June 28, 2016

Things are cheering up

No reason, still poor and worried, but the sun is shining and Lily is fishing... and Hilary and I went for our monthly massage with Anne in Couiza which really helps iron out the creases of ageing.

In the evening Jean and Claudinne came to say howdy and I forgot to take a pic - they are in very fine fettle - and we went to The Cafe du Fleuve in Quillan to say bye bye to Gracie who is leaving us till late August. Here she is reflecting the square. Excellent evening and BTW the Cafe du Fleuve is still brill -  lamb and chips, fabulous puds. Mike served us an interesting artisan-made martini too...

June 26, 2016

Grey sunday

Grey weather, grey post brexit mood. French market traders anxious to talk about impact on the town. Much laughter in the friperie where the talk was about La Reine d'Angleterre loosing her farming subsidy:)
And here is Bob, carrying home a huge and lovely hollyhock

June 25, 2016

Brexit


When we planned the Brexit party, it was expected to be a celebration of our continuting status as part of a larger European community.
Someone said, This is like a divorce; and so it was, with all that sense of shock.

But the party went on, rather monothematically - no-one wanted to talk about anything else. Our Irish friends, north and south, now have to expect the old border to return with the accompanying threat of war. Academics who have been clinging on by their fingertips loose their funding. As farmers loose their subsidies, who knows what will happen to UK food prices? And of course, as the pound plummets we have all lost money. My meagre pension will be yet meagre-er.

This could well be the last party for a while (though I doubt it, really) Here are Jim and Saveria; Jamsie and Andree, with her back to the camera; Fran and John and a glimpse of Margaret -



 -the useful and charming James; Billy, Elizabeth and Sav;





Ian, Dermot, Gracie and Lily gazing at Kate; below, Olle-Bendick and Clare -
lots of folk seem to have evaded my camera but you get the idea :) The last guest left just before midnight when the storm began, thunder and lightening generally marking the end of one epoch.

I'm proposing a referendum to gain autonomy for Esperaza. We grow our own food, make our own wine, have a water supply. Got a mountain we can cover in solar panels. It could be done. And a pox on the swivel-eyed loonies out there :)

June 23, 2016

Alls well

Forgot the camera yesterday so here's a snap of Bugarch taken from the track to Fa - weather for the last two days blisteringly hot with cool breezes, everyone smiling :)

Bob got back yesterday and thanks to dear Roy got a lift home from the airport. We ate at the restaurant Aux Trois Quilles just outside Quillan, alone in their pretty courtyard under the trees; a great pleasure. Food was mysteriously mixed. We began with home made pate de fois gras on carmalized apples (on toast) with fig jam and confit d'onions - amazing, fabulous. Then our next courses we pretty awful - mine (the fish selection) had seen better days and was alarmingly dried out, Bobs was not what he'd ordered and was undercooked. I've a feeling one should stick to the menu on the board. Puds were standard goodish. Staff are charming and attentive so of course we didn't complain and will certainly go back and try again.

June 22, 2016

Fete de Music


 All over France music was celebrated last night. At the end of a blisteringly hot day, tables were laid in the Square 8th Mai and a French geezer sang songs of loss and love, very loudly. There was a variety of street food, excellent quality... great fun, as can be seen here - Gracie above, the mayor and missus in crowd below, an unknown enthusiast below that. Several of the towns chairs have had the V of Ville removed to make us an island :)
Other events happened outside the Pont and Luc's but I didn't have the stamina to do the lot and enjoyed listening to the sounds from the comfort of my bed. 
Another hot day has dawned and Bob is returning to the fold this evening, hurrah 

June 21, 2016

summer nights...


Its the solstice! It began early yesterday night with dinner in the garden of John and Margaret, with Toby - which makes it bode well for the summer. Wandering home afterwards I snapped our seriously historic church and relected yet again how fortunate we Esperazannaise are


June 19, 2016

garden snaps





You can see from these rather random snaps (requested by Ryan and Alecia) what miserable weather we've been having. Grey,  mostly; rainy, patches of sunshine.

