A Taste of the Countryside

5km Into Santiago

2010-11-21T10:07:00.000-08:00

We woke up early in the morning to a hazy, rainy day.

At least today we only had to walk 5 kilometers in the rain, not 30km.

The group of us- me, Chris, Paco, Jose, Oscar, Fernando and Stefano- trekked through the puddles

down the hill from Monte de Gozo, through the city of Santiago in search of the cathedral

we've been waiting to see in person for the past 28 days.

Our shoes are still squishing from the endless days of rain, but today it doesn't matter.

We're SO CLOSE!

Walking through the winding city streets, we had no idea when we were going to come upon the cathedral. After some twists and turns and heavy spurts of rain, we turned a corner and THERE IT WAS. The old stone is covered with moss and dark streaks, giving it a mysterious and haunting quality.

In front of the cathedral.

There is also a live video stream in the square, so you can wave to people
from home as you stand there exhausted at the end of your journey.

After sharing hugs, kisses and tears with everyone in front of the cathedral,

we walked over to the pilgrim's office to receive our final certificate of completion.
The poster in the background shows the route from St Jean-Peid-de-Port.

Then it was time to attend the pilgrim's mass, one of the most talked-about aspects of the

trip and something we'd been looking forward to for a while.

And now, for the most famous part of the mass....

the swinging of the GIGANTIC incense burner.

Six strong men were used to heave the rope up and down in order to swing the incense.

All cameras went up in the crowded cathedral and people squeezed in close to try and get a better view.

After mass, we all headed to a bar to indulge in the delicacies of Galicia- mainly Pulpo, or octopus.

There could have been no better meal to celebrate our arrival in Santiago.

This is a wonderfully creamy cheese that Paco and Jose insisted we try.

Following, were many jokes of boobs and nipples...

something we could all understand across language barriers.

Thank you to all of our amazing friends who kept things interesting and engaging as

we walked all the way across a new country in the sunshine, rain, warmth, wind, and fog.

And thank you Paco and Jose for treating us to this lovely meal. In the words of

Paco and translated by Oscar, "I am happy to help you. When I was your age, I would have loved

it if someone older had helped me. It is nothing for me to pay and everything for you to

experience that I treat you to this meal."

Satisfied and overwhelmed.

Galicia And Beyond!

2010-11-17T19:03:00.000-08:00

So far, we've been through Navarra, Rioja, Castilla y León, and now, we've finally
crossed the Picos de Europa mountains into Galicia-- home of heavy rain and lush greenery.
The climate of this area is very similar to northeastern United States.

Rainy, yes, but Oh So Beautiful, the rain almost didn't matter....almost.

Each morning began with a heavy fog, draped over the land giving
everything an even glow. The fog lifted steadily and by midday it was clear as could be. . .
well, unless it was raining, of course.

November 1st is All Saints Day! We happened to be in a town of about 15 people, surprise surprise, and we all got together for a celebration of chorizo on the grill and chestnuts over the fire. Mmmm Mmmmm. The night was full of eating, singing and laughing.

Roasting chestnuts is a ritual of All Saints Day, or Todos Santos. Earlier in the day, people went out collecting buckets full of chestnuts from the ground. They were roasted in the giant barrel for about an hour, with someone turning it every once in a while. They come out scorching, and you toss them around like hot potatoes until they are cool enough to peel off the shell.

Here you'll find more images of the journey JUST up to our arrival into Santiago.

The final night of our journey together, Chris, me, Stephano (the Sardinian chef) and a few Spanish folks had a last dinner of pasta coated in a delicious mushroom sauce, compliments of Stephano. Chris and I each received a very sharp knife from our dear Spanish friends who spoke no English whatsoever, but eh, great parting gifts and very thoughtful.

Cheers to making it this far still in good spirits.
This last refuge could house up to 400 people and is only 5 kilometers
outside the city of Santiago(we can actually see the cathedral)... so we really
don't have very far to go the next morning.

For the final drop from the hill into the city of Santiago de Compostela, stay tuned . . .

Keep On, Keepin' On

2010-11-06T16:34:00.000-07:00

After leaving the beautiful, old city of Burgos, we continued west a few more days toward
our next big city- León. This year, Pope Benedict is planning to visit Santiago on October 6th.

From what we have heard, many people are planning to join the Camino for only the last 100 kilometers and then arrive, basically fresh and clean after only 10 days of walking, to grace the
pope with their presence. . . Not us.

After being in the countryside and often alone, walking into a crowded,
noisy city like Burgos is a shock to the system. We could not be more happy to
depart early the next morning and get back to the open air.
Hellooooooooo swaying grasses and puff clouds.

We arrived in Hontanas after a long day. According to our sheet of paper with the list of towns, the only guide we have, there would be a "grocery store" open . . . but the sign on the old,
wooden door told us it was closed until the spring. Shoulda known.

One chilly morning, the full moon was setting in front of us just as the sun was rising behind.

