Ready for Lunch

The pickers were tired, the kitchen crew and the three massive casseroles of Gratin dauphinois stood at the ready—and Benoît arrived! Big energy in the house now! Damien had the table set and the cheese, bread, and fruit compote dessert rested in the cool garage. Michel destemmed all the grapes in the machine and the fruit was in the tank. Time to celebrate. Saline got us rolling with a song.

So many interesting people at the table that day. We sat near Isabelle, an engineer colleague of Michel’s who had lived in Atlanta and helped a sisters of st Joseph mission in a southern Appalachian clinic. Also, Elise from Jakarta and her husband Alexander who met in Bali and had lots of tips on travel in Spain. But we all shared a mission that day—the Beaujolais harvest. That evening we went to the church in Cogny to listen to a choral group and then went to a Mexican art show complete with a mariachi band—and wine.