14 years old, a French boy with no English, I was on the train, by myself, from Paris to Canterbury, England.
My mission? To go and visit Barbara, the French/British girl I was enthralled with, who was away from Paris for the whole summer ~ way too long for my taste. What’s a romantic French boy to do? I was pretty independent at a young age, after all the trip required that I take a train to Northern France, a hover craft over the English Channel and then a bus to Canterbury. My father was quick to recognize the importance of my following my heart and was not about to stand in the way of young romance. It was an early experience of travel adventure.
Alas, It was to be a short-lived romance. Nonetheless, Barbara was my first kiss, as I was hers.
Fast forward multiple decades, forty five years to be exact. We have not seen each other since I left France at age 15.
And now, Peta and I are in the South of France, and have rented a car and are on our way to visit Barbara. A few years back, she and Corinne reached out on social media but other than that, we have had no contact.
It is due time for a reunion!
It is a short yet scenic 1.5 hour drive from Toulouse to Brugairolles, in the region of Limoux.
As we drive through the wide open French countryside, we see the snow capped Pyrenees on the horizon, which is the historic and natural frontier with Spain.
A patchwork of bright yellow rapeseed oil flowers has us feeling as though we are inside a Van Gogh painting. We see splashes of bright yellow fields everywhere brightening up an already beautiful countryside.
One of the great joys of road trips in France is that there are always opportunities to stop and buy whatever the local produce or specialty is. A sign for organic fresh “asperges” (asparagus), “artichaux” (artichokes) and “fraises” (strawberries) on the side of the road has us screech to a halt.
The sweetest strawberries EVER! These never make it to Barbara’s house. We taste them and then can not stop eating them, lo and behold, they are all gone!
It would be customary to bring flowers to a hosting friend, but we bring a bouquet of artichokes instead.
The countryside we drive through is mostly farmland and vineyards.
We arrive in the tiny village of Brugairolles near Barbara’s home. The village consists of a couple of winding quaint streets, a small church, with vistas of the surrounding fields and vineyards everywhere. We are almost there… Exciting!
Barbara welcomes us to her glorious French countryside home. We have seen earlier photos of the original state of the house when she and her husband Tim bought it, but nothing since, and are totally amazed by the incredible restoration work that they have had done, transforming a neglected large house into a beautiful estate.
The house is surrounded by lawn and large trees, making for a peaceful and luxurious countryside setting.
The summer months in the South of France can be quite hot and a pool provides welcome relief from the heat.
How does one start to “catch up” on 45 years gone by? Slowly… Barbara is a natural story teller and we are treated to vignettes of her life starting in a rough Northern suburb of Paris, to meeting her husband Tim at age 15 and the subsequent adventures of a richly lived life.
As we sit outside under the trees in the fresh countryside air, time stands still as we piece together the ups and downs from years gone by. Their lives, our lives… It turns out that Peta and Barbara have an unexpected level of overlap with their years in Africa.
Barbara and Tim spent the early years of their marriage living and working in several African countries. First in Kenya, managing a flower farm business, then in Ethiopia and finally in Zimbabwe. Barbara has an ability to jump in and out of a mix of French, British and African cultures (she even speaks Swahili) …
It is a funny thing that when I knew Barbara, I knew her as French girl and we had never spoken English to each other. She is half British but I did not speak English before the age of 15. So it is very different to now switch to mostly English as adults and to hear Barbara and Peta go into South African slang together. (“Ja ach, shame man”)
Barb is warm and welcoming and generous with her time. We spend hours sitting in her huge but cosy kitchen, eating her delicious cooking, having tea, telling stories.
Peta and Barbara have an instant connection as if THEY are old friends too! It’s hard for me to get a word in…
The house retains the original “carrelage” (floor tiles) throughout. The dining area being the most unique and colorful.
Barbara has created a beautiful spacious combination kitchen and dining room. A large gorgeous wooden farm table is in the center of the kitchen. But really as you can see, it looks like a dining room, with a sofa, more than a kitchen, yet functions as both. What a grand idea!
Barbara and Peta. New found friends, but behaving like they have known each other for years.
Barbara loves to cook and she effortlessly whips together a white asparagus risotto for dinner one evening, which is absolutely delicious!
A stroll through the quaint village on day 2, before heading to see the vineyards.
Tim’s background as a horticulturist and farm manager prepared him well to take on the challenge to transform fields of sunflowers into their dream of creating their own vineyard. Their focus on organic wine is unique in the region. This is their main vineyard which supplies the organic grapes for the winemaking, at the cream colored winery at the end of the road.
Peta: “Looking quite like the cutest couple” 🙂
Some connections are instant and meaningful. Peta and Barbara = kindred spirits, grounded in their respective African experiences.
We get a private, fascinating tour of their life’s work: Gayda Wineries. The wines have won awards for their new world quality and are sold in France and globally in over 40 countries. Super impressive operation! We love these large wooden barrels and the subtle sweet smell of wine that permeates the facilities.
