Once more unto the TGV...this time to return Wendy. After yesterday’s wall to wall rain we were glad to be out. It was sunny if a little threatening and very warm. So once she was safely on the platform we carried on down the Rhône to Beaucaire. Ages since we stopped there properly - I think it might have been when Adam was a lad so to speak, and we’d gone to see vultures and eagles flying in the château.
So across the bridge from Tarascon (waving to the sculpture of the Tarasque monster) we entered both Gard and Occitanie and found ourselves along the canal basin full of various craft. And the weekly market! We managed to park at one end on the other side and walked across the pedestrian bridge, carefully weaving our way round civic beautification works.
Beaucaire is a really old walled town with narrow streets and tall houses, some a touch run down, but definitely on the up. And some fine architecture, especially round the market square. The 17th century town hall is amazing with colonnades and sweeping stone staircase.
On the outside wall are two pre- metric measures, the Canne de Montpellier and the Aune de France.
Inside I came across something even more wonderful- this beautiful moth, just sitting on the wall, unnoticed by passers by! We’ve identified it as the Oleander Hawkmoth.
Doomed not to survive the European winter...😥
Then we wandered into a lovely square- la Place de la République with a statue of the Drac - Beaucaire’s river monster ( they all have one in these parts). Somewhere in our archives there is a photo of Young Adam with said beast.
Then 12 struck. Market started packing up and we sat outside a bar watching it all disappear. With an excellent lasagne and salad for 6 euros, amazingly home-made. Jolly bar owner and irresponsible table of Belgians! This group of about half a dozen had beneath their table a dog - fox terrier/Jack Russell possibly. Anyway a terrier.
As we were waiting for our food there was Street Drama... Along comes a couple with black Spaniel. Spaniel greets terrier and terrier goes into kill mode, fixing the poor creature’s head in its jaws and growling menacingly. The Belgian owner didn’t really do much but the Spaniel owner wrestled with the aggressor and eventually prised Spaniel from its grip. Much consternation and heated words, fussing over Spaniel and checking its eye. There seemed to be a small puncture wound below, but the eye was undamaged. Owner sustained slight injury to finger. Spaniel continued to wag his tail to all and sundry! A while later the owner returned with a sheet of paper and asked for Belgian’s phone number in case there were consequences. It took him much arguing and explaining to winkle out this info. The Belgian denying any responsibilty for his aggressive dog. We later heard from the bar owner that this group were regulars - boatees on the canal - and that their dog was a problem. He’d also witnessed the fracas.
So, excitement over we returned to the car and came home via the other bank of the Rhône. There was quite a bit of fluvial traffic today including that awful river cruiser with the red lipped bow we saw the other year! Still sunny at home but the forecast ain’t good! 24 degrees on the terrace.
2 bis or not 2 bis