Yesterdays' market and vide grenier were also cold. No fun.

Today has dawned brightly. I'm chancing putting out the washing...



June 16, 2016

Near and Far

The local news is that the bakery has reopened. Fournil in Rue Voltaire are back in action. Rival bakeries are heaving a sigh of relief - they've had to work hard to supply the demand.
The far-away news is that Ryan and Alecia (here snapped on Skype) are well and Etienne is growing fast. He'll be two next month. Seems like yesterday...
They send love to all.

more comings and goings

First fruits of Bobs hard work -delicious :)

Bob has gone, his brother John has gone; Annie and Peter are gone;the Lizard Orchids remain as does the weird figure in the trees, anyone else see that?





June 14, 2016

Get to the Airport

If you use the local airports, you should be aware of a facebook page called Get to the Airport set up by Kate - terribly sensible idea if anyone has room in a car when going/coming, or wants to ask for a lift.
If you dont use Fb message me here and I'II check out your request/offer.

mixed weather

 John and Gracie walking near orchids and Angus (Mary indoors with problem knee) - all enjoying very fresh weather yesterday. Lovely :)


June 13, 2016

Sunday lunch

 Due to an administrative error - mine - our planned Sunday lunch at Cathar Gormande was abandoned in favour of Marie-Claudes place, the Resto de la Gare in Quillan. Many thanks to Annie, whose charm and skill persuaded M-C to take our booking even though she and her husband have terrible back pains. We had a great time; anchois and tomatoes, liver and onions, creme brule and an organic wine. Andree, above, was on excellent form.
Heres Marie-Claude and below is her husband and cat - the kittens are in the garden (not the laundry basket as per our last visit)

And here is Pete; we had coffee at Luc's with him and Annie to say goodbye. Hes off to a real job. Back briefly in September. Awwwwww not fair :(

June 12, 2016

Saturday at home -





Bob was in charge yesterday - he cooked the meal and organised everything. It was wonderful :)  I enjoyed our guests and didn't lift a finger - and now, the washing-up awaits me -
 Here is Yann, the husband of Tobys cousin Joyce, below -
 John, Bobs brother, here till Weds.

Toby! Back in harness and below, Laura being thoughtful. Shes left us to move to up the hill towards Arques but we forgive her. There are no snaps of John and Margaret, dunno why; will catch them another time. Thanks for a great evening, all, and let us prevail upon Bob to do it again (especially the pork in blanquette, masterly)



June 9, 2016

Let joy be causiously unconfined :)

John took Bob and Kat and me to the Creperie last night which was as ever, a delight. Nightingale told us bad news... from Sunday, they are closing for a fortnight for staff holidays. We protested long and loud but Nightingale wouldn't budge - in anyone other than Night, you could say she sneered. So, to the good news;

The Serranos have nearly fixed their  oven  and will be back serving the town on June 16th. Allegedly. Msr Serrano thought nearer July, so we'll wait and see.

-pity about the food

A lovely evening with Fran and Clare, Mary and Angus, Bob, Gracie and brother-in-law John, somewhat marred by my erratic cooking. The Gaspatcho underseasoned and petit sale au lentiles tasteless. Gooseberry fool under sugared. Guests survived, anyway.
Mary was on crutches and made an elegant and rather dramatic entrance straight from the hospital - get well soon :)

June 5, 2016

more holidays


The market was distinguished by Olle-Bendicks performance piece provisionally called The Chain Break.
Think it all got mended OK but had to go home to greet Richard and Alison, who were joining us for lunch. Here's Sally opening the very nice champagne she brought with her...

Lunch at the Cathar Gormande was much appreciated - then coffee at Le Pont.

Holidays are not for the faint-hearted; after Richard and Alison went off to visit Spain, we went to visit Peter's 60th birthday celebration


Here the Birthday Boy opens his exotic pressie-
             and despite the wonderful company and the hot sun, we went home to sleep :)
Back to work tomorrow, can't take this pace.