End of the night markets...

 ...we were all enjoying as ever, ho hum, hey ho,  when this cloud (like a UFO) moved across the town - in layers of grey and black - pushed by a huge wind. Bosh bosh as the leaves whipped us all and the market emptied in great good humour; now done till 2023. 

Not with a whimper but a bang

Storms are all well and good and welcome and a drop of rain won't hurt - but hail is another matter. Having giant balls of ice hurled at you by an indifferent cosmos is far from agreeable. Ian and I legged it pronto.

Lordly Ole-Bendik is made of sterner stuff and got his car to do emergency runs for those less able to gallop. Feted this morning as a hero.

Finally caught up with Steve and Antonia - as they were catching the bus for Carcassonne to catch the plane to Edinburgh. See them in October, with luck.

end of season

 Great party last night, as the holiday season closes. The streets are quiet and the merry laughter of children is mercifully absent. I listened carefully to Johns speech but - perhaps it was the wine- remain unclear about what was being celebrated, Johns birthday, Janets or their wedding anniversary. Or all three.

It was a poetic night, beautiful to behold - maybe that was the wine too. Excellent celebration :)

The only person I know to suffer a bagpipe caused injury! Get well soon =

and how reassuring that Leigh still has that shirt...

Our friends were on form: Janet and John are superb hosts. For me, the music added to the magic... thanks to all, especially J and J who must have worked hard to give us such a fine fete.

Naturally I have many more photos. Thinking of saving a collection for the end of the year, kind-of out-takes. Open to bribery.

Sundays date

 see you there :)

More mates returning

 Todays surprise was a visit from Laura and Tristram; a post-covid catch-up. 

A side-effect of the lockdown (that's new to me) is lack of confidence in your own driving skills...this has inconveniently hit Laura.

Here she is looking great and Tris with his eyes shut.

Despite the heat - which is back, big-time - it was great to see them and not just because they brought cake though that was very welcome too.

After Theology...

After the theological tour yesterday, politely received by Dr Dix and Debs, the dinosaurs beckoned - the museum is pretty good, having been tarted up since my last visit. 

Then to the night market. I caved in early, too much smoke ( going to try anti- allergy stuff today on the off chance it ain't asthma that's the problem) but not before I'd snapped Janet (of John and-) and her moules frites ...

 

Friends reunited...

Could barely believe my eyes in the market yesterday, when I spotted David Walser at the cheese stall. Apart from seeing him at his husbands funeral, its been 20-plus years... and there he was, at Esperaza market. Visiting a friend in Granes, he had my address but didn't realise he was in my village. We did speed updating over coffee and a visit to Bob (whom he'd not met before, its been that long -) Perhaps it is true that if you hang about the market enough, everyone you've ever known will eventually appear. Wonderful.

John Rushton and his totally grown up son Max popped in and I was overcome and forgot to snap them - hoping to catch them in the night market today.

And then, and then... there was Kelly. Young Miss B  has been much missed in these parts and was only here to get her home packed up since she's returned to the fleshpots of London. 

She is well and happy and looking stunning, as you can see. Gracie came round too, quelle joy; again, overcome, forgot the proof.

THEN Dr Dix and his partner Debs arrived.  They are staying a little time with us, hurrah, and here they are at the inevitable creperie. Al is a very old friend of mine and Bobs and though we hadn't met Debs before, she having arrived since we last all met, she fits us and our life like she's always been there :)

 Much talking ensued, and what a delight it all was :) Today is the theological tour. No-one escapes that.

Nightingale and night party

Lunched yesterday at the Cafe de Fa and checked out my exhibition there - it's going very well, closes in a couple of weeks so better get down there soon and buy your own portrait of a saint -

 (or get the catalogue from Amazon,

 Saints in Paint: a meditation by Vanilla Beer : Beer, Vanilla: Amazon.it: Books)

BUT I digress.... here is Nightingale, now working at the Cafe de Fa and much missed from Esperaza. She sends love to all her friends and misses us too :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thence to the Fete du Vin last night in the Rue Gambetta. A first for Tout l'Apero and Healthy Life and by any standard a great success  (apart from the lack of toilets - guessing it is assumed we all live close to the party but not everyone did) 

Again, I digress...

