There were a lot of questions today about the state of one's back. After a first day in the vineyards, hunched over cutting grapes, it seemed normal that some residual pain might be present. Toughness generally prevailed, and everyone claimed to be in good form.
My own back, legs, and neck begged to diifer, but my mouth said, "Ça va très bien." What a liar!
Upon arriving at the Domaine, we got a rundown of the previous evening/night from the folks who were sleeping in the dorms. The Polish girls retired first (11:30), and the pregnant girl hit the sack at midnight. The father, Jean-Claude, said, "I went to bed early. It was 12:15."
We harvested grapes in the morning, had a casse-croûte at 9:30, and arrived back at the Domaine for lunch at noonish. The meal was ham and cheese pizza to start (after, of course, a little glass of sumpin' sumpin'), followed by roast chicken with green beans, cheese, and a delicious apricot tart for dessert.
The discussion at the table revolved around one singular, but very vulgar, topic. Some of the Polish girls are vegetarians, which is, in France, grounds for endless confusion. But some are also VEGAN (végétalienne in French), which drives French people -- who eat shredded pork for breakfast, who put butter on top of their steaks, who love duck, veal, cream, rabbit, honey, and cheese like children -- positively mad.
So, one young man wondered aloud, if a végétalienne performs a certain act for her male lover, does it betray her veganism if she, well...does that count as animal protein?
The patriarch stayed above the fray, offering only this observation: "They sure like to drink wine, which is at least one positive point in their favor."
Of course all of this senseless chit-chat was just a distraction from the work at hand. It is a beautiful place to be outside and at work, with views that make any human sigh with contentedness and a connection to the land that is impossible to ignore.
Tomorrow, a discussion of the work.
Best T-Shirt of the Day: The Puma logo, only it said "Coma" with the cat lying on its back, passed out, over the M and the A. The wearer drank wine while he worked.
Day 2 Injury List:
Balky right knee
Hamstrings feel ready to pop
Neck ache
 |
| A cemetery? Among the vines? How much do I hurt? |
Upon arriving at the Domaine, we got a rundown of the previous evening/night from the folks who were sleeping in the dorms. The Polish girls retired first (11:30), and the pregnant girl hit the sack at midnight. The father, Jean-Claude, said, "I went to bed early. It was 12:15."
We harvested grapes in the morning, had a casse-croûte at 9:30, and arrived back at the Domaine for lunch at noonish. The meal was ham and cheese pizza to start (after, of course, a little glass of sumpin' sumpin'), followed by roast chicken with green beans, cheese, and a delicious apricot tart for dessert.
 |
| Chicken |
So, one young man wondered aloud, if a végétalienne performs a certain act for her male lover, does it betray her veganism if she, well...does that count as animal protein?
The patriarch stayed above the fray, offering only this observation: "They sure like to drink wine, which is at least one positive point in their favor."
Of course all of this senseless chit-chat was just a distraction from the work at hand. It is a beautiful place to be outside and at work, with views that make any human sigh with contentedness and a connection to the land that is impossible to ignore.
 |
| Moon and wine |
Tomorrow, a discussion of the work.
Best T-Shirt of the Day: The Puma logo, only it said "Coma" with the cat lying on its back, passed out, over the M and the A. The wearer drank wine while he worked.
Day 2 Injury List:
Balky right knee
Hamstrings feel ready to pop
Neck ache
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