Keep Smiling

The weather is on the change. The day started off fine then clouded over bringing some rain and a drop in temperature. 19° here feels much colder than 19° in Briançon. The dentist fitted my crown today and I coughed up 585€ for the priviledge. Still, my smile is once more a broad one which came in handy when our neighbour Jacques appeared at the door with a lily of the valley plant. Some of you may remember that it is traditional to give them for the 1st May. Spent the afternoon catching up with the blog while Christian has been at the Mairie for most of the day and now tonight he has a public meeting up which could well be a bumpy one, in his fiefdom.
Ps Christian arrived home after 10pm and lo and behold, all had gone well.

Chez Nous

Another fine day and it was good to sit out at the bar for our tapas lunch after the language exchange and commitee meeting. The afternoon was spent preparing for our dinner guests and although it started to cloud over we were able to take the apéritifs on the terrace. Fortunately the table leg is still holding ....

House Warming

Today as we were invited for lunch with Joëlle and Daniel in their new abode we took the opportunity to stop off and have a look at garden furniture. Found something that we liked but they didn't have enough chairs and they weren't having any more in so back to the drawing board. Still, the weather is still hot (26°) and a good meal awaited us. Geneviève had been invited too and time passed all too quickly.

Time Out

The weather so far this week has been lovely and warm and today is no exception with temperatures reaching 26° Took ourselves off to Empuries, where the Greek and roman ruins are, to buy plants at the nursery that Rowena swears by and to have lunch over looking the sea. It was just idyllic and the perfect way to celebrate my seven years free of cancer. Blue skies, clear sea and a great restaurant. It was the first time that we've eaten there but it certainly won't be the last. Creative food served with style. The menu was presented as including 3 courses and you were able to choose how much you paid (15€, 20€, 25€) depending on your level of satisfaction. Well when it came it was a complete meal: glass of cava and canapés of olives and a citrus soup with a scallop, then the three advertised courses with wine, coffee, petit fours, water and freshly baked speciality breads. They were also running a scheme where by they would match 1:1 any donation that you'd like to make to a school they're involved in building in Bourkino Fasso. Called in at Juste and Joséphine's on the way home and while Christian was at his meeting at the Mairie, I took a trip down to the garden where Michelle and Yanette were at work. all in all a pretty good day.

Crass

Am feeling incensed about people's total lack of compassion. Here in France there are reports of people going into the homes of flood victims to take photos of the damage. These homes you should know are to be compulsorally destroyed as their location is now deemed high risk. In the States there was the case of a homeless man coming to the aid of a women being mugged and ending up being stabbed to death. He died on the pavement with people passing by, one of whom even stopped to take a photo .... beggars believe, doesn't it?

Freedom to Enjoy

This time last year I was running around daft with fingers crossed that all would go well for the St Jordi's day that I was organising; this year I was able to enjoy being a spectator! The day started well with sunshine and a quick trip to the dentist - yes, even on a Sunday and was followed by another ceremony this time for those people deported during the 2WW. I guess by now you're beginning to get to know our calendar but maybee loose track of all the different commemorations. Only hope that you're not thinking "same old, same old". There was of course an apéritif, this time at the Mairie instead of the village hall as the road over there is being dug up and ironically resembles a battlefield. Finally made it to the St Jordi celebrations for lunch at the bar where a medieval menu was being served. Helped out at the Association's cake stall in the afternoon and ended the day with a couple of glasses of rosé with Martine, Maggie and Jeanine.

Grandpa

The sun is back again for our return trip home. Yohann came with us as far as Aix-en-Provence where he was catching a train. Like his father he adores music so he was in charge of the cds. Had to laugh when he was surprised that we had an Eric Clapton! Had lunch not far from the railway station which was just as well as we arrived home to find that our neighbours Marcelle and Jean-Claude had cancelled dinner at their place.

Father and Son

Well, it can't be sunny everyday. Temperatures have dropped (14°) and the fleece has come in handy. Wandered around the old fortified town, that man Vauban again and this time there were at least some shops open, not that we bought anything. Had lunch just outside the walls and we were the only people in the restaurant. In the evening we went to the wee bar next to Stéphane's for an apéro. I'm sure that there aren't many left like this one where the bar is actually in the landlady's kitchen. Ginette is nearly 80 and still going strong. Dorothee, on the other hand, was out for the count with a heavy cold so I suggested that Christian and Stéphane have some father and son time together over a meal while I finished off my book.

Sightseeing

As Stéphane was at work, we don't ski and Christian doesn't walk we were at a bit of a loose end. Finally decided to go to Mont Roy where Vauban, he who built fortresses all around France for Louis 14th, had been at work. I suppose with this being more or less the last week for skiing we shouldn't have been surprised that the place was desserted. It's certainly well preserved and since last year has been recognised by UNESCO as a heritage site but there was nothing open. It would have been nice to eat up there as the views were magnificent instead we settled for a road side hotel which in contrast was heaving with workers in for lunch. They did an all-in meal for 13.50€ and very good it was too. A little snooze for Christian and a good book for me took care of the early part of the afternoon. If you come across "The Book Thief", do read it. Original in both concept and style. This photo was taken by a small lake where we stopped for a cup of tea and a stroll before getting back for a BBQ cooked by Léo and Yohann.

