“Oh sh1t Jörg, your bike's been stolen!“ We were only 20m from our bikes practicing kite surfing techniques and after packing up we turned to our bikes to cycle back to our camper van and one of them was no longer there. Jörg said he would run back the 200m to our van so I set off in hot pursuit in the opposite direction towards the town of Sete 8km away. I do recall thinking, “Hell, wish they'd taken mine, then I could go back to the van.”

I was feeling quite hysterical and randomly stopped passersby squealing,”le vélo de mon mari est volé!” (The bicycle of my husband is stolen!). A couple mentioned seeing a man in a white t-shirt on a bicycle so I raced after this phantom thief. I could see a cyclist off in the distance, so I pressed on, all the while imagining what I would do once I caught him (that would be SCREAM).

Finally, after much endurance and muscle burning, I caught up with the phantom – this was really only possible because he wasn't actually on my husband's bike, so he wasn't actually trying to get away from me, and he was actually just enjoying a Sunday afternoon bike ride. I slumped off my bike, trying to decide what to do next. Keep going? But which way? Call the police? No money and no cell phone. Sigh.

Enter Dave and Carol. This is the deevine couple parked next to us in the “aire” (mobile home car park) near to Sete on the Mediterranean. Now Dave has a very similar sense of humor to my husband and he thought it would be very funny to abscond with Jörg's bike as a practical joke...he now considers himself lucky that it didn't practically cost him his life!

Poor Dave cycled after me the whole way into Sete, following the trail of maimed cyclists stammering, “Non, non, I do not 'ave 'is bicyclette!” When I saw him and Jörg's bicycle trying to hide behind a lamppost, I realized that all was well, so I released him from my “jaws of death grip” and condemned him and his wife to a lifetime of friendship.

We had a stunning few days hanging out with them and look forward to the next round of Dominoes when we see them again next year. Yes, you read right, Dominoes. They introduced us to the fascinating world of Dominoes which is actually fiercely competitive and great fun – as long as I win, otherwise it's just stupid.

After 4 days, my liver begged us to part company, so we went off on our separate ways, them to rainy St. Tropez and us to sunny Lac du Salagou. But before we kissed good-bye, Carol gave me a tin of Haggis and a great self-concocted recipe which I have since tried and LOVE. It is Shepherd's Pie with Haggis. Never tried it? I hadn't either but now we're hooked. I'll post it next so do give it a try as it is deelicious. Thanks Carol!!