This abandoned convent was impressive, the cold,
empty stone looming over us as we passed on the road below.

The sun hasn't yet cleared away the morning mist,
but the road stretching long before us is just visible through the haze.

The next part of the journey was flat, flat, flat.
Many of our fellow hikers got bored, complaining that it was the same EVERY DAY, but we found the beauty in each step, watching the changing colors of the soil, the changing vegetation.

For once, it feels like a real Midwestern fall with yellow leaves tumbling
down from the trees and covering the ground. Later, we jumped in a leaf pile raked
together with a stray branch. Thank you Christopher!

Many of the houses in these small villages were built with sun-dried bricks made of mud, straw and horse hair. It is shocking to walk (in one day) from a huge city like Burgos, that is very industrial and busy, to a village like this of maybe one dozen mud houses.

The lovely Santa Maria cathedral de León Cathedral.
It is nicknamed the "House of Light" for the 125 stained glass windows
that line the sides of the cathedral, bringing in light of all colors.

Tune in for part #3 of the Camino de Santiago . . .

500+ Miles Across Spain

2010-10-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

For our last month in Europe, we decided to do something crazy.
What does crazy mean to us?
Something to do with getting up in the morning, walking all day long 'till your
feet feel numb, eating tons of pasta for dinner because you're starving,
going to bed exhausted, and waking up and doing it all again . . . for 32 days straight.

What is it? The Camino de Santiago de Compostela, a pilgrimage starting at the
French/Spanish border and stretching all the way across northern Spain,
through little villages, big cities, and finally to the sea.

On day 1, we crossed from France into Spain over the Pyrenees mountains.
The day was so foggy that we really felt like we were up there in the clouds.
The fog added a sense of mystery to a journey that was already completely unknown to us.

The sign pointing toward the next town, "Roncesvalles", was barely legible through the haze.
We could hear people talking nearby without actually being able to see who was there.

Finally, after climbing upward all day long, we started the decent into town.
What would we find? How many people were walking today? Where ARE we?

The end of the first day brought hot showers, various introductions, and a nice top bunk bed.
The refuge at Roncesvalles held over 100 people in this huge hall lined with beds.

We arrived early, about 1:45PM. Since we brought no books, had sworn off the internet, and it was raining out, there was nothing to do but relax, too bad. Eventually, we got used to the feeling of having nothing at all to do, and it ended up being completely wonderful.

The following images cover our journey for roughly the first 1/2, from the days after
Roncesvalles, through the foothills of the Pyrenees, past the major city of Pamplona, through endless vinyards and changes in the color of the earth, and up to Burgos, another big city.

Stay tuned for the Camino de Santiago Part II . . . .

Heading North to Berlin

2010-10-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Berlin on a chilly Tuesday afternoon.
The first thing to do in a new city is grab the nearest train map and study it veeeeery
closely. Getting lost is fun, but only every once in a while. . .

Each station is comprised of different colored and extra shiny bricks,
a good reminder of which stop it is.

The front door to our pension was covered in graffiti, like much of the rest of Berlin.
We rang and waited curiously to be buzzed into the strange, dark hallway.
In the end, it was perfect- our own apartment with a full kitchen.

There is a section of the Berlin Wall that is still intact.
The wall was divided up and artists from all over the world have been commissioned to
come give a personal touch and message for the world to see.

Some people stood and studied the wall for minutes at a time,
others walked by like it was just another day, just another barrier.

Under the dreariness of the clouds and sporadic showers, the colors of the wall
jumped out as if they really were alive and speaking. Here you can see both walls with the
"death strip" in between, which was once guarded against escapees from the East into the West.

The Reichstag is the original home to the German Parliament. Destruction from a fire in the 1930's left the building forgotten until it was renovated in the 60's. In the 1990's
a glass dome was added to the top that looks down over the main hall of the parliament.

Inside the dome, a spiral walkway starts at the bottom and goes round and round
all the way up to the open-sky top. It seemed to take forever to finally reach the top.

The whole structure was fascinating, from the middle mirror section that copied
our images from top to bottom, to the smooth metal handrails guiding the eye upward.

"Before" and "After" of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.
What little is left of the church contains a memorial with photographs from
before the war and a restored main hall with beautifully colored tiling.

The Holocaust Memorial was designed and constructed in 2004 by Peter Eisenman.
There are 2,711 concrete boxes of different heights, one for each page of the Talmud.

More of the street art that is so common in the city.

Unter den Linden is one of the city's main drags. Any guesses as to what that might mean?
YES! Under the Lindens!
The boulevard is lined with lindens, many museums and important buildings like Humboldt University, where 20,000 books were burned shortly after Hitler took over in 1933.

One museum on the boulevard houses a statue named "mother and her dead son",
a memorial for the "victims of war and tyranny". The striking figures are placed in a windowless room with only the light from a round hole in the ceiling falling across them.

