1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 442 See you next year!

The village of Mena is very close to Lourmaran.

Without traffic jams, it only takes about ten minutes to drive there.

Although the tourist season brings unavoidable traffic jams, many tourists who have visited Mena Village still can't resist the temptation to go to Lourmaran again.

Some people learned about the artistically vibrant 'new village' in Luberon through the Mifal Guide and various travel information for southern France, and wanted to explore it.

Another group of tourists were converted by Ronan and others after participating in the bread-making competition in Mena Village.

The two villages are so close together. Why don't we go and take a look at Lourmaran?

Since we're already in Lourmaran, why not check out that restaurant again? Even if we don't eat there, it'll be nice to just look around.

Hey, why are there so many people queuing here?

The taste must be absolutely delicious, and in addition to bread, there are also Chinese dishes and various desserts that are not commonly found in Provence.

Why don't we try some? We're already here anyway.

The group immediately agreed:
"Please give me a number, thank you!"

Isabel enthusiastically handed the number plate to the customer, saying in practiced ease:
"Free water is available here, and you can come and get it anytime. I estimate you'll have to wait for more than an hour. You can stroll around the shopping street first, or try making handmade gifts on the next street. The time is just right for the experience. If you don't mind getting tired, you can visit the vineyards. These are all great activities in Lourmaran."

Not far away, Quincy stared in disbelief.

Has Ronan's business now become a complete vertically integrated operation?

It involves all walks of life, including food, drink, and entertainment. Once Stella is completed, there will be another accommodation option.

They are indeed the most important villagers in Lourmaran!
The restaurant was extremely crowded, and Quincy swayed from side to side like a piece of duckweed in the sea.
"Why are there suddenly so many people queuing up?"

Ronan's Chinese restaurant is indeed an important place in Lourmarin village, but it shouldn't be more popular than the Rosé Wine Museum.

This isn't a tourist attraction.

No one could budge Sylvie, who was as big as a small wooden barrel, and she answered without moving:

"Ronan won some kind of food event in Mena Village and promoted Stella and the restaurant there. Quite a few people came all the way from Mena Village. You should know how many people were in Mena Village during the Easter holidays."

Seeing the tourists who, despite being drenched in sweat, were reluctant to leave, Quincy asked Blanco:

Have you discussed expanding the store with Ronan?

Ronan's restaurants simply cannot accommodate so many tourists; the long queues will inevitably diminish the tourist experience in Lourmaran.

They might file a complaint with the Vaucluse Department of Tourism.
They put in so much effort to promote Lourmaran.

This problem must be solved.

Blanco shook his head:
"There are too many higher priority matters; this is not our turn."

Quincy was nearly swept away by the crowd:
"What about the second and third phases of the commercial street?"

Blanco continued to shake his head:
"We won't be able to start preparations until the end of the year. Like I said, there are too many places where we need money, so we have to do them one by one."

Do you think I don't want to expand Ronan's store?

All the 'investment' in this kid has yielded tenfold or even a hundredfold return.

The problem is that the current conditions do not allow it.

Quincy grabbed a telephone pole and said anxiously:
"I don't have the money to continue applying!"

Infrastructure development can proceed step by step, but upgrading such an important landmark site is urgent.

“But it’s only been a little over two months since we last applied.” Blanco was also jolted into a tango by the tourists.

"Is there a specified interval between applications?" Quincy tried to keep his composure. "Go prepare the next round of applications!"

On the other side, in the village of Mena.

Ronan was unaware that his true 'benefactor,' the wealthy and powerful tourism bureau of Vaucluse province, had secretly helped him once again.

He is on his way to the organizing committee. He thanks Mr. Llorente for helping him obtain the complete report.

Although Llorente was a bit slick and not entirely sincere in most situations, he was absolutely decisive when it came to getting things done, and he could handle everything, big or small.

In particular, this gentleman has good relations with various government departments, and Ronan must maintain good relations with him.

