Meeting Julia

Last evening I finished reading Julie & Julia. If you can get past the language, it really is a great book - very enjoyable to read. A few days ago, my mother, Molly and I went to see the movie. It was my mother's second time (she cried both times over the butter in the Smithsonian). The movie just mades you want to go and cook something!
The book and movie got me to thinking about my experiences involving Julia Child. Over the past several years, we have taken roughly 25 culinary trips to Europe, but the very first few were to La Pitchoune Country House, located in Grasse France. There are two main houses on the property that is now a cooking school run by Kathie Alex. Simone Beck owned one of the houses and Julie and Paul Child the other. The classes were held in the house owned by Julia - Paul had traced her cooking implements on corkboard, just like in Cambridge. I was fortunate to stay in Julia's bedroom in that house twice! Her black and white cat slept at my feet and some of her original manuscripts, along with her hat collection were in the closet. Though Paul had passed away, Julia still owned that property, though she no longer spent time there, as she was so advanced in age. I remember she had a beautiful egg cup collection and several framed personal photographs in the living room.
Also, about that same time , we attended a convention for culinary professionals in Philadelphia. Julia was there and we had a photo taken with her - its in The Cooking Cottage. She was quite interested to hear that we had been to her home in France and inquired about the cat! She signed one of our brochures, which my mother has framed in her kitchen.
A few years later, while in New York City, we took a cooking class at Peter Kumps, taught by Julia and Nick Malgeri. I believe she pasted away not too long after that.
I'd love to take another group to La Pitchoune - if you'd like to come, let me know!