In for a penny in for a pound

Sandra and I decided to have a BBQ for the French walking group as a thank you for making us feel so welcome and for their patience with our struggling French language. When Claude (the president of the club), suggested a maximum of 20, I said ‘fine’. Thought it would be a bit of a squeeze, but figured what the heck – the more the merrier. Well, as it turned out we ended up with 32, including the 7 English-speaking people who sometimes come on the walks. A bit of last minute panic to get extra chairs and seating, but ok in the end.

So yesterday was very busy indeed, setting up the courtyard with tables, chairs, two barbecues and food serving benches, and preparing many salads and desserts. Sandra and I had spent most of Saturday doing a big shop – firstly to Ginestas to fill up our containers with rosé and red, then down to Narbonne for meat and salad stuff. So actually, it’s been a very busy couple of days. And Patrick, Sandra’s husband, did a fine job in the afternoon playing roadie, stringing up lights (strings of lanterns no less) and power for the music. He also took charge of one of the bbq’s (sausages) and confessed later that it was the first thing he had cooked – EVER! I figured he wasn’t an old hand at it when a few sausages went astray into the fire and he was prepared to write them off - I mentioned that it was OK to do a salvage job and keep on cooking them! Not a problem ….

But an interesting observation on the difference between French bbq’s and what I’m used to. Most people arrived en mass and on time. But Claude and Illyette were running a little late, and they were bringing the aperitif – again, a giant bowl of the blue punch made with champagne and Blue Curacao.

Sandra and I already had a drink in hand (by this stage of the day, we figured we’d earned it), but when offered, no one else wanted one. They wouldn’t drink anything until the aperitifs arrived. And 30 minutes later - after the punch - everyone sat down at the tables. Sandra and I looked at each other - and figured it was time to get cooking! So, I figure that the French idea of a bbq is a much more structured affair than I’m used to – it did make me laugh. It also made us get a move on and get the food out! I was an absolute lather by the time everything was served, but all in all a good evening. Music was good, songs were sung loudly and even a bit of dancing at the end. And the storms that were forecast (!) held off and we got just a little bit of rain at midnight by which time all the guests had departed. Patrick, Sandra and I sat under cover, drew breath, drank fine wine and did a postmortem of the evening. Conclusion – a fine time was had by all - a resounding success.

I was so busy during the evening, that I didn’t get a group picture, just one before hand - before the addition of extra seating!

The week before, Bonnie and Terry (who live in Agel and who come on the walks) told us about an event being held at the chateau in their village.

It was to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the revolt of the vignerons – led by a winegrower by the name of Marcelin Albert who was from the nearby village of Argeliers and is now somewhat of a local hero.

There was a luncheon on the day – put on by the village boules team - and the avenue leading up to the chateau was the laid with one long trestle table. A pleasant afternoon indeed.

The starter was half a melon, but of course not just on its own. So much better with a good measure of Muscat!

The swimming pool down at the River Cesse has been worked on and is now up and running properly, with a ladder installed on the little foot bridge and a life-guard on duty for the next couple of months between 2.00 and 7.00pm! A small island of gravel has been formed in the middle, and the overflow outlet made smaller, so in fact that water is a bit higher now than is shown in the photo.

Last walk of the season

Last Friday was the last group walk for a while - a break now until September because of the heat and the holiday season. It was a grand affair held up in the Black Mountains - beyond St. Pons-de-Thomières - at the edge of a reservoir.

No vines at this altitude - but lovely pine and oak forests, which made for a lovely 2 hour walk before lunch.

And quite a bit of heather in flower here too.

And so much cooler - good walking weather. There were more than 50 people for this day out - though only about half did the walk. The rest stayed back and 'set up camp' and made sure the BBQ's were sorted. And this is what I call a barbie! - a monster of an affair, with all four sides lit to cook for the crowd.

Here’s Edgar – in charge of the BBQ and a fine job he’s made of the Toulouse sausage …

This was a 10 Euro per head deal, and what a feast was provided, starting with the essential 'appero' after the walk. In this case, blue punch - made of much champagne, some type of citrus liqueur and a whole bottle of Blue Curacao! Looked ghastly - tasted wonderful.

And as I said, a veritable feast – and here’s the desserts (with just a little of the blue punch left, not looking quite so appetising at this stage).

And afterwards, out came the accordion, and a little singing and dancing in the afternoon. A good time was had by all!

I forgot to mention in my previous post that there was a fund raising event in the village last week – a repas down on the promenade at the edge of the river, to raise funds for the children of Madagascar.

The entertainment started at about 7 o’clock – local musicians playing popular music, the meal started quite late at about 8.30, and then the main entertainment of the evening was African drumming and dance. A very enthusiastic display that went on right up to 11.

Thereafter followed by a disco - for me a sign to pull up stumps and call it a night.

Days of Wine and Roses

Well, perhaps that's stretching it. But a trip to a wine cave for 2 x 5 litre refills, and then to the Beziers flower market.

