Last Goodbyes

As the rollercoaster ride that was Grand Final Day was now behind us, the end of our time in France was in sight. With just under two weeks to go, we still had a lot to pack in to that time. For Marty, there was Mad Monday and the end of season away trip (to Malta, no less). And for me, there were all those things I wanted to see and places I wanted to go ‘just one more time’…

Le Grand Café

Le Grand Café was the first French café that I sat down at to enjoy a chocolat chaud on our second day in Limoux. I had conversed with the barista on that day – my first conversation with an English-speaking Frenchman – about having moved to Limoux with my rugby-playing husband. His smile every time after that first meeting was so warm and welcoming.

We spent a lot of time at Le Grand in the first few weeks, using the free wifi and getting used to the café culture of our new town. I couldn’t leave without going to Le Grand and enjoying one last hot chocolate, French-style. So I did.

Run the Track

The first three months of our time in France, I overindulged in the sweet, sweet pastries that the country is known for. I threw caution to the wind and sampled every delicious delicacy that I saw. One thing that I did enjoy about the freezing winter (other than the snow), was the heavy jackets that I could hide under.

Months of eating this way expanded my waist (if you can believe that!) and sent my emotions on a rollercoaster. So in February I committed to working myself back into shape, physically and emotionally. I started running, from our house to the footy field, which was surrounded by a basic running track. The surface was rocky and rough, muddy even following some rain, but it had the most beautiful scenery at every step. Running that track changed my life.

On my last run, which was the day before we left Limoux, I sat on the grass of the field with my shoes and socks off, and just took in the picturesque surroundings. This was a moment I had to have, and won’t forget.

Cemetery

It sounds odd, but the whole time we were in Limoux we drove past the town’s cemetery, but never went in. Being such an old village, I was intrigued by what that cemetery was like inside; how ancient it was. I would have always wished I had gone in if I didn’t go. So I went. One day I just wandered down.

The entrance was surrounded by beautiful flowers and manicured hedges. A tall statute stood proud out the front, marking the World Wars. Inside, old family tombs stood weathered, yet strong. Some dated back to the 1400’s; others were in more recent centuries and decades. Some were tall, almost like small buildings. Some had petite fences surrounding them. A lot had flowers, a few had photos.

In the end was quite similar to any other traditional cemetery that I had visited, albeit much, much older. It was an eerie experience, but at least I now know what it was like and don’t have to wonder.

Friday Markets

One of my most favourite experiences of everyday life in Limoux was the weekly markets on Fridays. I dedicated a blog entry to this weekly ritual, and enjoyed it one last time on our final day. As Marty finished up packing, I ducked down to the markets to pick up some fresh fruit and snacks for our journey ahead.

For the last time I took in the amazing sights of so much fresh food: olives, dried fruit, fresh fruit and vegetables, meat. The plants and herbs were in full bloom. The sellers were full of life and cheer. The French women were filling their market trolleys. I picked out my apples and bananas and left the markets behind for the last time.

Boulangerie

I couldn’t leave without saying ‘au revoir’ to our lovely little Boulangerie lady. She had been such a lovely personality throughout our time, bringing us so much joy and giving us stories to share. I decided that I would do this farewell properly; I looked up what I wanted to say in French, rehearsed, and off I went.

Walking in and straight up to the counter, I said (in my best/worst French): je reviens à la maison en Australie, which was met with confusion. As with most times when there was a language breakdown, actions came into play. I started waving my arms like a plane, and motioning from one side of my body to the other (in my mind this symbolised us flying from one side of the world to the other).

When this game of charades didn’t translate either (surprisingly), I reverted back to my French sentence, breaking it down. ‘Je revienne…Australie’ (I return…Australia) seemed to get through, and the moment it did I was embraced with a great big hug; something I hadn’t experienced from someone other than Marty in a long time! This was a lovely last moment to share and memory to have of our Boulangerie lady.

Grizzlies Supporters Club

On our last evening in Limoux, we were treated to a ‘reception’ hosted by the Limoux Grizzlies supporters club. Throughout the season the lovely French men and ladies of the supporters club would put on lunches for the team before games and often held functions for the team’s sponsors and supporters to attend. Being guests in their town, we were frequently invited to a soirée.

This was a lovely send off, held solely in our honour. A speech was made by the club president in French, translated to us by a French-speaking Aussie, and Marty responded, telling his teammates that he had made friends for life. This was met with a great cheer when translated for them, proving that Marty really had made an impact on these boys who had embraced him. This was a fitting way to see out the end of our seven months in Limoux.

