“Postcard from” is my semi regular weekend series of non recipe posts. It’s been a while since I did one but I’m starting them again.
Whether it’s on TV or film, every now and again, the glimpse of somewhere I’ve been before pictured on screen fills me with excitement. Daniel Craig walking down the street where I used to work in Layer Cake. An obscure Tim Roth movie filmed in and around Southgate tube station. Borough Market in Bridget Jones’ Diary.
Sometimes it’s the other way round. I see somewhere on screen and am determined to seek it out and go there myself to feel a little of the magic I felt when watching. Working out which French beach featured the wooden chalets on stilts in Betty Blue with no internet took some detective work I can tell you. (It’s Gruissan near Narbonne in the Languedoc region)
About 4 years ago, in the closing titles of 80s detective series Bergerac on UK Gold, I saw a picture of the plane tree lined pool shown below. Not many people remember that the closing series relocated to Provence rather than its usual Jersey. I have holidayed in Provence many times and was intrigued by this pool which was shown at the very end of each episode. How come I’d never seen it in a tourist guide or on my travels? Where on earth was it?
I was determined to find it, not because Bergerac, my pregnancy craving at the time (others dip Cheerios in ketchup; I watched endless episodes of Bergerac and did 3 Sudoku puzzles per day but have done neither before or since, honest) had been filmed there but out of my quest to know every corner of Provence.
Shortly afterwards I saw my Provencal pool onscreen once more. It was featured in what was to become my favourite film ever, Ridley Scott’s romantic comedy A Good Year starring Russell Crowe and Marion Cottilard. Now this film did not go down well with critics and you’ll probably find more people admitting to liking Bergarac than the film but I know from conversations other people share my love of it.
We collect ideas for places worth visiting when we watch the Tour de France each year. It was what got me hooked rather than the actual cycling but the excitement of the race draws you in too. We have spotted and then visited some super places in France by this method that we would not otherwise have seen, however not Cucuron – which looks as if it ought to be on my list!
A year or two ago we stumbled on the chalets on stilts at Gruissan Plage, near Narbonne after we had visited the ancient bastide town of Gruissan, which is charming and well worth the trip.
We are now researching this year’s holiday route…!
Look forward to seeing more of your postcards.
hopeeternal
‘Meanderings through my Cookbook’
http://www.hopeeternalcookbook.wordpress.com
It is a beautiful location indeed. No wonder you were intrigued. Thanks for virtually taking us there!
Ps. That cat is too cute.
Pictures are amazing, I love the first particularly :o)
Kisses from a french girl !