Judy is not her most mobile self, but has discovered that if she gets up and moving, things improve. However, the chauffeur-Sherpa dogsbody gets to do about everything. In sickness and in health – a noble vow when you are twenty-something. It’s a bit different a half century on when reality clicks in!
To use the notwithstanding clause, notwithstanding all of the above this is still a great place to be. (Did I use that right?)
Lately the sky (during the day) has been the brilliant blue for which Provence is justifiably famous. Today the temperature is 32 or so (non, Les citoyens des États Unis, it is not freezing!) but it s a dry heat. Whatever that means.
All is well with the local livestock. Maurice is keen to get going in the morning whenever I am. When the door opens, he emerges from his nest, has a big stretch and yawn, and then waits impatiently for breakfast. There is a new addition to our neighborhood.. Titus is a young tabby who lives across the garden with Marie-Alice and Emanuel (two doctors) and their kids.
One is learning to play the recorder, with mixed reviews . There are a couple of melodies that work, but today she tried Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious which was challenging for her and me.
Serge and Patrizia
…had us over / down for lunch last Thursday. These are serious events. We took a bottle of champagne which got us started with Patrizia’s leek and lardon quiche.
Patrizia puts on a great spread for a lunch al fresco. I didn’t know that the little silver cup was for olive pits. Patrizia was amazed.
That would have been plenty, but then we moved on to salad and shrimp risotto.
By 2:30, the sun was penetrating the shade and we had to go inside for dessert. Our hostess had prepared wonderful poires belle-Helene with homemade chocolate sauce. The pears were perfectly poached, and so were we. Need a nap…
More Maurice
He advised us that we were running a little low on his meals. We had to stock up on packages of wet food and Catisfactions, treats that he loves..mostly.
He can be a little fussy and definitely does not like wet food containing veggies. Can’t argue with that!
On Sunday we lunched with Véro at Le Petit Gourmand in Connaux. Judy had a giant salad which Véro helped her to (almost) finish. Véro ordered a fish dish, and I had parilla of seafood. This consists of a grilled fillet of whitefish, shrimps (messy), and the biggest seiche I have ever had.
Seiche is cuttlefish, and this baby was between a tennis ball and a softball size wise. However, it tasted better than either I would guess, since I haven’t eaten many sport orbs. But it was cooked just right and merits a repeat.
We had dessert. Killer sorbets and a chestnut meringue for Véro.
When we dragged ourselves home, I let Judy off by the church and parked the car. When I came back I found her in what amounts to a necking session with Maurice.
He thinks she feeds him?
That was Sunday
Monday we met Peggy and Bob at Bistro Montcaud for the second time since we arrived.
The property is contemporary and elegant, the menu is very interesting, and the service is first rate. We had the menu de marché which on this day was smoked trout, pintade, and a dessert with about 16,000 calories. I have never seen Judy give up on a dessert! Just three courses, with wine, and we still stretched it out to over two hours. We can’t even watch a movie for two hours.
Agriculture
Enough about food, you say! What’s happening in the hood?
Things keep changing. Here is the evolution of some local vines between 2014 and now.
Thé vendange this year looks it will yield like more concentrated berries thanks to the heat and lack of rain. But what do I know?
Here the harvest has started in some places. But things are changing. What was an apricot orchard last spring is
And these were vines.
Based on what is happening locally and, I think, throughout France.
There is (sigh) too much wine.
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