Ali & I are usually too busy to go far from Le Couvent during the summer, so when we found we had a moment one evening last week we went off on a jaunt.

Our first stop was the wonderful Oppidum d'Enserune a pre-Roman hilltop village with spectacular views over the Etang de Montady. This was a lake which was drained in the 13th century, leaving a vast circular area of land which was then divided up into wedge-shaped plots. Here it is from the air and from the road.

 

 

It's just a short hop from there to the Canal du Midi as it runs through Poilhes, so we took a stroll in the calmer evening heat, beside the water in the shade of huge plane trees.

Poilhes is a good-looking village which happens to be home to our current favourite restaurant, hence the real reason for the visit.

 

 

 

La Tour Sarrasine is a really lovely restaurant which serves jolly good food in great surroundings. Take a look at the menus on their rather busy website ! If I'm honest I prefer it in winter when there are fewer diners, but don't let that put you off - it's well worth the trip anytime. The service is excellent and the prices are restrained for the quality. Dinner for two including a good wine was 100 euros for the two of us.

I'm sick of the variable weather we've been having. Take yesterday. The log man rang to say he was on his way. Great news as he's pretty unreliable, but a glance outside made my heart sink. It was just lashing with rain, so the delivery of four cubic metres of wet logs didn't fill me with joy. We haven't stacked them yet but have left them to dry a little in today's sunshine. We've been chopping them into impossible-to-burn wet kindling. At least the exercise keeps us warm.

Last night we toddled off to Neffiès to have supper at the bar there - L'Escampette.

 

 

There were just eight people at the bar, and the three of us were the only diners. But they did us proud. I chose a jolly good salade composée to start with. I don't normally choose anything with egg (in solidarity with our hens) but this was a fine egg.

 

Ali had some luscious snails followed by grilled foie gras, Alex chose some good looking crevettes and I went the steak route.

 

 

 

 

It was all good and we were very well looked after. Of course it is very popular in the summer, but top marks to them for staying open all winter. Just a four minute drive from Le Couvent and as a guide two courses each for the three of us, including wine, was 64 euros. Not at all bad for a tiny village bar.

Now, what do you make of this lid? The bottle contains cinnamon sticks, so how are you supposed to get them out?

 

You're right, I've neglected the blogging. But in my defence we've been looking after lots of Belgians, Germans, Swiss, Americans, English, Irish and Scottish people over the past couple of weeks. People have arrived by car, by scooter and on foot. It is extraordinary that little old Roujan should find itself with all these amazing people passing through.

We've also managed to sneak away for one 60th birthday party, one early aperitif and one lunch. The latter was a rare treat - a trip to O Bontemps in Magalas. This is a restaurant that's notoriously difficult to get into, so when our pal Erzsi invited us to fill two seats unexpectedly available we were quick to agree. The food is delicious and the serving is pure theatre. The meat arrives on a two metre plank held aloft by two chefs who then place it across a couple of carefully placed tables, then they set to with flashing blades and speedy dexterity, delivering it in a pretty pile onto each plate. There are courses between courses and a very good wine list. It's well worth a visit, but you need to book months in advance to get an evening table.

 

 

O Bontemps, Place de l’Eglise, Magalas 34480 Tel: 04 67 36 20 82

Murky skies told us we'd be daft to go to La Couvertoirade as our pal Alex had suggested so we decided on Clermont l'Herault market, followed by Lodeve for the Kisling exhibition.

Clermont offered up luscious cheeses, an organic pumpkin, some coriander and the last of the summer's ruby tomatoes. I bought 30 spinach plants for the potager too.

Rabbit was on the menu at Alex's favourite cafe, so we had the menu du jour - pissaladiere, lapin au pistou & dessert for 13 euros each. Excellent. I wonder what the kids had here.

 

 

Onward to Lodeve for the exhibition. Lodeve gets smarter every time we go, even the hard hats signs are chic.

 

 

 

 

The Musee Fleury is home to fantastic exhibitions every year and the Kisling did not disappoint. There seemed to be lots to see, but not so much that one becomes eye-weary. The curator has a splendid eye. The entire gallery is repainted for each exhibition, so the paintings hang against the most perfectly subtle, but strong, colours. Hats off to you ma'am.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ali's gone shopping thank God. That means I don't have to. Winding the windows down is the nearest we get to air-con in our ancient Freelander. It's around 36 today so inside or by the pool's the only place to be. So our guests decided to cycle around the countryside early this morning - how wise.

I'm on a diet so I spend hours trawling through recipe books for luscious things to cook for supper. Tonight we're on spiced chickpea cakes with red onion and coriander salad. If it's good I'll put it in the recipe book here. The diet's going well thanks to my mentor Rachel . Thanks hon!

The only fly in the ointment at the mo is the spider/bee in the potager that stung /bit me the other day. As a result I have a fat hand that is causing me some consternation as it's now three days later and it's still swollen. At least I have Jan the homeopath on the case & it is a little better today in that I'm not tempted to just cut it off to relieve the itching.

 

 

Since I last talked about the new restaurant up the hill at Vailhan, Le Presbytere , lots of guests and friends have been and all declare the food very good. Ali & I went again the other day too. The co-proprietaire Sylvia is a bit cool so the food and the view have to make up for the lack of dynamism, but they do it brilliantly. The view is unbeatable and the food tastes wonderful and looks like this:

 

 

Tempted? Go on a balmy night and sit out on the terrace.