So, this the friend's Aunt's place, called Mouton. This was another one of those little areas in France where there aren't street numbers or anything, just the name of the property.

We had about 12 adults and seven or eight kids, with all the kids sleeping in the attic which had been converted and the adults taking up individual rooms throughout the house, and it was really, really comfortable. Never heard anyone else, even the kids, and a huge fireplace in the dining room that made the nightly dinners really enjoyable. A lot of wine, and unbelievable amount of food, but when we ended up doing the bill and divvying up the cost, it turned out to be something ridiculous like 4.50 euros per meal, and thats including the wine and beer and Pastis.

I don't know, I guess this type of thing does happen in the States, although I have never really been a part of something like that. Seems like there always has to be a goal, like camping or seeing something or swinging or something. This was an older group, 30s, 40s and some newly minted 50s, and it was just to sit around and play football with the kids, play pingpong, and shoot the shit. I mean, I guess that happens at some people's lake houses or whatever, but like I said, I've never been a part of one.

And even something like that, its like you have to have a boat, or its got to be at a lake or have a pool or something. At this thing, we went for a couple of walks into town, while at the same time picking up food, and people would take some time out and read or play ping pong, but other than that it was people just sitting around and actually 'talking' to each other.

At one point there was this big discussion about vegetables, and whether this type of vegetable was a cabbage or a lettuce, or something like that, and it just struck me at the time that I don't think I have ever heard of any similar kind of conversation in the states. And I mean this was an indepth discussion, not just a quick question, lasting for maybe 30 minutes and mentioning veggies I've never heard of.

Maybe thats because everything is microwaved or take out, or that when we barbecue its hot dogs and hamburgers, with chips or a potato salad (none of which was on the menu here, even though we grilled just about every night). When I think of a 'traditional' American equivalent of something like what we did here, there wouldn't be a pasta salad, that was made from scratch with cucumbers, onions, etc (think everything vegetable at a salad bar plus pasta then minus lettuce), or a carrot or cucumber salad, which are all kind of staples here. And none bought from the store in a huge costco tub, either, all of it was made from actual individual vegetables.

But also I think its because we only get one kind of tomato, two kinds of cabbage, etc. There just isn't the diversity, or those oddball vegetables that don't make it into stores even here, but that you can find at a weekend market. Its just a culture built around food, and when you see the rivers and the rainfall, the fertile soil and all of that, why that is becomes clear.

What also becomes clear is why since the dawn of time other cultures have been trying to take France. If you think about Northern California, with the Redwoods which to me are indicative of extremely fertile growing lands, I find France to be most like that region of the States. So growing things, big things, tasty things, has been something they've been doing forever.

Not much to explain about the house, other than parts of it were from the 18th century and it had some really low doorways (one of which I cracked my head on), so here are the pics (from the front, then the back)-

There were also a ton of these things out back underneath some of the big trees. No idea what they are, but pretty cool-

Finally, the neighbor here was raising goats and also apparently bees. We bought each of the different types of honey, and they are from left to right, Summer, Autumn and Spring, which I guess is when they are each harvested.

Autumn is about what you get in the states and syrupy whereas the other two are pastey, and I have tried the Summer before and really like it. Haven't tried the Spring though, so looking forward to that.