It’s funny how sometimes moments seem like they’re a part of a movie or something. I often sense that when visiting Louis’s family in Montargis. The countryside is a whole different ballgame from city life- and after really discovering France while living in Normandy at sixteen [in the countryside]- I’ve come to really appreciate it whenever I can get out of the city.

LE BRIEFING: You eat what is from the garden. All meat is local. Every part of the salad minus the feta, the oil and the vinaigrette is from the garden. This is something I never had the benefit of experiencing before moving to France. And let me tell you– it’s fantastic.

WEEKEND NOTES: On mange. On papote. On boit : Repeter.

After stuffing my face on a scrumptious à la carte meal (Did I mention I had never tried Boudin Noir?), I felt that nothing could have been better than hanging out in the countryside-adorably-decorated kitchen chatting with parents until the wee hours of the night. Not to mention discovering something as lovely as homemade “eau de vie” (a strong liqueur made primarily & distilled from fruit such as prunes or pears) and giving it a whirl along with bites of fruits from the garden out back. This liqueur bottle was dated 1987 simply with a rectangle sticker marked “Prune“. It has a bit more bite than Calvados, but some intensely good sweet flavor. We then came across more treasures, like a similar remedy based of Cherries. ‘Twas a night of tasting. These bottles were Louis’s grandmother’s, made as early as the 1980′s. It was however an odd feeling to drink something homemade that is older than I am, but surprisingly timeless.

The house is a treasure chest in itself.

This is constant sense of learning from people and cultures that I sometimes forget to appreciate.

A joyous weekend indeed. I hope yours was also relaxing and culturally rich. Did you try any new foods? If you’re feeling crazy, give Boudin Noir a try. Or take it easy with Limonade à la rose.