PS France

This morning, Scott and I watched the sunrise from the car as we drove to the Beauvais airport, where I caught a RyanAir flight to Dublin. So here I am sitting in an internet cafe on Dublin's famous O'Connell Street, named after the Irish revolutionary Daniel O'Connell (1775-1847), because there's a loose end from France that needs tying up: our two days in the Loire Valley. We visited two of the grandest chateau, including Chambord - I learned the meaning of a castle "keep." The whole group of us - Scott, Christine, Mathieu, Alexandre, and me - then accepted the dinner invitation of a formidable and beautiful restauranteur named Birgitte, whose very special restaurant called La Marine in a small village and secreted under a stand of trees alongside a canal of the Loire River. We ate better than kings and queens, all seven of us, including Birgitte and her most lovely daughter Diane (pronounced "dee-ON") who joined us. Birgitte's younger daughter Fanny had stayed with me for a week in Santa Monica this summer, and this sumptious feast was Birgitte's abundant thank you. I had Mignons of Pork with champignons. We were also invited to spend the night, as Birgitte is also becoming a hotelier as well as restaurant owner. My rooms were an apartment adjacent to the restaurant; I slept in a canopied bed with the river canal outside the window. Everyone else stayed at Birgitte's remarkable 17th century couvent (convent), one wing of which she has transformed into her home, the other which she is transforming into a series of apartments. Between the two wings stands a chapel and a clock tower. The entrance sign reads: "Monastere de la Visitation Sainte Mare de la Bretauche - La Chapelle et les Parloirs." The convent was once the property of the chateau next door and still standing. We spent a magical night, morning at breakfast on a huge old country table, and ended up staying the rest of that next day, Alexandre and I braving the cold water of the swimming pool. We tore ourselves away from Birgitte before the sun went down and drove back to Paris and Epinay. I will never forget this part of my trip, ever. Also Birgitte could use a housekeeper or someone to fill in when she's on vacation. Hmmmm. My internet cafe hour is up. Now I must return to Dublin.