Creating a Provençal Fête

Every year, usually in May, we are standing house guests for an annual wine festival held in our hosts' region.  While the cold buffet is just on Saturday afternoon, we arrive on Friday and stay until Sunday.  Not only does it make a lovely weekend get-away for us, but it provides an opportunity to visit with a dear family at least once a year. 

Sadly, last year's event was cancelled due to the death of their oldest son shortly beforehand, but we were still invited to visit a bit later.

Two years ago, I shared the afternoon's event with you.  Last year, I took you on a tour of the area instead.  This year, I thought I'd show you just what goes on behind the scenes to succeed at this marvelous event.  Doc Leo and I do our best to earn our keep!  Even the youngest generation is getting schooled on how to continue posterity.

Le Zouave de Paris

If you have been paying the remotest attention to the news recently, you will be aware that massive, disastrous flooding has been going on in multiple areas of the world all at the same time.  While I don't happen to live in one of those zones, my adopted city of Paris is definitely experiencing major flooding, more serious than the several instances that occurred when we lived there.

You may have been hearing about or seen pictures of our famous Zouave.  But you probably don't really know who he is.  So let me introduce you, as my native Parisian neighbor did to me so many years ago.