Poulet Bicyclette

Terrific soiree at the lakeside Poulet Bicyclette last night* 

Gracie and Trist, Laura, Angela, Bob and I did the eating and drinking thing in a practically deserted place - that it was cold and wet  deters all but the preternaturally stubborn. It was our first outing there this year and again, the food has got better. At first it was the lake that drew the punters but as the years - 4?- have rolled by they have taken the food more and more seriously.  I had the seafood plate which included blue-lipped mussels  grilled with cheese, many gambas, a large but perfectly cooked squid. Their passion fruit tiramisu is a sin.

Angela leaves us today, strikes permitting. Come back soon :)

*- clashed with Toby and Leo's apero alas but we copped Toby as we got home, saying goodbye to the last stragglers. Not so much an apero (ie a quick drink or two before dinner) as a full blown party 

Les filles

Voila! Les filles coming back from the bar last night - Angela and Toby after a fairly restrained night. Dear Angela is returning early to London on account of her train journey here was  so difficult that shes hopping a 'plane back tomorrow. At least its not my cooking.

Verdun sunday

 Its 100 years since the dreadful battle of Verdun and all over France there were major commemorations. Merkel and Hollande went to Verdun and watched some performances which I watched on TV while ironing - children running through the endless white crosses of graves to the beating of oil drums was a particularly memorable and surprisingly moving image.

Here in Esperaza our Mayor and some of his council grouped around the 'Evocation de Verdun' statue and the local policeman played the tape of The Last Post from the back of his policecar, naturally followed by the Marseillaise. The standard bearers were all strangers, presumably theres a national network that sends combatants out to make sure its done properly.

In this time of national chaos as the civilians strike against imposed laws, this emphasis on military matters might seem a tad sinister.

Nothing detered, the vide grenier carried on - through ceremony, through rain - outbreaks of sunshine making for good humoured esprit des corps.

Angela arrived on time despite yesterdays signal failure which had caused the trains to snarl up the length of France. She's safe, but stressed.

Eating and drinking again-

Toby, Leo, Kat, Gracie, Bob and I went to La Claranda last night, in Serres - which is just before Arques, so not far away. They had a Tunisien folk singer called Jawhar playing at 10.00pm so some oldies quit in advance, being knackered after eating a large and very good meal. No doubt will hear today what level of treat we missed...

heres Leo and below is Gracie looking cute :)

Heavy rain in the night so expect today to be beautiful for the vide grenier on the river bank, also for the market and to greet our friend Angela, who arrives tonight by train from London. Strikes and signal failures permitting.

Mavis alert

Mavis is back :) - for a week, she says. She dosent miss us at all. 

For newcomers, you may not know that Mavis was the first Brit here, about a hundred years ago; the first time I saw the name Esperaza (in the back of Psychic Monthly or somesuch), it was she advertising tours of the Cathar trail . She has facilitated every major book on the subject and knows all the authors. You'd think it would be impossible to go but shes happy on the south coast of England, new friends, new hobbies - new myths will be emerging, no doubt.

And joy! Here is Msr Serrano up a ladder. Hes one of our towns bakers, the one that had to close following a fire in a particular oven. Its being rebuilt and he reckons on re-opening on the 15th July.  He is using the time to tidy up the facade of their much-missed shop.

Bob got back last night, rather battered by travel though untouched by strikes since dear Kat went to the airport and got him. Kat, Toby and us went to the Creperie to celebrate.

advance warning

 CE SAMEDI à LA CLARANDA *

JAWHAR  - concert

 à 21h30 - folk tunisien - entrée 8€Par des chansons en arabe empreintes de Châabi et des mélopées aériennes à la Nick Drake, Jawhal invente un style folk-soul bien à lui. Chanteur-compositeur d'origine tunisienne, il réinvestit sa terre natale et sa langue maternelle pour les faire chanter autrement.
Dans son dernier album, ses chansons folk teintée de pop s’accouplent à des réminiscences de mezoued tunisien pour que la langue arabe dévoile sa nature intrinsèquement musicale, nostalgique et érotique.
http://www.jawharmusic.com http://goo.gl/aC0gmy

 ***
et l'expo sur nos murs : Peinture - Vanilla BEERDans le monde d'INCANTADO de Vanilla Beer, l'imaginaire met en scène le réel pour mieux le croquer...et pour notre plus grand plaisir !  

 

Réservation conseillée au 04.68.74.38.05 pour dîner avant les spectacles.
Le Café culturel La Claranda est ouvert toutes les fins de semaine du vendredi soir au dimanche midi.

La Claranda, 

Café culturel

associatif  1 route d'Arques 11190 Serres www.laclaranda.eu 

Snow!!

