Thank you, Maggie

10 of us gathered around the fire to say "thank you" to Maggie for all the manure she gave us for the garden. Trevor was home for the holidays and we, the garden girls and other halves were also joined by Racel and Alain. The table looks pretty scimpy when this photo was taken but I can assure those of you who are wondering if our hospitality is in decline that it filled up with all sorts of goodies throughout the evening. 8 of us managed to see off 6 bottles of bubbly so all in all, it was a good wee soirée.

Gloomy Day

The weather is grey and the news from Gaza is just awful. It makes you want to weep.

Getting Back to Normal

The thaw is on and it's raining heavily so there was no question that there would be a market to go to. Coffee again at Joëlle's this time to organise who's doing what for Monday night's apéritif which is a "thank you" to Maggie for the horse manure that she's shovelled, bagged, delivered and helped spread! In the evening it was our turn to play host as we'd invited our neighbours Sylvie and Christophe for an apéritif. We never ever see them so there was plenty to catch up with and they left at about 11.30pm

Good Samaritan!

Snow, snow and more snow! An alert was put out advising people not to travel.After lunch we braved the elements to go around to Michel and Joëlle's (on foot) where we were invited for coffee and stollen. Then it was home to batten down the hatches but with all best laid plans, things didn't work out as we expected. The motorway was closed and the Mairie opened up the foyer to stranded motorists. Christian was called out and stayed to help feed about 70 people of all nationalities until about 1.30am. Then he was back there for 7am to serve breakfast. What a star!

Merry Christmas!

Up relatively early, did the round of family phone calls and then popped around to Michelle and Jean-Jacques' with their Christmas present and stayed for a coffee. Then we stopped by at Michel's Mum's who is 97 to wish her a "Merry Christmas"" and give her the last bit of last night's Christmas log. As is our tradition, we went out for lunch but rather than going down to the coast we went up into the mountains, had a really good meal and the apéritif was on the house. Once back home, Christian had a siesta and I lit the fire and had a pot of tea. In the evening we were invited around to Jean-Jacques and Michelle's for an apéritif before a quiet evening in front of the telly with a box of chocs!

Father Christmas in Town

Another lovely sunny day and we were invited over to Penny and Frank's for lunch time drinks which were served on their terrace. We couldn't linger too long however, as we had to get home and prepare 10l of mulled wine to serve around the fountain at 7pm. Father Christmas did a tour of the village and outlying estates giving sweeties to the children and ended up in centre where the adults enjoyed the wine. Poor old Father Christmas couldn't have a drink though as he didn't want to stain his beard. Still, he and his wife came around to ours later on and we spent the Révillion together. Traditional menu of oysters, smoked salmon, foie gras, turkey, cheese and Christmas log. Can't you just hear the weight attaching itself to the hips!

Nature's Splendour

This morning I dealt with the duck liver that was sitting in the fridge and in 48 hours it will be ready to eat; just imagine, my very own foie fras.

What do you think of this for a view? Is it any wonder we're happy here? And of course we have good friends like Michel and Joëlle who came round for dinner with Alain who's staying with them for the holidays. Believe it or not we had turkey and cranberry sauce.

Christmas Cheer

There was music in the air this evening as Rosie and Maurice gathered together a few French and British friends to sing carols in English, French, Spanish, Catalan, Italian and Latin. There were nibbles provided by the choir and Jean-Louis did a good trade inside the bar. Sadly for Christian he had a council meeting but did mnage to join us for a wee glass or two.

Food with Friends

This evening we were invited around to Joëlle and Michel's for dinner with their friends Christian and Christine who were there for an overnight. Juste and Joséphine stopped by and the rabbit dish was stretched to cater for 8. Joëlle is a marvel in the kitchen, no hint of panic. If only some of it would rub off!
Something completely different - a (New) Labour government allowing for interest to be charged on crisis loans - what next???

Better than Expected!

I hadn't particularly been looking forward to the meal in the Village hall for the over 70's but it ended up being good fun. Everyone (150 of them) was there to enjoy themselves and apparently they did. There was music, dancing, singing and Jany doing a few sketches. The meal was excellent. We fell out from there just in time to head over to the new Mairie where guided tours were in progress with an apéritif to follow. During the afternoon there had been a symbolic removal of things from the old to the new mairie which had attracted about 60 or so volunteers, young and old. A good idea leaving people feeling as though they were part of something and that the Marie belongs to the citizens and not the elected representatives.

