Montpellier - Bordeaux - Lacanau

---

Montpellier.
The Wobblies are based there and so too did we for 2 nights either side of the game against Fiji. The win was solid but exposed a few deficiencies.
The highlight was Montpellier itself. A biggish city with real charm and the most psychodellic of trams. We also caught up with our mate Rod who was over with a few of his Londoner comprades. All nine of us had a wonderful night out after the match in a restaurant tucked into the corner of a quaint plaza somewhere in the back streets of Montpellier. The food in the restaurant was another story. In my experience, a menu's BBQ plate would indicate the kransky would at least be waved enticingly close to something hot before being placed on a plate and served to a customer. The cold, raw concoctions lumped in front of us looked as though they had been launched direct from cow to dish. I at least ate mine - amazing what nine hundred beers can do for your appetite. Over indulgance of alcohol also led Nick to finally find some creative use for his green and gold war paint.
The following day was for farewells, the Coulters back to the land of milk and honey, the Wilsons off for another week in provinicial France before they are also homebound.
Penny and I consequently jumped back on the France merry-go-round. We promised ourselves a week or two of detox after the excesses of the previous fortnight. The detox philosophy lasted roughly a day as we ambled through the aisles of chateau de supermarket where I can never resist the shelf of 4 euro dirty reds.
I have mentioned in previous blogs about overdosing on quaint French towns and after a day in Quercy, that feeling was coming back. Strolling through villages such as Najac, Millau, and Villefranche de Rouergue and complacency was again setting in. So what do you do.? We decided to head to the beach, this time Lacanau. On the way we passed through the most beautiful of Quercy and Dordogne countryside, beautiful regardless of the shabby weather.
Stopping at one village to buy our lunch time baguette, it was time to give myself a good old slap in the face. How could we become blase about these places? I don't even know the name of this town . Its about 20klms from Bergerac and a simple unintentional pit stop. I left Penny with the car while I wondered off to look for a boulangerie. The village was 110% charm (although by definition that is impossible).
Half-timber stone houses, narrow lanes, quiet, unmolested. The boulangerie / pattisserie was quintessential France. When boulangeres advertise for sales staff, the following character traits are an essential part of the job description:
- female
- permanent smile
- must speak lilting, sing song French
- an intrinsic love for selling bread and pastries.
The entire purchasing process is a joy along with the knowledge that the taste treat to follow will be the coup de grace.
Walking back to the car, I looked over my shoulder, nobody around, and so broke into a 5 year olds skip. How can you NOT love France?
Our arrival in Lacanau was greeted with a windswept ocean. The owner of the Aussie bar in town explained to us that the winds were being caused by a deep depression over England. I know what you are thinking, come on Yeatesy, here is an opening for some of your best work. I cant, too easy, NOOOO challenge in bagging Poms.
The Canada match in nearby Bordeaux was an exercise in frustation - fumbles, drizzle, a Pommy ref who had a whistle stuck to his lips. At least we won and our seats were under cover. Now for the QFs and there are a couple of new entries; notably Fiji and the Pumas. The thinking mans game just became more global.
The surf has been as frustating as the match against Canada. Big and messy for 2 days before the wind went straight offshore and the swell went straight out the back door. Ive seen bigger swells on Lake Burley Griffin?
So til next time, hopefully in high spirits from a QF win over the Brits.
Bonne journee?
Yeatesy.

With 2 weeks behind us of glorious weather and even finer company, Montpellier marked yet another Wallaby gathering and our farewell point from our 'big brother' housemates, the Wilsons and the Coulters.
We arrived in the centre of Montpellier only hours before the game to see the streets lined with the green and gold mass of people and of course Gary, Greg and Nick equally decked out in the patriotic colours. The boys had tickets to the game; the girls had time to explore Montpellier, a rather fine city with a choice of bars and cafes to watch the game from with hundreds of other Wallaby widows, in-laws and the like. Of course the game was a Wallaby victory giving Nick ammunition and courage to get his war paint out and paint both Gary and Greg and any other willing supporter at the Tram station. As a result our tram ride home was colourful thanks to Nick with every other drunk wallaby supporter also coloured up for the occasion.
Sadly we bid farewell to the big brother household and go solo again with Gary. Having had 2 weeks under one roof, I found it hard at first to get those suitcases packed up and in and out of the car. But a few nights in Cahors visiting the most charming of villages soon washed my 'living out of a suitcase syndrome' away. In particulqr St Emiliou, a town smack bang among the vineyards, it was picture postcard material, filled with 'caves' - cellar doors and prices unfortunately too high for these 2 travellers. A wine tasting at 42euro sent us back to E Leclerc supermarket for our wine tasting.
The weather however has turned a few degrees cooler and greyer so we head to the coast to spend a week or so to soak up some sun and for Gary to catch up on his 9 months without surf. (so he hoped anyway, before the swell dropped and his back caused more problems, looks like his surfing for this trip might be coming to a quick halt). We have based ourselves in Lacanau, a nice coastal town with a huge coastline and a never ending beach. Being the end of the French summer also marks the end of the season for Lacanau and everything is winding down, including bars, shops and as of last weekend the internet cafe, so the nearest internet is now and hour drive away. So during the week it is pretty quiet in town and by the weekend everyone returns to liven up the place. The aussie bar has remained open and has also been our meeting point to watch the rest of the Rugby games - along with every other ex-pat Englishman, Welsh, Irish and Frenchman, so there is always a bit of friendy rivalry for each game.
Saturday also marked our last game we had tickets to (Aust vs Canada), boring game in the rain, however we had tickets in the stand under cover - thanks Rod, and Bordeaux itself needs further exploring on a finer, sunnier day, next blog...
Penny
ps - my kitchen in Lacanau in nothing compred to our Hossegor kitchen, and even though the beach is at my door, I do miss the pool and the company each afternoon around the pool at beer and champagne o'clock.

More images at:

www.colvinyeates.zenfolio.com

---

Photos

Montpellier
The boys after the Fiji game with a FEW drinks under theirs belts

Montpellier
The rugby lunch enjoyed by Rugby widows

Montpellier
The loud trams

Montpellier
The morning after in the main plaza

Millau
Unintentional pit stop

Cahors
The medieval bridge

St Emilion
With the price of their local wines; this is all we could afford

St Emilion
The town from above

Lacanau
Down the beach in Lacanau