missing, presumed stolen

some persons unknown and unkind have stolen one of Jeannie's pots... possibly after the music festival.  It was big to carry away. 

Upsetting.

Anyone see anything?

Jeannie tells a cautionary tale (apart from nailing your flowers down ) The police came for her on account of finding a box inappropriately binned, which carried her name and address. No matter that she didn't live at the address on the package or that it was v old - she got shafted for a hefty fine.

For a town covered in security cameras, its all rather surprising.

*****

Here's Hannah sitting outside at John and Margarets where we were fed to excess, unable to say no - too delicious! - and young Peter Dunn, in a similar state. 

                            There was also present a 3ft long grass snake, most beautiful but alas, dead. 

Clare, Margaret and John didn't get snapped, weirdly. 

Another time.

 

Fridays sport

The pond becomes fascinating as our frog has a friend, courtesy neighbour Vincent... not knowing a thing about frogs I was watching closely to see if they'd be OK together. This morning they were on adjacent spots, looking fat and happy and eating mossies.

Here is the mighty Ole-Bendik with Jazz last night at the festival of music.  Mixed reviews of the evening as shouty DJ's and loud ticky ticky ticky drumming into the early hours not that popular with our age group. I'm sure they are excellent of their genre... 

Hannah, Clair and Cleopatra

 

gentle weather

 While France - and the world in general - suffers from heat or floods, we lucky ones have a soft and gentle time, and are grateful.

Me and les filles have been away at Puilaurens, drawing, painting, eating and drinking. Sigh.

Fete de Musique tomorrow!! In the square and in front of the school. See you there :)

sat/sun in June

This would have been an amazing photo if I hadn't been so slow off the mark, showing John flambeeing the fruit after yesterdays lovely lunch. It was terrific, served with brebis ice cream. 

I can claim a hand in it though... I promised to bring dessert for lunch and totally forgot (ouch! And ouch again!) so what our hosts prepared was a symphony of unprepared ingeniousness. Erm, how fortunate they are to have friends who offer them the opportunity to be creative. Um.

And today was tea-time with Samuel, who laid out this plate to help explain to us all how the French governmental system works. He fears that the far right will win the upcoming election and has put his house on the market in order to return to Greece. Much debate.

Here is le Pont this morning, where I sheltered from sunlight and smokers. Lovely.

 

very local news and an invitation

Here's Hannah with her new aunty Siggy, heading off to the lake - the weather being fabulous - and below, the latest for our menagerie, courtesy our neighbour Vincent. 

And here's a diary date from Marie-Pierre- unmissable. I've been to the Narbo Via twice and can't wait to go again, it's spectacular. The historic centre also a blast. Get booking :)

 WEDNESDAY JUNE 26

Come and discover Narbonne, the oldest Roman colony outside Italy, called "the daughter of Rome".

In the morning, we will visit the new Narbo Via museum, created in 2021 by architect Norman Foster. There will be two guided tours to choose from, one in French and one in English. You will discover, among other things, a very special stone wall, 'le mur lapidaire'. This, the centrepiece of the museum, features an amazing collection of ancient inscriptions, displayed using state-of-the art technology!

The meal will be taken on site at the “Cadence au Musée” restaurant which specialises in cooking fresh, seasonal products, in collaboration with the Halles de Narbonne.

In the afternoon, our bus will take us to the historic centre of Narbonne. To explore it, the choice is yours: on foot, by boat, by little train or even on a treasure hunt.

Cost of the day, all inclusive: approximately € 60.-

Book now by writing to Marie-Pierre

domainedeluzenac@gmail.com

Weds night

Hannah Harris, Bobs niece, has arrived and is joining us for a fraction of her gap year. One of her aims is to improve her French so if you bump into her, parlez!!

We started at Toutla last night and emboldened by the shirts I approached these guys to see if they were entomologists,  which they weren't. Bugs are their hobby, not their livelihood. They were kind enough to go through my endless photos of little beasties and tell me all about them...

Then we went to eat at Chaplaire. All tired today. 

 

Pet care

 Every now and then fate decrees that life is just too pleasant and that we need some angst. That's when its time to clean the parrot cages out. 

This involves removing the parrots from said cages and taking the cages into the impasse, then pressure hosing them into hygienic shining clean cleanliness.

Rico the African Grey hates this. (Tango, Argentinean Green, isn't bovverd.) Rico has to be lured out of his home and entertained until he can climb back into his space, quivering with relief. Here is sweet Louise, who is very good with Rico, helping him through the trauma.

Thanks to her, we are OK for a few more weeks...