St Ferriol frolics

 Here are Moritz and Bahar, visitors from Germany - working on a particular project with me for a couple of days - at the chateau of St Ferriol last night. Jamsie threw out a careless last-minute invitation and though the two had been travelling since the early hours I persuaded them that they wanted to visit a medieval castle. Many neighbours were there: multi-national and interesting and erudite, as one might expect. Thanks to Wren and Jamsie who were hosts extraordinaire :)

Cinema in Quillan info

Here's the promised info... it behoves us Brits to support the nice little cinema, probably. Cheap as chips and very convivial. 

Forgot photos last night, when Margaret and I set off to Le Healthy. She'd never been there - imagine !- so first choice. Always open on a Weds., I said; wrongly. No idea why they were closed but we went to Tout L'apero instead and had fancy French chicken and chips with a delicate amount of wine and (in my case) a Rum baba. It's not that that kept me awake last night but the  sensational moonlight, frosting the countryside. 

Today is sunny and warm, so far -

 

Tuesday lunch

 There has to be a reason why this blog is full of friends and food .... they're all that matter in our little lives!! (- and clean water and warmth and a roof over our heads, of course) I'm full of how lucky I am-ness.

Yesterday Claudine and I set out to A Table in Couiza - having tried and failed to book we thought it was worth the trip. Found that it's closed until December 1st. But la perception was open so there we lunched. Heartily.

Luckily we were early because the place filled up quickly. Spotted some Esperazannaise and many happy people, as one might expect from a limitless buffet:)

Kats dinner

 Looks like a girls night out... but Roland did all the cooking and took the photo :) Margaret, me, Katerine and Kat had a wonderful time. John joins Margaret in a week and Bob returns on Friday; we are cavorting while we may.

It's cold and wet here so we rely on friendship to keep us warm... 

Went to the comfortably warm cinema in Quillan with Charlotte and Rose on Monday night, to see Killer of the Flower Moon (made by Martin Scorsese) Since I have no abilities as a film critic I can only say I liked it, though as the story hinged on the murder of indigenous people to steal their oil it was somewhat sombre.

 -The Big News is that the cinema is doing a day-long Festival du Film Britannique, on Saturday 16th. Details will follow.

Sat night dinner

Annette sent the photos this morning which is as well, mine were dire - a souvenir of a jolly soiree featuring Dougie and Regina, Cerys, Ray, Annette and Cen, Clare and Peter D., and an overcooked gluten and dairy free fish pie.

 Dinky hors d'oeuvres for starters, warmed bottled plums (grown by Bob, bottled by Charlotte)  with a meringue hat ( from the bakers) for pud.

Poor Bob has done his back in so got attendance danced around.

Many revolutions were fermented. And peaceful solutions to war. 
 

High life in Espe

 Jean-Luc has re-opened tout l'apero although his wife has not fully recovered from her op - a little longer and she'll be back in harness, he says. Our friends were there last night and very glad too;  Jamsie and Wren dropped in so we went to the Chapaire together, finding other mates already  ensconced. 

I had quail, forgetting how disturbing their little bodies are. Erased the memory with a remarkable banana split.

Good craic, as ever -

All calm

'Tis the season to be jolly, evidentially, though presumably as a concession to the energy crisis the lights haven't been  switched on yet.

It's grey and overcast but not without its beauty. Saw a kingfisher! And the starlings are gathering for a murmuration: plus there were a couple of scraggy shags cruising the river.

 

Frolics

Dear Clare fed us on Saturday night - here she is with her godson Ray - we were marking the day of friendship and family with Terrys arrival and subsequent departure, Di's ditto, plus Cen and Cerys' and Rays and Petes presence . Annette absent with responsibilities in Blighty and most of the tribe are going over as well; managing modern complexity is a gas, hoho. Grateful that me and the Captain lead a quiet life... 

I had other photos but they're no good. Blanquette blur strikes again.

 

Shags are back

...or possibly cormorants, not sure that debate was ever resolved. Nice anyway.It was such a beautiful day I hung out in the graveyard to get some quiet time in the sun. Since we are in November the graves are tidy and flowers abound- notably absent on this grave, which seems odd. Maybe l should adopt it.

Autumn is treating us well!! Colours are stonking.

Max is free! 24 days penance in Georgia, now en route to Winnipeg to the bosom of his anxious family. Congratulations to all involved in his health care and may he enjoy his gym subscription hahaha 

 

Drying Out

Here's the mighty Aude looking wrecked this morning...despite sporadic rain, its all a bit tragic. Especially while the north has far too much water. 

If there is a plus side, it's that I saw a dipper running round the base of the old bridge. Too quick to photograph.

 

Bedroom view

 

Here's this mornings rather splendid sunrise - replacing the photos of various friends and activities I forgot to snap over the last couple of  days.

Had dinner last night at Le Healthy with Jamsie and his friend whose name I can't spell.  The place continues to delight and surprise... and really shock, I mean, who runs out of red wine? 

We coped. And came back home for brandy.

 

Sociable sunday

 After Marcus turned up, we zoomed with German friends. Then Pete and Nel arrived. Then Peter Dunn. Then Clare and Ray. Then Diane. Love our friends. We chattered like the parrots, no doubt - moving on to Phil and Ziggis for lunch, sharing with  Ole-Bendik. Courgette soup, as rich as a symphony; roast lamb with all the imaginable trimmings; a white chocolate and mascarpone dessert with a smidgin of raspberries. Outrageous!!

