3 dates in 2016 for yoga & organic vegan cooking weekends:

20.- 22. May * yoga & organic vegan cooking *
1. - 3. July * yoga & organic vegan cooking *
16. - 18. September * yoga & organic vegan cooking *

Here is the program for these weekends
Friday arrival after 17h and installation in your rooms
18h workshop on healthy, clean, organic vegan cooking and introduction of this weekend's menu
19h classic Provencal apéritif dinatoire: a dinner with several different dishes, to explore the flavors and aromas of Provence
Saturday 7h30 - 9h energizing morning yoga outside in nature, followed by a copious organic vegan breakfast
10h visit of the local farmers' market in Riez with guide to our organic producers
16h -18h preparation of dinner: cooking course with fresh ingredients from our own vegetable garden and purchased at the market in the morning. Practice of mindfulness, kindness & ahimsa, nonviolence, one of the yamas of yoga. Awareness meditation: the love we place into the preparation is the love which nourishes us
18h30 gala dinner presenting the bounty of our cooking experience accompanied by wine tasting of local organic wines from Quinson, cultivated right behind La Vudèle
Sunday 7h30 - 9h energizing morning yoga practice outside in nature, followed by a copioous organic vegan breakfast
9h workshop on ideas for a healthy breakfast and recipe book
afterwards departure or possibility to extend your stay in our B&B

2 nights accommodation in our organic B&B or guest house including our copious organic vegan breakfast and 2 dinners including wine tasting € 580 / € 770 for two

These workshops will give every participant the opportunity to learn how to prepare delicious vegan food using fresh, organic local products which are in season at that moment. Learn how to include healthy seeds and herbs and make a delicious meal. Claudia is very creative in using all kinds of ingredients and loves to share; likewise this will be an opportunity for foodies and hobby cooks to share their knowledge with the group.

***

Of course we will also hold our regular yoga weekends and two 5-night/6 day retreats. For these the meals will be prepared for you by Claudia but of course you are free to watch or participate in the preparation and even learn how to bake your own sourdough bread!

dates for 201620. - 22. May: yoga & organic vegan cooking
12. - 17. June: yoga retreat
1. - 3. July: yoga & organic vegan cooking
4. - 9. September: yoga retreat
16. - 18. September: yoga & organic vegan cooking
7. - 9. October: yoga weekend

We are very  much looking forward to hosting
individuals from all walks of life: omnivores, vegetarians, vegans

Bon appétit & namasté!

ACTIVITIES - Karma Exchange Saturday, 14. November

Twice a year we organize a "Karma Exchange", essentially a clothing swap which has turned into the idea to extend this exchange of previously loved items to an exchange on several levels. And the 14th of October coincides with this year's Diwali Festival of Lights which we shall celebrate with the launching of happiness balloons into the evening sky

Throughout the afternoon there will be 

- a yoga session, with Claudia and other guest teachers
- talks & discussions
- coffee & tea
- a clothing swap
- live music / dancing / singing
- a guided meditation
- a shared dinner

Starting with a yoga session around 14h in the yoga shala we will ease into the afternoon and go with the flow, depending on who shows up and wants to share, be it a skill, knowledge, wisdom or simply presence: everybody is welcome to join. Basically La Vudèle will be the canvas on which we paint.

In the evening we will gather around the dinner table in our farmhouse kitchen, by a wood fired stove, where everyone can present their vegetarian or vegan contribution, a potluck or repas espanol.

date: Saturday, 14. November 2015
place: La Vudèle, Quinson

This is for locals who would like to reconnect after the summer, for visitors who want to have a local experience, for long-lost friends, passersby, everybody is welcome!

Come & join!

ACTIVITIES - spring at the café

Spring has arrived in Provence when the street cafés start to get busy again. With the (fairly) mild weather here we are fortunate to be able to make use of this quintessential Mediterranean pastime every Saturday morning where we meet up with friends and acquaintances, sometimes bringing guests along. 

at the café

 At the bar Le Central we try to get a table in the sun, and since the branches of the plane trees, platane in French, were trimmed the end of February it is nowadays possible to enjoy the warming sunshine the entire time. 

This is also where we swap ideas, exchange stories, plan excursions or simply sit together and watch the world go by.