In which I scream for grown-up joe.

This may be the most pathetically inadequate set of photos ever, which is a real pity, as Arles is a sweet, very walkable, very old city. Yes, it can be quite touristy too, but with a bit of effort, you can escape the near-ubiquitous van Gogh postcards and kitschy bull-fighting paraphenalia. But back to the inadequacy of this photo sampling: after about, oh, the fifth shot (and twenty minutes into my visit), I ran out of camera juice. This may not seem earth-shattering--alright it isn't--but I was astonished. Crushed. An hour or so from home, and I didn't even have the foggiest notion of where the spare battery might possibly be. I thought of you, fervently, because it was a beautiful day, and I was in a beautiful, ancient space.
And I. Couldn't. Take. Photos. I did masochistically, compulsively take note of all the photos I would have taken (just so you realize, there were some real prizewinners)...until finally I shook myself out of it and got myself something to eat.

Arles has a lot of restaurants; you can easily lose count. Unfortunately, most appear rather mediocre at best. When you're only there for the day, you don't want to spoil your visit with poor camera planning AND a bad meal. I wandered in circles until I decided upon something charmingly off-kilter: a tiny restaurant that serves Provençal and Japanese food, in the form of salads, sandwiches and sushi. (Have you culinary purists lost all respect for me yet?)

But wait--one of the owners is actually, truly Japanese. And I didn't have any sushi anyway; in fact, we all chose sandwiches. By God, if these weren't the finest sandwiches I've had in a very long time. Simple as all get out, but with the perfect baguette (i.e. ideal ratio of crispy crust to soft, non-doughy interior) and well-chosen, high quality fillings. The baguettes were topped with finely chopped tomatoes sprinkled with fresh-ground cardamom and pepper and a judicious lashing of superb local olive oil (which the shop also sells). Never before has lunch at a randomly chosen restaurant been this degree of satisfying. We argued loudly over whose sandwich was the best. Run, don't walk: go pick your own favorite at Fadoli et Fadola, 46, rue des Arènes.
One of the Roman amphitheaters, nearly 2,000 years old and in beautiful condition, is now used for bull-fighting. The image above is just inside the main entrance. If stones could speak...

In fact, many of them do, with intriguing, scratched-in tags. En bref, Arles a un charme fou (basically, Arles has a crazy amount of charm), not least for the history buff, with its seemingly endless pile of gorgeous old buildings. For those of us overheated and recovering from our own small follies, however, there is this to come home to. Luscious, almost slushy, darkly, deeply caffeinated, with the slightest grownup edge of bitterness and a pronounced liqueur accent that elevate it beyond a regular sorbet and make this concoction damn near irresistible. Not to be shared with munchkins--especially when they beg.

Café hyper-glacé pour les grands (Frozen Coffee for Proper Adults)

Number of servings varies widely.

1 ½ cups fresh-brewed strong coffee, chilled
1 cup coffee liqueur, such as Kahluá
¾ cup condensed milk
¼ cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla

Combine all the ingredients, pour into your ice cream maker and churn. That’s it.

Before the bulls.

