emotional farewells...

well, maybe saying goodbye to the crop of wild mushrooms wasnt too emotional but it was a bit... neighbours brought them over but as I leave tomorrow I had to hand them over to Ryan and Alicia.




Who are themselves leaving so we had a farewell tea with Andree

followed by a  dinner at St Gobains, where the new (french) chef turned out to be brill. Robin as ever was a gracious host and much fun and good eating ensued.     

Can't believe these guys are really leaving us...

Now Im off to tomorrow for a month. News from abroad if relevant - otherwise, unaccustomed silence from here till late November.

Should you be in Deptford on the 12th November, please come to the private view of DRAWN, my expo at The Art Hub Gallery, Creekside, 6 - 9 pm. 

                     Music by Bull. 

                                        Wine from the Languedoc.

creepy morning

 Strange morning light yesterday, seen here just around dawn... but whatever it presaged didn't occur; windy but pretty day. Here is some of the walnut crop :) Gathered by Ryan and Alecia, thank you xxx

Bob unwell, had to cancel our evening with Dermot and Kate. Another time...

everyones going somewhere...

 I'm loosing the plot somewhat but it seems that everyones leaving town. Max has gone (though Andy remains a while -); Kats off tomorrow for a trip inland; Bob leaves on Sunday; I leave Friday morning; Ryan, Alecia and Etienne leave forever on Nov 3rd. Awful.

Anyway, tonight Toby and Kat and Bob and I ate at the creperie to start the farewell ball rolling.
Above is Kevins ear. Below is Nightingale.

 In this spirit of fin de siecle I took the pic below - the last of my wall paintings in the house at Rue des Jardins. Ryan and Alecia are redecorating as we plan to sell the house. We are doing the full magnolia.

Ryans birthday tea

 Ryans is celebrating being quite young with a tea party - pumpkin and coconut cream pie, plus other fattening delights. As usual Ryan was upstaged by Etienne... who prefered to ignore the party and perfect his reading and speaking skills with a clever computer programme.

Market was packed today. Despite an early shower the sun was hot. Bumped into many mates including Gert and Elizabeth whom I thought had left but in  fact go tomorrow. Sigh.

lunching

 Of course everyone has seen the Cathare Gormand in the square but generally its never open or you can't get in... very estoteric. Turns out they are open some lunchtimes and you have to book well in advance. The chef is some brilliant geezer who has retired and does it for a hobby. Max - clever man - sorted all this and booked a table for the family plus me, Leo and Toby. We were very very impressed.

A starter costs under 3 euros, main course under 10, pud under 3. Sensational and flawless.

The menu changes every day and you can see what it is on their facebook page, Cathare Gormand.

Off to tick 'like' now:)

More good news; as we were sitting to eat Bob started texting. I'm expecting him tonight. His lift to the airport hadn't turned up and it seemed he might miss the plane. Just heard that he made it, skin of teeth -  phew!!!

Rushtons birthday

John continues to age gracefully - he cooked a megagood meal for his nearest and dearest; Clare, Alison and Eric, John M and new Sue, Sue and Richard, Penny his sister-in-law et petite moi.
Here is Eric toasting him. Sloe gin and blanquette. Seemed a good idea last night

 There was dancing :) Which is rather a good idea after a large and delicious meal, feels like exercise.

Not all the photos were my fault since I seem to be in some of them.  Here Rushton and l exchange world views. Maybe.

Actually sloe gin and blanquette isn't a good long-term plan. Didnt get to bed till 2.00am and fear that todays work will be slight.

Weds night at the creperie

There have been quite enough photos of us lot stuffing our faces lately so today instead here is a picture of Tango up to no good.

Toby got back yesterday so we all trooped out to the creperie to raise a glass to Stu - she'd been to his funeral. Seems odd to say it was good but it seems that it was... emotional but cathartic.

Max has recovered from his lurgy - he has slept in 27 different beds since September (that hes admiting to.) He, Katherine, Andrea, Mike, Hilary, Leo, Kat, John and Margaret were there and we all maintained our energy levels with healthy food and moderate drinking. Honest.

