A country day: Au Coindumont, St-Didier-en-Velay

 

The daily boulangerie rendezvous....

I am sitting at the fire that Fred has got going, on a chair with it's faded quilt, it's drizzling and I am content. 

Gite au coindumont details

I am reflecting on our first day at our gite. 

It started with an hour of uncontrollable giggling at 4am, pitch black room, another new bed, strange noises from the water pipes and quite frankly wondering what we were doing in this remote spot rattling around in a 3 storey gite built for family times - we are missing family as Doreen was not able to resolve the frustrating visa process. 

I am getting used to pivoting, so rethinking our days was part of today too.

After a social meeting with Catherine our host we went into the village -an ordinary village- to visit the weekly 'Marche'.

Our first port of call was a  boulangerie and meeting with the villagers who were bemused with our foreignness.

Coffee at the local bar and I popped back to the boulangerie as the bar is happy that you bring food in with you. 

The market was unpretentious, good honest fresh produce and we treated ourselves to fresh filleted fish which Fred expertly fried for lunch. We did find the mattress salesman a rather odd addition to the market.

We made plans after lunch for the coming weekend, where to watch the RWC semi-finals; fitting in my must-do visit to Le Puy to both eat a green lentil dish and to buy some of those lentils with their own appellation; getting to another iconic Tour de France climb, the Puy de Dome; that all took some thinking!

Our afternoon passeggiata was a pleasure, we stepped out of the gite, no car needed, and walked the paths around the fields, the forrest, along the river and past the tiny hamlets and farm houses.

I have made dinner, we have perfect little apple and pear tarts for dessert and this has been my day in the country. 

The "Pearl of France" revisited: Menton

'Les Rampes de Saint Michel',  the staircase to the Basilica in Menton

My first outing to Menton felt as though I was shucking oysters and not finding the pearl in this so called "Pearl of France". I was weary, it was hot, we kept walking around in circles to find the Basilica, which we had already found and it was closed, then accidentally walked the famous 'les rampes', at that point I realised I was jaded by it all.

I was also so struck that my dear friend Michelle in the US, who completely loves Menton, was going to be in this place in a few weeks time and that we were missing each other. I was almost grumpy with the universe for these bizarre circumstances and poor timing. 

I did the next best thing, asked her to plan my return visit with all her favourites and what makes her love Menton. 

So from her must do's about food and everyday living:

• I bought the freshest Italian Taggiasca hand pressed virgin olive oil directly from the farmer at the Ventimiglia Mercato Coperto ...
• I bought his last season lemons from his tree, and I noticed how I felt about these gnarly looking lemons...
• In Menton I chased down her favourite honey boutique and bought the 'Miel & Citron' as this is the capital of lemon growers...
• Then down the alley to Maison Herbin for Lemon Marmalade and Fred loved the tart lemonade on sale too...
• Then the Les Halles Market for fresh produce and an assortment of deli items for our antipasto this evening...
• Last night we caught the train to Menton and choose our pizza spot. Another foodie treat and better than our pizza choice in Ventimiglia today...
• And of course gelato, a dark delicious frutti di bosco...

Thanks Mich for introducing me to your French 'pearl', I get it now and I noticed the special umbrella spot...I miss you.

Provisioning: a French morning market tradition

Monday morning market in Salies-du-Salat

There is nothing quite like a visit to the weekly village morning market and we have made sure to pop into many markets along our road trip, both French and Italian. Today was a stroll into the village with James and Kirstie and getting them involved in selecting the produce and trying to manage the carrying - both activities rather short-lived. 

Things go well, until they don't. The roasted farm-reared 'chicken man' only took cash, which meant a traipse into the high street for an ATM, but we recovered, although Kirstie is still looking for a 'chicken man'. The longest queue for the morning was for the bread seller and I had to grin when he offered the littleys a treat and Kirstie turned him down.

Provisioning also comes with the veggie prep afterwards - the red peppers needed roasting; as did the red onions and garlic; the strawberries and radishes needed cleaning; I made a quick tomato sauce with a huge heirloom tomato for with our lunch on the patio.... I need a hit of coffee now and a rest....the pears need poaching, I think they can wait for tomorrow. 

Either way I can feed the family tonight, are expecting Shawni and Craig to arrive soon.