October 2026

An update from our farm...

It’s been a lovely September—still a few heatwaves, but nothing too serious for our vegetable garden. After the red kuri squash and zucchini blossoms, we’ve had sweet potatoes and beautiful heads of lettuce; the standard tomato plants didn't yield anything, but the cherry tomatoes went wild at the last minute.
I mentioned a family day out with one of Francette’s daughters. The itinerary included sunset meals on the terrace, a refined dinner blending Japanese and Auvergne influences in Châtel-Guyon, and—for the first time since 1967, I believe—an ascent of the Puy de Dôme. We took the *Panoramique des Dômes* funicular, which features facilities worthy of a world-class tourist attraction; it ranks second among French tourist trains (after the Mer de Glace line) and is one of the country's most popular attractions.

Every day from our terrace, we admire the beautiful alignment of the Puy de Dôme, Puy Pariou, and their neighboring peaks. We see hot-air balloons floating around them almost daily. What a surprise it was the other morning when a few of them passed—amidst the roar of their burners—just a few dozen meters above our garden.

A Pilgrimage to Procida:
To wrap up this month—spent mostly in Auvergne —we had the pleasure, a quarter of a century after my first two visits to the island of Procida in the Bay of Naples, of rediscovering the wonderful harbor of La Coricella. It remains almost unchanged and just as magnificent: an architectural marvel with pastel-hued buildings clinging to the cliffside of an ancient volcanic crater—a unique creation, half-carved into the rock and spared from the car and motorcycle traffic that blights so many beautiful destinations.

We also took the opportunity to stroll through the ruins of Pompeii (ah, how lovely the ruins of Pompeii are), though frankly, they are quite battered ! We just paid a brief visit to the ancient Forum... and the brothel (out of business for nearly 2,000 years).

I wish you a great October
Antoine