Wednesday, last day in Jan

Its been a beautiful day  - here's a frenchman in a beret in the square to prove it - and here's a very strange portrait of Holly, my god daughter, who is staying here. Holly is a notable chef...

she cooked a sterling meal for Richard and Eva, Dermot and Kate, Ian, me and Bob tonight. Hilarity ensued. I'm sure there are better photos but I can't find them. Test of a good evening :)

Andrees new life

 We (Kat, Roland, Bob, me) are back from visiting Andree- who is as happy as the proverbial! She's done herself well.The place, her maison de retrait,  is spacious and well-cared for and beautifully sited - see view of the terrace off  her bedroom, below. The only problem is that it so far away. A seven hour drive through rain and sleet to get there, ugh - after which the weather was wonderful.

She has made friends and has already been propositioned by another resident, who asked her if she wanted to fait amour with him. She declined.

After the visit we pottered around Biarritz and the sea-side, eating too much and generally having a holiday.

Stayed in Anglet which is near to St Pierre d'Irube where Andree now lives. It's basque country so we were privileged to meet new accents, new food, new approaches to life.

But its nice to be home!

God-daughter Holly is staying and she and Ian did the house sitting; dog, rabbit, 4 parrots all alive and well when we got back.

One parrot now mysteriously saying Hello Michael.

grey day

Its grey, its cloudy, its not too cold... and the town hall want us to go in and sign a petition to save the chemists. I popped in and asked the lovely lady behind the desk why the government wanted to close the chemists; she didn't know. We read the little available literature and it appears that the chemists have control over drug distribution and they are expensive. A quick web search says much the same thing - Macron says the laws about chemists are too rigid.

So; if you want things to stay as they are viz a viz the chemists and don't want them to close (which is the threat ) pop in and sign the petition.

We are waiting for Lizzie to visit us overnight and Holly to arrive for a longer stay - and we are off tomorrow morning to visit Andree in Bayonne.
We may be gone some time :)

Full spate

 Never been sure what full spate meant but you know it when you see it - here is the mighty Aude, doing it yesterday morning. Fast and furious.

The day became beautiful, again... everyone wandering about saying it ain't right. Heaven help us in February. The birds are singing, chiefly blackbirds and redstarts; counted a dozen magpies this morning, dammit, had hoped they'd exhausted the food here and were moving to another village to massacre their little birds and let ours recover. Why can't we train the feral cats to catch the magpies??

Been spring-cleaning the studio and found this tin of peas signed by Jack Straw. Can't remember a thing about it. Anyone want it?

dismal sunday

Not only was the market dismal but several friends were discombobulated by Ryan Air cancelling the evening flight after the incoming one was diverted to Montpelier. Hope everyone is now sorted. Today is lovely :)

this mornings' dawn

....spot the heron.
Its been raining on and off all day, sigh.

Artsmeet

Look who turned up yesterday, just in time for the first Artsmeet; young Master Theo Bowyer, with a Ba and an Ma under his belt since we last met. In fine fettle. And then some.
Artsmeet a Good Thing - working artists talking shop. Next on the 19th Feb and devoted, probably, to Dada. Get in touch if you want to come.

Weds night

Father John invited us - Roland, Kat, Mike, Hilary, petite moi - for his spag bol. Casual supper turned out to include glorious salad and apple tart and cream, where the hand of Margaret was recognisable. Lovely. We spent the night arguing and showing each other photies. You can't beat an evening with friends :)

Happy 17th

Its BLUE APPLE day at Rennes le Chateau, which I can't be bovvered to explain ( Really, enough... google it if you don't know) (You'll understand then) 

Wonderfully, Marcus turned up, visiting from Cornwall having left these parts a few years ago - plus Fran who also quit a while back - we used to go together way back when so it was fun to trot up the hill and see what was happening. 

The church was packed and clearly some people were being contemplative, so I didn't use my flash and accordingly have no useful photos. The altar was lit so I was able to see that the Magdelene has been nearly restored and nicely done - needs a little more attention and you won't know the difference. 

The demon is still in bits, away being mended. 

If all this means nothing to you and you are curious, http://www.rennes-le-chateau.com/default-uk.htm or any of the other myriad sites.

Here is the lately dug hole... which made The Guardian.

Marcus

 The most striking thing about todays Blue Apple Day is that they didn't appear. It seems that this is the first time in 20 years they haven't come; certainly they've been there when I've been there before, though sometimes briefly. Very sorry for the hordes of esoteric tourists who left disappointed.
The other striking thing is that all the shops and restaurants were open! Never before. They just open for the day and close again till March now. Couldn't get into the Dragon restaurant - full!! - so went to see Will and Marvi and ate there in Rennes les Bains. A comparative ocean of sanity.

Fran

Marvi

Will

Brilliant fun, we chattered non-stop.
-And I've just heard from Kate C. that Marcus and I were on the local news tonight, filmed at RlC, France 3. Gosh.

running around

 ...to Carcassonne this morning to buy parrot accessories. Its very pleasant at this time of year, barely a tourist in sight and is possible to see the town - one forgets, its very lovely there.
As is Alet-les-bains where we went to collect source water on the way home, see below...

Was vastly entertained last night by the appearance of Peter Dunn and his mate Rob - we leaped out to the take away which was the only place open in our entire town and thoroughly enjoyed burgers and chips. They do them well there.

Brits having admin trouble??
- who isn't.
Wonderful Kate Coughlan is running free drop-in sessions at the English library* in Quillan on Tuesday between 2 - 4. She'll give you basic advise for free - and point you in the right directions - charge you for anything more complex.
See you soon Kate :)


*On the corner of the bridge by the Pink Palace.

