Domestic Shopping

After being at the Mairie morning (meeting at 8.30am), noon and night (home at 8.30pm) yesterday, Christian has the morning off. Oh what fun! ... he gets to go to Perpignan and dice with "Death Roundabout " which is having a tunnel dug underneath it. What for? To buy garden furniture. That's the reason for going, not for the tunnel! Found something we liked but the shop wanted 90€ to deliver it !!! We'll need to see if we can flat-pack it into the car. I had thought we might have had lunch out but as Christian had a business lunch yesterday, he wasn't too keen so it was home to eat a salad and surf the net for a better deal.

This Week's Funeral

This morning there was the last part of Michel's presentation on computer security followed by an apéritif at his place. Seems strange without Joëlle. Then in the afternoon continuing the Greek theme , the funeral of Jumping Jack Flash's father. That and being Greek were the only things that we knew about him.

Not Quite 100%

An hour's less sleep, a fuzzy head, winter debris to clear off the terrace and dinner to prepare for six. At least a good evening meal let me off the hook at lunch time and we contented ourselves with baked beans on toast! Nick, Lizzie, Maggie and Di were perfect guests and enjoyed their meal on a Greek theme. It was a bit presumptious really as Di had lived there for quite a while. Still it meant that I could prepare everything in advance and enjoy the apéritifs. This evening I was more sensible and went onto water with the meal. Guess what? There are four aubergines left so Baba Ganouj and ratatouille will be on the menu sometime this week.

Saturday Again

How quickly Saturday comes around. Bought up nearly all the aubergines in the market for tomorrow night's moussaka and found time for an apéro in our usual haunt. Went to the local auberge for lunch as it's ages since we've been and as we'd been invited to Di's for drinks, a meal didn't seem likely. The sun was still shining in the evening so we saw off several bottles on the terrace only retreating inside went it went cooler. The photo was taken as we were about to depart. Mike and Linda had already gone some time before but we of sterner stuff headed off to the bar for a few more drinks. Not a wise move ....

Call of the City

A lovely sunny day and Di, Maggie and I set out for a bit of retail therapy. A couple of carrier bags each later and it was time to find a terrace on which to have lunch. Came home in time to go to "Printemps des poètes", an afternoon (or for me an hour) of poetry readings done by adults and children from the local primary school. This is a national initiative and the first time that it's been organised in the village. It was of course followed by refreshments of the calorie bearing kind.

Messages

Another comment in Chinese on the blog. Again I've decided not to publish it but this time there was a translation; something about drips wearing away stones. Didn't feel as though it was very positive. I much prefer this one which was on a card sent by our friend Mary .....

Many people walk in and out of your life

but only true friends

leave footprints in your heart

Isn't that a lovely thought?

Otherwise the day was as much as a usual Thursday ... committee meeting, language exchange, tapas, meetings afternoon and evening for Christian and tea with Jany for me.

This and That

A meeting for Christian in the morning while I foutered about. As the wind was blowing quite strongly, I thought I should take a photo of the blossom in the square before it all disappears. Routine check up with the GP in the afternoon for Christian, some supermarket shopping and Diana around for an apéritif in the evening and so another day has gone by!

Return Journey

This photo was taken from the B & B with at last a bit of sunshine. Left around 9.30am after getting everyone up to say goodbye and I can tell you there weren't a lot of bright eyes and bushy tails around. Another uneventful journey and this time we managed to find a great wee restaurant. Modern décor with pictures of jazz singers on the walls and modern creative food. We'll be back there on our next trip up in April. Arrived home about 5pm without mishap and from the look of the water under the pot plants we had missed quite a bit of rain. Poor old Christian had a meeting at the Marie in the evening. That's dedication for you!

A Long, Sad Day

We assembled at the funeral parlour at 8.30am to pay our last respects to Magali. As she was to be cremated and the nearest crematorium is in Grenoble in another Département, her coffin was sealed by the police for the journey. We then did the 2 hour tortuous, mountainous drive to the accompaniment of Bruce Springsteen stopping on route for a coffee. As the ceremony wasn't until 2pm, there was plenty of time to take in the scenery and the high walls of snow by the roadside which in a few places were over 6' high. Last week there had been an avalanche on this road though thankfully, no one was caught in it. In the evening several friends came by for a buffet supper and a few glasses of wine. There's no rhyme nor reason; death is part of life and it can arrive at any time therefore we need to live the life we have - not just to say it but to do it without getting caught up all those petty things that take up so much of our time and energy.

