Our trip continued with another leisurely drive through the French countryside, this time to the West coast, northwest of Bordeaux, to Domaine de la Salle in the Champagne farm area. Mariam and Jono purchased their estate a number of years ago and have spent the last few years renovating it and making it their home. It has tall ceilings, large windows, a large country kitchen and dining room and garden wilding surrounding it.
Mariam is not only an accomplished fashion designer but also a fantastic cook. This long weekend we were lavished with french and middle eastern cooking, farm fresh eggs, bread from the local bakery, berries from the garden, and teas, coffees and French wine. Many of the mornings, the weather was cool enough to sit out under the tree listening to the birds and the water fountain bubbling behind us.
Visits to the town market in Rochefore and antique markets in Sainte were excursions taken to see the area and local folk. Long leisurely walks through the tree-lined road and fields helped one feel refreshed after the plentiful meals. One of my favorite events was sitting around the kitchen table listening to Mariam's vintage music playlist as we cracked walnuts from a large basket that had dried for the past year. The walnuts were then used in the pomegranate walnut sauce drizzled over the chicken and served with saffron rice and french green beans.
Mariam & Jono were wonderful to converse with as they showed us their 11-bedroom home, barns, fields, and future renovation ideas. Jono has a penchant for restoring old cars with a couple already in his barn awaiting attention. Learning about and feeding the chickens behind the barns was another country delight.
Want to learn more or book a stay? Visit their website at https://www.domainedelasalle.fr/ or contact Mariam directly via email at mariam.alaccad@domainedelasalle.fr.
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