Day out in the world.

 Here is Max! With Fabre d'Eglantine, famous son of Carcassonne. He moved to Limoux as a child, then moved about sufficiently to get guillotined in Paris in 1794. I looked him up - he was an actor/poet famous for a dodgy number called Its Raining Shepherdess.

Msr d'Eglantine is in the Beaux Arts Museum where we passed a most agreeable morning yesterday. A fine mixed collection.

After a very decent lunch we took the long way home - great loops of countryside hither and yon - beautiful!! Max has the travellers gift of spotting small roads and taking them to the limit; no other traffic, just rolling mountains and forest and occasional vineyards. We ambled through charming villages and old churches... just a delight. And today its raining, what timing -

Now Max is off again. Spain today and from there back to Canada. Have to wait till September to go some more a-rovin.

The pass sanitaire is in action - you can't get into the night market without it. I spent a deal of time getting mine sorted (downloading app, all that sort of magic stuff I don't understand and which don't come easy) - so was anxious to try it out. Everyone laughed at me. The beaux arts, the resturant. In Esperaza, the bank, the 8a8, the newsagents... bah.

child labour shock in Esperaza

Young James was forced to run the barbeque last night and to check on his parents attempts, which meant we had a really good meal. Thanks James!

 Thanks also to Andy and Lou, here briefly after a too-long covid-driven absence. They did the nuts-and-bolts stuff around James to great effect :)

 

Waiting for rain

Sundays usual market was hot and crowded - jolly glad we'd arranged to go to Carcassonne to lunch with Margo and Theophile, Anne and Phil at Wok wok - (://www.wokland.fr/ ) where of course we feasted enormously in comfortable surroundings and were able to catch up with all the news of the past year. Margo is going to stay in France about 4 hours drive away from us so here's hoping we'll meet more often. Theophile is now nearly 13 years old and charming with it :)

Peter Gregory sent over some photos of the Picasso fountain in Ceret - you can just see Nel in one of them- cheers Pete, loved them.

This evening is cooler, phew, though worried about the little wind. Fires are raging between Narbonne and Carcassonne and a few buckets of rain wouldn't go amiss.

Glamour

Glamour and chic are back in town, in the form of New Kelly - in Esperaza briefly but promising to return full-time and about time too.

In the meantime Gert and Elsbeth will be returning to Copenhagen until September. They threw a farewell dinner last night. I have other and possibly better photographs but I enjoyed this one, which looks like a boat sailing into the infinite azure... 

 Phil, Roland and Kat were there and we were handsomely fed (home made gazpacho, filet mignon, salads, cheese board of distinction, apple tart, oh la) We chattered long and noisily. The  evening was cool- a relief after the high and rather horrible temperatures of the last few days.

We will feast you on your return, my friends :)

Micheal and Nick

 

Micheal and Nick joined us for apero yesterday and a catch up after years away. They are restoring Micheals place in Fa. Radical work which may keep them busy for some time (sniggering here, having inadvertently devoted most of my adult life to renovation and knowing the realities of it all) -----But they live in Berlin and can close the door at anytime.

Mooning about after a too-hot day. Todays temperatures are predicted to be big.

Note to self: remember to rehydrate.

Journeys to make you dizzy

Phil is with us, finally! Here is the travel-stained version, having had what sounds like the journey of a lifetime, but not in a good way. If you were on Eurostar on Tuesday morning you may have experienced a 45 min delay - think petrol leak and ask Phil all about it. He tells a v good story :)

While he was having a kip, John and Clare and us ate at Le Pont - where Gert and Elsbeth were also lunching - delicious as ever. (Today is a fast day, in principle.)

Clare was en route to the station to take the train to London, family stuff. Should be a straightforward journey... apropos, Regina and Dougie have arrived safely in the UK and our friends Micheal and Nick have arrived from Germany. More on that anon.

 

fishy -

 Strange old world. For some time now Le Capt et moi have been wondering how to get fish into our pond, our pond being Annie and Petes old triangular bath - now stuffed with rocks, a little fountain, some plants. I figured a bucket in the river and hope for the best, Le Capt wanted to go to the shop in Limoux where we'd bought some water plants. The debate raged.

Trotting down the trottoir just now I spotted our neighbour Vincent, who is a big cheese in the angling club here, and I asked him. He beamed at me; he'd been on his way to see if I knew anyone who wanted goldfish. Didn't know he bred them... he came round with 5 in a tub, born in Esperaza. He also gave us a tub of fish food. 

