Grenoble: Hotel Picnic (E. Le Clerc)

Well, one night in September 2008, near Grenoble, I was running late. I had just visited E. Le Clerc (The Wal Mart of France) to pick up some gifts. The variety of French specialties available was impressive, so I decided to buy some items and have a picnic back at the hotel.

The total came to 10.73 euro (about $14.00 today). There was more than enough food. Fortunately there was a small refrigerator in the hotel room. Here are the items I got:

Sausage and Pate

A. Speck- Tyrolean air dried ham, 25 grams, 0.36 Euro. A nice, rich smoked ham flavored with juniper berries.

B. Ham of Savoie- Air dried ham from Savoie. 30 grams, 0.69 Euro. Prepared with salt. No nitrates or nitrites are used. 2-3 wks. to salt, 5-6 months air drying at room temperature.

C. Slices of Lyonnaise Rosette of Pork Sausage- similar to a salami, 15 grams, 0.22 Euro

D. Pate in a pastry crust- typical pate, very nice taste. 100 grams, 0.91 Euro.

Cheeses

E. Rocamadour- Goats cheese (Wikipedia), very rich and creamy. 35 grams, 0.88 Euro.

F. Le Bleuet- a firm, tasty cheese with blue mold in the rind (not in the cheese itself). 55 grams, 0.50 Euro.

G. Crottin de Chavignol- a soft white goat's cheese from the Loire valley. 60 grams, 1.50 Euro.

H. Saint Marcelin- A very rich soft cheese made from a combination of cows and goats milk. Very popular in Grenoble and Lyon. 80 grams, 1.40 Euro.

I. Wine: a nice, inexpensive but tasty Buzet red wine, 37.5 cl, 2.35 Euro.

Fruit

J. Muscat grapes from Provence, $0.83 Euro.

K. Williams red pear, 1 small, $ 0.29 Euro.

L. French Bread, medium dark, 80 g, 0.80 Euro.