(We forgot to take a photo of dinner – here’s desert)

We decided to stay another night here by the tower. Mainly based on the dinner last night, it was magnifique! So this morning while Denis worked I went for a tour of the village. It didn’t take very long. It’s small but it shows up something about France that I have been noticing.

 

(Chateau closed for lunch)

Lunch is sacred: Everything, and there’s not many things, but everything closes for lunch, except the restaurants, they close after lunch.

Yesterday on our way here we stopped off in a small village to have a snack. We went into the bar off the square and there were three people having their lunch. The woman jumped up to serve us at the counter. If we hadn’t seen the food they were eating we might have just ordered coffee but the possibility of something more made us brave.

(We’re very high on a hill, lovely views)

So we said we would like a sandwich, maybe ham and cheese? The woman said something to the man still sitting at the table (maybe her husband?) and there followed a heated debate. He throws his cutlery on the table and storms out the door. I turn to the woman asking “Oh…. pas de sandwich?”, in a quizzical, but friendly, non (very non) heated-debate way . She used the “who knows?” face and asked what we want to drink.

(After cold meat and salad lunch)

As it seemed some food may be coming we went outside to the nice quiet tables and waited. I noticed a map across the square and investigated that. By the time I get back the table is laid, there is bread in a basket and Denis is coming out the door with a plate full of cold meats and salad. He points me in the general direction and soon I have a plate of cold meat and salad. Very good cold meat and salad.

By now the husband (?) had arrived back and was quietly finishing his lunch. We still don’t know what happened. But I think it demonstrates lunch is sacred…..

(Blue Farm Planted Field Green)

And now here I am sitting outside the front of our hotel in a little courtyard with my laptop, drinking a glass of water. The other tables started filling up at about 11.45. They got their menu, but the waiters didn’t come back to take their orders until at least 12.20. It’s now 12.45 and one table still hasn’t got any food. Everyone has wine and they are ordering full meals, not just a sandwich!

(Old Tiles on floor of chateau, and my motorcycle boots)

They are taking their time, no one is bothered by the amount of time they are waiting. It seems like lunch time is a ritual. Maybe it could even be described as spiritual…. I’m not kidding…. it’s different…

I want to get in on the ritual. I couldn’t possibly eat a big meal now and another one tonight, could I? On an unrelated matter, my clothes seem to be shrinking, must be the heat….

 

Be well,  Mairead.