The labelling on the wine bottles varies from traditional to very colorful and unusual. Barbara’s flair for design and marketing is very evident.
These crates of wine are destined for our neighbor, India.
Barbara and Tim also built a restaurant above the wine making facility to show-case their wines. The restaurant has a 360 degree view, here facing the vineyards, the countryside and in the far distance you can see the snowcapped Pyrenees mountains, the border with Spain.
Taking in the magnificent view and the fresh air on the patio of the restaurant. We have been coming to France (mostly Paris) for years now and finally we make it to Barbara and Tim’s vineyard! Peta and I have started and run two businesses together, so we really appreciate the massive undertaking and the hard work it must have taken to make their vision and dream into a reality.
It’s hard to capture the beauty of this vista in a photograph. Glorious!
We thoroughly enjoy hearing the stories of the wine business start up and growth, while we are walking through the vineyards.
In addition to the main business, i.e the winery, Barbara and Tim also built/refurbished a set of farm buildings which are used as a wedding destination or to entertain wine customers, restaurants, distributors, coming to see the vineyards.
The region of Aude is a combination of soft rolling hills, yellow and green fields, with the occasional farm house dotted here and there.
We take a short drive to Limoux, the closest town with all the basic amenities such as a boulangerie, bank, market etc. A beautiful example of the style of French architecture in this region.
The town Limoux is but fifteen minutes away from their tiny village of Brugairolles, and we enjoy a stroll alongside the river which bisects the town.
We were disappointed to not have the opportunity to meet Tim, who is away on business. But we have had Barbara all to ourselves for two days and that has been just awesome.
Before we get back on the road, heading towards Northern Spain, Barbara has some good tips on where to stop along the way and where to find the best soupe de poissons (fish soup), in Biarritz, our next destination.
Thank you, Barbara ~ until next time! A tres bientot! xoxo
What a lovely story, Ben! It’s wonderful to read of your sweet memories of your first love, and your reunion as friends so many years later. It’s good to keep those heart connections. Peta and Barbara do seem to be kindred spirits. I laughed when you said you couldn’t get a word in…
Laurel, I don’t usually have a good memory, but it seems that first love is something one remembers well. One never knows how ones spouse might take to an old friend, it was so nice that Peta and Barbara felt so instantly comfortable with each other. Fun to create new memories…
Ben
How wonderful to meet an old friend, and discover that you are still such good friends. And have it all wrapped in a vineyard!
Haha that pretty much sums it up. I like how you worded that “wrapped in a vineyard” was a really extra treat!
Ben
What a wonderful reunion. I’d take a bunch of artichokes any day!
Fresh steamed artichokes were one of the food highlights of our trip, as were fresh white asparagus… But Barbaras lentil curry and risotto were unexpected culinary highlights of our trip to Southern France.
Peta
What a lovely story! Great friendship and a vineyard tour too – fabulous.
Thanks Annabel, so glad you enjoyed this post.
Ben
I have a similar experience last summer, reconnecting with a man I hadn’t seen in 40 years, hitting it off immediately with him and his wife, and they even both loved Aaron. All courtesy of Facebook. Say what you will about social media, it makes amazing things possible. Thanks for the great story.
It is true that long lost childhood friends resurfacing after several decades have a particular quality about them. Something about the intensity of childhood friends and the connection that was made, makes them endure over time, no matter how long.
Peta has reconnected with many childhood friends via facebook, although I myself do not use it, I do see the value.
Ben
Oh my goodness, what a wonderful reunion Ben! The south of France is such a gorgeous are to spend time in, to do so with a long lost friend & witness the connection between Barbara & Peta, well that is just magical!
Thanks Lynn. When most people hear the “South of France” they think of the glitzy Monaco, Nice, Cannes area. I have been there several times and frankly it is not my cup of tea. The South West of France, is much more interesting to me as it is way less crowded, and more authentic. The whole region from Carcassonne, Sete and Avignon was always a favorite… before this trip. Now I am adding the region of Limoux to that list.
Ben
I agree Ben. We stayed in Isle sur la Sorgue when we visited, not far from Avignon. Stunning!
How romantic! I think you still have the spirit of that 14-year-old
Sure hope so Johnny! No kiss this time though, just hugs. 🙂
Ben
Here’s to happy meetings and old friends. What a lovely time you had. I love that last building with the blue doors. Such a nice style of architecture. 🙂
Thanks Johanna, oh yes, I had multiple cases of falling in love with jewels of rustic yet charmingly restored farm buildings. The whole region is chockful of such beauties.
Ben
What a wonderful reunion! When people whine about the ugly aspects of social media, and I agree there are some, I speak of the incredible rediscoveries of friends and family from sometimes decades ago. This is such an example that can’t help but warm one’s heart at the reading of it.Such a magnificent setting. I feel my wanderlust for France flaring up!
Sue, yes, not only was it a wonderful reunion for Ben and introduction for me, but the setting was just magical.The house, the landscape, the vineyards. It was memorable.
