Sunday; market, lunch...

The market, mercifully overcast but still hot, featuring a living statue; Mary from Monazels at lunch (no snap of Gracie whom Mary is addressing); the health centre, taking shape; and a nice pair, hoho, grown by Bob.

Space filler in the clouds

In the absence of anything else to report - guests all gone, alas, all quiet - I thought I'd post this poor photo of clouds taken a couple of weeks ago. Wish I'd had a real camera with me. Its a phenomena I'd heard of and never seen before; clouds cast shadows onto other clouds, all moving at different rates, and the shadows cast onto the clouds look like moving cities in the sky.
The medievialists reported this from time to time, always some sort of portent. Cant remember what it signifies.

Travellers

 Here we are recovering at the Poulet en Bicyclette after a hard days travelling, ending at Font Romeu - here's a tasteful snap of me and Andrew reflected under the mountains whilst looking at art. Fab day.

Our guests leave us for Britains' chilly shores this morning, alas. Its been a lovely few days of holiday.

The simple life

Last nights' dinner - with Fran, Gracie, Maggie and Andrew - was a surprising success. We ate wild boar, roasted, with steamed potatoes, onions and carrots and it was amazingly good. Potaotes from the next door garden, Bobs onions, carrots from the 8 a 8, boar from the hills. Pud was Tarte Tatin made with plums from Frans bounteous trees. We sat up too late drinking the good local wine.
The simple life can't be beat :)
Further news; Humbert, who many of the artists here know, says hi to everyone. He wrote en route to Chad, where he expects to be for the next few months. Didn't have time to get round to us all and say goodbye.
Further further news; the English Library is relocating to Quillan, by the Pink Palace, not Esperaza as previously reported. Not yet, anyway.

summer is great

Beautiful Gracie is back:) Joy was unconfined. We ate at I'Authentique with Andrew and Maggie and nattered non-stop.
We'd had a tourist day, Rennes le Chateau (Church and all that), Alet les Bains (Abbey, church, coffee at the Jardin buvette place, quick visit to Maria's studio), Rennes les Bains (Will and Marvis pizza) - beautiful weather for it though ennervating at the hottest end of the day, so we siesta'd till dinner.

This is the life.

next to last night market

 What shall we do when the night market season is finished, I asked the Mayor  this morning. He, creative man, has ideas... we must wait and see.

Here are Andrew and Maggie Baldwin, staying with me this week - an out-of-focus Claudinne, Jean and New Kelly. Another good party. The band were very good. The heat is back in force but the nights are cool and pleasent.

Grief shopping

Thought we'd do the vide greniers to help stop noticing the absence of our bunny. Started at Quillan where we squandered to great effect; new bed cover, silk rug, bone carved fish and a frock for when I loose some weight [oh yeah]. 

The plan was to do St Julia de Bec, St Ferriol and then Autugnac -nice round trip.

The best laid plans, as we all know, aft gang agly. 

If the sweet couple who run the Authentic restro in Esperaza hadn't stopped, we'd still be up a mountain wondering how to change a tire.They lept out and just did it, using madame as a lever to jump on the thing that turns the bolts. So grateful :)

bunny funeral biscuits

Back at home, here's Tango flinging his drinking water about in an impromptu shower. He is very cheerful despite our glumness.

Life goes on

Loss of our rabbit notwithstanding, we party on - to Jim Hankinsons birthday party in the mountains somewhere. Long drive dictated by a baffled GPS. Worth the trip - beautiful in itself (the weather has turned and its misty and drizzly, quite lovely after the heat of the past weeks) and of course the sun shone when we arrived at Jims :) His house is beautiful and his village ditto and we got on brilliantly with his friends and neighbours. The communes' old mayor knew Esperaza and said that in the hat-making days it was a centre of freemasonry; interesting news . Didn't know that.

One party a day is enough so we skipped the Fete du Vin at the square last night which by all accounts was a success though reports on the band varied. A few friends hated them whilst saying it could have been worse but others said they were fit for purpose.
Market this morning very pleasent, slight drizzle but still packed and a pleasure with the air being fresh, as they say -

RIP Rabbit formerly known as Pricess Alice Tete de Lion, Oct15 2013 - Aug 20 2016

The rabbit formerly known as Princess Alice Tete de Lion had to have a name change when he was castrated... he became Alex, or The Fat White One for short.

Bob found him in his usual space this morning, stretched out under a tree, inert. 

He has gone to the Elysium fields. 

Much sadness here, particulary from his lifes' companion, the rabbit formerly known as  Jessica La TutTut Chainsaw who became Jess after his/her operation. S/ He was lying next to the patch where Alex died but has since started bopping about - looking around - and has forced down some clover.

