No Place Like Home

The journey home yesterday seemed never-ending. Christian still coughing but that didn't stop him tucking in to a 3 course meal in the picturesque little village of Auyular, which I'd really like to look around some other time. As for me, I tried to eat something but didn't manage more than half a dozen mouthfuls. How glad we were to arrive home and curl up on the sofa.
Today, I stayed in bed, not even getting up to celebrate the New Year around at Jacques. Christian, wee trooper that he is, kept going until 4am!

TLC Needed and Received

Feeling pretty rotten so the small fortune that we paid to have the gîte cleaned for us was worth every euro. We're both coughing as if we'd worked down the pit from an early age. To heap on the misery, we had to turn back to collect a bag that we'd left, it was cold, wet and windy and lunch was a disaster ... a sandwich in a busy service station.
We were really pleased to arrive at Jean and John's holiday home just outside Cognac. They warmed us up with tea and made us comfortable in front of the fire then later on wined and dined us in good style with Christmas crackers and all.

Whetting the Appetite

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We couldn't come to the area without visiting Vannes which we did this morning. Managed to get up early and brave the rain. By now Christian is coughing well and my throat is starting to dry which isn't surprising as Christophe came with it, Valérie and her Mum have had it and been to the doctor's for a bagful of prescription medicines.
Vannes is a real delight ... old timbered buildings, narrow streets and classy shops. Much as we would have liked to stay there for lunch in one of the very tempting restaurants, we had to get back to celebrate Emma's birthday. She's a wee poppet and was a delight to watch blowing out her candles and opening her presents. Vannes is definitely on the list for another visit.

Feeding the Masses

You may have been wondering who has been doing the cooking. Well, we've taken it in turns to provide lunch and dinner for the others. Today, our turn finally arrived. Did roast salmon for lunch and fish soup that we'd bought in Port Vendres where it's made with tapas for dinner. Some might think taking fish soup to Brittany is like taking coals to Newcastle but at least we were sure of the quality and we do have to support our
local economy.
Although we didn't manage to put our noses outside the door, too busy slaving and all that ... I've included this photo here to cheer up the post and show what was a 10 minute walk away.

Reluctant Tourists

Finally got our act together to do some sightseeing. Visited the château of Suscinio, which looks as if it should be used in some medieval film or other. The weather was damp and chilly so we went back to the bar in St Gildas for tea.

Christmas Morn

Had a late start followed by a walk by the sea. Lunch was all well provisioned seafood platter which kept us going all day.

A Joint effort

You'll know by now that the French have their main meal of Christmas on the 24th Frank and his son Leo were in charge of the main course, a capon, while the grandparents sorted the starter to go along with the oysters and the two Valéries did the dessert. Smoked salmon and foie gras - nothing if not traditional. Yesterday, we'd been into the local market and bought our contribution so we had a pretty easy time of it. St gildas is a very attractive wee town close by the sea and even in winter you could see that it was geared up to tourists. We didn't do any sightseeing as Christian was coughing quite a bit and feeling tired, settling instead for a coffee in the bar on the village square.
Dinner was good but while the others stayed up late, we oldies were in bed by midnight.

En Famille

Our hosts waved us off after a good breakfast with lots of different homemade jams and we continued to head north west. Tried to find something to eat in a small village off the motorway but without success and ended up going into a sizeable town. Ended up in a a "Leff Brasserie", a restaurant chain specialising in northern food and beers. It was pretty busy and all I can say is that people have more money than sense. To make matters worse it was wet and cold.
Still, we finally arrived at the gîte where the rest of the family were waiting. It was huge and well-equiped and thankfully,, as there were 20 of us, the adults had their own bedroom complete with TV and shower. Yesterday had been Tanguy's birthday so we celebrated it with a raclette (melted cheese over potatoes, traditionally accompanied by cold meat)and cake.
Christian's ex-wife, Françoise and her husband were also there and imagine our amusment when I noticed that she was wearing the same boos as me. I couldn't resist remarking that "apparently we have the same taste!"

