We have reached the half way point in our 2025 adventure in the Dordogne. Seems like we have been here forever but the 2 1/2 weeks has gone by quickly. That is the sign of a successful vacation, although when you entire life is a vacation the metrics lose their meaning.
One accomplishment among many is that we have now mastered the monosyllabic "Bonjour" that we exchange many times each day. The French way is to make this two word greeting sound like a barely audible one word blip. Takes practice but we are getting there.
Oh no! Weather is not our friend.
Today we bagged our planned ride and decided on a "shortie" with a coffee stop in Daglan, where we are becoming regulars. Since we had some extra time we made a failed attempt to find a roasted chicken for dinner at the market in Saint Pompom. After a short detour to see if the donkeys were still in residence we arrived at noon to meet Thom Salisbury, yet another new friend
Thom and his wife live in Daglan where they landed after several moves around the area. He is from Burbank and his wife is British. She was just returning from Paris by train where he was scheduled to meet her in Gourdon - just a few kilometers over the hill. Although a "less fast" train from Paris (5 hours) but much more convenient then catching it in Bergerac. The Dordogne is a beautiful spot but equally inconvenient from everywhere.
We met Thom a few days ago as his place is just a few meters from the cafe, so a regular hangout for him as well. When English is spoken your ears pick up and immediately engage in conversation. As he had a train to meet we ended our socializing before we were all talked out. As said before "everyone has a story" and Thom is no exception. He retired several years ago and decided to retire to France as a jumping off spot to see what Europe had to offer. Italy was not their cup of espresso so their future explorations will be anchored here in the Dordogne. We hope to meet the missus on another visit.
