As if by magic, May 1st came warm and sunny.  All the fetes, foires, floralies, vide-greniers, and brocantes went on as scheduled.  Omelets with the new young garlic were made all over the Dordogne.

Omelete d'aillette

Here is the typical menu for May Day; a Kir, omelete d’aillette, bread, cheese, wine, desert and cafe.  6 euros and perfect!  We ate ours at a vide grenier in Gardonne.

Of course May Day also brings mugets out.  Lily of the Valley.  When a neighbor, who had seemed a tad grumpy presented us with a handful one year, I was sold.  A universal token of friendship that could change the world.  I look particularly for jewelery, bottles, latte bowls, anything with Lily of the Valley.  This trip I have been particularly lucky.

Muget/Lily of the Valley, and a little puppy trying to get more face time

Yesterday the first round of the French general elections were held.  Voting took place in Marie’s (town halls) all over the country, including my village.  Large posters, largely defaced, greeted voters who came and went all day long.  People were under dire threat not to Tweet any results before voting ended.

I did the sensible thing and had the knitting group for a sleep over.  We were invited to Sunday lunch with neighbors.  Two of the guests speak only french, so it was a mental work out.  One of them questioned me closely about what I had put in the soup; courgette, shallots, onion, garlic, potato.  What were the little red flecks?  Piment d’Espellette. Tomorrow it’s back to the hunt for antiques!

In a small village, the news isn’t just about the general election for president, it’s also about the herd of sheep that have returned, and are parked just below the main road into the village.

Sheep have returned to Villefranche

It has started getting a little warmer, cherries are growing, and the wisteria and lillacs are holding their blooms.  But today, it’s all about the sheep.

Not to forget the grapes, but the time to harvest is here and now in France.  Everyone is bursting with fruit and vegetables.  What to do with all the bounty?  There is wine, and here is the mini vendage on Place St Eloi in Villefranche.  Patrick has picked 38 kilos of merlot grapes, at 12% brix, which will make about 40 bottles of wine.  I have also made quince paste and jam, fig jam, and more.

It’s great to be back in France, although sometimes the journey to get here can be a challenge.  My husband is  the king of Air Miles.  He doesn’t seem to mind spending hours on the phone trying to get a business class ticket for 100k miles.  We got the tickets, although on different airlines.  Both flights should have landed in Paris at the same time.  Shoulda, woulda, coulda.  So, we got a bit of delayed start, but were able to get right in with a Marche Nocturne in the village, and a weekend filled with brocante markets.

More coming and I have some great photos, but there is a glitch uploading them!

Maybe the question should be Why would you give a French cat a Brazilian.  My friend, with the oh-so long legs, blonde hair

and lovely children; is also an animal lover.   She helps several people by watching over their pets when they are out of the country.  On such place is the “cat house”.  There are nearly twenty cats living there.  The owners have a similar amount in England.  There always seem to be some sort of when the lady of the house is in residence.  A call cam a few days back for some cat that had befallen hard luck.

The bad luck was standing under his mother when she dropped the fly paper.   The other cats were attaching this poor creature, sticking to him when they got too close.  Lisa, my friend, came armed with leather gloves and tuna.  She had mom go into another room to ready the box for a trip to the vet; while she dawned gloves, and opened tuna.  After getting the cat off the top of the cupboard, she shoved the cats face into the can, while taking hold, ripping the fly paper off.  The cat let’s out a wail, owner wants to know what the problem is, “no problem, enjoying his tuna”.

Have I mentioned that Lisa also posses extraordinary bargaining skills at the flea market?