Fenouillet, the village we are staying in at the moment, located approximately 7 Km from Caudiès-de-Fenouillèdes, has a population of fewer than 50 people, spread across a number of small communes. Our French tutor, Monsieur R, has told us that in La Vilasse where he lives, there are only 14 other people, and one of those is his wife and another his sister.

Now, that sets the scene for what could be considered a busy week socially in Fenouillet for Mick and me.

We were offered, and accepted, invitations to “supper”, “aperitifs”, and “luncheon” from three different people or couples, all residing within a stone’s throw of our house. And two of those were a first for us. And, all three took place in the space of four days.

Supper (one of the firsts for us – in Australia we call it ‘dinner’) was at the home of the English couple we had to dinner when our son and his friend were staying with us recently. They literally live 70 footsteps away from us in a block of flats that look from the outside like a derelict building partly wedged into the side of a hill.

The block comprises four separate dwellings separated by 60-80cm thick stone walls. Their unit has undergone extensive renovation and was very cosy once inside the door. Their flat is on three levels, with the ground floor approximately 3m wide by 4.5m long. In this space is a free-standing fire place, a kitchen stove,  a dishwasher, a washing machine, a dryer and a minibar fridge, the last four all compactly located under a bench top. There was also a small table with four chairs. A large part of the room also comprised the staircase to the next floor. The second floor housed their bedroom and a very small bathroom, and the third floor housed the study and a door onto an outside patio.

This is their holiday home. They love skiing and Fenouillet is under two hours drive from a great skiing location, although there has not been too much snow so far this season. They are staying in this home for a few months while their home in London is undergoing renovations.

Pre-dinner drinks included either a Spanish port or French bubbles, served with or without Crème de Cassis (which made a very sweet tasting cocktail known as Kir).

Supper commenced with an entrée of walnut and blue cheese salad, followed by a moussaka with the fluffiest topping I’d ever seen, both were served with lashings of local French red wine.  Our hosts had outdone themselves as both courses were fantastic. But, then came the pièce de résistance – a chocolate gateau purchased from the local boulangerie in Caudiès. It’s too hard to describe, but it was amazing.

The next ‘first’ for us was aperitifs on the evening of our wedding anniversary. Monsieur R had invited several other locals so we could meet them and practise our French; a practical lesson and a new experience – very thoughtful of him. We found out later that his wife was away for the week visiting her parents and he enjoys entertaining people, it seems, while she is away.

We had walked past his home several times before on our way to the ruins of Saint Pierre which are located above Fenouillet. Like many homes in this village, it is wedged into the rocky hillside.

The first thing that struck Mick and I as we entered Monsieur R’s home was the raw rock face wall which formed one total wall of the downstairs living space (Mick told me it was the eastern wall). We later realised that this rock face extended up the entire three levels of the home. The entry area was huge (well at least as large as the English couple’s kitchen / dining / living room) and had a stone floor. The space was mostly taken up with a stunning sweeping stone staircase.

The staircase emptied into the main living area, comprising a kitchen, (facing north) and a dining and sitting room and study nook (to the south). The massive rock face was evident on two walls now (on the eastern and northern walls, again thanks to Mick).  The hill into which the house is built is situated so that there is an entry door on each of the three levels. We did not visit the third level, but on the levels we did visit we noticed the ceilings were made of oak boards with enormous oak beams supporting the floor above. Unlike most houses, including where we are staying at the moment, these beams were new.

This living space was filled with an eclectic mix of chairs and tables, some very old and quaint and others modern and bold. In contrast to the rough walls and rustic furniture sat a computer and printer and a massive television set.

 

 

These two photos were taken by Monsieur R the following evening during our French lesson at his home. We had to drive through our first snow to get there – more about that later.

Now to the aperitifs…….

We arrived at the same time as an English couple we’d met at Monsieur Le Maire’s party. They own a home in La Vilasse that they have renovated and now rent out as a gite (holiday home). They actually live in a second home they own in Le Vivier, about 8Km away. They are renovating that one as well. They had just finished a two-hour French lesson with their tutor and were well prepared for the evening’s conversation.

Next to arrive was a delightful young New Zealand woman who is renting a home in La Vilasse with her Singapore Chinese / French husband and their five year old son. We did not get to meet her husband or son, but she was extremely engaging. She could speak very good French and there was absolutely no sign of a New Zealand accent. She explained how she had to learn French in order to prepare for the visa she needed to obtain in order for her live in Fenouillet. Sadly, I did not get the chance to ask her why she and her husband had chosen Fenouillet to live and to bring up their little boy, who has just started school in Caudiès.

