Tuesday night socialising

 Dropped in on Andy, Lou and James and so did Kevin and Tita with Sana; the kids went off playing and we sat about, catching up. Lovely :)

 Whence to l'Authentique, where Antonia and Steve were also eating - to meet with Gracie and Lucy whose photo was unpublishable. Alas. Smashing evening.

It was my goodbye night - I'm off being busy elsewhere for a fortnight. Back before you know it.
If you are in Esperaza or nearby, don't forget the vernissage tonight in Quillan - and see www.latenteasons.jimdo.com for the weekends' Festival itinerant de passage a Esperaza.

Hang it

R. Myth and Aileen Hennes

Ole-Bendik Madso

Hanging of the Arthe group show yesterday; that's the group of practitioners who meet on Monday mornings to share the cost of a life model at the Centre Cultural. 

The exhibition is in Quillan at the tourist centre - the place with the onion dome opposite the station - and the vernissage is on Weds between 5 - 7.00. Bring a bottle and a friend :) Show runs for 2 weeks.

Eva Lyons

Richard Lyons and Katrina Head

Morning light

I didn't forget to take photos last night, I phorgot to charge the battery for the camera.  Lala. 

So the sight of Bob feeding me, Kat and Roland in front of three suspicious parrots will have to be imagined.

These pictures I took this morning as the sun was getting up,  while getting the breakfast croissants.

superlative

New Kelly cooked for me and Bob, Kat and Roland last night. 'Cooked' isn't quite the word; 'magicked', perhaps.

She gave us french onion soup - which blew away Roland, as a Frenchman equipped to judge - then rack of lamb with shallots and potatoes fondant plus green beans. Pud was pears in a frangipane tart with ginger ice-cream, all home made.

We asked not to eat cheese. 

Conversation never flagged though a lot of it was about cooking and how on earth she did it.  Attention to detail and a creative awareness of the taste and look of things... it really is a gift. And an aptitude for graft. Simply marvelous :)

Esperaza calm

 Rue Gambetta was closed with above blockage, no idea whats happening; Margaret has gone back to Ireland as of this morning; the Creperie has re-opened after Kevins family wedding; New Kelly is here for a week; Annie and Pete are about to go as are Gert and Elizabeth; and this little beast was in the square yesterday. Calm.

No trouble at t'mill

....lunch at the mill with Annie and Pete and Gracie and  Mary (Angus stricken with 'flu); life is wonderful :) Except presumably for Angus. Its a nasty bug doing the rounds. Debate about 'flu shots was lively, divided and inconclusive.

Bob was distributing pumpkins since he has grown many enormous ones and they taste amazing.

management issues

Its hard, rural life. Managing the bumper crop of mushrooms is exhausting. Given away what we can but this lot still here... Raul and Zoraida left yesterday so we have no choice but to get on with it.

Surrealist cast

 Definitely an otherworldly sense at lunch with Pete and Clare yesterday :) Toby, Leo, Raoul: Raul and Zoraida: Pete and Nel: Louis: me and Bob all fed by the patient and angelic Clare in the purest of airs. Divine afternoon.
Market hectic and packed.
Rounded off the day by supper at home of soup of pumpkin grown by Bob, with Annie and Pete, Raul and
Zoraida. I disgraced myself by abandoning everyone and going to bed before the evening ended, totally knackered.

Partyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

 Leo Toby and Raoul had their farewell party  last night; they are off elsewhere for the winter, inexplicably.


It was very very good. The quality of the guests was ace and the attentions of the hosts never flagged.

Toby came up with a drink that was new to me; 1/3rd blanquette de Limoux, white wine and some spirit I'd never heard of. And fruit. Most potable.

leos feet, my toes, nice floor

Case (Spelling??) and Toby

Ole-Bendik telling me off

friends and Raul

Pete and Nel flanking visitors who are walking the Compostella route

Clare and Pete

Kieron, Kat and Roland

Other news; the Creperie is closed because Kevin has to go up north for a family wedding. They are open again from weds.

The Indian summer continues, hurrah - so off to the market now with our lovely guests.

now you see them...

Yesterday was breakfast with Margaret, back here for a week - and Kat, returned from jaunting in Spain - elevenses with Annie and Pete, here for a brief visit - thence to the airport to collect Raul and Zoraida Espejo,  staying with us for the weekend. Raul claims I've known him for 40-something years but that can't be possible, not old enough.
Now off to show them the area :)-

Weds

 Barged in on Richard and Eva at tea time; here they are in their beautiful new house, a moody portrait because the un-moody ones were inept. Here is Richard trying to get his arms around the trunk of the wisteria which graces the front garden...

 Got home to find the rabbit having an identity crisis...

wanderings

Wandered down to La Cazals yesterday to see Sammy and Angela - who seemed to me to be doing very well after her recent illness. This lovely weather is a delight :) John left us this morning, Yuri will go this afternoon. We passed a splendid evening in the Authentique where we bumped into Max and Andrea which made it even better... below is the new sign for the new parking space for the old dinosaur museum.

Secular Sunday

 The market was as lovely as ever - Heres Ole-Bendik buying his customary oyster breakfast - and the vide grenier was vast and bulbous. The stained glass panel below is now mine :)

all out of focus

Last nights' photos were particularly bad so here's a photo of the moon a couple of mornings ago... Yuri arrived yesterday, later than expected - plane late, train gone - and we had expected to meet  up somewhere that was closed and eventually ended up at the creperie, which was gracious enough to take us all in tranches.' All' being Jamsie of St Ferriol, Gracie, Bob and John, and Max - back in town, hurrah- his family Andrea and Lindsey plus Toby and Leo. There we found everyone else installed; Richard and Eva, Gillie and her family and others. No wonder the photos were bad, it was overwhelming.
Then we stayed up late talking.

Ole-Bendik triumph

 Ole-Bendik 's private view was last night. The tribe gathered in Mirepoix to celebrate. And packed and joyous it was too :)  Many friends there; below is O-B with Didier and below them the rarely-spotted Mat Hilton.

Mat has married and given up etching since we last met; his creative energy now pouring into opera (writing of) and video installation.

Didier Bourdon and O-B

Mat Hilton

 Another delight was to catch up with Jean-Noel Cuenot, above with Aileen - both flourishing.
Here is a random crowd shot featuring Kats' back -

 and the hero of the evening, Roland. He drove me and Bob and John and Kat to the gig and booked the restaurant where we ate afterwards:) Smashing choice and they were only a bit cross with us for being an hour late. Recommended. l'Autre Jardin, 28 cours du Colonel Petitpied.

Note that the expo is open on Monday morning, should you be visiting the market. Other times too, afternoon Friday, Sat and Sun. Well worth the trip.

Season of mists...

 ...its that lovely time when the mornings are thick mist and clears onto crisp sunshiney days. Lovely. Neighbours bought us mushrooms which will be served in large omelette tonight, for brother-in-law John who arrived yesterday. Naturally we ate in the Creperie :)

1 euro train

 In Carcassonne yesterday bumped into Sue and John - Sue had never been on the one euro train so I took these photos on the way home to show her. It is efficient, clean and above all, cheap. The station is a classic of its kind... sometimes the train bifurcates and becomes a bus at Limoux (see timetable) but that's fun too. The trip is amazing, the most beautiful countryside crisscrossing the Aude.

 Back in Esperaza the cobbles in the yard have been exposed prior to being cemented over (floor for new conservatory) The rabbit is finding it ideal for camouflage, little minx.