Here is our own Msr Charlie showing us how it is done, followed by most of the village -

 Really enjoyed it all; many friends tempted out now the weather is cooler and though the food ain't haute cuisine its jolly edible with mates and music and chilled wine.

Covid still stalking these mean streets

Last night; the first meal cooked in this house since the family left us and despite my tendencies to experiment it went off OK (tomato summer pudding, leek and walnut tart, chocolate mousse) So good to sit with our friends and catch up :) Tim and Yvonne and Leo and Toby came and Antonia and Steve did not, being splattered by covid alas. Wishing them a speedy recovery -

Slightly chilly, hurrah

 A gentle drizzle.... marvellous, though could use more water. Not, however, like the floods in Marseille, Toulouse and Paris.

All basically quiet. Phil and Ziggy took us to lunch at the Pont yesterday - they have changed their menu to cope with the heat but it stays as good as ever.

DONT FORGET, Saturday is the fete du vin in the rue Gambetta. Tickets must be bought by Friday. I got mine from Tout l'Apero just now - 

Signs of life

Last nights Night Market - cooler, not so crowded -  brilliant fun :) Here's Peter Dunn havin' a laff and Annettes best friends' husband: we were never actually introduced, but an extraordinarily interesting bloke. 

Made something of a faux pas on the way there - I was walking with an elderly neighbour and chatting in my impeccable French. When I said I was meeting my friends, she said all hers had gone, partir, so naturally I asked if they'd be back soon. 

Turns out in context that means they are all dead. 

Oh la.

 

Son et Lumiere at Roses

Rose, Esperaza's party queen, threw her birthday do last night and the cosmos celebrated with a storm - huge relief (though hardly any rain) and the light show was terrific. Well done Rose :)

 Charlotte made the birthday cake and personned the barbie, heroic in this heat on both counts - others brought plates and Rose did masses so we all ate and drank well. (Overheard: 'Behave, Rose, you're not 70 anymore')

I do have a photo of Ole-Bendick stripped for a swim but have no wish to inflame his following.

Market today insanely packed and a tiny bit fresher than in previous weeks -

Anyone with any energy left should know that the next Fete du Vin is on 20th of this month in the Rue Gambetta, featuring an animation musicale called Show Girls. Get your tickets before the 19th, from Healthy Life, Tout l'Apero or the 8a8.

And of course - night market tomorrow. 

And the heat goes on...

John (of Janet and-) was good enough to send this over and it will be of interest to anyone who hasn't done the tour yet... so thats a date for the 23rd.

The Association ‘Lire à Couiza’ has worked with Montcapel to organise this free-of-charge English language tour, the only opportunity for such a tour in 2022.

(The tours are also conducted in French, 10.30 to 12.00, every Sunday and Monday, through to 22nd August)

100 years ago the Upper Aude Valley was one of the greatest felt hat producing regions in the world, second only to Monza in Italy. 

La Chapellerie de Montazels, situated between Couiza-Montazels train station and the Pont Vieux, was one of the last working hat factories in France, when it finally closed down in 2018. 

Since then it has been a co-operative, dedicated to the production of high-quality felt hats using the original machinery, whilst reviving and developing the rare skills of traditional, end-to-end, felt hat making.

https://www.montcapel.com

The tour takes in:

   

• brief histories of hat making in the Aude, and of the site itself (including episodes in the Spanish Civil War and WWll)

• an insight into the end-to-end process from raw wool to finished hat (23 stages, including demonstrations of some working machinery); 

• viewing of the 1500 hat moulds, each unique to the corporation, fashion house, celebrity etc that commissioned it; 

• the stories of the workers, from the 600 working there at its peak, to the 6 salaried employees now dedicated to growing the business and resurrecting their almost-lost art 

To take part in the English language tour, just turn up 10.15-10.20 on Tuesday 23rd August, at the main entrance of Montcapel, Avenue de la Gare, Montazels.

