Quintessential France, here we come!

Today I am writing to you while sitting outside.  It is probably about 75 degrees F with a soft breeze.  There are a few clouds in the sky, and when the sun peeks out from behind them, the temperature warms up instantly.  The only sounds that I hear are that of birds, cows and an occasional confused rooster.  I am at a table in the shade of a large tree, and when I look up from the computer, I see the raspberry bushes, and the orchard of cherry, apple, pear and walnut trees.  I am not kidding.  It is unbelievably beautiful and serene here in Magnien.  We are about 30 kilometers from the city of Beaune.  That is probably the most well known city in Burgundy and we have not yet seen it.  There is apparently an amazing farmer’s market there on Saturday which we will venture out to, as well as a famous hospital.  If you google Beaune, Burgundy that is most likely the picture that you will see. 

Here in Magniun, there are more animals than people.  The landscape is rolling hills dotted with trees, surrounded by forests, and littered with white cows and sheep.  The village here looks just like you would picture.  Old medieval period homes, a few stores, two boulangeries, (bakeries) one very old church and a school for about 20 students.  The home that we are in is about 200 years old.  Across the street is a home with a large piece of property, white cows, and the confused rooster.  I guess that I have seen a few chickens running around there as well.  Life here is very quiet, peaceful and slow.  We went to the grocery store yesterday and although there were plenty of people in the store, you could barely hear a voice.  (Except of course for our family!  Which by the way for our normal standards, was actually very quiet, but here...???)

On the day that we arrived, we had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with the family that has loaned us this magnificent get away!  They could not have been nicer people or more gracious hosts.  When we arrived, they greeted us as if we were old friends.  They had us in, sat us in the living room and lavished us with food and drink while the kids all played football (soccer) or threw fruit from the trees at each other outside.  Nathalie has graduated chef’s school in Dijon, and Eric recently graduated wine school.  We heard all about wine, from the seed to the bottle while Nathalie continued to showcase some of her personal culinary specialties!  I have debated on whether or not to spend the time to tell you what she served us.  With many of you appreciating food as I do, I just have to.  To the rest of you…sorry!  Just skip ahead!

We started with hors d’oerves.  Quiche, stuffed tomatoes and zucchini, bread with ½ of a cherry tomato and cheese that looked like it came out of a little mold and bread with blue cheese, eggplant, zucchini and peppers.  She wanted to know which one was our favorite.  Mine was the bread with the tomato and cheese, and Jeff’s was the quiche.  Then she sat us down for lunch with a “hot dish.”  It was duck (I wish she had not told the kids that until they had eaten!  It was like my dad telling me I was eating Bambi while I was eating.  It was over.) with vegetables and covered in mashed potatoes.  I guess it looked kind of like a shepherds pie, but it was excellent!  By now I though that I would explode, and then she came out with dessert.  Well, you know how I feel about dessert.  Especially ice cream.  It just melts around everything!  It was home made ice cream with pieces of fruit and candied nuts covered with a cherry sauce made from the cherries in the orchard.  Hurt me.  Let me just finish by saying that each was presented beautifully!  All of this, on the day that they are to leave to go to the airport! 

After that they took us around the town and showed us where everything was.  10 minutes later we were back at the house and saying good bye to them!  Well, so we thought.  Eric couldn’t find his wallet.  Kind of important when you are leaving the country.  So, an hour later after they finally found it, whew, we said goodbye.  I kind of wish that they could have stayed and just cooked for us!  J

Well, we are all so happy to be here.  It is said that Burgundy is quintessential France.  So far, I agree.  It is exactly what we had all pictured.  And, this is going to be a very welcome reprieve to the hustle and bustle of Paris.  I think that we will mold quite comfortably into the French country life.