Dawn and a long day

Caught this beautiful dawn as I was out early to catch enough cool air to walk in - magic. Been hot and hotter since, culminating in a tiny shower and a noisy thunderstorm. Still hot.

After a baffling letter from the authorities asking that I renew my permission for a temporary structure NOW, or else, l carried it round the corner to the town hall where Christine obligingly deals with such stuff. 

Christine is on holiday. The new lady on the desk suggested Mark-Antoine (of le Studio Solidaire)  - whom I know is ridiculously busy- or that I find computer competent French friends to have a go. I'd already tried two.  Then I remembered it is Tuesday and Ronan, the towns computer genius, would be just about open.

Galloped down the road and was in time to catch him. For once there wasn't a queue of sad people hugging their wounded digital kit demanding help; he was happy to have a go at my paperwork.

Not wanting to re-live the details, suffice it say that the expert thought it, shall we say, unnecessarily cumbersome. He did it though, we think - so the water pump in the garden by the river gets another few years.

-----Not that it signifies as we ain't allowed to use it on account of the drought. We were forced to put in a water meter a few years ago and since then have barely used the thing - despite that we pay regular fees for water extraction.

Anyway, BIG THANKS to Ronan. Long may he prosper.

I'm off to Blighty tomorrow and wont be back for three weeks. What with the Ladies Walking Group being away as well, the town will change timbre.... be good, y'all.

 

O-B in recovery

Siggy has sent this of Ole-Bendik from Carcassonne hospital :"He's well cared for and looked after and is in a good mood and says hello to everybody", she writes.

Hurrah! Now he has to crack on with the autobiography :) 

gecko attack

Just opened my balcony door and a gecko fell on my head, surprising me no end... she looked startled too, before legging it behind  bookcase. 

What can it mean??

Mornings here are lovely, here's the river yesterday, but the day was awfully suffocating until late. Hoping to see an otter - did see the kingfisher -

 Later, have caught up with news on the street; O-B has been operated on, all well, will recuperate in Limoux it seems. Tomas leaves on Weds to commence restoring palace murals in Monaco. 

That's all that's pertinent and publishable, l think.

Tomas with new toy

todays chaos

It's not that the closure of one side of the square isn't well signed - it is - it's that drivers seem to think they are exempt. Bob and I had a lovely breakfast watching furious drivers hurling themselves down a one way street to the detriment of all.

Lovely Thursday market, sitting in the Argentinian café watching the fun. And here's a nice motorbike for those that enjoy such things...a Royal Enfield as used to be made in my last hometown of Woolwich. (pang of nostalgia there)

Talking of fast living, Ole-Bendik has taken a tumble. Rumour says he's broken his hip, the other one. News as and when.

 

star blessed evening

Such a joyful night!! Good friends, good food and cool enough to sit outside, alleluia!

Huge thanks to Fran and Clare (who must have been cooking for days), to John and Janet and Norbert and Louise for being there and for being themselves. 

We sat under the stars and marvelled at it all.
 

Early Limoux

 Me and Captain H had an early RDV with the tax office in Limoux, gulp - armed with every possible piece of paper, we got there neurotically early. Breakfast in the Grand café, pastries from the boulangerie opposite and down a bit.

It was a beautiful day; what could possibly go wrong??

the unnerving answer is, nothing... we were early to the office and the tax man saw us immediately. He was bright eye-d, wearing shorts and a tasteful tropical shirt, sorted us in seconds and bid us a good day.

We were so shocked, Capt H allowed me to go alone into my favourite store Super U where I spent a tidy sum.

I always forget how bewitching Limoux is, how helpful and graceful the inhabitants. 

Curious low-tech furniture abounds in the cafes. adding to the air of welcoming charm. 

Its a mere 24 degrees here, sunny and pleasant. All good :)

 

 

Rogues gallery

 At last, remembered to take photies of friends...

Kat and Elaine

Barbara and Catherine

Jamsie seriously unfocused

It was a lovely Sunday, not too much heat and friends out in force. Today is rather cold, overcast, grey - fabulous!!

imaginary scenes

 Keep forgetting to make use of photo opportunities... last nights dinner with Jamsie, at the excellent Chapaire (who are still doing the Phil-designed English breakfast), the coffee the day before with Gert and Elsbeth who are back with us and looking marvellous, breakfast with Rushton this morning at the Argentinean cafe. Possibly other events but unless I have a visual on them, I forget :(

So here is the last of the life drawing of the season instead. Thomas has a job painting palace walls in Monaco, restoring murals rather than toshing. He will be missed. He is the groups convener so we wait for him to return to us.

voila! The new Quillan/Perpignan bus timetable

other VERY important travel news is that Carcassonne airport is closing from November to mid-December, to re-lay its runway. Plan carefully.

 

cooling

 Here's the secret back room in the café on the square - a shelter from the crowded market. Esperaza tourist-riven. But safe....

