We are to stay in a little airbnb cottage that alludes in its bio that it is 500m from the village where I have been envisaging us, for months now, meandering to get morning croissants and coffee and then coming back and to have a dip in our lovely wee plunge pool, maybe pass the time with a book and then meandering back down for a meal de jour and a glass of vino. All is well with the world.
It’s nice to wake up in our own space and dawdle through the morning. We have no supplies whatsoever except for a mint teabag which I have in my handbag. We steep the tea and sit in the sun then decide to head to the village. We walk, literally down the garden path. Down 500m, down down 1000m, down down 1500m and it is now in sight. My thoughts cannot help but go to, up 500m up up up 1000m etc….
The village is wonderful and the length of the walk is soon pushed to the back of the mind as everything I love about wandering around in French villages is bought to the forefront. It’s a popular tourist destination but its as yet to early for them, so we sit under the shade of the plane trees, next to the big pétanque court and order a cafe au lait and a croissant.
We wander through the village and again I feel the calm. I cannot really explain it but it’s like everything slows down, everything feels unhurried, except for the nun and two little girls in what I am assuming is communion dress who bustle past us. Check out the photos, look closely and see the woman in her window potting up her window box, the dog fast asleep in the sun on the path, the lady locking her door and heading out for the day and the wisteria and the shutters and the perfume of the flowers. It’s Sunday and the church bells are ringing and the families are heading to church and there is not an umbrella waver or pointy pointer person in sight. YET.
Sunday morning
The church bells toll.
So we wander some more and then head down to be lead back up, up, up the garden path.
Once back in our cottage the heat of the day has melted us on our walk and we decide to plunge into our pool. But plunge we do not as it turns out its more paddling than plunge as its only knee deep. We wonder a little bit what gets lost in translation on the bio page but it matters not as it does the job and we lie in the cool knee deep water.
Theres one more scenario for the day as we head back down , down, down to a restaurant we had booked for our lunch on our morning trek into the village. We eat crispy bread with olive tapenade and truffle risotto and stuffed zucchini flowers, and then without hesitation dessert. Got to be some perks of all the hill climbing. Time to head home for another dip or paddle in the pool.
