Last night of the night markets

So summer ends... not with a bang but with a party. Below is the chap who has been feeding us baked potatoes and interesting fillings all this time, being awarded a trophy for being nice. He was indeed; as were the other assiduous stall-holders. 

Much talk of Jim, whose death has been a shock to our loose-knit tribe of foreigners. He was super intelligent, having begun his university life as a mathematician (at St Andrews University) and - following in the footsteps of Issac Newton - taking a second degree in theology. After that he went to Hornsey art school where he learnt his craft as a painter. Somewhere along the line he became a champion Go player, travelling a great deal to compete in international competitions. 

In the UK he worked in I.T.,  taking early retirement and selling his north London house to come to live in  Esperaza.  His esoteric studies took him to America to learn about the Mexican Indian cults under the care of Carlos Castaneda himself, author of many illuminating books. 

Later in life his esoteric interests convinced him he was a Nagual, a leader and teacher of the other-world insights. Despite his best efforts he never found the group of students he searched for and he became more inward-looking, eventually simply not acknowledging the existence of anyone else. He just withdrew from us all.

But it has been a very special experience knowing him...

 

Jim Barty RIP

I am already given to the power that rules my fate 

And I cling to nothing, so I will have nothing to defend.

I have no thoughts, so I will see.

I fear nothing, so I will remember myself.

Detached and at ease, I will dart past the eagle to be free.

*

 This was pinned to Jims wall. Went round there after the mayor told me that he'd died in hospital, hoping to find his sisters phone number. Which we failed to do.... anyone know it?

Was glad to find the above though. It shows clearly that he was ready to submit to fate; we are told that he died of 'natural causes' so he was aware that his end was near.

We all of us have Jim stories. He was hyper-extraordinary with a mix of wisdom and off-world pottiness, kind - always kind - and anxious to enlighten the world. 

Which on some level I'm sure he is now doing.

Health Hazard in Esperaza

 Love this photo of Silvia Nogales watch a colleague perform at last nights classical guitar concert. One reason to like it is that she was the only one in a mask, apart from me and the Harris boys.

The final performer gave a rousing speech about how music should be free, not restricted to those who have been vaccinated against Covid 19. Everyone cheered and clapped. 

The fact that children were everywhere, being good - only loud whispers and stealthy tippy toes - plus the evident health risk, made for rather a mixed evening. Shan't be returning to the DoJo in a hurry.

Esperaza scenes

Spotted, ahem, by the river - and the mighty Aude herself, turning into a bit of a stream. Below is the bar, closed; a mix of drain problems and difficulties with the new restrictions re: pass sanitaire. 

Esperaza is pretty quiet as the young return to their colleges, the kids to school, the tourists to their homes and the exhausted grandparents to their beds.

 

cataracts at carcassonne

 

I'm done! One of them, anyway. Stop me and I'II tell you all about it... for hours...

Thanks to all who have wished me well, you did the trick :)

Mondays market

Here's Chiara, staying with us whilst working on a project - delighted with the night market. Which seemed to have all the known world in attendance, possibly with us foreigner's here outnumbering the french. Only one more to go before the end of the season, sniff.

 but look at what else is on offer - pretty impressive.

market news

 Ambling about the market, spotted some rarely seen friends - here's Aileen, in very fine form - and below, Antonia who is only here for a week and having to deal with paperwork... also spotted Suzie from Fa who looked great, having had a bout of covid and survived. She is being treated for the fatigue and finds the prescribed drugs very effective. 

The digeridoo players are back :) 

After the market the Captain and I headed out to Lieurac, 45 mins away from Esperaza, to see le Jardin Extraordinaire. The day was overcast, but pleasant - and the place was packed, full of smiling people pointing at little treasures. It closes at the end of this month so it'll be a year before we visit again; looking forward to it.
 

