It’s been a few days since I’ve written in the blog because life has been so busy and fun. Generally everything runs later here – we all get up around 9.00am, have lunch around 3.00pm and eat dinner around 10.00pm and go to bed around midnight. The day start off coolish and then the cloud burns off and the afternoons and evenings are hot. Sunset is around 10.30pm.
Darren and Cecily have a few friends around the area – mostly English people who live in the area. They have introduced us to most of them and there have been long, boozy lunches and dinners with amazing food.
Two days ago Cecily took me for a walk into the village. We walked past a local fig tree, found a perfectly ripe black fig which we picked off the vine and ate, and then climbed the steep hill into the town. As we rounded the corner of Rue des Nobles into the village square we walked past the tavern where the locals were sitting outside having an “apero”. An old friend of Cecily’s who had also lived in Singapore was there and bought us un kia and we sat outside for a few hours shooting the breeze and enjoying the ambiance.
The next day was market day in the neighbouring village of Revel so we set off with plenty of shopping bags and bought a feast. Culinary treasures included Brie en fig, cathar cheese, salami, cherries (big box for 3 euros), two different types of olives, Roma tomatoes, baguette (of course) and the most flavoursome rotisserie chicken I have ever eaten. We brought it home, and sat in the sun by the pool for a beautiful Saturday lunch.
In the afternoon we walked up to the village to be fitted out for our costumes for the village parade next Saturday. Every year the whole village dresses up and parades through the streets in medieval costume. This year we will be a part of it. The church hall has over 1800 costumes from different periods in history which they often loan out to people around the world (including Melbourne). This year we are all dressing as Renaissance people. The boys look beautiful in the jackets, pantaloons, and chapeaus (photos to follow on Saturday). Cecily and I will be wearing Renaissance style dresses with head dresses (more photos to follow). The parade will be followed by a medieval feast in the chateau. Apparently they didn’t have vegetables in medieval times so we will be eating venison and lentils! I hope they had cutlery in those days!
When we got home, Cecily had some friends over (an English lady who has lived in Australia for 14 years and her French husband). We cooked coq au vin and peach crumble for dinner and drank lots of delicious wine (the wine is so cheap and so good here that I could become a total alcoholic if I stay here too long).
Today we got up early and drove to a nearby village where they had a dog show. Lots of dogs were running though obstacle courses with their masters and plenty of puppies were on sale (we all fell in love). Nick had a go at archery, shooting at a fake rabbit and ordered a ball of candy floss that was bigger than his head!
At lunch time we met with a group of Cecily and Darren’s friends at a restaurant next to the Canal de Midi to celebrate multiple zero birthdays (some were turning 40 and others 50). We enjoyed a degustation menu in the sun, had plenty of laughs and enjoyed the wine so much bought a crate of it to bring home.
Chris is more happy and relaxed than I have ever seen him. The kids are enjoying exploring and hanging out with their friends. I’m enjoying the unique experiences on offer here and am beginning to relax enormously. It’s such a beautiful part of the world with the old villages and rolling green hills of sunflowers…..totally happy. 🙂
