Mantet

Today I went hiking in the mountains near the Spanish border with one of the English teachers, her son and his father, to a little village called Mantet. It was idyllic, the air was fresh, we were above the clouds, and it was a great day. I can’t believe how rural parts of Europe still are, and that people still live like that, in villages of about 15 or so, with cows or horses or goats, making cheese, in the middle of nowhere. We stopped to have a drink on the way back, and picked chestnuts and mushrooms, dandilions and wild crab apples, even oregano and absynthe. We left when the clouds came in and filled the valley, and then followed us up the mountain in an eery misty fog. There were tons of idyllic villages on the way there and back, rusty old cars amidst broken fences, ruined stone houses, and medival villages. Hugette’s ex runs a creperie in one such village in summer, and I’ll have to go back and take pictures of the town as it’s a must-see. I’m feeling more and more French as last night we ate fresh tomato tart with Violet and her daughter in her little Catalan house, only to come home and literally sit down for some chilled rose wine and camembert cheese. Today I was craving more cheese so I made myself a mozzerella & tomato salad, and then made another fresh langedoc (the region) egg scramble with ham and emmantal. Simple, fresh, healthy meals with tons of flavour and country charm. There’s more to see here than meets the eye, there’s lots of s’plorin to do. And our break’s in two weeks. Heading to Paris methinks, and many other must-sees.