Happy happy sunday (though it would be nice if Bob were here too)

 Rabbit cleaning other rabbits' ears. So sweet! And a good start to the day... the market is in full force, the vide grenier is brill, of course.

 Heres Etienne with his team, Ma, Pa and Bieke, doing his first vide grenier. Not impressed...

 Heres my haul. Significantly there are 10 bowls for cassoulet which will give this weeks meals a certain direction :) And some Russian marquetry, old books and a bowl for rabbit terrine which will hold anything but.

 I would have escaped quite lightly had not this geezer captured my attention and flogged me some hippy trousers and a shirt - 'ah nostalgie, nostalgie', as Babs said when I showed him.
Aioli is mayonnasie with garlic pounded into it so it was a curious choice to be tattooed over the occitan cross. Ever in search of emerging theology I asked him why - and lo! It's his name. Well, it sounds like his name and he's adopted it.

Saw everyone I know who isnt away out in the sunshine. Missed Kat - stop this holidaying and come home! And Pete and Nel, who've gone off somewhere else. Micheal the-German-architect was there, restored to health following a nearly catastrophic scare after which he looks much as ever, allelujia; Ferren, who reports from Jerusalem that young Hassidic Jews have their corkscrew curls attached to their skull caps. Fran pointed out that in Irish dancing young women do the same with kiss-curls. Now begining to obsess about detatchable hair rites.

 Off to lunch at Annie and Petes next - then its choir practice.  Has there ever been a better Sunday?

traffic lights...

....are gone. 

I can hear sighs of relief from drivers all over the Aude. As traffic lights went, these were the daftest - even pedestrians didn't like them as they were random in allowing passage. However now there are no traffic calming measures in place so be careful all, wheeled and footed persons.

I forgot on Tuesday to photgraph the dinner to say goodbye to Kat = 2 weeks in Portugal - and Bob= 1 week in London. Pete and Nel, Pete and Annie were there plus Leo and it was good, at least I enjoyed it :)

Went to Quillan market the next day and snapped the pieta over the church door - see below, isn't it a gem? Above it in the wall is presumably God the father but it looks more like a bishop - the real boss of the church. And heres a gratuitious cruxifiction too, carved on the block. 

ghost town

Everyone disappeared for the holiday yesterday, heaven knows where to - it was dull and grey and pretty boring so the Captain put me and the dog in the car and we drove up to Montbel and the surrounding beautiful mountains. Here's Fontestorbes, the intermittent fountain.The roads were deserted too, perhaps everyone went to the coast?

Sunday sunshine...

...was sporadic. No rain but occasional cloud. Pretty good, in short - and all the world out having a blast :)


Here is O-B with his first family. I will not attempt to spell any names.
It seems the weather here is much like Norway at the moment, sadly -the family seem happy enough anyway:)

Love catching up with the news on a Sunday. Was chating with a couple of mates (Hatti and Gunter, since you ask) and happened to say that Annie and Pete ate with us last night and because everyone was tierd we watched a DVD - Under the Skin. They, Hatti and Gunter, also loved it and told me that the director whose name we can't remember spent his holiday last year in St Jean de Paracol.
For the geographically challenged, St Jean de P is a hamlet of about 20 souls, in a dip off a tiny road about 8 kilometers fom here. Not usually associated with mega stars of the creative world.

Below is Philippe, hurrying to try and finish the TyRex in time for the June opening, YESSSSS. I am not alone in longing for the day. And another excitement; 31st May is Esperaza's next vide Grenier. 

Up the hill

Breathtaking up the hill, Mont Marot - the snow is back on the distant mountain which tells you all you need to know about the weather here - suddenly chilly with too much wind.
Bob and I were there to replace our stolen gate with a cheap plastic chain. We're assuming that no-one will want to steal that. In order to deter hunters and ill-wishers, I have equiped the chain with some coptic curses threatening 70 diseases on the enemy; naturally it won't affect friends who want to use the land.

Everything is blooming. Orchids are up, wild garlic, almonds, scented bushes and flowers. It is a paradise.

cast in plaster

Andree has gone off to the hospital today for the cataract op. Everything is smelling of roses :) The French health system is wonderful and we expect here back tomorrow, gimlet-eyed.

six farewells, two hellos

Toby left for Amsterdam yesterday morning; Margaret, Cathy and the infant Samuel leave this morning for Ireland; Max and Andrea are off as I write to Winnipeg. On the plus side, Annie and Pete are here for a month.... and Bob gets back tomorrow.

 Here we are aperoing with Alicia, Ryan and Etienne in the garden and afterwards at dinner, where everyone was very nice about my failed tagine.