May 31, 2017

Ready, steady...

 Oswald and Jess prepare themselves... and they're off -


                  It's been noted before that you should watch what you wish for.
We've had intermittent rain for a couple of days though the river is still not up to speed. Here it seen from the toilet window of the cafe called the Pink Palace in Quillan, where Margaret kindly took me for the mornings' entertainment.
-(Actually the entertainment was the market, not the toilet.)
ATTENTION Esperazan dog walkers.  There is an apparently reliable story about to the effect that the land behind the warehouse by the river - the road opposite Verdie et fils and down a bit - is sheltering adders and that two dogs have died of venomous bites. Given how shy snakes are and how much noise dogs make, one must assume that the patch is infested.If true. Anyway, better safe than mourning a dead dog. Avoid.

May 28, 2017

Pentecost pix



These pictures were among many in the OFF SPOT in the place d'industrie. They were by Andre Le Gallou, born in 1913, dying young in '57. His son Jacques had felt a call to exhibit them and duly did, to the awe and delight of many of us. Amazing technician. He'd spent 5 years as a prisoner of war and apparently drew through all that time. Anyone know of a venue that might be interested ? Get in touch.






These young folk are staying with Christian and Fab and were at the gigs by Bull - here they are at the vide grenier, saying does this happen often??

ah, the vide grenier...what can be better in the hot sunshine than a market day and a vide grenier?
I stood in the middle of the bridge and photographed each way (the ' boycot ' graffiti refers to the elections, not the fripperie  - god forbid, we'd all be naked.) (Fripperie is rags in french - second hand clothes which explains the elegance and sartorial wit of the Esperazanaise) 


 Heres Tango, refusing to have anything to do with the parrot-bath I squandered a euro on - and Lily this morning. The river is very low indeed. Time for some rain.

May 27, 2017

All quiet


The expo is getting visited by friends dropping in, which is lovely - otherwise here, Kats Gallery and the OFF SPOT ( in the place d'industrie, by radio ballade) are quiet. The weather is glorious and I have a feeling most people are at the lake. Here's the mighty Aude and the old bridge this morning, and a heron.

May 26, 2017

VERY good night

 The private view was a blast - 'a funky scene' someone remarked - lots of blurred photos of lots of friends but these few give the flavour.
Above is Andree being surprised in some way by our mayor, Georges Reverte - very good of him to come especially after having to turn down the band the night before. He enjoyed them and was sweet about having to curtail the music, had no problem about last night. Its all about neighbours and their odd desire to sleep :)

 It was hot, it was crowded, a deal of alcohol was consumed.... it all spilled into the street which was as it should be.

Missed Gracie, who is with her family; her work was appreciated and sold well anyway.Thanks to all for coming and to Bull who leave today for gigs in England. Come back soon. >Sniff.<

May 24, 2017

Bull

Bull - its the name of the  band - made it to Esperaza after much chaos on the trains; settled in now :) They played at the buvette at Le Camping last night and were thoroughly enjoyed.

 Alas, at some point in the evening Yuseff, the boss there, got a text from the mayor - who lives next door....after that the band went acoustic



There was a certain amount of excitement when the bit that held the drums together went AWOL but the drummer Mr Tom (as opposed to my nephew, the singer Tom) improvised quite brilliantly. Astonishingly good.

People danced and wiggled their bottoms

Don't miss them tonight, when they'll be playing at the vernissage at the atelier opposite the Grand Hotel in Rue Victor Hugo.

We're in La Depeche and l'Independent

http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2017/05/24/2580546-l-expo-off-de-quatre-artistes.html


May 23, 2017

Center stage





 Photographed this off the tele; we have made Esperaza TV!!!! (channel 70 in these parts) Mostly it broadcasts the school dinners. Which are brilliant BTW.




and here is my neighbour Michel standing for election in the regional round... as he says, the roots of democracy.



Chez nous we are waiting for my nephew and his band who are arriving from Paris, maybe to play at the Artists a Suivre - their arrangements are at best ramshackle but  hoping to see them :)

Expecting vegans

The thing about vegans is the amount of vegetables that have to be prepared to cook with. I leave the tap running to take up the tear gas from the onions. Here's Tango being helpful

My nephew Tom is bringing his band here, so I know they are playing in Paris at the moment and not Manchester. Any comment from me will be trite but in Esperaza this morning everyone I spoke to expressed concerns for Manchester and England; very sweet.


May 22, 2017

Advance warning

The vernissages for the Esperaza OFF will happen at Kats gallery and my atelier on Thursday, 6 -8 pm. It is hoped that our friends and allies will move from one to the other as the spirit moves them.
Gracie and I are showing together and of course are open for the duration. Please come! Bring friends!

May 21, 2017

home again

Back from London - many gushing thanks to Angus and Mary for the airport lift :) - and straight to find Jutta and Bernts party in full swing. Almost all the multi-nationals there, plus their beautifully behaved dog; a  few absentees due to illness. Get well soon, you know who you are.
Sooooooo good to be home in sunshine and clean air.

May 16, 2017

Its a sign

 Jutta and Bernt have been given planning permission for the sign to their chambres d'hotes; small, but perfectly formed.
 They are now in business - see www.la-fleur-occitane.com and ring  0468 69 59 45 if you are overwhelmed by visitors :)

Last night was a major celebration. Pete and Clare have signed the first bit of the legals to acquire a remarkable property in La Serpent. It's got buildings enough for their dream projects and land enough for herds of wildebeest, should that turn out to be desirable. They are hanging onto their house in Rue Voltaire so we're not loosing them. Indeed, we are gaining a holiday home in the hills, hehehe

There was the immoderate laughter thing, featuring Kate, Dermot, Bill (Dermots brother) Bob and Annie'n'Pete. Clare made a huge spread and laid on a fridge full of blanquette. Cradle catholics dominated the group and much swapping of tales of childhoods occurred featured the demented punishments meted out by Christian Brothers, Sisters of Mercy, Josephites, Salesians and the rest. It's a wonder any of us are halfway sane. If indeed we are.


