As 2025 comes to a close , it is useful to look back on this year gone by , and reflect on, or rather anticipate what is coming .

First of all, I want to sincerely thank all of the hotels, restaurants , planes and trains that received me this year with welcoming warmth . Yes, I traveled over 7,700 km and in so doing, saved over 1,035 tons of CO2, according to my Retrainspective from the SNCF !

Looking at my Instagram feed, here is a look back at the delicious year 2025.

January

First of all, I celebrated the New Year in Hyères (83) , near Toulon , with a Brioche /Couronne

Chateau des Anglades, I went for a menu tasting in view of an upcoming event . The videos and tasting are still on my Instagram feed, and got a large number of views ! Merci Valerie !

February

This month always starts off with Le Chandeleur and crêpes ! In my book on Provence , I share the recipes for some of the following items : le Tian (my first , as you can tell from the photos !), une tarte aux tomates et chèvre , una torta alla ricotta et limone .

During this month, I was invited to speak at the ESG & Friends conference in Sofia, Bulgaria and stayed in the marvelous Hilton hotel, where I tried the Shepard’s salad and of course, returned to my favorite restaurant in with dear friends, the Clockhouse !

Then to Paris to speak at an event, where I spent a few nights in the Pullman hotel. My photos are still visible on Instagram As are a few photos of the delicious food I had there !

March

Then back to Montpellier, where I am invited every year to do a seminar in Alternative Sustainable Business model . If interested, please get in touch : https://vignesetmets.com/services/

Ma première cantine was remarkable , not only for its local specialities , such as the Tielles setoises , but for its historic building

Then on to Bordeaux to speak about the New Cold War is brewing at a business school there, which gave me the great opportunity to visit dear friends and go back to my favorite seafood place, Chez Bidart , which I highly recommend !

Then back into the city for an exquisite Japanese dinner at a very elegant hotel to celebrate my dear friend’s retirement : Morimoto at the Mondrian Hotel .

And if there is one hotel to recommend in this selection of photos, it would be the Pullman in Montpellier , from every point of view : be it for the rooms, the view on the 8th floor from the bar/restaurant , the spa on the ground floor , and the wonderful personnel and friendly service .

April

Invited again to speak in a conference, this time in Hammamet, Tunisia, I took the opportunity to see my dear friends and eat in some great restaurants , such as the Barberousse Beach Club, followed by a visit to my favorite restaurant in Tunis , Le Golfe (unfortunately , my favorite chef was not there ), followed by a visit to Sama (the Chef was there !), and to finish the evening at the stunning Dar El Jeld, was the ultimate high point of my stay, to dine on the rooftop and watch the sun set over Tunis.

June : back to Sofia , and back to Hyères for a wonderful stay at the Villa Janna, very close to the Villa Noailles, with the best view of the old city and the sea

July : I arrived just in time for le 14 juillet in Nice , and discovered the bakery, Pistache.

August : I spent a wonderful month with my family in Orlando (where I enjoyed cooking many meals) as well as going out to discover Bar Taco, North Italia , Agave Azul Cocina Mexicana; and then on to Daytona Beach, where we went to many happy hours , notably, at the Hard Rock Hotel, Chart House, and Hilton and even doing my first karaoke !

September : La Rentrée brought with it an event that I had partnered with the American Club of the Riviera , featuring an American Congressman, which took place at the fabulous Marriott , ending the evening with our cocktail on the rooftop.

October : Time to settle in to a new place and just 150 meters away, is the sea ….and the best bread in town, at the Copenhagen Coffee Lab. My favorite is la baguette danoise , with all the grains/seeds on the top! With no travel during this month, I thoroughly enjoyed settling in and doing a lot of home cooking.

November : After two years, I finally got to see a dear friend and colleague , who came for a short visit to Nice. I recommended the Royalmar for our first dinner , which did not disappoint , followed by the Hotel du Couvent for a light lunch , and on the last evening, la Maison de Marie . We also managed to squeeze in the Fete de La Châtaigne . The month ended with one of my favorite American holidays , Thanksgiving.

December : Winding down towards Christmas, I was invited to speak at a conference in Vienna, which I had not visited in a long time. I very much enjoyed being back and speaking German …and even told myself that I could eventually live there . The welcome dinner took place at Das Glashaus , the conference took place the next day at the Grand Hotel Wien , followed by a dinner and a walk to the Christmas market …which was unfortunately closed !

Going through the duty-free shop at the airport, I did manage to find one of the delicious wines I was served during my stay : the Gelber Muskateller from the Mayer Weingut am Pfarrplatz

Back in Nice, a few days before Christmas, I was invited to a Ukrainian Christmas celebration, with children singing traditional carols and acting out the Nativity scene, followed by a delicious buffet !

Finally, I was invited to my dear friends’ home and they decided to order Christmas Eve dinner from a local caterer , le Pitchoun, which serves sustainable, local and seasonal cuisine .

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, sustainable and peaceful New Year 2026!