Espiens, France 25-07-2009

I am running from our home in Espiens, Chateau de la Couture, to Montplasir.  I’ve been looking forward to this particular run for a long time. The road signs say it’s  7km from Espiens to Montplaisir, which is perfect for the ‘easy’ Saturday runs that precede the long Sunday runs on my schedule.  It’s hilly terrain past some magnificent Chateaux but on the whole it is more downhill than up.

Montplaisir is the place where I was married to Odile almost exactly 20 years ago. I guess we were technically married in a combination of the mayor’s office and the church in Lavardac but it was the 10-day party at Montplaisir that was the real deal.

It was my first trip to Europe.  It set the precedent bar very high.  I arrived only about a week before the wedding.  Day by day, more and more people from all parts of the world arrived until nearly every flat surface in the magnificent home was being used by someone as a makeshift bed or cot at night.

Each night was a discovery in how effortlessly my in-laws-to-be seemed able to put on an extraordinary feast.  Each night surpassed the previous not only in the quality of the food but also in the way the entire Papillaud family made the disparate international guest list feel as if they had known each other for years.  There was an almost medieval festival atmosphere enveloping the air.   The only thing missing, thankfully, were jugglers and fire breathers.

The festivities peaked with the wedding night and then very gracefully tapered off for another five days as various guests said their goodbyes and returned to whence they had come.  My father-in-law and his friend purpose built a free standing iron BBQ for the 5 day after-party on which they cooked mustard chicken, magret duck breast, sausage and more.  I still have that BBQ.  It is one of my most treasured possessions.  It has served my guests and me well for the past 20 years.

I have never felt so immediately comfortable and at home as I did when I first discovered Montplaisir.  I suppose its one of the many reasons I like coming back here whenever I can.  But this is the first time I have arrived by foot.

My brother Sean recommended one-way runs like this.  Now I understand what he meant.  The sense of arrival certainly beats the out and back loops that I have been running.

I also discovered that it’s 9.05km from Espiens to Montplaisir not 7km.