La Campagne

My friend James who was visiting me and I went to the farm this past weekend to help out.

Right now they're selling these beautiful hearty lettuce called Drop of Blood for the tiny red flecks that speckle the romaine-like leaves, spinach, celery root, and their tomato, basil, squash, and peanut seedlings.

As usual we met Dominique at the market on Saturday and went back in the truck with her to Cassagnabère.

View of Colza fiends from Clermont le Fort

At the farm we seeded squash, organized the greenhouse, weeded, and oogled the 6 baby pigs their pig Valentine had just given birth to a week before.

Their ducks had goslings and the rabbits had babies too, ah springtime!

Bike ride through Colza fields

As Tuesday was the Day of the Worker (le premier mai) my school did the "pont" or bridge, meaning they didn't work Monday, and I'm finished with my classes on Wednesday so after James left on Tuesday I came to Corronssac, a village outside Toulouse, to my colleague Sylvie's for lunch on Tuesday and a killer mountain bike ride though gorgeous yellow colza field in flower with a view of the still snow covered Pyrènes.

We stopped in this tiny, charming village for a juice called Clermont le Fort. We sat outside under multicolored lights with lilacs on all the tables and music spilling out from the tiny buvette that opened onto a tiny cobblestoned square.

I really think the world has been conspiring these past few weeks to get me to want to stay here forever.

Strawberries, mint, sugar and red wine (Bordeaux) = a perfect desset.