A Warm Welcome

Took the road north in bright sunshine and stopped just short of Toulouse for lunch. A good meal at a very reasonable price. The carpark was full of local number plates which is always a good sign and you can see rom the photo that it's got character. Made an overnight stop the other side of Saintes in a very pleasant B & B. The couple were interesting and the bedrooms carefully decorated and the meal very tasty. They didn't scimp on the wine either! Oh, and what do you know? The world didn't come to an end.

Watch and Learn

We're off to tomorrow and our bags still aren't packed. The booze, however, is alraedy in the car. Heaven forbid, we should mess that up.
Language exchange as usual, followed by an apéritif as usual but while Christian had his siesta, as usual, I went with Maud to watch Margaret decorate Christmas cakes. It was fascinating; what a pity there were only three of us there to benefit from her expertise. That did mean, however, that there was a bigger slice of sponge cake each.
Christian was awake by the time I arrived home and ready for our visit to Juste and Joséphine's to meet their new grandson and enjoy champagne and apéritifs.

In Search of Inspiration

Just a few days before we set off for our jaunt up to Brittany to spend Christmas with the family, so it was time to decorate our door in keeping with the rest of the street. a bit behind but beter late .... Yes, we've been busy but the theme, "recycling" had me a bit stumped. Finally used the interior of a wine carton to make a decorative panal using the long slits as windows, showing Christmas scenes. not my best effort, especially alongside the Christmas tree made from plastc milk bottles and the articulated dog that lifts its leg when you pull on its leash. That was Monday and Tuesday, Nicole came for tea.
Today we had a day out in Figueres; Christian struck lucky with a new overcoat and pair of trousers while sadly, despite being ready to spend, there was nothing that caught my attention. Had lunch at Mas Salelles, where else and then this evening,

there was the Mairie Christmas do. An apéritif and gifts distributed by Father Christmas for the workers , their children and even the retired workers. The council members received a small basket (nowadays made frome balsawood rather than willow) of goodies which is a nice gesture for all their hard work.

A Taste of Christmas

A busy weekend. Yesterday, there was no time to go to the market as Juste and Joséphine were coming to dinner so it was a quick zip around the supermarket and an afternoon in the kitchen. We had a nice Delia Oriental Pork Casserole (http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/asian/chinese/oriental-pork-casserole-with-stir-fried-green-vegetables.html)but with noodles rather than stir fry veg. It's so easy; it just cooks away in it's marinade in the oven.Yer canae wack it!
Today it was the village's Christmas market so we were both out all day. The gods were with us as it was lovely and sunny. The association had a stall with the left-overs from the Téléthon and mulled wine. The money raised went toward our sponsorship of a young Conogolese woman. By 4pm, the sun was going down and there weren't many people still shopping so we packed up what was left (to go the the local Emaüs charity for the homeless)and went onto the church for a Christmas concert. From there, it was over to Gaby and Robert's for supper, then finally to bed. Now you know why we're neither, healthy, wealthy nor wise.

We Wrinklies

Yes, time to search out the high heels and any clothing that sparkled to keep up with the other participants at the OAP Christmas lunch. The meal was good, the wine flowed and we danced until our feet were tired. All apart from the Madison, that is. I can't stand those collective scripted dances. Probably because I can't remember the steps. There wasn't much time to have a rest before it was time to head out for December's vernissage. We had a vested interest in this one as the Cancer Support association of which our friend, Penny is President, was showing paintings that had been donated. All the proceeds were going to the association. There was a good turn out (nothing to do with the mulled wine and Christmas cake, I'm sure) and being very reasonably priced, the paintings sold well. We bought one of Port Vendres, though where we'll put it is another story!

Going Global

Well, the association's language exchange welcomed two Estonians and a Fin; that makes 15 different nationalities. Weather is still very cold and it was a bit parky in the restaurant where we met Madeline for lunch. Still the food was good with the chef being worthy of his "toque blanche".

