Day 37

Three Americans and an Ethiopian walk into a bar . . .

The morning began as every Sunday has since we have been here . . . leisurely.  We did put a bit more spring in our step than usual as we were hungry and our cupboards were bare.  There is a familiarity to this scene, isn't there?  We knew that shops close early on a Sunday if they are open at all, so we hustled our way out of the house and down a block to our local grocery.  Closed.  The joke was on us as we had just missed the operational hours by mere moments.  Damned you daylight savings time.  Fortunately, we were there early enough for a treat.  We WERE able to catch just the last few moments of the farmer's market.  Meats, Veggies and Textiles all sold under unmbrellla for a very reasonable price.  With a bit of produce in our shopping bags, we headed back for the house.  Oh, and just so you know . . . a kilo of cherry tomatoes is an absolute ass load.  Note for next time . . . ask for 1/2 kilo.

The remainder of the day unwound like Sunday's always do here . . . slowly.  We stayed around the house to tidy up a bit and make sure that laundry was done for the coming week.  I would have been quite content to stay in for the remainder of the day, however, we had dinner plans in a neighboring village.  My wife has some colleagues in town and we agreed to take them out for the evening.  Dinner was to be at one of the few open establishments on a Sunday evening in the little town know for its wine trade.  The town is a charmer.  A tremendous gothic church tower overlooks the quaint little burg, from which you can see most of the countryside.  If you were to paint yourself a romantic scene of a small French town in wine country, this would be it.  Narrow cobbled roads with small shops filled to the brim with wine bottles.  It is definitely a place that I will be returning when things are a bit more lively.  The town was sleepy.  Quiet exept for the song from a distant bird or two and the hourly chime from the ancient bell tower.

The food was favorable and the company was ingriguing.  Our guests . . . an American gal with a penchant for storm chasing and a wicked peanut allergy, and a very pleasant Ethiopian gentleman tranplanted in the US by way of Holland.  After a bottle of local red and a nice desert it was time to call it an evening.  I don't know that I can speak for everyone else at the table, but I had a wonderful evening and look forward to continuing these type of outings in the near future.  After dropping our guests at their chateau, it was time to get back to our home and relieve the babysitter.  All had gone well with the boys for the evening.  A relief, but not a surprise.  They were left in quite capable hands . . . thanks Oscar!

And so the week will begin anew once again.  I will be back to the daily schedule of juvenile taxi service and keeper of the house as we look forward to the next adventure on the horizon.  Stay tuned.