Aigues-Mortes:  Market Day and Lunch with Friends

On Sunday, we drove down to Aigues-Mortes a second time (see preceding blog post).  Today was warm and sunny (like almost every day here), so we enjoyed strolling through the extensive outdoor market and picking up a few things for our meals, including luscious local strawberries.

We spent the afternoon with David Zarka and his family, enjoying a long, slow, leisurely, and absolutely delicious lunch. Here is the course by course menu:  1. An aperitif of cold pastis, the favorite summer drink in Provence, with appetizers, 2. delicious local oysters on the half shell, 3. a salad with homemade anchovy dressing and topped with baked mussels covered with melted cheese, 4. a cold salad-like main dish of potatoes and octopus, 5. a cheese tray with three different varieties to try, 6. a "fougasse," a special flat cake made with orange blossoms, 7. coffee.  Oh, and bread and wine throughout the meal.  We had to leave a little early to catch a concert back in Nimes -- after only 4 1/2 hours at the table.  The conversation in fractured French was lively and too much fun.  Thanks David and Patrice and Family!

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