Of the 101 things I love about France.....

#95 would have to be gas stations. Lord knows in today's economy it's not because of the price of gas. I love gas stations in France because around here, you can buy alot more than fuel for your car.

Like tonight, the Duke just phoned me on his way home from work to say he'd just stopped at a station to buy some wild mushrooms.

The station up the road near Faugères has one of the best wine shops in the area, almost hidden behind the desk where the cashier sits. If it's any good, it's in this shop.

And most of the non-franchised stations you get along the rural routes are also where the freshest produce can be found in season- melons, peaches, asparagus, and this time of year, wild mushrooms.

Of course I do miss being able to pop into the 7-Eleven and come out with a slurpee the size of my head and some beef jerkey, but I guess a brown bag full of Ceps maybe the more sophisticated purchase.

I also like the station in the neighboring town of Roujan, where a sweet old couple, she's 90 if she's a day, comes out and insists on pumping the gas. Reminds me of South Dakota....