A Taste of Spring

Another week has flown by with Christian spending even more time than ever at the Mairie and me still trying to get information together for International Women's Day. How easy it was in Glasgow in comparison. Still, it wasn't all work. Wednesday I was invited to Joëlle and Michel's for tea and pancakes in the afternoon after Jany had sorted out my roots! Yesterday we were out for the whole day. Up the valley and over into Catalunya Sud but not before we'd bumped into Annie and Graham en route and had a coffee with them. The weather was just fabulous, an unbelievable 21° at times. We weren't quite so lucky food wise as two restaurants that we wanted to try were closed, a third charged for bread and "couverts" which I object to on principal especially as there was only à la carte. I wonder what would happen if you took your own! We finally ended up in a modern place which did a very passable meal for the princely sum of 10.80€ with wine and you had a knife and fork thrown in for free. Not wanting to let go of the euphoric feeling of having left winter behind we had a glass of wine on the terrace of the bar before closing the shutters at home and switching on the telly.

On the news front I've been a "grumpy old woman" about over - paid, well pensioned bankers, , the cost of the Queen Mum's statue (just outrageous) and a beauty pageant for women of no fixed abode in Belgium. Exploitation at it's best hosted by a petite blonde with all her own teeth.

Pay des Cathars

Sitting in the sun having a wee refreshment after the market we took the notion to see if Pierre et Marie, who live near Limoux, were free for lunch the next day. We' were invited over for the night so we made our way over through Cathar country drinking in the scenery and thinking of this cruel period of French history when the castles came into view. Caught up on the news, admired their new house and enjoyed a good meal. The next day we headed to Esperaza where we joined an aging "hippie" population at the market. Then back into the car to go up into the mountains where we had fabulous views and a good all-in meal for 22€. The return journey went without any problems. All in all a little bit of spontaneity does you good!

In the News

Life chez nous has been much the same all week. Mairie and the Association. International Women's Day is getting closer and though it will be a simple affair there seems to be loads to co-ordinate. Quiet as it is here there seems to be plenty of news to catch the interest. We'll forget the economic crisis but our local news paper has reported Jade Goodie's story and the kissing ban at Warrington railway station. You can just imagine the French reaction to that! French tv has been full of the general strike and protests in Guadeloupe where people are fed up of being treated like a modern day colony. Our illustrious President has promised to visit when the situation is more stable. Perhaps he fears flying shoes. Two prisoners broke out of a high security prison using explosives that had been smuggled in by women visitors! Apparently one of the women always set off the alarm because of some medical appliance that she had to wear and was never checked. An ideal"mule". Three days on the run and now one is on the critical list in hospital having been shot twice in the thorax. Talking of prisons, what about the judge in Florida, I think it was, who's been done for sending too many people to prison (even for the States)? The prison is privately run and paid a "bounty" for each detainee. Crooked bankers, crooked judges, crooked politicians, crooked estranged husbands of politicians, the list is never ending. I did hear that David Mills, Tessa Jowell's hubbie, although convicted to 4 years, won't serve them because of Italian legal technicalities. The best laugh has come from Ireland. the story of the Police being puzzled by a Polish motiorist who has accumulated 50 or so motoring offences and each time given a different address. Mystery was solved when the name was looked up in a dictionary and found to mean "driving licence"!!! More worrying news has also come from Ireland - Ryanair's decision to let people use their mobile phones for £1-£3/min once they reach 10,000 feet. According to Martin O'Leary it's because there's a public demand. Yeah, yeah.

Valentine's Day

To the market, of course and by gum it was cold. Thought we'd have lunch out as it was St Valentine and we don't bother with presents or cards. I think you've all realised by now where our priorities lie! Sadly we made a lousy choice. It took 45 minutes for the first course to arrive the was nothing else to do but work our way through the wine. The second course arrived a good 20 minutes after that and the food wasn't up to much. Fortunately dinner was whole lot better as Anne and Pete were over; seafood platter and heart-shaped chocolate cake. Soppy or what? The good news is that there's plenty left over for the next couple of days!