Phil extracted the rum from the top of his bottled fruit to give us a digestif...which is probably why we had a little sleep when we got home. 

Read for a while and then succumbed to the overwhelming Foundation, based on Issac Azimovs books of the same name. You'd be hard-pushed to recognise them but the film is sensational. We were spellbound.

Oh and the market was good!!

Marcus

 .... arrived, much missed after his departure from these hallowed places. He and Corella are fine and reports about the destruction of Cornwall in the press have been much exaggerated. He's not here for long so if you see him in the market, grab him!!

 Market charmingly threadbare and touchingly damp.

Here is Marcus,  posing before an un-poster. Come back soon xxxx

Fine dinning in Quillan

 We'd been told that la gallerie in Quillan was a fine place to eat and Mike and Barbara arranged that we should try it - 

-and just as well that Mike booked our table, the place was packed! 

We all ate off the 29.99 menu, aka 30 euros...This is sea bass in langoustine sauce which I had after beef carpaccio and before nougat ice cream. In these dark nights and wet days it was just the job.*

Everything made in-house. Pleasingly unpretentious place. 

*Actually we all like November. Not too hot, not too cold, visually pleasing

Le Lac

Sort of day one can expect a damask covered arm waving a sword to come out of the lake....

Le Healthy Life

 Here's our Kat! Last night at Le Healthy...

She ate roasted camembert with complications whilst Bob and I braved the burgers - mine featured duck and other delights -  we were well fed :) 

Max is still trapped in Georgia where it isn't cold and there are lots of interesting things to see. Suggested to him that we should visit as he's stuck for at least another week but he sounds curiously glum at the prospect.

Cepes season

 ...That big one is the size of my hand - actually a bit bigger - and will need some serious attention, tomorrow :) Big thanks to the foraging neighbours xxx

Empty chair

 Matt has returned to York, alas - missing him - and pleased to see that 'Chez Nous' have a waiting chair in their forecourt.

'Chez Nous' was the hip café in the day.  It was kept on for the retired mother to pass to her children - then grandchildren - then she surrendered to the inevitable and sold her liquor licence. It never functioned as a café since I've lived here BUT in the protect-the-licence times she was obliged to annually open the doors. This was done with great secrecy. However... Therese (of blessed memory) came running to me one day when she'd caught it open and she dragged me in. Fantastic! Juke box fully stocked, bar and glasses in place; classic.

Arm chair something of a mystery though.

Sundays market impressed Matt...

He liked the bar too, we went there a couple of nights for apero and enjoyed it hugely. Tres francais; quite different from english pubs where there are comfortable chairs :)

Updates...

 ...continuing tourism and gormandising! 

Yesterday, wild boar at the Pont;

Today at Carcassonne:  Wokland! Delighted that my brother enjoys it as much as l do. We ate mightily.

And the basilica at the old city:

Here is our mothers patron saint, St Anthony of Padua, with an Elastoplast on his finger - and below, St Roche playing the air guitar.

Chief update though is a report from Max saying that he has a flight booked for home on the 14th. Too slow for him but not something that can be rushed. 

New House

Phil and Siggi were sweet enough to feed me and Mat last night, in their new home. 

Despite the wallpaper they are getting it firmly under control. 

Kitchen works!! Chicken and cashews, raspberry tart. 

Lots and lots of music.

Lovely evening.

 

Esperaza boy racers

Its raining!! Earth, river and snails rejoice!

Yesterday was cloudy but dry so Mat and I set off downriver to collect parrot perches from the banks of the Aude. En route; behold! Olle-Bendik on new and majestic throne.

Parrot perches

 

In the evening we went to le Pont where many friends were amassed to (successfully) clarify world affairs. 

Today is raining quite a lot so walking is inhibited.

Some good news: Max continues to recover and has a vision of working out in a gym when he gets home - in around 10 days -

and the central heating engineer came when he said he would and fixed the central heating. Just in time :)

Tuesdays travels

Limoux continues to charm

 .... so it all made sense at the time. Mat and I thought we'd go to Carcassonne - he hasn't been to La cite since the kids were little so a mature view was called for. Rather then hanging around waiting for the bus, we started a stroll. Then saw that there was a bus in the opposite direction, to Axat. Change of plan.

The Axat bus only goes as far as Quillan in the school holidays (we're in half term) but since we were there we splashed out the euro apiece and went to Quillan. Where everything was shut, including their interesting little church. We breakfasted at the Terminus and caught the bus to Carcassonne.

Which went to Limoux. There were no trains to Carcassonne and the bus was cancelled as the driver had gone on holiday. The next was a few hours away so we decided to explore Limoux.

Church fab, lunch fab; we wandered about and in the course of wandering found ourselves back at the station - just as a previously unknown bus (unknown to us and the internet) arrived to Quillan. So back to Esperaza in time for tea...

Masonic presence in the church at Limoux

Knight in chain mail

Happy Saint with knife through throat

Lunch at the Grand Cafe (very good, as ever)

In the evening we ad some scary visitors.... (and Robin)

It is a national holiday so folk can put flowers on the family grave, so Mat and I will not attempt another odyssey - though the weather continues bright and sunny and we might risk a walk.