young again

Yesterday was Phil's birthday. There was celebration and carousing. He and Lily leave tonight for America and the house will saddened...

wanders return

Annie and Pete are back, with Gus - much joy abounded as they met Phil and Lily and re-met Ryan and Alicia.

Gus is old enough to take his place at the table now. Hes taller than me, inexplicably - maybe Ive shrunk.

The end is nigh

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/19/bugarach-french-village-survive-mayan-apocalypse
-for the Guardian newspapers' take on the E of the W;  fantastic sunrise this morning which was very apocalyptic. (The reason I saw the sunrise is that Steve has gone off to Zurich and I've got over his farewell dinner.)

If you plan to  survive the E of the W and the attendant invasion of sensation seekers, see Jenny's new site, http://wildorchidsfrance.com/  Lovely.

La Pierre Lys

Steve took me and Kat to dinner last night at Pierre Lys - excellent, really excellent, as ever - have some amusing photos of Kat eating the langues de chat (that came with our lime, apricot and blanquette-soaked sorbet coup) but they're obscene.


Steve leaves tomorrow. Phil and Lily are here another week.

Dieting starts some other time.

Steves back:)

 Et voila! Ex-Esperazannes  Steve is here for a few days; together with Ryan and Alicia, Phil and Lily, Andree joined Bob and me for a stupendous meal. Shes only looking suspicious because shes tasting carefully; smoked salmon - the fish caught, cured and smoked by Phil in America- ; brie and herb pastry cake by Alicia;  tomato and coconut milk soup by Ryan;  pork and jeweled rice with pistachio by the team; we decided against the cheese course and finished with ginger and pear and squash crumble;  plus, hey ho, chocolates from a vast selection bought by Steve from Switzerland.  Everyone is staying till Thursday by which time I shall be as a barrage balloon.

another rainy sunday

Market wet but not rained off.

Voila! An apple theme; here is Zara from Le Fripp with her breakfast,

and here an apple cut by another stallholder - who was obviously bored.

Le Carnozet

Dinner at Le Carnozet in Couiza, thanks to Alicia's Ma and Pa - here is Mama Lily snapped later - an excellent evening and food to remember. The goats cheese and quince jelly pasty was highly original and dead good; all of us appreciated the care that went into our food. If I wasn't so full of it and the delicious Pinot Noir from Domaine d'Autignac, I'd list it all - alas, the flesh is very very weak.