The Languedoc - returning to Saint Chinian

It was time to move on from Provence - We had seen some amazing sights and had some great experiences and we could have brought you more however due to our lost photo files, its really hard to explain these experiences.
It was time to return to the Languedoc region again. In 2006 we had a wonderful week in Saint Chinian and this time (2008) on our way to the Lot, Dordogne and the Loire, we wanted to renew our memories.
With only two nights in a very average "motel" the days were a delight. It was shame to spend the nights in this dreadful sub-standard accommodation. (Tell us what you really think Leon).....
The early mornings were delightful, crisp, clear and the start of spring. The terrain around Saint Chinian is both hilly and flat, full of vineyards and small if not minute villages. Larger cities are not far away such as Narbonne and Carcassonne.

Sue looks down the small channel that runs through Saint Chinian. We stayed further up the hill that leaves the village. Its not a place that we would recommend staying at, however there are some very delightful villas worth a week stay.



My early morning rides in the Saint Chinian area were memories I will always cherish. Clear blue skies, criss-crossed with the trails of international jets on far away destinations. Cycling allows you to be away on thoughts of your own. Its good for the soul.

Our first day was relaxing in Saint Chinian and revisiting familiar sights. Walking the streets and laneways was a little like walking back to your childhood past, except that in Saint Chinian, nothing had changed.



The wine growing district surrounding Saint Chinian is wide spreading with the variations being great.
We've tasted some lovely light Rose and also some very full bodied reds. Their not as well known as the wines of Burgundy, Bordeaux or Cahor. They are worth seeking out.

This is where we stayed in 2006 - lovely villa and great hosts. http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/france/fr3342.htm
If ever you are there, I couldn't recommend a better place or better hosts.

We can't wait to talk to you next Wednesday and tell you about our day in Narbonne. Have any of you out there been there before?

As weekends go!!!!

Autumn knocked on our door this weekend. The leaves are still clinging to the trees but I don't know how long that will last. Our mornings are slightly cooler but then warming to very pleasant afternoons.

Trying to mix morning rides with house chores is always a struggle. Rides with friends is always a joy, especially when the sun rises over Port Phillip bay. The enthusiastic chatter between our group of riders is always a delight to hear, only overshadowed by the end of ride coffee or in my case a chinotto.

Our ride takes us to the end of Beach Road to Mordialloc. I've blogged Mordy before but on the weekend I found some great old piccies of Mordy - Sue and I have recently toyed with the idea of down-sizing in the future and maybe, just maybe, Mordy could be considered.

Years ago it was a holiday area, just 20 plus kms from the Melbourne CBD, but today is just another eastern suburb.

Sit in the sun but don't expect to catch any fish - not true, today people sit on the pier and catch fish.



The last of the indigenous inhabitants of Mordialloc were Jimmy and lubra (wife)





The Bridge Hotel has been part of the Mordialloc community since its inception - Its seen many transformations over its long history. Its patrons enjoy the outdoor decking looking out over the creek and the Bay on days like this weekend. Don't you love the old cars and the Bedford bus to the left?



It had fairgrounds, fishing and horse racing as its main attractions over the years. Today it has a real village atmosphere with cafes, wine bars and local shops that you don't see so much of these days. There's a creek that runs into the bay at Mordy and on the banks there was a boat builder that started his business there.

On the other side of the creek is a hotel - the Bridge Hotel that has morphed from a country pub to a place where the trendy now dine - that's not a bad thing as we can enjoy a few drinks and admire the view from its decking on a sunny afternoon.

Sunday came with a chilly morning of around 12 but as I was doing the lawns, it rose to 29. There were a few yard chores to be done but my rewards came mid afternoon as Sue brought out a chilled Rose, a Banrock Station and not too shabby. I'm impressed with this winemaker's philosophy. They care for our environment and portion of their sales are invested in the needs throughout the world.



Rosita and Rose on an Autumn afternoon.



http://www.banrockstation.com.au/

If you're interested, here's their website.

I must have worked very hard in the yard today because Sue rewarded me with a delightful dinner that was washed down with a Chilean Pinot Noir. Yes, we do have many fine Australian wines but it's nice to try wines from around the world, and besides, this one had a bike on the label.

Chicken breast pieces (I had to cut them because the whole ones were huge) marinated in salt, pepper, oil, fresh thyme, lemon rind and bay leaves.

Cooked in a pan till the skin was golden then popped in the oven for a few minutes.The pan juices made a tasty sauce.

Served with boiled little new potatoes with a little butter and parsley and my favourite salad (this week any way)

Different types of tomatoes cut up, a bit of red capsicum, spring onion, cucumber and basil. Hunks of sourdough bread, sprinkled with sea salt, fennel seeds and oil then crisped and browned in the oven. Mix it all up with the tomatoes and then add red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil and smush up. Yummy.

A nice, ripe piece of brie served with figs drizzled with runny honey. Served of course with Leon's coffee and a glass of muscat. A nice way to end the weekend.

As weekends go, this was a boomer..................

