Calming Sunday

Yesterdays market was fun, as ever, and this is afterwards - it was cold and the crowds dispersed somewhat early, leaving the riverbanks free for a gentle wander. Apart from disturbing one young woman hugging a tree, all was quiet... which was good, as the war is eating at everyone. Nice to catch some calm.

 *May those in pain know their suffering shall not last and find comfort and relief*

Fine dinning

Gillie sent this lovely photo to my machine last night, in the middle of Norberts birthday dinner at La Creperie - she and Alain clearly had the moules :) - and it reminded me how scatty I'm getting with the snaps. Totally forgot lunch with Richard and Alison, Max and Andy at ours on Thursday.

But here is rather an interesting pic featuring Max's arm,Ole-Bendik, Norbert, Tim, Louise, Alain and Susan -

-and Andy, Mike and Roy. I was massively engaged with laughing too much and didn't get round to everyone, but the tribe were out and what a pleasure it is to be comfortable and at ease with old familiar mates.

 Creperie packed: Candy has a new haircut: food was good (boudin noir and apple, salidou and banana in my case) Much talk of the war, alas. We all have friends in the Ukraine or in Russia or both and the news is shocking. Can think of nothing to do except a prayer vigil and thats not much good with this pile of atheists. Helplessness is hard to bear. 

*May great love and compassion be visited on all beings.*

Henry Lincoln R.I.P.

 Lifted this rather nice photo of Henry from the internet, where there is a great deal about him... his WikiP page will give you all his biographical stuff (he was in his '90's, amazingly)

Most Esperaza people will have run into him over the years, either lecturing or wandering about Rennes le Chateau. His rather proprietal air was more than justified. It's safe to say that he created this area; his book (co-authored with Micheal Baigent and Richard Leigh)  Holy Blood, Holy Grail was a game changer and of course triggered Dan Browns success with the Da Vinci Code. Famously, Baigent and Leigh lost their court case for plaigerism against Brown - which judgement is still a bit of a puzzle, plus also the lost appeal - but Henry laughed about it, since his sales rocketed amazingly and the whole legal matter was paid for by his co-authors. (He'd fallen out with them both long before, so it must have felt most poetic) 

His latter years were painfull and he rarely ventured out, though he occasionally allowed a scholar to visit. Rupert Soskin (his son) and Ruperts wife Julie have cared for him for many years. Sending love to them...

And shouldn't we be thinking about a monument of some sort, as the  mystical 'father' of the region?

Babybelle

To La Serpent for lunch with Pete and Clare, Cen and Annette - in time to see this little critter appear.  The mother is called Belle (because she wears the bell) so now Baby Belle has joined the flock. Wonderful, the other sheep came and introduced themselves and checked out the new addition, helped it stand and were generally protective. Nature really is astonishing.

AND lunch was delicious! Pete and Clare off again tomorrow but will be back soon - 

 

Viewing the market

Here's one lonely dog watching the fun - 

and me watching the smokers from inside the PMU, the Relais Occitaine, re-opened after their enforced closure. It was a beautiful day with not enough breeze to clear the cigarette smoke, alas - asthma sufferers will know what I'm droning on about. Nonetheless, a lovely Sunday and the Captain and I rounded it off with a walk round the lake, which was pretty packed with other fun seekers. 

Below is the St Bertrand, ever-pretty, which feeds the two lakes. Violets are out, birds are hammering away ... time to spend more time in the hills, though the wind is a bit frisky today. Hope our UK mates have survived the horrors there. 

 

reunitedness

Peter Dunn and Clare Millar are back, albiet briefly - as are Cen and Annette, Dougie and Regina - Bob brilliantly got them together and arranged a languid and delicious and memorable lunch yesterday, hats off to him :)

The other excitement I have gleaned from our regional newspaper. In a world of car crashes, murder cases and crop failures, Esperaza stands alone; the municipale are repairing and restoring the public toilets under the footbridge. 

 

deja-vu??

 Encore, le  cafe du Pont!!Yesterday with John and Clare Rushton, back with us after an extended break in blighty checking out new grandchild. 

Cafe du Pont gets better and better and our friends are still a delight; a long cry from the not-so-distant days when we'd take a picnic to an outside space to share together.

Angela Edelstien RIP

 I suppose that it's no surprise that Angie has died - just a month after Sami. They saw each other as soul mates. Despite her long illness, this is a sad parting for her friends and the family that remain.

Love this photo. It was taken at one of my exhibitions; she was so sweet and supportive and happy, so much fun - this is how I will remember her.

A civil ceremony will be held at the crematorium in Trebes on Friday at 10.30. 

valentine

 

A rare sight - even for Esperaza market - a man with bagpipes on a bike.

