April 22, 2010 - A quiet day near home

Day 9 — April 22, 2010 (Thursday)

We must have been tired because we slept a solid 12 hours. Can’t remember the last time that happened. After sleep, shower and breakfast, we felt much better. Ed did a 1½ hour European laundry while I sorted out our electronics, put photos on the computer and got Garmin speaking again (Edie had accidentally put it on “mute”.)

We hung the laundry outside in a nice breeze and set off for Le Perigord Restaurant in (we thought) La Roque Gageac. No luck finding the restaurant but a beautiful drive. Drove back through town to parking and walked to the nearest restaurant, Auberge des Platanes, got a table on the patio overlooking Gabare Norbert boat trips on the Dordogne River. We both got the asparagus starter with a garlic cream sauce, the confit de canard with greens and pommes sarladaises with ice cream for dessert. L'Auberge des Platanes, Le Bourg, 24250 La Roque-Gageac, tel: +33 (0)5 5329-5158, fax: +33 (0)5 5331-1932, [email protected], Click here for L'Auberge des Platanes web site

At one point during the meal a man who had been reading a Kindle during his lunch came over and started chatting with us. He has a second home in La Rocque Gageac and was trying to get back to New York City where he lives and works. He had a business meeting on Monday and was having trouble getting connections because of the volcanic eruption and closure of European air space just as we had on the way over. Unfortunately, he couldn’t take a train to the US from France. We talked for a while until our next course came. That was fun.

After lunch we walked down the main street dodging cars (no sidewalk; narrow road; much traffic) and taking pictures. As we walked past one shop, I said to Ed, “I bet this is Sylvia’s shop. Let’s check.” We went inside and were greeted with bises by Sylvia and her oldest daughter. In the midst of all the chatting we managed to buy toothpaste, shampoo and golden plum confiture.

Gabarre Caminade on the Dordogne River at La-Roque-Gageac

La-Roque-Gageac

We bade them farewell and drove back to Cenac where Ed found parking at the Maire. Walked a block to the boulangerie and bought a baguette for dinner. Retrieved the car and drove to the house where we met Mme. Pierrette Guinot and had a brief visit. She speaks no English but makes a genuine effort to understand our French.

I put away groceries and Ed brought in the clothes. I was going to start my journal when Ed called out, “There’s a vache coming to see us.” I grabbed my camera and quickly opened the dining room doors. One cow was waking across the field but I saw a pair of fuzzy white ears by our hedge. I crawled through a large hydrangea to get around the hedge and was met by a large white cow on the other side of a barbed wire fence. I started snapping pictures and soon noticed a very young calf on my side of the fence. I told Ed and he thought that was why momma cow had run desperately over to our house; her baby had gotten through the fence. A donkey appeared to complete the rural scene when Mme. Guinot spotted the calf in her very well-cared-for yard. She quickly assisted the petite vache to the fence and gently encouraged it back to pasture and momma vache. Ed and I shouted “bravo” and we all had a good laugh.

Catastrophe - Junior slipped under the fence

Pierette rescuing the errant calf

Reunited, one happy mom and baby

I need to put photos on the computer and recharge camera batteries and we’ll try to call Peg on Edie’s phone and have a bit of dinner with our baguette and cheese selection. We’re feeling much better after some rest and getting settled.