I Was Only Nineteen - Saturday Song

Red Gum, an Australian folk band came out with a song called "I was only nineteen" dealing with a young man who was called up for service in Vietnam. It was a number one national hit. The Liberal Government at the time introduced conscription and many 18 year olds were sent to fight with the American forces - "All the Way with LBJ" was the Government's catch-cry during the late 60s.

I had friends that went and some that didn't come back. Conscription wasn't for all - it was amarble pulled out of the bucket with your birthdate on it. Mine wasn't pulled out and sometimes I wonder if it ever went in! You see, I was born on April 1, April Fools Day.

The Labor Government siezed power and under Gough Whitlam, conscription was abolished. I remember having a party when the election was on and I can imagine many 18 year olds breathing a sigh of relief.
Like many countries around the world and not only by the youth, but people of many ages marched in moritoriums denouncing involvement in the Vietnam war.
It's hard to know if we should have been there or not, but those who were, despite either wanting or not wanting to be there should be respected for their commitment.

Back to Red Gum. They were out of Adelaide and gained national fame and travelled overseas. Their songs have been recorded by many other international singers, even Joan Baez.

Friday Nostalgia

Just some old Aussie Posters to fill a Friday.

Ice Cream, Biscuits, Holden cars and Holiday Destinations.



What will your weekend bring?

Melbourne is looking forward to sunny days in the 20s.

Perfect for catching up on some home maintenance I'm told.

Tell you more later.

A Day in Avignon

Firstly I need to apologise once again - this part of our trip we took many photos. Unfortunately, I did a very silly thing with the collection and somehow deleted them on our laptop. These are from the web.

Our time in Provence was coming to an end and so was our stay in our lovely little cottage in Saint Remy. We decided to visit Avignon before leaving as we missed it on our 2006 trip.
The man that we leased our Citroen from invited us back to leave the car with him while we visited Avignon. The gates to enter the city were near his garage. What a nice man he is.


Walking through the gate, we entered Avignon - We were excited.

 As we walked through the main gates we passed cafes and bars while people were enjoying the morning sunshine. Naturally our destination was to the Palais du Papes or the Palace of the Popes.
The history of how the Popes came to Avignon in the 1300s intrigued me. Its no secret that the Romans spent some time bringing their culture, architecture and religion to France. The Popes fled Rome during a period of unrest and brought the Papal Court to Avignon. Their reign lasted from 1309 to 1377 before returning to Rome.

I loved their theatre - imagine seeing an opera (or a rock band) within this marvelous building.
The two seated sculptures either side of the entrance intrigued me.

We entered the Palais du Papes at the Champeaux gate. You feel as if you have entered an impregnable fortress rather than a religious building. Within there is a feeling of emptiness - there is very little furniture or signs of the opulent riches of the the Popes' existence many centuries gone ago.
Still, you did get a feeling of the way they lived a life of luxury. Quite in contrast to the Cathars in the Languedoc region only kilometres away. More about them in a later post.

From the Avignon Tourism website

Avignon is famous as it is the city to which the Popes fled when leaving the corruption of Rome in the 14th century. The palace they built, 'Le Palais des Papes,' or the palace of popes, is the world's largest Gothic edifice. It was largely emptied over the centuries, and its vast stone rooms are filled with little more than old frescoes, but it is still an imposing building. The Ramparts themselves were erected to keep the plague and invaders out during the turbulent middle ages, when Avignon belonged to the papacy and not the French crown.

Avignon has been continuously inhabited since the stone age, when troglodytes built in caves in the Rocher des Dames, a massive outcropping of rock rising over the banks of the Rhone. The Romans had a presence in Avignon, though the walls they built lie buried somewhere under the modern streets. Then, in medieval times, the town grew to an important centre of communication and trade. The stone bridge spanning the Rhone was one of only three between the Mediterranean and Lyon. It was undoubtedly for its strategic location and ease of travel that it was chosen by the papacy as home within the then kingdom of Provence.

Le Pont Saint-Benezet is a ruined bridge not far from the Palais des Papes. The bridge was built in the Middle Ages. The legend of the bridge's building is that a local shepherd, Benezet (a dialect form of Benedict) was inspired by angels to build a bridge. When his appeals to the town authorities proved fruitless, he picked up a vast block of stone and hurled it into the river, to be the bridge's foundation stone. Convinced by this demonstration of divine will, the bridge was swiftly built. The poor shepherd boy was canonised, and his chapel remains on the surviving portion of the bridge.


The well-known song "Sur Le Pont D'Avignon (on the bridge at Avignon) refers to the bridge. The bridge itself is far too narrow for dancing or festivals - the original text of the song was "Sous (under) Le pont d'Avignon", referring to the festivals and entertainments staged on the île de la Barthelasse.

Sue actually rang her brother John in Australia while standing on the Pont and sang those very lyrics to him while I hid somewhere so as not to be seen while she did this.
Just a bit of an exaggeration, Leon. I smsed him one line and he sent me back the next one, all the way through the song. Probably more in the nature of a competition. It was great! Although, yeah, he did hide.
 Avignon was a great experience and I'm so sad our photos were lost. But!!!!! there is a great website that our regular blog commenter, Nadege introduced me to. It's called Avignon in photos and is to the right on our sidebar. She takes very creative pics and worth looking at regularly.
http://Avignon-in-photos.blogspot.com/