Recovery Friday

Quiet day in the gallery; just a few interesting visitors to pass the time. At lunchtime we were invited to Antonia's where I screwed up  on the photo front but dare to post this of Antonia which I  rather like - will do better next time, honest -

 

brilliant lunch BTW, Antonia can cook xxx

In the evening we - Pol, Angela, Bob and I - went to visit Hattie's expo in St Jean de Paracol and loved it, and the village and the other artists exhibiting there. Bob again cooked dinner, what a star.... 

Back to the gallery for another arty day now. The Artistes a Suivre is great, the town is humming with visitors. Victoria deserves the legion d'honneur (or whatever the french do for a dameship) for her years of hard work

Ascension Thursday

The first Himantoglossum Hircinum of the season that I've spotted, a cheering start to yesterday which was, frankly, exhausting. Began at the vide grenier in Roquetaillade which was brilliant - loads of stuff running up and down loads of village roads, strong sun and great good humour, coffee and cake in the village school (which has its full complement of children and still doesn't have hot water or indoor toilets. Harden 'em up.) 

Ambling off to find an open supermarket to feed our guests, it being the Ascension and everything closed, when Kat rang to ask where we were- she and Richard had opened their galleries at 10.00 am and the art loving public were arriving. I thought we opened at 6.oopm for the party...

Here's Pol assembling the banner -

 So, a longer day than was expected but fun, of course - having two galleries opposite each other is a blast - will be pacing myself better today :)
Many thanks to everyone who came.  Apropos, our mayor sent his apologies - his son was in a car accident in Brittany and is alive (allelujia) George has gone to be with him, of course. Everyone here concerned and sending best wishes.

Margaret and John are back - tales of cancelled boats and other chaos, without which life in the Languedoc would be very dull! They both look in fine good form.

artistes a suive start

 Last night we went off to Luc sur Aude for the opening ceremony of the AaS and to meet with all the artists - wonderful fun and hats off yet again to Victoria Milroy, who is a worker of miracles of organisation. Imagine, organising a large group of artists and finding venues for them all, what a nightmare....

Here's Micham with her new work, herself something of a prodigy as she helps organise the Magrie annual arts event as well as continuing her arts practice.

Et voila, petite moi with my new friend - a sculpture by Robert Keramsi (www.robertkeramsi.com)

Poor Bob has to take the lions share of running things here - he fed Pol (not in shot - got away) Ian, New Kelly, Angela and me last night and will probably have to keep up the good work till the end of this arts weekend.

 TONIGHT  vernissage of 4 galleries in Esperaza... be there!!

punishment

Realise now - a bit late in the day - that selecting and exhibiting paintings is a form of punishment, presumably for having the freedom to make stuff in the first place. Pol and I spent the day in the garage and in Richard and Eva's gallery, schlepping and cleaning and preparing for the OFF on Thursday. 6.00pm, don't be late.

Angela is here and Bob has returned to the fold. Annie and Pete wanted to say Hi so we all decamped to the crowded creperie - where almost every ex-pat in town and their friends were dining.
Bit like a surprise party, you walk through the door and know everyone -
Leo and Toby are back, Rose, Philip, and friends were there, Pete and Nel and Nels family, soon to be off again...

onwards, sniperless

En route to the airport yesterday - to meet Saveria to collect Pol - met Luke at the bus stop. He's a refugee from the Congo, living here in Esperaza. I expressed disquiet at the Le Pennist forces in our election results and he threw back his head and roared with laughter. 'You have no sniper fire here'!!
-Puts it all in perspective.

Here's Pol, modelling one of her hats for the show which opens at 6.00pm on Thursday night. All welcome.

Politics, not

I'm ignoring the results across Europe - and especially in Esperaza - and will persist in my belief that humanity is basically decent and will put out helping hands to those in need. Whatever our leaders say.

Voting was good. Your voting card is checked on the way in together with your I.D.  You take the bumph of the party you want, fold it and put it in a little blue envelope. That goes into the ballot box, where your voting card is stamped and your I.D. checked. You sign a book. All would be straightforward - but it takes ages as you have to stop and kiss everyone.

