Condom City Blues: Wednesday, October 2nd!

A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It is a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity. -Jimmy Carter, 39th US President, Nobel laureate (b. 1924) 

Domaine de Gensac, Vin de Pays du Gers, Terre-A-Terre 2007, 14.5%, 100% Tannat

Woke up at just before 6:00 am and thought I'd catch another few winks. Next thing I knew it was 7:30 am and Peggster was knocking on our cabin door to tell us it was time to get ready for the market! 

After Flamin' brewed some strong java and everyone, (other than tea drinkers), had a shot we, (sans Sarge, he was suffering form a very, very heavy duty overhang aftr eklast night's unbridled maltage, or Desmond Tutu, he was suffering from severe legs cramps after yesterday's ride!), set off, up the hill, into the village. Lovely town, typical narrow, cobbled streets, colourful shutters, hanging baskets of flowers in full bloom, everything that we have come to enjoy so much in our time in France. Vendors were still setting up as we entered the town square, just off the cathedral so I wandered the nearbye streets while the gang had orange juice and/or café au lait at one of the corner bistros.

Around 9:00 am we started to do the rounds and while The Sisterhood was buying vegetables, I found a stall selling bright neon sunglasses so I picked out two different pairs, one to match my orange ensemble, much to The Fashion Police's dismay! After enduring the scornful hoots and hollers of my supposed friends, I drifted off to buy more of the fabulous Tannat that Flamin' and Desmond had scored after I left to cycle. (On Tuesday morning, around 10:00 am, Flamin', Des and I left the able crew of the Damazan to cycle to Condom. We arrived around 12:30 pm as it was slow going for Des, his first ride in years. After we scoped out moorage we enjoyed a delicious lunch, Salad Gersoise, Des's treat, at the Café du théâtre, just across the street from the Capitanerie where we would dock. Flamin' and Des had had enough riding for the day and they wanted to reconnoitre Condom and I wanted to try to log my first 100 km ride of the canal trip.). Picked up six bottles of this quite amazing wine, €71.25/€11.88/$16.64 btl with 5% discount for buying six, as well as a bottle of the Domaine de Gensac, 2011 Piaffer, a blend of Tannat, Merlot, Malbec, Syrah and Cabbage, 14%, €9.95/$13.93. Looking forward to tasting this winery's "meritage" with dinner tonight as we found the Tannat so spectacular! Continue to be astounded and more than delighted by the full-bodied, fruit forward wines we keep encountering.

Back to the barge for a frying pan full of overlefts, spécialité de Patrizzio, remainder of Moroccan chicken dish, used to sautée oniones and last night's kartofellage, than added seven cackleberries, a number of which were cracked and I had been instructed by Mr Fixit to use them, to make my own "Meritage!" After the well received concoctione, everyone went in different directions to run various errands for bits and pieces, groceries missed and needed, and just general holiday window shopping/exploring. I stayed aboard the Good Ship Lollypop to scribe, Cora Lee to sigh and mutter while she tried to book us two nights in Gay Paree, our last stop in France before catching the Eurostar for London on Thursday, October 17th.

When motley crew returns we will weigh anchor, cast off and make for Moncrabeau, only about 11 km north of Condom. We are now making our way towards Bordeaux, although we will not make it to this fables city, at least on this particular trip, canal barge or otherwise. Shiela and Des will fly out of the Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport this coming Tuesday to fly to Grenoble where they will visit friends for four days before returning to Edmonton.

Hi Peggster! Here is your house! Cheers, Patrizzio! 

When choosing the characters who were to become the heroes of his major Alexander Dumas' elected four personalities, who really existed but we must confess that he took some liberties with chronology.

ATHOS, earl of Frère (Armand de Sillègue d' Athos and Autebielle). He was the youngest son of a family based in Sauveterre de Béarn, on Oloron river.

PORTHOS, du vallon de Brarieux de Pierrefonds (his real name was Isaac de Porthou) was born in Pau in 1617. He also was the youngest son of a family, based in Sainte Lanne in Baretous near by Sainte Marie d’Oloron.

ARAMIS , (his real name was Henry d’Aramitz), he was a laical abbe in the village called Aramis, a few kilometres from Oloron Sainte Marie.

D’ARTAGNAN, was born in Lupiac (right in the middle of the area producing the Armagnac liquor) between 1609 and 1613 in the family castle called "Castelmore" (the exact date remains uncertain). Charles de Batz de Castelmore was also the last born son of the family. Exactly like the three previous fellows, fighting was his dedicated career. 

There is no chance in the fact that Alexandre Dumas, make them meet in sir de Tourville's lobby in Paris. The Three first cadets de Gascogne was already incorporated in the king's musketeers regiment, and Sir D'Artagnan was recently arrived in Paris. Their mother tongue, Occitan, was the same, their keen and ability to use a sword called "rapière", their taste for good food, good wines, and more specify for good Armagnac were the same. The reason was simple: they came exactly from the same region.

The one of these four fellow's birth places and the one of the three areas delimitating the Armagnac appellation, it become obvious, that the Three Musketeers were born and spent their life at the rhythm of wine growing, harvest, vinification, distilling and aging of Armagnac.The very place of birth of their chief, D'Artagnan is exactly located in the centre of the three Armagnac appellation areas. 

Marvin Angelo Mercado

First win of our curling carrers!

• Jordan Hamlyn Watch out Gushue!!!!
• 

  Patrick James Dunn Quite obvious that you are going to be a good son-in-law, perhaps you'll have a career as skip since you spell as well as Sarge!

  Dear Nana, This is Saffy, the grand-daughter I plan to kidnap for you!

  She looks great scoop her up Nana

  
  

  
Dear Mr Dunn:

We are contacting you regarding your booking request in Paris from the 15th to the 17th of October 2013 for 2 adults.

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