Philly & the knights on horseback

I was walking, half jogging through the alpine roads today. The fields and paddocks were so green and the cows so frisky. Young calves were literally frolicking in the sunshine and made me laugh. I jogged down the winding road to a mountain lake for a swim. Large fir trees surrounded the lake and one of its shores housed a very old Austrian log cabin. Hesitating at first at the dark water with green "stuff" and lilies floating around, I waded into the bracing water and then thoroughly enjoyed the refreshing swim. Later I sat by the paddock watching the cows and remembered the cows - La vache, in my beloved France.

Memories of my french summer flooded back and especially my new friend Phillipa. Phillipa likes to be called Philly, and it suits her lovely warm honest and friendly personality. Philly offered me to share her lovely home with her. She lives in a typical Breton farm house. It's large generous rooms have been renovated and we often sat together in front of her roaring log fire and watched movies whilst enjoying some exotic dish we had prepared together. It is an amazing thing as we grow older, we meet certain people and it either clicks or it doesn't - we clicked. There seemed to be an immediate trust after our meeting and the friendship grew from there. I never expected that, it was wonderful enough to stay in such a gorgeous french farm house but to find a new friend as well was just a touching bonus. We shared stories over glasses of wine, she white and me red........and the weeks flew by. She gave me a huge attic bedroom which housed a sleigh bed and the most fluffy delightful duvet I have ever slept under.



On one of my last days there, a local town named Malestroit celebrated its 700 year anniversary, or something close to that. Philly suggested it would be a super day so off we went. The ancient town had celtic dancers, musicians, knights in shining armour and a village set up to show us what it was like to live in the 14th century. We munched on breads and sweets made to ancient recipes and drank old style french cider. Wandering the streets where we normally bought our weekly fresh produce I watched the many folk in traditional dress and thought how fabulous it would have been to live in an era of such simple pleasures. The highlight of the day was the knights jousting on their horses. The crowd stood in the heat to watch it all and we joined them. It was a perfect day!

What made it so very special was to share it with a special friend. Thank you Philly! I can't wait to catch up again in January......for our next adventure.