Pete'n'Annie and Clare

Man-of-the-Moment Peter Dunn
Pete is here after his major success in the ICA where his work (as The Art of Change) is on display for a while. We celebrated that as well as his new home.
Yuri has gone, back in the autumn we hope; Lucy leaves today as do Bob and I. Bob is being awarded the Freedom of the Royal Borough of Greenwich as I'm sure I've mentioned before -!- and I'm off to watch.
Back Saturday.

May 15, 2017

cheery soiree

Richard Stanley and grimacing Guillaume

the St Ferriol work crew
Gracie and Lucy brought dinner over to us last night - how sweet is that - then as if by magic Yuri arrived with Jamsie and his son Guillaume plus his St Ferriol co-worker and Richard Stanley. They had been exhausting themselves trekking through the sacred sites. 

It was a most good evening :)
Yuri leaves us today,back to his grindstone.

Yuri, Bob and Lucy

May 14, 2017

hard life

 Here are Gracie and Lucy at yesterdays vide grenier at Quillan  - Bob hoving off into the distance - and here is Pete this morning, pondering. He and Annie have had adventures with aeroplanes and not much sleep.  
As usual the friperie was the meeting point of the market; New Kelly, Pete 'n'Clare, Kat and many other luminaries were out enjoying the ambiance.
I'm now the very proud owner of a japanese coat and a pair of baggy trousers.

Returning to neglected diet after last nights' gorging on burgers and ice-cream at l'authentique.

May 12, 2017

Camp Esperaza

Le Campings caravans

 Esperaza hit the national TV last night in the finals of Le Camping competition. Judges went round 5 campsites and overnighted in each.

Esperaza offers a couple of antique caravans, a toilet of the hole-in-the-ground variety, a place to park your tent and a buvette. Basic camping, in short. Cheap and very cheerful.

So really, given that others had swimming pools and chalets, they didn't do badly. Got good marks for the welcome and the food :)
judges after viewing the toilet.
 On the subject of food, I made a right pigs' ear of last night. I'm not going to dwell on it. Suffice it to say the dog stole most of the fish pie. Apologies to Annie and Pete AND to Pete and Clare.

Here are Lucy and Gracie flanking Yuri - Claudinne was there too but she escaped before I pulled out the happy snapper.
 Yuri photographed the text below in Rennes-le-Chateau - an appeal for funds to repair the smashed devil. Notably it does not mention repairing Mary Magdelene but perhaps the Magheads have that in hand.

Yuris back

Yuri and Bob sort the political and educative systems of two counties - for once I sit and listen :)

May 8, 2017

Alet-les-Bains


Went to Alet for the vide grenier  which IMHO was a bit lack lustre... but struck again by how pretty the village is. Nostradamus used to live by that arch at the bottom of the road though when challenged the current house holders will admit that he probably just overnighted, once.

Pete and Clare are back! We ate supper in the garden and what a joy. (Lost the photos in the chaos that is my camera downloadery.)

PHEW


Great relief for us ex-pats that La Princess du Xenophobe didn't get in :)

The new President of the Republic - the youngest ever - did a walk from the Louvre to the pyramid, filmed (of course) but alone and just walking to the sounds of Ode to Joy. His eyes flickered from side to side. Must have been harrowing. Then when the crowd spotted him and the cheer went up, he grinned...

..and here in Esperaza we'd had a lovely day in the sun. The market was a blast and the vide grenier good-humoured though undistinguished by treasure and/or holy grails. I did get a new kettle though.

 The trout in the trainee fishing pool were too clever to bite - too hot for them, at a guess - and this year there were pony rides for those who like that sort of thing.

 There's another vide grenier in Alet les Bains today - see you there :)

May 7, 2017

Flowers






Voila! Much-missed Pille, ex- of the bakery in Rue Victor Hugo and now happily in the bakery of Rennes-les-bains. She was buying flowers in the flower market of yesterday which was a tad underwhelming on account of the regularly intermittent rain :(
- And the prices were quite high, Bob said.

Before that we breakfasted at Luc's with Pete and Annie and made our farewells - though they are back soon for a fortnight -  and here below are the tribe dining at the creperie. Visible is Bobs back, Roland, new Kelly (gone blonde) petite moi, Hilary, Pat, Mike, Kats chair (she took the photo) Joels back and darling Gracies profile.

Gossip says that Anne de Joyeuse, our local wine makers, have laid off staff on account of the damage caused to the vines by the frost of last week. Catastrophic if true.


This mornings' walk lead to the mighty Aude where the vide grenier was getting started... I noticed the tent on the riverbank and couldn't help but wonder what the inhabitant would think, having gone to sleep in a quiet space to wake up and find the whole town in the road above him :)


May 5, 2017

Games people play...

Popped in on Mike and Hilary to find them playing with their new toy :) Pretty impressive -
and I am reminded that tomorrow there is a plant sale in Esperaza and that on Sunday there is the first vide grenier of our season.
It's very blowy out there. Bob and I had intended to take a picnic into the hills but have put it off until the weather is better.

May 3, 2017

Hatsville

Given Esperaza's amazing hatting history, it seemed appropriate that hats played a role at dinner last night - New Kelly has given Bob a couple of classics which last nights' guests tried on too. Gracie and Annie had a go too but photos rubbish, alas.

May 2, 2017

joy unconfined...


...Annie and Pete are here :) Though only for a tiny time. 
All is well with them and their family. They would like to see the sun though, apparently its like Ireland in Esperaza.