Another lovely day. Clare is back and Pete is following tonight - they were delayed by having covid sequentially, all well though.

Today it is raining, gently and agreeably, which I like - washes away the dust and grot and is well helpful to asthmatics. 

Happy valentines day :) Erika and Nicolas are dressed as cupids in the 8a8 - never a dull moment - Oh and today the PMU is allowed to open again, having been closed for a fortnight for infrigement of covid rules.

Glitteratti on Saturday

Aileen's ehibition opened last night in Quillan, next to the cinema - it's up for the week and is well worth a visit. 

Wonderful vernissage... lots of old friends out and new ones met. This region attracts so many interesting people - these photos are the tip of the iceberg, but I don't like to post people who may not know or approve of the fact of this blog -

Ferren, on the edge of the group above, and Ole-Bendik with Cleopatra below - and others :)

Handsome Mamadu  - there are some great images of him in the show - go visit!

Pont triumph

 Last of the birthday celebrations; Phil and Ziggy took us to the Pont for lunch and yet again we are compelled to admire the chefs handiwork. Salad of warm goats cheese on toast enhanced by honey and dotted with walnuts, on young salad... a fairly normal dish for these parts but here it was perfect, just right. Not an easy trick to pull off. Then guinea fowl with sauteed potatoes, yum, and assorted puds, in my case a fromage frais with a red fruit coulis. 

Back to my cooking now the birthday has gone :) 

Diary date

 Saturday night - don't forget :)

Narbonne birthday holiday

Nel and Pete had recommened an hotel in Narbonne, ile du gua, which was perfect (so mille thanks to them xxx) Spent the first day lolling about on various beaches at St Pierre. Found a new fave fish restro (our best being on annual holiday) It's called Cote Sud, opposite the market.... 

But Narbonne itself is amazing. Went to a show, small but perfectly formed, called The Art of Islam which was in the penitants chapel opposite the cathedral. Nice to see contrasts and influences. The cathedral itself is pretty sensational.... but the piece d' of the hols was NarboVia, (suggested by Janet and John and thank so much for that). 

Here is the Silenius which I have posted often, dug up in the station and now scrubbed up for the Museum. Great to see him.

Behind him you can see a curious grid affair. That is a part of a huge - huge -  wall of fragments of Roman Narbonne, arranged on shelving that is accessed by a machine - so you select an interesting chunk on the map in front of the viewing area, the machine picks it up and puts it into a space and the magic of science arranges a selection of images around it that give it a context.

Apart from a token staff prescence, the place was empty. If you should go to Narbonne, do not miss it. Unforgettable.

Bob says it was his best birthday ever. :) 

 

Fridays fun

This dear little beast flew into the studio and headed for a skylight - where it became enrobed with cobwebs. Got it gently to the window sill and picked them off, until it could fly again. It was very brave.

And here's Claudinne, sharing lunch at the Pont - such a pleasure :)

...then it was tea time and we trotted off to Tim and Yvonnes palace, where Norbert also dropped in. Lovely afternoon. Thanks all xxx

 

Coffee with Sav

 Here's Saveria, getting better everyday after her big nasty op - which was of course a miracle as she is not going to be paralysed and in pain but up and running about soon, phew. Just wonderful to chatter again- 

Have discovered (by grilling Melodie) what is going on at the playground. Theres going to be a new state-of-the-art one; work starting in a fortnight.

Alien abduction?

The playground has gone.

No doubt we can expect a larger space for parking space ships.

 

Aude culture

Gracie and I went in search of culture yesterday and found some.... the Beaux Arts are showing carpets, wall hangings really - copies of great paintings done in wool. Rich colours, strange metiers... this Hans Hartung painting demonstrating the gestural mark in paint becomes another kettle of fish when frozen in fabric. Still beautiful. And here's a Sonia Delaunay, holds up well against the Miros and etc...

By luck we passed the Maison des Memoires in the Rue Verdun where Joan Jorda (one of my heros) was holding a show called The Disasters of War and the Delights of Peace. Knowing he ws 90 plus years old I asked after his health - to be told that the covid virus had got him and he was dead. Great sadness.

Jorda lived through some very troubled times and always expressed them fearlessly and with compassion. And fluent paintwork.

 

Stormy weather in Esperaza

 Here are Janet and John - trying to teach me about selfies and failing. Brilliant evening though, drink was taken and views clarified on many levels.

Then in the early hours of the morning - mid storm - the Captain made it home, thanks to Clare who got him to Gatwick and Annette and Cenni who collected him from Toulouse. What friends we have...

Hope everyone is safe out there. It's such a long time since we've had bad weather that I'm not sure what's normal and what's really threatening.  All seems calm though.