La belle France

Delighted to have arrived. Following a certain pattern, Romy was angelic on the plane - sleeping in the bassinet as if it were her favorite place to slumber. Colette was as nice as Romy was difficult. That is to say that at some point on that overnight flight, you could find me lying across the floor begging Colette to try to sleep on the two seats that would have made a lovely bed for her. Alas, time always passes and soon enough we found ourselves at CDG (where Colette swore she saw Bindia in the parking lot and asked us to please let her in), and then to the Loire Valley and then to Baugé itself. Hallelujah.

We can certainly say we are pleased to be here. For this grand old, stone house. For the books on the shelf, the grapes, the flowers, the food from the market ten steps away, for the staircase, the grass. It is fulfilling to come back to a place we have been so many times, but to bring new ones who also belong here - and to find the old ones we realize just how much we miss when we share a meal together again.