So we packed up our little French cottage in a similar way to having packed our bags for France; I overstuffed and Marty culled. We spent our last moments in what became our home away from home in the French countryside and trundled out the door with our 50kgs of bags in toe. It was a bitter-sweet departure; we were sad to leave, but so excited for the adventure and homecoming that lay ahead.

The Highlights of Grand Final Day

Well Grand Final day came and it was a big one. I have never seen so many people in the town of Limoux decked out in their red and black. They were spirited and oh so excited to cheer on their team. The festivities started early and carried on into the night, despite the result...

Limoux and Avignon, lined up for the French national anthem prior to the Grand Final

It was a heartbreaking loss, with the Grizzlies unable to hold on to a rocky lead throughout the game, going down in the final minutes as a conversion bounced off the posts to leave the team one point short of a draw. The 38-37 score line may give some indication of the battle that both teams went through, however mistakes made by all - including the ref - denied the underdogs the victory.

While a Grand Final win would certainly have made the day - and no doubt topped off our time in France - the loss didn't detract from some great experiences we had that day. Here are our top five highlights of Grand Final Day:

5. The excitement in the bus and in the grandstand

I have been to a lot of football games over the years, and I mean it when I say I have never, ever, heard a crowd more passionately support their team as I did here on Grand Final day. The Limoux supporters are a lively bunch, from the very young to the very old, male and female, French and foreign; their common ground is their love of their team.

As I boarded the second of a number of buses taking locals from Limoux to Carcassonne for the game, I was consumed by the crowd of black and red and the defining noise; the trip was spent blowing all sorts of horns and whistles and singing songs about the 'rouge et noir'.

I missed the first seconds of the team running onto the field for their warm up, but the noise ensured I didn't miss any more! Confetti poppers were released, horns were blown and cheers cried out from the thousands of people surrounding us in the grandstand...and that was just for the warm up!

During the game the local band that had made the trip and positioned themselves in front of the grandstand near the Limoux supporters played loud and lively music. The atmosphere really was remarkable, and really hit home to me how much of a close-knit community we have been living in. They love their team.

Limoux supporters in red and black

The Limoux band provided support and entertainment

4. The supporters club dressed to impress and giving out posters of the team

It was not just the noise that the people can make that I was impressed with; it was their commitment to the cause by dressing from head to toe in their team's colours. As if they had lived for this moment for eight months, it was evident who every person in the grandstand was supporting.

From the teenage boys who used body paint to cover themselves in a half red / half black outfit, to the elderly lady who must have been in her 80's wearing the biggest, reddest, curly-haired afro wig I have ever seen, Limoux supporters were proud to be black and red.

Perhaps the most endearing thing I witnessed that day was when it came time for the supporters club to hand out the gear they would use to cheer the team on. The group of about 20 elderly people sat in a group in the grandstand, with one of them holding up posters to be distributed. Now these weren't just any posters; each poster was an A3 size colour printed and laminated photo, with each poster dedicated to a player.

The lady in charge of this particular activity stood at the front and held up each poster one at a time to a show of hands of who wanted that poster for the game. There were clear favourites and obvious soft-spots for some players - I even saw one older lady plant an affectionate kiss on the photo of one of the players. Each player's face was given to a supporter to wave around during the game, and they did so proudly.

The Limoux Supporters Club with their posters

Me, with some of the decked-out Limoux girlfriends

3. Hailing their heroes through town and the Mayor's reception

When we arrived back in Limoux after the game, there was evidence that a celebration had been prepared for. There was a stage set up in the middle of the square with lights and music, and a small open-top car decorated in red and black. When the team arrived at around 10pm, the band's music could be heard all through the square as it preceded the team, walking through the streets lined with the town's supporters. Despite the obvious look of despair on the players' faces, it was moving to see so many of the town's people out to support the team.

The parade moved on through the square and into the Mairie building, which is a town hall of sorts, where an official reception for the team was held, hosted by Limoux's Mayor. While this presentation was obviously all in French, hence I couldn't understand what was being said, I could tell that there was a lot of pride in the team and praise in the team's efforts. After all, making it to this Grand Final was an outstanding achievement in itself.

The team parade through Limoux...

...and at the Mayor's reception

2. Marty getting his jersey presented to him by Daniel Wagon

As per usual before a game, the team got together to have lunch. On this special day, their lunch included a presentation of jerseys to the Grand Final team by two well-known Rugby League players; David Ferriol and Daniel Wagon.