Heading North East

Fortunately being a Sunday there were no huge lorries on the road and our only problem was finding somewhere to eat; ended up once again in a Chinese or should I say Vietnamese buffet-style restaurant. checked into our B&B which is new and eco-friendly. The wall cavities are filled with straw. In the evening we ate chicken and noodles with Stéphane, Doro, Yohann and two of his mates. There was a lot of alcohol drunk so thank goodness there were only a few metres to walk "home".

1st Day of spring

Our usual trip to the market was without event. As tomorrow is the first day of Spring, the theme for our street decoration is spring cleaning. All the doors had a variety of mops, buckets, brooms etc which caused a few laughs from passers - by. I don't know why Christian is looking so worried, the mop is securly fastened. In the evening we headed for the hills and went to Rowena's for a curry supper with her father, Geoff and Susan. Here's everyone at the dessert stage looking well fed and flushed!

Life's Habits

18th - 19th
As it was Thursday there was of course the committe meeting which we had to find alternative premesis for as road works made our usual venue inaccessible. Didn't stay for the language exchange as we went to Gilles' mother's funeral. An old village family, there were lots of people there but as usual, most of the men stayed outside, only coming into the church to file past the coffin which is a tradition here. Sometimes the mourners are invited to sprinkle holy water over the coffin, this time we weren't; always however people are invited to touch the coffin as they pass by. I must ask about all the men staying outside; maybe it's because they're non-believers.
We did go for our usual tapas at the bar and it was well warm enough to eat outside. While Chiristian was at the Mairie in the afternoon I delivered messages from the Association which given the lovely weather was no hardship at all. In the evening we made our pilgrimage to the bar bar calling at first on Danielle but she wasn't able to come with us - next time she said and there surely will be a next time.
Friday morning Christian had to go for a blood test in readiness for his regular trip to the doctor next week and I went and had my hair cut. Lucy cut and cut and I don't think my hair has been so short since I was 12! The verdict is that Alison and I look more and more or alike give or take 3 decades or so. As I had to go to the casino on Association business (that's got you wondering) we decided to have lunch there before going to fill up the car for our trip to Briançon. Yesterday evening we heard from Stéphane that his first partener and mother of his only child died aged 42 so we're off for the funeral on Sunday once Christian has voted.
Called in to see Joséphine and Juste for a cuppa before the parade to the war memorial in honour of the ceasefire at the end of the Algerian war. This of course was concluded with an apéritif and a good deal of chat.

Happy St Pat's

To everyone with Irish connections have a great St Patrick's Day! We'll be raising a glass this evening when Rowena comes around for something to eat.

Trial Run

In glorious sunshine we went off with Maggie, Martine, Mike and Linda to try out the wine at Capmany, an apéro at St Quirtze and lunch at La Plaça with a view to going there with the Association. Also went along to the tortoise reproduction centre but as they are currently hibernating it is closed until Sunday. So hard to believe with temperatures of 18° that this time last week we were shivering in the snow!

Tea for Three

Caught up with computer bits and pieces and went and had tea with Josette who we've neglected badly of late.

Out for the Count

Breakfast before 7am on a Sunday morning? Duty calls once again for Christian who was on duty up in the Mairie annexe in the mountains for the 1st round of the Regional elections. Violette and I went up for lunch at the auberge which only opened last Sunday to be closed nearly all the week because of the snow. After two and half months of abstinence the choice of main course wasn't difficult, it was duck breast! Dessert wasn't difficult either as it was chocolate gâteau. Came back down for the count in the village where there were more counters and scrutineers than spectators! The Maire invited a group of us back to the bar where a log fire was burning for a glass of wine and some tapas . There's to be a second round next week so watch this space for an action replay.

Coq au Vin on the Menu

A visit to the market, a coffee with Jacques and a light lunch as we were invited to Anne and Terry's for dinner in the evening along with Nick. Unfortunately Lizzie couldn't make but that meant that there was all the more for us; not that we needed it, Anne had done enough for eight anyway.

Vernissage

Despite a slight warming the snow still lies by the side of the road and in patches on the square. Christian has spent the last three and a half days up in his mountain territory with the fire services helping dig a way to the more isolated properties to deliver medication and bread.
This evening was the vernissage of the photo exhibition at the Museum. There was a sketch done by the local kids' group so there were plenty of proud parents to swell the numbers. My photo didn't win or even come second or third but I like it! The exhibition seemed to be well received so now all I have to do is write an article for the paper and enjoy the feeling of no obligations hanging over my head.

