Glorious autumn

Yesterdays market - and here is a friend advertising the Arts Festival at Magrie, next weekend -

 100 artists will be exhibiting and this one, petite moi,  is will be on the left in the Foyer, all being well....

 The towns' fete continues. Bob and I elected to abstain from the communal meal on the grounds of inertia but enjoyed the band (below) that turned up in the market.

 The temperature was 30 degrees and a little hot to wander in. I took to the shady places - here's the heron by the barrage - most of Sundays usual promenaders must have been at the fete as the town was deserted. Or maybe they had more sense (it was VERY hot)

Hey, news; I am reliably informed that Luc has sold his cafe, the essential hub of life here. He will remain for 6 months to guide in his successor. Life will never be the same again.

Festive Saturday

 The celebration of our patron saint, St Michel, continues with enthusiasm in the town.

We began our quiet response last night with dinner at the Aubege du Faby, with Norbert and Louise - great company :)

There were many arty mates also dining there- clearly the hip place to be. Good for veggies and vegans; good collection of art on the walls. Might move in.

We left in time to see the start of the firework display from the road and caught the end of it by the old bridge. Beautiful and bangy enough to resonate in ones chest but no dragons. (How can we celebrate St M without a dragon?)

 Thence to the square where Abyss were banging out their TV music to general acclaim. Their professionalism is a bit frightening. Amazing that they come to perform in our little town - though our numbers are greatly swelled by people travelling here to watch and dance.

 On the way home noticed this outside the town hall - we can write a message in homage to Jacques Chirac in the condolences book there. The general tenor of his obituaries here has been most favorable despite the small spat with embezzlement - maybe that goes with the territory.
My only memory of him is of  his approval of completely unnecessary nuclear testing back in the day.
On the plus side we have learnt that he liked the poems of St-John Perse enough to keep them about him inside the cover of Playboy.
Kudos!

Stay-at-home lazybones

Le Captain and I elected to leave last nights fete to the youngsters, from whom one hears that it was very good, drinking and dancing till the early hours.  We are holding fire till tonight...

Here is a tiny tiny scorpion on my studio wall, shown next to my thumb to give an idea of scale. Interesting little beast. When I first noticed it it was totally transparent, almost invisible, which is why I drew a circle round it. THEN it started to darken. Can't wait to see what happens next:)

Calm before the party

This mornings mist...stage and bar ready in the square. The weekends festivities commence tonight.

back home again

From this to that...

Clare was on my flight back and Bob collected us both - delivered us to Pete who had cooked dinner.

Its lovely here :)

-Which reminds me, the feast of St Michel is looming. Much fun in the square and fireworks one night, see
 http://www.esperaza.fr/fr/accueil for all the glorious details.

Get tickets for Sundays lunch from Chez Charlie. See you there !

Time out

A treat to see Pete and Clare and Louis last night (Clare clearly out of shot -) Bob cooked and I enjoyed a tranquil evening.
Off to Isle de Brexit today, back next week -

sunshine again

30 degrees again yesterday so despite the mossies I've been drawing outside. Here is a donkey from the field behind me, on the river bank.
In England the easel that you learn to draw on - a seat with a fixed end for the drawing board - is called a donkey. In France an easel - one you stand in front of rather than sit - is called a chevalet. A little horse?

gone fishing

All quiet :) Here's the local heron from the old bridge yesterday morning. Temperature of 30 degrees, balmy, scented with flowers; and not a lot happening.

Sat nite au ville

Here is the only picture remotely in focus from Mary's birthday party yesterday - should have had a decent portrait of the birthday girl who was in very fine form, but alas...

.......afterwards there was late-night theatre at the Centre Culturel, Property is Theft, which was remarkable.

Five women addressed an invisible policeman about the role of money in their lives. Marvelously staged, with the sort of simplicity that only comes with fierce and disciplined professionalism. Provocative and challenging and judging from the audiences ribald laughter, funny. I missed a lot, what with the nuances and that. Certainly got my 5 euros worth though.

There was a tapas event going on behind the school as well, no idea what that was about.

gastropods'r'us

Found this snail behind the dinosaur museum this morning... totally charmed me.

