Francois

That’s Francis in French, pronounced france-WAH.  He’s from Quebec, came here to taste and select pinot noir wine for stores back home.  He flew into Portland from Montreal, bought a bike and camping gear and has been biking to various wineries.  There are plenty of area wineries to check out, maybe 30 or more within a few miles of Champoeg.  He’s going to attend the international pinot noir conference in McMinnville in a few days.

Francois returning from a hard day at the 'office'

We bumped into F at the park entrance building 4 days ago.  He was trying to get a hiker/biker campsite but couldn’t due to park restrictions.  Stays in those sites are limited to 3 days, then you must leave the park for 3 days before returning; he had already been here 3 days.  We think the rule exists to discourage homeless people from settling in for long periods.  So, we told F that he could pitch his tent at our campsite, no charge, and he gladly accepted.

L to R: Ron, Holly, Francois, moi, Trish.  

Ron and Holly, Trish's long-term friends, are camping nearby.

Francois joined us for dinner the last 3 nights, and generously shared his bottles of nice pinot noir with us each time.  He’s an interesting and enjoyable fellow, 32 years old, hopes to become one of the head wine buyers for his province some day.  This trip is a step toward that goal, building up his wine expertise and credentials; Willamette Valley pinot noir is popular everywhere it seems, and Quebec is no exception. 

It's 5 o'clock somewhere.  Ron and Holly on the far right, followed by Francois, Artie, Trish, Ranger, Emily (R/H's daughter) and John, Emily's husband.  John, Emily and their daughter Margaret drove out from Portland and joined us for dinner last night.