Everyone sad.

cocktails

Jim, Joanne and Jack - younger Esperazannaise - decided to make cocktails for their elderly kith and kin at Andy and Lou's last night. My photos are terrible and I'm blaming the camera, not the three various cocktails I knocked back. It was a tremendous evening, we all scrubbed up and enjoyed one anothers company. Heres lovely Louise chatting to Merain (I think - Jims' girlfriend) and Kat with Kates back and Victoria with Toby. 

Huge success - thanks all round :)

And so we say farewell...

margaret

 from the rose-tinted creperie, its goodbye to Margaret and John for a while... they'll miss us :)

Mike

John and Bob

Day Off

La Franqi yesterday

Not partied out yet

Margaret and John held an apero last night, attended by all our friends and photographed abysmally. Shows what a good night it was:)

 Here are Clare and Fran, Andy and Scottish Dave in the hazy background - its still very hot.

 Heres Michelle singing... the French will sing at the drop of a hat and demanded an english song from me. All I could remember was some Purcell from Arthur the King but fortunately I forgot the words quickly. *

Heres a rare photo of Mary, chatting to Pete. I've been chasing Mary to snap her for her daughter Lisa but shes pretty nippy and kept escaping. Took her by surprise last night.

Great big thanks to Margaret and John. They are indefatigable hosts. They are leaving us soon for the cold shores of Ireland and will be missed, xxxx 

*

Later; looked up the libretto:

Bright nymphs of Britain with graces attended,

Let not your days without pleasure expire.
Honour's but empty, and when youth is ended,
All men will praise you but none will desire.
Let not youth fly away without contenting;
Age will come time enough for your repenting.

fun in the sun

We are so blessed with friends:) Last night Fran and Clare gave us a memorable evening, with Roy and Jo and Jonathon and Sarah; apero by the pool, dinner under the stars. 

These are the days....

Above are Jo, Jonathon and Clare and here Fran and Jo -


The season is begining to end though, Max, Jude and Andrea left this morning for Reunion, not sure when they'll be back.
Others are making plans.

Soon it'll be the full-timers nodding over the stove, reminiscing about what a great summer we had.

Diarmuid turns a corner

Diarmund turns 60 - the babe - and Kate masterminded a terrific party in the salle de fate of St John de Paracol, with music by The Few. Who are terrific (which one would expect given that each of them come from musician stock) and there was much leapin' about -

and it was a beautiful night, full of stars and a youngish moon.

Summer is a good thing

 Heres Andree being embrassed by June - a friend of Antonias, who is holidaying here - they are both 87 years young :) below is Pete who with Nel is packing up his house next to the creperie. New people arrive Monday, Ascension day and a national holiday (note; shops closed)

 and behold! Max, who gave an apero with Andrea last night which was very good fun indeed.

All our clan were there - blurred, out of focus, in shadow - (new cameras never lie) though I thought this rather good of Max

 and our mayor and his wife came to join the fun and really seemed to enjoy themselves. Very good debate; its seems that in Esperaza there are only 400 taxpayers which means the bulk of the population are retired or out-of-work. Hes understandably interested in setting up employment opportunities...

of the random blurred and generally useless shots, I'm including this because there is New Kelly in the middle. Shes back, indeed :) Jim also visited (seen in distance) and Scotish Jack in foreground.

Weds report

 Divinely high winds... strong sun and things blowing about, very good fun:)







Captain H and I did virtuous stuff all day and then betook us to l'Authentique which was of course closed, what with it being Wednesday.


So we got a takaway kebab from the new kebab place that replaces the old kebab place opposite the newsagents. Not bad.


Here's the tree by the station looking rather lovely.

 ---and todays excitement:) New yellow lines. Very fetching.
More thrilling perhaps is the news that New Kelly is back for a month, with many amusing tales of life in London.

Tuesday night chez moi

New friend Antonia brought her kids Kristian and Fab over and since they are in the arts we spent a splendid evening gossiping...

Sunday/Monday

 Sunday market - its' customary high summer hysterical self - with Omough and Paul for the night, coming to select pix for my next expo. We did that on Monday morning which left the afternoon for paperwork; by the time of the evening market I was like a cork out of a bottle:)

Fran and Jo and Sue

Andy and Andee

Clare and Andee

Jude

Margaret 

Ann

Kat

Roy and Harp

adorable Leo

These Monday night markets are a blast:) There wasn't enough room for everyone but we managed to down wine and food and shout over the really very good music ( but-it-was-a-bit-too-loud.)

We - Bob and I - gave up early, me because the cigarette smoke was killing me and Bob because he's knackered.

But I hear the music as I write... good stuff .