New Pals in Pezenas

In Abeilhan last fall, we met a lot of Sharon and Mel's friends (including Liz and Rob). We chit-chatted with a bunch of fun new faces, but didn't get to talk with Lauren and Michael too much. Funny thing is, as L&M were leaving, we really hit it off. Lauren's from the Bay Area, so we invited Lauren and Michael to a "San Francisco-style Sunday Brunch" a few weeks ago.

Michael, our host & chef, Lauren


The menu for the day included bagels (not pictured). Frozen bagels. From the British Food (?) section of the Carrefour grocery store in Pezenas. Yeah, OK ... so, anyway — frozen bagels for Brits? Not so much. But, hey, it's the South of France. You want bagels here? Bon chance (good luck). But check out Chef's frittata!


And, as yummy as (most) of the food was, the best part of the day was getting to know Lauren and Michael better. Honey enjoyed our guests too, and took a special shine to Lauren.


We were thrilled when Lauren and Michael invited Vince, Ted and me to lunch in Pezenas not long ago. Their house is a real showplace — stylish, yet so inviting and comfy. The food was stellar, and the company was superb.

















Lovely home, gorgeous table, great food, and dear new friends. A perfect afternoon. This is why we travel.




















Pezenas Market

We returned to Pezenas the following Saturday for the big market. Fresh food, fun sights, and a full day of frivolity!

Ready, Go, Sete!

A few evenings ago, Honey sat at the dinner table, daydreaming of new places to go, things to see, and sidewalks to smell.


It seemed an outing was in order, so the next day we got ready to go to Sete. Known as the "Venice of Languedoc," Sete is a (fairly) cosmopolitan port and resort on the Mediterranean. There's a terrific beach as you drive into Sete — it was so pretty I forgot to take a picture (so I borrowed this one from tripadvisor.fr):


We moseyed through town, taking in the sights along the main canal.


I thought I discovered a place selling chocolate-covered seagull eggs — but they we just chocolate candies.


We happened upon the food market, so we took a whirl around:









We grabbed some lunch, then finished up our tour with long stroll along the Canal de Sete.



Not quite Venice, but appealing nonetheless:
























I was thinking it might be fun to stop for a frozen treat — when was the last time you had gelato on an ice cream boat?


Sadly, the idea was vetoed by my traveling companions. I did get a consolation prize, though — we had grilled oysters for dinner!

Knock! Knock! Qui Est La?

(Toc! Toc! Who's There?)

A curious sight in this region: door knockers shaped liked hands — usually emerging from a ruffled sleeve, holding what local lore suggests is (most often) a pomegranate. Sometimes with a ring on one finger, sometimes without. Sometimes with an extended pinkie (such good breeding!), sometimes with the fist fully clenched.












I've trolled around the Net (briefly) for answers, but I've not found any satisfactory explanations.

Here's what's most fascinating to me: the rings on some of the fingers. Upon closer inspection, the rings often appear to have some image or symbol on them — but I can't tell what. A monogram? Family crest? Coat of arms? Do these knockers indicate membership into a particular clan? Secret society? The Knights Templar? Mary Kay?

I don't think they are Little Orphan Annie Secret Decoder Rings. But why do I crave a glass of Ovaltine when I see one of these knockers?

Ted Comes to Town!

Do You Know the Way to Beziers?

Our dear friend Ted has come to Abeilhan for a visit. Vince has known Ted for about 40 years or so, since they first taught at Red Hill School together.

After a long flight from SF to Paris, Ted was supposed to arrive at the Beziers train station Tuesday evening — but somehow ended up in Agde. Anyhow, after we tracked him down, we brought Ted to Abeilhan and fed him some frittata then made sure he got a good night's sleep.

On Wednesday, we took him exploring in Abeilhan as well as Beziers (since he'd missed seeing it the day before). We made like tourists and hit some of the local landmarks.






How nice that a couple of lifelong buddies can spend a few weeks in France exploring, hanging out, and shooting the breeze. Or just taking a stroll (with a cute little dog) together.


We are looking forward to our continued travels with Ted. More fun and madcap misadventures are sure to come.