weather report

 Frost this morning. Having heard the first Scopes Owl a couple of nights ago -and the frog chorus -am now worrying for the wildlife and their delicate equilibrium.

 Keep warm y'all.

incompetence'r'us

What should have been photos of last nights smashing dinner at Mike and Hilarys' (with Kat, Louise and Norbert) is in fact a spooky picture of Bernt and Jutta's house being redecorated. Put me in mind of Christo's work ....

Many thanks to last nights' party animals - have now charged camera so will bag you next time :)

day off

Took it easy yesterday to recover from the journey home so nothing to report - which makes it a fine time to post this picture of the very wonderful Pam Job, ex-of Esperaza. She helped me to shop for a frock for my unveiling and we wandered many mean streets in the process, having a deal of fun the while.

She was picking up an award at the Festival Hall for a poem while l was being unveiled - busy day for Esperazannaise.

 Here is the Pall Mall club where the unveiling occurred and here is the frock that Pam selected, flanked by the chair of the arts committee, the club secretary and my adorable sister Polly Persephone ( the interesting portrait is of our father. )
We had to drink Champagne as there is no Blanquette of Limoux there. Food jolly good though.

Bishop the Rt Rev Peter Hullah, the frock, PP and Jonathon Ford

Back in the swing of things

 Lunch in Annie and Petes new kitchen was a surreal experience. After  years - all the years we've known each other - of a fairly ramshackle life, there was a fitted kitchen. Very fine too. And the standard of lunch was still wonderful.

The old mill is taking shape and it is possible to understand why they took on that particular project. Getting very beautiful.

As was young  Master Theo (Ba, MA) who hitched in from Toulouse in time for the repast.

 The evening was blessed by Max and his mysterious friend Lee, see below... John and Roy joined us at  l'authentic where the traditionally great time was had by all :)
Which is probably why I feel like death today. Today is devoted to adjustments and catching-ups.

Lee is an artist of fine repute, here on a project from far-flung Ottawa. You can spot him by his shirt.

Rain map

I'm back and its been raining in Esperaza, they tell me... certainly water has got into the map of the town by the station. And - this is really worrying - Oswald seems to have returned to hibernation.

Exciting plane trip back last night, a couple of hours late on account of a missing pilot. The flight before mine was diverted to Toulouse due to weather. Jutta and Bernt kept dinner warm for me and Bob and when we arrived there were Juttas daughter with boyfriend Felix, Kat and Toby. Quelle joy :)

Toby was here for the Tocques et Clochers which was cancelled due to the horrific attacks in Carcassonne and Trebes.

gormande' r'us

 Another pleasant evening of debauchery at the Creperie, with Margaret and John, Norbert and Louise, Kat and Roland - Andy, Jo, Chris and Janet spotted on another table - a happy memory for me to carry to London where I'm about to be, thanks to the magic of Ryan Air.

Back in a week or so.

parking in Esperaza

It's clear that spring has sprung :)

-so now we all get a letter from our mayor asking if the residents want to pay to park by the station so that the parking centrally can be freed up for people using the shops. He estimates 30 euros max a month.

Forms available at the Maire if you havent had one through  your door.  Make your views known.

Rivel

Rivel is an hours' lazy drive from Esperaza and Kat was good enough to drive me there this morning. Classic little village featuring an historic church and a nail from the True Cross; given how many of these things there are, its rare to actually see one. The only other one I've seen in inserted into part of the shaft of the Spear that allegedly pierced Christs side, currently in the Hapsburg treasury in Vienna. Nice to be in an area rich in relics. 

This is all a bonus. The actual reason we were in Rivel was to meet with Maggie Healy and be shown her collection of Kimono.
Her enthusiasm for the Japanese culture and her breadth of knowledge was fantastic.
Still a bit stunned from all that we saw and heard today.
She is having an expo in Guisson in May - details to follow as anyone interested will want to go there. Unmissable.

Nouveau Riche en ville

Last nights' dinner at the creperie with Pete and Clare (just back from India) Ken and Annette - and many other friends, full house there as usual :) It was all TOO BRIGHT so I've B and W'd them down. See photo of Ken for reference.

