there are craggy dark misshapen almond trees along country roads and fencerows here, and they look intimidatingly spiky and black. even the outer shells of the almonds are black and forbidding. but then you remove the outer shell, and the inner shell is a warm, speckled golden, and then you crack the inner shell and the almond itself is sweet and delicious. the people here are much the same. a little crusty. and sweet at the core.

almond branch and almonds

autignac, languedoc, france