Crossed masts

An oyster and mussel producer in a motor boat leaving the harbour at Bouzigues to go out to the shell fish beds, passing two moored fishing boats. The dark line along the horizon is the mass of frames from which the strings of growing mussels and oysters hang in the water of the salt lagoon. You can see my blip of them on a very hazy day a couple of years ago here.

At the end of the harbour where these boats were moored there was a flag I haven't seen before - a combination of the Occitan and Catalan flags, representing the oyster and sea food industry on the whole of this coast, I suppose.

The main reason for my visit today was a very interesting exhibition of photos by Sylvie Goussopoulos of women who work in this industry in the Bassin de Thau at the museum of conchilyculture (shell fish production) on the quayside. There were some wonderful photos and a fascinating insight into the way some women have fought against male domination and assumptions about women's work. Of course, after the exhibition we were ready for a good lunch of mussels, followed by sepions (little squid) en persillade with a bottle of Picpoul, the white wine from that area that goes perfectly with sea food.

Edit: I've just noticed this is my 800th blip - not an official blipday but another century!