Le Lavandou for coffee, on a bitterly cold day

We went into Le Lavandou last Friday, for coffee.   It was such a cold day, bitter wind, raining and the temperature just managing to reach 15 degrees.   We also looked around the shops, and I bought a thick cardigan, 40% wool, plus a new scarf.   It was that sort of day.   Even the beautiful cotton shirts at my favourite shop did not cause me to stop and browse and buy.   It certainly was a nasty day, weatherwise.

We went to our favourite cafe, the name escapes me, just at this point.   But we have always loved being there, sitting on comfortable chairs, looking out at the people walking by.   On this day everyone was rugged up.   They reminded me that I needed a new scarf!   

We chose to move inside, partly due to the cold wind outside and partly due to the woman sitting beside me, who was blowing cigarette smoke in my face.   We sat by the large window with a great view of the people walking by.   We also thought about how much money we have spent in this cafe over the years.   Ir was definitely one of those days.

The view outside the cafe window, minus the people walking past.   I am positive they did not want to be in the photograph.

We walked down the shopping street, and luckily the wind was less cold here.   Walter posing beside one of the newly pruned plane trees.

I could not resist take photos of the plants.   No doubt people will be absolutely sick of palms, succulents and such like, by the time we leave the south of France.   But so important for my garden plans.   I hope my head gardener, Darren is reading these blogs.

I think this is a very stubby Yukka.

An assortment of council plantings, beautifully cared for too.   Plus the palms in the background.   If this happened in Aldinga Beach, then I would really grow to love palms and succulents.

More sculptured Yuccas.

In front of the town hall there is the yearly garden display.   This year it has a farm theme, with live chickens as part of it.

Sand plus succulents and palms,

and Australian grass trees too, or am I mistaken here.

While I am talking about plants, the following ones will not be in our garden in Aldinga Beach.

The enormous stripy succulents, with spiky points, loved by Camping Manjastre.   There are quite a few oversized specimens here, one is opposite our site.   It looks fantastic in the photograph.  The demolished looking one on the right is in a corner of our garden.   Wrong position.   It is nowhere near the size of the one on the left, but I am having great trouble getting it out.   I cut all the leaves off, but it is waiting for me to return and try and dig the roots out. 

The Prickly Pear!   I think it is banned in Australia anyway.   It used to grow in the scrubby outback of Australia, which made the land useless for cultivation until someone found a herbicide that killed it off.   A bit drastic but it is not a native of Australia.   The Prickly Pear has red fruit which apparently is delicious once the spikes are taken off, and I have seen them for sale in Harrods, in London.

Scott found out the hard way, when he was a child.   He tried to pick the fruit of this prickly pear, which was at the campsite, and ended up with a handful of prickles.   It took him ages to pull them all out.

 The Oleander, a very poisonous plant, but with beautiful flowers.   We had a couple of Oleander bushes in our garden at Henley Beach, and the rabbit used to nibble on the leaves, and not be affected by the poison.   It was a tough rabbit.   I am not taking any chances though, so no Oleanders in our garden.

 I actually have a tiny specimen of this overgrown succulent.   It is in a small pot with coloured stones around it.   And that is how it will stay.   What a giant.

The remainder of last Friday was spent in the caravan, with the heater on, reading and snoozing and writing a blog.   I think I needed a good rest.   Luckily the weather has started to improve, with the promise of temperatures in the twenties in the future.