Fran and I set off early to the Jean Mace marche to get supplies for our Easter feast. We came home with rabbit to cook. Everything looked so fresh and alive at the market, the air was crisp with a little reminder of winter. We filled the trolley with strawberries, tiny pomme de terre, thumb tomatoes all rosy and red, mushrooms, onions, apples, carrots, beans, the plump rabbit, and of course Easter eggs to celebrate Fete de Paques.
Lovely Lucie came to pick us up for a trip to l'Ile Barbe, just a little drive along the Saone from the centre of the city. The river became a deeper green the further we drove.
We arrived at l'Ile Barbe and the first sight was the lovely Boulanger de l'Ile Barbe, owned by Philippe Jocteur. Philippe has been baking bread for Paul Bocuse for 17 years. He supplies them twice a day for lunch and dinner. He bakes a sturdy bread which is still fresh the day after, always a good sign.
Lucie showed us around l'Ile Barbe and pointed out the old Auberge. Locals played boules in the park and the sun came out to play for a while. The bridge over the river brought us back the the Boulanger. It was lovely to talk to Philippe about his bread and patisserie delights. He is a package of pride and humility all in one, a lovely man. He treated us to a lovely afternoon tea of a tarte from the enticing display, cafe creme, hot chocolate and he insisted we try a l'agneau Pascal, a speciality of lemon infused cake in the shape of a lamb he bakes from his grandmother's recipe. It is special to him and he gives a print out of the history with every one he sells. People buy the lambs dusted in icing sugar to decorate their table when celebrating fetes de Paques (Easter).
Further up the river was the Paul Bocuse Restaurant. Far from humble, everything about Bocuse shouts 'look at me' so we did.
