First round

 Market jolly, as ever; a little muggy with heat and no breeze but mustn't complain. We can complain, however, at the election results. Trying not to panic until the finals next weekend. Pundits either gloomily predicting a catastrophe for Europe if the Pennists get it or hoping for a tiny Macron majority. Either way the traditional system here seems somewhat unworkable. 

stuff happening

Hannah's boyfriend Tom arrived yesterday so the creperie called for last night - they're here together for a week. Daniel is also here and though I have hundreds of photos of him they are not post able! They are failed passport photos. The algorithm doesn't like him and his passport is lost, so he may be here some time...

so its a well the season is marching on!! Voila, night markets commence.

Anyone going to the flamenco tonight, at Montazels old hat factory? If so, can they offer a lift to the beautiful and charming young people above?? Cheers!!

 

narbonnnnnnmmm

My favourite bad boy, dug up under Narbonne train Station and now tarted up and on display in the Norman Foster designed museum, Narbo Via.

What a day we had! Many of the British geriatrics of Esperaza got loaded onto a coach and had, firstly, coffee and croissants by a motorway, then the magic museum tour (with guide and in my case a walking stick with a little seat attached) After which a large and notable lunch on the terrace in the shade, thence to various activities - mine being a boat trip up and down the canal. It was hot but comfy and enjoyed by all. We saw a fisherman catch a fish on our way down for the first lock: on the way back, he did the same thing. 

 Hats off to Marie-Pierre who is an organisational genius; and to John Morley and other helpers for keeping the wanders under control. 

Hannah came too. At nineteen years of age, she brought the average down somewhat :)

missing, presumed stolen

some persons unknown and unkind have stolen one of Jeannie's pots... possibly after the music festival.  It was big to carry away. 

Upsetting.

Anyone see anything?

Jeannie tells a cautionary tale (apart from nailing your flowers down ) The police came for her on account of finding a box inappropriately binned, which carried her name and address. No matter that she didn't live at the address on the package or that it was v old - she got shafted for a hefty fine.

For a town covered in security cameras, its all rather surprising.

*****

Here's Hannah sitting outside at John and Margarets where we were fed to excess, unable to say no - too delicious! - and young Peter Dunn, in a similar state. 

                            There was also present a 3ft long grass snake, most beautiful but alas, dead. 

Clare, Margaret and John didn't get snapped, weirdly. 

Another time.

 

Fridays sport

The pond becomes fascinating as our frog has a friend, courtesy neighbour Vincent... not knowing a thing about frogs I was watching closely to see if they'd be OK together. This morning they were on adjacent spots, looking fat and happy and eating mossies.

Here is the mighty Ole-Bendik with Jazz last night at the festival of music.  Mixed reviews of the evening as shouty DJ's and loud ticky ticky ticky drumming into the early hours not that popular with our age group. I'm sure they are excellent of their genre... 

Hannah, Clair and Cleopatra

 

gentle weather

 While France - and the world in general - suffers from heat or floods, we lucky ones have a soft and gentle time, and are grateful.

Me and les filles have been away at Puilaurens, drawing, painting, eating and drinking. Sigh.

Fete de Musique tomorrow!! In the square and in front of the school. See you there :)

sat/sun in June

This would have been an amazing photo if I hadn't been so slow off the mark, showing John flambeeing the fruit after yesterdays lovely lunch. It was terrific, served with brebis ice cream. 

I can claim a hand in it though... I promised to bring dessert for lunch and totally forgot (ouch! And ouch again!) so what our hosts prepared was a symphony of unprepared ingeniousness. Erm, how fortunate they are to have friends who offer them the opportunity to be creative. Um.

And today was tea-time with Samuel, who laid out this plate to help explain to us all how the French governmental system works. He fears that the far right will win the upcoming election and has put his house on the market in order to return to Greece. Much debate.

Here is le Pont this morning, where I sheltered from sunlight and smokers. Lovely.

 

very local news and an invitation

Here's Hannah with her new aunty Siggy, heading off to the lake - the weather being fabulous - and below, the latest for our menagerie, courtesy our neighbour Vincent. 

And here's a diary date from Marie-Pierre- unmissable. I've been to the Narbo Via twice and can't wait to go again, it's spectacular. The historic centre also a blast. Get booking :)

 WEDNESDAY JUNE 26

Come and discover Narbonne, the oldest Roman colony outside Italy, called "the daughter of Rome".

In the morning, we will visit the new Narbo Via museum, created in 2021 by architect Norman Foster. There will be two guided tours to choose from, one in French and one in English. You will discover, among other things, a very special stone wall, 'le mur lapidaire'. This, the centrepiece of the museum, features an amazing collection of ancient inscriptions, displayed using state-of-the art technology!

