Day 8 at the seaside

Back on the road and today would be full of variety. First stop was the Noilly -Prat winery in the village of Marseillan a delightful town southwest of Montpellier on the coast.  Marseillan is on the outskirts of Montpellier and is slowly being swallowed  by the city as it grows. It is home to a well known brand of aperitif Noily Prat, a type of digestive stimulant with the generic name of Vermouth. White wine made in the vicinity is macerated with a secret  combination of  aromatics derived  from herbs and  medicinal plants that grow on the shores of the Mediterranean  or inland in the marquis and garrigue, two kinds of low scrubby bushland found in Provence. While the ingredients and proportions of each are a well kept secret a tasting of Noily Prat will suggest the presence of juniper berries, sage, thyme and other plants with a 'dry' taste profile.

Lunch was in the small village of Meze further up the coast and once again a random choice of harbourside cafes did not disappoint. The salmon served on hot rocks was divine. Meze is also the home town of Pepinieres Filippi a nursery known world wide for its introduction of many fine plants suited to summer dry  Mediterranean climates. Olivier Filippi a leading authority inthis field gave the group an interesting insight into  this trend.

The final visit for the day was the Jardin antique Mediterranean in the glorious town of Balaruc les Bains and is the home to a botanic garden of interest as it grows only plants  native to the Mediterranean that have been grown and harvested since ancient times.

Day 7 ...a day at leisure in Montpellier

Today is a designated day off for the coach driver so the group had time to explore this beautiful place. With lots of options available such as art galleries, shopping, the cathedral, and catching the local tram, the day was a very pleasant one. Or for those who just wanted to catch up on sleep and some personal time out the day was most welcome.

Day 6 Wednesday 21 September. ..the back country of Montpellier

Day 6 Wednesday 21 September. ..the back country of  Montpellier
Food.....food...wine....not too much wrong with that combination. Today we experienced some wonderful food and wine moments. Our first stop was the market at Clarmont-Herault which is one of the best in the region noted for its very varied selection of local produce. Each person purchased their choice of delicacies for a shared 'Happy hour' at the end of the day. We had some amazing charcuterie,  breads, regional cheeses, olives, fresh radishes, salads and many superb fruits. This market has operated  almost continuously since the  12th century interrupted only by war and the Black death. Vibrant and wonderfully French.

Our next stop was the Canet at Domaine de la Dourbie winery for yet another taste sensation. Here we were treated to a tour of this organic winery with a guided tasting. Superb!  But then the best was yet to come...a picnic in a forest. A small feast in individual picnic bags were prepared by our hosts complete with the gingham table cloths! With perfect weather and good company he whole experience was very memorable. Our perfect day ended with the spoils of our market shopping with happy hour in our hotel breakfast room per kind favour of our host Nathalie. I love this place.

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Day 4: Monday 19 September. .....following the Romans....

Roman ruins....more cats and stunning icecream!!!!

Today we followed in the footsteps of the Romans to the glorious towns of Arles and Tarascon. Arles was the home of Vincent Van Gogh where he painted many well known images.  However beofre exploring it was time for coffee and 'elevenesses'!!! Even though it was only 10! The OMG gasp became the norm as around every corner  were more treasures and surprises.  Lunch was 2 or 3 scoops of the MOST DIVINE icecream.  Trevor and I shared. ...banana flambe and nougat were my choices....his rosewater and something i couldn't identify. nd our vista was a 2,000 year old Roman Colossuem as a backdrop. Have we died andgone to heaven????

The compulsory purchase of a beret for our leader...very chic Mr Nottle!! Unfortunately the art lovers in he group missed out on the Van Gogh exhibition due to closure of the museum. Onto Tarascon and the group ventured into a medieval castle on the river. Vertigo was a bit of an issue for those who took on the challenging turrets. With only a few hours here it was obvious Tarascon deserved a return visit. 

It was a fabulous day and to end it dinner was at oneof the many town squares in Montpellier. ..amazing seafood. ..AND ...the desserts were to die for.  Bed beckoned as we waddled back full to the brim with the food and wine of this beautiful place.

Sunday 18 September Day 3...The Cevennes

Sauve ...a living village museum... 

Today we had our first day of touring the region and after the crazy onging fight with Montpellier's narrow roads and a recalcitrant sat nav, we eventually left for the preserved medieval village of Sauve where time stands still. The Conservatoire de la Fourche was fascinating with Medieval production and craft techniques on show and kept alive. Pitchforks grown from trees...quite unique. From there we enjoyed the beauty of this place wandering its many back streets with typical French provincial architecture abounding.  Lunch was divine and the love affair with this region's food and wine beginning. Goodbye diet!!!!

The final visit for the day was the silk museum at Saint -Hyppolite du Fort.  Our techno and enginerring experts in the group were in seventh heaven while the shoppers in the group were spoilt for choice.  Back to Montpellier and the battle with its roads and lack of coach parking.  Our patient driver Paul was being seriously tested. Jetlag began its intrusion......zzzzz.....

Byways and boudin....our trek across France begins.

 The great trek south to Montpellier began today.  Up and out of the hotel our merry band of travellers were ready for action. The 800+ kilometres were ahead of us and the open farmlands streched on and on. Punctuated by regular ( and disappointing) updates via text messages from Donna and Jen back home, we had quarter by quarter results of the Crows semi final against Sydney. Time to leave that one alone. ..no more footy of interest now for 6 months! Thanks ladies for the updates. 

The flat open landscape gradually changed the further south we traveled and mountains, vineyards and amazing clifftop settlements soon dominated. It was breathtaking. One of the rest breaks enroute saw a surprise lot of treasures. ..a service centre not like any at home, gave us a vast array of cheeses, sausages, quirky gifts and weird and wonderful metallic sculptures.  What a bonus! 

Montpellier beckoned as the long haul of road miles gradually ended. Our driver Paul, who had several long days already clocked up, was about to really earn his money.  Our hotel in Montpellier is located in the heritage part of the town and Sally Sat Nav was about to direct Paul into an 'interesting' situation. The narrow one way streets soon became walking pathways not exactly conducive for navigating a 49 seater coach in and around. Time to get some local knowledge  via our phone contact. Now this is where language  or lack of it, became the master player! On the advice received from our French hotel contact Paul followed the instructions to turn up one main street, drive under the arch (a mini Arc de Triomphe) and continue down the next left turn. ..mmmm......well if you were walking or driving a Fiat 500 it may have been an option. So as the road narrowed even more and the turning circle evaporated, our coachwas not going anywhere.  ....couldn't go forward. ...couldn't go backwards as the French locals looked on. 

Time to find a kind policeman. With  more broken French and English not faring all that well, eventually the cavalry arrived.  With four local police officers saving the day, the road was blocked off, all the traffic behind us had to reverse backwards and here is where our Hardings coach driver showed his stuff! Unbelievable Mr Paul  Dennington! !!! You well and truly earnt a round of beers! !!!  That reversing exercise  was poetry in motion! !!! 

Finally we made it to our boutique hotel which is just gorgeous and enjoyed an amazing dinner at the restaurant close by. What a day! Our group is having a ball and the next few weeks promise to be something even more special than we hoped. But please.....no more one way walking tracks for our coach! !!