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.