Here they are, just before I released them into the wild. 

----------This seems to me to be nothing short of miraculous :)

On which subject, Robin made it to the UK safely, he and four other passengers in one aeroplane with a pilot and three staff. Pete and Claire are also safe; other friends are leaving for family reasons this week. Shuff has made it here from Amsterdam with his friend - regret I forgot photos. Looking good though.

Take no chances out there everyone, coming and/or going.

Mature feast

 What is the antithesis of a first communion breakfast?? Whatever - we had it last night, as 36-odd foreigners from all over Europe had a bulk 70th birthday party. Very cool idea; beautifully organised by Rose and Toby and probably many other friends.

Of course it was held at the creperie, outside the dinosaur museum - and hats off to Kevin and Nightingale and their tireless tribe for getting it all sorted. We'd ordered in advance and every table had a list of names with their chosen menus, clever eh - Mathieu of the bar sent over a glass of blanquette for everyone and Kevin gave each table a bottle of wine. Alcohol was indeed taken. Le Capt and I were on a table with Gert and Elsbeth and Jim Hankinson so lively debate was the order of the evening. 

Here is Steve. He  was successfully hexing my camera. 

laughter and forgetting

 Last nights apero with Regina and Dougie was full of laughter, a reaction to the rigours they are facing. They are visiting their son in Glasgow, before he changes countries (going to Berlin). A long and complex drive awaits them. Will miss them and wish them luck with the mountain of documentation required.

I forgot to photograph Gracie and Robin who lunched with us. Robin left this morning - documentation permitting - for a 6 week absence in the UK. 

And in the meantime - Max has made it! He has safely returned to Esperaza. Hoping to see him tonight.

Nosh at the Pont

I know, more food - but the Pont is soooo good! Had lunch there yesterday with Gert and Elsbeth and regret nothing :)

You all remember Liane Lang? Of course you do, though she has not visited for some time... she is giving a talk about her new exhibition in London on 20th July and the tickets are free. Join up here:

https://lianelang.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6d8c4d24e62cd28d7119dab51&id=75332155d8&e=851f3b4e86
 

Bastille day in Esperaza

In case we forget that France was unified in 1789 at the storming of the Bastille prison, our friends at the 8a8 wore revolutionary garb yesterday and very fetching they looked too:) 

The mayor led a group to the war memorial to lay a wreath - not sure of the symbolism here as no-one seemed to have been hurt in the actual storming - will try and and find out. Here they are about to leave the town hall. 

I didn't go too because I chose to sit in a cafe with Gert and Elsbeth; its nearly two years since they've been able to get here and we had catching up to do. They did not expect it to be as cold here as it is....

 Lovely to see them :) The weather must surely get better. 

change in the weather

 Storm and wind last night - I doubt anyone in Esperaza slept much through the banging shutters and raging furies. A gecko took shelter in my bedroom. Gert and Elsbeth were delayed in Munich on their way here and missed all the fun....

it was Katrine's birthday and she did a last-minute round-up of party people for apero:) Took forty-odd photos and nearly all are out of focus or otherwise dreadful. The camera is automatic; how did this happen??

Here's a random sample -

 Table came out well. Potato waffles and salmon; roast beef , ham, raw vedg.; cheese, fresh fruit and chocolate cake with chilli powder. Amazing. Katrine tried to help us pronounce Smorgasbord and much hilarity ensued.

Here is the birthday girl with Louise and Norbert, pointing at food. There was a lot and we ate most of it. Big thanks to Katrine for all her generosity and hard work and congratulations on staying alive with grace and style :)

7 years on...

It's seven years since Etienne greeted the world from my bath in Esperaza - what a great day that was, unforgettable in every way. We talked with the family in the USA and caught up with their news - Ryan is working flat out doing the Viking-themed food for a micro-brewery which is developing successfully, Alecia is working for a wholefood group and focusing on cheeses internationally. Young Etienne is in a French school and the plan is to get back here asap. Can't wait.

They have been in a major heatwave in the course of which over 20 chefs actually died. There are now rules in place about rest breaks and hydration.

It's a scary world out there.

Here, yesterdays vide grenier was  rather a cut above normal, not so much junk and more tasteful stuff. Needless to say, that was not to my taste; too hot anyway, l only lasted 20 mins. 

There was a brilliant storm in the night which has cleared the air somewhat. Apropos, the night markets are off the agenda for me. Too much cigarette smoke, alas. Asthmatics can't do it without accepting the consequences; a couple of days immobilised, doing nothing but resting. Sigh.   
 

