Blue skies

 Kat and I took our coffee at the Cafe du Pont sitting outside in the sunshine. Though we didn't expect it to last - the river is racing and the forecast is dire-  it stayed beautiful, eventually forcing me from the studio to take a little stroll. Most of the unemployed of Esperaza were wandering about too, amazed at the day.
Ditto Jessica le Chainsaw and Princess Alice, here drying out in the yard.

receeding waters

Here is the Mighty Aude viewed from the bottom of Rue des Jardins yesterday afternoon and below, this morning - footpath has re-emerged and all seems well.

Off to see if any stall holders have come to the market. Sky has blue patches.

all change

 Weather wet - here's Ty Rex getting a good wash after Kat and I ate there tonight.
Before that we had an apero with Andree.

All good fun though rather sad as Bob has had to go to London for a week. Also gone - on the same flight - Alan and Christine, Kelly and others.

Which reminds me, my neighbour Vincent in the Rue de la Gare always greets me in the morning and if its raining he says without fail, aha! Comme Londres! BIG BEN!!

Bong...Bong...

Below is a small wet frog in my gutter. Sweet! Saw  a heron by the river at about 9.30pm, didn't know they were night hunters but perhaps there are many frogs out there.

 

nothing like a quiet life..

 Craving danger and excitement Bob drove me and Lily to Ax-les-Thermes via many little charming communes and stunning views. Cup of tea in Ax and then the voyage home, by which time darkness had fallen and the temperatures dropped.

A series of poor decisions led to us going uphill (instead of via Foix) which in turn led to us being trapped up a mountain on a tiny frozen road in the middle of the wilds. Bob did an heroic reverse down the ice avoiding ditches, rock, snowdrifts and sheer drops.

Yes; we were quite tense by the time we return to Ax (cheering allelujia- I understand why people live in cities now)

Long drive home, late arrival, dinner from the freezer and some good red wine for me. Lily is still knackered.

Still dieting

Ryan and Alicia have friends staying so last night they ALL cooked dinner:) Here are Christine and Alan - here till the end of the week - if you see them lure them in and find out how to do pumpkin in walnuts and honey. With veal and yorkshire puddings. They can come and stay again, anytime - they make good conversation too.
Its really weird how I don't seem to be loosing any weight. Perhaps Alicias tarte tartine is to blame.

mountain walking

 Bob is here:) Annie, Pete and Ian have all gone off to Liverpool so Bob and I walked Lily together, up above Quillan.

We took tea in lovely Espezel... the snow was around but melting.


I wondered why the French man who directed us to the cafe laughed and said that as we were English, it was perfect for us - I thought it was because it was tea-time, but the owner was a Cheshire man. See www.le100unique.com for his many events. (the site is down today but will be up again when his son gets back from school)
We got home in time for the sunset...

****This week had the final meeting with the Mayor to arrange our agenda before the elections which are in March. If anyone in the commune is registered to vote but will be away, they can give me the authority to vote for them if we trot down to the gendarmerie in Quillan with the right paperwork - quelle joy! Happy to oblige if needful. Lets face it, we need all the votes we can get:)

enchanted evening

Last nights' enchanted evening at Aileen and Olle-Bendicks, with Ferren, Pete and Annie and 12 dogs was just lovely. Good friends, beautiful surroundings and of course a delicious menu. Wild mushroom tart, salad and veggie lasagne, bottled figs and apricots from the summer.
Pete and Annie are on a flying visit, leaving Thursday.  Some 5 of the dogs are being re-homed soon. The rest of us remain.

Market again

 Its Sunday, its market day in Esperaza yet again -  but it is so nice in the sun and such an easy way to meet and greet friends:)

Here is the fripperie over the footbridge, where the well dressed woman squanders her sous.

Met Annie and Pete, just returned from Morocco; said goodbye to Margaret, off to Ireland today.

Here is the view to left and right from the Patisserie where Pete and Nel and I took our coffee,  saw many other friends and showed off our purchases. Lovely morning. Off now to flaunt my new trousers...

saturday night in Esperaza in January

 On my way to Margarets, stopped and snapped the town from the footbridge...

thence to apero delicious with Yolanda and on to St Gobains, with Mike and Hilary and lo! there were Edith and Daniel. Again a perfect meal. Hats off To Robin and Jennifer - great success. (I had pate de compagne and fig jam with salad; confit de porc and black pudding with many complications; cream, ice cream and chocolate called something I forget on account of the good red wine.) 

