The Seow Clan doing their bit for global fishing stocks.

Being a Saturday, we headed off to Villeneuve-les-Avignon for a turn around the flea-market, but most importantly a round of oysters and prawns.  The flea market was a little quieter than previous times being Christmas Eve, but the better for it. I bargained (pathetically) for a pair of small Ricard jugs, which will make fun milk jugs, in yellow and, according to the nice lady who sold it to me, a very rare blue.

Usually, it has been a half dozen oysters and a dozen prawns plus a serving of french fries (or simply 'frites' as we say in France), but with Clan Seow visiting, we upped the order to three dozen each oysters and prawns, two pizzas, and three fries. It seemed a little excessive, but there are some very heathly appetites in this crowd.

Having filled (expanded?) our bellies, we had to do some exercise and so walked into the old town to tour the Chartreuse Notre-Dame-du-val-de-Bénédiction, which is a medieval monastery or charterhouse. But not before stopping off at a patisserie, which was heaving with shoppers picking up their Christmas cake orders. Not to be outdone, we bought 6 pattisserie cakes, one jam lattice tart (for breakfast), and a yuletide chocolate log.

The monastery was built in the 14th Century by the 5th of the Avignon Popes, Innocent VI, whose tomb is located there. The monastery was deconsecrated some time ago and is in various states of repair. The monastery-church of St Marie, originally dedicated to St. John the Baptiste, has partly collapsed and is open at one end, but the rest of the complex is generally in good shape with many parts kept as they were originally used. Rooms in the cloisters are used as a retreat for writers as part of the National Centre for dramatic writing.