Under France: Hunting Truffles and More

The interlude in Provence and the Cote d’Azur over the new year holidays, was bright and refreshing, to be sure. Like a brand new bee, I was buzzing among sexy flowers in Aix-En-Provence, with its lively streets, come-hither retail, and faces in the facades.

A highlight was lunch with one of my online idols, Simone Bernard, whose Fleaing France you must check out for her exquisite eye for vintage French style.

In more good fortune, Avignon on New Year’s Day was barely populated, affording the chance to look closely at the famous Pont d’Avignon and Palais des Papes, without a bunch of strange strangers photoboming my photos!

Nice was nice (am I the millionth person to say that?). The saturated colors, Mediterranean cuisine, and the broad accent delivered in a loud voice, was like mainlining vitamin D. Serendipity introduced me to a photographer and a filmmaker, who actually make their livings pursuing creative passion. Inspiration is everywhere.

After all the excitement, though, I’m really glad to be home in the Dordogne. The weather is grey and damp, making it nice to be inside my medieval stone house. Except for one thing. This is truffle season. I smell adventure.

I 'm so curious to learn more about this fungus, the black diamond of Perigord (an older name for this part of France) that fetches around € 1000 per kilo. Accompanying truffle hunters and their trained dogs, visiting the wholesale markets to observe how the cash business takes place, and sniffing and tasting what so many gourmands around the world find irresistable: This is the place, and this is the time, to get outside and learn.

Which makes me excited for the rest of 2016, too. I’m practically giddy, and distracted by the Kings’ cakes filling the boulangerie shelves, but I’m making plans to manage my time and energy. Really? Really, because days are precious, and there is so much to see and learn. Like everyone else, I’m setting up my calendars, organizing my papers, and prioritizing what’s important to me. In 2016, it’s not about what NOT to do (there are, after all several hundred kinds of cheese in France, that I haven't tried yet), it’s about how to do the things I want, well and often.

So, this year, in the southwest triangle of my new country, I'll meet the people who create the culture here. There are experts, aficionados, practitioners, and other passionate people all around me, all with stories to tell.

This is the year to hunt and find the France right under my nose, and share experiences with you, as we travel together.

Happy New Year from southwest France. We're headed out the door now.

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