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.

International Harvesters

On Friday, our dear friends Debbie and Reed went to help pick grapes at a vineyard that their friends, George and Maryka, co-own in Montagnac. We followed behind them through the winding country roads to Mas du Mauri vineyards.



Somehow, I pictured hours of back-breaking labor, sweating under the hot Languedoc sun. Luckily, there was a fresh breath of fall in the air, so the weather was perfect — and there were just a few rows of luscious, ripe grapes to pick. Debb showed us how easy it was:


We got the method down in no time:


Everyone was snipping and picking so quickly, we filled up the wheelbarrows in no time flat.


So, who was going to haul our harvest back to the crushing machine at the house? None other than yours truly. Much more fun than an afternoon at the gym. Go, biceps, go!


Vince did his share of hauling too:


And even with all that intensive labor, there was time to stop and smell the roses. Well, time to stop and eat a sweet, ripe fig anyway:


Back at the house, Maryka showed Alec how to load grapes into the crushing machine:


George stirred up a batch of yeast to start the fermentation process of the first crush:


Double, bubble, toil and trouble!


After just a couple of hours, we were done. We gathered back at the house for a wonderful al fresco potluck.


Clockwise (from left) our host George, me, Vince, hostess Maryka, Reed, Jill, and Jack. Yes, Jack and Jill are a couple. And yes, they have heard all the nursery rhyme jokes!

The hard work took its toll on Jack, who enjoyed a sunny breezy afternoon at the vineyard in high style:


Now, that's how to spend a languid day lounging in the Languedoc — with a smile on your face and the wind blowing up your shorts.

You Gotta Have Friends

Introducing our friends Debbie and Reed Eller. Last December, they treated us to a rollicking good time at their apartment in Paris, with Reed mixing up killer martinis, Debbie whipping up a delicious dinner, and both showing us an evening of full of fun and laughs.


Debb and Reed toasted our wedding in July 2008, serving champagne (and it was the good stuff) in the heart-shaped glasses that they had used at their wedding. Such good friends are truly a joy — the fizzy-licious champers tickled our noses as well as our hearts.

So, of course, we were anxious to see Debb and Reed again and get the chance to catch up — and to hear Debbie's story about our summer home exchange in Abeilhan. Last fall, when we told Debbie where we'd be spending the summer, she simply said, "Oh, I have a story to tell you about that!" A story?!? Hmm. Had she ever been to Abeilhan? Had she and Reed stayed in the house we would be staying in? Did they know Sharon and Mel, the owners?

The answers: No, no, and no. Instead, they told us they have a summer place in Bouzigues! Yep, the cute little town where we spent a lovely afternoon last week. When we first visited Bouzigues, we found a sweet little B&B where we thought we'd spend the night sometime. Debbie and Reed wouldn't hear of it, insisting we stay with them when we came to town last Wednesday. Who are we to say no to such hospitality?

We took our pals to lunch at La Parenthese, where they'd made reservations. The main road in Bouzigues is chock-full of great places to eat, but after our lovely afternoon at La Parenthese, we reckon that Debbie and Reed found the best of the best. It had the whole nine yards: charm, ambiance, super service, and great food.

We started with a massive plate of oysters. OK, Debbie — ready, set, slurp!


On the way home, we stopped at Maison Pitchiline, where I snapped up a very fetching hat for just six-and-a-half euros (that's less than 10 clams). Honey's not to sure about my new chapeau, but it makes me feel oh-so-natty.


Winding our way through the village, we ran into friends of Debbie and Reed. They'd just moved into a new home, and invited us up to check out the view — you can see the oyster beds in the background.


Aw, Shucks!

Speaking of oysters, it was time for Reed, Honey, Vince and me to pile into Debbie's Citroen and pick up some more of the crusty crustaceans for dinner. Reed helped the proprietor shuck the little devils, then taught me how.
























Vince seems worried that we might not have enough oysters. Well, three dozen is just a snack...


Back at Chez Eller, we sipped a glass or three of wine on the patio before Reed broke out the martini shaker. We sipped and talked and laughed as Debbie got busy in her outdoor kitchen, fixing another of her hall-of-fame dinners.


We were joined by George and Maryka Hoover, co-owners of Mas du Mauri vineyards. We all had such a hoot that night. Good food, good fun, and good company — who could ask for more?












But wait! There is more (even though we didn't ask — that would've been tacky). George and Maryka invited us to help them harvest grapes at their vineyard the following Friday, then join them for the feast to follow.

So, tune in next time, when your favorite world travelers become international harvesters!