Montpellier France

What a difference a week makes. The sun has been working overtime with temperatures nearing 80 degrees, and the impact that's had on the landscape is undeniable. Everything is blooming. The wisteria and bougainvillea are in full display, the orchids and roses are trying hard to keep up with the peonies, and even my herb garden is taking hold. Although the warm weather is a constant reminder of the work we have yet to do removing the old, woody shrubs and scrub, and planting new ones in their place. I started by adding 8 trellises along the wall behind the pool, and Bill planted some shrubs in front of them. I'm going to add some clematis that will hopefully continue to climb beyond the trellises and up the walls.

Last week, we hosted a "Meet & Greet" party for expats in the area around Moissac. Because most of the population does not speak English (and we have a long way to go before we are able to speak French), we wanted to bring those that did together to share their experiences. It was a big success, with 22-25 people attending. Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves, and we're already planning to meet several of them tomorrow for lunch. A few days after the party, a friend of mine came for a quick visit. It's always such a treat to spend time with good friends, and she brought us a suitcase full of goodies like brown sugar, chicken boullion, corn meal and seasonings. Even though I like learning french recipes and using food produced in the area, there is nothing like the taste of home and there are a few necessary ingredients that are just not available here. France has very strict regulations on their food, and the level of salt, preservatives and other chemicals are closely monitored. As a result, a lot of the food I was used to cooking with just isn't available here--or tastes horrible without those pesky chemicals. Case in point, I used to LOVE chips and salsa, but there are no edible torilla chips in France. They are chewy and flavorless. So, guests that come bearing American grocery items are always welcome in Chateau Walters. In return for the gifts from home, we wanted to share a little french cuisine with our guest so we took a short drive to Au P'tit Moissac, a small little restaurant that is actually set up inside the home of the chef, Claude. He serves lunch to 5 or 6 tables set up in the home's main room which also sports a fireplace big enough to stand inside of, over which he cooks the meat of the day. The rest of the meal is prepared in his kitchen and he determines the menu based on the ingredients available in the weekly market. You find out what he's serving when you arrive, and there is only one meal on the menu. But no worries, because the food is outstanding, the ambiance is spectacular, and the wine never stops flowing. And to celebrate the end of a fabulous meal, he serves his guests a shot of pear moonshine--made by putting a glass bottle over the budding fruit and letting it grow to size inside the jar on the tree. When the fruit is ripe, the bottle is picked from the tree and the moonshine is added. The bottle looked like a science experiment partnered with divine intervention, but it tasted like turpentine and went down my throat like fire.

On our way home from lunch, we stopped in the little village of Roquecor, for a stroll through town and to visit their shop of local artisians' art and pottery.

While my friend was visiting, we took a quick trip to Montpellier--which is located about 3-1/2 hours east of Moissac. Whitney and I took the train, and first stopped in Sete for a little sightseeing on the Mediterranean Sea before arriving at our destination. FUN FACT: Montpellier was founded in 985, and turned into a prosperous trading city, knowledge centre and cultural melting pot. Established in 1220, the University of Montpellier is one of the oldest universities in the world and has the oldest medical school still in operation. Montpellier has a population of around 300,000 and it's historic city center is comprised of several plazas, each loaded with sidewalk cafes and boutiques. We had expresso martinis at the bar in our hotel--which was as stunning as our drinks were fabulous. We had tapas and wine at a nearby restaurant for dinner, and for lunch the next day with had the plat du juor at a sidewalk cafe. Lunch is the main meal of the day in France, and the plat du jour (plate of the day) usually includes wine and a starter (which is called the entree in France), the main meal (usually a cut of beef or duck) served with potatoes and other vegetables, followed by another glass of wine and dessert. Lunch is designed to take 2-3 hours, and cannot be rushed. No one misses lunch--surgeons will not schedule surgery if it cuts too close to meal time, and schools and business generally close for a couple hours every afternoon to allow people to go home and eat with their families. Then, late in the afternoon it is common to have wine or a cocktail with a light snack, and then have dinner sometime after 8:00 pm. We rarely go out for dinner. I much prefer to meet friends for a "coffee creme" in the morning (an expresso with frothed milk), or occassionally we'll have lunch at a cafe on the square.