Half-hidden

This mazet (wine grower's store and shelter) on a hill outside the village has lost its roof, apart from the tiles around the edges, and the interior is full of brambles. From the road it's half hidden by a shrub, Pistacia lentiscus, of the same family as pistachio but with red berries rather than delicious nuts. On the Greek island of Chios this shrub is cultivated for its resin,, mastic, which is a sort of spicy chewing gum, but here the plants just grow wild in the garrigue on uncultivated hillsides.

We took the long route back from Roujan, past this mazet, this morning because the rain has stopped, the sun has come out, it's warm and the countryside looks beautiful again.