View from the plane window, as we approach Lyon

It's Saturday, June 28, and our plane arrives in Lyon. Tired, but excited, we 6 Americans spend some time looking, in the crowded airport, for the people who will pick us up, since we don't know who they are, or what they look like, and we speak no French. When we did finally did find each other, it turns out they speak no English. Using gestures to communicate, we walked about a mile to their two very small cars, and managed (by some miracle) to stuff in all the luggage and people.
The drive from the airport to Hermitage was enough to convince me I'd reached artists' heaven. The fields of dried grasses, which at home would be a tan color, looked like gold, just the way Van Gogh and Monet painted them! All the buildings were a creamy stucco with terra cotta tile roofs. No gaudy advertising! Orchards, with mountains beyond... Ah, paradise!

Finally, in Tain l'Hermitage, we each went to the homes of our respective host families. My French hosts were a couple, about my age, and to my amazement, and great relief, Jean Paul spoke fluent English!


Here are Raymonde and Jean Paul, with whom I stayed.

Next door, another couple, Annie and Bernard, were hosting Bob Sako, another American artist. We sometimes had meals together, and they shared driving. I should mention here that Jean Paul is a chef, who teaches in a culinary school, and Bernard has a hobby of baking bread in his outdoor oven (No, I didn't make this up!) So, the meals with these families were fantastic!


back row: Annie, Raymonde
front: Jean Paul, me, Bob Sako 


Bernard

This first night we had a pizza, baked in Bernard's oven, and lots of wine...