Yesterdays sunrise.... which was very pink and nice and somebody give me a camera, please -

 This mornings snow....the view from the studio. Snow slight and not long lasting but generally bad in the Toulouse/Narbonne region.

 

Here's a bowl I finished today in an attempt to stop war. That'll do it then:)

return of the crepe

Creperie has reopened after the Xmas hols.; here we are celebrating...
                                                          
Elaine has a wonderful new hat (those are not her real ears)
Me and Pete, Kat and Siobhan had a smashing evening of nourishing food and highly inconsequential chatter.

Much excitement last night too, when we (Kat and me, Ryan and Alicia)  were taken by Pete to see The Hobbit at Lavenet cinema. It was dampish and light when we left Esperaza expecting an hours drive - all excited at the outing. At St Jean de Paracol the snow was very evident; as the car climbed up the mountain it became less entertaining. The snow was fresh and slippery. There were ravines to one side and sheer cliff faces to the other. Very beautiful.
Lots of potential for adventure.

At Puivert a simple vote had us returning pronto to Petes, via the big downhill road at Quillan. Phew.
We sat by the fire and had pumpkin soup. And Lasagne. And Kulfti. 

It was good to be safe.

sunrise over the mist

Actually its raining, with intermittent hail. Excellent for the land of course. These snaps of the street were taken a couple of days ago before it all began, to remind us that it doesn't always rain.

 Kat and I went to Kate and Marks last night for a very jolly evening - heres Kate in full colour and here's Garth, on fine form. All agreed that its not my fault, the camera really is crap.

all well

  Beautiful weather; walked to Campagne yesterday - dropped into our historic church on my way back and snapped the above of light through the stained glass. Today am totally knackered so despite the continued sunshine am clinging to the studio. 

Travellers Tales

 Kat and I were settling down to finishing the Bugarach 2012 vintage when Pete finally arrived for dinner. Poor chap had tales of delayed trains from Amsterdam followed by a narrowly-caught plane that couldn't land at Carcassonne (they had fog there) and deviated at the last minute to Perpignan. From thence bus to Carcassonne, missed Navette, taxi to station, last train home.

As if that wasn't enough excitement, he had been admitted to hospital in Amsterdam as an emergency over Xmas. (Hes OK now, we think)

As these stories were being told, my phone started ringing... Ryan and Alicia are on their way back to Esperaza. They have tales to tell. I'II leave it to them to tell all:)




Exciting and delicious dinner, Kat!

*The Sunday market Fripperie over the river has opened his depot on Friday and Sunday afternoons after 2.30, in between Intermarche and Arcadie. I'm  wearing new cool black Levis and sitting next to a beautiful curtain as a result. Met Annie and Aileen there; perhaps there should be a prize for guessing what new animals Aileen is adopting? 

and so it goes...

 Captain H with Ryan, Alicia and Leroy-the-dog loaded up the car and left for London this morning. In their place are Tango and Freddie.

They have settled in immediately though Lily (my dog) is terrified of the cat, which is enormous and wouldn't let me measure it.

The team are gone for three months.

Bonne voyage

Last supper

 Last night was the last meal that Ryan and Alicia will cook for us under the old HelpX agreement.  They leave for England for three months with Le Capt.; when they return they will be independents running their own business.
Very emotional time for me:) Had a wonderful time with them here.

Leroy, (below, collapsed under the strain) will be going with them. The cat and the parrot stay with me as hostages.




Kat and Ian, Annie and Pete also took advantage of the last opportunity to eat fabulously chez nous. We ate our own chickens and many of our own vedg., finishing up with the flaming brandy-soaked xmas pud we didn't get to eat on xmas day.



Drank a great deal to overcome the nasty cold which Annie is just getting (I drank for her because she doesn't drink) Today only the tonsils are raging.