Auspicious Day

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After talking about it for 15 years we've finally had sensor lights installed on the back stairs. Juste was here working when we decided to toast 12.12.12, so we telephoned to Joséphine and she came over in time to be here at 12 minutes passes midday. Of course, they then stayed on for lunch. Hope the wish I made comes true but it is of course, a secret

Any Excuse

Started the day with a coffee in the bar where I left Christian while I went to distribute the association newsletters.He was still there when I came back so we had an apéritif and then went to the restaurant for lunch.Doesn't it look appetising? And, as a bonus, tomorrow's lunch is already prepared and I can get the website up-to-date.

All in a Good Cause

An early start for Maggie and I as we were up at the village hall to set up the association's stall for the main Téléthon fundraising day. We sold stuff that had been donated as Christmas gifts and ran a bottle stall. Made about 400€ which was not too bad.The village made 11,600€ which was even more than last year and is the best per capita effort in the whole Département. The British tearoom did a "sterling" job raising well over 1,000€. Christian and I were invited to stay on along with the Mayor and his wife to have an apéritif and eat chicken and sautéed potatoes.A pleasant end to a tiring day.

Masterminds

Tuesday nothing much to report apart from a fun "soirée guitares" in the bar. Good music and lots of new faces from outside the village.
Felt a bit tired on Wednesday, having made it home last night at 2am. Despite that, our brains were still in gear and along with Gaby and Robert, we won the quiz in the restaurant. 7€ from every meal went towards the Téléthon (5€ from participants and 2€ from the owners. Our prize was 3 bottles of good wine and a voucher for 20€, to spend in the restaurant, so no complaints there.
Yesterday after setting up he association's stall (in aid of the Téléthon)at the market, Maggie and I left the selling to the others and went to help prepare the wild boar stew that will be sold on Saturday, again for the Téléthon.More experiened hands did the cutting up, Maggie and I were let loose on kilos of onions and garlic.It was fun to be working alongside people from the village and of course very good for the street cred! The afternoon was a rather different affair as we'd been invited to a tree (to which we'd contributed) planting ceremony in memory of Rosie's son who had died recently.She and her husband are involved in all things musical in the village so friends played and there was poetry too, followed by a wee refreshment.
Today, we weighed and filled 105 cartons of stew and were rewarded with an apéritif for our efforts. There was even a carton of left-over sauce which went down a treat on pasta, so no need to cook.

We Came, We Tasted, We Spent

Yesterday we went over to see Jean who is now back home and although tired, no surprise there, he was bright and chirpy. Left before the nurse arrived and came back to the villae for a glass of wine before lunch.

Today, I left Christian to work at the Mairie while I went with a group from the association to do a wine tasting at "Dom Brial" in Baixas. We started with a film, visited the cave, did a tasting and spent some money, quite a bit actually as it's quite an upmarket wine.
Next came a visit to the church which has a well-known very ornate Baroque altar. Somehow we managed to lose a couple on the way to the restaurant and of course they were the only ones without a mobile and despite one car going off to look for them, they were nowhere to be seen.
We went on to lunch which was a laugh a minute. The association has never ended up in something so basic .. the toilets apparently unbelievable, Marie, the owner, larger than life but very welcoming and the food actually wasn't too bad.Everyone took it all in good spirit and even our lost couple, who had a terrible meal weren't annoyed which was a relief as it wasn't our finest hour.
Being the first Monday of the month, Christian had his surgery up in the mountains, so I went to see Annette for a blether. We were the only people in the auberge for dinner so we ate in the bar and very reasonable we were too. Omlette and salad.

3€ Well Spent

It was still cold but sunny so we wandered the shops looking for an overcoat for Christian, had coffee and spent quite along time in the Goya Museum. There are only 3 Goyas but there were lots of other Spanish paintings to look at. Apart from us, there was only one other couple looking around which is a shame as it really is a little gem. We had a very good fish lunch in a restaurant accessed through the fishmongers so the food was all very fresh. Came home without stopping and had a quiet night in.