Peta
This is such a wonderful story! What a thrill that must have been to meet up again with your first flame after so many years. It is amazing to me how our memories of first love/teenage years remain so intense. Good to hear that Barbara and Peta hit it off so well. And what a glorious place.
Caroline, glad you enjoyed this post. “Flame” aspect set apart, Barbara was a good friend during formative years and it was really wonderful to reconnect both with Barbara and Corinne. Now that we have reconnected hopefully we will get together again in the not too distant future.
Ben
Being a storyteller, I just love this. From the very beginning you led us with that young boy on to find his love and his first kiss. Years later they are reunited, both with their own true loves and yet friendship blooms amongst them all. Intersperse this with amazing tales of travel and creation of businesses and beautiful homes, and the story becomes exquisite. ❤️
Pam this is compliment indeed. Thank you for appreciating and commenting on the story telling dimension. We skipped many fascinating details of Barbara’s exotic life in Africa. If ever I have heard of a life that screams to be told in writing and on film, it would be hers. Perhaps one day, when her globe trotting scales back a bit, she will put pen to paper and regale us all (before her life is picked up and made into a French block buster movie).
Ben
What an extraordinary comment on you, Ben, and Barbara that the time between your two lives has not sharpened the differences between you but softened the paths by which you traveled to see each other again. A really lovely and hopeful story. It is a pleasure to see the beautiful vineyard Barbara and Tim built. Something tells me this was only the first of many reunions to come.
What I’ve learned about you and Peta through your blog, it doesn’t surprise me that a new friendship burgeoned between your first romance and your current one.
Shari that is such a lovely worded comment that I read it aloud a few times over. You are right about future reunions as we are already thinking about how and when to make that happen. More typically, older friendships can be a bit insular and the new third party, can feel excluded. Or, one can reunite and not have much in common. Quite to the contrary on both fronts, we both look forward to repeated visits with Barbara in the future and look forward to meeting her husband Tim.
Ben
I love how the past and present are woven together here, Ben. What a truly French experience: the delightful countryside, the fresh produce, the vineyard, and the reunion. Life has a way of circling around. This beautiful story made my morning. Thank you.
Thanks J.D. Life does have a way of circling around and it is so sweet when it does. So glad you enjoyed this post so much!
Ben
I enjoyed reading about your reunion and the instant rapport between Barbara and Peta. What a gorgeous home she and Tim have and it was wonderful that you could meet up with your first crush after all the years that have passed since that kiss. Lovely photos and my mouth was watering at the mention of the white asparagus risotto. 🙂
Sylvia thanks for your lovely comments. You sum it up all very aptly. Barbara’s food was delicious and her ease in the kitchen and hosting us, is enviable. (She also made a delicious lentil stew the night before. YUM!) Reconnecting was incredible and then the fact that there was instant rapport between Barbara and Peta, was not surprising but such a pleasure.
Ben
I wasn’t sure how this story would work out, but I’m happy to hear it’s a happy one. 🙂 All that fresh local French produce is making me long for those long drives in Provence when I too would gorge myself on all the strawberries I could get purchase.
Those strawberries were the sweetest strawberries I have ever tasted! I was happy too that they were organic! Just thinking of them makes my mouth water.
Peta
Thank god I did get a notice of your latest post (after this one) as I could not have stood missing this story! The road back to Barbara was such a sweet one, and the destination – both her and her fabulous operation – could not have been more fulfilling. It’s a compliment to all involved that Peta and she hit it off, and it was so heartwarming that Barbara and Ben could pick up where they left off decades ago. Not all of our childhood friends and acquaintances pursue lives that resonate with us years later, so when they do, it’s such a glorious find.
“The road back to Barbara was such a sweet one” yes indeed! Well said. Thankfully, Peta does a better job with social media (facebook, instagram) and that allows her to stay in touch with lots of people, whereas I tend to go quiet for a long time, and resurface after years, continuing the friendships where we left off. Without Peta’s ongoing dialogue with Barbara (since Barbara reached out a couple of years back), we likely wouldn’t have made the trip. I am so glad she did as the reunion with Barbara was sweet indeed. I’m counting on Peta continuing the dialogue until the next time we meet in person again!
Ben
Beautiful post.. I love rural France. And what an amazing reunion, and a new friendship made! It’s true that some people you can know for years and never feel any real connection, and others you bond with instantly.
Thanks Dee, this reunion was really special and the fact that it had such a superb setting, well that was just “the icing on the cake”!
Peta
How awesome to reconnect with a ‘first love’ and find such a wonderful friend (and kindred spirit for Peta too). Actually, as I read through the post I was thinking “I want to hang out with Barbara :-). What a wonderful visit. Sorry that you didn’t get to meet Tim this trip but my guess is that you will all connect sometime again in the future.
This was a lovely trip down memory lane. We lived in the nearby Ariège, and often came walking in this part of the Aude with our French friends.I hope you will get the chance to revisit.
Margaret, oh how fun that you have been to this region of France and that it brought back good memories. We will definitely be back, sooner rather than later.
Peta