At our continuing-to-be-practically-full ACSI campsite near Mèze, we had a recent interesting new arrival. A lone traveller pulled into the pitch behind us driving a Spanish registered McLouis brand motor van,. An apparent lady got out and started setting up. Shortly afterwards, the site electrics blew (this was not an infrequent occurrence) whereupon the “lady”, in a rather gruff English voice, said, “I hope it wasn’t me”. I explained that the electricity was only a 6-Amp supply and “she” went on to say that she didn’t really understand what that meant. So, the technical knowledge fitted the clothing but the voice did not. When “she” donned a bikini and sat under a sun shade reading, we didn’t think the shape of the torso matched the clothing, either. Perhaps in this case the McLouis should have been a McLouise? Actually, a much more suitable camper van might have been something based on a Ford Tranny conversion. 😯
This morning we wobbled into into Mèze on our bikes – I say wobbled because my bike now has an impressively buckled back wheel caused by my landing on it almost two weeks ago – and found the market in full swing. Though we’ve stayed in th8is neck of the woods before, we’d never really seen the middle of Mèze, just the harbour. We were impressed, particularly by the market and were forced into buying a splendid piece of espadon [swordfish] which I thought would do well cooked with the remains of our ratatouille. [For the insatiably curious, the idea stemmed from an Italian recipe called Impanata di Pesce Spada.]
We were also taken by the possibility of a 55-minute, late afternoon catamaran trip round the oyster beds in the Bassin de Thau and decided to return after lunch. However, as the afternoon progressed, so did some very threatening black clouds all around us. Neither a stormy boat ride nor a wet return ride on board les bicyclettes appealed, so discretion got the better part of valour and we continued to sit around relaxing and waiting for the storm to break. It never did.
I was right about the swordfish and ratatouille, though. Yum!
Tomorrow we head for the eastern Pyrenees.
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