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.