Setting aside the stress of knowing we couldn’t eat any of this because we were about to walk into the restaurant for lunch visiting @le_doyennerestaurant_ at the weekend and shopping for vegetables at its weekend market was absolutely one of our favourite moments of our summer in France this year. Done with the same joy, generosity and gorgeousness as every other part of this establishment the Saturday and Sunday summer markets are a brilliant addition to this grand ever-evolving project. We were heading towards the Jura and the panier of vegetables we took with us was invaluable. You don’t need to be eating at the restaurant to shop or eat here. We’ve always loved lunch at Le Doyenné and now we’re locked in to a weekend shopping trip each time we visit. Congratulations @james_edward_henry_ and @shaunbarneykelly. We’re crossing our fingers it’s repeated next summer.

We love this first photo of Jean-Pierre and Noëlla Robinot - a reminder of what a formidable and glorious team they make. An afternoon with them is full of joy, surprises (the 2002 Vouvray as fresh as a daisy), always some new knowledge, delightful people and also always the most delicious food and wine.

One last meal in the Perche. A wonderful discovery this year that it’s possible to reserve for a meal at d’une île even if you are not a guest. If you’re staying nearby this is a wonderful option. No guarantees (no doubt house guests have priority) but our reservation came through quickly. Another facet of Bertrand Grébaut’s incredible legacy.

We were lucky to be in the Perche in June during (from memory) the second week of @lormoie_perche’s life. This bowl of lettuce is deliberately the first photo because it came from their own garden and represents so much of what this lovely project is about. It was delivered to the table with the special joy that surely can only come from having grown, picked and dressed it yourself. It’s a giant project to serve anything you’ve grown while doing all the other things that building and then running a restaurant involves so the team had every reason to be proud. We loved everything about l’ormoie - its honesty, energy, wine list, and delicious dishes - and can’t wait to come back to see how the garden evolves and makes its way into the dining room as each season unfolds.

Still in the Perche (in June) where we stumbled on this vegetable stall in Rémalard-en-Perche) just before lunch and just before it closed, while looking for somewhere to buy toilet paper of all things! Some of the best vegetables we bought in 6 weeks of travel, including a cucumber that redefined what cucumbers can be, with a completely mesmerising silky texture. Afterwards we found the sign to the farm, just a few minutes from d’Une Ile. It’s open on Saturday mornings - a memo made for a future visit.

So many delicious places to eat in the Perche. This is a tiny wine bar @silocafecave with a serious cave at the back (a strong magnum shelf), delicious snacks, good things by the glass (this was a Sylvain Martinez pet- nat), and generous amounts of butter.