The Operator went out early in search of breakfast supplies, we have been having such good lazy breakfasts on our terrace in the mornings, sitting in the morning sun with freshly brewed coffee, great conversation, a range of boulangerie bread, at least four different fromages and multiple meats….Rosie is very partial now to bread spread thickly with camenbert and apricot jam spread on the top…..yum. When you can buy a 1kg wheel of Camenbert for 5euros…you don’t hold back.
We decide what we are going to do for the day….as No1 has deferred ‘the meal’ we are back on the pomegranate trail….we go to the covered market to check it out, No1 has an inspired holy moment but to no avail…there are no pomegranates to be seen.
The market itself is a converted old church and really only sells all things ducky, walnuty and goosey which are specialties of the region. Check out the doors they are bloody massive! The photo on the right is cool baskets of all types of candied fruits and vegetables, they were really cool.
So, we carry on to the parking area and off we go to Beynac, another town perched on the roadside and rising up into the cliffs. It is beautiful and picturesque, it looks a little more real and gritter than the prettier village of La Roque we visited yesterday. There are no tourist shops, just the bakery, butcher and cheese shop to supply the locals. The Dordogne runs past the village and it is another slow moving blue sky day.
On our way to Castelnaud we pass a fruit and vege shop…pull over No1 instructs! The Operator pulls a death defying U turn. No pomegranate….The Operator shakes his head ‘I think you are going to be out of luck No1…I haven’t even seen a carrot for sale…let alone a pomegranate’.
Castlenaud also sits perched on a craggy yellow clifftop overlooking the valley, it is a medieval castle that has been added on over the centuries and overlooks the wee village of rooftops.
The village may be inundated with visitors to the castle but regular people seem to live here leading regular lives. We stop at a nice shady terrace for some morning tea and discuss the rise of the vikings and how if you have seen one medieval castle you have seen them all.
We turn for home and the elusive hunt for the pomegranate…two stops later No1 concedes the search is over and he has been defeated…uncouth French, fancy them not subscribing to this Iranian indigenous delicacy.
Tomorrow we will now have our delectable dinner….Rosie is suspecting that No1 could be a fraud in the self proclaimed MasterChef stakes….we will wait again and see….
After a light dinner on the terrace we went into town for ice cream, it was Friday night, we wanted to see what happens in this little hamlet. It was 8pm, the heat of the day had gone and the yellow stone was glowing a deep ochre in the gloom of the alleyways, the stored heat from the day was still warm to the touch on the buildings and the shadows were getting longer.
The outdoor terraces and restaurants were all over half full and everyone was enjoying the balmy evening. We enjoyed our ice cream and watched the people walk past. Then we strolled the lanes and found a seat in the main square for a coffee and did a bit more people watching, as the sun started to set the town hall struck 10pm and the gas lights around the square ignited and cast a romantic glow all around. It was still balmy and warm, people of all ages were out walking or doing exactly what we were, just sitting, sipping and watching.
While we were sitting there Pamela Anderson and family had an ice cream behind us, Lucy Liu popped in for a takeaway cone and we saw Aunty Judy out on the town with some girlfriends….we cant understand why she didnt come over and have a drink with us….she was on a girlie mission me thinks, judging by the amount of cocktail umbrellas she had in her partial updo.
Oh, and spray on pants seem to be the next European trend, No1 wanted to feel test out a few ladies as he just wanted to check how effective the longevity of the paint was.
Tomorrow is market day…..it is supposed to be a big one….and this is the day No1 is really going to cook for us…
Rosie is a Middle Aged Kiwi who is about to embark on a twelve month adventure of a lifetime, travelling The World with her trusty, loyal sidekick The Operator. In search of adventure, culture, new taste experiences and world wide 'happy hours', Rosie's journals chronicle their travels and experiences.
Rosie had a lightbulb moment. Within that flash of clarity came the realisation that time was spinning out of control and passing her by. So, armed with the confidence, means, ability and a new found passion for life, Rosie and her trusty, loyal sidekick The Operator have devised THE PLAN.
ROSIE – Continually travels The World for the next 12 months.
THE OPERATOR – Works his 28 day roster and meets Rosie somewhere in The World to explore the area together for his 28 days off. Repeat x6.
ROSIE – Will then stay in one spot of the country they have been exploring for 28 days of local immersion whilst The Operator returns to work.
THE OPERATOR – Certainly has the shorter end of the stick xxx
Join me as I journal my middle aged musings on our day to day travels, culture, food and the quest for the ultimate world wide happy hour.
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