Last to arrive was a Dutch couple who live in the grandest house in the area, just at the foothills of Sabarda in the direction away from the village. They had come straight from lunch with other friends and were not interested in eating or drinking too much, instead they had come along to meet us, which was great.

I am sure you have worked out by now that the only French person at this little ‘party’ was our host. His goal to have us speak in French was somewhat thwarted by the fact that we were all keen to engage in conversation, and English was the common denominator.

Mick and I had expected that aperitifs was another name for (pre-dinner) drinks, but Monsieur R does not drink alcohol very often, and he decided to add his own twist to the gathering.

He offered us a choice of two delicious homemade vegetarian soups, followed by some sheep and goats’ cheese we had brought with us because he had told us it was his favourite. Then he offered us each a glass of red wine. And, even after he had poured each of us a glass from the single bottle, there was still some left.

The conversation flipped between English and French and I was so disappointed in myself as almost every statement I made, Monsieur R corrected me, as a good tutor would. That was the point!

We started to make a move to leave once the New Zealand woman did – it seemed the polite thing to do. The English couple followed suit and then we were off home, to enjoy a glass of red wine. It was our anniversary after all.

We were very grateful for Monsieur R ‘s generosity – he had gone to a lot of trouble to make us feel welcomed.

The final engagement (or so we thought) was luncheon at the holiday home of an English couple. They own a free-standing single story home adjacent to where the sheep we are looking after graze along the Noir River. And, it was where Mick (and I) had to rescue the sheep when they escaped a few weeks ago.

We had each been saying we must catch up before they left, but the time had just gotten away. So, it was a very pleasant surprise when the invite was presented to us, just a few days before they were planning to return to England.

Their home was very spacious inside – different to the others we had been to in Fenouillet because it was very much open plan; more like what we are used to at home.

They invited two local gentlemen to lunch as well; it was their way of saying goodbye to their friends and allowing us to meet some new people; two birds with one stone.

The conversation was almost entirely in French. Both the Englishmen could speak excellent French, having spent many years here. They started a nursery in this house more than 25 years ago but now work out of England and pop over to their second home here in Fenouillet whenever they can.

It was a very pleasant way to spend several hours trying to converse in French (and a lot cheaper than Monsieur R’s lessons).

And guess what?

Before the luncheon was concluded, we were invited to yet another “first” for us.  This time Monsieur D and Monsieur T, who live just across the creek from where we are staying, invited us to an  apéritif dînatoire.

Mick was excited as we headed off for this new experience around midday.

We had to walk along a road we’ve not been on before, one I have avoided because a pack of hunting dogs lives in a house we need to pass by, but we survived and got a great view of our house and the collection of buildings surrounding it.

Our hosts for the apéritif dînatoire live in a converted barn. They are both artists – with very different styles. Their home was filled with wonderful things to see and enjoy. Although only a few words of English were spoken, we seemed to understand each other very well.

An apéritif dînatoire consists of drinks and a number of small courses. We were told enough food is served so that it could be considered a meal, but it is a more intimate affair.

We sat around a small table and ate from small plates and bowls. The first course was pâté de foil gras and bread. This was followed by homemade galettes onto which we spread hummus, cheese or smoked salmon. Next, a small dish was presented to each of us, it was similar to a prawn cocktail but served more like you’d expect a tapas dish to be served, followed by a Catalan dish of spiced peppers, olives, anchovies and lashings of garlic served with more bread. Each course came with a different wine – some from Spain and some from the local region.

Dessert was homemade crêpes served with homemade rhubarb jam and crème fraîche, and I had made some very rich brownies which we ate with coffee.

A wonderful time was had by all.

Before we left we had a tour of their home and their artist studio and backyard. It was another great afternoon.

And I’ve decided I must stop this post here otherwise it might be like a never-ending story, as more arrangements were made for future gatherings.

And, I am sure Mick and I will have to go on a diet soon – as we can’t keep this régime up!

FOOTNOTE:

I guess you’ve picked up that there are quite a large number of English people living in this area. They love it because of the weather, the cost of living, and like us, because of the wonderful French people, their great food and fabulous wine.

Brexit is causing all sorts of issues for them though. France really cannot afford to lose them as they contribute a lot back to the economy, but the uncertainty is a problem.