tomorrows excitement

if you've nothing else on, this would be a useful afternoon trip - obviously we want the old train between Quillan and Limoux back and it would be good know what the SNCF is planning for us.

 

Don Tait exhibition and a guinguette visit

 Here's Don at his vernissage this evening - filling up with art lovers as Bob and l shimmied off somewhat early, being old. He is selling!! Delicate, ethereal drawings full of a sense of space and of the reality of plien air, plus acrylics and oils he has worked up from the drawings. Would have been nice to have stayed, especially as many mates were milling about the bar :) The show is on for a week, at Alet-les-bains.

Half way home we realised that hunger and thirst had kicked in. Remembered hearing about le ventriloque,* down a track between Intermarche and Arcadie. Keep going past the lorrys and the old cars and there on a little mound is a guinguette, a wooden shack selling rather good nosh, drinks and all that. Set by the river, comfy old furniture, friendly staff...

They play marvelous music too... it took an age to make our food, hurrah! We sat in comfort and enjoyed it all. They don't close until 10.00pm. We had to leave for parrot care or we'd still be there but we'll get back for an evening sometime. Literary chums; there is a  poetry and story telling evening (in French) on Saturday night

*This is a joke, it seems. Ventriloque is french for ventriloquist but also means a  rumbling tummy.

 

Thursdays frolics

Happy start to the day with Claudine, back from her month away in a health-giving place, being exercised and massaged and generally given a good seeing-to. Looking great on it. 

The Thursday market had no vedg stall, quelle horreur, but mercifully didn't need any since we'd arranged to eat Tibetan takeaway with Barbara...

had a feast!

Hadn't seen Barbara since the exhibition she put on as a tribute show for Michael, where I bagged a little painting of his-

and here is Tango inspecting it!

 

sun - heat wave in May

 Its official, a Canicule - and the first warnings ever in the month of May. Breakfast TV very excited. 

Heaven knows what summer will be like but for the moment this is paradisical.

Festival des hermits

If you go down to the market today, prepare to be approached by young men wearing nighties, bowler 

hats and a black eye. Don't ask... just give them some money and enjoy whatever is going on. There's a brass band involved.

Jolly hot! Very pleasant morning and night,  siesta midday of course.

And here's an exciting diary date...

We went to the lake yesterday, Quillan St Bertrand, and flogged up to the little lovely cafe there which their website erroneously announced as open... permanently closed is what they meant to say and forgot. Sigh. 

Wandered into Carrefour, bought an enticing bunch of sandwiches and headed to Bob's garden by the river-

magic! Over the years many hands (starting with Ryan and Alecia) have converted a scrubby hectare into an orchard and vegetable garden of calm and beauty. Enhanced by the call of the golden oriels.

 

Bon V O-B

Here's Ole-Bendik yesterday evening, bracing himself for his trip to Norway today. He wants to be there, is looking forward to it, but travel for the aged is hard and he is more aged than most. Bon voyage!!

In the same walk found Marie Ann and Kaye newly returned from travelling and staying in Esperaza for a month,  bringing this fabulous weather with them. It's hot but we are blessed with gentle breezes....

Took breakfast in the Argentinian cafe yesterday where it is possible to sit outside and avoid smokers, joy joy -and read the town info panel. Here's our next BIG vide grenier - 14th June, might be snowing by then:)

 

Louis Fernandez RIP

Dear Msr Louis died this afternoon - a year to the day after his beloved Ginette. His health had taken a dive and Michel went with him to Carcassonne hospital in the early hours, not expecting him to make it through the night. He held on for a few extra hours but has been anxious for the off for a week or so, and off he's gone. 

Feel very privileged to have known him and his family.

Funeral on Tuesday starting in the church, 16 .30 h , thence to the family tomb in the graveyard.
 

away they go!

 

Norwegfranco

Yesterday was Norway's National day and Katrine made a superb cake - and was good enough to bring it round for Bobs family. Hurrah for Norway, we say :)

Market blossomed in the lovely weather, felt vicariously proud of it all.  

Everyone goes today - John, Jean, Maddy and Grace - a great silence will descend.
 

Family Snaps

 

Last night in dull weather at the Poulet en Velo; Sebastien had the foresight to erect a tent for the dinners by the lake. We were all exhausted from the Artistes a Suivre tour round Puivert, Chalabre and Rivel though not as exhausted as Caroze whom l met this morning and who did the same tour - on a bicycle! 

We lunched at Chalabre, an agreeable place Ive forgotten the name of - and Rushton came too, he was wandering about the exhibits as we were.

Below is the church at Rivel, what a cute village - never been before - where they have a statue of saint Anne teaching the virgin to read, my favorite Catholic theme. Probably the only one where women are encouraged to be other than mother, martyr or shepherdess; though you have to be preparing to be the mother of god, of course.

Was taken by the photos of Bruno Wagner in the church, splendidly weird stuff - indeed many of the shows were interesting, but I kept bumping into friends and not taking photos.

Well done to  the artists and organisers of the AaS, they are most able and competent. Impressed too by the numbers of visitors. And -YES- I bought a painting!! 

