Sunday: Heart of the Home

Carolin really knows how to make a fire.

This is the kitchen hearth -- and this is where I spent most of my time. That wood is what she and I brought in from the damp woodshed AS WELL AS from the nice, dry back of the tenant's van. He invited us to help ourselves....and we did. :-)

Blue grocery bag is from the tiny slice of shopping (ten minutes, in our case....we regrettably slept until 11 a.m.) on Sunday morning before all the shops closed. Just look below at what she unpacked from that bag.....(pkvines: avert your eyes toward the LEFT.....)

We also stopped in to see the butcher and his wife -- great friends of my hostess, like everyone else -- we left the butcher with duck sausage, terrine with foie gras, chorizo, a whole chicken and an invitation to coffee later in the day. One thing about that visit -- the butcher's family had lived for several generations above their shop on Main Street. They recently had built a new house -- and this house was not only NEW, but everything inside was utterly modern; right down to the modern art on the walls. Not one thing inside was older than about six months. We thought it was interesting that this family was so ready for "new" after having lived with "historical" for so long. Perspective is everything. :-)

While we drank our coffee, the butcher's wife suggested we all go together into the local Exhibit of Artisans at City Hall. This was PERFECT for Carolin, who gathered up cards and resources for furniture makers, upholsterers and artists....as for me.....I was loving that you could see the cart tracks in the stone floor of the building (recalling the Weekly Markets from forever.....)

I love being "along for the ride" -- it is the BEST way to see and experience something new. After the exhibit, Carolin wanted to stop in and say hello to the couple who had sold her the chateau originally.....a British couple, living in a restored Farmhouse that defies description. The wife has an antiques business on the side, just for fun - and when we walked in she was polishing silver on the table: it looked like a photo from a magazine. They've lived in France now for 20 years....and their daughter works in Switzerland for the WTO.

WHERE do you meet people like this???

Two bottles of wine later :-)......such a nice evening....and we were invited out for dinner the following night, along with the Chateau tenant and his fiancee. Because they all know each other! This is what it is like to visit Ville de Carolin....there are no strangers!

She made another fire when we got home Sunday night -- and we finished the wine that was left from our late lunch, (while waiting for the Hot Water Bottles to be ready....) ;-)