As I mentioned before, Mick and I had planned a few activities for our son and his friend while they were staying with us, one of which involved wine tasting (of course).

We decided to drive to Estagel for the weekly markets as a starting activity for this particular day, but when we found the right square it was obvious they were not on. (You cannot trust every piece of information on the Internet, obviously.)

So, we found a place for a coffee and the best freshly-made quiche ever (according to our son) before heading back towards Caudiès.

Mick and I were very pleased we were able to try a cave we had never seen open before in Maury as we were driving through. It is called Domaine Serrelongue – and our neighbours here have told us it is their favourite place to buy wine.

The gates were open when we drove past, so we drove in and walked up to what looked like the front door. An elderly gentleman, who we later found out was Monsieur Fournier, invited us in and pointed for us to sit down in the lounge chairs. There were four of them around a table in front of a fireplace. It felt like we were in his home. The walls were over loaded with art, some terrible but some interesting, and there was a piano in the room as well; it too was cluttered with displays and memorabilia.

Monsieur Fournier brought us a bottle red wine to taste and poured very generous samples into large beautiful glasses. He could speak no English but we struggled through. (The enjoyment of good wine is a universal language.) All of us very much liked the first wine, which was made from Mick’s favourite grape variety – Carignan. (We discovered this grape when we were here two years ago, and to our knowledge, there is none grown in Australia.)

I asked Monsieur Fournier if he made the wine and he told us it was his son, who he said was currently in the vineyards pruning the vines, and who would be back soon.

Being a small winery, there was only a small number of each wine to try of the whites (x2), rosé (x1) and reds (x2), plus a Maury. The village of Maury is famous for a fortified wine, also called Maury, and Monsieur Fournier had a white and a red version in that too.

We tasted his second (and final) red wine (Saveur de Vigne) which was a bigger wine (15%) and made of a blend of Carignan and Syrah (Shiraz) and some other varieties. In France we have noticed that the varieties of grape used to make the wines are not listed on the bottles, and it is only from the winemakers or the sales people that you learn what they are.

We were just about to leave having decided on our purchases when Monsieur Fournier insisted we try the Maury. Mick obliged and in the end decided to add a bottle to his shopping list.

We had decided to buy six bottles of his Carigno (at €6 each), two of the second red (at €9 each) and one bottle of the Maury.

Just as he was packaging those up for us, his son Julien Fournier returned and we had a chat with him as well. Monsieur Fournier included a complimentary bottle of their rosé which was a very pleasant surprise.

We will definitely be back there, it was a great experience and the wine is very good.

When we returned home, we noticed that an English couple we had met during our last stay here two years ago, who own a little flat across from us, were here. (Our son had read about our first encounter with the couple two years ago and was really hoping he could meet them during his brief stay.)

So, Mick headed off to welcome them and invited them for dinner – he had made his now-famous rabbit pie, from scratch, and there was plenty for six. What a night that was. Luckily we had visited so many caves earlier in the day.

The following day after quite a good sleep in, we took the pair for the walk down to Notre Dame de Laval …..

…..  via the Gorge de Saint Jaume.

Because our son had studied at Ottawa University, where he had to pass French exams and be able to converse in French, I invited Monsieur R (our French tutor from La Villasse) to come for our lesson during his stay. Our son and Monsieur R hit it off wonderfully and were able to communicate very easily. Mick and I were rather jealous. After about fifteen minutes and while we had continued with our lesson with Monsieur R, our son and his friend visited the English couple who came to dinner the previous evening for aperitifs, as we had made a booking for dinner down at L’Emotion in Caudiès once our lesson was over.

Each of us enjoyed our meal, and we were made to feel very welcome by the locals, yet again. It was a Tuesday evening but the place was packed, yet Marius cooked great meals for more than twenty people.  The winner this time went to Mick’s choice of beef cheeks, but Edward’s entrée choice of veal kidneys came a close second (at least as decided by the two boys that is.)

It was a shame the stay was so short.  As we only got partway through our list of things to show off about!!