Alas, John and Margaret go today as do Gert and Elizabet. John went yesterday, Annie and Pete the day before.  Bonne retour a tous :)

cold and colds

 Lovely evening chez moi last night - John and Kat did all the cooking and I just enjoyed our friends; Mike and Hilary, Gert and Elizabet, Andrea and Catherine, John and Margaret, Leo and of course Kat and John.

Kat made a fruit coulis which we poured with cream over brebis (sheep) ice cream in three flavours - liquorish, violet and fig-and-walnut - topped with crushed something. John did the pasta and meat sauce and I did the roasted vedg and salad for the veggies, of whom it transpired there were none.

Notably absent were Max  and Scott, laid low with colds.

Saw Max the previous night when he got in with Andrea and Catherine and we dinned in (comparative) luxury at the TyRex.

There were tremendous blastings of laughter all night - guests on top form, thanks to you all for your company xxx

John leaves for England today having assembled my new electric tricycle. It was not easy. Impossible to do had he not been volunteered... more on that beast anon as I learn to control it.

Toby arrives today.

Its enough to make you dizzy.

Sunday lunch under the trees

Many of us we invited to lunch with John and Margaret; Ole-Bendik and Aileen, Annie and Pete, me and John, Kate and Dermot, Andy and Elvira, Mike and Hilary, Kat and Leo. 

John and Margaret sure know how to give themselves a hard time!!!  Filling up the glasses was a full-time job - I do hope they got to eat at some point, before we all woolfed everything

Beautiful day, if anything a little too hot. The market was insane, in a decorous way; most of the haut vallee seemed to be there, plus a lot of unknown Brits on late holidays.

Annie and Pete leave us, alas, on Tuesday. Max and Andrea arrive Monday. What a vibrant place this is.

Time for a little rest.

Billy's Birthday Bash

 Billy is nearly 25, he assured us last night - and many mates turned out to celebrate. Heres a random selection of snaps. Dave - a professional photographer, seen below with Dee - gave me several tips which haven't paid off. Yet. Though I like the portrait of John. And Kam is looking good:) Scot is back, see last snap - busily researching our Occitan past.

John and I ate at St Gobains the other night where they have a new chef, but all was excellent. Our little town is so blessed with resturants :) John has escaped my cooking ever since he got here.

Tomb with a view, anyone?

 Andree has decided that her family tomb is redundant. She is the last of her line to live in Esperaza so she has arranged that the current residents will shortly be disintered, cremated and scattered in the Field of Rememberance behind the cemetry.

Which leaves an empty family tomb; room for six, stone built. Price negotiable. Cheaper than having one built from scratch.

Spent this morning in the mountains watercolouring with Kat and Margaret. We went to the vineyards just below Esperasas' communal forest - beautiful, beautiful. 

 Then we went to lunch at Rennes Le Chateau on account of art is hard work. Here are Les Girls at Le Dragon de Rhedae by the eponymous chateau where we had a very good meal - oeuffs en cocotte avec foie gras followed by more deliciousness based on fish, spuds and aioli with a hint of vedg.

Which reminds me, John took me and Kat to TyRex last night and while it isnt haut cusine it was jolly good - we had the mixed grill and good red wine and were happy bunnies.

Comings and goings...

Look who are back in town!! The tribe clusted around John and Margaret last night at the Creperie - Mike and Hilary, Kat, Bob and I - lovely to see them again.

Sadly, Bob leaves today; just as his brother John arrives.

Visitor

Here is Jannis, visiting from Berlin, to research my Papa - wonderful guest and I get to talk all day, plus eat out every night. Creperie Friday, TyRex last night, not loosing any weight but very smiley.

Market is looking good; we seem to have been spared the horrendous floods in Nice and Cannes. Love to friends who live that way, be safe xxx

all the latest

Just back from my hols where I was happy to meet this little chap...was at St Pierre de la Mer which is given over to 'seniors' at this time of year, before the cold but after the season. Frightfully good idea. You get rigorously well-balanced meals and gentle exercise. Was calm and relaxed, briefly.

The only other news is that I've signed the papers to be decommissioned from the lists to stand for a role in local politics. Phew!

Things are getting hot here as the mayors opponents line up in the race for power.