I have a confession to make. I gave away the surprise ending to the château cèpes saga elsewhere. Here's the excerpt:
What was your worst (or funniest) travel experience? The funniest--and most surreal--delivering cèpes fresh from the forest to Jean-Paul Gaultier at Hermès in Paris, compliments of l'Arpège. I'd just spent three days working at chef-owner Alain Passard's organic château garden, where his head gardener revealed to me his magical mushroom-hunting prowess. The next morning, I rode shotgun on the predawn delivery dash to l'Arpège--and then on to Hermès, where one of the restaurant's chefs was cooking a special luncheon for Gaultier. Note to Oprah: A basket of gorgeous cepes will get you in anytime.
But exclusively for you, 81,000+ words' worth of pictures.
