Hiking and Cooking in the South of France

The mountain resort of La Colmiane (1500 m) was largely spared from the devastation caused by the storm Alex on 3 October 2020. Incidentally, we climbed to Caïre Gros from Colmiane just a few days before the storm hit the area.

Now, almost 9 months later, we went for a hike from Colmiane, our first visit to the upper valleys after the storm.

The weather forecast showed a high probability of afternoon thunderstorms. We therefore opted for a shorter hike above the resort.

We started along the same dirt track which we used last year as far as to signpost #94, where we forked left and continued along a forest path which eventually merged with the GR5 trail at signpost #98. We continued to Col du Varaire (1710 m; signpost #310) where we forked sharply left and continued northeast towards Pic de la Colmiane (1790 m).  The early summer greenery and flora was just fantastic! At the summit, we passed the ski lift upper station and the restaurant and descended to Col de Colmiane (1641 m) along a wide track/ski run.

This quick and colourful recipe makes a tasty and healthy dinner. The ingredients are easy to find year-round.

2 servings

2 organic skinless chicken breasts

2 carrots, sliced

A handful of very small new potatoes or a few larger ones sliced

Olive oil

1 bouquet garni (a bunch of dried thyme and bay leaf)

Black pepper

8 pitted black olives, sliced

1 organic orange, zest and juice

250 ml chicken stock

2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Fresh herbs to decorate

In a heavy casserole such as Le Creuset warm 1 tbsp. olive oil over low heat and sauté the bouquet garni for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile microwave the sliced carrots and potatoes until soft. Add to the casserole and continue sautéing until light golden. Add the olives, cover and keep warm.

Warm 1 tbsp. olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat and sauté the chicken breasts for 10 minutes. Turn and sauté the other side for about 5 minutes. Add the orange juice and zest and let reduce for about 10 minutes turning the breasts occasionally.

At the same time reduce the chicken stock and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan by 2/3; Then pour in the frying pan over the chicken.

Divide the breasts and vegetables on the plates and pour the orange sauce over the chicken. Decorate with chopped fresh herbs.

For someone who enjoys hikes along soft alpine meadows along easy trails with super views, we can certainly recommend the following itinerary above Roubion, between the Tinée and Cians Valleys.

The mountains south of Col de la Couillole (1678 m) are round, reminding us of fells in northern Scandinavia. Many of them have ski lifts serving the small ski resort in Roubion. There are marked hiking trails, tracks used by mountain bikers in summer as well as tracks in the terrain which are not shown on maps at all. This makes walking very easy as you can tailor-make your itinerary.

Inspired by last year’s hike around Pin Pourri (1826 m) from Beuil, we now wanted to explore the trail to Tête du Pommier (1913 m).

Mont Mounier

Towards Pin Pourri

East of Pin Pourri

Cime de Tournerie

Lauvet d'Ilonse

Trail south of Cime de Tournerie

Heading to signpost 62a

Cowslips near Tête de Pommier

We wanted to use the trails which were a bit higher, and first headed south towards Pin Pourri. We passed its summit, then descended to signpost #65 at Les Compés, and continued to signpost #66 at Terme Ribi. From here, we circled along the western flank of Cime de Tournerie. The itinerary followed a dirt track partly converted to a ski run, still wet after last night’s rain. We followed an unkept path parallel to it, then joined a good trail to signpost #62a where we forked right (southwest) to signpost #62 which was on the grassy north western slope of Tête de Pommier. We climbed directly to the flat summit.

Signpost#62 under Tête de Pommier summit

At Tête de Pommier

Beuil viewed from Tête de Pommier

Pin Pourri vast summit

Tête de Pommier hike track

The French morning TV, Télématin, recently showed a nice clip from the fish market in Saint-Jean-de-Luz where a local chef cooked tuna with tataki sauce.

The tuna fishing season in the Bay of Biscay is from June to October. The fishing is sustainable respecting the quotas and every caught tuna is numbered. They seemed to weigh 30 kg in the market of Saint-Jean-de-Luz.

The chef cooked the tuna filet mi-cuit gently over medium heat on all sides and leaving it raw inside. The tuna was then sliced, placed on top of sautéed green vegetables and drizzled with tataki sauce.

The simplest tataki sauce is lemon juice, soy sauce, grated garlic, sesame oil, and minced green onion whisked together. For more Mediterranean flavours, I replaced sesame oil with olive oil. Tataki sauce goes also well with salmon. Soy sauce is salty so if you want to reduce some salt in tataki sauce you could choose salt-reduced soy sauce.

2 servings tataki sauce

1 tbsp. chopped green onion

A dash of finely minced garlic

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. soy sauce

Whisk together all the ingredients until the sauce emulsifies and thickens. Keep refrigerated until needed.

Make a green vegetable sauté by cooking over medium heat in 1- 2 tbsp. of olive oil different greens in season such as green asparagus, courgette, green peas, spinach, and some shallot and garlic. Keep warm, covered while you cook the tuna steaks.

