Things change very quickly here , ten days ago we were experiencing temperatures of minus 10 C. , real hard cold which seemed to enter into my old marrow bones and cause actual pain. It was – everyone told us- most unusual.

Then within the space of a week we are suddenly back in summer , we have been eating our lunch on the terrace every day , I have had to wear a hat against the sun , our delivery of logs which we ordered last week looks strangely redundant on the terrace.
Tomorrow they promise us temperatures of 20C in the afternoon.

Strangely I am reminded of the definition of weather in Ireland which we learned in school ; Cool, Temperate, Oceanic , Western Margin.
Everything it is not here.

But then everything changes quite a bit more quickly here by the Mediterranean , day becomes night without any of the long twilight we experienced at home, Celtic or otherwise , and in the morning it seems to go from pitch black to full day often just while I am in the shower.

The strange thing is that I really enjoy these differences , I enjoy noting and experiencing them , I like the fact that something as fundamental and routine as the weather can still take me unawares , that even when temperatures drop to minus ten no frost forms on the car , that everytime I go to wash my face my face cloth is bone dry , that my yeast bread rises beautifully every time and at twice the speed it did in Ireland.

A little change, especially when you are as ancient as I am , is a truly stimulating thing.

First Gentleman : Do you remember those pills ?
Second : What pills ?
First : The pills they gave during the war , the ones to make us stop wanting women.
Second : Oh Those pills , well what about them.
First : I think they are begining to work.

I bought this old bottle in the Vide Grenier in Laroque on Sunday as I thought anything labelled as above (basically meaning Abbot Saury’s Elixir of Youth) must have a bit of age to it , as of course it does. A little light Googling indicates that is France’s favourite panacea . It has been around since 1745, is composed of 11 herbs and plants and , it is still widely available today.

Obviously my next trick is to find some and drink it , strange to think I never before realised how easily accessible is the fountain of youth.

Last Sunday we headed off to the Cevennes in search of a Vide Grenier in the little village of Laroque.
This is a particularly picturesque site at the very beginings of the river Herault about 1 and a half hours from us.

Having Vide-Grenied successfully we started to meander home and passed the signs for the Grottes des Demoiselles- which we will call the Cave of the Young Ladies.
Again on a whim we decided to make the tour which starts of with a ride in a funicular right into the heart of the mountain.

The highlight of the trip is the immense Cathedral Cavern in the mountain. Imagine , if you can , a cross between The Hall of the Mountain King , Tolkien’s Caves of Moria and the stairways in Hogwarts and you will get an idea.

I took some pictures but they really only give a vague notion of the grandeur of the place.

It had a remarkable Virgin and Child Stalacmite

And an impressive “Organ” of stalactites.

Apparently on some Christmases they hold midnight mass here- that’s one I would like to witness.

At last, I have been muted for a while due to problems with my server (who goes by the name of Fat Cow) but at last they seem to have sorted themselves out. Deo Gratias and a happy lent to all.

In the choir of the cathedral we found my Patron St. Roch

And there he was again , this time mounted in gold.

These statues are a bit of a mystery, two ladies in deepest purdah , one with a Zara bag , one with bandaged hands.

With Mrs Dwyer on the top of the Alcazar

With Mr Healy Ditto

Thanks to Michael for the photos , I had forgotten my camera.

Sister D and Brother-in-law Milo made the sensible decision to hibernate in Spain this year , as we are suffering from bizarrely freezing weather here we went and joined them last week to shift some of the cold from our bones.
Torremolinos itself is fairly characterless but I have rarely eaten better fish.
Malaga where best man Michael brought us for a day out was much more interesting with a stunningly over the top cathedral of vast height and the fascinating Alcazaba ; a Greco,Roman,Moorish theatre/castle/pottery which was amazing.
We came back to Languedoc on Friday to more of the same weather but see some cracks appearing on the icy hold next week- it will be welcome.

Last night we celebrated Chandeleur (Candlemas) with our neighbours- ‘come around for a few crepes, its the tradition’. and so we did. ‘ A few crepes’ , consisted of (after the nibbles with the Pommeau) bowls of Soupe a l’Oignon , a Civet de Lapin with polenta galettes (and a red Minervois ), a salad of chicory and nuts , and then (and only because we refused cheese) were we allowed eat some pancakes with sweet delicious Normandy cider.
Bloated we waddled home.

Well the first draft of the Great Oeuvre , working title; “A Table- an Irish Chef in a Village in Languedoc” , approx 618,00 words or 140 paperback pages , is now written .

Just about long enough.

Now starts the shit work , correcting, editing, expunging, checking- not to mention trying to find a publisher.

I think I will give myself the rest of the day off.

“Have the rest of the day off Martin ”

(there are some advantages to being self employed.)

My neighbour gave me a present of these superb lemons fruit from the tree which I had been lusting after as I watched them ripen out my window.
After much debate I made the following.

Lemon Marmalade

1.5 kg Lemons
Water
Preserving Sugar (Confisuc in France,Sureset in Ireland)

Put the whole Lemons into a large pot cover with water and a lid and simmer together gently for about 60 mts.or until the skin is tender .
Take the lemons out of the water with a slotted spoon and cool, leave the water in the pot.
When they cool halve the lemons and remove the pips. Either discard these or put them in a little square of muslin tied at the edges to boil with the marmalade.
Now cut the halves of lemon as finely or thickly as you like.

Put these back into the lemon cooking water and now measure carefully the amount of liquid this makes.
For every litre of mixture (or measured portion of a litre) weigh out a kilo (or portion of a kilo) of the sugar. Stir these together and leave for several hours until the sugar is melted. Now taste the mixture and if too bitter you may add up to 500g more sugar.
.
Bring gradually back to the boil (with the little bag of pips if you are using them) and let it come to a rolling boil .Let it boil well for 5 mts. then take off the heat and test for setting on a cool saucer.
It should take no longer than 10 mts. boiling altogether.
.
Take out and discard the bag of pips, and pot in the usual way.
If you like the flavour of ginger with lemon (and I do) you can add two peeled thumbs of root ginger to the lemons as they boil and then chop these finely with the peel and add to the marmalade.