A well-deserved rest as this was our first 2 night stop and a late breakfast on the terrace, poached egg and bacon and Heidi had a yoghurt and fruit salad. ok but not memorable for such an establishment and price. A tough walk up to the Basilica and Roman Amphitheatre followed by a lazy couple of hours by the pool. We had lunch on the terrace, just a starter and desert, this is where Villa Florentine comes into its own. I had Dublin Bay prawn quinelle and Heidi had pan fried Foie Gras with baked rhubarb and strawberries This was followed by chocolate and banana crumble and soft almond biscuit with fresh hot cherries. Spectacular is an adjective often misused but in this case not adequate to describe modern cooking at its best. Back to the pool to digest and relax.

Evening came with a sense of excitement as we were off in our finest clothes to Paul Bacouse, the Grand Dad of traditional French Cuisine and Michelin 3 star supremo. On arrival at the famous Auberge restaurant we were introduced to the man himself and had our photo taken at the entrance.

First impressions were like an assault on the cognitive process. The restaurant was traditional, immaculate and refreshingly well illuminated, even my aging eyes could easily read the menu without need for reading glasses. Whilst the decor was a little 1970's and Disney, there were clearly a number of themes. The waiters had a hierarchy and every attention to detail was covered without being intrusive. Because we had already had a rich lunch we decided on just a main and desert. We both had Rack of Lamb with seasonal vegetables and dauphinoise potatoes. Excellent

As we tucked into our food we were pleasantly aware of the theatre going on around - great people watching. We had a number of amuse bouche and a trip down memory lane for my desert. Back in the 1970's and a trainee chemist at ICI Organics, Manchester, the staff restaurant included a Buttery. I always remember having Rum Ba Ba, it was a pleasure going to work. So when I saw it on the menu I couldn't resist and it did not disappoint. A larger version than I remember and a lot more Rum. This was not just a Wow but Heavenly. A great experience in traditional cuisine. We had a glass of Cote Rotie each and I started with a Ricard. Tremendous food, tremendous service, tremendous theatre and tremendous value at just €260.

I am more inclined to modern cuisine but this evening could not be missed and hopefully repeated.