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.