The artist of the Global Stone Project, polishing his fabulous stones in a section
of the Tiergarten park. Located in West Berlin, it was once the hunting grounds for the
city's elite. It has many trails, lovely ponds and open fields.

Trains, trains, trains looking out toward the skyscrapers of the city center.

Another memorial was IN the "death strip", and showed the true faces of some victims.

We happened to be in Berlin over the weekend of the 20th year anniversary
of the reunification of Germany. The tables were donned with yellow, red and black coverings and we sat down to wait for the crowd to arrive . . . .

Turns out that no one really attended and the vendor-lined street was pretty much empty.
It was freezing cold, so we drank a beer, ate some bratwurst and ran back to our warm pension.
Ah, well.

Happy Celebrating!

Prost!

2010-10-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Salzburg's patron saint, St. Rupert, the city hosts a festival each
year in his honor. And it just so happens that this year, we were in town to enjoy it.

Rupert stands tall and proud in his square of perfectly manicured shrub-trees
and green, green grass. Happy as a clam.

Rides and food-stands galore, and everyone in the town is out.

Also, there are many people dressed in the traditional Bavarian getup- dirndls
for the women and lederhosen for the men(and some of the women).

Stiegl has its own tent devoted entirely to eating and drinking...well...Stiegl of course.
What'll it be? Bratwurst? 1/2 a chicken? Fries?

The pretzels are out of this world and can be found on most any city block.

At the top of the ferris wheel looking over one big party down below.

Prost!
And the band plays on.
Goodbye Salzburg.

The Little Things- Salzburg

2010-10-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

While we were in Salzburg, we were very lucky to have our own personal guide and friend.
Thanks to Franz, a native of the area, we learned more about the city walking around with him
than we ever would have on a 3 hour tour.

We hiked up to the top of one of the mountains accessible from the city. The fortress that
had before seemed so massive suddenly became a miniature model in the distance.

The old part of the city is full of winding stairways leading up to people's doorways
and other quiet stretches away from the crowded shopping madness below.

A local artist carved this Jesus out of wood.
It now hangs in the local monastery and stands about 10 ft tall.

The lovely river and mountains.

Inside the main cathedral, the intricate carvings in the white stone of the
massive arches are a perfect example of Romanesque architecture.

The basement of the cathedral was home to a great art exhibit, which Franz shared with
us one afternoon. The little animals and people waver on the wall in the
flickering candle-light like a dance, each one making up their own moves.

Glass door to a private prayer room in the church.

The old Apothecary with the original designed windows and painted murals.
Right in the midst of the all the hectic shoppers, this was a lovely step back in time.

Back outside, the surrounding mountains caught our eye.
The seemingly jut out of nowhere, but are a lovely backdrop to the city.

Franz informed us that 50% of Austria is uninhabitable because it is so
mountainous and without rain. This part is obviously part of the inhabitable 50% and gets enough annual rainfall to keep these pastures looking electric green.

One Of My Fav-or-ite Things

2010-09-30T12:35:00.000-07:00

The home of Mozart, the Sound of Music, and Stiegl beer......
Salzburg!!!

But of course- it is on a hill, next to a river and well-protected with the
amazing fortress towering over the city.

The main drag is quite touristy and shoppy, but very lovely and kept up. Each store looks elegant, with no gaudy signage or ugly advertising...
you'll never believe this but even the McDonald's doesn't look so bad, save for the many circles of discarded chewing-gum on the sidewalk by the front door. Oops.

The Mirabell Park and Gardens.
The residents of Salzburg are often married in the building on
these grounds....hmmm, I really can't see why they would want to do that...

...but the wedding photos must be absolutely stunning.

The theater building where part of the Sound of Music took place. For
those lovers of this film, it is the final scene, the family is all singing on stage
together and then one by one they make their exit offstage and into a waiting car.
Escape!

St. Peter's cemetery. Thinking this might be just the place for your family tomb?
Think again. St. Peter's is reserved for the important and wealthy of Salzburg, and besides,
there really is not room for even one more grave.

Having some form of a light shining at all times is very important,
and each grave has its own unique lantern.

Time-keeping is very important in Salzburg, with its plethora of sun dials and clocks.
This building on the main drag is special because it not only has a clock, but also a moon clock. The ball is half yellow, half blue and rotates around to show the cycle of the moon.

Well, what can I say. We crossed through a park
with these perfectly hilarious little statues standing around.
If anyone is familiar with this story please be sure to write and let us know...

Mansions, restaurants, cafes, and churches line the winding river.

The main Cathedral of Salzburg.

The city from above, where the sprawl becomes just a little
more apparent. But the lush green hills beyond create a natural border.

Coming To A Close

2010-09-25T01:06:00.000-07:00

Summer is fading as the sun burns the once lush-green fields to a dry, brown crisp.

The lovely sunflowers that were sustenance for the soul from July to August
are finally beginning to hang their heads and wither up.

