France, Summer 2010: Week 3

Sunday 13 June - Saturday 19 June

On Sunday we did not very much except sunbathe on the terrace until it was time to go to Pézenas to the pictures for 5 pm.  The film was "An Education", in English with French subtitles, at the cinéma le Molière.  Great film and a good experience.  There were not many people there, we wondered how they finance it.

Dinner was aperitifs, then fishy salad to start, then more of the cassoulet we started yesterday, then a bought strawberry tart for me.

Monday  was yet another day of poor weather and I (Roger) just stayed in and read my book and played with Picasa.  Delia went to the reading group at the library (l'après midi de lecture) in the afternoon.  And another day of miserable weather on Tuesday.  Morning at home as usual, then a nice new walk after lunch, mostly on the flat, in the direction of Roujan, easy walking on farmers' tracks.  Started raining properly just as we got back.  Delia then went to her French class at 4:15 and then the only entertainment left was dinner.

We booked for the coming Saturday's festivities (Vignes et Tradition), for our paella lunch (from l'Escampette) and our dinner of "un repas accompagné de chants occitans  (entrée, cuisse de bœuf à la broche et ses légumes, dessert et café)".

Wednesday was a fairly nice day but not desperately hot, so we did another new "flat" walk.  This was an extended loop, again on farmers' tracks, starting out going more or less mid-way between Roujan and Caux, looping almost to Caux and then back.  We discovered a "monastery", actually we think a convent, with an interesting restored church, called Mougères.  A lovely walk, great views from near Caux:

On Thursday we did very little, just stayed at home, because I (Roger) thought it not a good idea to push my "housemaid's knee" any more.  It still doesn't hurt.  But on Friday we went to the beach!  We chose the one at Vic la Gardiole because the weather forecast said the wind wouldn't be so strong there.

In the evening before dinner we went to the private viewing of the art exhibition by Bérénice, Bo, Jenny and Jocelyne, at Jocelyne's house literally at the bottom of our street.  Lots of English people there from the village, surprising to find so many.  Then home to dinner a bit late-ish.

Saturday was a big day, the day of the village all-day event, "Vignes et Traditions".  The stalls etc were a bit like a cross between a village fête and a normal French market.  There were demonstration of things like horse shoeing (horses from the Camargue), stone carving and eau de vie making.  We had paella for lunch at Place Jean Jaurès, paella because saffron is grown locally, and chatted to various people, French and English.

At 5 pm we were due to go on a "balade vigneronne" but around about then it rained heavily and the wind blew hard and all the stalls were soaked and quickly dismantled.  The balade vigneronne did take place eventually, we learned later, but we missed it.  The evening meal at the Salle Polyvalente (should have been outside but too wet and cold!) was fun, with an excellent meal: moules, melon & charcuterie & snails & pâté, beef & flageolets, cheese & tarte au pommes.  There was music in between courses and at the end and people danced.  The "band" was one man with a guitar & mike and karaoke machine, but he could sing and play the guitar.  It was a bit too loud.  We sat with John & Helen, who share their time between the UK and their house in Chemin de Vailhan; and Chris & Jo, who have a house just around the corner from us at 8 Place Paul Gauffre.