Our Aussie friend Deb

We had made arrangements to visit Deb Westerberg, a new friend (from our last visit in 2007), born in Albany, lived in Perth for many years, Scotland for several, and now in a small village called Bize in the Minervois region. When we visited her in May 2007, she had not long since purchased an old house, with the intention of turning it into a Gite (self contained short term accommodation). Deb was (and is) very bravely living out an ambition alone that she and her recently deceased husband had dreamed about while living in Edinburgh for a number of years. A couple of photos of her delightful place follow.

We had a great time with Deb, who is a person who lives life to the full, and who enjoys un verre de vin as much as we do. We had a lot of laughs, visited a couple of nearby historical villages, picked some grapes and just generally had a good time. The funniest moment came when I stopped the car to take a photo of some grape-pic kers hard at work in a local vineyard. My travelling companions were a bit concerned that I was invading these peoples space and that I should ask for permission to take a shot. That didn't prove necessary because as soon as I got out of the car with the camera, they all stood up, posed and then called me over. When I got a bit closer one of the young women handed me her secateurs and invited me to pick a bunch of grapes while she took a photo. They were all amazingly friendly and it was hard to get away.

Another highlight was Oyster day. Every Wednesday afternoon a couple of blokes turn up at a local bar with a vanload of fresh oysters, which they shuck to order. Fresh, cheap and totally delicious accompanied by an ice cold beer (see below - the shuckers are in the background).

It was fantastic to see what she has achieved with her property since we were last there. We will definitely catch up with her again once or twice while we are in France.