Sunshine and forgetfulness

Here is an arty photo taken whilst hanging out of the window at the Cafe du Pont when waiting for Kat this morning. Forgot to photograph Kat but she hasn't changed.

Also forgot to photograph Oscar, Dermot and Kate at lunch at their new gaff today. I would say they haven't changed either but actually Oscar has a mustache.

God knows what else I'm forgetting.

Not my nephew Tom Beer, whom some of you may remember - here is the bands latest catchy single. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cFP3VM83so&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3P6-cIn_s5yr2q3emGFDt4bgMLyJfH5H3iSCeO1FLvov0BIbjdjzAyfDU

news from the street

L'Art s' invite a Magrie is being advertised here - 100 artists one of whom is me, spreading doom and gloom with my post apocalyptic visions. No doubt some others will be more cheerful. See http://artmagrie.fr/



Below an ad for a spot of theatre next week - Eva and I tried to find somewhere to sell us tickets but no-one knew anything about it. Just turn up, like as not.

 I've been told that this end of the HLM will be demolished with dynamite at 8.00am on Monday morning. Unmissable, if true.

Have also been told this is 'fakenews' (new french word) Watch this spot


Beautiful weather, perfect -

Esperaza latest

 The latest excitement is that the ex- l'original / frites normande/ pizza de Msr Jolie  (see above) is to have a new hat. Now it will be sandwich bar at lunchtime and in the evenings an epicerie. Hurrah!

Not a lot else happening in this little neck of the woods. Yesterday was summer again - here is the sunshine dappling the leaves over the river - and today it is pouring with good refreshing rain.

Traditions in the market

 The market was even livelier than usual due to a group of  male singers bashing out harmonies based on the notions of camaraderie - and this, above, which appeared to be a song about love and a maiden. They grouped themselves around a woman and sang at her. Guessing that she was prepared, she showed no signs of alarm, merely keeping her eyes firmly shut.
And here is Madame Lenna, tottering about the market despite the buffetings of the young. Still frisky though grumbling a bit - looking forward to October when her dear neighbours will return :) (as are we all)

le repas exquis

Here's Zuhal, the wife of our fortunate mayor and an artist in her own right - though the painting above her head was painted by her husband, who knew Georges could paint?
Zuhal gave a group of us arty types dinner in their home last night. The menu was a mix of Turkish and French food, finished on an Italian note... it'll take weeks to work off the calories. And I valued every one of them :)
Enormous fun with lots of remarkable (!) ideas floating about. Left after midnight, which is in itself a marker - whoever said, if 60 is the new 40 then 9.00 o'clock is the new midnight got it bang on.  But how exciting to stay up late :)

Last night...

...in our pretty town! Actually was looking to see if New Kelly had arrived yet but no sign of her. Anyone know her dates??
There are still tourists around; it seems that that the French prefer to come when its a bit cooler and the children are back in school.

poulet de luxe

Thanks to Norbert, we have the prettiest hen-coop in Christendom! -Not quite finished; as Norbert pointed out, its like a Christmas tree and more baubles are needed. Hours of fun :)

Seasons flip-flopping about

One day you are having to move your chair into the shade - yesterday, indeed - the next you are in a low flying cloud wishing you'd remembered an umbrella.

Yesterday we passed a pleasant elevenses with Kieran and Ann


and today there was hardly a market and it was drizzling.

Not unwelcome but too sudden - autumn is here -

walking weather again

 Yesterday started grey, became blue - warm, pleasant breezes -  I walked to The Bench and looked at the world.
Very pleased with myself, health having been poor for so long that walking uphill has been a rarity.
And the bee-eaters were out in flocks, chriuuping and hop-skippity flying about - and the figs are ripe:)

Proper Vide-Grenier

Montazel's vide grenier turned out to be the classic event of the season so far... the town hall put a bulldozer at one end of the street and a lorry at the other, so a stretch of road and a patch of grass were left for the citizens to empty their attics on and for us to rootle through. No treasure but great fun.
Thence to the market and cafe life with friends.
Today, everything is different. It's the day when the schools and colleges return to work so all the young persons have disappeared. Coincidentally the temperatures have dropped and the sky is grey.