lands of wine: from Blancardy to Tuscany

leaving Blancardy: Alain, Dread, and Eric in the front seat








arriving in Florence

à plus, Blancardy

and thanks to our generous hosts, Laure and Alain Martial, who have been keen to show us the beauty (and wine) of the Cévennes



off to Florence via Nice ... stay tuned!

leaving Paris

en route to Barcelona -- stay tuned!

au revoir les chèvres

Lydie et Alexandre having a demi-pèche in Lasalle after the market

we visited both

saying goodbye to the ladies (and Darwin)

au sommet du Mt Brion

Two weeks ago today, after two car rides, four trains and a bus, we found ourselves somewhere in the hills of the Cévennes in the south of France. After introductions, Lydie, WWOOF host and fromagière, offered a small lunch. On the table, nestled between the teapot and a crusty loaf of bread, was a small plate of two or three pélardons of her cheese; it would remain a fixture at the table throughout our stay.

Our time here has been relatively quiet. Quiet, but hardly uneventful: we've probed medieval ruins, milked goats, made cheese, refined our ability to keep 30 hungry animals in order, and even helped free one that somehow lodged herself between two chestnut trees. She hadn't even the dignity to bleat for help. 

Oh, we'll miss them -- maybe even Darwin too.

One month into our séjour, we're beginning to realize that for the organic farmer, 'organic' is not a label, but the single intended nature of everything we consume. If a vegetable is produced 'non-organically,' it's not really a vegetable: it's something that looks like a vegetable. What may seem like snobbery or a quirky lifestyle choice is actually a better understanding of what food is and how we have become disconnected from realizing this. There's something to be said, too, for eating and buying locally, or enjoying herbs from your own small patch. 

Speaking of herb gardens: tomorrow we head to Normandie. 

Thanks for following!

À plus,

Katie and Eric

allons-y!