Tribal gathering

Wonderful night hosted by Jutta and Bernt - such a joy to have virtually all the tribe back together again, lots of laughter and catching up going on - 

 

Here's Yapp visiting his sister Nel, Janet and John having a night off from grandparenting, Susan and Louise swopping tales, Bob and Susan ditto - it was all rather overwhelming. In a nice way :) Random snaps, as ever. 

 

 

mixed news

Here are the Harris brothers at the tapas bar last night, where Jean-Luc, our genial host, was having a hard time.... he is not allowed to serve anyone without a pass sanitaire, showing that the holder is double vaxxed. The police are checking and if he transgresses his fines will be high. Anti-vaxxers in the town were ganging up against him. Hardly his fault. 

The other news is bad and good. Jim Barty is in hospital, which on the one hand is not good; on the other, he is being cared for which is very good indeed.

Roy (of the Maison de la Riviere ) had noted that Jim wasn't doing his customary wandering about and asked around - then went to alert the Mayor who sent in the fire brigade. This almost certainly saved Jims life. Best neighbour award to Roy!

Jim was active in the arts community for many years but left to devote his time to his esoteric studies and practice.

Jim before discovering that haircuts weakened power.

Here's hoping that he makes a speedy recovery -

 

Carcassonne clinic

 -this isn't the clinic, of course - it is Wokland, where we went to recover from a morning being looked at in the clinic. I'm due for the cataract ops in the next weeks and this was all preliminary stuff. 

Seems I'm fit enough to be carved up, sigh. Really don't feel like it though.

Gruissan holiday

Day off in Gruissan, thanks to Alison Judge and her luxurious bus - the salt collection, above, was a sight for sore eyes - the rest of the day being a little windy we squandered sitting in cafes and strolling around the town.

 

Monday in late summer

 Last nights' market - fabulously chilly - featuring our friend Lizzie Jackson from St Hilaire and Claudine and Cenny with Callum off - not great pics, alas.

The traditional jolly time was had by all - the music karaoke-type but did its job. 

Many younger folk dancing along outside the compound, presumably those without vaccinations. Was struck by an image of a young woman dancing alone, barefoot under the trees - seemed happy enough :)

 

Season of the cepes

 The neighbours have brought many mushrooms. Despite the heat the forest is producing a bumper crop. Much slicing and blanching and freezing called for; and Phil is making a wild mushroom risotto for lunch. It's really overcast and cool today, spotting with rain - hurrah!! 

Think  I have mastered Bobs old computer and am almost fully-functioning, hush my mouth (or perhaps it should be be still my digital digit) Fingers crossed anyway.

Rose Roland Brian babes

 Rose and Roland had big birthdays and Brian a lesser one so Rose hosted with party for all, with her customary energy and panache. Of my many interesting photos, I've chosen this one alone to represent the evening (- my computer is too sick to do anything else. Perhaps another day if it ever recovers. )

Voila! Please note Michael's feet... it was hot (the weather)

Girls night out

 Here's dear Claudine with whom I apero'd last night - at Jean-Luc's tapas bar. Enjoyed ourselves no end! 

I'm having computer problems so follies may be delayed a while. And email, facebook and any other machine-lead thang. Sigh.

Stay cool out there. Nearly 38 degrees here - bit much, really.

Watson? Sherlock??

 Low water this morning - and mercifully grey clouds (though its still hot). We spent the very very hot yesterday over at Pech Luna with Richard and Alison where they welcomed us - Bob, Phil and me - to their swimming pool. Bliss :)

We have a mystery here and I invite Sherlock-type solutions.

We have parrots - or they have us, not sure - and sometime in the last 24ish hours one of them has disappeared. She's called Rosie and is a lovebird with a black face. We noticed yesterday morning that she wasn't around and assumed she was nesting - they do that from time to time, in one of four nesting boxes. 

She wasn't around again when we got in last night but rather then disturb them all we left our investigating till the morning, by now assuming that she had died - she was the oldest of the flock, though had been (apparently) in rude good health.

