and the heat goes on...

Not reporting much as there's really nothing to report in my corner of life - early morning walks, late evening if there's any energy left - found this strange sign on a panel by the river, what can it all mean??

 This being Sunday I should be hurrying to the market before the heat kicks in. There's a vide grenier by the river - no chance!!

Though if an unexpected spurt of energy kicks in, who knows?? 

Keep drinking water out there. Government health warnings say alcohol banned in this weekends music festivals.

HOME

 I'm back in Esperaza with a huge sigh of relief - though travel does do something for the mind, especially travelling by public transport where people can't get away from you. Met a group from Uzbekistan (who could only talk through an interpreter) who were charming and thoughtful and a man from Eritrea, who undertook to educate me about his country and Islam.  Long train journeys plus long bus rides (= East Midlands to York) -and of course the plane flight- have given me enough info to fuel my thinking for weeks.

So what's new here??

Early morning, before the real heat, strange doings in the square - it seems that they are pulling away the paving around our trees to give them some space, and filling in the gaps with this dubious gravel.

Guessing the benches will be back soon - maybe they already are, too hot to go and look.

Had breakfast with some friends this morning. Its a relief to find that not a lot is going on!

Aftermath

 

Tottering about after the market yesterday I was shocked, alarmed and etc to find that half of the seats in the square were no more - they've been removed. Is this a plot to stop the elderly gathering to create insurrection? Place looks naked without them. 

It was a good market, of course. Sunshine, music, friendship... which makes it hard to leave, a close family death has catapulted me to England to be with my tribe. Back in a week by which time I hope our seats will be restored to us.

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.