Thanks for the reassurance, gentlemen. I think I will need to learn
to say "sauce on the side", lord knows I use that term enough here!
(de la cote? sur la cote?) Anyway, RV, I promise not to avoid cheese
altogether in France, I know that would be a shame. I don't eat much
of it here in the States, except for bleu cheese and chevre on salads.
(The "Michigan Theme Salad" is very popular here (Michigan) which
involves lettuce, bleu/roquefort cheese, pine nuts (or walnuts), and
dried cherries.) Anyway, I promise to try some cheeses in small
quantities while in France.

Emery, I did not know you that you reside in Normandy. Until a few
weeks ago, our summer trip was to entail a French Impressionist
art-themed river cruise through Paris and Normandy (instead of South
of the France/Provence cruise), 3 days in Paris, and 3 days in London
(instead of Cannes.) I did quite a bit of reading about Normandy (and
my poor husband read a 523 page book on D-Day only to find out that
our cruise was cancelled and we were going in an entirely different
direction). I did see that the food was a lot heavier in Normandy.
But I was looking forward to trying Calvados.

Max, I dined at Le Cirq at the Bellagio a few years ago with my
husband. It was one of the best meals we have ever had. I think we
may have had to skip dessert because we were too full. I didn't know
about many options I had to make more room. But that reminds me of
the time my husband informed our waitress (I think at a Charley's Crab
somewhere) that we were unfortunately too full to have dessert. The
waitress unbelievably suggested to me and my husband that we order the
key lime pie because fruit opens up the stomach and we would be able
to eat more if we ordered the pie. Sigh.

-Cherie