Current work: en vacances (but thinking about outlines)
Listening to: too early for anyone else to be up yet
Reading: Victoria Connelly, Molly’s Millions (lovely, warm and gentle – great summer read, and very nice for someone who isn’t feeling very well at the moment)
Given that I overdid it on Monday, yesterday was a bit of a gentler pace in town. Dropped son at the Puppet Theatre for his workshop, then went to park the car at the other side of town (i.e. near the shops).
Lazy? Sort of. But there was a teensy problem: a bright red, sore (not ichy) rash on my inner ankle which felt holt and failed the glass test big time. Until I’d seen my GP and found out what it was and the cause, I thought it might be a good idea not to overdo things. (Yeah, yeah. All right. Kate Hardy and overdoing things go together like bread and butter.)
Anyway, Madam and I had another decadent breakfast in M&S, then continued our perfume hunt from the previous day. Thank you to everyone who suggested scents, last month – I did give them a try, but they weren’t quite for me. We did, however, discover something else: Givenchy’s Ange ou Démon. I liked both the original and the new one (which Madam and I thought had top notes of passionfruit but turned out to be cranberry). Madam is clearly shaping up to be a seriously bad influence, because she suggested I bought both... I went for the original in the end as it’s another floriental with vanilla base notes. Not that far out of my rut, but enough to make a difference.
Oh, and the rash? It’s a subcutaneous skin infection – similar to cellulitis but it’s at the early stages so antibiotics should zap it. No idea how or why I got it (probably low immune system due to lack of sleep, so that’s DH’s fault. Or mine, for marrying an owl when I’m a lark). The annoying things are that a) I feel under par and not up to doing much, and b) my planned research for the new book (involving French wine rather than my usual wine of choice, i.e. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc or a good Pinot Grigio) is now on hold until the antibios are done.
French wine. Hmm. Now, which region? Part of me thinks I ought to stick with Provence (Grasse may or may not be important to the second book – am still working that out – and my hero/heroine can go to Nice and Cannes), or Hérault because I have at least visited the area. However, I love doing research so visiting isn’t really an issue. The Loire would work well as it has caves, chateaux and churches, and Sancerre.
Or maybe I should go for Alsace, which has a similar climate to East Anglia (and I’ve discovered there are several vineyards in Norfolk and Suffolk which do tours – oh, yessie. I love research). My hero would specialise in Pinot Gris, in that case. Possibly a rosé (because a glass of chilled dry rosé in a shady bit of the garden on a sunny summer afternoon, with Bach on the stereo and a good book, is blissful. Especially if my man is in charge of the barbecue).
So my question today is: which area seems more exotic and cosmopolitan to you, dear reader? Provence, the Loire or Alsace?
3 comments:
Hurrah for nice perfume and hugs on the microbes who like you far too much.
I have worked and spent many holidays in Alsace and know the area quite well.
Colmar and Strasbourg are lovely and the old timbered houses are stunning in the wine trail villages such as Turckheim.
Tokay Pinot Gris -and especially the sweet Vendage Tardive, late harvest- is a speciality of Alsace and most of the Grand Cru vineyards make it.
Strange how serendipity works. I had thought of Provence for my latest idea but have come down on the Herault or possible Bouche de Rhone. Camargue. Flamingoes. Wild horses. Amazing.
Choices. Choices. LOL
Hope you feel a lot better soon.
Nina
I'd have to go for Alsace as the others have been done over and over, although they're very beautiful and inspirational and I still like to read about them. But I don't often see anything on Alsace.
Hmm ... I just had a lightbulb moment ... (can't you tell I'm back in the driving seat?). Nothing to do with Alsace, but I *am* thinking rural, rustic, Cornish-ish Brittany.
Well done on losing weight last week, btw. All those steps, you earned the whippy ice cream. :o)
To me (knowing nothing whatever about any of them), Provence sounds romantic, the Loire sounds businesslike and Alsace sounds an intriguing unknown quantity.
I'll read it wherever you set it.
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