Sharing

It's a privilege to share special times in friends lives - lovely evening.

And Bieke is back in Esperaza after her long awayness to pack up the remains of her studio in Gent. She's with us for good now :)

And the towns winter event is here - http://www.esperaza.fr/fr/les-actualites/

Art Quest

In my hunger for art, I took the buses to Carcassonne - note, trains in disarray due to work on the line that will last until mid December - and found a wonderful show at the Maison des Memoires, which is fast becoming my favorite gallery in all the world. Free, empty, lovely toilets. And the current show is of photographs (a medium that usually leaves me cold ) and is amazing.  Small, but perfectly formed. Below are some extracts. 

 On the way back to the station caught this enigmatic sculpture by the lock on the canal... nice.

Talking of hunger for art... you are invited to the vernissage at the gallery 'Artavec', 28 Rue Victor Hugo, Esperaza. 6pm till 8.pm, 7th December. Most of the artists who live here are exhibiting - its ADADE, the Association of the Artists of Esperaza, curated by our president Kat Head and the gallery owner Richard Lyons. The tasters l've seen are exciting :)

Tis the season...

...to be jolly, though this snap of the council workers putting up the crimbo decor may look otherwise. At least its warm.
Here is the church last night, looking agreeably spooky.

wetish weds

Actually its a lovely morning but everywhere seems wet - bizarre, after a hot afternoon yesterday. Margaret and I lunched yesterday at the station cafe in Limoux - not Paris but good fun, nice nosh and great company :) Then we visited Hilary who has mysteriously lost 20 years by being in hospital. She is being moved to Limoux from Quillan for re-education, tomorrow.

Something weird is happening at the Espace Louis Allibert, above - dunno what = BUT save sat 7th December, 18 H.,  for the opening party of the ADADE show at the Gallery art and technology,( the ex-Grand Hotel,) Richards new gallery in Rue Victor Hugo.

Off to Caastelnaudry now.

Pont

As luck would have it, I lunched at Le Pont yesterday with Claudine - salad, guinea fowl and cauliflower cheese, chocolate mousse and Chantilly - here she is, slightly out of focus but on form in general. Great lunch. With wine, 13 euros a head and excellent quality.

And today I breakfasted there with Bob, Norbert and Louise. Louise brought stolen with her - cor - and we had the croissants the cafe supplies. More cor. I'm off to lunch now, waddling in fact.

Grim Sunday

 Lots of market traders away - Cuba, Thailand and other exotic places - do we pay them too much?  But real disaster has struck.
 Went to the 8a8 and Isobelle took me to one side - they have sold the store . 

I pleaded with her but she is adamant. They leave us in February. A young couple are taking over while Alain and Isobelle move to Carcassonne to work. The beating heart of the town will be quelled, woe and thrice times woe, alas.

Dinner in the clouds

Here's Ken looking gorg last night, when we ate at Pete and Clares - we've not been out for ages so especially nice to be there. The sky was cloudy unfortunately so we didn't see the meteor storm that was no doubt cascading from the heavens.

But life is plenty exciting. It's the mushroom season and our ex-neighbours have brought us so many, fresh and perfect from this mornings cull, that we have had to decant them to pass onto friends.

 And look! New additions to the household... here are Quentin and Tina, currently swapping life stories with Rosie. After initial skirmishes they are settling down well enough, the house ringing with their merry tweets.

Life, eh

 Sometimes it rains, sometimes there is sunshine. Here are some wandering snaps of Esperaza in all weathers over the last three days. Nothing much going on - that's reportable, anyway.

Farewell, encore

 
 Dear Rose surprised Leo and Toby last night,,,, she'd invited them to dinner for their last night here, saving them the trouble of cooking so they can get off early this morning for the long drive to Amsterdam - ha!

We all turned up too, bearing food and drink and though I tottered off relatively early I'm guessing they wont be leaving too promptly this morning.

The place was packed and my photos dire though there is one of Rose I've promised not to publish, yet. No pix of Leo and Toby, (hazy one of her up top) you'd think after years of doing this blog I'd be a little less ramshackle.
Well done to Rose though. What a sweet friend you are.

Friday rain-free

 Rain has stopped! Town is dappled! Hurrah!

Weird Weds

 Guess who?? She won't let me photograph her face... but here is her very broken leg and the impeccable scar caused by the excellent repair that is keeping her in Quillan hospital until it is well enough to put weight on. All the best to our mystery guest and her patient husband Mike (spoiler alert hahahah).