Establishing a Habit

After a hard day shovelling snow, Christian was more than ready for our trip to the new wine bar with friends who I must say were impressed. Not bad since they are often in Paris and no style when they see it!

.... and now the Thaw

40cms of snow in the village and 1m higher up but fortunately no power cuts. Clear blue skies and the sound of shovels on the road surface but this little piggy is staying home!

Lots of Snow!

The computer workshop was cancelled this morning for obvious reasons so Michel was able to come around and find my rubbish bin that had mysteriously disappeared from my screen and then he joined us for lunch. Apart from that, need I say more?

Luck was with Us

The Association's acknowledgement of International Women's day tomorrow was as last year, to have some fellas serve tea, coffee and cakes in the village square. (Well, our President and the rest of the committee except Maggie wouldn't be able to cope with anything too radical!) The forecast was for cold weather with an alert for rain and snow later on. How lucky we were; the sun shone and it was warm enough to sit out. There was enough food , the fellas did their stuff and there were no catastrophies. Christian worked like a wee trooper and spent the afternoon sleeping on the sofa but I think the apéritif we had with Maggie had something to do with that. Once again Nicole and Anna give us a theme (female names) to decorate our street and this is our very unatristic offering. We'll try and do better at Easter.

Where the Coffee comes from

Our usual trip to the market and the temperature has dropped but that didn't prevent us from finding a sunny spot to have a coffee with Gaby and Chantal. Lunch was late as we were invited to Marcia and Nigel's for a Brazilian meal along with Maggie, Rita, Martine, Mike and Linda and Terry and Anne. The apéritif of fresh lime, rum and goodness knows what else slipped down all too readily and the meal of beef, beans, rice and more besides was delicious. All in all a great experience.
An experience of altogether a different kind was the showing of a film about the situation for women in the Democratic Republique of Congo that I went to in the evening. Grim, grim, grim.

Sweet Sixty Six

Started the proceedings with a trip to the local auberge to deliver some posters and had a coffeee before going to a cookery book fair. It was a very small somewhat half- hearted affair. One of the chefs who was there to sign books as soon as we approached his stand said "it's now or never as I'm off" ! The arrogance of it! Needless to say we took our custom elsewhere. There were three wine makers and a cheese producer there who were a little more forthcoming but I have to say people around here hardly go out of their way to sell themselves or their wares. We met up with Martine before calling in at Juste and Joséphine's to pay our bill and to have a birthday apéritif.
Finally got to the restaurant in a ****hotel about 20 minutes late. We'd never been before and it was a surprise for Christian. Went the whole hog and had the tasting menu though passed on an apéritif.
Canapés: Quails' eggs in a light batter, pea soup with a potato cream served in a small glass and the leg of a tiny bird which fortunately the waiter didn't know the name of in French. (From the size it could have been blackbird - sorry.)
Grilled Mediterranean vegetable salad
Baby broad bean timbale with cured duck breast
Foie Gras with fig jam
Turbot on a bed of couscous
Duck breast with red berry sauce and crushed potatoes
Glacé nougat dessert
Coffee
Mmm! It was excellent, the setting was lovely and the views splendid.
Had just enough time at home for a cuppa before duty called and we went to see the kids who are doing a sketch for the opening of the photo exhibition next week rehersing. Then it was round to Michelle and Jean-Jacques' for a wee celebration with Jaques, Yaneth, Lisa, Linde, Pierre and Andrée.

An Early Start

It's not Christian's birthday until tomorrow but we thought that we'd get into the mood by trying out the new wine bar in a neighbouring village. A renovated wine "cave", it's a great wee find; vaulted ceilings exposed stonework, stylish decor, a choice of wines to suit most pockets and tapas if you're feeling peckish - which we were.

Naval Gazing

On the news this morning was a report about a donor in the hospital in Lyon having their kidney removed through the naval. Amazing!

All in Place

After a few hiccups ... missing clips, hooks too big for the clips and last minute submissions, we finally managed to hang the photos for the exhibition. I'm beginning to see the light but before that I've a lesson to prepare to give at the English workshop tomorrow evening so I'd better get cracking

Braving the Storm

While we were away enjoying ourselves yesterday, the west of France was being battered by rain, winds and floods. 51 people have died and the toll could rise as outlying places are reached. Not good.