Up with the goats
Vissec, France
Fay, Tom, Mel and I agreed that we should only take hikes every other day. So far, we have been on four long hikes. In a mountainous region, a hike means you start at the bottom and go up then back down or you go by car to the top by a mountain road and hike down, then back up. Either way, one direction is up and one down. The hikes have been magnificent but I must admit, on the way up I think, “Oh my gosh, how am I ever going to do this?” Down isn’t much easier, since the paths are usually covered with loose rocks where keeping your footing is difficult. Sometimes the grade is quite steep – never any technical climbing but still steep. Once done, I ask myself, “How did I do that?” Honestly, I can hardly believe I’ve completed four hikes, sometimes a distance of 6 – 8 miles and climbing from 1,000 – 2,000 feet. The vistas have been magnificent, looking down into valleys, across gorges and up to the rocky outcrops at the mountain peaks. The weather is becoming hotter so we’ve tried to begin earlier in the morning but our pace is quite different. Fay usually takes off like a gazelle, gliding both up and down hills. Tom, who walks five miles to work each day, keeps up with her, and I slog along behind. Mel keeps me company although my pace is slower than his.
Last night, we ate dinner, again, at Burt and Alison’s home. I just have to describe the dinner in some detail since we were all so knocked out by it.
We began with aperitifs. The French do not drink wine before dinner. More typically, they have a drink called pastis. It is an anisette-based drink, somewhat like the Greek ouzo. With it, there are nuts, several kinds of olives and tapenade, a spread made of chopped olives and anchovies.
The first course was fresh sardines marinated in olive oil and spices (and a pate for Mel who doesn’t eat fish of any kind). Delicious!
The second course was barbequed sausage (two types, one a spicy Moroccan sausage), barbequed lamb kidneys, potatoes that had been pulled out of Alison’s garden that morning, tomatoes from the garden, eggplant, zucchini and beets, all spiced with fresh herbs from the garden.
The third course was a selection of cheeses from the region.
The fourth course was a gooseberry tart with berries picked, that day, from the garden.
The four of us thought we’d died and gone to heaven. If we did, it is going to be quite the gourmet place.
We plan to tour the gorges of the Tarn River tomorrow, probably the most famous place in this area. If possible, we may try to see a part of the tour de France as it passes through Montpelier on Friday. And, of course, that leaves Thursday for one more hike. Right now, my aching muscles are not excited about that possibility but I know that on Thursday morning, I will up ready and would not miss it for the world.
Love,
Janet
Fay, Tom, Mel and I agreed that we should only take hikes every other day. So far, we have been on four long hikes. In a mountainous region, a hike means you start at the bottom and go up then back down or you go by car to the top by a mountain road and hike down, then back up. Either way, one direction is up and one down. The hikes have been magnificent but I must admit, on the way up I think, “Oh my gosh, how am I ever going to do this?” Down isn’t much easier, since the paths are usually covered with loose rocks where keeping your footing is difficult. Sometimes the grade is quite steep – never any technical climbing but still steep. Once done, I ask myself, “How did I do that?” Honestly, I can hardly believe I’ve completed four hikes, sometimes a distance of 6 – 8 miles and climbing from 1,000 – 2,000 feet. The vistas have been magnificent, looking down into valleys, across gorges and up to the rocky outcrops at the mountain peaks. The weather is becoming hotter so we’ve tried to begin earlier in the morning but our pace is quite different. Fay usually takes off like a gazelle, gliding both up and down hills. Tom, who walks five miles to work each day, keeps up with her, and I slog along behind. Mel keeps me company although my pace is slower than his.
Last night, we ate dinner, again, at Burt and Alison’s home. I just have to describe the dinner in some detail since we were all so knocked out by it.
We began with aperitifs. The French do not drink wine before dinner. More typically, they have a drink called pastis. It is an anisette-based drink, somewhat like the Greek ouzo. With it, there are nuts, several kinds of olives and tapenade, a spread made of chopped olives and anchovies.
The first course was fresh sardines marinated in olive oil and spices (and a pate for Mel who doesn’t eat fish of any kind). Delicious!
The second course was barbequed sausage (two types, one a spicy Moroccan sausage), barbequed lamb kidneys, potatoes that had been pulled out of Alison’s garden that morning, tomatoes from the garden, eggplant, zucchini and beets, all spiced with fresh herbs from the garden.
The third course was a selection of cheeses from the region.
The fourth course was a gooseberry tart with berries picked, that day, from the garden.
The four of us thought we’d died and gone to heaven. If we did, it is going to be quite the gourmet place.
We plan to tour the gorges of the Tarn River tomorrow, probably the most famous place in this area. If possible, we may try to see a part of the tour de France as it passes through Montpelier on Friday. And, of course, that leaves Thursday for one more hike. Right now, my aching muscles are not excited about that possibility but I know that on Thursday morning, I will up ready and would not miss it for the world.
Love,
Janet
posted by Mel and Janet Muchnik | 9:27 AM
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