Bistro Venitien in Clermont-Ferrand, central France
The bistro is on Rue Des Gras, a long cobble-stoned street leading uphill to the Cathedral. We sit at a table on the street, our view looking up to the cathedral and down across the valley to the Puy de Dome---is there any significance to the fact that the front of the cathedral looks straight across to the puy? Even in bright sunshine, the silhouette of the black-stone cathedral is dark, and as the sun sets, it gets darker, but softer, and as the stars come out the spires blend in to the sky.
It’s a balmy evening, many people eating here, or parading up the street. We enjoy our salmon (Viv), steak (Rod and Di), and Pizza Rossi (Graeme)---it’s a ham and mushroom pizza with an egg in the middle, which looks like a fried egg---and the Rockmaure rose wine.
It’s a relaxed, magical evening, made perfect when two wandering musicians stop next to the outside tables. One plays a violin, the other an accordion, and the sound is lovely and “very French”. As Di says, “The accordion epitomizes France for me”, and I have to agree. There’s a special sound to this instrument, which conjures up images of a special life, of artists in Paris.
The bistro is on Rue Des Gras, a long cobble-stoned street leading uphill to the Cathedral. We sit at a table on the street, our view looking up to the cathedral and down across the valley to the Puy de Dome---is there any significance to the fact that the front of the cathedral looks straight across to the puy? Even in bright sunshine, the silhouette of the black-stone cathedral is dark, and as the sun sets, it gets darker, but softer, and as the stars come out the spires blend in to the sky.
It’s a balmy evening, many people eating here, or parading up the street. We enjoy our salmon (Viv), steak (Rod and Di), and Pizza Rossi (Graeme)---it’s a ham and mushroom pizza with an egg in the middle, which looks like a fried egg---and the Rockmaure rose wine.
It’s a relaxed, magical evening, made perfect when two wandering musicians stop next to the outside tables. One plays a violin, the other an accordion, and the sound is lovely and “very French”. As Di says, “The accordion epitomizes France for me”, and I have to agree. There’s a special sound to this instrument, which conjures up images of a special life, of artists in Paris.
Comments