Birthdays continue

 Couldn't resist photographing Roys front door as I ambled about the market yesterday - which was fun, as ever, but sparse. The weather forecast was for rain and though it never materialized it was probably that that kept the stall holders away.



Then at Luc's cafe, young Jutta held an impromptu birthday lunch which was brilliant! Such a good idea - she'd got chinese food from the market and little cakes from the patisserie and of course the bar was already in place... she was on excellent form.

 In the evening I took photos of the friends who came to eat macaroni cheese, but they were dreadful snaps and you know what John and Margaret, Kat and Roland, Mike and Hilary look like. 

So here's another image of beautiful Jutta.

a classic

 The day started innocuously enough with the fire brigades' annual practice at rescuing people from burning buildings... no one was injured and the young pompiers now know how to manage a catastrophe.








Thence to the star of the day - Roy Hayes, a babe of 70 years, still looking good on it.   In this photo (which I stole from Lorraines facebook page) it is clear that he continues to appreciate good living.

Many friends were there to celebrate and to marvel at the cooking - magic Jo at work for some weeks, one suspects. I asked their son Jonathon if the family always lived like this and he said he thought it was normal, that all families ate so well, until he got married.... his wifes response is unprintable.

Kieran is recovering from his nasty lurgy though overcome by a need to sit down - on Lorraine -

Its becoming clear that my blurry photos are due to a blurry lens. Will clean up before the next event. 

 Really a shame that this pic of Luc and Fiona is so blurred - Lorraine takes a good crisp snap as you can see from this of me and Bob, also lifted from Facebook and taken by dear Lorraine whom I hope won't mind.

 Louise and Janet and a happy crowd scene

Leigh with Clare chewing the cud  - apropos, a lot of my blurred pix have been jettisoned on account of  peoples face being distorted by eating. Might be a series of painting in that.

Many thanks to Jo for her devotion to feeding us and to Roy for being Roy. Here's to the next remarkable decade :)

Friends reuinted

All last nights photos are poor (or will embarrass someone ) - this gives the general flavour, a group of chums in a caff  having a good time. Margaret and John are back but only for a week, looking well though I think John has had the lurgy. Kieran certainly has - he was hospitalized with it, which is why they have only just managed to get here. Ann also ill at the same time - not much of a christmas for them, except that their family live close to them and could help.

Hilary and Mike, me, Bob and Kat made up a large and excitable table. Off to breakfast now to see them all again, hurrah :)

Maybe Esperaza is such a party town because we have to have regular farewells and welcomes, as us foreigners come and go.

BTW the radio is issuing anti-grippe advise this morning. Use disposable tissues and jettison them into closed containers seems to the the gist. It's epidemic in France.

Mayors' good wishes

The town held a little ceremony to wish itself the best for 2018. It was charming though our Mayor did welcome all the Brexiteers, l think meaning the foreigners - several of us were there, enjoying the neighbours, the bits of pizza and the white wine from Anne de Joyeuse. 

And the most wonderful news, that Msr Ritas has fully recovered from his dreadful cancer and will be back in post from May. (He is the one us etrangers go to for any help or info at the Town Hall - always helpful and kind)

Good round of applause for him, he's liked by all.

 In the morning I asked our postman why the postbox outside the mairie was condemned. Were there monsters living in it? No; it seems that a new key had to be fitted. He's fitted it. Normal service now resumed.


In the afternoon I walked a bit to catch the last of the sun - here are some nice clouds down Anne and Kieran/Fran and Clares way.

Beautiful here.

Its now 20 years since we bought our first house in Esperaza. No regrets, not never.

advance warning

Here's the station in the mist this morning.

 But more importantly, at 7.00 tomorrow at the MJC the Mayor is having a new years' nibbles and snacks event, everyone welcome. Word is that not enough foreigners go and we look hoity-toity. Come along!

we got weather...

Rain and storms and power cuts have not prevented stout-hearted Bob from building his glass house by the river, entirely out of re-cycled materials.

Theological food

The thing about feastdays is that they come with a tradition of particular foods and these are embedded in the theology of the past. So the couronne, the cake eaten on the epiphany is a reference to the three kings who allegedly turned up to check out the baby Jesus and was used by the church to indicate the superiority of their cult over the eastern belief systems.

Kelly and Norbert

Bernht, Louise and Jutta

To encourage the belief the couronne inclues a feve - literally a bean - which has transmuted into a dinky porcelain object. Normally Bob wins it but in a break with tradition Jutta won! - a little lamb, we think. There was debate about this.  Anyway the one who has the feve in their slice gets to wear a crown.

Not being one to eat theologically biased food without a good reason, I have to say the reason was simple. Our couronne came from the purple patisserie where they gave me and Kat a slice with our coffee and it was irresistibly delicious.

Norbert and Bernht

The night was wonderful, one of those that you don't want to end. Cooked cauliflower soup with bananas and mustard (one of Andrees recipes) fish baked in limes, Kellys orange and cardamon  sorbet with the couronne, shed loads of cheeses and fruit. More information than you need but its Sunday, its pouring(deluge-like pouring) with rain, there is rolling thunder and I'm guessing there won't be much market ... the only other thing to do is clear up.

January....

....and it was 19 degrees at Pete and Clares place where they gave us a totally yummy lunch today. Olive bread and sausage, chicken stew thang (poulet de Clare), pear, almond and apricot pie with fresh pineapple, served on the terrace overlooking the mountains.  Here is Captain Harris in new personna limbering up.