Poor Pomas, about 15 Kilometres away towards Carcassonne, has had a tornado, causing frightful damage though mercifully no deaths.  

Our house in London has been evacuated due to collapsing bits following building works fore and aft. 

So what with one thing and another, a safe corner of the world is something to treasure.

Think that's all, and quite enough too! Weather much cooler and heads are popping up over the parapets. 

Singing in the rain

 Ferren MacIntyre and Aileen Hennes... gracing the Thursday market with an appearance. Aileen is younger than me but Ferren is 20 years older.  I asked how he was. He's working on a paper that is a critique of two respectable scientists who are climate change deniers, with what he calls 'the other side of the story'. Can't wait!

Ferren is of course our resident genius and author of many a scientific thang, whilst Aileen is the author of The Hirsute Civil Servant available from Vanguard Press and heartily recommended.

The market didn't have much in the way of fruit and vedg - holidays - but was very sociable after a blast of a storm last night that has freshened us all up.

This evening it was cool enough to go for a stroll and as I idly watched a mallard on the Aude there was a white flash of light across the water and an almightily deafening crash. Both the duck and I were startled. It was probably lightening hitting the cockerel on the church tower reflected in the river and thunder, of course- afterwards Charlotte told me she thought her house had been hit by something as everything shook and when I got home Bob told me that Rico the parrot had fallen off his perch.

Another downpour followed.

Got wet.

Lovely.

-and so it goes

The market carries on being a vehicle for the weird and w0nderful; after my shopping I spent 20 mins sitting in the Tibetan takeaway watching the world struggle past. It's cooler so all the world has come shopping. Plus there's a vide grenier by the river. Basically, awful -  but of course lovely to catch some mates out and about.

On another track, I was able to take my atrophying limbs for an evening stroll last night. Our footbridge, no doubt a masterpiece of engineering ingenuity in its day, is looking v sorry.

 

The town hall are going to spend some 18 grand on repairs, subsidised by the region - you can't get a roof repaired for that, difficult to see how effective that can be. Watching with interest!

Boum boum not

 Upheaval continues.

There are  those who think perpetual revolution is a good thing.

I do not; nor do the parrots.

Decent storm yesterday, plus another bunch of rain in the night - temps around 34 so not exactly comfy but a load better.

FranceInfo, reputable source, runs a piece today saying that yesterday the children of a recently deceased man in his sixties found radioactive pots of jam in his house. ( FranceInfo says three pots, other sources four, but I digress)

Twenty emergency firemen and two special mobile units that deal with chemical risks plus special help from Toulouse - two fire trucks, an ambulance and a special drone - came to La Place de l'Industrie and closed it off.

Inhabitants 100 meters around the site were evacuated as a precaution. Ingredients found; mercury and dioxide of thorium (that's radioactive) which are a chemical poison comparable to uranium and all the dangers that that offers. Glass optics, aeronautic bits, and hey, jam jars... our mayor says he was a physicist interested in quantum mechanics and was doing scientific experiments. All have been removed by the correct authorities and are safe. 

La Place de l'Industrie is home to the wonderful Radio Ballade and the studio where the Friday night artists hold life-drawing sessions. There's a yoga studio and various other worthy activities. Plus (it seems) a physics lab - Esperaza really is amazing :)

expulsions

Here is Bob keeping the parrots company in the garden.

Everyone has had to leave their familiar spaces as some changes are made which incur a barrel load of dust and debris.

Then they had to be expelled from the garden as a sudden rainstorm arrived:) Not sure where we are now. It's a full and exciting life, for sure.

 

sadness

 Babette has turned up - alas, no longer of this planet. Aileen thinks she copped a snake bite. She was discovered dead on a bed of waterlilies in the lake. 

Actually any of my dogs, long passed, would have benefitted from such a death.

Many commiserations to Aileen ---

**********************************************************************

My family have gone off to Toulouse, thence to other pastures French. Pinning for them.

Matt, Tom and Paddy on our last evening together. Come back soon xxxx

stop press

Babette has gone missing, by the lake at Arques.

Anyone spotting her, please contact Aileen who is desperately worried. Babette is 16 and prone to senior moments but is much loved, well medicated and of course the matriarch of Aileens pack. 

 

Family summer

 William and Hanna Harris have just left for the airport, their visit over too soon - my brother Matt and his two boys have arrived and are here till tomorrow. It was a treat watching the young ones bonding.

Farewell dinner at the Poulet en velo last night, which was of course fun and a delight for those that hadn't been there before (we didn't tell them anything about it) Here's Tom snapping in the lake:

My meal was thin slices of marinated of beef with truffles and parmisan...

and here's this mornings brunch, after we'd waved goodbye to the Harris's, at La Ravido in Couiza;

Sorry, Harrises!! You were much missed!! Honest!!!!

night market, not

 The Monday night market was cancelled - much rejoicing here, we had a storm!! Sad not to eat at Ziads stall though, took this on Sunday when it was amazingly hot. Next week for Lebanese food then.

very fresh here. Bored by talking about the weather but little else matters in a small French village.