Ok so Im lying. Its that stuff  that blows off trees this time of year. The air by the river is thick with it. So little is going on here that all I have to report is a changed facade at the camp side in Rue des Jardins. Since its next door to the mayors house, it had better look good :)

Talking of which, the maire have taken it upon themselves to neuter a small male black and white cat which is about to come back from the vets looking for a home... just pop in and ask at the desk.

Wildlife post

 Domestic life, really - heres a rabbit and a sparrow at breakfast and here are some of five (five!!) horses that are clearing the field behind the house.

beautiful... and they make an agreeable snuffling noise under my window all night, curiously comforting.

Can't resist adding this splendidly ambigious bird that has taken up residence in Leo and Tobys - and hasnt moved a muscle since they got here -

Yesterdays phrase was 'a cote de la plaque'. Andree assures me that this is French for  not being quite oneself. I tried it out  in answer to people who ca va?d me and they mostly responded with, me too.

back home

Got back last night having braved the French train strikes, tierd but triumphant; thence to St Gobains to watch Stan and Eddie play. Here is a short video of tragic quality - those that were there will barely recognise the sound but it will serve as a mnemonic, I hope.

The weather has been roasting, summer-hot; then today (for the market) it has clouded over and begun to rain with attendent sudden fierce gusts of wind. We soldier on.

Plan ahead

Love this pic of Stan and Eddie, taken by Martin and lifted from facebook.... because on Saturday, Stan and Eddie will be playing at St Gobains, starting at 9.00pm.  Everybodys favorite music:) so a good idea to book first if you want to eat. Ring Robin on 0468 20 60 52.

In case you don't know, St Gobains is at 5 Ave de Carcassonne which is the lower road out of town towards Couzia. Its an easy walk - before le Stade. 

If you want to eat there, best to book -there is a special menu- otherwise just turn up to the bar.

Voila:

FR Avec Stan Adler (violoncelle électrique et voix) et Eddie Castellan (guitare à douze cordes et voix), la musique va du Bach classique au blues classique, avec des classiques des années 60 et 70, y compris des chansons des Rolling Stones, The Faces, Van Morrison, Rory Gallagher et de Jimi Hendrix avec des moments de soul et de gospel. C’est une performance très acoustique.

EN Featuring  Stan Adler (electric cello and vocals) and Eddie Castellan (12-string guitar and vocals), the music ranges through classical Bach to classic blues, 60s and 70s classics including songs from The Rolling Stones, The Faces, Van Morrison, Rory Gallagher and Jimi Hendrix with moments of soul and gospel. It is an extremely acoustic take.

The duo will play twice starting at 21h

Le duo joue deux fois et commence à 21h.

Im away till Saturday (in Gaillac, strikes permitting) so will be uncharacteristically quiet till then

nearly hot

apero in  the garden before dinner in the house last night - summer is iccumen on :) Evening of great delight with Pete, Micheal, Annie, Gracie and Jamsie (who isnt in the pic)The customary wide-ranging and engaging conversations continued into the early hours, facilitated by the fact that Annie brought the salad, Gracie did the currys and all I did was the gooseberry fool. Easy.

Pentecost

This being the Christian feast of enlightenment, sort of, I worked in the morning and wandered about in the afternoon sun, waiting for the moment when all would be clear.

That didn't work, alas, but dinner with Claudinne, Jean, Bijoux and Einstien was a good runner-up :)

Claudinne is a fab cook and Jean a great sommelier; what a combination.* Jean is also an oil painter which is handy for technical hints - perhaps enlightenment is about stealing ideas -


*Since you ask: Home made lamb samosas, crevettes and salad, chicken and roast spuds, chestnut ice-cream of goats milk.


Here are some garden gates from my walk:

Hermitages

Today is the Festival of the Hermits, where the young persons hereabouts put on white nighties, black bowler hats and paint on a black eye. If you ask why, you will get many different answers. 

The sun popped out so I galloped off for a much needed walk and saw some newly-done-up sheds, good sign of approaching summer. 

Esperaza Friday night

Laura and I had decided to eat quietly in TyRex and then head off to the PMU to watch the bluesman Uncl'Steph playing.
We were concluding our meal and marveling that we'd got there before the rain started - and how cheap it all was and what good quality - and what a blast our lives were - when lo!! Micheal Gluck walked in.

Laura in action 

He'd just driven from Munich. 15 hours, via Leucate because he likes it there. Been to see Annie and Pete but they were out so hoved up to TyRex for food.
We let him eat and then draggd him off  into the rain for the music, collecting Gracie on the way.
And there we found everyone packing up - he started playing at 7.00, can you believe it?? so we had a cafe-cognac and left too. There was still a good crowd that the new owners were trying to get rid of...
...life is full of surprises.

