We had a busy beginning to our week, preparing for our friend, Jennie’s arrival from Tucson on Wednesday. We did lots of laundry, went to the Fleurance marche on Tuesday morning, Papa washed the car, and we went to the grocery. We went to the dentist on Tuesday - for a thorough cleaning of our teeth and an inexpensive experience compared to “our normal in the US.” We also had time for fun with neighbors, Dominique and Romain coming for wine and cheese on Monday evening, and we went to our friends, Deirdre and Vladimir’s for aperitifs on Tuesday evening. We drove to Toulouse on Wednesday afternoon to pick up Jennie at the airport. She was very tired after a long day of travel.
We had lunch reservations at Racine on Thursday, Jennie’s first full day with us. Our friend, Judy, joined us. Everything at Racine is a “chef’s work of art,” as well as being delicious. At 3, we met Bryce, our tour guide at the Tourisme Office, and rode with him to see three area chateaux. The first was Chateau Sainte-Mere, built in the late 1200’s by the Bishop of Lectoure. We entered the village through a tower porch adjacent to the entrance to the church. The chateau burned in 1600, with the roof and interior walls caving in. The stone walls remain and are a classified French monument.
We drove past the Chateau de Rouillac, built in the early 1300’s and currently used as a farmhouse. It sits on a hill and can be seen from Chateau Sainte-Mere.
