Off to see the sisters

MONTGARDIN -- Today we head north to see “the sisters,” Nadine’s two siblings who live in a town called Montgardin about 90 minutes outside of Aix in the mountains. But first Mike had to run a few errands, including buying a BBQ for the house (which he delivered complete with a supply of lamb chops for Eugene and his family to christen the new grill with). While he did that, I wandered out to Cours Mirabeau and hung out a café, checking email, doing some work, IM’ing Hubert (“so are you moving or what?” and Toni, and taking in the warm sun that bathed the town. Spring had definitely arrived in Provence, and, at the moment, I thought to myself that I could definitely get used to this lifestyle.

Mike picked me up at La Rotonde around noon and we drove the picturesque 90-minute route to Montgardin in Nadine’s 15year-old Peugeot sedan, a couple of times commenting on how well the old diesel still ran despite the relative lack of use (I think real writers call that last bit foreshadowing). He noted that Toni would need to learn to drive a stick shift if we came to France since that was basically all there was available in terms of cars (at the house, we had talked to Eugene about buying the Peugeot wagon had had bought second hand when he first arrived – it is a stick shift, too).

Mike had brought along a supply of bagettes and sausage, which we devoured like two real Frenchmen on the way to Montgardin as he pointed out points of interest along the way, such as the walled town at Sisteron. It was a very scenic drive along the Durance River and up into the lower Alps, where snow was still layered across the peaks, made even more dramatic set against a crystal clear blue springtime sky. Closer to Montgardin we saw several gliders, hang gliders, and even a hot air balloon, as this area has excellent wind conditions for such things. We passed a good-sized airfield in Tallard where glider planes are parked all over the place.

Turning onto a small track off the main road, we pulled into the sisters’ house in the small town of Montgardin. They greeted us warmly, taking a break from the spring yard work they had been busy with across their sprawling property. The house is a classic French country farmhouse, probably several hundred years old and it used to be run as some kind of mill by Nadine’s family. It’s where Nadine grew up, and the sisters have lived their whole lives. They run a small restaurant and B&B there now, catering mostly to the summer tourists who hike and sight-see in the region. There’s also some skiing in the immediate area. We are not far from the Italian border here, and the nearest ‘big’ town is called Gap.

Mike and I did a bit of exploring around the old house and property. He showed me things he had done over the years to help spruce it up (knock down a wall here, remove a few acres of fill there) and places and things his kids had enjoyed when they were growing up during their visits to their aunts in the French countryside.

Later, we drove up to the top of the hill which serves as the town center and admired the views of the Alps. And we checked out the local church cemetery where several generations of Nadine’s family rest peacefully overlooking the snow topped mountains.

Back at the house, we shared good conversation and good wine with the sisters, next to the crackling wood burning stove that warmed the house. They made us a superb French style dinner of home made pizza followed by some delicious duck and vegetable concoction (the restaurant was closed that night). They broke open a very sweet, but tasty liqueur drink after dinner, made from a local herb grown at only high elevations (over 10,000 feet) in the Alps. After a few of those, then a nightcap of scotch, Mike and I were off to bed in one of the B&B rooms, ready to get up early and hit the road so I could make the 9:50AM TGV train back to Paris from Aix.