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.