By Jacqueline Hughes ...... Thanks Jacqueline,  for sharing with us.

    Imagine someone speaking into a ‘curb-side’ intercom in a major metropolitan city, say, Paris, speaking in English with a very heavy ‘American/French’ accent while his nine-year-old daughter is running the video camera from the back seat of the rental car…….

     This scenario conjures up all sorts of sit-com like images and instant jokes to be shared by family and friends for years to come.  And, believe me, it does and they are….especially from a back-seat perspective.  Of course, the nine-year-old has since turned thirty and has a daughter of her own who has her Mother’s,  shall we say, unique personality and we can only hope that one day she will capture her Mother in an interesting circumstance for the enjoyment and entertainment of the entire Family.  Oh, it will happen!

     In the meantime, we shared with her the magnificent view from the upper level of the Tour Eiffel,  sauntered down the Avenue des Champs Elysees as if we were in a Wizard of Oz production with the Arc De Triomphe as our destination, and greeted at least a thousand Parisians with, “Bonjour!” and  huge smiles each day by lunchtime.  We all brought back to Michigan such wonderful memories.

     Now, Dan and I are looking forward to our new memories to be made in Sablet together.  I want to be up by six each day inhaling the morning breezes, jotting down my notes from the day before with a cup of strong, black coffee warming my hands.  I want to kiss my husband on the terrace in bare feet in the morning hours and do it again as the sun disappears and we gently shiver against one another as shadows blanket us in the Sablet twilight.  

     No, we will not have the witticisms of our nine-year-old taunting us from the back seat this trip……those days have their place in our heart and soul, tucked away for safe keeping.  This time around is for us alone.  Isn’t it?   I know deep down that someday, soon, sharing Sablet, its people and the beautiful old homes we are fortunate enough to inhabit, will be discussed around, perhaps, a future Thanksgiving table.  And, we’ll be making plans to create future memories with our children and their children in Provence.  For now, Dan and I have one another and, today, that is what’s important. 

    To Be Continued..........