Our plan for Thursday was to take a trip to Vichy. But the weather had changed once again and it was a stunningly beautiful day – warm, blue skies with fluffy white clouds, and abundant sunshine – so we decided to stay at home in the morning, go to a little village called Suin for lunch, then return home to enjoy the rest of the day. In the morning I sat outside in the shade of some trees and worked on my blog post. Margaret and Ken were accomplishing various tasks outdoors. At around 1:00 we got into the car and headed to Suin. The countryside that we drove through was even more gorgeous than what we saw the day before! When we arrived at Suin, we drove up and up and up and up and up to the Butte de Suin and settled into a table at a restaurant that felt as if it were perched at the top of the world.

In looking back on our lunch that day we believe that fate gifted us with a most amazing serendipitous, miraculous experience. An overstatement? Not to us. But I probably won’t be able to do it justice. The two owners, a husband and wife, waited on us. She was very quiet, but he was the opposite – outgoing, talkative, and funny. We ordered a delicious wine – a Givry Burgundy. Our meal began with a salad with bacon and warm goat cheese on slices of bread. We all had the same everything: the main course was duck a l’orange with frites, then a cheese plate with 5 different cheeses of varying mild and strong flavors, then a home made chocolate cake (rather like a brownie) with raspberry sorbet. We topped it off with espresso.

So, you may ask, what was so miraculous about that? First, I hope the photos show you the breathtaking view from our table outside on the veranda. Add to that, the amazing weather and gorgeous sky and clouds. Then, the old architecture all around us. Our waiter/owner spent lots of time talking with us, telling us stories and jokes. But the best part was when he went inside the restaurant and began playing the piano – he was very, very good. We nearly went wild when he played “A Whiter Shade of Pale” by … hmmmm how do you spell it? Procol Harum – I’m sure you all know who I mean and are familiar with this tune. Close your eyes a minute and imagine it all together: a live music performance, perfect weather, astounding view, delicious food, excellent wine…surely this was Butte de Heaven!

And then, to top it off, Margaret and I got down to work. Our second practice run. Take a look at the baggies of materials we brought with us and what we created in 15 minutes.

After that we visited the church across from the restaurant and walked around the grounds – a park, with picnic tables and swings and a small look out tower – well, it’s all in the photos – the views are indescribable, and I hope the photos show you them better than any words I could put together.

When we returned home we all went our separate ways. I was so very full of all the input from that outing that my head was spinning. To relax my mind, I went into the studio and did another small collage, then began working on a Moleskine book with paint and drawing and collage. I realized how much I need to put my mind into the place it goes when I make visual art in order to allow it to settle and find peace.

We skipped dinner that evening and went to bed early. We were FULL!!