It is amazing how a plant looks so alive and vibrant in the beginning of
life and then the end comes and it all falls apart.
Is that what we have to look forward to? Gosh, hope not.

Instead of bright yellow petals, the dried up leaves are now giving off the yellow hue
across the land. Not quite the same effect, but lovely in its own way.

And the tilling begins! Turn the soil boys!

The absence of rain in the entire region post-June has lead to a very, very
dry summer. Much of the green we see are either coniferous trees, or
vineyards that seem to somehow pull through with their rocky soil.

Farewell hot summer and farewell southern France.
Welcome dry, brown, scarf-wearing fall.

A Country Walk

2010-09-13T12:59:00.000-07:00

A great thing about the French countryside is that it is full of marked walks anywhere
from 1 hour to 6 hours in length. The walks run right along farmers' fields,
through the woods and from time to time along a road.

This day we chose a walk through vineyard country, with virtually no one around
but the silent vines. The sun was out and the colors were lovely.

Stocking up for the coming winter...
it will be here before we know it.

Along the way King Chris found his very own castle and a loyal best friend.

Impressive eh? Now all he needs is to find a queen.

Over the course of the day, we passed many budding vineyards, with vines so small
it would be years and years before any yield was won from them.
You know what they say. . . a watched vine never grows.

We passed through a tiny, quaint town called Fources, with window boxes
overflowing with bright flowers. Even town was quiet.

Into the woods. What would be on the other side of the tunnel?

Eh, Voila!
A sky dotted with cotton candy.

And finally, the famous Plane Trees, that line most every country road
in the south of France. Lovely, arching over the road, creating shade for all.

Adventures of Pretty Coco

2010-09-08T00:46:00.000-07:00

Who is Pretty Coco?
Well, she is something that has been absolutely invaluable during our time in the countryside. There is no question about that. She is small and lovely and peppy and has a creamy yellow tint. A car, yes, just a car. But a wonderful car to be sure.

P Coco-- our '87 Citroen AX 11 in her first, and most likely only, modeling shoot ever.

Coco ran well, better than anyone might expect from an old, old car. . .
until one day when she puttered to a stop as we approached a round-about.
The woman behind us was NOT pleased that she had to back up, even though it clearly
was not our fault that our poor car decided to fail.

So that night, Coco was left on the side of the road by a DO NOT ENTER
sign, with a note on the dash asking that she please not be towed.

Thankfully she was still there the next day...

After a couple days of poking and prodding, and another few hours visiting the
local mechanic, P Coco was back on the road in her usual near-perfect form.

We have since sold our dear Pretty Coco, which served us so well through our journeys,
but she has been passed on to some wonderful friends who we know will take great care of her.
Goodbye P. Coco

30th World Championship Of...

2010-08-30T07:39:00.000-07:00

. . . Melon-seed spitting!

Why of course. The delicious, regional orange melons
definitely deserve some type of championship involving them.

So here you have it folks, the MELODROME.
Sounds intimidating right? Well, what's even more intimidating is that the
record-holder from last year spit a stunning 10.46 meters. NO way...

As the sign behind the moderator says, today is the 30th world champion
of melon-seed spitting. There are specific techniques and a competitive
streak in the air, as the contestants sign up for a spot.

There are people of all ages, with everyone competing within their
age group. Grab a number and we're OFF!

Note the careful lip structure...

...and the gesture that says..."oh, come on, it's just there!"

...and the impressively straight posture and raised eyebrows.
That's got to help, right?

...and finally we have the eyes closed.
Leave it up to fate where the tiny seed will land.

And a SPIT...and a measure..which came out at
OVER 6 meters long! Nice, Chris.

Most of the time at this event was spent actually finding the offending
seed that someone just spit-- seeing as though the seeds are small and
cream-colored, and the floor is dusty and neutral-colored.
Audience participation was always a huge help in the search.

As we had to leave early, we don't know the outcome,
but I'm sure the rest of the afternoon was full of plenty of slimy
seeds and happy people.

France Goes Country Western

2010-08-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

American movies, American music, McDonald's...what part of American culture
is next in line to be exported abroad?? Well, you may not believe it, I certainly did not,
but here it is..... LINE DANCING!

The Salle de Fête in Francescas, a very small town near by, hosted
a Western Dancing party for all the die-hard country-western lovers
of southwest France...which are many, much more than you might think.

Outfitted down to the T with jumbo(how fitting) American flags,
the red, white and blue completely overtook the modest party hall.

While the dancing wasn't exactly what we might think of as line dancing,
these determined dancers were hell-bent on not screwing up the steps...
thus the lack of smiles. And this goes for every single person in the room, no joke.

And don't worry, if you missed this event....there are more throughout the year,
with this single list taking us all the way through March!
Just to get an idea how serious line dancing is here....there were attendees
who came from as far away as 100 kilometers.

Does the table setting look slightly familiar?
Well done, well done.