 Here's the new parrot cage for Rosie and her paramour Puerto. Nouveau riche, Ian calls them.

If you go down to the Aude today...

 Pity its a bad snap - he caught a fish, I'm guessing the first of the season by the hullabaloo that went up - anyway the banks of the river are lined with hopefuls.

Mercifully Lily-the-dog was unusually well behaved this morning, she normally attacks men with sticks.

The weekend starts here

Breakfast at the Patisserie with Louise and Bob  and Norbert and Pete... Kat cunningly out of shot. Really good fun. Watched the world wander past -

there goes Roland on Kats bike -

 and in the afternoon off to Limoux to visit Andree who is still shaper than a very sharp thing and very entertaining with it.

 Can't resist adding the plane trees who've had radical haircuts. 

Fortress Esperaza

 Anyone know why the Mayor has seen fit to scatter steel gates throughout the town?? Does he know something we don't? Several impasse have been closed off... maybe it was a job lot.

 

Most unattractive. (Unless you're a brutalist post modernist) 

unbeaux arts

 Went to Carcassonne to visit the new show at the Beaux Arts there...  and reinforced all my previous prejudices of the place.
Its actually funny how bad they are. You are greeted by scowls. (I kid you not. Try it! See if you can get them to smile.) (Oh except for the lady that runs the old permanent collection upstairs who is a sweetheart)
I can't remember the name of the show, it was so lacklustre, so I looked it up on line for your information. Nothing!!
The expo is of old bits that the museum happen to have lying around. They mostly don't know what they are or where they've come from. There is a mish mash of turkish helmets (beautiful -) and daggers and rifles - some shockingly bad portraits (lovely) a collection of lead weights (-???) and a whole heap of keys. Here are some.
Above is the sunlight on the steps which was delightful.

Esperaza continues to bask in the sunshine with the odd shower, though there was a frost this morning. All well :)

happy days

All quiet - lovely, in fact. Last few days have had strong sun and afternoon showers so my evening walks after studio days are a pleasure, scented by the emerging stuff of spring.

The new health centre was successfully officially opened on Saturday with big wigs from the department inspecting - the fact that I didn't go had nothing to do with my lack of invitation, ha! (Apparently we could all go anyway.)  Delighted to hear from my spies that Jean Torrent, the last mayor, was there; it was, after all his baby - vision, instigation and direction - until he lost office.

Couldn't resist snapping the above example of French parking by the railway line this morning...

Joyful day

 Winter is over - its official. Oswald is out of hibernation. Bit dozy but stumbling about the garden inspecting the changes and watching the birds.

Since Max and Andy and Pete and Annie are off to their various corners elsewhere (except for Andy who stays a bit longer) we had supper together. My photo has the blur of a good evening... it looked great when snapped but the cold light of day, well, hey ho.

 -and this morning, Sunday, the moon is high in a blue sky. It bodes well.

we struggle on

Here's Claudinne yesterday after we'd had breakfast at Luc's...

The news from snowy europe gets more difficult to laugh off as food supplies get disrupted, but we are still blessed with good weather.

Except this morning when I left the house in brilliant sunshine and within minutes was hailed on. Had to take shelter as being pelted with ice is quite painful.

It's passed now.

So far so good

This mornings' weather looks OK - hope our foreign friends are coping with whatever bedevills them. Keep warm, keep safe.

Sorry, I'm really trying not to sound smug. Our time will come, for sure. 

This blessed plot

 -Esperaza continues to be untroubled by the weather problems that are disrupting Europe. Simon and Fiona made it here after a nightmare journey; bumped into them this morning on my way back from coffee at Luc's, looking glam and recovering from their trip.

It's a bit parky today but not as bad as yesterday and nowhere near freezing. Yesterday - ha! - yesterday, had to take Lily to the vets to inspect her lump. (=Masse in French, since you ask) Due to emergency surgery our appointment was delayed by an hour and a half ... but the vet was lovely, not the vet that hates Lily after she bit her, dealt efficiently with the ostensible problem and all is good. Well, she has a lump but it wont hurt her. And she is sound as a bell.

Kat is searching for people that left stuff behind at her party - bowls, a shawl, hat etc - if you are missing something contact her. Or if you want to start a brocante...