Days 1 & 2, Aug 19
and 20, 2015 …. We left
the house at 8:30 a.m., flew to (DTW) Detroit, Michigan, transferred to a
flight to (CDG) Paris, France, then transferred to another flight and arrived
in Toulouse, France at 9 a.m., Thursday morning. The flights, though running
late, were uneventful. Regardless, I barely slept; but the planes were very
comfortable. We picked up our rental car
in Toulouse … and then the fun began!!
Toulouse is in southwestern France in the foothills of the
Pyrenees Mountains. Oh my goodness, is it ever beautiful. These foothills are mountains themselves! Once we left the freeway, we were on back
roads, which are more like 12-foot wide driveways. At one point we thought we really were in
someone’s long driveway ... but no, the road kept meandering up and down and
around through the steep patchwork fields of sunflowers, corn, wheat and
pastures for sheep or cattle. I can’t imagine the tractors working on these
very steep fields, and we’re told that accidents and deaths occurring from
tractors flipping over are too common.
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| Foothills of the Pyrenees |
After driving for about an hour, we are surprised to find
ourselves at our destination … Domaine de Courbet. It is a beautiful old manor on top of one
of these mountains overlooking the valley, other mountain ridges, the little
village of Martisserre with its tall church steeple and the Pyrenees Mountains
behind all this! The view is
spectacular. The manor consists of the
250 year-old main house, which has been updated but still retains the original
large cooking fireplace in the living room, thick brick walls, large wooden
beams and a stoop-down doorway out to the back!
There are also two other buildings dating back to the 15th
century, that have been converted into living quarters. In the back is a large modern pool built on a
ridge from which we not only enjoy the view, but watch the wonderful sunsets as
well. The flower gardens are very pretty and the tomatoes from the garden are sweet
and delicious!
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| Domaine de Courbet |
The manor is owned by the sister and brother-in-law of our
friend Philippe. We are here to attend
his daughter’s wedding. I grew up with
Jeanette, the bride’s mom (as a matter of fact, our moms grew up together
too … so we go a long way back!). She married Philippe, and they have lived in or
around the Paris area all of their married lives. Both of their daughters live in the States
now, but Anais and Chris have chosen this venue for their wedding … somewhat of
a family tradition as many aunts, uncles and cousins have also been married in
the same church and/or used the same reception facility. We are so Blessed to be here … I lost count,
but there are at least 20-25 people staying at this manor complex.
Upon our arrival, we had an opportunity to relax and visit
with some of the family. Jeanette and I then made dinner, which we ate in the
back yard, next to the pool under the moon light … delicious tomatoes with
olive oil, Balsamic vinegar, basil and salt; salmon and potatoes; sheep cheese
and freshly picked plums and figs for dessert … all with baguette bread and
wine, of course! And now after 36 hours of constant travel, it’s
time to get some much-needed sleep. Good
night!
Day 3, August 21, 2015
… I slept in a bit and by mid-morning we were out exploring the area. Our first
stop was in the little city of Lombez. We ate lunch on the terrace behind the
hotel. Language has not been much of an issue here yet … Bob speaks a little
and many locals speak English. But we
didn’t understand the menu … except for the word fries. So we thought … okay ...
hamburger and fries. Well, not exactly.
It was actually a thin steak with French fries and a leaf lettuce salad …
delicious. I later was told that that is a very typical French lunch. So we did good!
Next stop, the very old Cathedral of Sainte
Marie, which was actually a Cathedral in the 14th and 15th
centuries. With its four side alters on
either side of the sanctuary, very beautiful Stations of the Cross, gorgeous
stained glass windows, an inspiring replica of the Pieta and many other
statues, this is still a local church with its weekly bulletin on the table
giving us a feeling of the millennial church in France. A two-hundred
year-old-church in the USA is considered ancient; a two-hundred-year-old church
in France is considered new!!!
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| Cathedral of Sainte Marie Lombez, Franch |
We again drove the back roads about 15-20 miles to the town
of L’lise-en-Dodon to find the church where the wedding is to be tomorrow. The Eglise Saint-Adrien is another 13th
century church, built near the end of the Crusades, again with beautiful
stained-glass windows and many statues, also with a Pieta. This is going to be a beautiful setting
tomorrow! Lastly, another hilly, windy
journey along the narrow roads, all with the gorgeous vistas, we come to another
Chateau to prepare for the reception. We
spend several hours ironing table cloths and creating beautiful tables for
tomorrow.
By time we got back to our manor, other guests had
arrived, and several of the women helped me make dinner for the eight of us
here this evening while the “bride and groom” and all wedding party members do
their rehearsal and dinner things. It was also very nice to catch up with a
couple of Jeanette’s cousins whom I hadn’t seen since high school!! The bartender for tomorrow and one other gentleman
were making the Sangria for Sunday's festivities; and, of course, we had to sample it! Delicious (though I’m not a Sangria fan, this
was very good!). Plus the gentleman makes his own plum cognac … tastes like Port.
What’s not to like? Like one person reflected,
being here is almost story-book and magical … the serene beauty, the ancient
(but very comfortable) buildings, the stunning scenery, the French hospitality.
We are certainly honored to be staying here.
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