Profile Of A Kiwi

2010-07-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

Who knows what a kiwi tree looks like?
I didn't- at least not until passing endless rows of spindly-looking bush-tree-things
along the side of the road and asking what they were.

Well, kiwi trees. Duh.

Half tree, half bush, and sprouting long tendrils like grape vines that
haven't yet been trimmed, kiwi trees are sight to behold.

Along the shorter tendrils lie
bunches and bunches of kiwis.

Don't be fooled though-- they look ready, but
they won't actually be ripe until the end of October/November.
Darn.

Well OK, except for the kiwis you buy in the grocery store.
THESE are ripe and good for the eating pronto.

And boy are they grrrrreat for the eating. Day and night.

Back To The Earth

2010-07-28T05:33:00.000-07:00

Artichokes are a veg we've been enjoying here

for some time now. They are finally coming to an end though...
and returning to the earth to nourish the soil.

A jumbo arti that was mmm mmmm good for dinner.

Lovely artichoke left to it's own devices on the stalk...

If an artichoke is not picked, it goes to flower with this
soft, delicate lavender center. And if it is left to wither even further,
it dries up and turns brown.

Even the leaves of the artichoke on the left are
beginning to brown and crumple up.

This poor artichoke has been in the bright, bright southern sun for
weeks now and has completely singed- inside and out.

What's left is the perfectly dried and beautifully fragile skeleton
of what was once a tasty side dish on a warm summer's night.
Decomposition here we go.

Champion of Championships

2010-07-21T05:55:00.000-07:00

France should definitely known as the

country of plentiful championships, championships that allow everyone
to be a winner at some point. . . .
even if you think you aren't exceptionally good at anything in this world.

A crowd gathered overlooking the river at Nérac, the closest big town.
For what could they possibly all be waiting?

It was none other than. . . .

. . .The annual championship of wine-barrel racing!
On your marks, get set....

GO!
And they're off in a puff of flames.

Hmmm... I don't know about these guys...
Seems crazy to me.

Ohhh, and one unfortunate soul is down for the count.

Admitting defeat, the contestant was taken ashore,
forlorn and disappointed, with his painted barrel beside him.

And if you thought that the festivities of the day were over, think again.
An obstacle course was strung up across the river for 2 teams in a race against time...

Through soaking t-shirts, faces bashing against tubes, and dangerously slippery platforms,
these daring individuals crossed the river as fast as they possibly could. . .

. . .while these 2 brave men blew encouraging masses of flames into the air.

Dirty water from the fire-blowers' flammable liquid, which was
spewed in a controlled manner(don't worry) onto the water and banks of the river.

No championship in France ends without bottles of wine for all...
or maybe just for the winners. Good enough incentive?

And these, THESE, ladies and gentlemen are the champions of
"who-can-stay-to-the-bitter-end".
And what did they get to show for it?

Nothing but a couple of sore bottoms I'm afraid.

Last Night's Candles

2010-07-18T10:27:00.000-07:00

Candlelit dinners are always nice, especially when

the food is tasty and company exquisite.

Slowly, slowly the candles dictate the ending of lovely evening.

And then, by the morning, they don't quite look the same as they used to...

They are just beautiful in an entirely different way.
Morphed and hardened.

Yum.

A Day In The Countryside

2010-07-17T13:09:00.000-07:00

July in southwest France means that everywhere you turn
the fields are a vibrant yellow with an unending supply of gorgeous sunflowers.

And July also means that it is very, very hotttttt....

...which means it's the perfect time for a swing in the breeze.

The Chateau of the nearest town, Le Fréchou, stands tall on the hilltop
with its newly planted walnut trees on the hillside below.

End of the day corn-field-watering.

And at last a sunset that just says RAIN is coming.
Finally.

A Life Forgotten

2010-07-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

It is rather commonplace here to find abandoned houses-
houses that people couldn't afford, houses lived in for a while and left for
a better place, houses going to ruin while stuck in the midst of family feuding.
The reasons for abandonment, like the houses themselves, are endless. . .

Within the first few steps, signs of a past life are visible wherever you look.
Who lived here? What kind of life did they lead?
Where they happy here at one time?

The sound of tearing cobwebs accompanies every step.
The smell of musky, humid material overwhelms.

Hello . . . . . . . .?

It seems that at one time this place was beautiful and loved.
What went wrong?

The plants have taken over this dwelling as their own, and
there is no one around to stop them.

It has been a while since this drop-box has seen a letter pass through it.

Big Round Bales

2010-07-03T06:34:00.000-07:00

The long fields are now dotted with round, spiky bales of hay.

They are quite the contrast to the softness of the fluffy clouds above.

JUMP JUMP JUMP

It's Superman!

I bet you didn't know that with his cape off, superman
is one master nose-picker.

A family of feet.

Until next time swirling bales.

Gardener's Delight

2010-06-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

Voici the garden behind the wonderful florist and our dear friend, Lisa.
Her entire property is full of grids, each one overflowing with beautiful flowers.