Marty with Daniel Wagon

Daniel Wagon, for those who don't know, is a Queensland 'Origin Great', having played for our great state in the number '6' jersey. He has lived in Limoux for a few years, and has been a friend to the Aussies who have lived and played here over the years.

So it was fitting and exciting that Marty, and the other four 'foreign' players on the team, was presented his Grand Final jersey by one of his childhood heroes. It was a big highlight on a day where highlights were few and far between for Marty.

1. Marty shaving his beard after four months

There are many strange traditions or rituals that come with playing football, particularly when it comes to a grand final, that I will never understand. In the seven months since we arrived in France, Marty has clipped his facial hair twice; once just after Christmas, and then again on Sunday, after the Grand Final.

It is easy to spot the Aussies in Limoux, as they are the only people with facial hair. The French don't tend to grow the hair on their face, and often find it offensive. Marty was once stopped in the street by an unknown Frenchman, who proceeded to grab his beard and say 'Dirty! Dirty!' at him.

Marty looking baby-faced
(and distraught!) after cutting his
beard following the game

But back to the ritual of growing their beard: the three Aussies on the team took it upon themselves to decide not to shave their face until after the grand final. As Marty had already let his grow by this stage, it would be a total of four months growth that he would cut after the game. And he wasted no time; as soon as the bus arrived back in Limoux, Marty slipped home to clipper before rejoining the team, sans beard, for the Mayor's reception.

While I grew to like the beard, and certainly got used to how he looked with it, I admit that he looks younger, cleaner and fresher without the bushy, full Aussie beard. 

See more photos from Limoux's Grand Final day here.

Grand Final

Tomorrow is Grand Final Day. Our whole time here in France has been building up to this day, with the Limoux Grizzlies set to play in their final game - the Grand Final of the Lord Derby Cup. Excitement has been building in the town for some time, as the team prepares to take on Avignon for the title.

I have written about how the game of Rugby League is played in France before. You can read that article here. But I should give you some background on how the Grizzlies came to be in the Grand Final... 

The team plays in two competitions during the season: the French Elite 1 competition, and the French Lord Derby Cup. The Elite 1 competition is the 'regular' competition that is played regularly over the season of October to May, with the Derby Cup being a knock-out competition.

In the Elite 1, the games are scheduled each week, with a week off every few weeks to allow for any catch up games that may have been postponed due to weather. There are nine teams that played in this competition in the 2012-2013 season, with the top six progressing to the finals after 19 rounds.

The Lord Derby Cup is played over four weekends spread out from January to May, with 15 teams playing in the four-round knock-out competition (a 16th team was forced to withdraw from the competition early). These teams are made up of most of the teams from the Elite 1, as well as a few teams from the Elite 2 competition that have played for the right to compete in the Derby Cup.

After six months of games, the Limoux Grizzlies finished the Elite 1 competition in second-last place, missing out on the finals. However the team managed to defeat their three opponents to reach the final of the Derby Cup. The impressive thing about this result, is that each team that the Grizzlies played during the Derby Cup were in second place on the Elite 1 ladder at the time the Grizzlies played them.

As they were not in the finals of the regular competition, the last game that the team played was on the 31st of March. Since then, we have had weekends mostly free, with training commitments taking up most of the week.

The Limoux Supporters Club with their stall

You can imagine the excitement building, then, in the small town of Limoux, for their team to be playing in the Grand Final. The Club's group of supporters have set up a store in the Town's Square to sell merchandise and tickets to the game, while promoting a big day starting with a BBQ at the Club House and buses arranged to take fans to the game.

Buses have been arranged to take fans to the game, which is being played on neutral ground in Carcassonne, with a strong Limoux contingent expected to cheer their team on. I have booked my seat on the bus, and will be amongst the crowd as Marty plays in his final game in red and black for the Grizzlies.

Our Home in Full Bloom

About three weeks ago I wrote about Spring in Limoux, and how the sun was shining on our blooming garden. I posted four photos of our home to illustrate the effects that the different seasons have had. If you missed that blog, you can see it here.

Since then, we have had a variety of weather as the south of France works its way from Winter to Summer. We've had days of high-20 degree weather, spent at the beach of course (well, in this case, a lake near Carcassonne that had a sandy area), followed by days of cold rain.