Kat gave me a lift to Quillan to visit the hospital and do a bit of shopping - great girl to shop with BTW - then there was a little time for lunch before getting to the church for Francis Malfants farewell ceremony. Arriving just on time I found the church full, the porch full and the street outside also crowded. I hustled my way in thinking there had to be a little space somewhere and there wasn't. Ended up standing by a side altar for two hours. Didn't think it was appropriate to take photos but during the half hour shuffle to get out I was really bored and snapped the back of the crowd, see below.

 It is wonderful that he was so appreciated.... he will be missed and not forgotten.

Armistice

The ceremony at the Monuments aux Morts yesterday.... moving as ever. The local kids read a poem together; the sun shone, the birds sang, all rather poignantly.
-By the evening the rain was back and today it is hanging around.

Sundays pleasure

 Steve turned up! Steve has stayed here before, being my god-son Cosmo's father-in-law. He was just passing through, checking the place out...

in the evening Leo and Toby had a valedictory dinner as they are off to wherever they winter - elsewhere - so, Pete and Clare, Kat and Roland. Rose, Ken, Allenna and me, (Bob having left again) were treated to an lively soiree.

Dearest Toby gave us lemon and courgette soup, salmon and great vedg., chocolate and cake. The noise of our chatter was immense.

Will miss them - though they haven't gone yet! Allenna is off today, not an easy task as she is on public transport and its Armistice Day. Only one bus to Carcassonne , reduced trains to Toulouse and lets hope the airport navette is running as ever.  She will overnight there for tomorrows flight to Frankfurt and then Toronto, where the highest likely temperature is minus 7 and the norm is minus 11. And its snowing.
Will reflect on this as our predicted cold weather hits.

Rose, Allenna, Pete

Leos brother whose name I have forgotten how to spell

Leo with Clare in the mirror

Pete and our hostess swapping hats

Francis Malfant RIP

Msr Malfant at Lilys birthday party in June

Georges Reverte, our mayor, writes;

I  regret to inform you of the death of Francis Malfant yesterday [Saturday] in Carcassonne hospital.
He was admitted about 10 days ago, his condition having worsened at the beginning of the week.

Espéraza loses a true child of the region, a man who has left his mark on the sportive, economic and associative life of our city. A great and dynamic man, sensitive, close to all;  heart of gold, brave, who worked until his last breath for the good of Espéraza and Espérazannais. 

Honor to Francis!

 Msr Malfant was a wonderful man. He guided me through an ocean of paperwork and sat on the phone harassing officials on my behalf - I shall always be grateful and think of him with affection, as will many foreigners here. 

entertaining

 Annie and Pete came to dinner  - since you ask, salad, prawn curry, cheese and a strawberry and something tart made by Annie, delicious -despite the fact none of us are drinking as we used to, it was a frisky evening. Allenna has been consorting with other oceanographers so much info was exchanged.
Rico the african grey woman hater, startled us all by falling for Annie ; he spent the night hanging upside down, dancing and generally displaying his big red rump.

chez nous

Jamesie graced the dinner table last night - with Allenna and Bob, the conversation was wide-ranging and erudite. Whitebait, lamb and apricot tagine, apple pie... and not even two bottles the whole 

evening, aren't we good.

Regrouping

Fans of Joan Jorda will be happy to know that he's showing in Carcassonne at the Maisons des Memoirs . He was born in September 1929 and is still with us (living in Toulouse), still working - a very decent selection of new work on show. (terrible photo, sorry)
https://www.tourism-carcassonne.co.uk/what-to-do-0/parks-and-outdoor-spaces/maison-des-memoires-centre-joe-bousquet-358597

Allenna and I were in Carcassonne because Toulouse turned out to be a bit dull. So much for big cities. Everything was closed; end-of-season, pause before xmas madness. We had a good time at the Museum of Archeology next to St Serrin and checked out some excellent churches - Notre Dame du Taur especially charming for having bullfighters - or people fighting a bull at any rate - over the high altar. St Serrin was matyred by being dragged through that same street by a bull.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre-Dame_du_Taur

It rained - not continually but enough for us to be dodging showers in cafes and restaurants which in Toulouse are wonderful, so it wasn't all bad :)

Got back yesterday. Bob had returned from London in one piece.
Allenna here for the weekend,  then back to Toronto.

Toulouse beckons

It's raining again and I have some charming photos of Esperaza - which mysteriously wont download. In my attempts to fix this, happened across this lovely photo of Jess and Lucifer (now both happy in rabbit heaven,) which will have to do.
Off to Toulouse to meet with Allenna and spend a couple of days being tourists.

Slight Sunday

Under whelmed,  we were ... and have had to close shutters and wear big coats on account of the wind; the promised storms are upon us.
On the other hand, the sun is out now and its rather nice. Hey ho.

autumn weather

 Its raining sporadically and sunshining occasionally - generally rather nice - and all quiet here.

Isn't it time someone had a party ??