Mondays delights and Proof of Life

 Lovely day yesterday - morning spent with Katherine who is back here house-hunting.  A catch-up and chattery and sight-seeing idle time, marvellous. 

Thence to Samuels with Gracie, Louise and Bob for tea and French conversation.

Forgot photos... but in the evening I gripped my phone/camera purposefully and managed to snap our hosts, Barbara and Micheal. Here they are, very relaxed:

They are such good cooks! 

Blinis with crudites and nice things, salmon and mash and beans, summer pudding.

Back in Esperaza it was Karaoke night at the marche nocturne. Despite not being there, it could be heard all over town...

*If you get a British pension paid directly into a bank here, you may receive a Proof of Life certificate. This is a bit of paper you have to get stamped and signed and witnessed by someone respectable to prove you are not dead. Since few respectable people here read English they don't know what they are signing and are baffled by the idea of not-being-dead. I'm wondering if it wouldn't be better, well, firstly for the brits to issue the official paper in French - -- and otherwise could I not send a photo holding todays newspaper showing the date,  or perhaps a video singing something suitable underneath the date on the towns information panel?

Oh well, I go back this afternoon when with luck the mayor will have agreed I am still extant.

************PS

The town hall rang me, I scampered round and the lady on the desk dealt with it all impeccably, trusting me to translate the thing and filling it in as requested. Life can go on :)