We
had arrived at Ron and Lesley’s place in Caux. Caux and one of many small ancient towns in the area known as Languedoc.
These former villages on hill tops with their quaint town square, ancient church, and winding cobble stone streets, dot the
area. Each and every one of them have a new sub division of new homes that are much like American gated communities in Florida
without the gates. Each property is basically walled in with low wall, have four bedrooms, four bathrooms, patios and
all seem to have gardens and pools and it all looks beautiful. However the streets are empty. To go anywhere you need a car.
Each
of the villages in the area have a new sub division where northern Europeans seeking the sun have come to take up residence.
It is much like the snow birds and their retreat to Florida each winter in North America. Here however it is hotter by far.
Once in a while the wind blows from the south and carries the sand from the Sahara desert into the area. Everything then becomes
covered with a thin layer of sand.
If
you want a garden you would have to be and had been a labourer who worked with your hands digging ditches. The soil is chock
and to plant anything you need an iron bar and chip away at a hole and then fill it with earth for your plant. Ron my
host decided he could do it and lasted two holes and ended up with blistered hands and eventually a blistered wallet when
he had to call in the gardeners. However the result is beautiful as you can see from the garden photos. He has fruiting trees
as well like fig and apricot.
To
me the subdivision is asexual. It has no sex appeal. You live in your little island paradise home and never wandered the streets
or seemingly talked to the neighbours. Mind you I was there for only a day and I am sure people interact. However give me
the crowded old neighbourhoods of an old town where you can walk to the town square have an espresso, buy a baguette, run
into a priest, see kids playing soccer in the street.
The
highways in this area have plane trees lining the road on each side. These provide shade. They are also located along the
canals since it slows down the evaporation of water. A plane tree looks like a poplar tree with a smooth camouflage looking
bark. Also along the highways and throughout the countryside you will find umbrella pines and as the name suggest they look
like giant umbrellas. After a while I could identify olive and Almond trees, Aleppo pine, aloe, barbery figs and mediterranean
thistles. See I do pay attention.
Ron
was kind enough to include us in some errands he was running and we got to see the countryside. It looks exactly like you
would see in a French painting. Yellow fields with hay cut and stacked right next to row upon row of green vines. A road running
off into the distance and on a hill pinkish and yellow coloured houses with red tiled roofs clustered around a church steeple.
The towers of churchs in this area are not a pointed steeple but rather a large wrought iron crowns with a cross on top.
Ron
and I eventually visited Pezenas a bigger town with a town centre that is visited by tourist so as a result there are
many restaurants, art galleries, books stalls, and historic sights. The gals joined us later and we had a supper in one of
major squares of the village. They live a retirement lifestyle with trying to find things to do everyday. Lesley has in the
past worked with stain glass and continues to do so in Caux. Ron has taken up Boules. The aim of the game is
to get large, heavy balls as close to the elusive 'jack' (i.e. 'boobaloo') as you can. It
is very popular especially in France but
also Italy, where it
may often be seen played in any open space in villages and towns. It is also similar to 'bocce'
and 'bowls.