Food in Provence (and elsewhere)

Beziers, the second largest city in Hérault after Montpellier, is close to Agde and would be worth a visit in any case. The added attraction this weekend, though, is the celebrations for its patron saint, St Aphrodise, who apparently arrived in Beziers on a camel. To be honest, Beziers as a whole wasn’t really abuzz with festivities, somewhat to our disappointment. A troop of loyal Bitterois did mark the occasion, though, with a procession from the church of St Jacques to the Basilique Saint-Aphrodise. The procession was led by a camel and we stopped a couple of times for some traditional dances. Briefly in the place Saint Cyr and then for a longer period by the eglise de la Madeleine. After a speech in the local dialect and some gnashing of camel teeth in front of the basilica, the assembled confréries, dignitaries and locals headed in for a mass. J., N. and I headed off in search of bread and lunch.