Herb soup

I get really excited when soup time comes round again. There is nothing like a good soup recipe, flavours you would never try to mix in any other dish, can shamelessly be blended in a pot and then there is the feeling of cosiness, steamy windows, and the smell all telling you it is time to relax, shoo the stress away: contentment.
He and I went walking in a gorgeous small valley, my dad tells me that I had been skiing there when I was 6, needless to say that I have no recollection of that time, and I better hurry up telling you about this time before I forget. Hunched against the Italian border is "la Clarée". It is said to be the most beautiful valley in France, and you know what I think it is.

Once a year the inhabitants organise a party in memory of Emilie Carles: school-teacher, political activist, writer she attracted the attention of the rest of France to the plight of her beautiful valley and the disappearance of the rural world. The power of passionate words worked and the valley seems alive today and moreover preserved. The name of the party : Fête de la Soupe aux herbes sauvages, people pick herbs, make a delicious soup.

In September the herbs would have been different of that of the party in June, I did not dare pocking too much as I was told in no uncertain term: this soup is made out of "seasonal herbs", so instead I made up my own picking ideas from here and there.

Herb Soup

Ingredients:
chives 1 tbs
parsley 50 gm
coriander 50 gm
dill 50 gm
spinach leaves 100 gm
5 spring onions
1 small lettuce
½ tub of cream cheese
1 potato peeled
1 pint of water
bouillon such as Marigold
butter

Method:

Melt the butter in a saucepan,
add the spring onions, and the potato cook for 10 minutes
add the herbs and sweat them for a minute, too long and they might “disintegrate”
Add the stock, bring to boil and cook for 10 minutes
Liquidise adding the stock as you do so, to get the right level of thickness,
pour in the saucepan again and add creamed cheese or cream

And to finish can somebody tell me; "What is the difference between an herb and a spice?"

photo from http://www.collectifclaree.com/actu.html