gods in her heaven

...all's well in the world.   Annie and Pete are back :)) Though not for long, it seems. Will have to start following them about.

Forgot camera this morning and failed to take several cute snaps; the cat-on-the-chair classic at St Jean de Paracol vide grenier and many others at the Quillan one, where I bought another television lamp and Annies adorable ear rings.

Here instead is a library in upheaval and a balcony in need of care.

comings and goings...and returns

Zoe, Linda, Tilly and Kitty set off to England yesterday morning. By the afternoon they had returned for their passports.

Heres Tilly looking sweetly forbearing :) Apropos, the farewell dinner happened at the restaurant in Quillan  opposite the Pink Palace, in the square by the river - the Restaurant du Fleuve -  its under new management, (French) and was very good. Everyone in our party was pleased, including Tilly the vegetarian and Kitty the mysteriously complex. The bog-standard steak and chips was better than most, the duck was excellent, the pork Provencal was terrific. Puddings, ooh lets not even talk about them. Made in house, all of it.


Bob and I have nearly two week alone now

goodby to Pete and Clare...

 Toby - seen through a romantic haze, above - hosted last nights party to say farewell to Pete and Clare who are really leaving this time. Pete played and sang for us, wonderfully :)

    Young Sian enjoyed it, I think - and cherie, I have quite forgiven you for the ice bucket down my back


Leo was clearly entertained and Elaine and Eric, below, were happily oblivious to all...
 ...yet again my record taking was patchy. There too were our Kat, Dave and El, and um perhaps others. I was late as we had eaten at St Gobain with Bobs guests, who went on to enjoy the night market.

Today I hoof it to a small hamlet the other side of Carcassonne to meet with old mates Richard and Alison. Back soon :)

lunch with the chickens

 Up to the Poulet en Velo for Sunday  lunch with Pete and Clare and our guests, Linda, Zoe, Tilly and Kitty. They got here Friday morning after driving all night from London; Friday and Saturday were sleeping and now Zoe is trying to get over a massive migraine, Linda her double vision. I'm hoping they'll be well enough to do the return journey, poor things....

Les Daves Ecossais en fete

 Wonderful party last night, despite the weather (which is very chilly.) Industrial strength blanquette, food fit for a palace and the enduring friendship of our happy few made the evening tremendous. The snaps are a bit random on account of the usual excuses -

 Heres a man in black :)





- and below, Pete and Clare turned up out of the blue, having made their farewells a week ago. Couldn't stay away, of course

At home with Louise

Last nights craft night with Lou was a sweet rest - Yvonne, Sue, Nel and me gossiped happily while Lou did creative stuff. Oh and Nel knitted.


We were not going to the Festival du Vin which was where all our other mates were and was apparently great too, at Alains in the square. There was music and dancing. Ah, youth :)

all change

Family gone! We'll miss them... but Etienne is still here, still blowing bubbles :)
 

Here are a couple of random snaps; the mayor leading the conga (nearly) at the night market on Monday and James and William having a gossip at the creperie

Babyville

                                              Either Ryan has shrunk or Etienne is getting bigger

Sunday lunch at poulet villages

 The family plus friend Liz, from London and St Hilare, took ourselves to the remarkable Poulet en Velo for lunch.



Time was when I photographed the fish and the food but today it was the neighbours that caught my attention - Angus and Mary and their daughter whose name I am not trying to spell. Brill to see them. The summer is a time for visitors so our resident friends get missed. Heres to winter, dear ones!






The Poulet en Velo has opened a chicken village which is a perfect post-feast stroll. Here are some of the strange hens that live there. Hen heaven :)

Camping it up at Leucate yesterday

 Putting a tent up in the morning was a fine plan as the day got hotter and hotter; worked for me anyway, I slept in it all afternoon.

The family gambolled about in the waves and did sea-side stuff. Its very odd how children don't tire. Its like those clever dynamos that the more you wind, the longer the electricity runs.

do french fairies deliver?

James has lost a tooth. So do French fairies pay up for British teeth or should he wait till he goes home? 

thursday in the season...

 Sweet Nightingale - who, last week, served 800 covers!!! Thats a lot of footslogging for a waitress at the Creperie but she persists in her good humour. Below are some of our party; we had to split, some going to TyRex, some to the Creperie. Todays intake of another 4 people had to be billeted to Jean-Lin as we have no beds left.

 William, it seems, HAS TO HAVE CHOCOLATE.
                                                           Fair Enough.

hols over

Back with Margaret and Kat from our drawing foray to the Camargue - which was glorious. Here is our Kat at lunchtime yesterday, eating at the Cafe where Vincent hung out. Very emotional time for me...
and there were white horses, flamingos, black bulls and great birds, as advertised.Though not actually in the cafe, natch.

Bobs family...

Et voila! Outside TyRex last night, just before the storm - which wasnt so much a storm as a long torrential downpour. I brought the tortoise in as the yard was flooding but all is well this morning.

This adorable bunch of babes have nothing to do with the fact that Im off to the Camargue to paint for a couple of days. Margaret, Kat and  I have planned to do this for a long time and I'II be back the day after tomorrow :)

last nights celebrations

 No particular celebration - just a celebration:) - called by Toby who created a great ambiance and threw together many of our friends. Great night. The photos have a tendancy to favour my family; sorry if Ive left people out but my lot left this morning for the terrible weather of England and I'II miss them -

But Bobs family arrive this evening so I wont be feeling lonely for long.

Bob is finding the return to real life quite exhausting after an entire month in bed. Hes taking it a little at a time.

 Pete was in superb voice as was Diane; Diane's song demanding the electric chair for killing her man was VERY memorable and Petes take on Suzanne - the one we used to put on at the end of parties to make people go home? - was just wonderful. And the rest.

Heres our Sian, trying to stop worrying about Jill her mama who is back in hospital - a difficult time for the family, she could only stay for a quater of an hour. What is the athiest version of 'God be with you'? We need a new vocabulary to express our best wishes. 'Chin up' seems a little lightweight.

Bad Leo and Kat need no explanation :)And the rest of the snaps speak for themselves. 

Off to get the house ready for the next wave of fun loving friends heart heart