mattersmagazine.com 15 T After two long flights and one Uber ride, I am craning my neck from the back seat of a car while a very patient driver named Florian navigates an unmarked road in southern France riddled with deep potholes. Not too far from Grasse, about a half-hour’s drive from Cannes, the directions to Julia and Paul Child’s beloved “La Peetch” indicate a turn catty-corner from the horse school, Chemin du Ranch. Florian’s command of English is only slightly better than my fractured French. The car bounces in and out of alignment while I reread the directions trying to clarify. “Non, non, not La Pichouline! La Pitchoune. Ici. Tournez here. I mean there, là-bas.” As we ascend the winding road edged with cypress trees, a line of potted plants adjacent to a pool indicate I have arrived. I am anxious to meet my new housemates for the week: an assemblage of food writers, academics, a photographer who calls Norway home, and a classically-trained chef. The common thread: food, wine, chocolate and Julia. We will spend our week retracing many of the steps taken by Julia and Paul. Our food itinerary includes but is not limited to croissants and local yogurt for breakfast, rich cheeses and charcuterie plates for lunch and dinners abundant with fresh herbs, garlic, olives and wines from the region. As we recover from one meal and prepare for the next, we will fill notebooks and cameras with images from this remarkable journey. The entrance to the house dubbed “the little peach” is a door within a door. Access to the black wrought-iron handle on the inner door requires inserting your hand through a small windowed screen. Attempting to turn the handle quietly, I pinch four out of five fingers, miss the step leading into the house and drop my carry-on suitcase with a thud. Je m’excuse. I am experiencing a lightning bolt of culture shock. There is a strong pull of history from the moment you enter the sun- splashed walls of the comfortable living/dining room. Photographs 145 Maplewood Avenue, Maplewood Office: 973-378-8300 Susan Blodgett Broker / Sales Associate Cell: 973-214-4636 Susan.Blodgett@cbmoves.com Virginia "Ginny" Spiegel Sales Associate Cell: 973-219-8865 Virginia.Spiegel@cbmoves.com ©2014 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned and Operated by NRT LLC. Property Experts. Neighborhood Enthusiasts. Contact Susan or Ginny at The Blodgett Group Selling Lifestyles through Real Estate