Bastille Day visitors

We have friends from the Urbana, Illinois, area spending the weekend with us at Saint-Aignan. Harriett and Tom arrived yesterday from Paris by train. We have a full weekend of activities planned.

I tried to recreate those delicious olives I had at a café in Paris last week for last night's apéritif.

They are flavored with tomato, lemon zest, garlic, and cilantro.

This morning, we'll be going to the open-air market in Montrichard. It's one of the best in the area, though not nearly as big as the Sunday market in Amboise (which will be a zoo this holiday weekend. This afternoon, other friends are coming over to spend the afternoon. We'll watch some Tour de France coverage on the TV and sit out on the deck eating and talking. The Tour is going through our area (Montrésor, for example) this afternoon.

Walt made a Swiss chard and onion quiche with Emmenthal cheese for last night's dinner out on the front terrace.

Tomorrow we're planning to drive up to Bracieux, near Chambord, for lunch at the Relais d'Artémis restaurant. After lunch, we'll see Chambord, Blois, and maybe the château at Chaumont-sur-Loire. Sunday will be the châteaus at Montrésor, Montpoupon, and Chenonceaux.

As you can tell, it's busy. And the weather is just perfect. We are finally getting the pay-off after all the gray and damp weather we had in April, May, and June.