Bize is a very charming village. It is on a river that they partially dam in the summer to create a swimming hole. They seem to have a lot going on in the village – I’m going back next weekend for a small concert at a little winery that also sells some really nice art work.
On Saturday the weather finally warmed up. When I got up this morning there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the sun was more intense. Although it was Saturday, and the beaches are bound to be crowded, I decided today was a day to head to the beach.
Here is "my" car. It is great for driving through country roads through the vineyards and on the narrow village streets.
This is the swimming hole in Bize
. Next time I'll take my suit.The beach scene.
The tacky-looking tourist shops and restaurants by the beach.
I usually go to Cap d’Agde which is pretty much directly south and about a 20 minute drive without major traffic. Apparently a lot of other people had the same idea – the traffic was awful. I ended up going to a different beach than the one I usually go to as there was a little less traffic when I came to a Y in the road.
The day was beautiful and the beach nice and sandy. It was very crowded with it seemed all French. Didn’t hear any other accents. I rented an umbrella and chaise lounge – splurge but I deserve it. Read my kindle and got warmed up before taking “the plunge.” Yikes!! I guess because the weather has been so cool the water is really cold. It felt more like an Alpine lake than the Mediterranean – not that it’s usually like the Caribbean. I did manage to swim a bit and sort got used to it but couldn’t stay in to long at a time. So I went in several times – just for briefer periods than usual. By afternoon it did seem a little warmer.
After lunch. It was realyy yummy. Note the bucket for shells. They also give you a whole roll of paper towels.
Angel and Molly - there is a bit of competition between them. Mainly over Molly's dog bed. Angel prefers it to the one I got her.
Jake - he's an old guy.
Most of the week I’ve just been hanging out around my village. It’s been quite restful and easy to get into the pace of life here. Walking three small geriatric dogs is a bit of a chore. It is more like dog dragging than walking but we are managing.
I just wrote the paragraph above and was thinking about the slow pace of life here and how quiet it usually is – then I heard sirens and loud motorcycles. About 100 motorcycles in a procession came by – obviously on some sort of an organized ride. Expect the unexpected!
The view from Abeilhan looking north.
Here come the motorcyles!!
The day was beautiful and the beach nice and sandy. It was very crowded with it seemed all French. Didn’t hear any other accents. I rented an umbrella and chaise lounge – splurge but I deserve it. Read my kindle and got warmed up before taking “the plunge.” Yikes!! I guess because the weather has been so cool the water is really cold. It felt more like an Alpine lake than the Mediterranean – not that it’s usually like the Caribbean. I did manage to swim a bit and sort got used to it but couldn’t stay in to long at a time. So I went in several times – just for briefer periods than usual. By afternoon it did seem a little warmer.
After lunch. It was realyy yummy. Note the bucket for shells. They also give you a whole roll of paper towels.
Going to the beach here doesn’t fit the stereotypical picture of summer on the Mediterranean that you see in Travel & Leisure and such. It is much more tacky and crowded. But the swimming is great, the sun is hot, and it is close to my village.
The beach town had lots of tacky stores selling beach junk, bars, and restaurants. I chose one that was a moules (mussels) place and it was great. The deal is you go up to the bar, order what you want, and pay for it. Then you take your ticket over to the serving counter. For 11 Euros you get a big bowl of moules with your choice of sauce, and frites. You can make repeated trips for refills on the moules but I was fully satisfied with the one large bowl.
The beach town had lots of tacky stores selling beach junk, bars, and restaurants. I chose one that was a moules (mussels) place and it was great. The deal is you go up to the bar, order what you want, and pay for it. Then you take your ticket over to the serving counter. For 11 Euros you get a big bowl of moules with your choice of sauce, and frites. You can make repeated trips for refills on the moules but I was fully satisfied with the one large bowl.
Angel and Molly - there is a bit of competition between them. Mainly over Molly's dog bed. Angel prefers it to the one I got her.
Jake - he's an old guy.
Most of the week I’ve just been hanging out around my village. It’s been quite restful and easy to get into the pace of life here. Walking three small geriatric dogs is a bit of a chore. It is more like dog dragging than walking but we are managing.
I just wrote the paragraph above and was thinking about the slow pace of life here and how quiet it usually is – then I heard sirens and loud motorcycles. About 100 motorcycles in a procession came by – obviously on some sort of an organized ride. Expect the unexpected!
The view from Abeilhan looking north.
Here come the motorcyles!!
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