The news, 4/5

It is already April. Spring has come in here in France. We had snow the day before spring, but we are now enjoying nice sunny weather. I have settled into my last session of teaching. Our last day is the 13th of April.

Last weekend, Meredith's siter was here. We thew the frisbee up by the Blois chateau and bike 20 kilometers to the Chambord castle. It was beautiful weather.

This weekend we were invited by Thierry, the guy who got me signed up at St. Gervais soccer to eat at his cave in the country. Yesterday I went to the girls house where we met Thierry and drove out to the country to Montoire. On our way there we stopped and got the keys for the cave at Thierry’s grandmother’s who is 92 years old. We started a fire in Thierry’s cave and he showed us the wine press. Later, we all had a huge lunch that lasted several hours.



Afterwards, we returned the keys and saw his grand mother’s garden.
Then we went to Lavardin.

We went and walked around the caves near the old castle.The borders between the French and English were here in the middle ages. Across the way to Vendome was the English territory. We then visited the church which had painted murals from the 11^th and 12^th centuries.

Then we happened to meet Maurice, one of Thierry’s friends. He showed us his amazing cave which consisted of several rooms. It could hold fifty people.It was extensive, and there were bottles of wine stored everywhere. There was one room that was painted by artist refugee who were there during world war 2. The caves are where people went during the bombings.





Afterwards, we were shown Maurice’s troglodyte house.
Then we walked around Lavardin and by La loire. Then we drove home to Blois. Thierry told us about how the cut the timber about every fifty years or so as part of a cycle they do for trees. First they let it grow. Then they get rid of smaller trees to let the big trees have more room. Then again at intervals of ten or twenty years. Then they finally cultivate the trees.