Normality

Supermarket, tv and a wee report about the "Opening" to send off to the local paper. A bit of a laugh really as my website colleague, Flo is in for the current vacancy!

Getting Back to Normal

Being to feel like my old self but the face in the mirror looks pretty sunken. Weighed in this morning at 64.3kg. I haven't weighed that since I was about 10 years old! Went over to the bar, where I only drank tea, to join Anne and Terry and a few others from the Association. Having won a huge goodie- filled basket at the Christmas market, they decided to bring along some bits and pieces for people to try. A really kind thought, n'est-ce pas? In the evening the Association's "Gastronomie" group had organised a demonstration of the preparation of foie gras. Joëlle did her Delia and showed us 3 different ways to prepare it and ..... do you know what. It isn't difficult. the

Oh Woe is Me

15th-17th December:

Three days of feeling absolutely awful. Gastro-enteritis is rife in the area and I didn't escape. Only started to pick up when Maggie came around bearing a rehydration formula for babies and instructed me to take it. in a previous life Maggie had run an elderly person's home or what ever the pc term is these days and this is what they used. But life is never without a wee ray of sushine; how we laughed at Bush having to duck the flying shoes.

Christmas Market

Well, the day finally dawned wet and cold so there was nothing to do but set up shop in the hall. A bit of a squash and very noisy but apparently people were well content with how it went. Only a couple of hiccups when 2 stall holders didn't have the 4 metres they'd asked for but otherwise Flo and I were pleased and we made a bit of money for the web site. Sadly the patron of the bar was "out of it, having passed a night of making merry and our meal wasn't anything to write home about. A bit embarrassing really as Madeline has come down from her mountain hide-away and brought a friend, Annie with her. Feeling absoltely exhausted and can't stop shivering.

Just Keep Going

7th-13th December:

A week spent preparing for the Christmas Market and worrying about the weather. Will it be fine and if it's not, how are we going to get everyone into the hall? Still, it wasn't all work. Sunday we went to the Auberge for lunch and Wednesday to a rather smart restaurant in Spain where we met a charming gentleman called Ramon with a rather less charming Frenchman. Got the impression that Ramon was well-heeled and the other was there sucking up to him. Anyway we came away with Ramon's address and an invitation to visit. Apparently he has a soft spot for our village as in his youth, his first love came from here. Friday evening there was the opening of the current exhibition. A painter/sculptress from Perpignan. We bought the bust of the African woman that you can see in the photo. Then Joëlle, Michel and Maggie came back to the house to share a basket of oysters that we'd bought and to drink lots of wine. Saturday it was the "Fêtes des Ecoles" where you could part with your money in aid of the school outing fund. Fater Christmas arrived on a horse but apart from that it was bitterly cold and there wasn't much to encourage us to linger. At least we showed face which is more than the Head does for events organised by the Mairie (he was beaten for the 3rd time in the elections; some scars never heal), got our ears blasted off and beat a retreat home to the warm and a pot of tea.

Pulling out all the Stops

Started the day at the market but this time with Joëlle as Christian was at the village hall helping set up. Also leafleted cars for the Christmas Market. The afternoon consisted of a British tearoom (which raised 1000€), guess the weight of Colin's "gâteau", a sculptor who used a chain saw to carve out a tree trunk in the shape of an owl for a raffle and various stalls. I left the Association to it's own devices as the website did a bottle stall and raised 200€. During the afternoon the kids theatre group took of various members of the Council and villages. Wht a thrill to find myself being taken of. Was even better than the young woman was "mignonne" as the French would say. The fair ended at 6.30pm and then it was all hands on deck to prepare the hall for the evening meal of wild boar for 70 people. The evening continued until 3am at our place with Jean (and his guitar), Monique, Alain, Jeanine, Jean-Claude and Carmen. Now there's the Christmas Market next weekend ......

2nd Téléthon Event

A night of music and dance for the Téléthon after an afternoon blowing up balloons! What dizzy heights can I aspire to next?? The real highlight though was the publicity that "Colin esposera son gâteau". "Exposer" in French doesn't have the same connotation as in English but it certainly caused the English community to have a few nudge, nudges and wink, winks!

All Go!

Plant sale at the market for the Association and then a change of "hat" in the afternoon when Flo and I measured the square for the Christmas Market stalls.

