feb 9

We finally had this famous cheese yesterday. It was wonderful. Even better cold when we tasted it fro, scopping out a hole to put in garlic and calvaddos...we didn't have any white wine. It did also taste very good over our potatotes: Potatoes were excellent and cooked in no time...unlike some carrots that took forever. Went to our Vietnamese restaurant for dinner and had our favourites -- crab claws to start and then mandarin chicken in a glalette de riz--sort of a crispy rice basket. Wonderful black mushrooms too. The owner is always very pleasant and offered us as always some rice eau de vie type of liquor. Always in a little cup that has a woman who becomes naked as you drink it. Being a small place, we were reintroduced to the charming French custom of everyone wishing each other good evening. Seems to only happen in small places. Strangely; no one greets each other when walking (unless people know each other). Difficult to get used to after Victoria. Went to Aubagne today and came across a very neat market (Sun morning) A pleasant little place but not much open on a Sun and very few restaurants with anything of interest to offer. So went to Le Castellet for lunch and happened on a fabulous restaurant. It was a little chilly so being seated by the open wood cooking fire was qa cozy bonus. We could also watch the progress of our rack of lamb being cooked - absolutely to die for and served with a garlic cream sauce. We began with ris de veau and a plate of provencale specialities (shared them), after the lamb a sorbet bathed in mar de Provence ( a sort of Brandy), then delicious pear and apple tartes. I couldn' t believe this huge German Shepherd came out from under a table at the end of the afternoon...didnùt even notice it there. Dogs are certainly king around here.

We hadn't been to Le Castellet (medieval village in the mountains) for quite a while and were a little disappointed that itùs been all spruced up and there is a proliferation of chi chi shops. Of course it was swarming with people on a Sun. It could do with a bit more grit and less chi. I hope it won't become another San Gimignano. There's an upside because we did find some wonderful stuff, mustard with cognac and banana, rum, raison jamand some reallly cool old bar glasses that will be great for wine or martinis