"Not all wanderers are lost."
J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien
A short walk around Ginestas reveals all sorts of interesting things, as does a drive in some near-by towns.
Civic workers are fixing roads and tending to public works, home owners are busy making their gardens attractive, and cats find favourite spots in the shade to have a nap.
This gentleman and his colleagues have closed the road to attend to some public work needs. What with the "Route Barrée" signs and the abundance of one-ways, we quite often end up on very narrow streets, our little Peugeot in danger of getting scraped on tight turns. (So far, so good!)
There are beautiful and ornate doors and railings found quite unexpectedly when rounding a corner.
Karl spies a segue from afar and goes in for a closer look.
"Marguerite, this would be ideal for you to get around!" 
These photos were taken at a favourite lunch spot called "Les Trois Cochons" (The Three Pigs), which we've frequented at least 3 or 4 times. The owner was the very first person we met when we arrived in town and although his place had just closed for the day, he was helpful in telling us where we'd find a meal on a Sunday night.
But we also like his "poulet et frites", the lasagna, the canard confit, and pretty much anything that's on the menu du jour.
The church is right around the corner. St. Vincent is a beautiful ornate church, and the priest gives thoughtful sermons.
Upon seeing this statue, I remembered my own parish of St. Joseph's back in Port Moody.
This little girl may look a little grumpy at this point, but she was so cute with her Sunday-best dress, embroidered sweater, polished Mary-Janes and little black purse. She didn't want to be delayed a moment longer since there had been promises of ice-cream!
As we drive out of Ginestas, we come across my friend the little grey donkey. I call him and he comes to the fence to say hello.
I really must remember to bring him a carrot or an apple on my next visit.
When you can't find gas anywhere, drive to Sallèles and the station is opened longer than elsewhere. You can't miss the station with this elaborate fountain on the premise. Either the owner has been to Disney World or has grand-children who love Bashful, Sneezy, Dopey and friends.
We had dinner at "La Grange" in Bize one evening and had a delightful dinner, so good that we forgot to take photos. We do remember that the tapenade was exceptional and were told that they use cane sugar to sweeten it. Yummy! But this little kitty stayed close to our table on the terrace and was even more attentive once I gave him a morsel of my "canard". I guess cats DO like birds...
We watched a show on TV called "A Place in the Sun" which is equivalent to "House Hunters International". It featured Argeliers as one of the choices for a Brit to buy a holiday home, so we went to see what all the fuss was about.
We must have come at the "sieste" time because we didn't see a soul. This statue is in Vendange Square, which is a tribute to the vineyards around. The town centre is ancient, on a steep incline with multiple steps, but we didn't find a very active social life. We drove on.
Capestang is our new favourite little town. Lin and Jeff live there and they are understandably proud of the place. We love the InterMarché which carries fresh haddock, a good choice of fresh fruit and veggies, and a bakery with the best baguette and croissants - to say nothing of the pain aux raisins! Then there's this wonderful café in the centre square, Le Caveau de la Place, which is a real find. We've been there twice already and plan to go back as often as we can.
The first time we were there, I had the Norway salmon in a dill sauce and Karl had the farm trout with almonds. Both dishes were accompanied by such appetizing sides: rice with sauce, green beans with almonds, leeks, mushrooms and scalloped potatoes. You'd think that the flavours might clash, but every single bite was delicious!
So we drank our wine and struck up a conversation with the owner. I'm afraid we were the last to leave...
Meet Jean-Pierre, the owner. He's a delight.
The second time we were there, we both ordered duck in a foie gras and honey sauce. It was to die for! Again, the sides were amazing: ratatouille, stuffed mushrooms, scalloped potatoes, mushroom fricassée and poached leek.
We ordered the tiramisu the first time and it alone would have been reason enough to return! The chef, Frank, makes it himself, does not skimp on the liqueur, and makes portions that can easily be shared but are best eaten individually. I thought of taking a photo only after every last bite was finished and savoured. I hope this item never comes off the menu!
The last time we were there, we met Alain, a local gentleman who said he had walked a fair distance to come for lunch, but it was worth the effort. He and his two little white poodles settled in for a relaxing lunch. We started up an animated conversation with him and enjoyed the banter between him and Jean-Pierre and the other patrons who came and went. Again, we were the last to leave the restaurant.
Press the play button to watch the car wash video.
Always there are little jobs that need to get done, like washing the car. This car wash is neat since the car stays put and the car wash moves - and it all happens outdoors!
When we come home after touring about, we often find our own cat (I think he belongs to the next door neighbour) curled up in the shade of the olive tree, having a quiet nap. He seems to have adopted this place and we see him doing "his rounds" twice a day.
Life goes on during holidays much as it does at home, with market days and laundry days. Well, maybe not quite the same since there are a lot of planned outings and dinners out. But sometimes those wandering sort of drives with no specific destination can be surprising and quite delightful.
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