The sun burst in the room early…..I know this only because breakfast service started at 7:00 and I could not smell the usual signs:  fresh coffee and toast.  I turned over and wasted an hour in dream land.  I was at breakfast by 8:00, enjoyed a final walk along the lakefront, and was on the road by 10:00.  The day was spectacular, spring on full display.

I had picked my route; due south through the spa town of Aix-les-Thermes and onto the foothills of the Pyrenees.  I am not a skier so am not familiar with the hot spots of the sport, but I can imagine that this area is robust during the winter months.  I wound my way through one small Alpine village after another.  I could have been in Switzerland and indeed expected to see the Von Trapp family traipsing over the hill at any minute.

I finally could not contain myself and while crossing a somewhat new bridge with a running brook on one side and a leisurely lake spread to the other I pulled over to stop, gaze, wonder, and take a photo or two.  I stepped out of the car, and no it wasn’t Mary Poppins herself, but indeed the music of the famous cow bells.  I glanced up and sure enough cows were grazing with their bells echoing off the surrounding hills.  There was not a cloud in the sky or another human being on the road to disturb the minute of quiet and contemplation.

Back in the car, I cut across the mountain top and turned north at Mont-Louis.  I then followed the D118 north through a most beautiful and isolated area.  I wanted to stop for lunch but could not find the right spot.  It was Sunday (and Mother’s Day) and many places were closed.   Those that were open were hosting large families and formal meals, neither of which was on my agenda.  As the kilometers wound before me I marveled at how quiet things were…..and then noticed the time.  To be sure, around 2:30-3:00 the roads were a bit more crowded and busy….the lunch crowd had dispersed.  But for about two hours I thought that time had stopped for tout le monde, except moi as I traveled through timeless, hushed beauty.

As I came out of the mountains the temperature was on the rise.  I arrived in Maury around 4:00 in the afternoon with strong sun and temperatures hovering around 30.  The light breeze saved the air from any signs of oppression.  The town was on fire with activity and I soon understood that I had arrived right in the middle of a new (second year) tasting of AOC Maury wines hosted by the village of Maury.  There were around 25 wineries each with two or three wines in 5 separate locations around town, all walkable.  At each station a restaurant offered food.  There was music in the center of town at the community play yard.  I love arrival parties!!  I caught up with Jean-Roger Calvet and his wife, Marie at their winery station , picked up the key to “my” apartment (my third stay!!), and made arrangements to meet at the winery the next morning at 10:00.  The Calvets are my Roussillon winegrowing associates.  I can’t wait to introduce you to them.

Our plan for the next day was to work on a series of blends for the 2010 K2 grenache, Côtes Catalanes.  I couldn’t sleep a wink that night……

Not a Cloud in the Sky, Perfect Day for Handgliding

Welcome to the Neighborhood

Spring Arrives Late in Alpine Towns

Ring them Bells.....

Springtime in the French Mountains