Last Days in France

We left Lourmarin in the first Provence rain we'd seen and spent five rather unpleasant hours on highways in rain and traffic. Things really improved when we turned off the major highway, though, and drive little roads through the Chablis region. Chablis itself was a lovely little town, and we were staying in Ligny le Chatel, even smaller and also pretty cute. Our hotel was charming,room comfortable and dinner really good. Great last night before airport hotel. Our drive the next day into Charles de Gaulle was part pleasant--through cute little Isle de France towns--and part awful--highway near CDG was as bad as any traffic ever. But we got there, returned our car, and got shuttled to the hotel. I am on my way home now. Mark day after tomorrow.

Ligny le Chatel Hotel

Room

Hotel Garden

Dining Room

Lentils and Bacon Lardons

Ligny le Chatel

Ligny le Chatel

Ligny le Chatel

Surprise castle in a village

Pastis With Our Lourmarin Neighbor

We ran into a nice old lady twice on the elevator and she told us in French that if we needed anything  just tell her, as she was in the apt next door. Mark got the idea to buy her some flowers at the Friday weekly market. When we delivered them she asked to come for an aperitif. At five on Saturday she rang our bell and we went next door. She spoke no English and I was worried I could converse or understand, but we stayed for over an hour and I really did okay. I translated for Mark and did a lot of talking myself. Mark and I had Pastis and she had whiskey. She is ninety and is a widow. She has two sons who visit sometimes but she was glad of our company. She gave us a huge bottle of Pastis when we left even though we tried to talk her out of it. Her name is Aimee.