                                                                              The diet is going marvelously, thank you.

sunny friday

 What better thing to do on a sunny Friday morning than to high-tail it to Limoux and go to Parchemin.
Those who live here will beam with pleasure when you mention its name for here we buy our furniture, rugs, plates, books and any junk you care to mention, for sous.
Its a training thang for the long-term unemployed (since many of whom are friends, it has the added benefit of a chance of meeting up) They collect old and broken stuff and restore it, then flog it in their vast and enticing warehouse. Outside their v and e warehouse they stack old windows, doors and bits that are essential to those restoring houses - see  below... 

Its a rare visit when I leave Le Parchemin with nothing but that happened today. After all that spending on paint at the sales, its as well.

I've been lazy lately but a quick update covers the sales in Carccassone -  an entertaining day there with Andree  yesterday- following on from dinner with Margaret at St Gobains the day before. Excellent quality - don't know how Robin is maintaining such high standards at such low prices.

Now its diet time. Really, I mean it, honest.

Bunking off

 Margaret and I bunked off today -

here  is the hill the other side of the pont by the cafe du pont, catching the early sunlight...

...below a view of the cite in Carcassonne.

 This is a Miro woodcut, badly photographed in the Musee des Memoires in Rue Verdun - gorgeous - after which we did the rather dispiriting Beaux Arts. Good health speedily restored in a cafe in Limoux, seen below. Tip of the iceberg actually; it was a lovely day involving art shops, lunch, trocante and brocante. Thanks Margaret xxx

absent friends

Here is Olle-Bendick cutting Barbara's christmas cake - arrived from America too late to be decorated but in good time to be eaten with thick cream by Aileen, Steve, Fiona and me - will keep a piece for Bob who has gone to London for a week, poor chap.
So we toasted him and Larry and Barbara.

And then some.

Pete and Nel entertain at home

 So; our Nel has (at last) moved in with Pete and much celebration occurred last night. They cooked really well together:)

Mike and Hilary were there too but had gone home by the time I got the camera out - here are the stalwarts, clearly enjoying the cafe Armagnac - thanks guys and welcome to the neighbourhood, Nel x

message from Toby - greetings from the mayor

Hello Sweet Esperaza friends,

I hope you will all have a great 2014 with lots of fun, good health, sunshine - sharing meals and drinks and good company.

Might have some old mail addresses, in that case pass on the word please.

I am off to India next week but will put some images on FB every  now and then. I changed my hair into dazzling blond; you can imagine the laughs I had from Leo and Jim. It is an experiment to find out how grey I really am. There must be easier ways but well, IT DOES CHANGE me. 

See you soon, love Toby

And heres the NY Message from our Mayor, lifted from Le Depeche... I love his upbeat tone, overcoming problems easily and making the town agreeable and dynamic. 

Will adopt viz-a-vis myself as NY resolutions :)

Jean Torrent entouré des conseillers municipaux./Photo DDM

Jean Torrent, maire d’Espéraza, nous prie d’insérer :

Comme en début de chaque année, c’est avec joie que je viens assumer mon rôle de maire d’Espéraza. 2013 a été une année marquée par la disparition d’êtres chers dans notre ville et par de nombreux problèmes que nous avons toujours pu surmonter facilement, lorsque vous nous y avez aidés. Soyez-en remerciés. Nous y avons fait face collectivement, dignement et avec rigueur permettant ainsi à Espéraza de conserver son image d’une cité dynamique et agréable. J’espère que vous avez passé de bonnes fêtes.
Au nom du conseil municipal et personnellement, c’est avec un réel plaisir toujours renouvelé, que je vous adresse à toutes et à tous mes vœux de très bonne et très heureuse année 2014 et qu’elle voit tous vos projets se réaliser.

Steve and Fiona in town

 Apero at Steve and Fiona's last night - I've stopped calling their home Therese's old house, its been (beautifully) made theirs -

Here's Fiona with Ann and Aimee; below is Steve with Aimee and our Alex; below that The Captain (telling me off, probably) with Kieran - Luc can be spotted below...

what kind and welcoming people and what an interesting night!

Happy New Year -

Heres a thought to see it in;
Every atom in your body came from a star that exploded. And the atoms in your left hand probably came from a different star than your right hand. It really is the most poetic thing I know about physics: You are all stardust.
- Lawrence Krauss -