Three Pines Or Bust: St. Remy

I had thought Sutton was possibly Three Pines. But Lynda, the owner of the B&B I'm staying at, said this morning that she heard that the fictional town of St. Remy was actually Sutton. Which solves a mystery for me because I couldn't figure out where St. Remy was. Most of the area towns mentioned in the books are real towns. She and I had a lovely chat comparing fact to fiction.

Staying at Gite Vert le Mont B&B. Very nice and comfortable. Lynda is very helpful and cooks a wonderful breakfast.

Today I had to cross the border into Vermont to check my voice mail, get gas, and call some friends. Good thing I did. I learned that my pet sitter has been in the hospital and my newly installed sod is dying in the heat wave. Of course, one of these things is quite a bit more dire than the other. Fortunately, neither is life threatening and all is well and all are being tended to appropriately, including the furry companions. But it was a bit more exciting side trip than I had expected. Filled up at the Pinnacle Peddler. Nice place in Richford, Vt.

Then I toodled around a few small towns in the area, looked in some shops, and realized I'd rather be sitting, relaxing, and reading a book in the shade. So made it back to Sutton (without getting lost and driving knowingly on unpaved roads as I so chose) without event. Though I do have to say that the area is filled with lots of great bistros and independent shops selling local products, both artistic and artisanal.

Back in Sutton, had a lovely lunch at Cafe Tintoretto. Salad with open-face melt of fresh sliced tomatoes topped with brie on fresh bread. Mmmmmm. Juice at Le Cafetier. Dinner at Tartin'izza - gazpacho soup and greek pizza. Delicious. Browsed around in the area shops and art galleries.

Before dinner, I went up to the trails at the base of the Sutton Mountain ski area. Lovely stream with deep pools perfect for swimming on the summer solstice. Could it be the Bella Bella? Perhaps. So fabulous.