Marseillan

The new(ish) market hall (which replaced the old one in Plaça Cobèrta), decorated with tiles by the Catalan ceramist Eric Freixinos. There are fish, meat and vegetable stalls downstairs and a library upstairs - so food for body and mind. We bought some fruit and then went to the port for lunch at one of our (many) favourites, La Taverne du Port. A delicious way to spend a couple of Saturday hours by the water, almost in sight of the oyster and mussel beds, eating a first course of sea food - oysters, raw mussels, escargots de mer, prawns, served with wonderful home-made aïoli; bavette (beef steak) for me and fish of the day for LoJ; a good selection of cheeses; and chocolate mousse for dessert. A half-bottle of Picpoul, the local white wine that goes so well with sea food, and a glass of Carignan red for me to accompany my steak - it was so good we brought a bottle home. We won't want much this evening!

As we enjoyed our lunch we thought a lot of my mother who would have been 87 today, and would have loved Marseillan (although not the steak bit as she was a vegetarian!), and our friend M who's birthday it is today too and who's having her party in England but we're hoping will celebrate again with us when she's home.