Dear Abeilhan

Dateline -- 30 July — 2 August, 2009: Mel picked us up Thursday afternoon and took us to his and Sharon's house in Abeilhan, our summer abode for the next two months. Their place is amazing. Three floors, three bedrooms, two kitchens (one on the third-floor enclosed terrace), one car and two dogs.

I present to you Jake and Molly:


Jake is a sweet old guy, and seems quite taken with Vince. Molly is a very energetic and kissy-licky pug. And of course Honey makes three. They get along quite well, and looking after our pack will no doubt be a highlight of our stay. Honey made herself right at home, helping herself to Jake and Molly's toy basket.


We spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday settling in and exploring our little hamlet. Abeilhan boasts about 1,000 residents, a winery, two pharmacies, two bakeries, a very small market (think French-countryside 7-11, even though that's a bit oxymoronic) and a post office that's open for four hours per day, six days per week. Here's a view of Abeilhan from the main road:


On Sunday, we hiked to the neighboring village of Coulobres. On our walk, we discovered that this pastoral paradise is chock-full of tiny towns with wee wineries. We're thinking we may have to venture out for a tasting or two this summer. And even if we don't, we'll certainly take plenty of leisurely walks just to enjoy the tranquil surroundings.


"Land spreading out so far and wide — keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside!" (Hint: Scroll down to the bottom of the BLIP.fm window below, then click the "PLAY" button!)