at the bottom of it all

 Last nights dinner was fun - it seems I can still cook, or at least open a mean tin - here we see Olle-Bendik being charming to Ini and Rachel whilst Bob, Aileen, Ian and Toby are somewhere else.

Below... I don't want to trivialize this horrendous bruise which occured when the owner of the bottom slipped down the stairs in our new house, ex-Msr Francoise. I photographed it today while we were at Lecuate plage.  It is very beautiful:)

strange days

 ...at the Thursday market today and below, in the neighbours garden by the river...

Last night went to the Auberge du Faby which was a real treat - their menu and plat du jour came in at under 20 euros and the quality was smashing. The art work too is superbe. ahem, and can still be bought quite cheaply:)
I'd do  some more sales talk but Im cooking dinner right now, something I have forgotten how to do.

Busy Days

 Work continues on the very dusty garage -one day this will be a huge and pleasing place - :)

And here is Rachel, visiting for a week or so, at dinner last night under the trees at Rennes les Bains, chez Will and Marvi. The days and evenings are cooler now and all the better for that IMHO. We did the tourist thing with Rachel, inspected Rennes le Chateau and generally enjoyed our glorious corner of the world.
On a whim I just checked the WikiP entry for RleC and found it unusually sane...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rennes-le-Ch%C3%A2teau

Claudinne gone, pub closed.

 Claudines gone but  not before I made her pose for the camera... to console ourselves Bob and I walked to test the new pub St Gobain, which according to Le Depeche was open. It wasn't. Don't believe everything you read in the papers:)

Temperature dropped to 18 degrees yesterday morning but the market was still packed - as was the vide grenier at St Ferriol. By the time we left it was up to 26. Autumn is in the air but not yet on us.

bad camera day

Some days you can't even press a button right....

I forgot the camera totally which I regret as old friend Jonathon Rosenhead came to lunch with his daughter Rosa and I would have liked a visual souvenir. Won't forget the pleasure of great conversation and revisited memories.

At Georges vernisage I snapped happily at all and sundry and the results were dismal - except George came out rather well, see right. We left early as we were heading to Petes but it was shaping up to a great evening - Avril was singing with a guitarist and the crowds were arriving -

At Petes barbie I guess I rather lost it:) These two pix are about all that were recoverable. So, here's  Ryan adopted by Sunny and a group shot which shows rather well what a terrific party it was -
some of the double exposures are interesting but not very. Must have had the camera on a funny setting, or a demon has moved in.

Met Nick for the first time, Sallys man - good choice, Sally IMHO - and wondered at how Megan and Sunny have grown.

Claudinne is here; will take a decent photo of her today.Shes looking good and feeling well after being in Madagasgar for a time.

Nel is back too, long may she remain.

Its raining! Well, bit of a drizzle. Won't hurt the market too much and with luck it will have cleared for the vide grenier at St Ferriol this afternoon. See you there.

tremendous quietness

Here's Lynne who left with Richard and the kids this morning to Prague and below are Alicia and her old friend Sarah, who left even earlier than Lynne and family, for Paris.

Check out Sarah's site - shes a fabulous artist -
http://www.sarahvaleri.com/

John left for England on Wednesday -

I wouldn't say that Bob and I haven't known what to do with ourselves exactly:) But its so quiet it feels really sad.

Hey ho, tomorrow is Georges vernisagge in Alet les Bains, 5.00, don't miss it - in gallery in front of the Bishops Palace, all welcome.

And we have friends for lunch and Claudine coming to stay so all is not lost -

keys....

Nice photo sent over by Allenna of me and Bob at the seaside - which is unrepresentative of today.

Began well enough; than we found Bob had lost his car key. His sole car key. Voices were raised, accusations leveled.

It became easier to do some housework than not - if you have to turn everything over you might as well tidy up and if you search the floors you may as well sweep them.
I spoke to the street cleaners and the police and the staff at Luc's - no joy. Better than housework though.

The family gave up and went off on the Cathar trail for some insight into heresies. Bob went to see Kat and she drove him to the garages' office in Caracassonne - jut in time for lunch. Come back at 2.00, they said.

Back at the garage after lunch, Bob filled in forms and was eventually told that the key would be obtained within a few days. When it arrived he was to get the car to Carcassonne for a security fitting.

....spot the flaw in this process?

                                  Hey ho. Fortunately Helen back at London has found the spare and has sent it over.

DATES; Saturday, Georges has a vernisage at Alet les Bains. See poster below...


Sunday, the towns group of shops and services here (OSCAR) are having a loto event - bingo to you and me - followed by a meal fixed by Chez Charlie. More info as and when. You have been warned.

sunday lunch

Richard and Alison came to lunch, dear mates from my youth in London and now part-timers from the other side of Carcassonne and still dear mates. Niece Charlie set the table and made the place name things ( in the language of contemporary tablescapes they have a name but I dunno what it is -)


Ryan and Alicia cooked, lamb and lemon potatoes and rice and potato flan and chick pea and aubergine thing and beetroot - as ever, delicious - vegan nut pudding with peaches to die for.

 Did the decent thing, ate enough for the week, drank enough, just, then passed out till the evening.