Beef it Up!

Stéphane had a day off today so while he was bebefitting from a long lie we went into Briançon and took a trip around the market. An Italian influence was much in evidence with cheese, cold meats and fresh pasta at a price that like the plants you wished you could get the stuff back home. Found a café in the sun (18°) for coffee before getting back for a lunch of roast beef cooked by Dorothee. A wee siesta in the afternoon and dinner with Frank, Stéphane and the kids in Serre Chevalier where they were staying for the skiing. You'll never guess what we had to eat .... roast beef!

Up and Off

On the road for about 10am to head for Briançon in the Alps. Another warm and sunny day (18°) and another journey without any hassle. Lunch was a picnic so we were able to do justice to the meal that Stéphane had organised in his friend's restaurant. Grills done over an open fire are the order of the day there. We were able to catch up with Frank et al who were there on holiday and cousin Olivier who joined us for a drink. The plastic card with a £ sign on it picked up the tab for the 11 of us. Did we really drink that much wine? Once home we had a night cap before making our way back to the B&B where we stayed the last time.

A Riot of Colour

This morning dawned warm and sunny again (22°) which was just perfect for our trip to the flower market. It was so tempting to take advantage of the huge choice and great choice but my head ruled my heart and all I bought was a small curry plant. We had a stylish lunch in a nearby restaurant called " L'Annexe" which is an offshoot of a Michelin stared restaurant in the centre of town. A walk in the afternoon to help the digestion before another of Aimée's lovely meals.

Off Again

This weekend a national Association of war wounded has been hoding its annual meeting in the village so there was inevitably a trip to the war memorial with a wreath. Our local MP was there too and an apéritif was laid on by the Mairie. As we were off to Nîmes in the afternoon we passed on the organised lunch contenting ourselves instead with a "fridge picnic". The journey was without problem and aimée and Jean-Louis were ready and waiting for us. No sooner than we arrived we set off into the village where they live to watch the tail end (excuse the pun which you'll get if you've ever seen one) of a bull run. Aimée is a great cook so we ate well in the evening after a pretty substantial apéritif.

Still Sunny

Market and apéritif at our regular café this morning and an apéritif with Françoise and Jean who stopped by on the off chance in the evening. Otherwise an uneventful kind of day

Pot Luck!

Sunshine and at last a moment to get away from the village. Some shopping over the border to replenish supplies and the opportunity to try out a restaurant that I'd heard about. One of the cheap and cheerful kind. This is it from the outside but I don't know why the chair is there .... perhaps for a smoker or perhaps to stop parking in front of the enterance. The restaurant can seat about 50 people, there's lots of artwork on the walls and to go to the loo you have to cross the kitchen. It's run by a woman of a "certain age" as Andy would say who does good home cooking. Choice of hot starter was spaghetti or tortilla except you seemed to get what ever was ready at the time! Three courses, salad, pot of coffee, wine, water, bread and brandy came to the princely sum of 9€ each. A fun kind of place to take friends who can go with the flow. In the evening we made the most of our day and went for a glass of wine at the bar where we sat out enjoying the last of the sun. Once again the Mayor and his family came along so the one glass became two or even three.

Quick Catch Up

Nothing extrodinary has happened so far this week socially. Christian's had three evening meetings at the Mairie in a row and I'm still going for dental treatment. Linde came round with a present of some Indonesian coffee having just come back from working there and stayed for an apéritif. Thursday I cut the language exchange to go with Christian to see Josette as it was her birthday (84). We made it back in time to meet up with the others for tapas in the bar. After three days of dull, (there was even rain on Monday) not very warm weather, it was warm enough to sit outside. In the evening we took Trevor and Maggie to the wine bar and munched our way through a selection of tapas.
On the wider front we found that our health insurance demand included a supplement for the swine flu vaccaine which was bought in great quantities and not used. Wonder what we'll need to pay for next year we've had chickens and pigs so far; maybe it's an antidote for politicians and pharmaceutical companies that should be next. ....and of course, there's the volcanic cloud that's descending all over Europe throwing aviation transport into chaos. we're told that the particles floating about in the air are not harmful .... as if!

Sunday Service

The sun was shining which was great for those sporty types who arrived in the village for a refreshment stop on a 40km ( don't quote me on that) walk. Not as daunting as it sounds as people drop in and out at different stages with only the super fit doing the lot. Christian was of course there to help . The forcast for tomorrow is not so good so we had an apéro at the bar before lunch to make the most of the sunshine. Here we found brioche on sale, an annual event to raise funds for children with disabilities and evidently sales are down - a sign of the times. (Apparently Marie-Antoinette said"let them eat brioche" and not"let them eat cake" as I learnt at school). The patron was in full voice inside so it's anyone's guess if he'll be open this evening.

