Fete du Vin at Le Pont

apero as the musicians kick in (see Edith dancing with Sana in the corner)

 A  beautiful evening for it - with a good bunch of musicians - plus a pretty toad spotted on the path on the way home. Perfect night to say goodbye (>sniff<) I'm off to Isle de Brexit for 3 weeks. Be good.

weather changes

 Sundays Vide Grenier was under patchy skies and blown by winds - which deterred none of us from bargain hunting :)

 Despite the lack of blasting heat, the work of watering continues - voila, le Captain with a young fruit tree-
Everyone at Luc's this morning thinks tonight will be fine for the Festival du Vin. Hope so, looking forward to it :)

Mega retirement party

Toby has retired, officially, totally - too young of course but they do things differently in Holland.

Here she is trying to call us to order - the place was heaving - to toast Antoine, who coincidentally had his birthday on the same day.

Antoine

All of our friends were there and it was a noisy and delightful night :) My photos don't do it justice... oh, best wishes to Roland who wasn't there on account of not being too well -  get well soon.

And all the bestest of course to Toby who can give lots more wonderful parties now shes retired :)

Janet and John (really -)

Barbara and Ann (who are visiting Margaret), with Hilary

The rarely-spotted Olle-Bendik

Friends to celebrate

Last night we celebrated the return of both Toby and Margaret in the company of Kat and Roland, Mike and Hilary - and Leo showed up late - needless to say, it was a delight. Margaret will be joined by friends in a couple of days while John holds the fort in Ireland

 The eagle-eyed will notice our waitress is not Nightingale, who is unwell. All the best to Night and bonne courage to her stand-in (she did well)

Rain!

 Woke to the sound of taps running... had forgotten rain. What does one wear?? Eventually found trousers, t-shirt, mac, wellies, umbrella. All rather nice. Footpaths studded with snails.

Should have guessed. Last night went with Gracie to sample the delights of the buvette at Le Camping and were turned away - they had a special event and had erected a large marquee.Seemed odd, in all this glorious heat, but now I realise they had paid attention to the weather forcast.
                     -Gracie and I ended up at l'Authentique and ate delicious burgers.

hallucination night

 Last night has a slightly hallucinogenic quality due in part to the massive amount of alcohol  that was forced on me by mine hosts, Mike and Hilary. These are the pics on my camera this morning along with some very dark hazy images that are incomprehensible. I do remember an evening of laughter and delicious food:) Kat and Roland also partook and added to the fun. Great night guys xxxx

le weekend

 Ann and Kieran held an apero tonight... well signed :)

Lovely Louise

Roland and Andy

Ann, our hostess

Lovely, wonderful evening, dear friends and much culinary care from Kieran and Ann. Thanks, darlings:)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Before the apero, the market was crowded so I went to the Vide Grenier at Couiza with Shuff and Ian. Got loads of tatty English books and sundry essential objects.

 Here's Nel who was selling stuff to pay for the vet for the horse that Aileen has rescued from ill-users... theres a fund if anyone is into animal protection. It's a BIG mistreated horse with big care bills.

 - and yesterday went to the pool at Quillan with Shuff. It may be remarked that it is not over-used :) It was supposed to close today but it will be open for another week on account of the excellent weather.

Camp Friday

Some ingenious entrepreneur has opened an outdoor eating and drinking place at Esperazas' camp site; some tables under a marquee or two but most en plien air. Apparently its been going on for ages but nobody tells me anything. 

Last night the bluesman Uncl'Stf was playing so I popped in with Kat to find Leo, the Scottish Daves and friends, Ian and many others enjoying the cool of the night, cous cous and beer. 

                         They serve food every night - will be eating there soon, no doubt :)

small earthquake no-one hurt

It made the front page of our two local papers this morning - very small earthquake south of Quillan.
No-one noticed.

 Après un léger séisme d'une magnitude de 3,5 enregistré en mars dernier entre Mérial et Mazuby, une nouvelle secousse a été relevée dans la Haute Vallée de l'Aude. C'est mercredi, à 18 h 34, que la terre a tremblé, entre Marsa et Bessède-de-Sault, à 8 kilomètres au sud de Quillan. Une secousse de faible intensité, d'une magnitude estimée entre 2,8 et 3,2 selon les différents observatoires (Réseau national de surveillance sismique, CEA), qui vient rappeler l'activité sismique régulière de la chaîne des Pyrénées. L'une des régions les plus actives en métropole.

***************************************

I promised Tim that I'd advertise his gig and here it is ... he is the author of many inspirational books and since he worked on one ('The Mark of the Beast') with my stepmothers' brothers' first wifes' stepfather, he's family.

Thats next weekend. Put it in the diary. Now its time to get to Le Camping for Uncl'Stf though it is pattering with gentle rain.Much relief what with the heat; lets hope it wont cause the gig to be abandoned.

Skyping with the team

Here are Ryan, Alecia and Etienne - so lovely to talk with them :) They are really well and have good and exciting things to report -not least of which is that they hope to visit us soon, maybe next year.

Hazy days

 Snaped Toby last night at Andy and Lou's - shes off to Amsterdamn for a couple of weeks which means she'll miss Esperaza's local amazing radio station' 35 years celebration party on the 17th and Uncle Steph at the camping on Friday. Come back soon Tobes :)

 Oswald is well and enjoying summer as are we all -

Esperaza September

Apero last night at the courtyard here, very frisky and fun - the snaps are somewhat random :)

New Kelly and Mrs Scottish Dave

Peter G.,Original Kelly, Victoria

Bieke

Sue, now engaged to marry John M. in June

Eddie, Peter G., Original Kelly, Victoria, Nel

Ann, Mrs Scottish Dave, Kieron and Billys back, New Kellys bun.

 Suitably primed, the party dispersed... mostly to St Gobains to watch Eddie and Stan play the blues.

Our Gracie and the new German lady who has moved into Pete and Nels house and I can't spell her name but she is a lovely addition to our tribe -

Stan and Eddie

 Lovely night. Many thanks are due to Bob, who did all the work. Wonderful to see everyone, relaxing as the visitors float off. Apologies to those who either didn't get photographed or got edited out - for good reasons, trust me :)

Marianne missing

Esperazas' Marianne has gone missing... here are her brackets.
Can only hope that she is somewhere safe while the previous kindergarten, her old home, is tarted up to be the new health centre.



Below is Scottish Daves house. At about 8.00 this morning he was painting it a tasteful creamy gold.



We - Kat and Roland, Di and Bev, Toby and Gracie plus me and Bob - decamped in convoy to LeFranqi where we roasted by the med., pic-nicing sur le plage.

I took a tent on account of I fry easily and despite reading peacefully there with occasional dips in the warm, pellucid ocean am now crunchy with salt water and sunburn.

It was worth it :)

the view from my tent