Village life

 Wild anemones are out on the riverbank, the mallards are back, the fisherpersons are fishing - and Gert and Elsbeth have just arrived after a three-day drive from Copenhagen. Leo and Toby are also here, from Amsterdam. Bob is back tomorrow! 

Photos of yesterdays lunch at Kat and Rolands don't do it justice. Barbara was there being fed in the absence of Micheal who is partying with Ole-Bendik in Spain; oh dear oh dear, candles lit for safe return.

loose artists

Kat and Margaret and I occasionally bunk off to draw en plien air, unless the weather is inclement in which  case lunch is the main attraction. It being sunny but with a bitterly cold wind, we lunched early at the Bistro des Amis at Rennes le Chateau - a favourite -  and waited happily till the wind dropped. 

The tiny Jonquills are just coming out on the plateau.

There is snow on the mountains.

 

Few tourists yet and a real sense of spring... lovely day.

 

Sunshine day

 Beautiful Regina at lunch yesterday... she and Dougie fed me in their garden, where the sun always shines and the food and conversation are brilliant :) Love you guys xxxx

Credit Agricole AGM

Looks more like a prayer meeting than an AGM, but it was in fact last night when Credit Agricole explained themselves to their punters at the Centre Cultural.

Most interesting! They seem decent enough; promoting renewable energy, fundraising for the Resto au coeur (=food bank), aiding artisanal industries. Daft not to, of course.

To lure us into the AGM they host a splendid buffet which we were admitted to after a couple of hours of speeches. 

Looked splendid! There was ONE veggie option, sigh, but that was nice (from the Tibetan takeaway) and loads of wonderful local wine which alas, I have forsworn. 

Claudine checking the beer

Oysters!

Respect to them... for bankers to engage with their clientele in this way takes some bottle.

 

the week so far

Sundays' market was pretty wet and subsequently short. Always feel cheated when that happens... but cheered up when John and Margaret Matthews came to dinner last night. Very selfishly didn't invite other friends but hugged them to myself - its been a  while since we could talk together.

(They got salad chevre chaud, roast potatoes, purple cabbage, mushrooms and a tart chevre et epinards from the 8a8, followed by an apple pie they had the sense to bring with them.)

When they left it was raining but today has brightened up, sunshine is flashing about the place.

 

Avizandum

 Missed many photo opportunities yesterday morning, as the sun (briefly) shone. I'd joined Mike for a coffee at le Pont - in my absence he'd fallen off his bike and bruised his ribs, alas. Ole-Bendik joined us; he is planning his trip to Sevilla and its environs with Michael B.

 Louise and Norbert briefly hove up en route to Banyuls  where it is allegedly not raining. Then - glory! - the towns new fire engine sauntered past!! Much talk of the use of public money. So decided to check the new footpath...

....and there was the circus. Performances last night and tonight.

All a trifle lack lustre but I am thrilled to be back - the weather will improve (though not, it seems, today)

Claudine and I ate most happily at tout l'ap and afterwards took a stroll around town. All very quiet. Hope todays' market is a bit friskier :) 

Esperazas antimacassors mistresss

 

Phil gave us very fine electric tout comfort chair; for the elderly and infirm this is a blessing. It is upholstered in a soft silver grey plush -  for a parrot evidently  delicious.

Here is Bev from La Vie Vintage, measuring for elastic sided antimacassars which will at least keep Rico from chewing it to bits.