In August, Paris is a ghost town. My favorite rôtisserie and boulangerie on Rue Mouffetard have boarded their doors, soon to be joined by many other restauranteurs and shop owners. The Place Monge market has become more and more sparse with shoppers and vendors. Everyone is leaving for les vacances, so I figured I probably should too.
But my vacation won’t be sipping cocktails on the edge of the Mediterranean, though I truly hope there is some of that in my near future. As I write this, I’m procrastinating packing for a two-week workstay* at a vineyard in the Franche-Comté region of France. I’m still not exactly sure what I’ll be doing beyond helping with and learning about wine production—it’s not yet time for les vendanges (the grape harvest)—but I’m hoping it will be an eye-opening experience into the world of natural and organic wines. Of course, I’ll be frantically writing it all down and taking pictures of everything!
I’ve also heard there are good hiking paths in the area, and Dijon isn’t far from where I will be staying, so with any luck there is lots of mustard in my future once again. And even though it may not be tanning on a beach somewhere (or in my case, burning in a park), it’s always good to take a break from the city every once and a while—if only for the fresh air. ♦
*I found the vineyard through WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms), which several of my friends have done in Europe and enjoyed. I’ve also been on the hunt for a boulanger I can work with in the fall!
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