Bad Vibes Continue

Joséphine came around to put her point of view again and Maggie came to "sound off" about egos getting in the way everywhere. Still I suppose there was some sort of balance as Yaneth came and we've decided our project deadline should be extended and Joëlle came by with Jean Ortiz for an apéritif while the men were at the Mairie.

One Big Headache

An Association meeting in the morning where we counted the money and tried to sort out the unclaimed prizes. Not easy when you have a name and no phone number. The evening should have been a pleasant one as it was the monthly trip up into the mountains for Christian' meeting and the restaurant where a "zarzuela" had been especially ordered. A "zarzuela" is a Catalan fish stew, by the way. This time we were joined by Juste and Joséphine but a row kicked off between her and Alain about the Téléthon; I'll spare you the details. Then to cap it all, we came home and I was sick. Hadn't eaten the fish so I've no idea why.

1st Téléthon Event

Maggie and I set up stall outside the church to try and flog tombola tickets to the good Christians of the village and then after that outside the bar to do likewise to the not so holy! After that we carried the trunk up to the hall where an "Ollada" was on the menu and we started selling again; a last gasp before the draw later on after the meal. An Ollada is a Catalan stew that uses all the bits of a pig that you'd rather not know about. It does, however, taste delicious. There were about 150 people who sat down to lunch and all was a great success. The tombola raised over 400€ so we were well pleased with our efforts. The trunk contained two helicopter trips and believe it or not, the Mayor won. Being the good sport that he is, it went back in to be drawn again and was won by Michel's Mum who is 97! There was entertainment provided by a group of young people who'd do well on "X Factor"and by Jany and Jean. Not content to call it a day after we'd cleaned away, Joëlle, Monique, Alain, their friends, Simone and Roger, Joséphine, Geneviève, Juste, Jany, and Jean came back to ours for a wee refreshment and more music. Alain, Monique, Simone and Roger stayed on for pot luck out of the fridge. One down, two more events to go! .....and we didn't forget that it was St Andrew's Day either.

Down in the Cave

A normal Saturday morning with a trip to the market but the afternoon was spent in the cave wrapping up tombola prizes with Maggie, Carmen and Janine. Now I know how Santa's little helpers feel in the run up to Christmas but I have to admit it was fun and the endless pots of tea helped.

Keeping Going

Today it was time to turn my attention to the Christmas market so Flo and I set off around the local shops to put up notices and to solicite a contribution to our "guess the weight of the heavily- laden basket" with which we hope to replenish the coffers of our website. The evening was much more fun as the Association had organised a tutored tasting at the local wine shop. That's more like it - too much work and all that...

Into the Thick of It

Still coughing but there are things to do. Like tickets for the Tombola in the morning and potting up cuttings in the afternoon. The trunk contains a super (secret) surprise and to get to it, people had to try and find the code and the plants for our stall to raise money for the Téléthon. France's answer to "Children in Need" though on a much smaller scale and covering very specific charities for genetic disabilities.
In the evening, Christian was up in the other village for a meeting and then it was back to Michel and Joëlle's for a late dinner.

Chez Nous Again

Another hearty breakfast and another lazy morning before Noël drove us down to the airport. Flight went without any problems and we arrived into Girona on time where we met up with Rosie to give her a lift back to the village. Home sweet home!

Cold and Frosty Morning

Weather, a hearty beakfast and a lazy morning chatting. I don't even pretend to understand the logic but having missed the shopping in Glasgow and trailed around Ayr, I decided that Tesco would have all I needed. Another good idea bites the dust, so we'll move hastily on to a pleasant evening spent with Angus and Maureen, some tasty nibbles and a few drinks.

Au revoir Glesca!

Eddie once again saved us from the perils of public transport and gave us a lift to the Art Galleries where we meeting Andy and Maureen for lunch. It was such a stroke of luck that they were down from the Highlands at the same time as we were in town. We were able to see photos of the new bairn and what a wee darlin' he looks too and they were able to hear about our respective activities. You can see that Maureen is dead impressed by her friend in high places! What's more they've said they'll come and visit this year and now it's writing they'll just have to follow through, won't they? So, we said goodbye to them and then goodbye to Eddie when he dropped us off in the city centre where we were meeting Noel for the journey down to Mauchline. Eddie even gave us a farewell gift; lemsips for me and a packet of mushy peas for Christian which he'd found delicious when we'd had them the night before! I sometimes wonder if he doesn't have some ancestery from across the channel or perhaps it's to do with his Dad being Belgian....
Once at Ann and Noël's it was apéritifs, dinner and round the corner to the B&B as the bathroom was undergoing a reconstruction.