The grids are perfectly arranged so that when the flowers grow,
the grid can be moved up to keep the flower stems from flopping over.

The lush green with dots of vibrant colors is an absolute paradise.

And what an amazing place for a tree house. The view from the
tiny porch faces west for a wonderful taste of the sunset over endless farmland.

No garden is complete without the drooping Love Lies Bleeding, or amaranthus.
We could all use a lesson in flowers from Lisa.
Cheers

Where "Wheaties" Come From

2010-06-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

So, if anyone was ever curious as to the origins of the beloved cereal Wheaties...
it's right here. In France. Among these lovely swaying fields of... WHEAT!

Ok, well maybe that's a stretch, but isn't it wonderful?
Delicate, breezy, summery, flowing.

Wheat stretches on forever in all directions...

...in fields of all sizes.

And then, right when you begin to notice the fields and admire them
for their simplicity and calmness...SOMEONE comes to mow them down.

Up and down, up and down, up and down he goes.
I was going to say up and down he ZOOMS, but it's more like a
slow trot, building up dust and debris along the way.

Yay, one row down....734,000 to go!

This farmer is in his own little confined world, where
he is hopefully untouched by the wheat clouds swirling about him.

Goodnight wheat fields, and goodbye until next season.

Plums Galore

2010-06-20T23:33:00.000-07:00

'Tis the season for fruit.
Camont's yard is chalk full of fruit-bearing trees,
not least of them a tall, dark-leafed tree with bright yellow fruit.

Voici a very heavy basket of Mirabelle plums.
Dig in.

One happy picker.

While we wait for the peaches and apples and pears and figs, we'll
just munch on some yellowy goodness, ripe and warm from the sun.

Garlic Craze

2010-06-19T04:01:00.000-07:00

Garlic season is upon us, and the white fluffy flowers can be seen along the
roadside, bobbing and swaying their heads in the warm breeze.

We turned a corner on our search for the canoeing park, when we were
pleasantly surprised by a roadside barn full of heavenly, hanging garlic.

The sight of these 3 farmers was irresistible.
We had to pull over.

The garlic is heaped onto a long truck-bed, and then gently laid into
bunches along the long, skinny table.

I have never seen someone care for garlic in such a way
that the whole process becomes meditative and beautiful.

After the bunches are lined up, they are strung up about every foot or so
and hoisted with a pulley system up into the rafters of the barn to dry.

And then back to fields we drove.
Merci

Extra Large Dollhouse Please

2010-06-18T23:58:00.000-07:00

Many exciting things have been happening here at Camont,
and one of those great, great things is the building of a small, beautiful cabin.
This building has acquired many names since the time of its conception-
the summerhouse, the castle, and the love shack to name a few...

The beginning is always the daunting part.

...but at the end of the day it is rewarding to see the progress.

Angus, the pro, does a great job instructing the rest of the team...
and by the rest of the team I mean Chris.

Oh, Chris and the chicken of course.

And the floor is complete, with room for a 3 ft veranda in the front,
overlooking the yard, chickens, and potager.

Now to start on the uprights.

Suddenly we were struck with horrible weather that made everyone, especially Angus,
grumpy as hell. It rained and rained and rained with no sign of clear skies in sight.

And so the over-sized dollhouse sat, lonely and wet, while we waited.

Back to work days later, things were looking up.

Two pairs of shoes lined up.

Hello.
Happy with a job well done on the roofing thus far.

Working side by side, the Englishman and the Cowboy(as Chris has
now been named) seem to be old comrades, laughing and poking fun at cultural differences.

Working a long day full of sweat and sawdust, some smiles are
necessary to lighten the atmosphere.

So, I thought I'd help out for 5 minutes of putting up the siding...
just to say I'd helped for 5 minutes putting up the siding.

As the days get hotter, the Englishman and the Cowboy
have become increasingly lax with their work attire.
Good thing for the rest of us.

So, after a few weeks of building and waiting and building and sweating
and watching the house go up and up and up, we finally have
something we can call home for the next few months. Phew!

And what a wonderful, quaint little dollhouse it is.
Thank you Kate and thank you Angus and thank you Christopher.
Ah, perfection.

Foie Gras Farm

2010-06-17T06:01:00.000-07:00

Le Ferme du Boué is a small-scale business specializing in duck products.
There is a restaurant with a fixed menu, a garden that raises 100% of the food for the restaurant,
and an endless supply of ducks to make rillettes, foie gras, confit and more.

The first building you come to is the restaurant.

Jehanne Rignault explains a little about ducks and the products she makes.

Instead of selling entire ducks at a Marché au Gras, Jehanne
turns each duck into something scrumptious.

Back patio of the restaurant.

Along with the lovely main house on the property, there are many gites that
are rented out for the summer holidays. Heading to the countryside
is quite the popular thing to do in France...gimme somma that fresh air!

