After a few action-packed days in Paris, Annie Smithers and I headed for Gascony and here settled into base camp with other travellers, the week to be curated by Kate Hill. I have always been fascinated by those who successfully expatriate. I know I could never do it myself so I hung on Kate’s stories of how she left the US over 30 years ago, worked for awhile in the UK, bought a large canal boat and travelled up and down the canals of France and Belgium for years, with a small group of passengers before finally settling in her delightful house, alongside a minor canal in the almost non-existent village of Camont, and devoting herself to sharing the delights of Gascony with interested travellers, writing about it, developing her interest in charcuterie, and sharing it all. We had such fun. Kate must have met every small farmer up and down the river, and she had so many stories.

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I am back after a month of eating, drinking, reflecting on travel and life, and immersing myself in several very different French landscapes (and a moment in Spain) and sharing the experience with a like-minded friend, chef Annie Smithers of du fermier (whom I proudly acknowledge as an apprentice way back in time).

First up, a summary of the great food experiences with a few words to give the meal a sense of place, in chronological order, not order of excellence. 

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