Highlight of the trip thus far? Dinner party at Pam's (Abroadco onsite director in Aix). On Friday all 7 of us on this program were invited to Pam's apartment in Marseille for dinner. Her beau, the former chef extraordinaire, whipped us up a fantastic 5 course meal served outdoors on a terrace overlooking the Marseille Palais and surrounding gardens. Pam's apartment was unreal and what has now become my dream abode when I grow up and "turn into a Pam," as Adam likes to say. Perhaps I won't go so far as moving abroad to teach art and art history, but then again, where else will I find an apartment and food and wine like this?
We walked 40 mins from the bus station and then climbed a spiral staircase four flights before finally reaching Pam's door. She welcomed us into this sprawling apartment lovingly decorated with shabby chic furniture, exotic trinkets, luxe fabrics, and the best of all: paintings upon paintings done by Pam herself! They were all infused with light and color and emotion. Her art is unlike anything I have ever seen before. Unsurprisingly her apartment was such too. I wandered around taking pictures, of course, of the stack of antique luggage trunks in her bedroom, of the gatherings of ceramic pots in her fireplaces, of the strings of onions in her kitchen window...I just adored it all and was two breaths away from asking to move in, but then I thought that might not be appropriate.
At dinner we all helped ourselves to glass after glass of pastis, rose, white, this rich perfumy red, a strawberry dessert wine...all amazing! We watched the sun set over the city as we sipped our red pepper soup. We discussed wines and travel over a spread of pungent cheeses. We attempted to pop corks off the balcony into the neighboring park, listening to stories of the time Pam dropped a knife from four stories up. And of course we all adamantly agreed that we are the best group ever! (even when there have only been one or two groups...ever) The night was topped off with a framboise tarte and fresh whipped cream. If there were one food to sum up an evening like such, it would have to be whipped cream. Delicious and ephemeral.