Thursday evening...

...I spoke too soon about the weather. It was glorious for a bit yesterday, then a downpour - pretty much like today, actually. All good as we enjoy the hot sun then don't have to water the garden.

Here are some nice shots from the church, taken from what is now the sacristy. Go through the door to the right of the altar and you will see this sweet window, this headless saint (John the Baptist, they say) and the 12th century wall paintings.
Bob has gone, Yuri has gone, all is quiet. I'm feeling introspective.

Weather report

 Here is yesterday morning after the winds had died down; this morning, so far, the sun is bright - you can see it rising at the end of the street

Here is a rabbit in the pot. Nesting.

new politics

Forgot photos last night so you are spared Annie, Pete, Yuri, Bob and I having a long and noisy meal together :)

I'm only posting because this site has come to my attention... it seems that the councillors who tried to oust the mayor last time round (and failed -) have formed a group to comment on the exisitng regime. Voila!
http://collectifdesvigilants11.e-monsite.com/

They call themselves the Collectif des Vigilants d'Esperaza which probably sounds fiercer in English than in French. Slightly wierd nonetheless.

Party night

 What better way to unwind after a hard day flogging art, than a party with dear friends... The Scottish Daves hosted a convivial event, much enjoyed by all.
Bob and I left a little early what with being knackered and left our house guest to carry on with the fun, secure in the knowledge that he had his key.
Alas.... it was in his bag which was in the house and the Captain and I were dead to the world when he returned. He spent the night in a BandB. SO embarassing :( but hes well and learnt a lot about Scottish swords from Dave.

Dadistan

Last night in Couizas' pretty church, Stan Adler, Henri d'Artois and Pierre Diaz gave us an unforgettable evening :) Many thanks to them and to the Artistes a Suivre programme which is rich and varied and a masterpiece of organisation. Check out the events here:

http://artistesasuivre.org/evenements_jour.html

Artists a Suivre

Yesterday was marvellous - great weather and lots of visitors to the exhibitiion. The mayor came and Andree and art lovers from all over the place. At close of play Gracie had sold 9, me 6. Yeah :) I know, probably means we are underpriced...

Here's Tango in an empty studio. Had a trauma with him on Wednesday when he flew into something and  gashed his head - don't know what, wasn't in the room but heard the crash. He flew to me squarking  poor baby poor baby with a wound over his eye - most distressing for us both. Today there is a line of white feathers which look like a raised eyebrow, very quizzical.

Dadistan are playing at the Couza church tonight, 21.15 - there are many events in and around town but thats where Bob,me and Yuri (our latest visitor)  will be.

Up, OFF and away

The Artistes a Suivre kicked off last night at Esperaza's Place de l'Industrie- a good -humoured bunch of artists and sponsors enjoying the sun and conviviality. Our OFF was just around the corner (31 Rue Victor Hugo, since you ask) and Gracie and I left Bob in charge - when we got back, he'd sold 6 of Gracies pieces.
Since no-one else was open we can be sure that Gracie was the first artist to sell this year - congratulations :)Here is Gracies before her stock disappeared (=mostly German tourists, Bob says -)

There followed the party... heres Louise being unbashful with panache and Andree being goaded into posing, Mike here with Barbara for a weeks' visit, Gracie and Pete...

Stan:) A welcome sight, here with Bob and below. the two Kellys meeting for the first time.

Thanks to all for coming. We are open for 4 days so drop in, please. 

Congratulations

...to Kat; the opening of her gallery last night was a huge sucess, crowded with enthusiasts :) Voila, Andree talking with Ian and Jean-Noel.

Here are Bob and Mike Lovely

-and our Mayor, Georges Reverte came and stayed and enjoyed himself happily chatting about arts in the region - seen here with his side-kick who manages the Artistes a Suvire and the other arts events in Esperaza - below are Toby and Roland being serious. Toby and Leo are back with us, hurrah!

Congratulations are also due to Andy and Louise of the Maison du Chapelier who have been listed in Le Figaro's best Chambres d'Hotes list for 2016. Since they list about 200 in the whole of France, this is a very Big Deal.
Andy said that when they rang, he thought they were selling something and hung up - twice - until the Figaro man gabbled that he wasnt selling anything and to please listen! Then he came and took the photos and wrote a nice piece about how unexpected it was.

TONIGHT... the start of the Artistes a Suivre, launched from Esperaza alas by invite only.
However, my show with Gracie is open from 7.30 at 31 Rue Victor Hugo and ALL ARE WELCOME