A beautiful day must be spent at the beach 

The 'ANZAC' Test on the beach

But in that time, our house has come to full bloom. It is such a magical sight to see our little home covered in small yellow flowers that face up as the sun shines on them. They can be seen from every window in our house, and no doubt provide a bright welcome when we receive visitors to our courtyard.

I just had to share this photo with you, so that you can see for yourself the beauty of our home in France. 

A French Dining Experience

On Wednesday night we were invited for dinner, along with our fellow 'foreign' players, to the house of one of the rugby league club's board members, Vince. The experience of dining out in France is one that we have experienced often, but to be hosted at a home and truly experience the French hospitality is something that is worth sharing with you.

Vince is a lovely man, who was of great assistance to us when we arrived, and seems to take the foreigners under his wing when needed. We were able to call on him a few times to help us through some challenges, such as having no hot water in our house when we arrived; Vince sorted out this issue quick-smart.

So the six of us foreigners - three Aussie players, two Kiwi players and myself - headed around for dinner with Vince, his wife and daughter. As is custom, we all arrived with something to contribute, having coordinated this to ensure all bases were covered; between us all we gifted bottles of wine, flowers and a tart for dessert to our hosts.

We were invited for 8pm, which by now we know didn't really mean dinner would be at 8pm. Vince wasn't yet home, having worked slightly late, so we were invited to sit in the lounge and offered all sorts of beverages to get us started; Blanquette, red or white wine, beers, or our choice of a large selection of spirits. The boys settled with cold beers, and I was happy to enjoy a white wine.

The table was laid out with various food to nibble on as we drank and talked; calamari, muscles, olives and chips. Vince arrived around 8.30pm and joined us with his small glass of Blanquette. Two hours and three wines later, we were invited to take a seat at the dining table. But at 10pm, it still wasn't quite time for dinner just yet.

 

The table was laid out with bottles of red wine, two loaves of bread which were larger than our usual baguette, and two plates of pate. We have gotten used to having pate as a starter or entree, and enjoy it perhaps a little too much. We were told this particular one is made locally by a family that has been making it for over 50 years, and as I'm reminded of what pate is made of, I decide to leave some room for dinner.

Dinner was finally served at around 10.30pm, and was simple yet delicious. We were offered the choice of stuffed capsicum or artichoke, served with riz a la Provence - a dish of rice flavoured with vegetables. I was intrigued by the flavours of the rice, so Vince's wife offered to show me how to make it as she had to make another batch to feed us all. It was very simple, and she gave me a packet of the rice to make my own at home.

The wine continued to flow as the third course was presented - cheese, grapes and yet more bread. We each cut a small chunk of cheese and ripped off some bread, as we were taught a new way of eating this common course - take a bite of cheese, bread and a grape all at once. The sweetness of the grape complements the cheese nicely.

It was midnight by the time the dessert was put on the table, with only a few of us able to fit in a slice of the fruit tart. By this stage the wine bottles had been emptied, and Vince had opened a special bottle of homemade alcohol for us to sample. We could smell the alcohol as Vince told us it was 50% strength and poured a small amount into a glass for Marty to taste. I was invited also to have a taste, however my hesitation prompted Vince's wife to show me how ladies drink it: place a cube of sugar into the drink to let it soak, and then nibble on the sugar. While I'm sure this was more palatable than drinking the liquid straight, one small nibble was more than enough for me.

We left the house at around 12.45pm, thanking our hosts for such a delicious meal and a great French experience. The next morning we woke at around 11.00am, wondering how the French do this on a regular basis.

Spring in Limoux

The sun is finally shining on the south of France, and we Queenslanders couldn't be more happy about it! We've put away our jackets and boots and exchanged them for shorts and thongs, and reintroduced our (now very pale) skin to the warmth of the sun. It's Springtime in Limoux!

When we returned from our trip to the Mediterranean coast we spent the next week indoors, sheltered from the cold and rain. A week of grey skies is enough to dampen any spirit, and after our trip to the beautiful coastal towns and some sunshine, we were craving more.

Then late last week the weather seemed to change, as if Europe realised that it is supposed to be Spring. The skies cleared to the most beautiful blue, the sun's rays warmed up, and the mercury rose to reach the low 20's; a much more recognisable temperature for us.

The town is a different place when the sun is out and the weather is warmer. People are wandering around everywhere, or happy just to sit on a park bench, and the town square fills up with people enjoying a wine in the sun.

Every round-about and traffic island has a garden bed that is full of colourful blooming flowers. It is such a pleasure to walk through town and take in the colours that line the streets.