Warm 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat in a frying pan and gently cook the tuna steaks leaving them pink, almost rare inside. The cooking time varies according to the thickness of the steaks, about 2- 3 minutes on both sides. 

Divide the vegetables and tuna on the plates and drizzle the tataki sauce over the fish.

The following loop hike which circles Cime d’Anelle (1841 m) northwest of Saint-Etienne de Tinée (1160 m) runs partly in ancient pasture and agricultural land, partly in a verdant spruce, pine and larch forest.

The French name of the Anelle Forest, Bois d'Anelle,  is derived from the provençal word agnel meaning agneau, lamb.

We parked next to the Pinatelle Telecabin, crossed the river and walked past a school named Jean Franco to signpost #78 and started to ascend along the GR5 trail, crossing a road several times. The area on the sunny southern slope called Ublan comprised several old farmhouses, some apparently being renovated. 

We continued to signpost #80 and 81 where we left the GR 5, forked right (Tour de Bois d’Anelle), followed a dirt track then a good path which soon dove into the forest. The day was hot for mid-September, and it was nice to continue in the cool Bois d’Anelle where the trail undulated in the shade.

We followed the yellow-marked PR trail as far as to Col d’Anelle (1739 m) where we re-joined the GR 5 (signpost #71). We forked left and followed a wide track, climbing a bit. After about 1 km, we left the dirt track, and descended in open terrain with old fields, barns and some houses on both sides. We came back to signpost #81, completing the loop, then to #80, and descended fairly rapidly back to the village.

Distance: 10,7 km   

Duration: 4 h

Climb: 680 m

Map : « Haute Tinée I » 3639 OT

Bois d'Anelle loop hike track

Location of St-Etienne-de-Tinée

The following salade niçoise recipe is not authentic. It is inspired by a lunch in the restaurant of Galeries Lafayette Nice some time ago.

The centrepiece of this salad is fresh tuna cooked like a steak. The tuna steak was mi-cuit, pink in the middle. For this kind of cooking, tuna needs to be fresh; pink- reddish, clear in colour. Tuna which is dark red, brownish is old.

2 servings

2 handfuls of baby salad leaves, mesclun

1 green paprika

2 eggs

A handful of cherry tomatoes

A handful of cooked green beans

2 tbsp. pitted black olives

2 spring onions or minced chives

1 sliced avocado, optional

8 anchovy fillets, optional

A few wedges of Italian artichokes from a jar

About 200- 250 g tuna steak

2 tbsp. olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Basil leaves to decorate, optional

For the dressing:

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. red wine vinegar

Boil the eggs for 6- 7 minutes until the egg white is set but the yolk still soft and a bit runny. Place in cold water for a while, then peel and set aside.

Divide the salad leaves on two large plates. Wash and chop the green paprika and divide on the plates. Scatter with cherry tomatoes, artichoke wedges, black olives and avocado slices. Place the eggs on the plates and halve them. If using anchovy fillets, divide them on the plates. Finely slice the spring onions or chives and sprinkle on the plates.

Warm 2 tbsp. olive oil in a steel pan over medium heat. Cook the tuna steak about 2-2,5 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness. Be careful not to overcook- pink or even a little red in the middle is tasty whereas thoroughly cooked tuna is dry. 

When the tuna steak is cooked, halve it and place on the plates. Whisk together oil and vinegar and pour the dressing over the salad. Decorate with basil leaves.

Serve the salad with some good whole wheat bread for a balanced lunch.

We planned a leisurely walk near Nice as the city was preparing itself for a weekend lockdown due to the pandemic. The main reason for preferring a moderate exercise was, however, the deteriorating air quality in the region. Authorities even recommended prudence regarding outdoor activities. Desert dust from Sahara had reached vast areas in eastern France.

Parking at Plan des Noves (at 780 m elev. and a 10 min drive from Vence along M2) is a popular starting point for walks. We wanted to explore trails near Col de Vence (962 m). Studying the map, we found several trails and tracks some of which were neither signposted nor marked officially as hiking trails.

This simple but tasty pasta dish needs only minimal cooking and preparation. The secret lies in quality ingredients; the best Italian conserved artichokes and capers and tasty French goat cheese, chèvre. It is preferable to use fresh baby spinach leaves in this recipe but they can be substituted with some frozen spinach leaves.

2 servings

1 shallot, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp. olive oil

½ jar of grilled Italian artichokes

8 large Italian capers

About 100 g French goat cheese

A handful of baby spinach or some frozen spinach leaves

1 tsp. dried Provençal herbs

Freshly ground black pepper

Pasta, fusilli, penne or some other shapes, for 2 servings

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat and gently sauté the shallot and garlic with Provençal herbs. Add the baby spinach and continue sautéing for a few minutes until the spinach has wilted.

Place the artichoke on kitchen paper to remove some of the oil and vinegar in which they are conserved.

Chop the goat cheese and place in a large bowl. Add the artichoke and black pepper and mix.

Meanwhile cook the pasta, drain it and add to the skillet. Stir to coat the pasta with the olive oil in the skillet, then add to the bowl. Mix and divide into two bowls. Decorate each bowl with four large capers.