Malarkey is Andy Clarke, a creative designer with a passion for accessibility and web standards. This is his personal website.

Wish you were here

We’re packed and ready to go. The South of France is calling and I’m looking forward to two weeks of quality time away from the phone, emails and MSN. We have been to ’our little gite’ before and I hope that this time will be as relaxing as the last (Sue has banned me from taking my laptop :) ).

Les Alibert

Minerve

We’re going to a tiny place just outside of Minerve in the wine region known as Minervois. Minerve is a village perched over the meeting of two rivers which tunnel through deep gorges. Minerve is also the site of the massacre of the Cathars in France in 1210 AD.

Minerve

Simon de Montfort laid seige to the fortress village. The village was well protected with double surrounding walls, and overhanging ledges. The Viscount Guilhem of Minerve knew that the 200 men of his garrison couldn’t resist the onslaught if the gates should fall, so he negotiated the a surrender. He saved the villagers and his self, but 140 Parfaits who had taken refuge, were burnt at the stake because they refused to deny their faith. The burning of parfaits was the first in the crusade. Little is now left of the fortress, except for the "candela" octagonal tower. The village is a maze of narrow alleys, topped by a 12th century church.

Hopefully there will be no ’burnings’ this year (although during last year’s heat-wave, we did see forest fires on the horizon. I’ll be sitting by the pool with an iPod and a pile of books.

See you in a couple of weeks.

Replies

  1. #1 On August 13, 2004 11:31 AM Jeremy Freeman said:

    Sob, sob, we’ll miss you! I’m addicted to my email and I don’t think I could cope without it for 2 weeks. I would dread the prospect coming back to thousands of emails! Thank God for my trusted Blackberry phone.

    Have an amazing time and chill out - enjoy your wine and try and not smoke too much!

    Jeremy

  2. #2 On August 13, 2004 12:08 PM Matthew Pennell said:

    <python>
    You lucky, lucky, lucky bastard…
    </python>

    It looks luscious - although I think I’d be asking myself ’is there an internet cafe somewhere in these narrow alleys?’… ;)

  3. #3 On August 13, 2004 01:33 PM Jon Hicks said:

    Gee! Rough lookin’ fella aincha?! ;o)

  4. #4 On August 14, 2004 12:43 AM patrick h. lauke said:

    another shot of supermodel andy "the cow tagger" clarke: https://www.deviantart.com/deviation/9680614/

    again, have a lovely time, you jammy sod you…

  5. #5 On August 14, 2004 04:24 AM Patrick H. Lauke said:

    oh, and not to comment spam or anything: the url for the full-size, uncropped original of the photo at the top is here in its full james dean type glory https://www.deviantart.com/deviation/9667330/

    yes, i’ll stop pimping my wares now…

  6. #6 On August 14, 2004 08:17 AM Malarkey said:

    Hi Pat

    No problem with the advertising matey, although https://www.deviantart.com/deviation/9680614 is really not my favourite shot.