Flowers on a traffic island

These bloomed in our
garden this week

Daffodils in our garden

Our garden has come alive as well. We started to see various flowers bloom from the overgrown garden beds a few weeks back, but with the added warmth of the sun more flowers have unexpectedly come to life.

Even our house has undergone a makeover with the warmer weather. The vine that covered our house when we arrived in Autumn has begun to refresh its leaves, while another plant that has seemed to thrive in winter has begun to bloom small yellow flowers all over it. Branches covered in flowers have grown across our window, greeting me in the mornings when I draw back the curtain.

Our house in Autumn (October)

and in Winter (February)

Covered in snow (January)

and in flowers (April)

Another sure sign that Spring is well and truly here is the length of the days. Daylight saving kicked in about two weeks ago, and with the extended light hours that this part of the world already experiences in the warmer months, the sun is now up until around 9pm. This is a new experience for us, with our bodies taking some time to get used to eating dinner in broad daylight. We have a whole new appreciation for the thick block out curtains in our house!

Spring in France is a beautiful time of year. After experiencing the coldest Winter we have ever had, we feel so lucky to be able to experience this change in the season and all that France has to offer as the weather warms up.

Resident Tourists

Last week we were able to take advantage of some time off and head away on another short trip. As the weather has started to warm up, we couldn't go past a visit to the Mediterranean Coast and French Riviera.

We decided to travel by train, as the transport system in Europe is fantastic, and much less stressful than driving in large foreign cities! So we packed our backpacks and headed off to experience the beauty of this part of the world.

Nice by name and by nature

The pebbly beach of Nice

Nice is a pretty French city, much like other larger French cities that we have visited, in that it has big open public areas, great shopping and most of the buildings are only three or four stories high. However Nice has the added attraction of being on the coast.

While the beach was pretty to look at, it seemed slightly impractical to us, as large pebbly rocks lay where there should have been sand, and the water was calm with small waves on the shore. None the less, people were out enjoying the sunshine and peaceful surrounds of the coast.

The picturesque old town of Nice

Wandering through the flower market

We spent two nights in Nice which gave us plenty of time to experience some highlights. We wandered the small alleyways for great restaurants, enjoying traditional Italian and a fondue, as well as the first proper breakfast we have had at a restaurant in France (as the traditional French breakfast is a croissant and coffee!). We also enjoyed a walk through the fresh flower and produce markets, which are held daily.

Monaco - the playground of the rich

Monaco's harbour with the Royal Palace in the distance

Monaco was a 20 minute, 3Euro train trip from Nice, and the day we spent there was well worth it, with it now officially my favourite city that we have visited to date. It is no wonder, as my parents have always said that I have champagne taste...only my budget is more at the beer end of the scale. You only have to see the harbour at Monaco to know that it is the playground of the rich; it is full of yachts the size of a house...and I don't mean a small house!

Walking through Monte Carlo and Monaco-Ville was surreal, like we had walked on to the set of a movie; the streets were clean, buildings were beautiful and gardens very well manicured, with yellow tulips (my favourite flower) blooming in every garden bed.

Marty at the
Fairmont Hairpin

The pretty streets of
Monaco-Ville

The beautiful gardens infront of
the Monte Carlo Casino

I received an education of sorts on the famous Formula 1 race that takes over the city as we watched traffic slow down to circle the 'world's most famous bend' in Monte Carlo, and saw the beginnings of the construction of the massive grandstands that will stand along the harbour. We curiously watched on as police blocked off the main street outside the Hotel de Paris to allow for an escorted convoy to deliver who we can only assume was a Japanese dignitary, and again when supposed VIPs arrived at the Royal Palace.

The ancient city of Nimes

The Roman amphitheatre in Nimes, France

It was my choice to visit Nimes, but as soon as I showed Marty what was there he was impressed. Nimes is a city that was founded as a Roman colony in the first century, with the French city now having a population of around 150,000. The influence of the Romans is still evident, with one of the world's most well-preserved Roman amphitheatres, built around the 2nd century AD, standing proud in the middle of the old town. Just down the road is the Maison Carree, or 'Square House', which was built as a temple in 19BC.

The columns of the Maison
Carree tower over Marty

Marty providing perspective
to the Pont du Gard

The Maison Carree in Nimes

Nimes is also a short bus ride away from the Pont du Gard, a famous and well-preserved ancient Roman aqueduct that was built in the 1st century AD to transport water to Nimes. We were able to walk alongside the bridge that crosses the Gardon River, and trek into the hills to see remnants of this amazing structure, originally built 50km long. We were very impressed.

