Monday 2nd
We awoke this morning to find the power is still off and the cooler weather is still with us. The pools of water on the bedroom floor have almost dried up and there’s an air of camping about the whole morning….none of us fazed at the prospect of more candlelight to come. We were busy boiling water on the gas-stove for much needed coffee when Tony caught sight of Danielle and managed….through words and gestures … to tell her about the power. She desperately tried to make herself understood in very fast French but then gave up and went to find Robert who was down at another farm ( does he own all of Bourdiguet, I wonder to myself?) Very quickly he shows Tony that the safety switch had tripped in the other half of the house….Tony thought the fuse box in the laundry was ther only one for the whole house. Within seconds we have power again. Over breakfast we formulate a plan to leave Provence on Wednesday and stay two nights on the road. It will ease the burden of driving on Tony if we split it over 3 days and we’ll still arrive early Friday afternoon. Phillipa fills us in on her plans to stay away a year, and we are impressed by how sensible and grown up she has become. She has a very clear vision of what she wants from this trip and she’s ready for the experience. She helps us clean our messy Mas and then we start throwing everything in sight into the washing machine….just in case of another blackout.
Phillipa is quiet as we walk through Uzes and take in the sights. For a while we think she is bored, but she’s just taking it all in - and loving it. It would be hard to imagine anyone NOT loving Uzes. There is something quite magical and mystical about this little town that weaves its spell around you. Later I cook snails and they are yummy….dripping in garlic and butter and wine. Phillipa loves them and she has embraced kir as if it were a drink invented just for her. Eating at home is certainly saving us money and we haven’t gone short on anything, but after a big salad none of us has room for the framboise tarts. We haven’t made a lot of plans in Provence…just drifted from day to day and let fate take us whichever way the breeze blows. But now we sit down and plan what we will do. A trip to the pool for a swim and a sunbake….lunch in the little creperie near the fountain….then off to the national horse Haras to see Lucien Grass training the fabulous Andelusian horses. We head off to bed early but not until after another spectacular light show from the lightning over the hills. Only one more day in this magic place……only one more night after this in the squeaky bed - fighting off the flies! Aaaah…the Good, the Bad and The Ugly ( not a bad title that!)
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