In 2004, I got my first taste of French summer when the family and friends decided to spent a week in the family vacation home in Jumilhac-Le-Grand in Dordogne. The small farming town is situated somewhere in the South-West of France famous for its rustic cuisine that gave France its iconic dishes like the confit de canard, foie gras, omelette aux truffes and andouilette. As the converted farm house can actually host up to three or four families in its separate apartments, three families and my sister's made up the entourage and we had a ball there. It was those long summer days where lunch was served under the shades of the silk albizza tree at the backyard, facing the impressive chateau that gave its name to the town.
Wild marguerittes filled the slope that divided the farm house with its neighbour.
Picnic by the stream
Five years is a long time to rewrite the memoirs from a vacation but the tingling warm sensation from long, bright and sunny days almost transport one back to old childhood memories of playing in the fields of lalang catching grasshoppers. That was the impression that lingers at the back of my head every time I think of my holidays in France. Also, its one of those holidays that holiday agencies could never arrange, even if the farmyard could be rented but what about the villagers and the friends?
The town square with the impressive chateau, now part museum part still the private apartment of the original owners.
Back in Jumilhac, well, the town had dabbled in gold mining in the past but this activity is no longer exploited. Instead, there's farming of wheat and some other agricultural activities still being carried out. At a nearby town of St.Yriex-la- Perché, I bought my first collection of French Limoges porcelain services at huge discounted prices during the special promotion of the fête nationale but time has gotten the better of me as I could no longer remember the name of the factory that Jean Paul (my sister's father in law) had taken us to. The entourage was quite an active bunch as every day has its surprises...we went rail-cycling on an old railway track, shopped for canned speciality of the region (the famous foie gras, boudin, rillette and paté), visited museum, played folk games in the evening, picnic by the river, by the lake, in the field,etc, etc. The focus had always been the farm house as long,long lunches and dinners were served up with a healthy dose of conversation, bien arosés with chilled rose bergerac , a de rigeur drink for summer in the region.
Horse-drawn cart in a nearby town...
The railroad that became a cyclist lane...
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