Country Air

     It is delicious to breath fresh country air when for weeks you have been gagging on the smog that calls Paris home. As I have already mentioned last weekend we drove into the countryside to visit Tristan's Father. He lives in the little town of Villethierry (pop. 800ish) in Bourgongne. Home of France's famous Beef Bourguignon, although we haven't had any; we have eaten well here. ;) We have enjoyed having long French meals as much as we have enjoyed breathing in great breaths of fresh air.     

The staircase to our room.

The country house.

The party, featuring: us, Tristan's grandma, and Father (pictured top right)

     

     We arrived on a warm, mostly sunny Sunday afternoon, which for the area is amazing weather, for the 60^th birthday luncheon for Tristan’s Father. It was a rather nice afternoon, eating, talking, and of course chasing Adrien around the yard. This type of French meal lasts for hours with its’ many many courses, so of course we couldn’t expect a 16 month old to sit at the table for very long. But he did come back often for 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, etc. In fact, he ate all day long!

     We are staying till Friday, which is tomorrow, and have enjoyed being lazy in the countryside. Mostly watching Adrien play in the yard, walking in the village and down long county roads, eating, and talking…

     As for Adrien, I think he has enjoyed the visit more than anyone, for he adores playing in the yard.
     In life and in childhood there are hunters and there are gatherers. I can remember as a child hunting bugs and small creatures, such as frogs, with my brother in our yard and gathering them into old wheat buckets to be poked, prodded, and examined. We were hunters… but Adrien is not at this stage and he is quite the gatherer. He was given a basket to play with and has spent each day here gathering pears, rocks, bark, lavender, pine cones, rose petals, and anything else he comes across, into it. Like our ancestors and his mother before him, Adrien will probably one day become a hunter of bugs and small creatures, or even perhaps a real hunter like his great Uncle Christian, but for now he gathers, and what a collection he has gathered!
     I am sure he will be sad to leave the countryside tomorrow, with its’ big yard full of treasures, to go back to the big City, with no yard and only a bedroom, and a long corridor to play in…

Gathering pears with mommy and Great- mammie Ange

Looking for rocks with Daddy.

As they say, parting is such sweet sorrow, and in this case, for my little boy, I think this is true.