Yesterday the weather was as bonkers as the voting, patches of light, shades of darkness. Accordingly the vide grenier lacked lustre...

Can't remember a time when I came away with nothing, no tat, no treasure... wasn't just me, talking to mates (as you do) found no-one buying. New austerity?

damp

Nearly stopped raining; everything damp. This will probably leave the market and the vide grenier in limbo...frightened to go and look.

Also somewhat trashed by last night, which was fun at the time. Naturally I blame Kat. We were testing the new ex-Ty-Rex and she insisted that we went for digestifs at Luc's. Alas.

New ex-Ty-Rex is good anyway, it has polished varnished floors now. Same furniture but new plastic tablecloths. Same plastic flowers or near as dammit.

Prices alarmingly high.

But the food excellent, mercifully. I went for the duck which was perfect, best ever. Kat had fish in a luminous yellow sauce which she loved. We both had the house tiramisu, most successful. And we both had half a litre of wine which was a step too far, given what followed in the bar.

The bar was a blast though.
Found a frenchman, here for the rugby, who wanted to know how we were coping with Brexit - he was well informed and amusing. And he thought that Boris Johnson was a woman, because of his hair.

---Off to vote now.

Friday in the rain

Not a lot happening and the weather has been glorious - until this morning, when it is gently pouring down.
The Mayor has sent out the election bundle. Since I can't count just let me say that there are lots of candidates. They will require research - none of them are openly going to say that they are fascists and hate Johnny Foreigner - though some seem innocuous enough, like the Esperanto party. Many based in ecological thinking but heaven knows what else they contain. Will set about trying to find out.

What has been occupying the good folk of Esperaza? In a word - or three - the artistes a suivre.
( see  http://www.artistesasuivre.org/)  In Esperaza we are doing the OFF, an artist-led series of shows to complement the official programme, which BTW looks extremely good this year.

Here are Kat and Richard, getting their galleries in order....

Note Kats new sign and Richards incredible progress. He has created, nearly, a gallery from scratch in about a month. Formidable.


Kat, Richard, me and Marie ( print-making gallery in the square) will be opening at the same time on the 30th at each of our galleries. Do come, please - all most welcome.

Other news; the first Esperaza vide grenier is on Sunday. Lets hope this rain gives up before then.

Gone -

They've gone :( Off to Stanstead, tomorrow Iceland, then the US of A.

Here is Etienne, being measured against the last time we measured him at 14 months. He has grown.

After we dropped them off Bob and I ate massively at WokWok which was cheering, then dined tonight on leftovers with Ian. Also good.

Still sad though.

Goodbye to all that

Here's Yves, ex- owner of the ex-Ty-Rex. It's sold and he's off elsewhere. Lost a lot of his life here, building and establishing our remarkable little restaurant... which has opened under the new ownership. Report due asap.

 Sunday supper was at La Serpent with with Pete and Clare, bless them - caring for us all on the last night of Ryan, Alecia and Etiennes visit. We are sad.  Wonderful calm mountain air (and Clares cooking) helped enormously.

Saturdays pleasures...

....started in Couiza at the first Vide Grenier of our season. Not overwhelming but fun nonetheless, drying out after the excessive rain. Low on acquisition - which considering how much junk we have is a blessing. Etienne got a Spiderman doll and a matching spiderbike. The mayor and attendants turned up in force to cheer the event; lots of  (highly dubious) local costumes.

Thence after a decent break to dinner where Douggie and Regina met with Peter Dunn and Clare and the Genglers - Douggie and Regina are very welcome new-comers to our happy tribe.

 Here are Pete and Douggie swapping biographies - fascinating :) Bob got stuck with being butler, a job hes very good at. Below, the gals are  swapping household hints - not.
When I tottered over to the house we dined in to clear up this morning, it seemed the Ryan had got up early and done it all - fantastic, given that we just abandoned the mess at midnight. Hero :)

Today the sun is out and the market is in full force. Got a silk shirt in the frip and have limped home for a snooze...

