6 June
It is a drizzly day. I made an appointment with Simone at Domaines Trinites for Howard, the dogs and I to visit to purchase the newly bottled Cinsault. We decide it would be best for Howard to stay at home with the dogs. It’s a 30 minute drive and I get lost. Fortunately I finally find the village on the GPS (I was not far)–although my first attempt to input the village on the GPS said there was no such place.
When I arrive there are 6 other people there in a very small tasting space–thankfully we did not bring the dogs as we had planned. What I thought would be a 30 minute visit ended up to be 2 hours. I call Howard twice but I just keep getting his VM. He never gets my messages. I buy 12 bottles at 10€ each. The man from Ireland asks how I’ll get home. I think he means us but he means the wine. I say we’ll drink it–he still is confused. I guess he couldn’t imagine drinking 12 bottles in the 23 days we have left in Europe. I didn’t tell him how much other wine we have here at home. The GPS lady was on drugs on the way back but I finally make it home.
Howard prepares delicious scallops and pasta for lunch plus enjoy the new wine.
7 June
We are planning a going away dinner on 19 June and want to serve an “American” meal. There are several limitations on what we cook: Stephen is allergic to cow’s milk and butter; the cuts of meat here are not at all what we’re used to; and Cat and Stephen do not eat BBQ’d meat. So we are going to consider chicken and dumplings–we’ve never cooked them but what the hell. So today is our “try-out” day.
9 June
I send Marie a lengthy thank you email in French–it takes a LONG time to compose. Hope she understands my sincere sentiments of gratitude for her lovely lunch.
Lunch is pink garlic soup (I tell Howard he needed to add more garlic!) and scallop omelets with a nice salad and bread.