A busy week

I know that it's hard to believe that we could be busy, but this week has been so. We had arrived by from Arthez-de-Béarn, via Foix, on Friday and so on Saturday decided to do laundry (and hang it out in the sun) go to the Arceaux market (fabulous, as usual) and then catch up on some email correspondence. But then I thought I'd check Le Bookshop website and found there was going to be a book reading in 2 hours, by Rachel Panckhurst, of her book, Fait Maison, Recipes from a Kiwi in France. And there were going to be treats. So, we went! A good excuse to get out and be with other people. I bought her cookbook......because and we enjoyed some cheese biscuits and snowballs. (Anyone remember those?) The reading was in French and English. The French part was her talking about how she came to France as a young woman and the English part was reading from her book. 

On the way home, we passed a Pharmacy that sold the support stockings that I wear, so we carried on home and I brought back the stockings that I have. They are now so old (six months) that they are starting to slip down my leg in a most embarrassing way. The young woman in the store was very kind, measured my legs again, ordered the correct stockings and said they would be in on Wednesday. The price was 46€ per pair so I ordered two pairs. At home these are $175 per pair!!!  I will be stocking up on these before I come home. (no pun intended, although I can see Binners rolling her eyes).

Sunday, we decided to do an urban cycle, following tram lines and getting further north into the rural area. Even with my Garmin, we managed to get lost, but had lots of fun and cycling in the sun was lovely.

Monday, we walked downtown to have coffee, as the return trip is 10km, so that means we can reward ourselves with some lovely bread. But on our way downtown, I realized we had not brought our map. Not that we would get lost, but sometimes we see something interesting and I like to jot it on the map so that I can find it again, like the wonderful health food store we found, with all sorts of goodies that we haven't seen anywhere else. So off we went to the Tourist Information in La Place de la Comedie, to get a map and found that just behind it, on the Esplanade Charles de Gaule, little wooden huts were being prepared. So I asked if there was a Christmas market being set up. No, that's not until November 28th. The little huts are being prepared for Fête des Vignes on Friday and Saturday this week. 37 local wineries will have their wares for tasting and 2€ buys you a glass and with that comes 3 tastings. What fun! And on Sunday, 32 domaines and caves, usually open by appointment, will open their doors. We can easily cycle to about 4 of them, so we hope for a sunny day.

We walked most of the way back but I was starving and we were due to go grocery shopping so I thought a 9€ lunch of chicken in cider with creamed polenta sounded just the thing. We had passed Le Sens Six every day walking in and out of town so finally decided to stop and so glad we did. Yummy food and the wine list gave us the idea that we should return.

Yesterday, another bike ride to Palavas for moules frites. It's 42km return journey so we feel we can justify this:

The mussels were much bigger this time and not smothered in onions. We still have many restauratns to try for comparison purposes, of course. And as we were getting on our bikes to go back, I saw the chef (sitting) and the waiter, pausing for a smoke break outside the restaurant.

Today, were were invited out for lunch with Charlie and Jeanette, friends of our landlords.They picked us up at 11 and off we drove to LeGrau du Roi, a charming village on the coast, just west of the Camargue area. Lovely to walk in the sun and then lunch. After the chêvre salad and soup poisson,  three of us enjoyed the gambas and I had Iles flottante for dessert.

On the way home, we made a quick detour to see the outside of the Aigues-Mortes, the port from which Saint Louis sailed off to the Crusades. It is no longer a port, as it has been marooned 5km inland by the muck of the advancing Rhone delta. It is very impressive as the walls are more than 1.5km in length. Again, we will return for a day visit, as there is a whole town still existing inside the walls. (and maybe we'll find some more moules)