Summer Days June 2017

June was another perfect month in Limoux. We spent most of the month in and around Limoux with one driving holiday that we will talk about in another chapter. Limoux was dressed up with baskets of flowers, blue skies and hot weather and we took the opportunity to have more outdoor parties in the courtyard. The photo shows John, some fellow apartment buddies, some visitors and our really great landlady Helen (sitting at the head of the table).

Wine Tasting
The local wine shop puts on a wine tasting event each month. For the first time we were in town on the evening of the event so decided to go. It started at 7 or 7.30 French time. The evening was about Women in Wine and 6 or 7 female wine makers from the region displayed their wares and talked about the wine with profuse enthusiasm. The theme was Spanish so there was Spanish music, food and dancing. It was a great evening.

Markets
There is a weekly town market every Friday and in summer there is also a night market. The summer markets are bigger and livelier. All the towns in this part of France (probably everywhere) have markets. The Limoux market has a bit of everything you would expect with fruit and veges, cheese, meats cuts from every part of the beast and chickens with their heads and feathers, so you know the origin of the chicken. Who wants to eat a chicken from the wrong region?

Esperaza is a small commune about 25 km south of Limoux also on the Auld River. It has a market every Sunday and is more of a hippy, traveller, Nimbin, Heather type market. We like visiting this market just for the atmosphere and energy.

Fireworks and Effigy Burning
Some of the Limoux festivals are a bit bizarre and the Feu de Saint Jean A L’Arague is also a little hard to explain. There was music, dancing, food and drink events in the square and along the river. Close to midnight everyone went to one of the bridges across the river and an effigy was lit up and then there was an impressive fireworks display. It has something to do with the summer solstice and the birth of St Jean the Baptist but I can’t find the reason for the fireworks and effigy. Well, why not – does there need to be a reason?

A Bike Ride along the Canal du Midi
Our friend Julie had been implying we weren’t really doing the French thing if we didn’t ride a bike with a baguette in the basket. A ride along the Canal du Midi was the perfect opportunity to do so (without

the yoplait). It was a beautiful ride and surprisingly easy even for a middle aged unfit person like me. We stopped along the way for a picnic and une verre du vin.

Next: To Italy and Back - A Day Trip