Bournissac

For the last two nights, we’ve had an electronic sounding beep in our backyard.  All of us heard it as we tried to fall asleep–one of those annoying dings that skips a few seconds and dings again.  Last night before going to bed we explored the backyard and found that it stopped as it was approached so we knew it wasn’t electronic. We did not see it, but it is definitely a midwife toad.  You can hear its call in the youtube link.  The midwife toad got its name because the male toad carries a string of eggs on his back, protecting them with his highly poisonous warts.  These small nocturnal toads with big eyes are common throughout Europe.

Today was market day in St. Remy and all of us attended in the rain.  Unfortunately, not all of the vendors nor many of the shoppers braved the weather.  Clay got plenty of oysters and Allan bought some soap, but we weren’t there long.

Lunch today was at the house restaurant of a provencal hotel out in the St. Remy countryside.   The hotel feels very much like a French country home and prides itself on its guest rooms upstairs and comforts of the salon and outdoor patio.

La Maison Domaine de Bournissac is a Michelin starred culinary delight.  Our lunch was deemed a tribute to Italy, but the food was clearly prepared by a French chef.  Our first course was an aperitif of champagne and an amuse-bouche of a poached red pepper strip rolled around pesto sauce, a shrimp flash fried in panko bread crumbs, a fig stuffed with goat cheese and the tiniest tasty hamburger I’ve ever seen. Next we had artichoke risotto; the main course was chicken, prosciutto and asparagus roulade with yellow squash and dessert was a French style tiramisu.  The meal ended with a relaxing cup of espresso.

The hotel has an eclectic collection of rooster figurines throughout the downstairs.  This one is in the dining room.

This relaxing lunch was the perfect way to spend a very rainy day.  After returning home we read, napped and just relaxed until happy hour and Clay and Allan’s  oyster stew for dinner.