On Thursday last week, on the day before I set off home from Thezan, we did what we always do on the last day, and zipped round a number of local vinyards and caves to fill the now empty van with a load of local wines - St Chinian, Faugeres and Cotes de Langedoc being some.
We also went to Pinet, the home of Picpoul de Pinet (Martin Dwyer's favourite tipple).
And just outside Pinet, Martin and Sile remembered that there was a Roman bridge.
We made the minor detour to find not only the remains of the extraordinary bridge but a wonderful ancient water mill.
The bridge
The mill
Its weir with a fish-pass
The story
And hidden away at the back of the ancient mill there was this state of the art hydro-electricity plant humming away.
The French just do things well, don't they?
This will be the last of what you might call my 'French' posts.
I must now get back to the serious matter of prospering in Ireland!
But one last word.
Having driven through three EU countries over a thirty-six hour period, the contrasts are stark.
Over the entire 600 miles (960k) journey from Thezan les Beziers to Ouistreham (the port of Caen) I was on motorway (autoroute) for all but a maximum of 80 to 100k. OK much of it is tolled (about €65.00 in total) but it enabled a journey of that length to be undertaken in ten hours, including stops, without too much difficulty or stress. And if there were 30k of roadworks, I think I would be exagerating.
And throughout France the evidence of expansion and development is everywhere. New motorways under construction and even Thezan les Beziers is expanding, not with unnecessary, unsightly and unwanted tax-break buildings, but simple demand-driven homes. - Just like we used to do.
On the journey through the UK from Portsmouth to Pembroke in Wales (250 miles) I guess I was on motorway for about two thirds of the journey. But of that mortorway portion, I would estimate that at least a third of it was under reconstruction with a speed limit of 50 mph. And as I drove passed the miles and miles of cones, there was little enough evidence of any works actually taking place. And the quality of the roadway that was not under reconstruction, was poor at best and, by comparison to the quality of the French surface, dreadful.
And fankly, the quality of our own raods, over the 45 miles or so between Rosslare and Inistiogue, was perfectly acceptable. Mind you, the last two miles on the by-road to Ballyduff was tragic. - Had I exceed 30 kmh I would have destroyed my van and tyres, or worse, my cases of wine!
I gained a distinct impression that the UK is in bother.
Do you remember the period preceeding our last election when we were lied to by every political party? - There wasn't a problem on the horizon and, if elected, whoever they were, they would only make things better!
But the election posters were not down off the poles before we were told, again by all parties, that the country was banjaxed.
The thought struck me that the same syndrome now applies in the UK. They are in the same pre-election space – and have been for a very long time – and I suspect that nobody is admitting that things are, or are going to be, as bad as they are or will be. Poor buggers! (To be called a bugger is a term of affection in Wales - and I was just through Wales also, so I feel entitled to use it thus.)
Anyway, it's a funny old business this democracy business.
And now to work!