To cut this rather long story short, she wasn't in any of the boxes, or anywhere else. None of the cage doors were open. Only a human could have opened their cage but no-one we know with a key admits to kidnapping her. She's nowhere in the house either. 

Ideas??

Hot times

 Here's Roland, playing the plumbing. Looks to me like he could also play a sax, that fingering seems well authentic!

It's his big birthday on Saturday. It was Roses yesterday. Baby Brian has a much lesser big birthday but since he is surrounded by geriatrics he must be feeling like a spring chicken :) 

Celebrations are in the hazy air... 

Very hot here and getting hotter. 

Magic

 Here's Bugarach, the local sacred mountain, being benign. After a very hot day the evening was cool and calm, lovely.

Carcassonne called yesterday. We trooped off to the Prefecture in the hope of swinging Phils permit de sejour. Without rendezvous. Cunningly took an email for the previous meeting which was a couple of months out of date as he'd been in hospital, which we explained to reception. There were no queues on the door, the guard let us straight in, reception said take a seat - five mins later, he was processed. The fingerprint machine was broken and they said don't bother. 

Left the building in shock. Lunch (with Richard and Alison) was on Phil :)

Not all in the garden is lovely though. Saveria, friend to us all and sage of these parts, has nerves trapped in her neck and will be operated on next week. She teaches yoga to the elderly and infirm - most of us - and will be out of action for three months. Candles will be lit to ensure a successful and pain-free op with a speedy recovery.

Private viewing

The premier vernissage since I don't know when! Alex has opened his studio as a gallery and yesterday saw its launch with the work of  Mark Lunn - nature photos and acrylic paintings - exhibiting with his wife, a jeweler. Lovely show in a great space by the mighty Aude, with a group of musicians to entertain us. Alex and James are hoping that there will be an arts renaissance in Esperaza and if this is anything to go by, it will surely happen. 

 The expo is on for a fortnight. The space is easily found; head for the slip road where you would turn up to St Ferriol but instead walk down towards the river. It's all signed. It'll be open on Wednesdays., Friday and Sunday between 13H and 17H.

Beside the lake, beneath the trees-

Following Shuffs advise the team decided to lunch by the lake - after the compulsory esoteric tour of Rennes le Chateau - and found the shed affair at the end of the lake had become a classy terrace somewhat above it all. Couldn't have been improved on. Richard and Alison were so smitten they had vowed to return three times a week, never mind the travel involved...

They do chips made of sweet potatoes. I'm told this is now the norm but new to me. Spotted some kids with chocolate milk shakes which I shall be back for asap. 

 

Water level was a little low and hardly anyone was swimming. It is quite cool at the moment. Next week temps are predicted to be back in the 30's so we are enjoying todays freshness.

Naturally Saturday evening was devoted to the creperie, where Jamsie and his tall son and heir joined us. Here is Alison eating her body-weight in healthy nourishment hoho.

 We tipped back home for a digestif and a jolly good night was had by all, I think - 

Richard and Alison have gone, we will be quiet for a while. Off to market now to see if the pass sanitaire is obliagtory.

farewell

James and Andy leave Esperaza again, following Louise who had left early to get through the quarantine that would enable her to attend her mothers wedding. Yup, that quarantine. The one that Bojo cancelled the day after she left. 

 Our friends Richard and Alison have arrived.... more later :)

bye bye sniff

Here's Jamsie at his chateau in St Ferriol... Martin and Sybille came with us for coffee and some esoteric banter.

Which lead naturally to lunch at the poulet en velo, where Ayumi was enchanted by the fish in the lake. It rained so we had the place to ourselves - tuna steak in garlic sauce with ratatouille and home made chips and something green like peas, but not - but then loads of English people came as we were leaving. The Brits are not scared of  weather I'm glad to say :)

 Then we had to kiss our friends goodbye. They were taking two days and a bit to drive to Zurich -

bonne voyage and come back soon.