a classic

 The day started innocuously enough with the fire brigades' annual practice at rescuing people from burning buildings... no one was injured and the young pompiers now know how to manage a catastrophe.








Thence to the star of the day - Roy Hayes, a babe of 70 years, still looking good on it.   In this photo (which I stole from Lorraines facebook page) it is clear that he continues to appreciate good living.

Many friends were there to celebrate and to marvel at the cooking - magic Jo at work for some weeks, one suspects. I asked their son Jonathon if the family always lived like this and he said he thought it was normal, that all families ate so well, until he got married.... his wifes response is unprintable.

Kieran is recovering from his nasty lurgy though overcome by a need to sit down - on Lorraine -

Its becoming clear that my blurry photos are due to a blurry lens. Will clean up before the next event. 

 Really a shame that this pic of Luc and Fiona is so blurred - Lorraine takes a good crisp snap as you can see from this of me and Bob, also lifted from Facebook and taken by dear Lorraine whom I hope won't mind.

 Louise and Janet and a happy crowd scene

Leigh with Clare chewing the cud  - apropos, a lot of my blurred pix have been jettisoned on account of  peoples face being distorted by eating. Might be a series of painting in that.

Many thanks to Jo for her devotion to feeding us and to Roy for being Roy. Here's to the next remarkable decade :)

Friends reuinted

All last nights photos are poor (or will embarrass someone ) - this gives the general flavour, a group of chums in a caff  having a good time. Margaret and John are back but only for a week, looking well though I think John has had the lurgy. Kieran certainly has - he was hospitalized with it, which is why they have only just managed to get here. Ann also ill at the same time - not much of a christmas for them, except that their family live close to them and could help.

Hilary and Mike, me, Bob and Kat made up a large and excitable table. Off to breakfast now to see them all again, hurrah :)

Maybe Esperaza is such a party town because we have to have regular farewells and welcomes, as us foreigners come and go.

BTW the radio is issuing anti-grippe advise this morning. Use disposable tissues and jettison them into closed containers seems to the the gist. It's epidemic in France.

Mayors' good wishes

The town held a little ceremony to wish itself the best for 2018. It was charming though our Mayor did welcome all the Brexiteers, l think meaning the foreigners - several of us were there, enjoying the neighbours, the bits of pizza and the white wine from Anne de Joyeuse. 

And the most wonderful news, that Msr Ritas has fully recovered from his dreadful cancer and will be back in post from May. (He is the one us etrangers go to for any help or info at the Town Hall - always helpful and kind)

Good round of applause for him, he's liked by all.

 In the morning I asked our postman why the postbox outside the mairie was condemned. Were there monsters living in it? No; it seems that a new key had to be fitted. He's fitted it. Normal service now resumed.


In the afternoon I walked a bit to catch the last of the sun - here are some nice clouds down Anne and Kieran/Fran and Clares way.

Beautiful here.

Its now 20 years since we bought our first house in Esperaza. No regrets, not never.

advance warning

Here's the station in the mist this morning.

 But more importantly, at 7.00 tomorrow at the MJC the Mayor is having a new years' nibbles and snacks event, everyone welcome. Word is that not enough foreigners go and we look hoity-toity. Come along!

we got weather...

Rain and storms and power cuts have not prevented stout-hearted Bob from building his glass house by the river, entirely out of re-cycled materials.

Theological food

The thing about feastdays is that they come with a tradition of particular foods and these are embedded in the theology of the past. So the couronne, the cake eaten on the epiphany is a reference to the three kings who allegedly turned up to check out the baby Jesus and was used by the church to indicate the superiority of their cult over the eastern belief systems.

Kelly and Norbert

Bernht, Louise and Jutta

To encourage the belief the couronne inclues a feve - literally a bean - which has transmuted into a dinky porcelain object. Normally Bob wins it but in a break with tradition Jutta won! - a little lamb, we think. There was debate about this.  Anyway the one who has the feve in their slice gets to wear a crown.

Not being one to eat theologically biased food without a good reason, I have to say the reason was simple. Our couronne came from the purple patisserie where they gave me and Kat a slice with our coffee and it was irresistibly delicious.

Norbert and Bernht

The night was wonderful, one of those that you don't want to end. Cooked cauliflower soup with bananas and mustard (one of Andrees recipes) fish baked in limes, Kellys orange and cardamon  sorbet with the couronne, shed loads of cheeses and fruit. More information than you need but its Sunday, its pouring(deluge-like pouring) with rain, there is rolling thunder and I'm guessing there won't be much market ... the only other thing to do is clear up.

January....

....and it was 19 degrees at Pete and Clares place where they gave us a totally yummy lunch today. Olive bread and sausage, chicken stew thang (poulet de Clare), pear, almond and apricot pie with fresh pineapple, served on the terrace overlooking the mountains.  Here is Captain Harris in new personna limbering up.