Sunday 6 June - Saturday 12 June
On Sunday the weather was overcast but no precipitation was expected so after lunch we went for a walk. Chose to go along the side of the hill towards Fontès and back through the vineyards on the plain because of my housemaid's knee (which started just before we left the UK) just in case. When we got back, Delia discovered something had got into her boot that was a little more disconcerting than a stone:
On Monday we stayed in mostly, because Delia was going to see whether the reading group was going to happen. Nice hot day. Delia went to the library to see Bérénice, joined the library again and got some books out. But the reading group is next week, even though it's normally on the 1st Monday. Time will doubtless clarify this. I put some screws in the kitchen drawer to stop the cutlery getting underneath the dividers. Salade, Merguez sausages & apple or apricot tart for dinner. Then we went for a walk up to the crossroads, along the road towards Vailhan and down past the mine shaft.
Tuesday was a miserable day generally, raining a lot of the time even if getting gradually better. It was cold enough to be fully dressed in the house, even in the top room. Delia to French lesson chez Sheila in Avenue de Caux at 4:15 pm. Wednesday was the same, another day with miserable weather with more forecast to come! So we stayed in and read books. And the forecast was correct because on Thursday it was raining again. Read books, and tried a cold flannel from freezer on my knee. It doesn't hurt, just looks a bit strange having such a knobbly knee. Then went for a walk mostly on the flat, Caylus Road, water mill, Caux road, the lotissement. Skyped Mum, she has water retention in her legs and the heart nurse told her to take 3 water tablets. But she thought thery weren't doing anything so has gone back to 2! Tried Skyping sister Christine as she was showing as on line, no reply, but did Skype Maurnreen successfully this time.
The day started better on Friday and we thought we'd go to Auberge du Presbytère at Vailhan for lunch, without booking. This time they were open and had room. The presentation was superb, especially starters and puddings. The main course was a bit meat-heavy for us and my (Roger's) pig was a bit too rare for my taste. But there was a mis-en-bouche, an avant-dessert and home made biscuits with the coffee.
After that (Delia driving because I'd had an apero and wine) we went to Pézenas (it was raining by then) to get a knee support for me and have a mooch around the arty-farty shops for something for the house to buy with our gift from Rothwell church. Then to the Intermarché for some shopping and home. Dinner was a Delia "Salade Campagnade" as we'd had quite a lot for lunch. We opened a bottle of fizzy wine from Alignan du Vent, which we bought at the Neffiès cave. Very nice and we saved half for tomorrow using the magic fizzy stopper.
On Saturday at last the day was brighter with some sun. But we thought it not quite enough to go to a beach so we went for a walk instead. This was after lunch. The walk included a path I'd noticed on Google Earth, the other side of the pylon at the top of the hill on the Roujan/Vailhan side of Neffiès. It turned out to be an access path to the pylon, but we found a way down to the Vailhan road through the garrigue. Here's the path just before we turned to the pylon path:
Then we took the farmers' road on the valley floor to the direct Vailhan-Neffiès road and walked along that and then back down the rocky path. There was still a little sun left for Delia to lie in on the roof terrace afterwards.
The rest of the fizzy wine was still as nice as yesterday. The swifts are around, as they have been since we arrived. In the evening they zoom over our roof terrace, sometimes just over our heads in packs of four or five, excitedly cheaping away. They go so fast you can hear the whoomph of the air.
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