It just seemed like the thing to do this past Sunday morning. We jumped into the Mini Cooper, drove for a couple of hours, and found ourselves in a somnolent, 2,700 year old city.A scant ten kilometers from the Mediterranean, Béziers has seen a lot of action through the ages, having been variously occupied by the Celts, the Romans (natch), the Visigoths, and the Moors. It became a Cathar stronghold, until it was definitively sacked by the Catholics in the Albigensian Crusade. Béziers' history marched on, and included the dramatic building of Canal du Midi, which was finished in 1681 and stretches 240 kilometers from Toulouse to the port town of Sete, and was intended to be the defining element of a shortcut between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. In Béziers, there are nine locks of the Canal du Midi, which together are the third most visited tourist site in France, after the Pont du Gard and, of course, the Eiffel Tower. These days, the old city center is wonderful to wander. You get positively blissful doing it, as there's something noteworthy or at least charming around every corner. Good thing, too: as any small Mediterranean city worthy of the name, Béziers is so very closed on Sunday afternoons. Finding a restaurant open for lunch was well-nigh impossible, so we settled for a cafe-bar with rows of shaded swinging chairs, sandwiches jambon-beurre and citrons pressés. Small pleasures can bring the biggest joy. Especially when you're hot and hungry.
Béziers may also have been resting up for the party of the year, which opened today. The Feria takes over the city for 5 days every year, with the long bull-fighting tradition of the city as its centerpiece. In France, certain though not all forms of bullfighting are non-lethal, and the bulls thus often have long, lucrative careers. The interest in the Béziers feria is intense: it is said that a million people attend. I don't suppose all can fit in the Roman arenas where the spectacles occur, and for those of us who still find it a bit of a blood sport, the feria is known as much for its high quality street music and theater, extensive open-air markets, parades, equestrian events...But of course we missed all that.Getting home, we were good and hungry (again), and grilling already marinaded chicken brochettes was the easy solution, along with stuffed tomatoes. When you make these, look for tomatoes that are intended for stuffing, such as the 'Striped Caverns' I went with. Stuffing tomatoes are actually rather dry and hollowish inside, not unlike a bell pepper. They are the ultimate heirloom tomato, as they are said to be how tomatoes used to be, before the development of the modern cultivars we know today. They taste fine stuffed with nearly anything, from meat, to rice, to veg, to couscous. I like using the really large couscous, which, depending on where you are, is known as Maftoul, pearl couscous, Israeli couscous, etc., etc. I also throw in a generous, heady combination of typical North African spices (don't worry, they mellow in the process), crumble in some Greek feta, use some of the zucchini all my gardening friend share with me, add a piquant element with balsamic vinegar, and voilà. What to eat after a sun-soaked day trip.Tomates farcies à la Méditerranéenne (Mediterranean Stuffed Tomatoes)

Serves four as a side dish.

1 liter chicken broth
1 large clove garlic, very finely minced
1 tablespoon tomato concentrate
¼ teaspoon ground chili pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Fresh ground pepper
100 g maftoul/pearl couscous/Israeli couscous
4-6 stuffing tomatoes (ex: Yellow Stuffer, Red Stuffer or Striped Cavern)
1 tablespoon good-quality balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon thick crème fraîche
1 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 cup Greek feta, crumbled

Add the minced garlic, tomato concentrate and all the spices, including the fresh ground pepper to the chicken broth. Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium sized saucepan. Add the maftoul/pearl couscous/Israeli couscous to the spiced broth. Allow the couscous to boil for about eleven minutes (ten will be rather firm, twelve will be a bit too soft). While the couscous is cooking, cut off the tops of the tomatoes, cut the ribs and scoop out the flesh and seeds. Once ready, remove couscous from the heat and strain, reserving the tasty, thick broth for another use (cooking rice, as a soup base, etc). Add vinegar, oil, crème fraîche and some more fresh ground pepper to the strained couscous and stir to combine well. Lightly sauté the zucchini in a large pan over medium heat in two batches to keep it from getting mushy. As the zucchini is just barely cooked (2-3 minutes), stir in the red bell pepper and continue to cook another minute or so. They should still have a bit of bite. Mix the two vegetables and the crumbled feta in with the couscous. Stuff the tomatoes with the couscous mixture. Before serving, warm the tomatoes in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 150C.

Back to Barcelona.

Who turns down a chance to go to Barcelona? Not I. So I found myself back on the E15, zipping southward past the stately, snow-capped Pyrénées mountains. In less time than you might expect, I found myself in the vibrant city center.

I love to people-watch. I also love food. The best of all possible situations are when both are combined.

The dynamic energy of the city is due at least in part to the independent-minded Catalans who call it home. This little girl was fascinated with the flower petals and other wedding detritus outside the cathedral.

In place of a wedding, ongoing renovation at the National Cathedral.

After all the wandering, fried boquerones (fresh anchovies) at a nearby cerveseria were a welcome sight. That and the globe-shaped copa of beer.I stumbled across the serene barri goti (Gothic quarter) square where the Sant Felip Neri cathedral sits. The damage on its facade is said to be due to machine-gun fire from executions carried out by pro-Franco troops in 1939.

It's hot in Barcelona in July and August, which is why so many locals head elsewhere in that period. For those remaining, keeping comfortable is key, and even dogs get their turn at the local water fountain. This wasn't the first time for this trio: they clearly anticipated the routine.

This man looked like he's been world-weary since medieval times.

Originally from Valencia, orxata (or horchata in Spanish) is very refreshing way to stay cool. It's made of the juice of tiger nuts (known as chufa) sugar and water. It is served ice-cold, and tastes a bit like lightly sweetened soy milk. The window-watching can go on for some time.

