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 -

Aude flow

 The mighty Aude, this morning - still flowing - much like life in Esperaza where all is quiet. as far as l know :)

hotness continues

 Despite the heat - which is extreme - the Tour de France came and went. I followed on the TV. Here they are, whizzing by the Caderonne and not passing down to the town;

Things go mysteriously wrong or at least they are not as they are in pre-heat-wave times. Todays appointment with Orange, for example, long standing and carefully arranged, was cancelled last night by text. To quote them (in translation), the rendezvous 'will not be honoured'. Can't blame them, of course.

Many old friends will remember when Larry and Barbara Jackson joined us here, centuries ago now ... Barbara has written from Southern California sending love to all. Some disturbing news; she pressed a wrong pedal and drove into a Magnolia, which is undamaged - her car however is not and at 94 she's decided to cease driving. The logistics of life are now complicated, and we all wish her well with that -

We continue to be sensible, only outdoors early morning and evenings which are very pleasant. Here's the town Heron looking a bit scrawny - otherwise not much going on with the wildlife either.

hot, hotter, hottest

Another birthday has floated past, still alive - and here's Peter Dunns image of me and the captain to prove it! 

Had a lovely time and am so touched by the attention I get and do not merit. 

Esperaza continues hot but not as hot as it might be. Further south there are huge and scary fires, fanned by the winds; evacuations being shown on the breakfast TV, harrowing all round. The quality of the air is a problem and of course we are all fretting for the wildlife that can't escape the flames.

Forecast projects that temperatures will continue to rise. Stay safe, y'all. Close windows and shutters, dim lights, give up all pretentions to work.
 

Seize it seize it

 Dear Claudine framed up this photo of us both in a London pub in 2008 - remember many highlights of that trip- this morning was more sedate as we had coffee at the station bar and considered managing age.

Which we both do v well, BTW.

Weds evening, Peter Dunn, Bob and I ate at La Chapaire - as did many other people. Still good, still reliable. Worth noting!

Info: The strange fruit I asked your help to identify is called an Empress or Paulownia tree, native to east Asia/China (Michael and Barbara had an avenue of them near them their home close to Delhi)

And yet more info: The T de Fr goes across the top road, not through the village; so cushions and chairs to the fore if its not too hot.  The roads will be closed, public transport deranged. If you're expecting to take a bus anywhere, check first. 

Lovely warm and windy weather here, the  more pleasurable as it's really not going to last. A huge heatwave awaits us. Seize the day!

Tuesdays lunch

 Lunched some friends yesterday - Margaret, John, Barbara and Jim - photos dreadful except this of Jim.

Was rather pleased with myself in that most of the food was edible though had to enlist Margaret for help with some of it and John to carve the lamb- and credit for the salad is entirely due to Barbara.

Here's a treat in view  when the T de F will go whizzing past the front door or possibly across the top road - not sure where the D118 actually is. Will find out. 

summer season begins

 

The mayor Msr Soula and representatives from the council of the region (sorry, didn't catch their names) gave speeches to kick off the season - and there's Guillame in the background, who put it all together. He runs two of the towns restaurants and still manages to assemble this weekly event with bands and food and drink... hero!!

Father Matthews checks things out - (sorry John, but I love the photo)

Regina and Ziggy - both born in Frankfurt - and another of Reg

We went early, ate Ziads delicious Lebanese food, said a brief hello to a few mates and left before the real crowds arrived and the music started. The smoking is what drives me away but next week, if its not too hot, will mask up and try to stay longer - such a privilege to share tables with an entire village, and their friends :) Yes, after the downpour, I've become sentimental - 

cleanup

 I went walking yesterday in a moment of coolness, under these clouds - and made it home just before the storm broke. Glorious and fierce with large hailstones. 

Which means tonights night market will be perfect!! See y'all there :)

mild market

The market is muggy with a merciful breeze - I was out early but still, few punters! All of whom are praying for a storm.

As I wrote that, the sun came out again. Sigh.