A Walk In The Forest

We spent today wandering the woods (AGAIN) on a Randonee...a walk...a walk in the woods with 50-60 others, all in walking togs and walking sticks. It was raining a bit so the plan changed mid-stream to that of an extended drive thru the woods on narrow dirt roads and walks to coincide with specific features of the forest that the ranger wanted to educate us of. We had a foriestiere (forest ranger) that explained all the differing levels of tree re-growth in each section...each section being approximately 10 square miles! No we didn't walk ALL of them but some and sometimes for not a lot to see. But walk we did and talk we did, in halting baby French and better English as we have "hooked up" with a KREW of Brits who find us endearingly un-puritan. Off to here and there by car and stop and walk for a while to a site with cut wood, 1/2 sized oaks being grown for the barrel trade, mixed forest with 120 years to go before harvest and newly cut ones with HUGE 200 year old oaks on their sides, stripped of all limbs. Beautiful things. The French have been managing their forests since before Napoleon as they had spent several thousands of years using up much of the better stock of trees for ancient walls, forts and fortifications, castle interiors, furniture making and the building of bridges and roads. Now they are here, there and everywhere in all sizes and species...making money for the government as LITTLE of it is in private hands. So back in the car again to motor thru the woods one by one to Bommiers (Bow-me_yaA) to a lunch that lasted thru 5 courses starting at 1:30. Lots of wine too, a decent rose but a better red with good body, a fine nose and cherry and tobacco. Three hours later we exited to walk (stagger?) once again to a nearby (this time) church to gawk at the amazingly beautiful carved interior seating and hard oaken benches. The subject of the carving? The slaughter of the Catholics by the local Protestants. Ah, isn't religion wonderful...love your fellow man and slit his kindly neighbor's throat. The Wars of Religion and The Hundred Years War just happened last week the way they energetically explain it. It was a Complete Day...we are all exhausted, we have to pack for our Croatian Trip tomorrow but we will NOT need to eat or drink ANYTHING tonight! Croatia, Here we come!