My last full day in France. It was hard not to be anxious about making it count. The day unfolded into a bicycle ride to say good-by to a few favorite spots. A stop and wave to the Russian Church, perched on the hill, a manifest wish for unity. A sit in the cloisters of the Abbey of Sylvanes where Cistercian monks walked 700 years in the past. A ride along ridges and up and down hills, drinking in the fields, valleys, and plateaus. Dinner featured aligot, a traditional dish of 1 part potatoes, 1 part Tomme cheese, and 1 part crème fraiche all mixed in and heated up.
And on this last day, but not my last post, I have a few things that I want to clear up. I tried very hard to write only the truth, since I have that storyteller’s inclination
to stretch it a bit. Here is what has come to light after the blog was released. 1) The red earth around the Chateau de Montaigut gets its color from iron in the soil, it was said. However a prominent geologist, who was a guest at le Mas de Salel, said that aluminum was actually the reason for the red. 2) The recalcitrant animal carrying the five year old child was a stubborn pony and not a donkey at all. Note: I actually did see a donkey today. 3) The fountain in the courtyard at le Mas de Salel never offered water to the sheep of the farm. Françoise bought it from a village in
Provence. 4) I learned that it is not a form of respect to address a woman as “Madame” and her first name, as I had first thought. Rather, it implies that she runs a house of ill-repute.
But this month has not been a mistake, not at all. Four weeks of French which is now just a little less hesitant. Four weeks of writing some poetry and this daily blog.
Four weeks of getting to know and love this landscape. Four weeks to put into practice, the best that I could, of following my gut and just letting go. The field beyond my door is not planted yet; no telling when it will be. Tomorrow I set off on the long voyage back. The day
after that, I will let you know how it went. Then I hope to add a new post once a week, paying attention to life back at home.