Upon meeting the person in question, Ronan said with both gratitude and sincerity:
"Thank you for your trouble again!"

Llorente waved his hand dismissively:

"I've said it before, your business is my business. No need to thank me, Ronan. Please believe me, I will never let you suffer any losses."

"After the bread competition is over, I'll treat you to dinner in Gold and a couple of drinks," Ronan added, "when you're not busy."

Following the bread competition, a series of culinary events will be held in Provence, keeping this gentleman extremely busy.

“I reckon we won’t be able to have this drink for a while. The venue for the May Day event in Roussillon has already started being set up, and I have to rush over there.” Llorente suddenly had an excited look on his face. “However, I made an appointment with Ms. Sanson for dinner a while ago and reserved the time early. It’s in three days. I see that you and Ms. Sanson are quite familiar with each other. Why don’t we all come together? It’ll be more fun with more people, especially with young people like you joining us.”

Ronan had already experienced Llorente's habit of "playing both sides" when he last brought Bernard to Lourmaran for dinner.

However, Llorente did indeed do him a great favor, and Ronan, not one to be indebted to others, readily agreed:

“No problem, as long as Ms. Sanson doesn’t mind, I will definitely attend.”

“That’s great! Here’s the restaurant’s address,” Llorente said with a broad smile.

How could Ms. Sangsong mind?
She keeps urging me to ask you out every day!

Thanks to their pleasant collaboration at the bread competition, Ronan and Llorente's relationship has clearly grown closer.

Ronan didn't rush to leave, and Llorente also wanted to deepen his relationship with Ronan, so the two chatted for a while longer.

The conversation naturally revolved around the food sector.

"This bread competition was a great success; the square was always packed with people," Ronan said, pointing to the window of his temporary office. "And many big names in the food industry came too. These past few days, many restaurant owners and famous chefs have come to my display area. I heard there are even Michelin-starred chefs among them."

The exhibition area was bustling with pedestrians and tourists, and Ronan, of course, couldn't possibly know the identities of every single one of them. It was Mr. Jacques who called him, saying that many of his peers had come to sample his 'rosé bread,' and that the industry was paying close attention to his unconventional cuisine; that's how he learned of this information.

“Actually, it could be better.” Llorente said with some dissatisfaction, “The Mena village government doesn’t take this event seriously enough. They only provided the venue and some basic assistance for free. The publicity is done by the Provence Food Association and the Vaucluse Food Alliance. If they were willing to cooperate with us and do more, I believe the bread competition would have a greater impact. We are also confident that we can extend the event time. Three days is still too rushed.”

Llorente had once introduced Ronan to the hierarchy of culinary events in Provence.

The most important events are, of course, the primary events, such as the melon festival held in Cavaillon, the melon capital, and the olive oil blind tasting competition held in Nyon, an important olive oil producing region. These events are supported not only by official associations such as the Provence Food Association, but also by local governments. Both participants and sponsors need to meet certain entry requirements, but the corresponding rewards are also huge.

The second category of events is organized by various branches or brands, such as the goat cheese rolling ball competition in Banon, the clay pot cooking competition in Avignon, and the bread competition in Ména village. The influence of these events is far lower than that of the first category.

The key difference lies in the level of importance the local government places on the event.

Ronan sighed:

"Because Mena Village is so popular, all kinds of events like to be held here, and the government's resources are limited."

Llorente continued to mutter in dissatisfaction:

“But Provence is a land closely associated with food, and the importance attached to food activities should not be so low.”

There are so many different claims about the land of Provence; Ronan has heard at least seven or eight different versions of it, saying that it belongs to XX.

However, the culinary events that Mena Village looked down upon were something Lourmaran could only dream of.

Ronan asked cautiously:

"Is the Food Association interested in holding an event in Lourmaran? I suspect the Lourmaran government would be very cooperative."

