One Chapter Closes, the Next Begins

Thursday, September 1st. Fall is in the air here in Cabris, France, my last full day here! Last night was my last service at the restaurant, I am officially finished! A sometimes seemingly long stint, it flew by, the two and a half months working here.

 
     Garde Mange view

Not the most enjoyable kitchen experience I have had, but still one that I learned from and am a better cook and person because of! Onto the next.

I am happy to say that I have an incredible month ahead! Tomorrow I will take the train to Nice, where I will meet up with a friend (who has been my neighbor for all my life), who happens to be studying in Genoa Italy for the semester. Nice is nearly the halfway point between Genoa and Cabris, and he happened to plan a trip to Nice the same weekend I was going to be available! Should be a wonderful weekend spent on the sea adjacent to city.

Monday I will fly to Copenhagen, where I will remain for a week. Another week at noma! I am beyond giddy with excitement to return, so curious
 to see what has changed in the past 5 months, see the different seasons menu, cook alongside the greatest team I have had the chance to work with, see the impeccable products once more, feel the energy of the "Best Restaurant" in the world once more! Stoked!

The following Tuesday I will fly to Berlin, spend a two or so days there, and then take the train to a small city where I have a friend from traveling a few years ago. I will be in Germany for five or six days, and then fly from Berlin to Nice.

From Nice I will take a train to the city of Avignon, just north of Marseille, on the 18th I am scheduled to report in the train station to be picked up and begin the work on the vineyard! I will be working for two week close to Avignon, for the crush of the grapes, learning the process, seeing the importance of terroir, learning what it takes to make a bottle of wine! A long time dream of mine, one of the goals of my life, to work on a vineyard. And its coming true! So curious and excited about those two weeks. Here is a link to the vineyard, http://www.rouge-bleu.com/, a small all natural vineyard producing a few different wines, all incredibly unique and top quality! Sold at Secco Wine Bar and River City Cellars(alma mater!), in Richmond!

I finish at the vineyard on the 3rd, and am planning on flying out of Barcelona back to the U.S. Expecting to return around the 5th or so, we will see!

Excited for what should be an educational, cultural, and fun filled month ahead. Hope to provide you all with pictures and stories from the sites I see!

Talk soon