As For The Rest...

Highlights

These posts have encompassed the highlights but a considerable amount of time was spent just plain enjoying the surroundings and, perhaps, pretending a little that we lived in this beautiful region. A couple of days Idanna, Poppy, Paul and PE went to visit local jardins (gardens)  and Steve did an eight mile trek that ended in a cafe in Carmaux where he shared a few beers with new friends.

Betsy snuck in a few hours of plein air painting when the light was favorable while Rider, Roby and Canon scampered out to visit and feed the neighbor's donkey when they could convince an adult to accompany them.

Sometimes one of us could grab time to read by the fishpond while listening to the frogs. One evening, Paul and I were treated to an unexpected concert outside a church in Monesties. The Tarn Orchestra was performing Mozart's Requiem.
The Animal Parc was the destination for Aunt Betsy and the Denver Thurmonds on a day that Steve, Rider and Mimi had a quiet, stay-at-home day.

Also, one day, Sylvia and Joshua were able to steal away for a visit to the town of Roquefort. Yes, the home of that famous cheese! There they went on an exhilarating hike and enjoyed a unique tour that included the history of cheese and culminated with a laser show. The day was capped with a quiet meal at Le Boeuf Marin where they met Chef Eric. Josh and the chef talked shop and Josh was given a tour of the kitchen and an insider's view of a typical French restaurant.

On several occasions various family members travelled to Albi to McDonald's to access the internet and sneak in American fast food French style. Sometimes the older two children tagged along to visit the Play Space. Other times, a side trip was made to the adjacent LeClerc, the French equivalent of Walmart but with better food choices.

Joshua and I experienced French medicine. For minor medical issues the French go to the local pharmacy where the resident PhD pharmacist prescribes appropriate medicine. He, unfortunately, was plagued with seasonal allergies to crops growing around the house and I was tormented by an upper respiratory problem quite possible by the mold of the old house. In this case, the pharmacist spoke no English so I, in my rudimentary French, explained our maladies. She did seem to understand our predicament but she definitely did not understand the extent of knowledge of her language. Luckily my ability to read the language exceeds my ability to speak and understand so I was able to read the labels and we improved! Look for a lighted neon green cross should you require a pharmacist's services.

Another pleasure of the trip was eating our weight in breads and pastries. Steve actually was on a mission to consume a loaf of bread every day and we think he succeeded. Not surprisingly, the breads and pastries were beyond excellent. We also had the creamiest foie gras I'd ever tasted which was purchased from a vendor at the Cordes' market. Then there was the never-ending array of magnificent cheeses. The singular disappointment was we couldn't find the best cassoulet, a specialty of the region, but that's a good reason to return. In addition, we drank copious quantities of local Gaillac wines and found them quite suitable though it's pretty darn hard to find wine that is not delicious when in France.

The logistics of maintaining enough food and drink for a household of twelve, dumping the trash, keeping three vehicles in fuel and washing and drying clothes took its share of time but made us feel that we were not just tourists but were engaged in the life of the region. Actually we saw few tourists other than the French themselves. The region is the least sparsely populated in the country and the locals with whom we had interaction could not have been more welcoming or helpful. During our two weeks we didn't see any other Americans and few Brits.

The visit was long enough to provide all of us a time to truly savor the experience and pretend, even just for a while, we were living the French life. The little snippets we all pieced together will no doubt be relished in the years to come.