A Dreech Day

Windy, rainy, cold. Suzanne, brave woman that she is, set off (alone) to harvest veg for dinner in the morning while the rest of us lounged around reading the papers. Plans to walk to Kibble Palace in Kelvingrove Park gave way to a ride in the car as we managed to persuade her that this was a much better idea. The winter gardens, with a floor space of 2,189m, really are very beautiful with one part being dedicated to orchids; some of the Australian ferns have been there since the 19th century. It's history is interesting too. Built for a private Estate on Loch Long in the 1860's, it was dismantled from 1872 onwards for removal to Glasgow by barge up the Clyde and by cart. It was closed for rennovation in 2003 with the plants being housed elsewhere, and dismantled and transported to South Yorkshire for repair. Phew! There was also a rather nice statue of Ruth as well so I just had to have my photo taken next to but as she looked a whole lot better after a hard day's gleaning than I did in my anorak and woolly bonnet, you're not getting to see it! Well, I'd done a hard day's coughing!

A quick whizz around an exhibition of paintings by local artists in an adjacent building and we headed off in search of "Tattie Mac's" which had had a good write up in The Herald, for a late lunch. Despite the name, it was a small, modern place seving bistro food and not a baked spud in sight!

Arrived home to find that Suzanne's Dad, a man with an interesting on life and storys was already there. Dinner of roast beef appeared as if by magic and we all went to bed feeling well fed and happy.

Eating is such pleasure!

Time to move on to Glasgow, dear old Glasgow Toon but not before a bracing walk along the seafront and lunch at McCallums with Eddie and Suzanne who came down to pick us up. There were even a couple of seals in the harbour. Weather was pretty bleak ( Scotland, November so no surprise there) so it was a night in with a curry after Eddie was outvoted about watching "Strictly". Glasgow and curry are synonymous, not quite sure about "Strictly" though. Let's just think "Billy Elliot" and as for once all the kids were there, Eddie was on tae plums!

Wedding Bells

Bill and June pulled all the stops out for the wedding. Of course there was a piper to herald the arrival of the bride; there was a singer to keep us entertained while the register was being signed then a cartoonist and a local lad who had tried out for the "X Factor " while the photos were being taken in the grounds of 'The Brig o' Doon'.

That wasn't all... during the meal there was a trio of singers who had been passing themselves off as hotel staff during the afternoon, a pipe band, a video box, camera on the table to snap away as we enjoyed ourselves and fish and chips later on. Our table consisted of people who had worked in Toulouse, Marilyn and Alistair, our old neighbours, so we found plenty to talk about. Last orders in the hotel were called at 12.30 am so, it was across the road to the house that the family were staying in to drink some more. Managed to walk the mile home at 3am, goodness knows how!

Shopped Till We Dropped

You can see our bedroom from this photo. It looks out over the golf course though with such a dreary day, the view was some what limited. Undeterred by the drizzle, we set off for Ayr after a "full Scottish" that didn't have any porridge. Trailed round and round the shops before meeting up with Karen for lunch in "The West Kirk" which as it's name suggests is an old church. Trailed the same shops again in the afternoon looking for a top for the wedding. Found two and ended up wearing neither! One rather snooty woman was well put out as I hadn't taken the outfit in and I didn't know what fabric the suit was made from! Christian, through all this, was relatively patient but gave up in favour of having a coffee as I made a final tour of the town. In the evening Colin and sheila picked us up to go to the "Ruppee Room" in Ayr for a curry. Food was good but you just couldn't hear yourself think for the noise so a coffee across the road was a welcome relief.

Bonnie Scotland

This time it was our turn to jet off. To Prestwick airport to be precise which their advertising says is "Pure Dead Brilliant". Well, it was pure dead brilliant to be met at the airport by Colin and Sheila who took us for a great meal at "Reds". This now rather snazzy bistro serving international food, in our day, used to be a greasy spoon called called the "New York Diner". As it's unlicensed, Sheila had come armed with a couple of New World wines which surprise, surprise Christian didn't turn his nose up at. They then drove us out to the Alloway Inn where we had a night cap before settling in for the next couple of days.

Another day, Another meeting

This morning's meeting was all about the Christmas market which is looming ever closer. Looks as if it will be bigger and hopefully better than last year. While Christian and Michel were at their usual council meeting in the evening, Joëlle and I went off to see "The Duchess" at the cinema. It was interesting to see such a progressive woman of the 18th century in the spotlight but even she had to put up with a "menage à trois". I must get around to reading up about her to distinguish fact from cinematographic fiction. Anyway, we both quite enjoyed it and came home to supper with Michel and Christian who were already on the apéritifs!

