It was a Sunday and we all knew it and needed it. Remi and I had picked up our hard-working friends Marc and Bettina in Nimes and then headed up through the winding hills to Uzès. Uzès, how I love thee! Ben knows. He loves it too. But it is in Winter when I prefer it as the town, one of the most beautiful in the South of France, is positively empty.
Ah, save for at Terroirs, where we grabbed the last outdoor table on the terrace. The gentlemen gave the ladies the view on the Place aux Herbes and backs against the (very much needed) space heaters. We did our best to settle in the dogs and then it was time to consider with anticipation how to give ourselves over to a similarly floppy relaxed abandon.
We puzzled and bantered over the simple yet tempting menu with the charming waiter who leaned on our table and wished that he could join us for a glass of the very nice local wine that he had just poured into our ready glasses. Decisions were made, then changed until promises of shared bites were offered.
I was tired, coming off of a week of not sleeping well. But one of the many aspects of being with our long-time friends is that they take us as we are. There is no need to put on a show or to pretend to be other. So I felt free to be quiet.
The conversation burbled on around me like little musical notes dancing off the staff. I let my eyes do the talking, taking little snapshots of the view from our table, my camera resting otherwise in my lap. Our food arrived just as my stomach was starting to rumble and I enjoyed my delicious gratin du jour, the cheese bubbling over smoky eggplant to warm me up from the inside so that I no longer needed the polar fleece blanket placed with consideration on the arm of my chair.
We all knew our good fortune at being able to eat outside in February and so we stayed. A second bottle of wine was ordered as it was sold à la ficelle, literally by the string so that you paid only for the level of how much you drank. Because honestly, we just wanted to linger, to pull the moment like the sweet taffy it was.
We were amongst the very last to leave (that was our table at far left) and certainly no one rushed us to go. How quiet the Place was now. Full of Winter.
All the better to take a post-dining stroll, an institution in France.
And when that perambulation happens to be in Uzes…
…well, your eyes will feast as well as your belly has.
Sunday, sweet Sunday…
…I always find a home in you.
Terroirs Restaurant
5 Place aux Herbes
30700 Uzès
Tel. : 04 66 03 41 90
PS. Thank you to everyone from Remi (and me too of course) over the many, many congratulatory comments and emails about the publication of “his” French stamp! You are a lovely group of people, I have to say…
Thank you so much for your beautiful post that was spun off of this one Judith!
http://judithaross.com/2014/02/18/full-of-winter/
It is just gorgeous.
Ahhh…a good reminder during our house-hunting, Silke! To keep it simple and listen to our instincts!! And although I have heard of Josephine Ryan, I do not know of her books. Should I?
And bravo to you for being brave enough to be friends with a "true" redhead! 😉 We can be made of fiery stuff that is for sure…I certainly was quite, how shall we say, expansive when I was in my 20s and 30s…a bit calmer now but if anyone threatens my dogs in anyway, look out!!
You know, for so many years here I was never relaxed as I wasn't confident in my French and self-conscious about my accent. And now I am starting to just go "Ok, it is what it is!" and let it be.
George! You have so many already! Although Uzes makes for a lovely day out combined with the Pont du Gard…
xo
It was a lovely day, G and much-needed too…
Jaqueline, I was so touched by your generous and thoughtful response that it took me a day to try and find the proper reply, which is finally, only "thank you." One of the most interesting aspects about doing this blog is how certain like-minded (or like-hearted 🙂 souls find their way here and then stay to be a part of a little community. I admit that I added the "Live Traffic Feed" to the sidebar on the right hand side just for me as I get such a kick out of seeing where people are visiting from. Sharing with people from all over the world is quite something. And while I was able to do so with a far greater audience as a travel writer, here I am able to have exchanges that mean so very much to me…like this one!
And David, merci encore. Your belief in what I do here keeps me going! I am working on it…slowly…but I am.
You are welcome Greet but how easily I say the same to you!
I would love it if you travel our way one of these days…
Bisous.
Yes. I feel like that with age, I am less interested in putting on any type of show unless I really have to (say if under the weather when meeting a business associate of Remi's)…makes things easier too.
Something tells me that you know very well how to make the most of such moments yourself, dear Jeanne.
xo
That does sound like a perfect day! Lovely to hear from you…
Ah but I am so glad for your eidetic memory, the polar opposite to my Emmenthal one! Most certainly as I did not know any of the above and am most interested to learn. I have always wondered if the French wouldn't be happier if they had a king…more of a figure than a ruler…