Today we had a swim in the morning in the hotel pool then did some cruising the shops and sights. Later we met Ivan our guide for the off road tour. He was terrific. Very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna, pointing out herbs that grow wild and the different plants. One was a berry that is alcoholic. The island was once a major lavender producer but the young people don't want to work so hard and the old people are getting too old to continue. A large fire devastated the industry and now production is very small. It is very pungent lavender. We loved the rough roads because it made it extra fun. The trip took us to a semi abandoned village. A person runs a restaurant there only in the summer. As the island has no rivers or natural water sources the villagers needed to collect rain and store it in wells. They created these concrete catchments that look like a cross between a skate ramp and a swimming pool. Each village had one but now they are connected to the mainland water they are not so critical. We saw these stone igloo type buildings. These were used by farmers for shelter in bad weather or if it was a long way back home. We went inside one and it was quite cosy.
We climbed to the highest mountain St Nicholas where we could see 360 degrees across the sea to surrounding islands. There is a little chapel right on the top. A person lives semi permanently there as a fire watcher. They have had huge fires in the past and it takes a very long time to re grow trees and shrubs in this climate so fire prevention is very important.
We stopped at a tavern for an afternoon tea break and the owner shared his local grappe with us. It was good and a nice pick me up in the afternoon as an alternative to coffee! We returned about 6:00 pm and went to dinner. Jan had found a place serving bouillabaisse so that was our goal. We got there early this time and ordered. The waiter then presented us with an amuse bouche (palate tantaliser) which we did not order. When we asked about it the waiter said everyone gets it so we assumed it was complimentary. The food and wine was delicious but when the bill arrived we had been charged for the amuse bouche. We were irritated with ourselves and the waiter for not being clear about the cost. They charged for bread too and we hardly ate any. We were not impressed but the food at least was good. Jan and I felt their communication lacked a lot because instead of feeling delighted we were cranky. Jan felt that they didn't respect us as customers because we were two women. I thought they were. pretentious.
My card reader for the photos isn't reading my new camera card so I can't upload my photos. I am devastated.
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