Sport of Kings

Well, I don't suppose I need to tell you what we did this morning - in case you need a clue, it's Saturday. As well as the usual stuff, however we did go to a vernissage of an exhibition of pastels in the library. The artist Pierre lives in the village so there were a number of familiar faces to be seen. Had a quick coffee with Kathy and Gilles in the sunshine and then it was home for lunch and to prepare pica pica for this evening. We did watch the Grand National which is always very exciting. At one point there was a 17 year old up with the leaders who I hoped would do well but he faded in the final stages and came 5th. Still all credit to him for finishing and to his mount "Hello Bud" who is a Scottish Grand National winner. Ah, that takes me back to a few trips to Ayr races and if I remember rightly I did once back the Scottish Grand National winner. Obviously it wasn't much of a win as I kept on working for quite a while after that! Still, I digress...
The pica pica was fun and we were able to stay outside until after 9pm and the great thing about such an evening is that all the work is done beforehand andthere isn't a lot of washing up to do.

Chicken Run

The day started early with a trip to the printers to see about some posters after which we rendez-voused with 23 others from the Association for a day out. First a visit to a free-range egg producer. I would never have thought that there was so much to see and that I'd be bowled over by a load of poultry! They really were magnificent creatures with the most beautiful plumage. The cocks even had plumes on their feet. From there it was on for a wine tasting where the vigneron has won several medals over the years for his wine. His white from last year's harvest won a gold medal in Paris recently and was just sublime. Once we'd worked our way through white, red, rosé and a Riversaltes it was time for lunch with paella on the menu. After lunch most of us went for a walk to some Roman ruins while a couple of the others (who shall rest nameless) had a wee siesta. The sun was warm and the excercise just what we needed. Home to the dentist who has decided that I need a crown and as the sun was still shining an apéritif on the terrace of the bar. Feels as if summer is finally heading our way.
ps This morning's visit put me in mind of the film " Chicken Run" with all its different characters only none of this lot seemed in the least bit interested in escaping their 5* treatment.

Moving up a Notch

Weather has been cold and dull over the last few days so much so that I even lit a fire last night. Christian has been busy at the mairie and I've been less busy than usual. This evening we went to a lecture given by Isobel Stengers, a Belgian philosopher. All went well until I lost concentration ..... neither my French or intellectual powers were up to picking up the threads. The session of course closed with an apéritif and then 8 of us went with the speaker to a local restaurant where we had a really good meal and more down to earth chat.

Eggstravaganza!

This evening all those who contributed eggs and other goodies were invited to eat the Easter omelette ( or should I say 38 omelettes) cooked by the women of the sardane group. I took quite a few photos but sadly I'd left the memory card in the computer! Thank goodness there's neither a memory or cholesterol test in the near future.

Joyeuse Pâques!

The day started traditionally enough with a sardane after Mass and our street with it's Easter decorations of chickens and eggs. Lunch was an altogether different affair - couscous with Jean and Marie-Loudres at Gaby and Chantal's. There was enough couscous (a "Royal" with lamb, chicken end merguez -the spicy Moroccan sausage) to feed twice our number, not to mention the Thai prawn starter and three desserts! Needless to say there was no need to bother about supper in the evening just to hope that the scales don't groan too much under the weight of the extra kilos.

Les Goigs dels Ouls

Whilst at the market this morning we called in at the library where there was jazz to go along with a book signing. Saw one or two familiar faces there and those belonging to Jean and Françoise joined us for an apéritif later.
Late afternoon we became groupies, following the local sardane group who were singing their way around the village. An old Catalan tradition of singing for eggs and anything else useful for the Pascal Omelette. They kept going from 5pm until 8.30pm but we dropped out, we neither know the words or sing well enough, and went to the bar a couple of glasses of wine and a tapas of chips. In days gone by it was the young people of the village but now it's the young at heart trying to keep the tradition alive. Apparently they collected about 350 eggs as well as wine, saucisson and money to buy the dessert so Monday evening we can look forward to a good time .

Good Friday

Unlike in UK, today is not a Bank Holiday so with Michel and Kathy coming for dinner there was shopping to do and with Thérèse on holiday, a kitchen to clean. Jean called in to say hello during the afternoon and stayed for a cuppa . In the evening there was the vernissage of this month's exhibition mounted by a young painter from Girona. The formalities were conducted in both French and Catalan with the Mayor doing the translation.
For once there was no talk of the Mairie over dinner. Pork done in Ricard with enough rice to feed a family of 10 followed by Lemon Iced Ginger Cake and Greek yogurt. During the meal I broke a tooth which inevitably I can' keep my tongue away from. Michel who is a friend of the dentist will try and get him to see me tomorrow, so fingers crossed.

Life's Little Routines

A Thursday much like any other Thursday - language exchange, tapas in the bar and a trip to the wine bar for more tapas in the evening. this time, however, we were joined by Danielle. It was April Fool's Day which if you've been a faithful follower of the blog, you'll know it's called "Poisson d' Avril" in France. this comes from the tradition of pinning a cut-out fish on the back of your target; don't think I've told you that before. As far as I know no jokes were played on us and as Christian kept reminding everyone, it's six years he retired.