Réunion

It was the early 2000s and we were living in San Francisco when we first heard of Uzès. Our close friend Mark from Louisiana had invested in a duché in France and was about to undertake a renovation. No, not the actual Duke’s residence, but directly opposite. It was the top floor of a building with magnificent views of architecture from the Middle Ages through modern times - all within the historic town centre of a gem about 25 kilometers from Nîmes.

A plan was hatched to one day experience the magic that is Uzès. Bringing our mutual friend Lisa into the conversation on another San Francisco visit, we thought by the next summer or so we’d be strolling cobblestone streets, smelling fresh pastries and rummaging through local markets as only the French know how. Little did we know that a diversion in the form of a move around the globe would derail that dream . . . or just put it on hold for over 15 years.

Lisa and her wife Katerina would meet us in Paris for a whirlwind tour and then the four of us would train to Nîmes for our date with history. The plan was set. Paris in the fall, a room with a view of a Duke’s residence and a réunion of friends. C’est bon.

In Paris, we were guerrilla tourists - nothing planned but we pushed ourselves to see as much as jet lag allowed. The big hitters including walks along (and a boat ride on) the Seine, close up views of repair work on Notre-Dame, the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur and Montmartre, and as much bread and cheese as we could find, kept us nonstop for the two days.

The highlight though, even more than the sights of the City of Light, was a post boat ride stop near the Marais where a jazz band played along the Seine and we sipped wine, nibbled food and laughed through conversation continuing on into the night ... just 2 old married couples catching up in Paris. ;-)

After a mid-morning TGV from Paris, followed by a quick tour around Nîmes, Mark shuttled us on to Uzès. The footprint of the property we were staying in had expanded since Mark and his friend Robert invested in the top floor. Robert, who is an expert in Louisiana and French antiques, has acquired the other two floors and filled them with beautiful finds from the region. Around every turn was some new object to admire. When we settled into our “room with a view” there was instant relaxation. The light was impeccable, and the energy calm and soothing. This was the perfect transition from our romp through Paris and a warm welcome living up to everything Mark had described through the years.

You get lost in that travel mode when strolling around with new and old friends, and we did loads of that. Food stops -- especially samplings from La Fougasse d'Uzès -- lunches, dinners, markets, parks, coffee and wine made up our routine for the 3+ days. It was easy to fall into a rhythm of morning coffee, a look/see walk, afternoon nap and dinner with wine. Throw in a shopping spree at an antique or flea market and you can imagine how you’d spend a summer embracing life in the Gard region.

We did manage to find time to see the Pont du Gard, a marvel of ancient architecture from the 1st century AD. This limestone aqueduct supplied the entire city of Nimes and truly is a masterpiece worth seeing – both from afar and up close from the adjacent bridge where details of construction are revealed. A ruin – we were in our element.

The local weekend market in the town centre is a visual feast of fresh produce, artisan products and beautiful people from around the globe. We settled on the makings for an impressive dinner produced by chef Mark. All six of us lingered for hours in grand French style overlooking the beautiful night sky, and perfectly lit stone patterns of this medieval masterpiece named Uzès. It was hard to believe our long-awaited French reunion had lasted only 3 days – time slowed as it does with lifelong friends.