rosy fingered in Esperaza

Here's  dawn, doing her best -
 

and here are some fish. I've been trying to look at the dark one every since I spotted it a year or so ago - it rarely hangs out with the other fish and sometimes has been invisible for so long I thought it was imaginary. 

All well, anyway. O-B was out for a drink last night and spoilt rotten. Thursday market currently in full swing... Im masking up and going to have a go at the dust. 

everythings working!

 Well, apart from the central heating, hotwater, air fryer, study, studio and house in London - all is well! 

Ole-Bendik is home after a two month sojourn in hospital. He is relieved and so are his myriad friends. 

 I have a new working camera, (thanks to the efforts of a kindhearted geek in Leclerc and the ever-brilliant Ronan) and how perfect that the first photo is of  Ole-B.

Looks like he could use a good meal...

other happy news; the orchids are coming up by the railway line.

and the work on the study will be finished soon

Silence from me

 Lovely time in Collioure, perfect weather, except that before we even reached the hotel Id managed to get my phone nicked.

Will find out when it is replaced if I can keep my number.

If you are expecting to hear from me... 

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.