saison de la chasse en provence
October is hunting season in France.
Frits, the owner of our Provence country house, informed us of this the other morning. One of the neighbours had been hit by a pellet a few days before we arrived, which is apparently not a particularly rare occurrence; the house is in the middle of vineyards and fields full of rabbits and pheasants.
We weren't too concerned, as we were just on our way to Aix en Provence - our morning ritual since we arrived in Provence. Every day we choose a different sidewalk cafe on Cours Mirabeau, the tree-lined grande avenue, for cafe au lait, croissants, baguettes and jam, before spending the day lazily wandering and exploring.
I thought I should check with Frits, though, when I took one of the bikes out for a ride through the vineyards.
Do I need to worry? I asked him.
No, he said; you should be fine. Just try not to act like a rabbit.
I decided to wear my brightest pink shirt and, for good measure, borrowed Christa's red hoodie as well. I set out with my camera, noticing for the first time the little red "Reserve de Chasse" placards nailed to trees - which, if you speak french, let you know you are now in Hunting Territory.
Of course I completely forgot the precaution to stay on marked paths, and went off into the vineyards, crouching between rows to take the perfect shot of perfectly lit grapes. Standing up, I heard a pop-pop-pop in the distance and decided it might be a good idea to get back on the bike.
Frits, the owner of our Provence country house, informed us of this the other morning. One of the neighbours had been hit by a pellet a few days before we arrived, which is apparently not a particularly rare occurrence; the house is in the middle of vineyards and fields full of rabbits and pheasants.
We weren't too concerned, as we were just on our way to Aix en Provence - our morning ritual since we arrived in Provence. Every day we choose a different sidewalk cafe on Cours Mirabeau, the tree-lined grande avenue, for cafe au lait, croissants, baguettes and jam, before spending the day lazily wandering and exploring.
I thought I should check with Frits, though, when I took one of the bikes out for a ride through the vineyards.
Do I need to worry? I asked him.
No, he said; you should be fine. Just try not to act like a rabbit.
I decided to wear my brightest pink shirt and, for good measure, borrowed Christa's red hoodie as well. I set out with my camera, noticing for the first time the little red "Reserve de Chasse" placards nailed to trees - which, if you speak french, let you know you are now in Hunting Territory.
Of course I completely forgot the precaution to stay on marked paths, and went off into the vineyards, crouching between rows to take the perfect shot of perfectly lit grapes. Standing up, I heard a pop-pop-pop in the distance and decided it might be a good idea to get back on the bike.
posted by soobee at 9:37 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home