Marathons, Birthdays and all that Jazz!

Oops, this is REALLY late in being published. Didn't realize it was still in my "Drafts" folder but how could I move onto December when this happened in October!?!

In late October, we had the opportunity to spend a memorable Sunday up in one of our favorite regions in Provence. The Luberon, about an hours' drive north of Aix, is comprised of the Grand and Petite Luberon mountain ranges and the vast valley that spans between the two.

We had been invited to a winery, Chateau Estève de Néri, by the owners, Alex and Allan Wilson, to watch the Luberon Marathon being held that day. The race course went through the middle of the winery so the runners would pass through the winery not once but twice giving everyone ample opportunity to cheer them on!





We arrived mid-morning and spent most of the day watching and cheering for the runners, three of whom were friends: Jay Smith and Pat and Lindsey Pettyjohn. It was Lindsey's first marathon and she finished in under her desired time!





Sarah was thrilled to find her new good friend, Mallory, there with her family and sweet dog Reilly....

Onlookers were there not only to cheer on the racers, but to help pass out water, oranges slices, chocolate and red wine(I'm not kidding!) to the runners. Only in France would you see plastic cups of water AND wine set out on the refreshment table for the athletes! As spectators, we were able to sample all of their fantastic wines along with delicious warm, homemade pumpkin soup, grilled sausages and many other savory delights. All of this in a picturesque setting with the sweet sounds of a jazz player they had hired for the day. The fall day was glorious and crisp, my birthday in fact, Mom and Dave were also still here visiting...could it have gotten ANY better!?!