To the retreat home

- where Andree impressed all with her good health and palatial home:)

Apero sur l'herbe

 After a full and exciting day - I was tidying up the painting store and the Genglers were walking from Rennes-le-chateau - Pete and Nel most kindly took time from their busy schedule to give us apero featuring home-made pizza and ice-cream. Plus blanquette. What could be better in this best of all possible worlds?

Really enjoyed their romantic garden and their company - and the apero :)

Today its raining. Can't believe it, after this  long warm spell. Studio roof is leaking, sigh.





Not sure why there are no photos of lovely Nel, I think because she was next to me and we were chatting so she wasn't in the line of fire, as it were. But here's Pete, behind the flowers.

fun'n' sun

 Wednesday we had lunch in the garden of the Old Mill, thanks to Annie and Pete - and all the Bowyer Babes were there, Theo, Freddie and Gus, grown up and lucid, mostly. Their friend Tom played the accordion before lunch and Theo taught him some gloomy Irish songs. Here's Gus...

It was a perfect summer lunch, full of unseemly laughter and joy in being together.

And then we - Ryan and Alecia and Etienne and Bob, had dinner at the Poulet Bicylette, by the lake, 

First time this season. Have to report that its still beautiful there, the road has been rather repaired, there are yet more trees and some new fish (herons are a problem)

We are fasting today.

holidaze

Picnic on the deserted beach at St Pierre, ice-cream at Gruissan village, hot sun and no crowds... great day out :) Etienne, Ryan and Alecia must come and visit more often. 

Coq au vin

Alecia and Ryan made us coq au vin  (out of Richard and Eva's cockerel) which was of course delicious. They can still cook :) And big thanks too to Richard and Eva and the cockerel who died young but happy. And speedily.

Etienne is not in picture because he was playing with the children next door. I asked what language they played in, next doors being bilingual, and he said 'normal',
Off to the coast today.

Great visitors

Here is young Etienne, lying in the bath he was birthed in nearly five years ago - 

having his folks Ryan and Alecia here is a blast, its as if they've never been away.  

And Annie and Pete have just got in from Morocco and are here, erm, briefly.

Weather appropriately marvelous, off to the coast tomorrow.

Genglers!!

guess who's coming to dinner...

Ryan and Alecia and Etienne arrive this evening for a handful of days, do feel free to come and visit them... I'm hopelessly excited -

Alas it is raining.

Cafe du Pont still sweet though - especially as they are showing some of my old paintings. Erika wants to do other local artists so if you want to be next, get in touch with her -

Home again

Been staying with Bruno (ex-Caderonne) in the Alps - here he is as we left him yesterday, pleased to have got us to the train on time despite my fussing.

Wonderful visit jam packed with culture and amazingness; but there's no place like home.


It's been raining in Esperaza and the air is fresh, full of the scent of elderflowers - with, I think, a hint of cloves.

Bruno is planning a June visit here so will see him again soon xxxxx

Young researchers

Voila! Jannis and Jakob visiting from Berlin, doing some research for a radio documentary. 

Bob and I are off to the Alps for a few days... more anon.

Bountiful May

 Lordly Ole-Bendik shared supper with Bob, Ian and me last night - Cleopatra took up residence on Bobs lap, slightly uneasy among the parrots.
Somewhat grey and rainy here. Good for the land, tra la.

May Days

Todays' little market was dreadfully small. I'm guessing that the stall-holders are in sun-soaked paradises on their holidays... though not the new butcher who has closed down. This sign was all I found when I went looking to buy dead animal; Chez Charlie continues to flourish though.

 

Here's an artichoke from Bobs garden which I thought quite beautiful -

- and a squirrel by the river, one of the little black ones -

Went to visit Tim and Yvonne who are in town and they were OUT. 

Tango is in. Here he is, making off with the family fortune.

All is not as calm as it seems; expecting visitors tomorrow and getting ready for them, also going to the Alps on Sunday so preparing for that. Yesterday was 24 degrees and in the Alps it is 6. Need to find the thermal underwear again.