Here comes the rain, again

Day 7

In the Bible, it says that on the seventh day, God rested. On our trip, he changed his mind and decided to recreate the story of Noah's ark. We had high hopes of a different history when we awoke that morning. Clouds gathered ominously around the mountain peaks, but a few patches of sunshine offered a glimmer of hope.

Our original plan had been to spend the day kayaking through the Gorges du Tarn. Due to a my husband's ski injury three months prior and more importantly, the chilly and formidable weather conditions, we begrudgingly knew that adventure would have to be saved for another trip. Holding on to our glimmer of hope, we decided to take a scenic drive through the Causse Mejean, ending at Mt Agouil and possibly fitting in a light hike somewhere along the way.

We set off towards the Causse Mejean. Driving along the D13, clouds hugged the mountainside, obscuring views of the valleys, their cottony, soft appearance lending a false sense of comfort as we motored along the road. As we passed through the tiny hamlet of Barres des Cevennes, it started to rain heavily. A little rain couldn't stop us, though our hopes were now dimming to a tiny flicker. We continued to forge on. A few kilometers south of Hospitalet we met our match. Instead of marvelling at the spectacular views marked on our Michelin map #339, we found ourselves completely enveloped by clouds. We couldn't even make out the trees on the side of the road. Visibility was zip, zero, zilch. Mother nature had won the battle on this one.

Deterred but not defeated, we changed direction and headed to Florac.

When we arrived in Florac, classified as one of The Most Beautiful Villages de France it the start of the lunch hour, and so most of the shops in town were closed or about to close. We stumbled upon the last vestiges of the weekly market, as waterlogged vendors disassembled their stalls. Chilled and waterlogged ourselves, we decided that something warm to eat might be a good idea. So we took our cues from the vendors and got a table in the nearest cafe. We had some kind savory crepes (there's a specific name for them, but it's not in my notes and I can't remember it for the life of me) which sufficiently warmed our stomachs before making a second attempt at exploring the town.

We lasted about twenty minutes in the rain. Finally admitting defeat, we headed back to Mas Lou Albeihs, for an afternoon of reading and napping.

That evening, we again convened in the dining room for apertifs. But tonight, we all huddled around the fireplace, letting the toasty warm fire dry out our chilled and soggy bones as the kittens and Mignon snuggled in our laps. As we sipped rose and nibbled fresh hummus, Barbra from Switzerlad uttered the best quote of the day- "The only problem with today was that it rained. Once. ALL DAY LONG."

Dinner was scrumptious as usual. Our starter was a salad of melon, tomato, olives, mozzarella and chives, dressed in oil and vinegar and garnished with fresh mint.

The main course was a simple meat sauce, poured over tri-color pasta that had been boiled and then sauteed. We were also served a tomato and a zucchini, both baked and stuffed with the sauce. When I asked what the meat was,I was told it came from a small deer, native to the region. Whatever it was, it tasted damn good.

Conversation eventually shifted to politics, a vacation first for us- the election of Sarkozy and the war in Iraq. It was enlightening for all of us, I think, to hear each other's views- views that didn't necessarily reflect what is often reported in the mainstream media. I for one, gained a better understanding of the french and their hopes for the future of their country. And when we explained to them how we and many of our friends disagreed with the Bush government's handling of Iraq, though we supported our troops who were putting their lives on the line- they were both shocked (that we would dissent) and relieved (that we did dissent).

At Lou Albeihs, conversation is primarily in French. Personally we love it, since it increases our vocabulary and comprehension exponentially. Still, I was surprised at my ability to express my views on such a subject, without resorting to English. My husband's comprehension had improved so much that he was able to follow the conversation, though he had to respond in English. Noticing his improvement,Julien and Clothilde teased him that next year, it was time to get past his timidity and speak French. Only French!

As the evening drew on, dessert was served- strawberry/rhubarb/honey tartes. Still warm, the blend of sweet and tart was a perfect end note to our meal.

Another wonderful evening drew to a close, and we bid each other good night. DH and I, of course, had to finish ours with another kitten rendezvous in our room. When we eventually crawled into bed, we fell asleep....to the sound of....the falling rain.