The wine cave is in the nearby village of Ginestas – and having tried a few in recent months, I have to say I think this one is a winner. The red and the rosé are really nice, and 5 litres of each costs me all of 20 euros, and that’s certainly not the cheapest you can buy around here by a long shot. In fact I took a bottle of the red to the group walk a couple of weeks ago, and those who tasted it wanted to know where it came from. I reckon if the locals think it’s a pretty good drop, then I must be onto a good thing.

The wine cave is only open twice a week between 11 and 12 on a Wednesday and a Saturday. I’ve only been on a Saturday, and it seems to be the local meeting place in the village. It’s humming – lots of tasting and banter happening. And there’s a man with his meat van who has cottoned onto a good idea – he parks his truck directly outside at 11.30 and has captive trade tumbling out the door. The surroundings might be industrial and gloomy, with the wine coming out of what looks like a petrol pump – but in this particular cave the attendant is tres chic!

A trip through to Beziers, where there is a flower market every Friday in the main avenue - not dissimilar to the Ramblas in Barcelona, but on a much smaller scale. The market was lovely, and I came away with a solitary chilli plant, as I have had so much trouble buying fresh chillis in the shops here. When I did find them, they were the tiny bird’s eye variety and hot as all hell. So my resolution not to buy any more plants didn’t last long – the court yard is looking decidedly green as I continue accumulating.

The Beziers traffic and road system is well-known for being a nightmare. It’s a standing joke that whenever I get within cooee of the place, I end up in ‘downtown’ Beziers whether I want to or not. Usually when I’m trying to skirt around the place itself, on my way to somewhere else! After the markets, we tried to get to the cathedral at the top of town, which can be seen for miles around. But we were thwarted at literally every turn. Even with the GPS, we ended up in tiny cobbled streets. I was trying to back out of one as I figured I could get stuck if I went any further, when a local advised that I was in fact headed in the right direction for the cathedral, and I should keep going. At this stage, Janice got out and walked ahead to make sure that I could indeed get the car through. We made it out of the labyrinth, only to eventually arrive at the main road up the hill to find it closed off! Thwarted at every turn. So, the views from the cathedral will have to wait for another day – but here’s a photo of it from the distance.

While Janice was here, it was a good opportunity to deal with another old cupboard in an upstairs room. If we’d been able to dismantle it and take it downstairs, I would have used it as a storage and tool cupboard in the garage. But even with the shelves and doors removed, it was still too heavy and unwieldy for us to manage down the stairs. So – over the balcony it went. And this time I did remember to take the before and after photos.

Shortly before ...


.... and sorted!

And here’s a few pictures of the lovely rooftops of Narbonne – we climbed the 251 steps of Narbonne Cathedral tower in the main square – amazing 360 degree views.

Cherry Festival Trausse-Minervois

Cherry season is here at last – one of the reasons I moved to France!!! But ‘une catastrophe’ – April was so warm, that it’s hardly a season at all. But there were enough to carry on with the annual cherry festival in the village of Trausse-Minervois. And here’s a short video clip I made with my camera – most of these festivals seem to have either their own or a visiting ‘oompa’ band, and this one is very enthusiastic, if a little out of tune …

And another France-related video clip can be seen here - this one certainly not of my making – but fun!

I’ve just had a quick and unexpected trip to Spain today. Bizarre in my way of thinking, to be able to nip over to another country at the drop of a hat. Miki, a friend from the village, rang this morning – he was heading down to do a bit of shopping just over the border, and did I want to go down for the ride? Well, yes, of course I did – any excuse not to pick up the paint brush, which was today’s plan. Some things are much cheaper there - I now have more olives than I know what to do with, and a well-stocked alcohol cupboard that I do know what to do with.

Just on the border, we passed through the town of Le Perthus – the border goes down the middle of the main street. Signs on the shop fronts on the left are in Spanish – those on the right in French! And then on to La Jonquera, not a particularly pretty town but full of big shops, garden centres and terracotta and ceramic planters.

Last week I had Phil and Val with me, unfortunately only for three days, but in that short time they have fallen in love with the area! So much so that they’re coming back later in the year, and may even have a look at what’s on offer re the property market – how exciting!

And they happened to be here on a Tuesday and came on the walk with the group – it was all around an etang down the coast near Bages and Peyriac-de-Mer. And a great day was had by all – they were made to feel so welcome by the local folk and there were lots of laughs, eau de vie, other home made liqueurs and more cakes passed around after the picnic lunch than you could poke a stick at! We were even made to take some home for dinner.

Here they are the next day, dipping their toes in the Mediterranean on the big long beach between Sete and Agde. We had a seafood lunch at a restaurant in Meze, and not only did they share a lovely bouillabaisse –
but Val ate her first EVER oysters …..!
and the worried look was all for nothing – she’s now a convert, and we bought some more that day to take home for the evening.

A special thank you

On the Saturday before Sylvia and Sandy departed, we had a fabulous dinner at the restaurant l'Auberge de la Croisade about 8 kilometres from here. And this dinner was made possible by an old acquaintance of ours in Perth (W.A.) who decided that three old friends should have a memorable meal together in France – and memorable it was indeed.

