Jul 28, 2010

Home safe and sound and rested!

It’s Wednesday, I am home safe and sound from my fabulous visit to Southern France with Kaari Meng of French General.

This trip was so lovely, I hardly know where to begin my report! With many vacations, the traveler is busy going from place to place, trying to see everything, but often not staying in one place long enough to get a feel of the environment. During my stay at Chateau Dumas in the small hamlet of Auty, north of Montauban, which is north of Toulouse, we were busy adventuring all day long, but yet stayed comfortably in one location. Being so well taken care of was extremely peaceful and much appreciated.

Chateau Dumas, owned by Lizzie Ezekial, has a simple “country French” elegance, but it was not fussy or ornate. Lizzie made us feel so welcome, I really felt that Chateau Dumas was “my” home for the week. Three different classically trained French chefs prepared many of our incredible meals. I think you would call Renee a “sous chef,” and she was also on site all day long, every day cooking and preparing our food. Corey was our adorable server. It was her job to set the table and serve our meals, carefully explaining what we were about to eat in her most delightful British accent. There was always plenty of wine, cheese, croissants, baggettes, fresh fruit and butter! I particularily enjoyed the meals, as everything was fresh and locally produced. I doubt we had anything the least bit processed all week. Can you imagine being able to shop the local market once or twice a week and always eating so healthfully? I actually lost a couple of pounds eating lavishly, and yet was never hungry. We could learn something here!

In addition to our fine accommodations, we had so much fun on each days’ outings. Day one: an outdoor farmer’s market, several different brocantes (flea or junk markets), an outdoor picnic, a quick visit to an annual hat festival and alfresco dinner on the front walkway. Day two: craft time (jewelry making with kits from French General), off to a local hat factory and a couple more brocantes; then in the evening, a lovely wine and cheese tasting on the patio lead by Laurent, a local sommalier. Day three: a journey to Cordes Sur Ciel to visit a a woman who block prints textiles, and we then stopped at more brocantes (we did a lot of antiquing for old French textiles!). Day four: “woad” dying day! We all had the opportunity to dye some of our textile finds (and clothes!) with this magical blue dye! In the late afternoon Lizzies’ mother, “Mama Jo,” prepared us a true British high tea near the garden, followed by a talk from a French textile expert. Day five: we toured an old church from the 1200s and viewed a tapestry from the same time period, then visited one of the only 12 remaining tapestry weavers in France. Day six: free time in the morning for a walk in the sunfowers, and a trip to Montauban, an old city, filled with modern life.

In southern France, the air is crystal clear, the light is sparkling, the sky is full of sunshine by day, and stars at night. I awoke each morning to church bells singing, morning doves cooing and the smell of breakfast being cooked — just for me and my new friends!

Spending the week with French General’s Kaari Meng, her sister Molly Meng and her mother Kay Meng along with nine other interesting and creative woman was sheer delight! I had a fun four months of dreaming and planning this trip, and this trip of a lifetime far exceeded any of my dreams.

Enjoy the photos below, and later I’ll share more details of our daily educational events!

Au revoir, Susan