So I did it - I made it through he first week of harvest. And I can still stand up straight.
Here are some more notes on the week-
Day 4: I listened to wine fermenting last night, and wished I could have slept in the cellar. It’s rather like putting a conch shell to your ear; except it’s actually alive. I understand why people dedicate their whole lives to this. Still don’t know if I could do it, but I get it. It’s amazing to be part of this process.
Day 5: I think I can, I think I can… if I can get through today, I get to rest my weary bones! It took most of the week, but I’m finally more or less used to this. I must say this is one of the first instances I’ve come across where being tall is such a disadvantage. Well, this and airplane travel. After surviving the first 4 days, I now feel like I’m in better shape than I’ve been in years. Of course, after all this is over I’m going to eat my way through Italy, so we’ll see what happens.
Le weekend est arriveè!
How novel to sleep past 7. Little did I know, arriving here, that I would actually get the weekend off - I thought we worked straight through until all the vines were done. All work and no play makes Aaron a dull boy… last night I fell asleep (several times) during France’s smashing victory against Ireland in the Rugby World Cup. Imagine that. Of course it was a little difficult to understand the rules of a game I have never played or seen before when they are explained to me in French… and Pastis is not exactly known to keep one awake. Yummy, though.
I am excited to actually get to see some of Provence - we’re going to the beach today. Allez! A dose of the Mediterranean will be lovely, and maybe I’ll get to even out my farmer’s tan a little bit. Tomorrow I look forward to a taking a photographic tour of the vineyards we’ve been working; it’s a little hard to stop picking to take photos and not feel like the stupid American tourist. As it is, I’m a little behind the speed curve. I am determined, however, to somehow get a picture of me in the act. Someday (hopefully while I’m still here) I’ll manage to get my own computer online again so that I can share the pics with you.
Time for what smells like it’s going to be another spectacular Trevallon lunch. Which somehow reminds me that today is Yom Kippur…. oops. No, I’m not fasting this year.