We chose a set menu - seven courses. Surprisingly two of us managed six of them (had to miss out on the cheese course), and one managed all seven! - a stirling effort. It was an unforgettable meal – so I’ll list the courses and the dishes we chose, and just say that each and every course was delicious and faultless.

An Amuse-Bouche (Little Bites That Delight Before the Meal Begins!): in this case, a small bowl of mushroom soup.

Starter: smoked salmon mouse on warm potato cakes with asparagus.

Fish course: a white fish in filo parcels with a pesto sauce.

Sorbet: sweet basil flavoured

Main: (i) Fillet steak (ii) fillet of pork – both with garlic mash and vegetables

Cheese: assortment

Sweets: (i) Crème caramel (ii) bowl of ice creams and sorbets

And then to finish, we had liqueurs and they were served with bonbons! Like we needed them ….

A very big thank you for a wonderful meal and night out.

But it’s interesting that when the food is served over the evening, and each course is a manageable size, that you don’t feel overly full at the end. Having said that, I still find it surprising when I see tiny French women the size of sparrows, putting away HUGE meals and many courses, and thinking nothing of it. I just don’t quite get it.

And here we are, onto the coffee and liqueurs. Not one of us remotely like a sparrow, but having a damn fine time.

We managed a trip through to Montpellier – a beautiful city and a nice day out. There is a little tourist train operating in the Place de la Comedie in the summer months, and we jumped on and had a 30 minute tour of the sights – a good deal.

And shopping heaven for everyone but me – who hates shopping. In this case though, window shopping only.

Coal-fired barbie

My first barbecue for the year was an interesting affair. The previous owners had left an old wooden box in the barn filled with what I thought were heat beads. So we decided to have a few people over and fire up the bbq that’s built into the summer kitchen – a neat affair with an open grill. We didn’t get back from Narbonne until 4.30 and people arriving at 6. Sylvia and I hit the kitchen running, and Sandy was on outdoor duties. Plenty of fire lighters and much work on the old bellows later, and she had the ‘beads’ glowing a treat. But they had a strange smell. When Patrick arrived at six (minus Sandra who had come down with a cold), he informed us that we had in fact fired up the barbie with compressed coal, and that he’d never heard of anyone barbequeing with it! Oops. Fortunately he went home and grabbed a bag of BBQ charcoal and we started all over again. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing after that. There was a copious amount of smoke and many jokes about turning the summer kitchen into a smokehouse.

And here’s Sylvia doing her best to cook the sausages in the gloom.

Also I’d decided to do a starter of my old squid recipe that I used to make at Cheyne Beach. But I couldn’t get the size squid I was used to. In fact the only ones I could fine were whole little ones that I had to clean when I got home. I might be a fisherman’s daughter, but this was a first for me. But actually those little heads and tentacles just pull right off! Pas un problème. Cuttlefish seems to be more popular here, and you can get all sizes – from tiny ones complete with the cuttle bone through to thick white strips that have obviously come from monsters of the deep. A slight problem also with the cooking - couldn’t get the fire hot enough (no more than 15 seconds or so on each side on a REALLY hot fire is what’s needed) …… but despite all that, the sausages eventually cooked up a treat and the currently very open-plan barn turned out to be a great spot for the inaugural outdoor meal. It was a bit windy and a few spots of rain so we went under cover.

…. and note the burgeoning fig tree in the foreground that I only chopped down a few months ago.

The Yellow Train and Spain

Sylvia and Sandy arrived into Carcassonne on the 4^th and we haven’t stopped since. Out and about just about every day, including a trip to the Hat Museum (!) just a short drive from Bize-Minervois. I’ve always meant to go and have a look, so it was a good opportunity. Not surprisingly, an awful lot of hats.

And another place I’d been meaning to visit is the Combebelle goat cheese farm just a few kilometres from Bize-Minervois. We timed it so we arrived just at milking time, and came away with a few of the cheeses.

On the way down to Spain, we did a trip on the Yellow Train, departing from Villafranche de Conflent, an overnight stay in the ski resort town of Font Romeu and returning in the morning. Stunning scenery in the Pyrenees and a trip I would highly recommend to anyone.

Left France the next day and headed into Spain. A side trip to Collioure on the coast just this side of the Spanish border – a beautiful little fishing town.

And then on to Barcelona - my second visit, but what a great city to return to. Well, when we finally got there that is. My mobile phone didn’t work in Spain (a problem with my contract – but that’s another story) and I was meant to phone the owner of the hostel when we hit Barcelona and he would make sure he was there to meet us. And it seemed (as we found out later) that there were several streets with the same name, and I’d put the wrong one into the GPS system. So peak hour afternoon traffic, going around and around a one way street system …… and getting nowhere fast. After nearly an hour of this, we figured we were close, parked in a 24 hour car park and hit the streets looking for our hostel. Which fortunately turned out to be fairly close, and a beaut place to stay (small 3 bed, open plan apartment, small kitchen/living area). In a pedestrian street, a few minutes walk from the Ramblas. So a few hectic days in Barcelona – we bought a 2 day jump-on jump-off bus pass – the perfect way to do it. Great weather, food and sights.