Peta Mathias is a New Zealand television personality, chef, author, and travel writer who divides her life between Auckland and Uzès
One of the greatest rewards of my life in France has been the people I’ve met through the years.
People from different countries, with very different experiences and careers, have come into my life here, and I’ve often been surprised by how much we have in common. Perhaps the common denominator is curiosity, perhaps it’s wanderlust, or perhaps it’s simply that at some point we all chose this corner of France as the place where we wanted to begin another chapter of our lives.
While making Uzès my home, I’ve met writers, chefs, artists, entrepreneurs, educators, and people whose stories I never imagined I would know, some of whom have become friends and others whose paths I’ve simply been fortunate enough to cross.
One of those people is Peta Mathias.
If you’re from New Zealand, Peta Mathias probably needs no introduction. She’s been one of the country’s best-known television personalities, chefs, cookbook authors and travel writers for decades, although many of my North American readers may not know her. She’s funny, outspoken, curious and colorful, with the kind of stories that come from a life of going places, doing things and meeting people—and, fortunately for me, part of that life is here in Uzès.
“Why Uzès, Peta?”
Recently I asked Peta what first brought her to Uzès, and her answer says a lot about both her affection for the town and that peculiar hold Uzès seems to have on so many of us who discover it.
“I was living and working as a chef in London in 1979 and went to Paris for a long weekend. Just three days in Paris convinced me that London was for the birds. Paris was so much more intellectual, interesting, and sexy, and the proof is, I found a husband, opened a restaurant, and learned the meaning of the word fashion.
Many stories and years later, a friend invited me to visit Uzès. I put it off and put it off, and one day about twenty years ago I turned up and said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ I fell deeply in love immediately, and ever since I have lived half the year in Uzès and half in Auckland.
Uzès is sun-drenched, deeply beautiful, historic and perfect in the sense that it has everything you need—culture, hospital, library, award-winning market, churches, restaurants, school and enough boulangeries to sink a ship. You need never leave it.”
Anyone who has spent time in Uzès will probably recognize that feeling, especially the sense that this relatively small town somehow contains almost everything you need.
Getting to Know Peta
I met Peta Mathias some years ago through food, which, considering who she is, seems entirely appropriate. She was leading one of her culinary experiences in Uzès; I wrote about it for Barefoot Blogger, and over the years our paths continued to cross.
Recently we met for lunch at Le Barry, and Peta gave me a copy of her latest book, It’s Been Six Weeks Since My Last Confession. Inside she had written, “To Deborah — always keep up appearances! Love Peta xx,” which made me laugh before I’d even begun reading.
The book did, too. Peta writes much as she talks, with humor, candor, and very little interest in pretending life is tidier than it actually is, wandering through stories about family, friendships, food, travel, aging, and all those unexpected turns that accumulate when you’ve lived a full and interesting life.
And to my New Zealand readers, I’ll put in a small plug for It’s Been Six Weeks Since My Last Confession. You already know Peta Mathias and probably have one or more of her many books on your shelves, but this one is different—personal, candid, and very Peta—and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The People Who Become Part of Your Life
When people talk about moving to France, particularly later in life, the conversation usually revolves around the practical things: where you’ll live, how much it will cost, whether you can get a visa, what about healthcare, and whether you’ll ever learn enough French to feel at home.
Those questions matter, and I’ve written about most of them myself, but what doesn’t appear on anyone’s moving-to-France checklist is the people who will eventually become part of your life.
Peta Mathias is one of those people in mine. Years ago, she was someone I met at a cooking class and wrote about for Barefoot Blogger; now we can sit over lunch at Le Barry, talk, laugh, and catch up on our lives, something I certainly couldn’t have put on any list of reasons for moving to France all those years ago.
There have been many surprises in the years since I packed up my life and moved here, some wonderful, some difficult, and some I could never have imagined. I came to France looking for a different life, but I didn’t know then that some of the best parts of it would be the remarkable people I’d meet along the way.
