AM I HOME?

Well, here I am back in Roquebrun. I had a great time in Paris, 3 months exploring the City of Light. The first month of it I had Pat with me, to remind me which museums we had already been to, and to provide historical and aesthetic details. She was in France for 3 months, and I can't wait for her to get back for another three. The final month in Paris I had the pleasure of Christopher's company, it was so much fun to show him places that I thought he would be particularly interested in. We also got to spend some time with my friends, Ellen and Jean Pierre. One night we had an oyster feast, I now know how to get one of those suckers open without ending up in the emergency room! We also had dinner at their place one night, and a good lunch with them after exploring the used and antique book market in the old horse auction and slaughterhouse buildings. We had Galette du Roi at both dinners, which is a very similar tradition to the Mexican breads served for Noche de Reyes. They are a sweet bread/cake with a tiny ceramic figure (different ones) and whoever gets the figure has to buy the cake for the next night. It goes on about 3 weeks or more. Another great treat, for both Chris and I, was having wine and appetizers with a friend of mine, Michelle, who I met through Rita (San Diego friend originally from Quebec). We had the opportunity to see her wonderful apartment in the Marais, and we all went to lunch afterwards. Her apartment is in a building dating from the 17th century, which was originally a private home.

During Chris' stay it was freezing, no really, I mean freezing. It snowed several times, and often was zero or slightly below (that's centigrade, folks, 32 degrees to you). At least it was Paris, not Fargo. We then drove back to the south, my home in Roquebrun, stopping along the way to see a fabulous chateau in the Loire Valley, Chambord. Its the one with the double helix staircase that some have attributed to the influence of Leonardo da Vinci, as the chateau was built originally by Francois I, the French king who brought Leonardo to France for the last years of his life. We arrived back in the village on a lovely sunny (cold) day, and the first people we saw on the street were my friends Horst & Daria, so that was a great welcome. A little later in the day we also saw Whisky, the village dog, trotting down the street on one of his missions, which was a special treat as he had been very ill in the fall, and he almost didn't make it. I had not heard the outcome, so seeing him going about his usual business really made my day. Today on my dog walk thru the village I met up with him, and he decided to go along with us for the rest of the walk, out of the village and down by the river. He's kind of an old guy, 13, and all or mostly poodle. He has an owner, but has always wandered at will through the village, he often sleeps at Horst & Daria's, and has come to parties at friends' homes during the summer. On hot days in the summer you'll see him walking thru the village all wet, as he has taken himself for a swim in the river. When he was sick last fall, his owner took him to the vet in a nearby town, and the vet wanted to put him down. The owner refused, and through Horst & Daria contacted a friend of Jan's (and mine) who is a vet also, and she treated him apparently with good success, as had I not known how sick he was, I would not be able to tell from his appearance. Interestlngly, he's one of the few dogs around who my dogs never once got snippy with, or were afraid of, they were instantly accepting and don't even mind when he sniffs their butts.

Chris only had a few days here in the south, but we found some antique and junk places to visit, and he saw the Mediterranean and got a little of it on his hands -- a bit too cold for a swim. This village is very old, with the ruins of a tower dating from the tenth century, and a church from the 12th century. There are many tiny winding lanes and very medeival looking buildings and settlement patterns. Most of the houses are from the 18th and 19th century,but they are built on much older foundations. One can only imagine what one might find digging around the tower or in the cellars .... Chris was especially struck by the ancient nature of the villages and the landscapes, it doesn't look much different than it did a thousand years ago. He insists he will make it back in the summer, hopefully that will happen. I hope other friends will visit too, I will find lodging for the overflow (my place has two beds).

In two weeks we have the Mimosa Festival (Fete du Mimosa) here in Roquebrun. I will be sure to post photos. I believe there will be a parade, a lecture on appropriate gardening, something that involves free wine, an artisan market with 120 vendors (hoping for a brocante too), and 8 bands, hopefully not all at once. I can't wait! The days are getting longer already, it isn't fully dark at 6:30. In the summer it doesn't get dark until after ten pm. My friend Jan, the mad Englishwoman who lives at the corner, will be returning at the end of April, and I can't wait to see her! We had the best time last year going to the vide greniers (literally means "empty attic" and sitting on her terrace at night drinking wine and engaging everyone who walked by in conversation. She is truly mad, she has 8 cats and 3 dogs which she brings back and forth to England every six months. I met her in the street in front of the first house I rented, only because I came out with two dogs as she was going into Horst & Daria's house across the street to have dinner. She immediately began talking to my dogs, and eventually noticed me. I ended up eating dinner with Horst & Daria, and Jan and her mother, that evening, and it really made a big difference in my feeling at home here.

Bottling of wine is apparently going on now. There are pallets of bottles sitting in front of some of the wine caves and domaines, and there are people working at the local cave cooperative and the clink of bottles can be heard in the street outside. The local domaine where I buy my bulk wine had the doors open yesterday, and instead of the displays of wine and olive oil (which they also produce) and the tasting table set up for the summer, there were hoses, bottles, barrels and other miscellany, obviously they are doing bottling there also.

So if any of you, or all of you, are wondering when I'm coming back, my answer would be not to hold your breath. I'm very comfortable in my little maisonette, and looking forward to the spring and summer here. I haven't found a house to buy, and am not actually looking. The dollar is in the toilet vs. the euro. And one doesn't find the good houses here by going to the realtor. You just wait and see what your friends tell you about. If its meant to be I'm sure it will happen. Meanwhile if the plumbing breaks or the electricity goes haywire, I just tell Alain and he will take care of it. Not that I expect such an occurrence, as its a new gite and everything works well. Still having delays with internet and phone service, but slowly, slowly, it is being resolved. Its the French way, if you want it right now, you better get over it. I'm thinking about a visit to San Diego in the late fall, perhaps Thanksgiving through my birthday (Feb. 4). I missed having my Christmas party this year, and Old California Thanksgiving at Casa Alvarado (Bruce and Alana, are you listening?). Unfortunately, I have no home in SD, nor a car, although both have been offered by my fans. I will also probably want to bring the dogs, which means I have to bring one of you over here to go back with me and have a dog under the seat. So I hope I'll see some of you here, before I see you there.

a bientot ....

bonnie

Note on Photos: Not always mentioned in text. Just things I thought were wonderful; Christmas window at the Galeries Lafayette with a vintage Chanel dress; the outside of Galeries Lafayette with the Christmas lighting scheme; one of a group of Japanese plates from the Musee dOrsay; a view in one of the "passages" of Paris, the first shopping malls from the turn of the century. There are too many wonderful things to begin thinking about which to include.