Many thanks to all for their hard work and the great pleasure of their company:)

Tony Othen expo in Arles

Old friend Tony is exhibiting in Arles - his photos are legendary. Good opportunity to see them....

Garden stairs finished. Rabbit approves.

signs and portents

This rainbow appeared over the house yesterday causing a deal of speculation. It seems that it is formed of ice in the very high sky making prisms. Glorious:)







URGENT:
Anyone going to Toulouse this weekend? Annies HelpX has left her passport - needs to be reunited to make the next stage of her journey - contact her or me if you can help.



Here are Lynn and Charlie at Leucate Plages today... leaping William and swimming Richard.... Hannah and Tiger.
                                          Terrific day rounded off at TyRex. Thanks all:)

kids in town

 Bobs family are staying, his brother John, nephew Richard and his wife Lynne, their kids Charlie, Hannah and William. Its amazing how much there is to do in Esperaza; last night we swamped the creperie after playing at the playground and in the river. Today the tribe are at the  lake after bonding with Jessica 'Le Chainsaw' Rabbit tututtut. Kids are brilliant fun!

Allenna off and away

On Friday went to Leucate Plages after a splendid lunch (Allenna's treat) in Leucate Villages -  all got rather sunburnt, not used to reading on the beach but actually, no complaints:)

Yesterday we trolled around Carcassonne, bit of sightseeing, bit of shopping - and today was the market, then alas - Allenna flew to London and tomorrow will exit to Toronto.

here she is, in Le Pont cafe, explaining some fine point....

and some shots from within the cafe, of the market in full splendor.


We lunched at the airport, again Allennas treat - the little restaurant at Salvaza  is very good indeed. I had their fishy plat du jour and was very impressed. Then remembered that Andree and her family meet their for festive meals and they know a thing or too.

the morning after the storm

So; here are Jamie, Anna 2, Juan, Anna, Allenna and Bob at breakfast this morning. Juan and Anna are the parents of Anna 2 who has married our friend Jamie. Jamie and Anna 2 live in Dublin. The parents don't speak French or English but are profoundly sympa - we all took to each other :)

Last night we ate at the Poulet en Velo, which is where we were for the cloudburst - like the rest of the diners we huddled under the awnings and got wet, as heavy heavy rain blew at us from all directions. Our hosts came and led us out to a splendid tent, wired with coloured lights and waterproof - there they served us good red wine and the lamb that had been spit roasted fortunately before the heavens opened.

There were a large party of folk from Rennes les Chateau having a private do; they had another (bigger) tent. Given the unpredictability of the weather and the challenges of running a lake-side open air restaurant in the forest,  the staff were fantastic. The evening was rounded off by the musicians coming into our tent and playing for us. In honour of our Catalan friends, they sang Estaca, the independence song that at one time you would have been imprisoned for humming. Very touching. Love the Spanish!!

signing up

Heres Annie, signing books - with her name so that she'll (eventually) get them back from me. A dozen whodunnits, hurrah -

and below some of  the Gorge of Galamus which we encompassed on the return trip from our lunch yesterday at Resturant Mon Grain de Sel, (23 rue Neuve, Soulatge  (0468 27 06 34))
Lunch and the Gorge were amazing. Took Ryan and Alicia and Allenna. Afterwards Bob and Ryan drove back to collect our swarm of bees. More on them anon, no doubt.

Its overcast and cooler, praise be:)

esperaza bio night market

Bio markets mean the emphasis is on artisan generated products rather than mass produced stuff... ours last night was fun and a relief after the days heat. Well stocked with tables and chairs for eating from the local food stalls. All rather good - congrats to the committee:)




The inflatable slide below took the biscuit though - it was placed outside the church and got the benefit of the churchs' logo. Kids loved it.

 Back at our garden we are having a staircase built to reach the terrace.... currently rather surreal but we have hopes of it being useful one day.

latest news

Allenna is here! She has arrived via Cambodia and Bolton - taking a break from her conference circuit and vedging out in Esperaza for a week. Seen with Jessica Le Chainsaw who for a dwarf rabbit is getting rather large.

Attention Linux fans - or folk who have heard of but are not sure about, or have questions to ask, or are just unsure about microsoft and don't understand the alternatives - please come to a conference at the chateau at St Ferriol on weds of this week, from 6 - 8pm , where Dick and Jill (the visiting American scientists) will answer questions and explain all.

In keeping with Linux philosophy, 

the event is totally FREE

frolicing on the mountain

At twilight last night  a group of courageous friends clambered up Mont Marot East for a picnic. We took up chairs and sandwiches and wine though truth to tell it really needed more water - still hot here.

I'm so grateful to everyone for making the effort! It was a treat to see everyone in such a beautiful setting, set against views of all the known world.

 Heres Ryan, Alicia, Annie, Pam - back for a visit, snapping me snapping her - Clare, Dave, Pete, Bob -

 - our Kat, establishing new fashions by having bowls that match her frock -



Pam and Fay, Mary trying to hide, Pete - 





Ian and Dave and three of the four dogs that came to keep an eye on things.

 

The evenings Big Debate was concerning the saltiness of the sea. Why is it salty? Why when the seas recede isn't the remaining land salty? If it runs off into the rivers why aren't they salty? Except the Saltz, of course, which is...