Sunday: Working with the neighbors

It's Sunday today, and the weather is not sunny as the 3 days before. We got up and looked through the windows towards the Rhone - it was all foggy, and the balcony was wet. Some very gentle rain has started later, although it was not cold. We have learned by now that the coldest days are when the Mistral wind blows, and on those days you have no rain.

Anyway - instead of taking the car for another travel (we had enough of this yesterday), we join the neighbors for a Sunday project - cleaning the little neighborhood of the castle.

As I wrote - there are about 15 families living by the castle up the Rochemaure hill. Most of the houses are joined to each other, so the neighborhood is very small. The initiative of the residents to keep the place clean is impressing. Not that there is so much trash around - the place is not flooded by tourists, and those who climb the hill to see the castle and the view are not littering, but the people who live here have their loacal pride and sense of commitment to the place, and they come willingly to collect whatever is found in the few streets, between the yards, in the ruins and around the castle.

The work takes about an hour, and after that everyone comes to Yonatan & Elizabeth's house for lunch: everyone brings some goodies to eat - breads, cakes, meats, cheeses and lots of wine - and then the real buisness starts... This friendly gathering lasts more than 3 hours. The people are friendly and take their time, and the world is wonderful! It seems that Yonatan & Elizabeth have already become welcomed residents, and feel here at home.