French France part 1

Well, we arrived back yesterday evening - the bags are still unpacked in the dining room ... I have neither the strength of character or the energy to tackle them, so I am instead doing something far more useful ~ yep, blogging.

Ssssh, Simon thinks I'm de-cluttering the office!

Anyway ... arriving Chez le Laquet in the earlyish morning of Saturday 20th December gave us bags of time before Christmas to do all those French things I like the most, of course shopping and eating figured high on the list. On Sunday morning we trooped off to the Christmas market in Souillac - small but perfectly formed - for a wander around before lunch.

The weather was cold and crisp, the sun shining, bright blue skies BUT everyone was bundled up against the cold. Locals were buying bunches of holy and mistletoe, swigging down mugs of mulled wine or chocolat chaud. The air was thick with the scents of Christmas - ginger, cinammon and cloves. There was pain des epices to taste, gaufres and crepes being freshly cooked and tasting plates at every stall - saucisson, jambon, St Andre and cabecou, pain aux lardons/noix, nougat and aligot with duck sausage ~ yum!!

"Gosh, you must have been stuffed" I hear you say ... merely warming up to the challenge ahead my friends!! Lunch to follow!