Busy as Ever

A busy but varied day. Jean and Françoise called in for coffee before my usual Association committee meeting. For once there was no hassle thinking of some thing quick to get heated up for lunch as we were invited to Joëlle and Michel's. Sadly we weren't able to linger too long as we both had some catching up to do in the garden, breaking up branches to be precise. The evening and another meal out. This time at Linde's for a last supper for the "Ground Force" before she heads off to the States for Thanksgiving - for the new President rather than the turkey who leaves office in January!

Good Deed Day

Took our friend Barbara to the airport in Girona and spent the rest of the day munching our way through the choccies that she gave us by way of a thank you. That puts me in mind of a couple of cards I've received over the years ~ "Things are getting worse, please send chocolate!" and "There's nothing better than a good friend than a good friend with chocolate!" Enough said!

New Roundabout

Would you believe that we had such wide horizons? Today we were at the inauguration of the new roundabout as you come into the village. The great and the good from local politics were there as well as a lot of old soldiers in honour of the roundabout being named in memory of all those who died in various wars. More parading, more wreaths at the war memorial, more speeches and an upmarket apéritif. The Mairie had to hire some local Rangers to keep an eye overnight on the plants that had just been planted as there's been a spate of vandalism and there was fear that the roundabout would be targetted. As indeed it was. Three youngsters took flight when they realised that the Rangers were there. Otherwise all went well. There were over 20 of us who went off to the local auberge for lunch and the tenor who had again sung at the War Memorial gave us some more jollier offerings. A real treat. When we finally left I realised that it was too late to join the others in the garden so with a bit of a guilty conscience I joined Christian along with another couple at the home of a Belgian couple who plied us with more wine....

International Exhibition

Our thirst for culture knows no bounds. This evening we left the village to go to Collioure for the opening of an exhibition being held in the Château Royal. It was the first time that we'd been in it and was an added bonus. The exhibition took in 30 artists from 8 different countries and there was something for all tastes and pockets ( well, more or less). The painting I really liked, was done coincidently by a namesake of Christian's but at 700€ we passed on the opportunity to buy it. A painter from the commune was also showing and we were lucky enough to have him give us a tour of his work. Cork is often incorporated into his paintings but his work was way out of our league. We thought this other photo of Angelo in front of the painting was quirky. A question of being in the right place at the right time and having an eye for a subject of course!

World Kindness Day

Today I've tried to go about my daily business being nicer than usual! There was the language exchange this morning and this afternoon I made my second Christmas cake. Lovely smells have filled the kitchen. Pity that neither are for us. The tramuntana has been howling giving blue skies and a chill in the air. I saw that it was warmer in Scotland than it was here.

Saint Christian

Bet you didn't know that there was a Saint Christian. Well, Christian, a cook, was one of five Polish monks murdered in 1003 and today is his feast day. Apparently he was considered to be less saintly than the others as he tried to defend himself with a baton. I don't know whether it was the baton or the fighting back that was held against him. Anyway, feast days are recognised here, so "Bonne Fête, Christian!"

Armistice

Today is a holiday here but for us there was another early start, another ceremony in each village and another apéritif. 62 men from the commune died as a result of the 1stWW. Hearing their names read out and seeing children from the primary school place candles around the war memorial along with all the tv programmes marking the 90th anniversary really keeps the memory of that horror alive. In need of fortification we went with Alain and Monique to the Auberge for lunch before spending the rest of the day at home.

Another First!

Edofglasgow is a star! The first to comment way back when and now within a couple of days of enabling the "followers", widget, there he is again. Merci!

Nothing Much to Report

Didn't do anything much out of the ordinary on Sunday. Went to the bar for a pre-lunch drink to find that some other clients were roasting chestnuts on the fire. Jean-Louis contributed a couple of glasses of Banyuls all round so we went home with a rosy glow.
Monday we took a quick trip into Figueres to pick up the new suits that had to be altered. Lovely autumn sunshine and temperatures of 19°. The trip home was a bit of a drag as there were hold-ups on the frontier (sounds a bit like the wild west!), so taking the motorway wasn't such a clever move after all.

Saturday Again?

