At last...

 

...caught Andy and Max!

They invited me to share a meal and Andy upped the ante by making the candles on the table which matched the cloth, how extraordinary is that :)

Here is Andy looking gorgeous and Max looking blurred - a by-product of testing the St Jacques blanquette, probably.

On account of eating and drinking very well, I skipped the start of the town fete. It seems to have been a great success and I'm  ashamed of myself for being so lazy. Here in the square this morning they are preparing for todays events. No sign of rain ( in previous years it has rained ) - but it aint over yet.

Weds in the dry Aude valley

 

Annie and Pete came to lunch :) It was good. Even my cooking didn't put a foot wrong. Come back soon, dear ones...

No photos yet of Max and Andy who have barely emerged from their jet laggery. Expect to catch them soon.

Annie and Pete hove up

Look who turned up last night, to cries of joy and rejoicing from all at no.9!! Pete and Annie are visiting as are a selection of their children whom we hope to see anon. Rico was totally bewitched by Pete and is now behaving like a sulky teenager.

 

Farewell to Alain -

 Difficult to know what to post of last nights' party... here's the hero, Alain, who cunningly arranged platters of nosh to be spread in Tout l'apero so his mates could come and say goodbye to him. He's off to the antipodes for an unspecified period.

He will be missed!!!

There are many other snaps but some were veto'd last night - despite my views - the general  atmosphere is apparent nonetheless. I have pictures of Charlotte looking fab (she didn't like them) of Yvonne in barbie pink (ditto) etc etc-

Thoroughly good evening. 

All the best to Alain in his voyaging, and may he come back to us soon safe and sound.

Jem and Karim have pushed off too, though we expect to see them again when they take possession of the Couiza house. And in the face of all this departure we have some arrivals, hurrah!! Max and Andy arrive tomorrow :)

Esperaza weekend...

The market is soooo beautiful first thing, while the traders are setting up and the sun is rising. Can't imagine living somewhere without stalls of figs and peaches and olives and nuts and all the smells of life in the south. 

Had the great pleasure of feeding Gert and Elizabet last night though the food was a tad iffy. (=anchovy tart - too salty - chicken breasts stuffed with blet and mushrooms - over cooked- good cheeses - rennes claude crumble with ginger, yum) We drank hardly anything and forbore digestifs. So mature.

 As I keep telling myself, its not about the food - our friends are such good company!!

Low Water

 

We are in such terrifyingly low water now that we are not allowed to extract river water for the garden - despite upgrading the pump, installing a meter and paying in advance for the water we cannot have - so that's the winter crops dead and dying, dammit.  Pity the heron, barely visible here, though perhaps it makes catching fish easier.

I take comfort from the fact that Esperazas fete is arriving and it nearly always rains for that :)

Farewells

Berndt and Jutta... visiting their old friends in Esperaza. 

Being in Aix and then in the arms of Covid, Bob and I have missed their visit. Last night was their farewell bash as they leave early this morning to return to Germany: nice to catch a glimpse. 

The party began on the terrace of the creperie but as it turned colder shimmied into the resturant itself. Fairly empty as the fete du vin was being enacted outside le heathy; nonetheless Billy, Jo and family were there as were Alain and mates. 

Hoping that Berndt and Jutta will be back in the new year -