No ducks here and alert orange
No duck here and orange alert
- We arrived after a wonderful ride in much cooler weather without getting wet at Cahors and finally left today morning the Dordogne valley. Today, the way was first through rough hills, with limited vegetation, smelling wonderfully from wild oregano and mint. Later we rode along the river Vers, passing by a lot of tobacco fields that looked just beautiful. This lushious green, and I got one, two whiffs of what I considered to be a green tobacco note. That might be an idea for later….
Yesterday, in full sun and under a blue sky we followed the Dordogne all the way up to Carennac, a little village looking over the river, built around a monastery. On our way there we definitively left all wine plantations and moved into the “Perigord noir”, with thousands of walnut trees. Beautiful trees that are full with nuts. These nuts you will find later on your food, in liquor, with chocolate around, and and and.
- Which brings me easily to one issue that starts bothering me seriously; it is the French’ obsession with food, or naming the things they eat in restaurants. I must admit: I am still unable, after many years in school and going through endless French lessons, to rightly guess what I am ordering. An example? “Le canard sur son lit de lĂ©gumes vertes avec feuilles de beure aux fleur de sel et ses noix glacĂ© aux sucre aromatisĂ© Ă la menthe et poivre noir.” … simply translates into Duck with vegetables and nuts.
- Talking about ducks again: We have in the mean time eaten the breasts of at least 3 ducks and the goose livers are uncounted that passed by us on our way through the Perigord. Still, we have not seen one single living duck. We already started looking out for trucks from Poland where they produce lots of ducks, too. A mystery, the French duck paradox. Yesterday, studying the card of one of the restaurants we came across a big sign, saying “No duck here”. We are still not sure whether this is to prevent tourists asking for duck or whether they declare themselves a duck-free zone, for the desperate traveller, in search of something else than duck.
- In the Dordogne valley, it felt sometimes like in a fairytale country, chateaux everywhere…the real thing, sitting on top of hills, overlooking the valley and talking about past times, like 250 years ago. I imagined his Excellency Baron de JeNeSaisPasOu with his beloved Baronesses sitting some 250 years ago in the salon of their little castle somewhere in France. He starts the conversation by mentioning his last hunting trip. “ You know honey… I came across this wonderful little hill, with a great overview of the Dordogne, a lovely place… and I just thought: Why not build a Chateaux there?”
She is delighted and imagines buying the newest furniture in Paris, finally a little country house with some 25 rooms and a good view and all brand new. “ Oh my darling, this is such a great idea! You know the Baron de Chantilly also just started building his little chateaux close to Carennac, we would be neighbours and could visit each other.” And then we could make wonderful hunting trips all together.” While thinking about the paintings and the carpets, Baroness started to worry about the costs. “Darling, do you think it will not become too expensive? We still have the chateaux in the Loire valley to get fully equipped”. “ Oh my dear, please do not worry about money! I have already talked to the Bishop and he thinks it is an ideal opportunity to ask the local farmers for some tributes. To celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary. They will be delighted to pay tribute and sell some more ducks and nuts, you will see!” Happily she went on thinking about how to communicate this little surprise tonight. She had a couple of guests invited from Paris, all young men and women, talking about exciting ideas such as free thinking and equality of men.
- Since these days we have evolved. Yesterday evening we wondered whether we, as civilization, developed in the right direction. Half of France faced some clouds yesterday, on the TV they called it “alert orange” because they were expecting some thunderstorms. When we wanted to drink our well deserved beer on the hotel’s terasse, there was no way: “It is alert orange.I am not allowed to serve you beer on the terasse, you have to drink it inside”, said our hotel boss, who obviously forgot to watch the sky. Blue with some clouds, that looked as dry as the back of a beattle. Well, we had our beer outside nevertheless, constantly wondering what happens when this country reaches alert red. We hope they will still serve ducks….