These candies are made by hand in every possible flavor and color permutation. These were, of course, lime and pink grapefruit flavored.

Another pit stop for xurros (piped, fried doughnuts). It is all this specialist makes, other than the hot chocolate to go with it. There are an awful lot of 'x's in Catalan. Luckily, I could use my basic Spanish most everywhere. Thank goodness Barcelonins are patient and friendly!

But where do they go for ingredients to make their delicious finger foods?

In addition to the conventional supermarkets (where you can safely stow your basket on wheels--and apparently your dog--for a coin, as seen below), there are the covered markets, of course.Beyond the famous Mercat de la Boqueria, said to be Barcelona's oldest and largest covered food market, there are dozens and dozens of others, some more modest in scale but heavily frequented by the locals. Some of Spain's world famous ham.

Cooling off the Iberic way. Cashews, some of which have been toasted, dipped in honey and rolled in white sesame seeds. Hungry yet?

More candy than you can shake a toothbrush at.

I was thrilled with the profound sweetness and juiciness of my piece of pineapple, which hydrated sufficiently for me to make one of the more important travel decisions: where to eat.

(To be continued.)

Seaside color.

Hello again! I'm still shaking the sand out of the beach bag, as my family got together for some sun and fun in Cassis. Here's some of what I saw... Tablecloths for sale, swaying in the breeze.
Beans at the market. I should have gotten some...
Colorful bracelets for the summer.
Linen blouse with pretty details.
Breakfast options.
Better than television: watching the action on the square.
A secluded cove, where you can see the native Aleppo pines growing directly out of the limestone rock.
Moroccan pottery.
Mediterannean multi-tasking: hop off your scooter, grab a bite to eat, peel off your shirt and people-watch while you catch some rays.
Local olives.
Some good-looking fig jam. I should have picked some of that up too, come to think of it.
Coeur de boeuf (heart of beef) tomatoes.
The first golden plums I've seen. (I'm already stockpiling jars because I'm going to have a serious bumper crop of Reine-Claudes--greengages--this year).
Keeping it down-home and local.
I ate at Nino's, a family culinary institution right in the port which has been serving meals without interruption since 1962.
Anise-infused pastis is the drink on the coast. I love the notion, the reality is more of an acquired taste. Little old hat-wearing men sit around drinking it.
Cassis is a charming little port village, with more than its share of restaurants.
Color, and laundry, everywhere.
The Mediterannean unfortunately doesn't have the fish stocks it used to; most of the boats in the port are for pleasure.
Not too far off, there are also some camp sites tucked under very large, airy pines, where some of these sun-burned vacationers head off to in the evenings.The calanques are every bit as beautiful as in these postcards. If you find yourself in Cassis, you musn't miss them.
There are shade-giving platanes (plane/sycamore trees) with their distinctive 'camouflage' bark in every village, and Cassis is no exception.
Street jazz. Young and talented.
The sun is so bright, you tan even under a rented parasol.
I could have put up so many more photos...Oleander everywhere, in all the hues from whites and peaches to reds, fuschia bougainvillea draped over walls, blue plumbago in full bloom.
I mightily enjoyed some eggplant caviar at a beach restaurant. Inspired, I'll be whipping this up after I've stocked up at the farmer's market tomorrow; we've got a full house, and I enjoy keeping tasty, make-in-advance spreads and finger foods within arm's reach. If you've never had this before, do give it a whirl. It's just the ticket with a glass of white wine in the late afternoon...I like this version (there are many out there), by Hubert Keller.

Caviar aux Aubergines (Eggplant Caviar)

Serves about four. Can easily be doubled or tripled.

1 large eggplant, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small baguette, thinly sliced (1/4 inch thick)
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large tomato--peeled, seeded and cut into1/8 -inch dice
3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 180C°. Brush the cut sides of the eggplant with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Set the eggplant, cut sides down, on a baking sheet and roast for about 1 hour, or until tender and collapsed. Let cool. Arrange the bread slices on another baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Add the red pepper, onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

Using a spoon, scrape the eggplant flesh from the skin; discard the skin. Finely chop the flesh and add the eggplant to the sautéed vegetables. Stir in the tomato, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more lemon juice if necessary; refrigerate until slightly chilled. Stir the chives and basil into the eggplant caviar and serve with the toasted slices of bread.

(The eggplant can be refrigerated for up to 1 day; store the croutons at room temperature. Let the caviar stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.)