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.

 

collapsamundo

 Many friends know about the disaster of our simple London home. (Google Woodland Terrace collapse if interested) A bad time emotionally to have a hole knocked into a solid wall in my study, though when commissioned it seemed like a good idea.

It'll be a marvel when done. The team have already dealt with some challenges and that was just to get the scaffold up-

(In the meantime, the London house is entering the realms of nightmare fantasy.) 

A cheerier note; two of the breakfast mates this morning, Yvonne and Rose.

Good place to hide from building works - see you'all tomorrow!

weather, not

 I swore during the heatwave that I'd never again complain about the cold and the wet.

I'm not moaning at all, in fact the lack of crowds with no need to queue is a pleasure  :)

Breakfast at the Argentinean café was shared with Bob on Whats App....

 To Chez Charlie next, where as usual l requested (and got) advice on the cooking of tonights meal. Son of Charlie recommended that he didn't chop it now but that I cut the meat after cooking. I suggested he came round and did it. He didn't blink, just gave me his phone number.

Who would live anywhere else :)

early supper, with help

 Here's an oddly uninformative photo of last nights supper - spag bol - attended by Pete and Nel, Jamsie, Ren and Guillame.

If Ren hadn't taken charge of the spaghetti, which she can cook perfectly, and bought the pudding - a pear crumble of St Ferriol chateau pears - it would have been dreadful. As she did all of these things, the evening was a great success :)

Not starving in Esperaza

 Last nights dinner with Gert and Elisbeth was glorious fun.  Gazpacho, well garlic'd; ratatouille with entrecote; cheese; apple tart. Each with its own wine. Concluding with liqueurs. Company en forme, much laughter and joy (though Bob is in blighty and was missed)

Rather a nice snap of Gert... who took the preceding photo which is why he isn't in it. 

I had no idea that the street lights went out at some point in time. Pitch black, not even starlight, when we left the dinner. Mercifully Roland and Kat offered to walk me home by the light of their mobiles, so there was no falling giggling into gutters.

My turn to do lunch today! John and Claire Rushton and Gracie came and ate my experimental chicken with mangos. Then we had christmas pudding. 

Here's Gracie and her doubt of custard

Actually todays big news is RAIN. Not heavy and not for long but enough for wet wear and a truncated market. Very cozy...

breakfasts

It transpires that the Matthews have been here all the time I was away, and left yesterday. Some point being made?? Good to catch a glimpse anyway, and they claim they'll be back at the end of the month.

It was Margaret's birthday! Safe travels to you darlings :)

This morning was spent tete-a-tete with 

Claudine, a major catch-up...

and I must thank Gracie who piled in with a marvellous meal last night, unrecorded in the glee of gormandising 

xxxxxx

 

Esperaza lingers

I'm back in place, slightly dizzy with it all - England was hard despite some wonderfulness's - and now I find, quelle horreur, that our own Tibetan takeaway has closed down. What are we supposed to eat?? Gutted -

The very very good news is the our Gracie is here, staying a little while. Joy joy joy unconfined :)

Here's the square this morning, temperature veering towards cold - though the sun ain't properly up yet.

Frightfully fin de siècle.

And the river. Clearly its not rained here for a while. 

There is precious little going on, which is something of a relief to me after three weeks of galloping  activity.