New dining table and Esperaza shock horror catastrophe

 With great joy we initiated our new dining table last night - inherited from Phil who inherited in his turn from his and Bobs grandfather. Its a solid oak piece that I actually polished before the meal, which was shared with Roland and Katerina and Fran and Clare. Forgot photos. Too busy: own version of coquilles st Jacques, ratatouille, tuna in parcels of pastry with aioli, peach cobbler.  We have to thank Kat and Ro for installing the excellent oven without which the table would be bare. Shiny, but bare. 

But far more important news in Esperaza. Shock!! Horror!! 

This is pasted on Serrano's window, Serrano's being our very own award winning bakery. Much loved, prized, admired... a lynch-pin in all our festivities. A rough translation: To all our clients... it is 24 years since we arrived in Esperaza. You adopted us and accompanied us in all these years. Thank you for your fidelity, your kindness and your generosity. We have shared in your marriages, baptisms, birthdays - always with pleasure and hopefully to your satisfaction. Thanks again. A little of Esperaza stays in our heart. 

Reads like a suicide note! There is another note though, that says the bakery re-opens on Saturday the 10th with new proprietors. But the Serrano family will be missed, for sure. They arrived here shortly after I did and at that time there were three bakeries in town. I would get black bread from one, baguette from another, cake from the third. I guess we have cars and out-of-town shopping to thank for this new paucity.

Keep using the 8a8 folks!! And the markets - keep shopping local - or go and live on a motorway.

More news: Caroze is preparing for her show at Rennes le Chateau (15 - 19 Aug) and will be briefly appearing at Alet soon- most exciting. Here's her studio this morning...

Glorious!! Jem O'Carroll is showing his intense little enamels at RlC also - both artists unusual and interesting and well worth checking out.