TGV5222 Roissy Angouleme 1614 1930
was 5202 Roissy Angouleme 1118 1413

Bonnie led me to the wrong first-class car, so we were eventually
kicked out, and I had to wrestle all our bags to the next car and
up and then down stairs, and boy was I sore.

The trip itself was okay but quite slow, and we ended up another
half hour late. Luckily it was still light out, and Letitia was
at the platform to greet us and deal with Bonnie's suitcase (she
is quite a bit younger than we and strong as a horse).

It was another 45 minutes or so to our gite, which was attached
to the monastery church of Rauzet, where the concert was to be.

Kate and Sebastien welcomed us with a late but sumptuous dinner
of leftovers, including various pates and salads and half a giant
artichoke each with Sebastien's famous mayonnaise, which is made
with organic unheated sunflower oil and very flavorful in an
unmayonnaisey sort of way.

A Pineau de Charentes was unlike what is sold as such across the
ocean - grape juice and brandy as in what I'm familiar with but
unaged, whereas I'm used to aged for 5, 10, or 15 years in oak.
Interesting, but I was happy to switch to vin rose ordinaire for
the meal.

Letitia had found massive artichokes at the farmers' market, and
Sebastien had cooked them sort of medium-rare, which was okay for
the flavor, but the texture was pretty hard and hard to deal with.
The maximum tolerable serving was half apiece.

Caprese out of fresh mozzarella and ultra-fresh tomatoes with
basil from the garden and a splash of olive oil and balsamic was
just about perfect.

Commercial pates, de campagne aux cepes and duck and green
peppercorn were good for what they were and cost no more than
ordinary liverwurst does back in the US.

On offer were an everyday box white and a rose de Provence, quite
good and completely uncomplex.

Sorbets from the supermarket, surprisingly true to fruit flavor:
mango, lime, strawberry, and lychee. I forget the brand, but I
think they were Auchan's house label.
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