France, at last!

Mas de Flory, Degagnac, France

Well, I've been yearning to visit France for a long time, I'm finally here and it doesn't disappoint.
I have just eaten the perfect lunch, fresh bread, delicious cheeses, balsamic dressed tomato, sun ripened peaches and strawberries. Nothing exotic I hear you say but wow, the textures and flavours were outstanding. Brie, au point, melting like butter on the palate, full of flavour but not overpowering; a local hard cheese, Florian, also full of flavour but sharper and contrasting in texture. The tomato tasted as thought it had just been plucked from the vine, sweet and succulent. The peach was one of the doughnut variety, I have only seen these for the first time this year, beautifully tender, juicy and full of flavour. The doughnut shape makes the fruit very easy to eat, its flattened profile enabling one to bite without ending up with juice everywhere, the flesh surrounds a tiny stone in the centre, much easier to manage than the conventional spherical fruit. The strawberries were amongst the most flavourful I can recall. I could not have imagined a better lunch on a hot and drowsy summer's day.
I arrived here yesterday afternoon having flown from Leeds to Bergerac. My hosts met me at the airport and apologised for the fact that they had planned a visit to the local sport superstore on the way home. It is just as well that I have no space to carry anything more as there was plenty of temptation to purchase 'stuff'. It was a great store, whole sections dedicated to various sports and outdoor activities. The horsey bit was especially tempting, I nearly bought Lucy some jodphurs. The cycling bit was not quite as attractive, not much in the ladies section at all, just as well.
The next stop along the way was for lunch. I cannot recall the name of the village, but if you look at the photos I have put on picasa the ones with the bunting are the lunch venue. We had lunch in a little local restaurant sitting outside under a big umbrella. The lunch was nice but we all agreed not outstanding. The most amusing bit was the arrival of the local pompiers for their midday meal, too bad if there is a fire at lunchtime. They greeted everyone in the restaurant, including us and sat at what was obviously their table; they are very much a part of every small French town and are greeted enthusiastically by everyone they meet. 
Having consumed a generous lunch we set off for home. The drive took us through beautiful rural scenery with rolling hills and valleys, pretty villages decked with colourful flowers,past fields of fat glossy cattle switching their tails  lazily in the afternoon heat, mares with foals dozing beside their mothers. High above the road imposing chateaux made statements about times long gone, what stories could they tell? The road ran for some distance alongside the Canal du Midi and the Dordogne river. The canal looks little used but the river is huge and is obviously enjoyed by many as a leisure facility.
We arrived at Mas de Flory in the late afternoon. I was shown my room in the barn, converted by John and Aileen to accommodate their guests. It has been really sympathetically  done with five bedrooms each with a very nice bathroom; shared eating and relaxing space on two levels and a wooden deck overlooking the the fields and forest to the rear, the only sounds are the birds.
I unpacked then went for a stroll around the immediate vicinity. There are lots of tracks and paths to explore, I thought of Andrew and his mountain bike, it would be a brilliant place to mountain bike. I anticipate it being a brilliant place to tour too.
In the evening we went to the local town of Gourdon, they were celebrating their local fete. The town is ancient and centres around a small hill topped by a bastion and of course the church. The views from the top were spectacular, 360 degrees in the evening sunlight, viewed with a audio backdrop of Swifts screeching and swooping low to catch the evening harvest of flying insects. The main street was given over to the amusements, rides, shooting galleries and food stalls that make up this sort of event almost anywhere. The atmosphere was buzzing and we enjoyed a drink in a cafe watching the world go by. To assuage our hunger (not huge after a good lunch) we had brochettes, I chose beef, meltingly tender, very yummy. It was a an excellent evening of rural French entertainment enjoyed at a very acceptable 25 or so degrees. Why have I left it so long to revisit France?

Sunday dawned with the promise of some serious 'chaleur', forecast in the upper 30's. The agenda for the day started with breakfast, followed by a visit to a local market, lunch and sorting out my bike.
I am the only full holiday guest staying at the moment, there is a couple doing B&B, he is French, she is Russian, draw your own conclusions! There is also an Australian family who have just bought a house nearby to renovate and are staying here until their house is habitable. They only spent three weeks in France before selling up in Australia and deciding to come here. I can understand why.
Breakfast was delicious, just what I like, fresh fruit, yoghurt, juice, fresh bread and a choice of home made preserves, fig, raspberry and cherry. This with excellent coffee made a good start to the day. I need to get cycling if this regime is to continue. This afternoon we fit the bike, tomorrow we ride., cannot wait.
Item two on the agenda was the market. We drove for about a quarter of an hour to another small town nearby (cannot remember the name). The market was everything I think a market should be, compact,  not too rambling and filled with sights and smalls to delight the senses. Wonderful local produce, veg, fruit, cheeses, olives, sausages, honey, roast chicken, paella, freshly gathered mushrooms, colourful plants and flowers, jewellery, clothes, books, pottery, kitchen ware, tools, the temptations were huge but I have no space to carry anything more. The expedition was rounded off with a coffee stop in a local cafe, altogether a great outing. Photos to follow.