Guests on the farm can relax by the beautiful blue pool,
or head out to the big pond to fish in the afternoon sunshine.

There are not only ducks, but cows, sheep, chickens and pigs here on the farm.

Oink, oink.

Small, but immaculately tended garden.

Since this is a fois gras farm, force feeding IS practiced, but it
is only for the last 14 days of the duck's life. They start with this cup, the actual
amount a duck would eat in a day, and then increase the amount over the course of
the 14 days. The ducks are hand-fed slightly cooked corn and oil, so the corn is
relatively soft and goes down easily.

The process of making foie gras isn't as evil as you may have thought!
If you are still wary, read up on our beloved factory farm system....
chances are you'll end up preferring the farm-raised foie.

It just so happened that the day of our visit a large shipment of ducklings
was set to be delivered. Lucky, lucky us.
They arrived in a huge truck filled only with these few small,
cardboard boxes..hmmm......

Et Voila! Apparently 24-hour-old ducklings are more durable than we think and
can simply be dumped right out of the boxes onto clean hay.

350 ducklings to be exact, and MAN were they adorable.
They stay inside for about 2-3 weeks so as not to catch a cold outside,
and then out they go to play in the fields. Free range babies.

Lovely visit to a wonderful, well-run operation.

More Class Fun

2010-06-16T14:27:00.000-07:00

And the days of shooting continue.
The weather is gorgeous and the atmosphere is superb.

Potatoes from the garden- the chickens scratched them up,
so we got to eat them early and tiny. Mmmmm Mmmmm.

Ending with a few lovely apricot tarts.
Oo la la.

A Course In Photography

2010-06-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

Lucky, lucky us.
We get to indulge yet again in a photographic journey with a
Tim Clinch perspective on natural light shooting.

Merci. Merci beaucoup.

Faces Of Camont

2010-06-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoons are the best time to relax,
eat good food(not that we don't at Camont EVERY day), and
share the company of your good friends.

And it all starts with a kiss of welcome. Bonjour Dominique!

Dearest Franny.

Kate's sister Stephanie, with Renee.

And of course there is no party without abundant supplies of drinks for all.

Alvin, proud owner of the most awesome mustache in town.

Another lovely day, with homemade meringue and fresh cherries.

And don't forget the homemade cherry garcia icecream,
compliments of Renee. Kudos everyone

To The Escargolade

2010-06-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

Something particular to France- an Escargolade, or snail festival.

Everyone gets together, listens to really awful musicians try to play music
and eat snails with fries, whilst catching up on the local gossip.

Ste Colombe is just up the road from us here at Camont,
so we wandered up for festivities.

We could not have asked for a more beautiful night
with a more stunning view of the surrounding countryside.

It seems that every really good, French meal includes "frites" or fries.
And rightly so, they are REALLY good, especially dipped in the
traditional spicy French mustard.

So, this guy goes into the shop and buys a little Volkswagon Beetle.
He asks the dealer if he can get an 'S' painted in the side.
When the dealer looks at him strangely and asks why, the
guy answers, "so that when people see me drive down the street they say-
Look at that S car go!"

Bon nuit Ste Colombe.

Overalls

2010-06-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

Farming is SUCH a bore if you don't dress the part.

Yes, and now it's the fashion to wear your overalls pulled down
and held up by hooking the straps together around your waist.

And Then The Rain Came

2010-06-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

Rain helps things grow, sure, and it
also means it's time to hunker down and play some boardgames.

Rain hit Camont in torrential sweeps, soaking the ground, the sheep and the people.

Catch a falling drop and put it in your pocket,
save it for a starry day.
For love may come and tap you on the shoulder,
one rainless night.
And you'll have a pocket full of rain drops, pocket full of rain drops...

Wait...wrong song.
Keep on rainin'

Bouquets 101

2010-06-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

So, for those of you out there who would like a more in-depth
how to of Lisa's bouquet-making process, here you go.

The flowers of the day, including poppy buds and wheat from the nearest farm.

It is a stretch of the imagination in terms of what you
can put into a bouquet, so go outside and find something that interests you--
green, colored, flowering, leafy, textured, anything.

Start with one flower as your lead that has a relatively sturdy stem.
Then, begin adding flowers creating a spiral shape around the main stem.

Keep going and going and going until your bouquet is the size that you want.
Try to keep the bunch mixed up, not having too many of one flower clumped together.

Larissa, the student of the day, working the spiral.

Bouquet-making is not just about the flowers, but the paper choice, bows,
ribbons and other decorative materials. It only makes the arrangements
just that much more interesting and intricate.

Note that the spiral shape around the first stem is still holding up.
Cut all the stems to the same length, for aesthetic purposes and also
so that all the stems will reach the water.

Tie the bouquet off to keep everything in place and reach
for your paper, bows, beads and whatever else you'd like to add for the final touches.

Now, for the 3 bouquets Lisa made today. . . .