Since we want to seize the opportunity of the 'Provence fever,' we should try to get as much exposure as possible. What's the use of being a host as participating in events in other villages?
If the bread competition were held in Lourmarin, Ronan would have so much room to maneuver in bringing visitors directly from the competition venue to his restaurant or his future winery in Stella.

Llorente thought for a few seconds, then clicked his tongue:
"I haven't really considered that. Lourmaran's culinary attributes don't seem to be very prominent."

The only impression locals have of Lourmaran is that it has a few outstanding artists, nothing more.

Ronan said with a smile:
"This year is different."

Ronan wanted to say directly that "Lourmarin's goal is to become the rosé wine capital," but worried that Llorente, like everyone else, would be deterred by the mention of rosé wine, so he changed his approach:
“Lourmaran has seen a very good number of tourists this year. My restaurant had queues even before Easter started. I believe the government will strongly support the food association’s activities. If needed, I can arrange for both of you to meet.”

Llorente nodded in agreement without hesitation, responding enthusiastically:

"That would be great! Once I'm done with what I'm doing, I'll definitely introduce you to them."

Ronan saw through this 'false' agreement and didn't press the matter further.
"Okay, I'll wait for your message."

There will be frequent contact with Llorente in the future, so there's no need to rush this matter.

The bread-making competition in Mena village lasts for three days, covering the Easter holiday.

Thor needed to catch the train on the last day, and in order not to delay Ronan's journey to Ména, he resolutely refused Ronan's offer to take him to Avignon.

Ronan protested:
“You spent 5 days in Provence, 2 of which were spent helping out in Méne. We said we'd take you out to explore, but in the end it was limited to Lourmarin. We left in the morning and took you to visit a few villages along the way, which would have been enough to catch the afternoon train.”

Thor's plate was filled with fresh fruit, and he only took half a slice of bread and a small piece of butter.

He stuffed fruit into his mouth while mumbling indistinctly:
"But I had a lot of fun!"

Ronan, knowing Thor was focused on the bread-making competition in Mena Village, continued to dissuade him:

“In that case, I won’t go. I’ll have someone else take you to Avignon, to a Stellar employee who has nothing to do with the bread competition, and have him show you around.”

Thor waved his fork:

"No need. When I'm getting back to my car, I can also take a detour around Lourmaran. I haven't had enough fun here yet."

Without giving Ronan a chance to refute further, Thor said in a simple and honest manner:

"After I finish exploring Lourmaran, I'll go to other villages next year, and I'll come here every year from now on."

Before each parting, Thor would become exceptionally cheerful and talkative in order to 'dilute' the sadness of separation.

During this breakfast, his mouth was constantly busy:

“I want to visit Lourmaran Church again. Last time I went, it was already afternoon. I heard there is a service in the morning.”

"I want to buy a glass of melon juice; I've been craving it for days."

"I'd like to go check on those bees again. I wonder if their 'strike' is over yet?"

“I want to see the fountains again. I feel like I haven’t seen them all. There are too many fountains in Lourmaran.”

"I also want to say goodbye to my friends."

Thor happily said to Ronan:
“I have many friends in Lourmaran.”

After finishing his meal, Ronan was going to Mena Village.

Thor escorted Ronan all the way to the car:
"Go on, make sure to sell as much as possible today, including mine."

Ronan rolled down the car window and said to him:
"Don't worry, I'll definitely put in extra effort to promote it today."

"Remember to call ahead to restock; we were out of steamed buns for over an hour yesterday."

"I will. I will have them start preparing well in advance."

"Flag, don't forget to bring the flag back at the end of today; it represents your honor."

“I will bring it back and then find an opportunity to send it to you in Paris, where your honor will also be recognized.”

Goodbye, Ronan.

Goodbye, Thor. Take care on your journey.

"Haha, I can still say this: I hope my next trip to Provence will be for a good friend's wedding. You have to hurry up, don't keep me waiting too long, I'll miss this place."

"I promise I'll bring you back as soon as possible, I swear!"

(End of this chapter)