The meal will be taken on site at the “Cadence au Musée” restaurant which specialises in cooking fresh, seasonal products, in collaboration with the Halles de Narbonne.

In the afternoon, our bus will take us to the historic centre of Narbonne. To explore it, the choice is yours: on foot, by boat, by little train or even on a treasure hunt.

Cost of the day, all inclusive: approximately € 60.-

Book now by writing to Marie-Pierre

domainedeluzenac@gmail.com

Weds night

Hannah Harris, Bobs niece, has arrived and is joining us for a fraction of her gap year. One of her aims is to improve her French so if you bump into her, parlez!!

We started at Toutla last night and emboldened by the shirts I approached these guys to see if they were entomologists,  which they weren't. Bugs are their hobby, not their livelihood. They were kind enough to go through my endless photos of little beasties and tell me all about them...

Then we went to eat at Chaplaire. All tired today. 

 

Pet care

 Every now and then fate decrees that life is just too pleasant and that we need some angst. That's when its time to clean the parrot cages out. 

This involves removing the parrots from said cages and taking the cages into the impasse, then pressure hosing them into hygienic shining clean cleanliness.

Rico the African Grey hates this. (Tango, Argentinean Green, isn't bovverd.) Rico has to be lured out of his home and entertained until he can climb back into his space, quivering with relief. Here is sweet Louise, who is very good with Rico, helping him through the trauma.

Thanks to her, we are OK for a few more weeks... 

Rain stopped play -

Sundays vide grenier, and the market, were a wash-out. Huge disappointment all round.

I ran across Jean Torrent, our mayor of some time ago, and l sounded off about voting rights for people who paid taxes here. He agreed - who doesn't? - but laughingly said, why vote anyway, they're all the same. Given todays result, this is a worrying approach.

And now it seems a general election is looming. Sigh.

 

Alone again...

Yuri has gone, having shared his great learning and sense of fun with us for a week. Already missed. But how lucky we have been! He's finished proofing the new edition of his Big Book, The Other God - It's published by Yale so watch out for the reprint.

In the meantime, its election day AND there's a vide grenier by the river. More on all that, later....
 

Soft days

 Despite the mayor, who as written on his Fb page that it is against the law to tamper with election posters, we have a selection of comments:

-though not much of a debate. If you have the right to vote, please do: remember,

Had an evening at Toutla last night, to say goodbye to Catherine who is moving out from our estate today. Her house hunting continues though there are hopeful signs on the horizon... good luck to her!!

Had a brief trip to Rennes le Chateau with Yuri to suss the Sauniere Society and some other Grail and treasure hunters. I was driven away very quickly by the smokers (asthma sufferers will understand) but not before I had counted 13 buzzards circling on a thermal above the village. Ominous or what. Lovely anyway.

 

Healthyish

Excitement last night as Le Healthy became unusable due to water doing weird things inside...nothing daunted we (Bob, Peter D and I)  were served outside, which was wonderful. Food a tad iffy but ambiance great. Came home to a dark house as the electrics had blown, leaving poor Yuri sitting in the shadows. All well it seems, a lamp had blown. Probably parrot damage.

 

Tibetans in town

New Tibetan family have opened the takeaway in Esperaza - the preceding ones opening a restaurant in Quillan today - and we ate their takeaway food last night. If you like Tibetan (Bob doesn't, alas) it's fabulous. Personally I think we are so lucky to have this authentic cuisine in our tiny town.

if that's not enough excitement, look! Another vide grenier on the riverbank, set for Sunday.

AND the beginnings of the towns new public toilet. This is expected to be functional at the end of July and will cost the commune 60,000 euros - including the W.C. - this is according to the Fb page of our mayor and accessible to all . 

Befriend Christian Soula and be in touch with the mayor :) 

on the edge of the square of the 8th May, in front (at the old back) of the school -

 

small news

Couldn't resist photographing the garden flowers - the weather continues to be lovely, warm and not-too-hot. Good weather for graffiti, obvs. It's illegal here to interfere with legitimate election info., though that doesn't seem to stop anyone; these labels are clearly pre-prepared and stuck on in haste.

 

Phils post mortem birthday memorial event

 Had Phil been spared, he'd have been 67 yesterday. We ate at his favourite restro, le chaplaire, and celebrated him.

Peter Dunn and Margaret

John and Jamsie

Siggi and Margaret

Also there; Bob and Yuri, rubbish photos. Fine meal, as ever... very good indeed. For a weird occasion, sorrowful and joyful at the same time, it was good.