Sorry about the background colour thing, guess it doesn't matter and anyway, don't know how to alter it...

Excitement here was having lunch with Dougie, Regina and Marlon and in the heat of the moment , hoho, I forgot photos. Instead, here is one of Esperazas weirder houses.

Massive heat here, allegedly ending in storms on Sunday. Please God.

bye bye babes

 Not only have the family gone, they have got to their home in Retford - all by train, bar the lift to Carcassonne station this morning. All went swimmingly well, in aircon and at great speed. Most impressive; 12 hour journey in all. 

Last night we went to La Chapaire where our host made sure we had an unforgettable evening. The tribe all most content and the adults especially smiley after the complimentary brandy :)

Missed them all day. AND Andy, Louise and James have left, escaping my camera completely. Bah.

But life goes on! Here are Ole-Bendik and Aileen having a coffee outside our award-winning bakery.

We continue to swelter.

All things pass

 Here is lovely Lynne at breakfast this morning. The family are packing up for an early morning off tomorrow - from Carcassonne to Retford by public transport, leaving 8.30 a.m. and arriving 8.30 p.m. What could possibly go wrong??? 

Off for our last meal together now. >sniff<

Night Marketing

 Naturally yesterdays meal was taken at the night market... instead of interminable snaps of mates eating under a broiling sky, here's Charlie who managed mussels in much garlic followed by rose petal sheep ice cream. Hannah and William came, bought food and sensibly went home to deal with it in the cool of the house.

Several adults didn't put in an appearance; Bob unwell, Richard and Lynne knackered. On the plus side Rushton and Clare and friends showed up.

Today, more lake swimming and more food. Life could be worse :)

More...

...at the creperie last night,  here are the family with Margo and Anne and Theophile. The fun doesn't stop :) We are all wrecked.

Here's young Theo posing in Gracies painting and again ( below) bonding with nephew William.

 

Grown up

Phil, Ziggy, Richard, William, Hannah, Bob, Lynne, Charlie and Mattius

Bobs family - some of them - are here, all big now :) We missed the last few years on account of Covid travel restrictions. Wonderful to see them. Ziggys son Mattius is here too which is an added bonus.

  On Thursday Phil served a chicken curry and I made a remarkable trifle and of course last night we went Poulet Bicycling.

Here are some of Mattius' tattoos, all fish themed....

 

Poulet B goes from strength to strength- not only enchanting surroundings but the food is most palatable and comes in vast quantities. All very happy. 

The Boy Dougie

Yesterday Dougie turned another revolution on planet and he and Regina shared the birthday lunch with us, under a bay tree in their garden... marvellous :) 

We were still talking as we left. 

Such good company, those two -

 

underbelly

 This sweetheart has taken to throwing itself onto my fly screen at night with a satisfying clunk, as bugs that eat me get eaten. Ha!

Lots going on here but either not photogenic (Mondays night market, fun, rubbish photos) or too scandalous. Temp yesterday hit 42 so most of the day Esperaza is a ghost town. Serious folk are up and out with the dawn, around 6.00am.

Bob and I are preparing for the family who arrive tomorrow. Quelle joy!

Much startling

 

Startled to hear the Hari Krishna Chanters in the market yesterday - behind this tree actually - having been at their first gig in the UK c. 1968. Startled also to find the face of the man-in-the-moon in my courgette tarte.

Lots of mates in the market though all agreed its too hot to hang about. Saddened to hear that Norbert  and Louise are down with Covid; not too grim, fortunately.

Captain Harris returns from the UK today - in time for the night market.