Soire

 On our last full day in Castelnaud we decided on a short ride to Saint Laurent encompassing enough miles to reach our milestone of 900 miles for our 2026 stay. Depending on whose calculation (Kim or Alan) we were either one mile short or two past the mark. 

Included in this ride was a coffee stop at Darlene and Shaun's since they are not available to attend our soire (technically this is the French word for evening as used in the expression bon soire where the "e" is silent). Darlene is participating in an art exhibition in Domme where many of her pieces will be on display).

The group began arriving a little past 5 and were all gathered by the scheduled time of 5:30. Our plans were for an outdoor venue but the damp cold weather forced us inside. Not a problem since it is about the people and not the place. 

Left to Right: Thom, Mel, Ed, Mel, Alan, Kim, Sandrene, Franck, Natasha, and Tony. 

Beside our goodbye sendoff we were able to connect all the guests who had not met and exchange contact information so their friendships can blossom in our absence. 

Thom took the lead in conversing in French from the predominately English speaking contingent while Franck helped translate the English to French for Sandrene. So we ping ponged back and forth and I must admit that I caught a few French words here and there, but not enough to formulate a complete thought. What fun!

Kim assembled an authentic Charcutier emptying our fridge, cupboard, and wine closet which made for a delightful meal. With the wine contributions from those in attendance we made a big dent in the stash as evidenced by the row of empties that grew as the evening progressed. Ed brought a Brie laced with walnuts (it is harvest time) and figs from a friend's tree.  

The intensity of the conversation could be measured in the decibel level which approached the legal limit in the confined dining area. Outside would have been better for our ears to absorb but not provided the warmth the evening required. 

After three hours of stories our guests departed making the evening a grand finale for our seven week stay with plans to reassemble next September and adding to the group those who could not attend and new friends yet to be made. 

Viva La France.