StCriq,

I love your writing style, it makes it feel as if I am there with you. And oh, what would I give to have a Rosemary 'tree'!!! It is my favorite herb to cook with.

I look forward to reading about the family reunion.

Tom

For those who haven't visited, you can see some nice photos on the town by doing a simple image search...this one from Yahoo...but any search works:

http://images.search.yahoo.com/searc...UTF-8&p=st cirq lapopie&fp_ip=FR&fr2=tab-web&fr=yfp-t-501-

Should help with imagining the area. Charming little town. In our little area (further south) today, it was another normal day...a neighbour dropped by to pick some flowers (for her brothers grave, as it is the 24th anniversary of his passing), someone left four perfect peaches hanging on our portail, another neighbour came by with 4 kilos of sanglier (about 9 pounds of freshly hunted wild boar) out of which we will make two different civets, the blackberries on the hill are ripe for making jam, and an 86 year old guy in our view was just finishing rebuilding a 12 foot high, 20 ft long, two foot thick retaining wall without any mortar, each stone placed and hammered and fitted. Should last another 100 years.

Who says nostalgia isn't what it used to be?! Vive la France profonde! Rouss

In fact, as StCirq will probably point out, she doesn't live in St Cirq Lapopie, the more famous village in the Lot, but in St Cirq du Bugue, in the Dordogne.

So, if searching images, it's better to search St Cirq , excluding 'Lapopie'

StCirq ~

> the entire house is like an album <

..captivating words.

I'm so enjoying this read, bookmarking and looking forward to the continuation.

Your report is so delightful StCirq!

We leave for France tomorrow and I hope it's as wonderful as your experience is. We're renting a gite for a couple of weeks, and trying to finally open a French bank account.

Some local villages are having fetes to celebrate the approaching vendange and we're going to join them at their meals. Going into the big city of Marseille also for their football game next Saturday!

Enjoy your family as they join you, and thanks for the beautiful description of your french home.

Enjoying your return home. . .

What a beautiful read. I should be working but... Sorry the interim years have been so rough, but how wonderful to have a place of peace to finally return to. Although I already see the place in my mind's eye, will there be any photos? - Another DC area resident.

Another kudos from another DC area fodorite also getting ready for France in a week.
Sounds like a gtg of great minds in Annapolis might be a good idea later in the Fall???

ttt

This is just delightful. I'm enjoying every word and am so looking forward to more "chapters".

I'm also reading M., and promise that some one of these days we'll get down to the Dordogne. A lot of water under the bridge since 1999, huh? I want to say, "Whatever happened to...?" (as in AOL France board) but I won't. We really haven't gotten any older have we?

Difficult to tell which is more enjoyable - the writing itself or the topic. Thank you so much for this.
"...bone weary and elementally happy" - now that just captures it perfectly.

And now Mellen, on to more beauty to unfold!

Oh goody! I didn't see much Fodor's over the weekend and need to go to bed now but look forward to reading this later!

"Some things never change, though – Dutch families with obscene numbers of offspring are cavorting around the store as though it were an amusement park, as always. I do appreciate the tolerance of the Dutch, but for the most part I’d like to give their unruly kids a good schwacking!"

, being Dutch I couldn't supress a smile while reading this. Dutch kids are indeed known as a bit unruly (even here in the Netherlands). Most Dutch parents don't believe in a very strict upbringing for their kids (I believe it has something to do with the 60's and 70's; freedom for all, including kids). But I do believe (as a parent of a 2 year old boy) that the last few years this is changing an little bit. Parents become stricter with their kids, partly also beacause of programs like 'Super Nanny' (and the Dutcht version of it).

One other thing; The Dutch really like the large French supermarkets and hypermarkets. In the Netherlands the supermarkets are generally rather small and thus is a vist to a French supermarket indeed a bit like a day in a amusement park!

Love reading your report though!

Dying to dawdle through the Dordogne ... delightful dreams ...

St. Cirq, I am really enjoying this. After all your help on this board, I hope you make 'oodles' from a book.

I'm so possessive and territorial, I think I would have just flipped out to find all the rocks fallen in my yard, the parking lot, etc.

Just a sensational report StCirq. I am looking forward to my trip to the Dordogne next year.

Keep writing

giggles and belly laughs at some parts, quiet understanding at others... thanks for the journey.
Will be looking for continuation...

Thanks StCirq - looking forward to your instalments