Photo when its in the house. Really excited :)

Follow that artist-

 Artistes a suivre has begun its open studio and exhibition programme and there will be photos from me later... in the meantime, if you are doing the rounds, don't miss Michael Bosworths expo in Rouvenac where his widow Barbara has hung his amazing work. 

And on Sunday in Esperaza don't miss Gracies vide grenier at the garage next to La Chapaire. A small amount of her (small) work will be on show.

Been batting about with the family so no new photos of note.

Have a good Assentation holiday weekend. Enjoy the art -

family fest

 John, Bobs brother, and his partner Jean arrived yesterday with Maddie, Jeans grandchild - so with Ziggy (the missing brother Phils widow) we tipped off to Couiza in the rain - had an excellent light show :) and far too much food. 

todays weather is keeping us guessing. Sunshine at the moment. 

bye bye for the moment

Angela Espinosa and Jon Walker heading to other places, alas...

and here's Garrick last night - he too has left us this morning. 

 We all meet again in September at the Metaphorum conference in Manchester UK.  We were entertained by many things last night, but this song may have won the round -

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BDXKO7-KC0&list=RD4BDXKO7-KC0&start_radio=1Stafford Beer

Later, in the bar...

People who are into Cybernetics will recognise that the real work of thinking happens when a group of people are relaxing together, hence the after-conference meetings in the bar - and last night, our visiting cyberneticians made the point well! 

Garrick Filewood, Angela Espinosa and John Walker have been whirlwinding round Europe filming a movie about my papa Stafford, who was born 100 years ago this year. They are staying here for a few days.

Our Gracie is already staying here and is not fazed by cybernetics; Fanny and Dom are Montazel inhabitants and already known within the group.

Gorgeous night!! Much joy in discovering connections -
  we'll be doing something very similar tonight, probably.

Charlottes birthday

Billy and Jo with the birthday babe

 

Rose and Ole-Bendik in the background 

Gordon, failing to evade camera

Clare, Atmo, Billy and Jo

Such a lovely evening. Many old friends happily chewing the cud together, or rather eating Charlottes delicious nibbles. She made guacamole in tiny cones, set in palettes; little burgers, veggy and animal; polenta fried with wild mushrooms; all washdown with blanquette from Ole-Bendik (thanks to Norbert!) And thanks to the PMU people who made us welcome -

Love this time of year. House martins and sand martins, swallows and swifts are sweeping the sky unless the buzzard family floats over when they all go quiet and hide. The river is still a bit fast for the regular birds, no herons, no kingfishers and no sign of the otter I saw a month back - the lizards and geckos are posing in  the sun - and town is quiet, hardly any traffic. Guessing that the May Day holiday has meant people going off for the long weekend. Enjoy!!

Love Fest

 

Teresa and Didier married yesterday - with an audience drawn from across the world - 

Christian

Teresa talking about marriage -

We were at the Domaine de Castillou, in the hills above Luc-sur-Aude. All this week the sun has shone. Just before the marriage party the rain started, which is regarded as luck in France - and at some point there was a rainbow.

Met some smashing people from Minnesota, much talk of politics and war.: fascinating. And many local mates of the artist variety, much gossip :)

This from the ceremony;

To love is to risk not being loved in return.

To trust is to risk being broken.

But not to love or trust is to be already dead inside.

 

Sunday afternoon

 The mornings can be a little grey but they blossom... well, so far. None
of us know what's in store.

John playing an invisible clavichord

Lizzie and I had lunch (from Ruben) yesterday and Rushton popped in, followed by some entertaining Australians.  Lovely afternoon :)

Missed the vide grenier (everyone said it was merde, dealers and crottes), missed the harp festival, caught the market - life is good.

Frantically burying the bodies now, Bob due back tomorrow.

seven years

Maryann, Terry and Kaye

Maryanne and Kay were celebrating a seventh anniversary yesterday and invited the tribe to share their joy - fizz and feasting - much hilarity!

Norbert and Maryanne

Louise and Mike

Yvonne, Rose; Tim at the other end of the table!

Maryann, Terry, Kaye and Bev

Missed out posting many more photos of many of the other guests for various politick reasons. 

Our hosts were amazing, catering to the cantankerous among us and constantly making sure all were fed and watered... and that the conversation never faltered (as if!) Here's joy to their next seven years.
 

Peter Dunn turns 80 -

 Having battled ill-health for ages, Pete showed us how well he is nowadays... fabulous birthday party which I failed to photograph well, being over excited by it all -

I've made some pix black and white because it makes them look better but it was a very colourful night. (Pete was in red.) 

It was packed! Which was as well as there was a mighty amount of food and drink. Many friends old and new. Wish I'd been paying more attention and taken some better snaps!

Here Dom and Norbert join the birthday boy - Roy is out of shot - they've been practicing and it's paid off! FOUR of Petes kids were there and at least two performed with him. He must be exhausted today, though maybe not! His energy and joy de vivre seem inexhaustible.

Here is Lovely Lizzie Jackson, herself a musician, who enjoyed the family -

and a splash of colour from over Ziggies shoulder