Everything changes

 Alet-les-Bains have been doing late nights at the pool on Fridays so we went there with our guests to round up a lively day - breakfast  at Couiza, La Ravito (naturally), then the tour of Rennes le Chateau after a spot of Limoux shopping. Evening snack at the little cabin by the pool.

Very pleasant to sit under the trees and not roast.

Today the kids are with their Aunty Ziggi, lake swimming and who knows what else...

...and tomorrow is the market. 

You might like to know that Esperazas post office has moved to what they call the summer time-table. Open Monday and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 2.00 to 5.00.

You should also know that I bumped into Isabelle, late of Tout-la. Jean-Luc is OK, (she wiggled hand like a dying fish,) and sends love to us all. 

welcome visitors

 Our drab lives have been lit by the arrival of Bobs great nephew William and his sister Hannah. Great company!

And they brought bad weather, grey and wet - cool - very very happy here :)

of Mice and Breakfast

Charlotte and I were having an innocent coffee this morning when look who arrived.... Andy and Lou, hurrah! Would have stayed to chatter all morning had I not had a call from Electromanager, who were coming to examine our dreadfully ineffective washing machine.

( Well, it was effective at washing the floor but little else.)

The mice had feasted on our pipes... 

Can't recommend Electromanager enough, he's local (next to Intermarche) will sell you all your white goods and more importantly, come out and fix then when they're manque.

All this excitement meant I forgot to photograph Norbert and Louise who came for coffee. They are blossoming, take my word for it. Ditto Charlotte, who somehow never photographs.

 

chilly weekend

 Our very kindly friends Richard and Alison Samuel offered to collect us and drive us away for a cooling weekend by their swimming pool, nearly at Belpeche. What joy!

We stopped at Bastide-sur-l'hers for lunch on route.

This little dish is coquilles st jacques, very finely sliced into a marinade - we were all thrilled with our various plats, its clear the chef knows a thing or two :)

En route, we noticed that the heat wave was thinning and by the time we got to Peche Luna it was chilly. Some of us braved the pool - not Bob -  but then it was closed up for the weekend. Sigh.

After weeks of uncomfortable heat, all felt this was not fair. It stayed cold until we left. Now back in Esperaza, we swelter again.

However, we stopped off at the Cafe de Fa to cheer ourselves up and had a terrific meal there too -

here's a bit of Alisons fresh crab pasty, which was a great success. All happy! That little place goes from strength to strength; congratulations to the team there.

Too hot for me to go to the night market but hope all who go have fun -

heat, more heat and the river

Here's the sun, just hitting the Aude and the pont  and about to blast us this morning - like most sensible people I went out early and had to wear a jacket it was so chilly! Set to get back into middle 30's again today though. Bits of France were evacuated in the night because of fires but so far we've been spared.

We braved Limoux yesterday in the high heat. Between lunch, shopping and medical stuff we took a doze under the trees by the river which was very pleasant - 

In two separate locations saw two different sparrows chasing Asian hornets. Does anyone know if they are chasing invaders - do they invade sparrows nests? - or are they a crunchy snack. The hornets are back here over the bees nest in the old chimney but the bees remain, pro tem anyway. 

I forgot - alas, alas - to photograph Margot! She gave us dinner the other night in her rented apartment. Looking wonderful. Hope she'll be back soon, checking out her old mates here.

 

in and not-in

 There's quite a lot going on - I'm just not participating. The Monday night market being as usual on a Monday, clashed with the fete du vin which is always on the 20th, which this year falls on a Monday.

Ah well... judging from the noise, both were well attended! 

Its the heat, noise, dust and smoke that's keeping me from scampering about. With shutter and window management, its possible to keep cool. But nothing else, alas.

Missed Bastille day, now called le fete nationale for unknown reasons.  When asked by French friends when is England's National Day I can only come up with bonfire night, November 5th, which is quite hard to explain.

weather-bound

Not a very informative photo but a souvenir for me of a calm and cool evening a couple of days ago, in Margaret and Johns garden with Pete and Clare. The first time I've felt at ease in my skin, as they say here, since these heatwaves crashed to our shores.

Still no storm! - 

How is everyone else coping?

 

somewhat late latest-

 Still hot!! 

This morning, Weds., there have been a few drops of rain and a merciful cloud cover - hoping this mysterious chap will eat the sun and give us all a break.

Monday night market wasn't as crowded as usual, at least not when Bob and I were there; early and not for long as the noise and smoke and heat increased. Here is a fine dead fish. Made by Tim out of his mussels shells and pretty much how we felt.

Here's Ziad and his family. They make extra great Lebanese food and must be exhausted. 

Here's Peter Dunns granddaughter Libery, plus partner - see, we know some more young people!!

Here are Rose and Yvonne, seasoned people...

perhaps

 there'll be a storm and an end to the chaleur soon - weather makes a change from talking about health but it would be nice to get back to metaphysics -