Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 18
La Source
After Christmas, Bruce, my brother-in-law, Neal, and Sean took on the jungle forest to the
left of the house where Mr Battistella had indicated we would find an old well. Since his vis-
it Sean and I had hacked a trail through the brush to see it. When we reached it we thought it
was empty. Then the wind rippled the water and we realised it was full and clear. The stone
well, cut deep into the limestone cliff in a vaulted shape and set in an enchanting dell, de-
served to be made accessible.
By New Year, the well and pond were cleared and we could gaze into the crystal water.
I drew a jugful and poured glasses of pure mineral water. We toasted the project. It tasted
divine. Water from a limestone source is typically very pure as the rock filters the water -
on analysis it is often cleaner than rainwater and superior to town water.
It seemed longer than a year since Sean sat with tears running down his cheeks listening
to Christy Moore at the kitchen table. A few days before I helped on the school stand at the
Saussignac Christmas market and found myself kissing half the hall. Having both girls at
school offered a host of connections. We were becoming part of the community. We were
integrating. Glynis and Gillian offered to look after the girls so Sean and I could go out to
dinner, our first night out alone together in more than two years. I researched options in the
pocket restaurant guide that the tourist office had given me on my visit a few weeks before
and settled on one that looked like it offered great food and a view at a reasonable price. It
was the moment to dust off a little black dress and sheer stockings I hadn't worn in years.
When Sean walked into the kitchen, clean-shaven, in a sky-blue shirt that matched his eyes
and ironed chinos I hardly recognised him. Sophia grilled me on where we were going and
what we would eat, her fine sense of cuisine already well developed thanks to the French
school system. Ellie clung to me not wanting to see us go but eventually agreed based on a
bribe of bonbons - not great parenting but it worked.
We arrived at Au Fil de l'Eau in Sainte-Foy-la-Grande feeling unusual and a little nervous.
It was so long since we had dined out together I wondered if we would have much to say.
A delicious bottle of Bergerac sauvignon blanc alongside our amuse-bouche or 'amusement
for the mouth', a delectable tiny asparagus soup, helped to loosen us up. I felt like I was on
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