Gordon turns 50

 Gordon didn't know he was having a party... we all sat quietly waiting in the dark till he turned up to surprise him. Worked well!

Frisky evening since he's so young. 

I have many more photos some of which I have sworn not to publish. 

But I'm off for the bus to Perpignan and then to Collioure for a dust free holiday; no time today!

Will return, to the cake... Charlotte at her magically imaginative best, and I cant remember the ingredients. Elderflower? Pistachio? Raspberry??

And here's the wall in my study. 

One day it will be fabulous.

Refreshed by the sea.

 The heating and hot water have packed up in the main house and huge costs are looming. Life, eh...

so off to the sea side!! St Pierre de mare, what a paradise yesterday.

Pete and Claire did the honours , blessings on them... the weather was perfect, the drive a pleasure, lunch pretty good in a restaurant by the market  next to the sea. 

Afterwards we went to Gruissan to covet the old houses there. And paddle and ponder. 

better, in general...

...so, the heating and hot water have packed up with attendant water damage, fol de rol, but there's another house with electric radiators which is where we had lunch with Jamsie. 

 

 

There was a vide grenier which I plodded up to - the only one I've managed this season - and though it was a pleasure to be out in the sun it must be faced that the quality of tat is poor.

Yesterday the Captain ws good enough to chauffeur me about and so we went to the recycling by Carrefour, where for a whole euro I amassed this collectors item!

Oh happy day

Very windy suddenly. Perhaps the UK weather is clearing its throat. 

Nice day for it...

Sunrise here, auspicious?? Most things are nowadays.

Bob and I had a long-overdue date night, so dinner at the Chapaire which has a

new menu -!!- and a new healthy dessert. We loved both. 

 

The study wall is changing. And not falling down, thanks to a marvellous team of strong and kindly blokes.

Farewell darling Gracie

A small farewell to Gracie last night, further improved by Louises' pudding which was not poached eggs but pears in frangipane. Yum.

 And Gracie moves on... sniff. 

Other than that, France is hosting small pockets of resistance to the authorities - some rampant racailles who are efficient at leading urban crowds into trouble and assumed to be deeply left wing, some opportunist looters, some gilet jeunes politicos and some perfectly peaceful protesters worried about the rubbish education system (under funded, under staffed)

In Carcassonne the  protest was large but amiable, young people with banners of cardboard and crayon - clearly untroubled by professional rioters. 

Curfew has been announced and the fun is over ...

The fear is that with the media emphasis on the left-wing problems, the French will choose to vote for the right and allow Marine Le Pen and her robotic sidekick into power. No-one knows what this might mean for the Brits here; depends on how fiscally astute the right are and this we don't know since this particular lot haven't held power. (Though herself has been tried and found guilty of misusing EU funds)  Village life will be ended if the foreigners' are expelled. We literally stop the houses falling down. 

 My Great British Cold has left me, finally. 

missing the action

 Keep missing the Big Moments... when Gert and Elizbeth left I was too busy to make a farewell portrait (they're back in March -) and just now, had beautiful Gracie to share supper and didn't snap that either. But

here's brunch! At Couiza, excellent. A treat from the Captain who has returned to the fold. They've started doing Friday night moules frites at La Ravito and the owner was describing the 50-odd bookings last night, plus takeaways; lucky the staff are energetic.

Its a bit drizzly here, not enough but pleasant for all that. Hope its nice where you are.

perfect morning in Esperaza

Breakfast at the Pont, re-opened since closing for Julies wedding. Radiant is the word. Alain isn't the husband, BYW; he wasn't around, presumably beavering away in the kitchen. They're doing lunches again. No evening meals till June.

the fruit n vedg market was soured for me by the number of smokers - I thought it was illegal to smoke in a public space? 

Esperaza has its own laws. Managed to  shop without an asthma crisis, phew.

The Rue Gambeta has sprouted pink trees,  charmingly. I asked Mike what that was about but he'd forgotten.