Wine Country

I spent the last 10 days in the south of France in a town called Bergerac. It was so beautiful and peaceful. The home we stayed in was built in the 17th century. The walls and floors were stone with the wooden beams in the ceilings and walls exposed. French doors from everyroom opened onto a terrace. We set up our table there and staged some of the most beautiful and simple days I have ever experienced.

Our days started around between 8 and 9 am. Marc would head off to the boulangerie and get fresh bread for the day as well as pain au chocolate and croissants. Marc's mom had the house fully stocked with perserves of figs, from a tree in her back yard as well as prunes. (I also had Pruneax for the first time-prunes in a liquer, sooo good). Breakfast would leisurely pass and then off we were to a local market. When we came home we would start lunch. After an hour of preperation, while we sipped on an aparetif (of martini or beer) we would sit down to another leisurely lunch. Afterwich, the children are sent off to bed, and Marc, Helen and I rested on lounge chairs drinking coffee or tea and reading or studying. Then the kids are up and its time for goûter (a small meal at four or five that is meant to hold you over to dinner) and after the family would go for a walk while I went for a run.

And how I loved my runs. Through vineyards and vales where the french doors of the country homes were opened invitingly and revealing tables set with hydreangeas and lilacs, past farms where sheep grazed and chickens waddled out onto the lanes. All of the homes have names not addresses, the crickets competed with my ipod and with every deep breath my lungs were filled with the heavy sent of lilacs, hydrangeas and chestnut.

Back home it would be time to prepare dinner, once again sipping on an aperitif (it makes preperation so wonderful and gives those who are waiting something to taste). The kids would go off to bed and we would have a nice long french dinner on the terrace watching the sun set and chatting (in french) until about 11.

Anyways, it was a lovely time and everything was simple and leisurely. There will be more to come on this trip-Bordeaux, St Emillion (I can't wait to show you pictures!)