Auberging

Here's Jim Hankinson, finally back in France after adventures rivalling Odysseus' voyages... we ate at  Rouvenac in the Auberge du Faby and enjoyed it no end. Slightly miffed that the Tour de France wasn't coming through Esperaza this year so didn't go to Quillan to watch them arrive - too hot, for one thing. Poor cyclists, poor mad cyclists...

 Enjoyed Friday nights incursion to Jean-Luc's tapas bar so much that we did it again last night. Today is market day - and it seems there is another vide grenier, can this be true? Will report back.

Friday calm

 After a  long and boring office day, Bob delighted me by agreeing to come to the tapas bar in Rue Gambetta. Apart from the obligatory TV screen and the accompanying noise, its marvellous to sit inside away from the smokers and have a chat; bit of tapas, bit of wine. C'est la vie.

Return of the old days

Apero in Toby and Leos garden last night... then as the gentle drops of rain became more enthusiastic, we moved into their astonishing house.

Our friends fed us and Clare and Pete  with their traditional panache :) and a great time was had by all.

Can it really be that life is returning to normal??
 

July 4th

Sundays' market... still fun, and rain intermittent. It was my birthday, marred by one of our little birds dying in the night (sniff) but enlivened by Bobs inviting a handful of neighbours round for a drink.  Here's my birthday portrait :) Happy Independence Day to all our transatlantic friends -

 ***Anyone in London? The late great Eileen Agar is on show at the Whitechapel gallery, at last a decent exhibition of her work - but also, and remarkably, there is a 1/12 scale model of the 1936 International Surrealists Exhibition on show - which has been made by Corella!!! We all remember Corella and Marcus and their gallery in Rennes les Bains with huge affection. Many congratulations to Corella.

Life eh

Our bin's back!! It got taken away to facilitate voting access at the MJC and me and the other elderly residents of this quarter had to walk some distance to elsewhere to dump the household rubbish - do we get 2 weeks off our rubbish collection tax bill, I hear you cry?- but its back and being feted with balloons. I feel it should be garlanded with flowers.

Here are old chums Richard and Alison Samuel, among the oldest friends I still have on planet. They took us to lunch yesterday at Bacchus which retains its charm, despite changes made in lockdown. Food still hearty and delicious. (gazpacho, chacuterie, gambas, banoffee) New terrace, big sunshade net.

 Sad news; found our littlest parrot Gabriel had died in the night. He'd been ailing for a while, never very strong. Will miss him though.

comings and goings...

 As restrictions get easier to manage, people are moving - and Margaret is with us again, unchanged and in good spirits. Only for 10 days so make the most... I got both breakfast and apero with her yesterday AND have fixed to sprint her away to paint in the hills.

Jutta, however, has gone to Germany for a month. Bah. Rumours abound about our other friends, Max? Gert? Fran?? Will we all recognise each other???

Bugs and sea

Anyone know what this little critter is? Seen several in the house and not sure if I should be alarmed... it looks like it should fly but it doesn't, just potters about. Perhaps its a metaphor.

Below is St Pierre la Mer where me, Peter Dunn, Claire Millar and Captain Harris passed a very agreeable day on Wednesday. 

After breakfasting at Mouthamet* where the little bakery has reopened with a new owner, after a couple of years darkness - the new owner BTW has lived in Bristol and when asked if he liked it replied mais oui, c'est pres Cardiff!! (Rugger, you get it) - drove happily on over the mountains to the favorite fish resturant. This below is the view from the restro.

Perhaps I should box clever and not tell you the name but actually I can't remember it... it's already well enough known, you must book, it is the best fish resturant on the coast. Those that had smoked salmon had a pave (=a lump), not slices - served with fennel ice cream. The swordfish was just perfect, a few impeccable vedg and potatoes boiled, halved and grilled. The crème caramel was a bowl of cream mixed with a few chopped pistachios, frozen and then grilled and burnt with the traditional caramel topping. Only complaint was that it was too big and of course we had to finish it-

   -There's more but I'm trying to avoid food porn.

Then we lay on the sand or paddled in  the sea, according to disposition. Lathered with anti-burn slap.

Slow journey home back over the mountains, pausing for tea at Gruissan village.

Esperaza didn't seem to notice we'd left.

*Opposite the bakery is the shrine to St Anne which features the statue of the saint hitting the virgin. It is now closed. It's dangerous and is being repaired. The statue is missing, presumed in church.