We rented a house with Bex, Rob, Nic, Steve, Austin, Mom and us. The house was gorgeous - and of true Provence style. The couple who owned it lived right next door and had a beautiful golden retriever Tess who was more than happy to come around and visit in the morning and evening.
The first day we set out for a couple of vineyards where we were given tours of where they make and store the wine. It was interesting since we were expecting old dark and damp cellars but instead found ourselves in front of large stainless steel tanks - even the French are modernising their old ways. We got to try several types of wine at each vineyard and were taught the tricks of wine tasting (so now us amateurs can at least attempt to look a bit more wine savvy when required). After the wine tasting at the first vineyard we were seated to a wonderful lunch outside, where of course, we were served their house wines.
Day 2 took most of us to the gorgeous Four Seasons Resort where we played 18 holes of golf. Considering we hadn't played in absolute ages (and had only barely managed to get a hold of golf shoes before going) - I, in particular, was a bit worried about how the day would play out, literally. Hitting the ball off the ground and into the air, isn't so much a problem, in fact it often goes quite far. The trouble is, the ball seems to prefer taking a 30 degree direction to the right which inevitably means my ball ends up in the water (what is it about golf courses and water on the right) or woods. Thankfully we were playing a Texas Scramble where each team member must have three or four (depending on the size of the team) drives count. The best ball is always played from there, so for those of us whose balls tend to end up in the woods or water, it was a very good thing. CW didn't have too much of a problem though and played quite well! All in all, the golf, scenery, weather and company were all fantastic and we really enjoyed ourselves!
After a day of fresh air out on the golf course, we went home and freshened up for the event we all came for - Ian's birthday dinner. The dinner was held where most people were staying in a beautiful old mill they had restored into a hotel and restaurant. They kept most of the original features and added some unique ones to add to the ambiance of the place. My favourite was the old mill tools they had cemented into the ground in the entrance and the old wood beams everywhere.
Dinner was wonderful and followed by some very amusing speeches which practically had Ian in tears. It was definitely a nice sight to see him so happy and relaxed and enjoying himself - most often Ian is seen at home on the couch after a long day at work or sport doing more work. Dinner, toasts, venue and company again were all very enjoyable and made for a lovely evening.
The day after Ian's birthday dinner, we all went to the Stopps' new house for some Sunday brunch. It was quite a spread, complete with some fantastic French meats and cheeses and of course French wine.
After we were all well fed and satisfied we took advantage of their pool and great views to relax for the rest of the afternoon.
And finally, once everyone had gone home, Ian, Alex, Pat, Les, CW and I relaxed in front of a beautiful sunset which ended a perfect weekend of birthday celebrations. Thanks everyone for a fantastic weekend, and again Ian, happy 60th!
More pictures are on my website here (password 'fayence')