The Pont du Gard

We were excited to be able to spend the four days visiting areas that are famous, pretty and so close by to where we have been living. The south-east of France is another area that we can tick off our 'must-see' list.

Toques et Clochers

Every year on the weekend before Easter the local area is a buzz with the event Toques et Clochers, meaning 'chef's hat and Church towers', which is a celebration of wine and local communities.

Run by local wine producer Sieur D'Arques for 24 years, the festival promotes white wines from different vineyard growing regions, including Houte Valley, Auton, Oceanic and Mediterranean, and takes place in two parts.

The first is a festival and community celebration held on the Saturday, with a town or village in the area coming alive with festivities. The event is hosted by a different village each year, and the celebration is an opportunity for visitors to taste some of the best wine from the surrounding regions.

The second part of the event comes in the form of an auction for international wine buyers held on the Sunday, with barrels of the wine being auctioned off and part of the proceeds going to fund the restoration of the bell tower in the Cathedral in the town where the event is held. Some of the world's top chefs and sommeliers are invited to the event to give their opinion on the wines, which I'm told can sell for five figures per barrel at the auction.

With the formalities of the event obviously of no interest to us, we decided to take in the community celebration and head out to the two villages which this year shared the event, Gardie and Villebazy.

We arranged to meet some friends at the local sports hall, where we could catch transport to the festival. We paid 5Euro each, which included the bus transport and a souvenir wine glass. The ride out to the small villages was picturesque, with the large bus navigating the narrow roads through the countryside.

We arrived at the village of Gardie, and were dropped off about one kilometre from the town. We walked up the small winding road and came to the village, which was decorated with oversized flowers and grapes, and had a number of strange mannequin displays throughout the village.

The music began as we wandered past a colourful band departing from the Mediterranean wine stand. As we continued up the hill we stopped for a photo opportunity with a very large Blanquette bottle, and I purchased some tokens, which could be exchanged for a full glass of wine at any of the wine stands.

This town was relatively quiet however, so we took some advice from a local and headed over to the second village, Villebazy, where the action was about to start. On our way out of Gardie I stopped for my first glass of wine, which was of the Mediterranean variety, and had quite a nice flavour; not too sweet, but not dry.

The buses ran between the villages, again dropping us about a kilometre from the action. We wandered through the countryside and came upon a much livelier atmosphere.  Groups of colourfully dressed yet uniformed people were lined up down the narrow road, waiting patiently for the parade to start.

Each group had with them a miniature model of their local Church or Cathedral, which were all impressive. We wandered by each group, recognising a number of the churches from around the local area, taking photos of the ones we knew, and some we didn't but were impressive all the same.

The parade was about to commence, but having seen all of the groups we decided to avoid the crowds, head toward the food stalls and wander through the village. I filled up on frites (hot chips) while Marty devoured a beef-filled baguette as we walked to the next wine stand.

This one was from the region around Auton, and the people serving us spoke English. We stopped for talk for a while, finding out that the lady was actually Swedish, but spoke very good English, with a strange mix of an English and an Australian accent. We chatted for some time, as she gave us advice on the best wines to buy and where we could get them in Limoux.

With food in our bellies and more wine in my hand we walked the streets and came across the parade as it was making its way toward the village Church. Crowds of people lined the path as the groups with their models squeezed through a small laneway and up the hill. We followed the crowds and, as they dispersed either into the Church or back down into the village, we headed to an open field area that was set up for the party that would no doubt continue into the night.

Food stands were selling crepes, meat on a baguette, and huge baked spuds, which I was excited by, only to discover I had to eat it dry as it didn't come with sour cream. A large bar selling only Blanquette catered to the crowds, who were buying it by the glass or jug.

A soloist provided some entertainment, alternating between a banjo and a guitar as he tried to sing English songs, which I must admit sounded very different with a French accent! During his breaks a band would take to the stage, but their song choices left me a bit confused (I'm pretty sure the song 'Do you really want to hurt me?' hasn't been played since the '80s, excluding the film The Wedding Singer, which was set in the '80s anyway!).

Entertainment aside, we enjoyed the food and the wine and the atmosphere of being in a paddock amongst the hills in the French countryside, still lit by the sun's light at 7pm. We had had enough though when the weather turned cold, and decided to catch the bus back into Limoux to retire to the warmth of our house. All in all, it was a great outing and a unique French experience that we really enjoyed.