Monsieur le Mayor has been busy spending our local taxes and the centre of town has taken on a new look; fancy paving, new drains, and posh bollards (at the perfect height to crease the sill on your car).  The battle of the Chemists continues and they face off across the market square, not quite with guns blazing.  We soon won't be able to call Marseillan our "scruffy little french town" any more.  This year the Church square is due to get its re-vamp along with the old tourist office building which is planned to become a 21st century communications centre.  Hoorah for Euro Money.

With the influx of our clients with their English sensibilities the Mairie has had to address the age old French problem of dog pooh, and it's working.  It's really interesting to see the town preening itself, with even the locals renovating and taking a pride in their houses, without effecting the unique vibrancy of Marseillan life.

The old fishing port has been totally rebuilt, dug out, enlarged, new quayheadings and moorings, no expense spared and in consequence now looks exactly as it did before! Still with the same scruffy sinking boats - we must look after our fishermen..

Building work in the port area is voracious and all the old warehouses are rapidly becoming very upwardly mobile, with prices to match.  It's nice to see that some of the new commercial ventures are not restaurants. I think that very soon we'll have the opportunity for some very interesting retail therapy between meals. Talking of which our own personal favorite, Le Boulevard restaurant, has had it's own update and following the new superdeluxe comfort facilities Bernard has replaced the entire entrance with a fully retractable closure which will make the restaurant a truely indoor/outdoor experience. We are heartened that nothing else has changed, the menu is more extensive but no more expensive. A new chef in the kitchen means Bernard now has more time to circulate and is becoming quite the bon viver.

Bruno Henri of the Taverne du Port has this year made the pilgrimage to the Norfolk Broads to visit us and others and has pronounced his total amazement that English food is superb! No longer are we the Roast Beefs and there seems to be a new respect for all things English.