Intrepid Travellers

Set off with Anne and Terry to introduce them to the some wild countryside; zig-zagging down the coast, going up and over the coll in gale force winds, splashing through a couple of fords and bumping over stoney tracks was the order of the day. Lunch was a much more civilised affair at "La Plaça" where we enjoyed a good meal for 12.50€ each. Came back cross country stopping off at a winery to buy some of the wine we had at lunch time and liked. 7€ a bottle in the restaurant and 1.20€ at source! Tea at Anne and Terry's and then it was a rest before apéritifs at Thérèse's. Françoise's punch went down a bomb and we were all convinced that she's sampled it before she left home. Lots of good things to eat and a discussion as to what we find seductive in the opposite sex. Well, it was St Valentine's eve and apparently recent research has found that women find men who do things for other people the most seductive. Don't know if that holds good for all nationalities. Anyone have any comments?

Making tea with a tomato!

Christian at the Mairie this morning and in Perpignan for a meeting this afternoon while I had an Association meeting and tea with Joëlle. Split my sides with laughing when she brought out her tomato shaped timer to time the tea brewing/mashing/drawing or what ever expression you use in your neck of the woods.

Musical Interlude

Back again to the village hall this afternoon for a brass band concert which took us around the world and from Bizet to the Eurovision Song Contest. At least I was able to sing along to "Those were the Days" and what's more, it was free. We and the band snacked on the left-over tapas and had a good go at the sangria and still there was some left. Wonder who will finish it up?

Tapas sans Frontières

All week the house has been a bit like the "Women's Institute meets Blue Peter" as I've tried to put a display together for the Association's "Soirée Tapas" this evening. We did, however, have time to go to to the market where we met up with several friends, had a coffee in one bar and later on an apéritif in another. After a quick bite to eat we were off to the village hall to set up. The evening was a great success with people of different nationalities (French, Catalan, British, Austrian, Danish, Colombian, Italian) eating, drinking and talking together. Everyone brought something and the tables groaned with food so there was loads left over. There was a suggestion that we make it a 3 monthly event! Carmen and Martine came back to ours for cuppa, well after all that wine and sangria, that's just what a body needs. Not sure why the photo is in strange colours will try and sort it later.

Variety is the spice...

We both put in a good morning's work before we went off to meet up with Jean and Françoise and several others for lunch. Jean had arranged a seminar which presented the work of a local film maker. We weren't able to attend but we enjoyed the meal and meeting the others.

As a change from the usual, the latest exhibitions in the village is of the documents of a Catalan Psychiatrist Henri Ey (1900-1977) who founded the World Society of Psyciatrists and became known as "Le Pape de Psychiatire". An interesting and none too long presentation was given by Dr Palem from the Henri Ey foundation and an apéritif followed. More snacks followed chez Michel (who organises the exhibitions) where we found ourselves with Kathy, Gilles, Juste, Joséphine and Danièle. apart from the exhibition, we talked politcs. Now there's a surprise!

Time Out

Christian has spent two full days and an evening already at the Mairie and we're in need of a change of scene but before we could head off for Banyoles he had a couple of things to do there this morning. Finally hit the road at 10.30am. Although chilly, the skies were blue and the scenery lush and green as we passed through the volcanic region of Garrotxa. Strolled around the market, didn't buy anything and then went for a leisurely lunch at the "Quatre Estacions/Four Seasons" which has a reputation for good food. We went for the "tasting menu" and weren't disappointed. Canapé, six courses and dessert - 30€ pp. The courses were nouvelle cuisine size so it sounds more copious than it was. Came home via Besalù just in time to meet someone who came to quote for a roller shutter for " The Nest".

Thyme Soup

Lunch out with Joséphine, Juste, Marie-Loudres and Jean chez Claude where we ate thyme soup . Delicious! Before you start pulling faces, it was more than just thyme. The stock was made with fresh chicken and vegetables and garnished with poached eggs and cheese toasts. Then there was grilled meat, cheese and dessert to follow. As all six of us had been at yesterday's meal we were able to moan about the menu for which we paid 25€ each and talk village politics. The rain was even heavier and Jean and Joséhine came dressed for the weather in style. Not ready to go home just yet we went back to Joséphine's where we were joined by Joëlle and Michel for a coffee. Once at home, we lit the fire, Christian snoozed, I got on with my knitting and caught up with "Casualty".