Dawn in the Périgord

Back to the Village

Dawn breaks outside my bedroom

One of the things I love most about village life in the south of France - and one of the aspects of it that takes the most getting used to - is the spontaneity of it.  Because expats have left their packed-full lives behind them very intentionally, whether permanently or as they can, the days are fluid and open to possibility.

After waking up early and realizing that nine days of shlepping and sherpa-ing and journeying and not sleeping had finally caught up with me in a big way, I finally pulled out of my shuffling stupor to make it up to the Saturday market a couple hours later than I'd planned.  

Every part of my body ached as I climbed the hill to the Halle.  I rejoiced that my favorite vendor still had plenty of beautiful luscious produce even now in mid October.  I hadn't made it through my first tour of what was on offer when I heard a cheerful Bonjour!  There were Mark and Corrine welcoming me back and asking if I couldn't come for coffee on their terrace when I was done with my shopping.

A basket full of yumminess for just a few Euros

Twenty minutes later we were settled on their stunning veranda in the heart of the oldest part of the fortified village, coffee, grapes, and a delicate crispy crepe-like pastry on offer.  Lovely to see these new friends, also expats from the US although she is originally from France, nice to catch up and get the village news.

Willow le chat is a village favorite

But, I had a job to do and soon I was saying my Mercis and bidding them Bonne Journée and taking my shopping back home to make food for other friends who'd just been blind-sided by a medical crisis.  I spent the next few hours roasting chickens and fresh vegetables and making a simple salad from my market haul.

No sooner had my friend and neighbor and I returned from delivering the hot meal to the gathered family and I had returned upstairs to regroup when I heard a loud banging down the street and then "Deirdre!  Are you here??"

Huh?

One of many dazzling charcuterie boards
 at Planches & Plonk

Back down the stairs - definitely need to find a door-knocker - ah!  It's our friends Jeff and Nancy - also from Washington state in the US and back in the village just a couple days before I returned.  I apologize that I can't invite them up because my house is destroyed and there's nowhere to sit, but of course they already know that, because everyone in the village already knows that I've found a medievil sink in my wall and we're restoring it.  (Mark and Corrine earlier this morning:  "We saw on Facebook the wonderful discovery you've made in your living room!"  We are not friends on Facebook.  I have not posted anything about this on Facebook.)

So, Jeff and Nancy are not expecting to be invited in for apèros and a drink but have just dropped by to let me know that their anniversary is next week and to invite me around to join them and other friends for dinner.

Mais oui!  Bien sur!

And this is how it goes.  A little routine, some bumping into friends.  A coffee here, an invitation to dinner there. Village life:  simple, small, and full.