L & C in Sarlat

Celle-ci, cést la vie pour moi, et pour mon amie Laurel,
Everyday I keep reminding us that we are really here! Now firmly ensconced in Sarlat after a few hectic days in a very rainy Paris.
Laurel was able to return to our perfect little Hotel Chopin, in a superbly designed arcade that she had enjoyed on a previous visit. I was most amused by all the cafe chairs lined up behind wet plastic to view the Parisians scampering by under multicoloured umbrellas! Loved joining the throngs of people under the gorgeous dome of beautiful Galeries la Fayette for the sales....nearly spent all our money! We were able to fit in a trip to Puces de Design- a little seedy, but found a huge white leather chair made of 2 feet together especially for Janet or Sue!! Also walked up to the Fete des Vendages set up all around Sacre Coeur in Monmartre, passing wonderful singing of a choir of hundreds of primary school children - so unexpected! The Fete of food & wine was sumptuous - an absolute feast for the eyes- with cheese, sausages, hams, breads & tarts, lavender, olives, huge pans of cassoulet being stirred with a gigantic spoon! Just as well Carolyn was not left entirely to her own de vices...
Our train & bus trip to Sarlat was easy. We made friends with a nice french lady who lived & worked in Paris & visited her mother in Sarlat every month, she pointed us in the right direction, we trotted along the cobblestones drawing attention to ourselves with extremely noisy cases, and then we entered a make believe world of mediavel churches, castles, & crooked houses, knights & damsels in distress! It all feels like a film set!! Unbelievably beautiful vistas at every turn.
Im not sure what I have contributed to this venture tho! I didn mention my suitcase that was left by Finnair in Helsinki, dropped my new camera on the road in Beynac (retrieved just before we set off in a gambarre for a short float along the Dordogne), & 3rd thing, left my Aust. licence at home so Im not able to share driving!! Laurel is able to chat away in French, & is very capably driving the manuel Jazz on the wrong side of the road, all over rural France! And of course, this is Laurels wonderful little piece of technology!!
A funny experience happened as we soaked up the sun at lunch in a divine little village along the way from Font de Gaume to Marqueyssac: a rather gorgeous frenchman at the next table began ommitting very strange sounds as he described something to his companion; I caught his eye & without turning a hair, he explained in franglaise, that he was simulating THE SCENE from the film, Sally Meets Harry where at the table she enacts.......... Its not everywhere that such a scene would be described to a stranger is it?
Anyway, everything is new & so interesting. i love it - even love all the little restaurants with menus full of canard & frois de gras. Laurel is almost ducked out! Can bring ourselves to participate in the force feeding of poor geese for their livers....
Lots of love until the next instalment.
Laurel and Carolyn

PS from Laurel- Apologies if you get multiple e-mails alerting you to this latest addition. Ive been trying to find a simpler way to alert people to new entries (thanks to our technical consultants via skype, Col and Lyn). I think finding the first entry was an unintentional IQ test, which if you
e reading this, youve obviously passed!

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