Sunny Days

Well the past two weeks have flown by ... today is Tuesday, May 28th, 2019.

Two weeks ago today our little “Peugeot Airbus” did another run to the Toulouse-Blagnac Airport. 

Travel time is about an hour and half depending on the weather, time of day and if there are no “bouchons” (traffic jams) on the auto route. 

We made it in time for an unrushed checkin for Jennifer’s return flight home to Canada. 

On our return trip back to Montlaur, we stopped in Trèbes for a little snack on the Quai before some grocery shopping. 

The skies were blue and the sun was shining. 

The tapas menu at “Les Vignes de Bacchus” is delicious plus they have a great wine cave; it’s a great spot on the Quai for people and bird watching. 

We watched this female mallard duck being wooed by the male ducks. 

Poppies just starting to show their pretty faces along the Canal du Midi ...

We spent the afternoon outside enjoying the sunshine on the terrace.

This is one of the simplest pleasures we enjoy while travelling. 

Who wouldn’t want to sit here? 

Of course it’s all dependent on Mother Nature. 

Like the saying “You have to make hay while the sun shines” and take advantage of the chance to do something while conditions are good. 

Remember those cherries from Ceret, Monsieur Honey hand-pitted them and later in the week he baked a cherry galette for my birthday. 

Later in the day we went for a walk and wandered to the Tuesday market in Montlaur held from 4:30 to 7:00pm near the Place de la Maire.

We watched some of the local activity ...

Sights today ... the bus and one of the many farmers that regularly travels thru the village. 

We woke to beautiful sunshine the next day and continued with some more down time. 

Today was a perfect day for an alfresco lunch! 

This is the view from our bedroom window over the patchwork tiled roofs and the mountains. 

I look every morning, it’s like my personal weather barometer. 

We did a little container gardening (dead-heading/watering) on the terrace and relaxed the balance of the day. 

Tomorrow (May 16th) I will wake up with my personal odometer having added another year! 

Flamingos & Salt On the Island of Saint Martin in Gruissan

Monday, May 13th, 2019 

#Gruissan#Gruissanplage#Postcardsfromthelot#Frenchtravels#frenchmarkets#lesalindel’iledesaint-Martin#lesalindegruissan

#Lesalindel'îlesaintmartinàgruissan

Our travels today took us thru lush vineyards and along the étang under blue, blue skies to Gruissan & Gruissan Plage.

Jennifer wanted to see the Mediterranean Sea and we hoped to make her wish come true. 

Of course it was another windy day ... the windsurfers were out in full force as we drove along the shore. 

We arrived in Centre-Ville where the Monday market was happening. 

It was a cornucopia of fresh foods and a kaleidoscope of colours ... 

You can’t go to the market without your basket, so just in case you forget yours ... you buy one here for 5€ that you fill up with all the fresh goodness you’re buying. 

A little more shopping and we found a café for lunch ... with a reservation made for later, we stopped for a pre-lunch apéro.

 

Soaking up the sunshine with a pre-lunch apéro.

A cute boutique ...

Lunch needs to be seafood when you’re at the seaside ... 

We visited the 13th century Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

A walk around the port/ marina ... 

Those are flamingos ... not my best photography, too far away! 

Then we stumbled upon a surprise ... « Le Salin de l’île Saint-Martin « an amazing spot with a Museum, guided tours, boutique, restaurant, etc all set against the beautiful, pink salt marshes. 

Salt piles ...

Today was Jennifer’s last day. 

We hope she enjoyed her whirlwind taste of a small part of France. 

Tomorrow it’s back to Toulouse-Blagnac Airport for her return flight to Canada where we are sure her beautiful boys and hubby will be happy to have her home. 

Bon Voyage!

Medieval Knights (and a Day) in Mirepoix!

Sunday, May 12th, 2019 #Mirepoix#vide-greniers#Postcardsfromthelot#maisondelachevalerie

Sometimes you just have to go with the flow.  

Monsieur Honey has a strong interest in looking at/searching for unusual items ... i.e. antiques, flea market bargains.

While we were in the planning stages of this adventure to France, I had done some “Googling” about “vide-greniers and brocantes”. 

I found a very informative website  https://vide-greniers.org/Languedoc-Roussillon/mai that we could use to discover where these activities were being held on any specific date. 

So I added the link to my home screen for easy reference. 

Back in 2013 during our three-month stay in Dégagnac, he purchased this book at the local « épicerie » and it provided much entertainment and exploration of new communes, villages and towns. 

We travelled to and discovered so many different places in the Lot Valley ... here’s hoping that this list with provide us with the same experience. 

Yesterday, we checked out the vide-greniers listings to see if there was anywhere new that we could visit.

Bram was showing a town wide sale. So off we went to do what I call “picking”. 

Guess what daughter, Jenn also likes to check out the flea markets and antique shops. 

I say she comes by it honestly through her Papa. 

Monsieur Honey ferreted / picked through this suitcase (pictured below) to find the right tunes that would provide the desired atmosphere for an afternoon/ evening on the sun-trapped terrace. 

Our bargain of the day was the purchase of an assortment of CDs which included some great French music and even some Zydeco.

Plus they are souvenirs that can easily travel home with us that will provide hours of  listening pleasure in our courtyard during the Canadian summer.

Hopefully, our family, friends and neighbours will also enjoy the sweet songs! 

The bargains of the day 1€ per CD ... all brand new and still in original wrap/packaging. 

Another vendor was selling CDs for 15 to 20 euros a piece.

Bram is a commune in the Aude department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region located on the Canal du Midi. 

We didn’t spend much time here as it was a Sunday and out of season. 

Can you see the snow on the Pyrénées? 

The road to Mirepoix ... our next stop. 

Mirepoix is a bastide town in the Ariège region that was rebuilt in the 13th century following a flood. 

The typical medieval wood carvings on the old facade of « La Maison des Consuls »...

Do you see the different faces? 

The market square with the southern French Gothic-style Saint-Maurice cathedral in the background. 

Beautiful half-timbered houses whose first floors (1st floor in France is actually the 2nd) that hang over the square create the arcaded walkways below which houses unique shops, cafés and restaurants. 

This reminds of the houses that hang over the river in Girona, Spain. Photo from September 2017. 

We found a table to enjoy the warmth of the sunshine, a little tapas, Rose and people watching at “No. 20 by Pat”. 

A little more wandering of the side streets surrounding the square, my entourage (Father and daughter) checked out a couple of brocantes and then we found an amazing shop ... Maison de la Chevalerie (House of Chivalry).

There were beautiful items created by French craftsmen all displayed meticulously. 

Here you can also be entertained ... you can see what it was like to be a knight in the Middle Ages, wear a period costume, do some middle age activities ... crossbow shooting, ring throwing, duels, etc. 

It was an enjoyable visit with the shop owner who provided friendly, excellent service. 

So if you find yourself in Mirepoix stop in and say hello to Cyril and checkout the shop at 15, rue Vigarozy - 09500 Mirepoix.

Inside courtyard of a hotel/ restaurant ...

I call this brocante alley ... 

Just a pretty facade ...


Tomorrow (May 13th) was Jennifer’s last full day in France ... come back to read about our day in Gruissan, looking for the beach.