Can't believe how quickly our trip to the market comes around. Half of the village seemed to be there today. Caught up with Françoise who's just back from Sicily to find that Jean was admitted that morning to hospital. Went to the Auberge for lunch and ended up having coffee with a judge!

Today there is a demonstration in Perpignan against the Treaty of the Pyrénées which ceded this area to France in 1659. Catalanism is still alive and well. By the way, for those of you who don't know, the donkey is the Catalan symbol not one for a judge!

The Moment of Truth!

There's now the possiblity to tell it like it is. I've added comment boxes at the end of each post. Feel free to use them or not and I think I'm grounded enough to take a few "borings"!
Let me know if there is enough choice. Also on the sidebar there's now the possiblity to indicate that you are a follower. Come on all 4 of you, sign up!

After a busy day at the computer it was good to get for the opening of the new exhibition in the village. The artist has a style that we both liked and I think the you can see the influence of the Emerald Isle where he lived for many years. There was of course the usual apéritif to finish and an opportunity to meet new people and to catch up with old friends. The evening continued with dinner at Joëlle and Michel's. Delicious Tunisian soup, duck and lentils followed by cheese and chocolate mousse. Won't tell you how many helpings we had! On the way home we stopped off at the bar for a coffee but didn't stay too late.

At last!

Finally, the blog is up to date after being 2 months behind! Christian seems to be the Mairie, morning, noon and night these days so I've had some time in between my own meetings to get it done. Phew. Now all I have to do is not let it slip again.

Yes, we can!

Well, he did and millions of people are breathing a sigh of relief. We just have to hope that our euphoria will not be rewarded as we were in 1997 after Tony Blair's election. It was interesting to see Chrisitine Lagarde, Sarko's Minister of Finance who donated to Obama's senatorial campaign when she lived in Chicago on French tv. Then on the BBC there was an American journalist who writes for the Telegraph. Both obviously have right wing leanings and both are Obama supporters. Still, he was the best option so we'll have to see...

In the evening Linde came around with a bottle of fizz, we had one in the fridge so we toasted the dawn of a new era!

Apart from all that we spent the morning in Figueres shopping for wedding outfits. We were both successful so we went off to Can Renart for lunch. We'd never been before and had been told that it was good. Lovely stone building, 16€ menu, food well presented and service good. However, I do object to having to pay for bread, 1.50€ each. The wine was extra as well. It may seem a little churlish to complain about the prices but here there are other restaurants that are a better "rapport qualité/prix". After that we went to buy cava and had a look around the little museum that's attached to the celler. All in all, a good day.

Ordinary Days

Monday (3rd) and Tuesday (4th) Weather still overcast with rain on and off. Christian at the Mairie. Association meeting and ironing for me. Well, you can't go out dining everyday day.

Raining Cats and Dogs

Rain, rain and more rain all day long. Great for the garden. Nothing else to do but to go for lunch. First of all an apéritif at Juste and Joséphine's along with Alain, Joëlle, Michel, and Joséphine's Mum who is over on holiday from Scicily. We helped to finish off a very palatable champagne cocktail that they'd made for their daughter's birthday the day before. Then it was on to a nearby hotel for a much larger than necessary lunch - buffet starter, main course, cheese and dessert buffet.
Barely had time to turn around when we went off to José and Michelle's for an apéritif. All in all a bit of a marathon!

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Market as usual in the morning and then in the afternoon all systems go to prepare dinner for Michel, Alain and Joëlle. Something simple - chili con carne. The rain has started and looks as if might be here to stay a while.

Halloween

A Halloween meal with the local undertaker and his wife. Beat that if you can! It was really too funny for words. We were afraid that the lipservice that we'd paid to Halloween would be pretty pathetic in comparison to everyone else but no, apart from on other woman who could have been a real witch ( not very sisterly of me, I know) we were the only ones of the 30 or so folk whould made any effort. When I tell you that some of the others arrived with zimmers you'll get the picture. The meal was mussels and chips, no I won't go on, suffice it to say that the evening was saved by Patrick and Jany who are good company and we'll leave it at that.

Harvest Festival

Language exchange in the morning and it's started to be too cold for the terrace of the bar so we've moved indoors to one of the municipal committee rooms. More people have joined since I've been away and it all seems to be going well. Still manage to go for a wee after-meeting refreshment with Maggie, Terry and Anne. In the evening the "garden girls" assembled at Linde's for pumpkin soup made from the only pumpkin that we produced! It was good, there was wine, talk of lessons learnt and future projects.