Another lovely day in Paradise

How do I get to be so lucky? After a few murky looking days, today looks like being a stunner. Although there is an early morning nip in the air it is just wonderful being in the vineyards with the dogs at 6.30am. I have the best of starts to the day. I bundle the dogs silently into the van then drive a few hundred metres into the village. A quick nip into the baker's and the grocer's sees me with a basket laden with melons, apricots and pears, two baguettes, a pain de seigle, two noix de pecan, an almond croissant and five butter croissants for the guests' breakfast.

Back into the van and a 500m drive into the vineyards on top of a hill where I park under a huge old fig tree. A vineyard worker's van is already there - they start work early here. I put luminous collars on the dogs (so I can see them more easily in the vines) and let them out to run. I haul my bike from the van, pump up the tyres for the umpteenth time this week and head off for a twenty minute pedal through the vines. I have a 360 degree view and this morning it was so clear I could see the Pyrenees which are a good two hour drive from here. For once the dogs were perfectly behaved - Flynn the husky didn't go walkabout. Dogs back in the van, a quick drive home and then to lay out the breakfast and wait for guests to lift their refreshed heads from dented pillows. Lucky me eh?