Lovely spring yellows and greens.

Calming purples, fuchsias and blues.

And finally, a playful bunch of pinks and textures.

Bonne chance!

The Farm That Is Camont

2010-06-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

According to dictionary.com, the primary definition of a farm is the following:
a tract of land, usually with a house, barn, silo, etc., on which
crops and often livestock are raised for livelihood.

Here at Camont, it seems we have enough animals and vegetables for
consumption and pleasure, a.k.a. livelihood, to constitute a real farm.

Boudin the cat- named after the blood sausage, boudin noir.

Bacon.

Bacon the dog, has befriended the two lambs and now they are three.

Chicken coup, duck yard and a drinking duckling.

Talk about overbearing, over-protective mothers, this mom
doesn't let her little ones stray very far at all.

Yes, even the spiders are part of the party.

Little Snowy, as we call him.

Henri-- good at finding the highest place to perch and watch over his lady friends.

A little one all energetic to face another day of sunlight.

Bouquets of Love

2010-06-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

Our dear friend Lisa, the expert on everything flowers, gave us
much-appreciated class in bouquet making.

Begin with a bunch of lovely, colorful flowers and it is
certain that you will create a gorgeous arrangement.
Having the proper tools is key. Always.

Some of us took more time than others in the "arranging" process,
but it was amazing to watch Lisa just whip up a wonderful bouquet in minutes.

This one consists mainly of various roses from the plethora that surrounds
us here at Camont, along with some sweet-smelling mint leaves.

The darker purple-red flower is called Sweet William, and caught
my eye straight away. It was the base of my bouquet and off I went.

Meet the artist- this is Lisa and her husband Angus. They are at Camont often- gardening, building, helping out, enjoying meals and playing outside in the mud. And of course, a great collection of flowers by Lisa. See more of her flowers @ http://www.fleursdete.com/

Never a boring day.

Using Natural Light

2010-06-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

At Camont, we got to be the test subjects for Tim Clinch and Kate Hill's new
natural light and food styling photography class.

We began with oh-so-fresh-and-beautiful tomatoes
straight from the Agen market.

Tim shows how to use the reflectors to get
just a little more light on the subject.

Goat Cheese Cake with a perfectly crispy crust.
No, we didn't make it, but someone at the bakery did and boy was it tasty.

Petites Fraises de Bois- strawberries of the woods.
Perfectly sweet and delicious.

Teacher and students hard at work.

Not quite the same as a reflector, Tim shows how using a diffuser can
make the light nice and even on the subject- tomatoes. Parfait.

Thank you Tim Clinch.

One Garden Ready To Grow

2010-06-04T13:52:00.000-07:00

With a few days of work and plenty of helping hands, the garden
has been magically transformed into something resembling.... a garden.

Each plot was weeded, tilled, turned over, planted and watered.

Leeks. The won't be ready until January, so no one really got too excited about them.

Garlic stalks almost ready to harvest.
Roasted fresh garlic is a Camont favorite. We can't get enough.

Spiders on the garlic.

Our dear friend Lisa worked tirelessly to make this flower garden
what it is. Beautiful rows, and everything is coming up as it should.

BRAVO team.

One Overgrown Garden

2010-06-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

The grass is a meter high and the entire garden is weed-infested,
but don't worry
we have things under control....

Mom To The Rescue

2010-05-31T13:18:00.001-07:00

Once in a while a little duckling needs some help in this cold, cold world.
The mother had abandoned these ducklings just as they were
breaking out of their shells. An intervention quickly ensued...

The tiny little beak is peeking out.

How does all of that little body fit into such a seemingly impossibly small shell?

The first thing a duckling needs to do is drink water.

And he already has it down, with no real duck-mother to show him the way.

Whoa The Woad

2010-05-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

Woad is the only natural blue dye, no chemicals in sight.
It comes from the woad plant and has been used to dye cloth since the
time of the Egyptians, who used it to dye the cloth for wrapping mummies.

Denise Lambert is the owner of Bleu Pastel de Lectoure.
Her company is based here in southwest France and carries everything blue you could
ever imagine- from cosmetics, to clothing to art supplies. Kate hosted a dye workshop
at her house, and 8 women came for 2 full days of dipping and dying festivities.

By the end of the day, these five white twist scarves had been
transformed into a perfect gradation of blues from light to dark.

Hat of Your Choice

2010-05-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

You know it's summertime with Kate Hill at Camont
when you get to choose a hat for a lovely lunch in the sunshine.

There are wide-brimmed, colored, and feathered- what's your preference?

We are the farming, cooking, hat-wearing kind of ladies.
And there is no shortage of vibrancy and laughter around our lunch table.

There is a hat for everyone, even the most eccentric among us!

Cheers. Santé. Salute.

Flowers of Camont

2010-05-26T11:58:00.000-07:00

Camont is overflowing with an incredible assortment
of roses of every color, size and shape.