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An
Offer We Could Not Refuse by
Rick Brown
Regardless
of how it’s pronounced, Penzenas proved to be a delightful
village, large enough to seem a bit bustling at times, yet small
enough to seem cozy and charming. Every morning I would walk to
a bakery and proclaim (in my delightful French) “Bone Jjjjjjoor!
DUH CWASANTS SEE VOO PLAY!!” And the ladies would smile
and help me. My attempts at communicating in French most certainly
were C’est TERRIBLE! But we all managed. The most humorous
exchange came when I visited a camera shop (alone by design) to
buy some new batteries. The guy behind the counter did not know
a word of English. I knew not the French word for batteries. So
I made one up! “Do you have any SHAAAAR - JZAAAYS?”
I politely inquired. And after repeating this line to the confused
man a few times I took the batteries out of my camera and put
them on the counter. He looked at them, then at me, and threw
his head back belly laughing. “No Monsieur.” Being
around French people in what to them is an ordinary circumstance
and living in a centuries old four-story house in Penzenas was
a nice, pleasant diversion from the city life of Paris.
When we finally drove over the bridge at Milleu any doubt that
it was in fact the largest and longest suspension bridge in the
world certainly evaporated. We were so impressed in fact that
we inadvertently drove over it again on the way back. By the mistaken
interpretation of directions (given in French mind you) we ended
up donating about 12 dollars to help defer costs for the bridge’s
construction. In between crossings, we parked in the valley and
trudged up the mountain (It certainly seemed like a mountain)
to get a glimpse from the pinnacle. I advanced despite my fear
of heights. Phoebe, and Mike in particular, were like hikers possessed!!
Two thirds of the way to the summit what appeared to be a monsoon
hit! Driving, horizontal rain soaked the four of us to the bone!!
I feared for my safety and descended short of the precipice. But
Mike was not to be denied and took pictures at the top. Thankfully
the view from the bridge on our return drive took our wetness
off our minds.
My
favorite day trip was to Duilhac Sous Peyrepertuse (Don’t
even ask me to pronounce this.). This is an ancient complex made
up of the village of Duilhac, The Church of Saint Michel and the
Castle of Peyrepertuse. Building began in the 1st Century B.C.
and continued until sometime in the 16th Century. At first the
village was a stopping off point for travelers near what was to
become, when the nation states emerged, the Spanish and French
border. It’s rich history spans the pre-Christian era, through
the Spanish Inquisition, to the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659
when it ceased to be a military stronghold. During the start of
the French Revolution it was abandoned, as were most castles in
France, the ruling class being on the run.
Did I say there was a plethora of castles in Europe? On the drive
home we stopped at a rest area and saw yet another within walking
distance. Fortress de Salses overlooks the Mediterranean and was
also there to protect France’s interests long ago.
Before we left the South of France I wanted to visit a small resort/fishing
village on the coast called Agde. The beach resort area is Cap
d’Agde and has a beautiful beach. Yvonne and I visited here
back in 2001 and fell in love with the place. During the warmer
season (this was not) you can stroll up and down the long sand
beach and see some of the most beautiful people in the world semi-naked
and some totally au natural. Of course you will see plenty of
the least beautiful folks in the same degrees of undress. But
ask any nudist and they will tell you that’s the whole point.
Actually
the four of us enjoyed Agde so much we had dinner there one evening
and returned for lunch later in the week.
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