Wish You Were Here Picnic lunch by Loire River pleases couple
My husband, Tom, and I journeyed to the Loire region of France in September on the inaugural trip sponsored by local wine connoisseur Christopher Conrad and his Belgian wife, Christine Gonze-Conrad (who have two trips planned this year; see www.winesand-chateaux4u.com).
This trip was not only a respite from work and life obligations, but also was a feast for the senses.
Le Fougeray, a private chateaux in Richelieu owned by Christine’s sister, Anne, and her husband, Leon, served as our base and home-away-from-home for the week. Along with two other couples from the Pittsburgh area, we traversed the region, best know for white wines, and had a myriad of gustatory experiences, from a private dinner in a cave underneath a family-owned vineyard, to a one-star Michelin restaurant, Au Plaisis Gourmand in Chinon.
We sampled lapin (rabbit) and canard (duck) and other dishes on goat farms and in creperies.
Wish You Were Here: Loire, France
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We met the lovely Charlotte and Vincent Marcheseau in Bourgeuil as well as had dinner at the home of Pascale and Francois Plouzeau. Their wines are famous world-wide.
But one of our fondest memories was when one of our party suggested we abandon the planned restaurant luncheon stop at La Petite Auberge for a spontaneous luncheon picnic on the Loire River.
We unanimously agreed with the idea. We packed the necessities from our chateaux “home” — plates, utensils, tablecloth — and set off in our minivan for Fontevraud-l’Abbaye (founded in 1101) as our tourist destination of the day. En route, we lucked upon a woman who set up her fruit and vegetable stand in the back of her truck in a parking lot.
The colors of the fresh fruits and vegetables made them so luscious. They looked as if they had been hand-picked for us directly from her garden minutes prior. We needed to look no further for our produce.
We moved into the town to the charcuterie and patisserie where we purchased our fresh pate and baguette.
I enjoyed people-watching: Adults and children sauntered about in no particular hurry, a stark contrast to city life in America at the lunch hour — no “lunch on the run.” Men and women of all ages pedaled through the town on bicycles with their baguettes resting in their bicycle baskets.
With a bottle of red and a bottle of white wine purchased in Saumur, our picnic basket was complete, and we headed for the riverfront. There was a lovely September breeze blowing in off the Loire.
We found that perfect spot and set up for a lunch that lasted over one hour. We were greeted with a “Bon appetit” by a group of cyclists who at first blush appeared to be young, fit adults. As they got closer, we discovered that they were in fact late middle-aged men whose physiques belied their true ages.
The Loire reminded Tom of the Susquehanna because it is wide and shallow. A fishing boat passed by and created a picturesque backdrop.
We laughed, spoke of travels of the day, of life experiences, and of course the wine. During our brief encounter we admired and savored the pace and rich quality of life in the French countryside. We firmly believe that we can all learn a valuable health lesson from the French.
Cheers.
Terri Wubben, a 1977 Steel Valley graduate, and her family live in Murrysville.
Tags: amp, vegetables0