Pastures New

Left straight after Spanish for our overnight stay in Castres. Another Groupon deal, so let's hoipe we do better with this one. It's not in the same price bracket, so there's less money to lose and the hotel is a 'Logis de France', which is usually a good recommendation. Weather was sunny but chilly so there was no question of showing off with the roof down. I'd done abit of research and found a nice looking medieval village called Caunes Minervois with a choice of restaurants. It was pretty but given that we were well out of season, there was only one open. Still, it was very pleasant, a bit arty crafy, run by a young English couple. Mostly organic produce, the wine was good, a Minervois of course, as was the homemade pasta. The drive onto Castres took us over the Montagne Noire where there was a sprinkling of snow on the ground and on the trees.

Our hotel was fine, the staff very welcoming and the town interesting. Christian had a wee rest while I had a walk around and found my bearings. It's reminiscent of Girona with colourful and timbered houses rising out of the river. Refreshed, Christian joined me in a rather swish teashop with very swish prices opposite the hotel.Dinner in the hotel was good, so we went to bed with smiles on our faces and slept well.

Lunch Date

Tuesday, Juste started to deal with the crumbling plaster in the cave. We should never have has it plaster because of the damp. The remedy is to expose some stone and whitewash the rest. Needless to say there's dust everywhere but we won't worry about that now.
Work didn't progress yesterday as we were invited to Juste and Joséphine's for lunch along with Michel and Daniel who's here for a few days. A baker in a previous life, Daniel brought homemade profiteroles to follow the smoked salmon and asparagus and "Parmentier". When said with a French accent, you'd think that it was something more than Shepherds Pie. Still, it the mash was very smooth and it was really very tasty.
Today, we stayed on in the bar for lunch with Laurent after the usual Thursday apéritif with the language exchange lot. Saves all that cooking and washing up, doesn't it?

Pot Luck

After all the eating that we've been doing recently, it was time to have some nourishment for the mind. this evening we attended an lecture about a transfrontier organisation looking at the art and history of Catalunya. Sadly, it was poorly attended. Françoise came along after going to see Jean in hospital. He's in high dependant care but loving every minute of being surrounded by the female nurses. Those of you who know him, won't be in the least bit surprised. She, Kathy, Michel and Sylvie came back to ours for supper and thankfully, the fridge yielded well.

Christmas is Coming

Can't believe that it's only a month until Christmas but a trip to a local Christmas market to help sell crafts for our Congo association was a bit of a wake up call. Yet again I did a lot of chatting to people I knew who stopped by the stall and not a lot of selling. Only did the morning stint as there was a fund raising lunch back in the village. Here, they don't go in for those bowl of soup dos, this was a very filling pork (every bit of the pig imaginable)and white bean stew.
Received the sad news that Pat (Mum's neighbour's son-in-law) had died from long-standing heart problems (there are a lot of them about. His wife was at school with my sister and she and Pat came here to visit a few years back.
Rather better news was that the UMP, right wingers, are in disarray after both Fillon (who's married to a Welsh women, by the way) and Copé are both claiming to have won the party leadership election. Fun and games to follow no doubt.

Friends

Another full-on day. Market in the morning where we had coffee with Michel and a sculptor who has just moved into the village. From there we went over to the bar and met up with Jacques, Marie and Robert for an apéritif. Robert didn't take much persuading to telephone Gaby to see if she wanted to go to Mas Salelles for lunch and what do you know, she was up for it! The day didn't finish there as we'd arranged to go and have an apéritif with Jean-Jacques and Michelle. As Michelle is undergoing treatment and isn't able to do much, we took the food and they supplied the booze. Glad to say that she seemed quite perky and although tiring for her, I think she was happy to have some normality for a change and of course, we didn't outstay our welcome.

Winter Warmer

An evening meeting up in our satellite village organised by the Marie meant that Christian and Michel had to be present, so, of course, I went too. Fortunately, it didn't last more than an hour and a half as it was pretty cold in the room. Afterwards we were invited to a colleague's who lives up there. An enormous choucroûte was on the menu. I knew it was a mistake to tuck into the apéritifs.

Non-stop Day

Had a busy day today with a committeee meeting and a dash home to get lunch ready for David, who is over from Scotland for a couple of days, Nany and André. Then this evening we had a second Côtes de Rhône tasting for another 10 people. Felt pretty tired by the time we'd cleared up, not to mention the news that our friend, Jean was in the clinic with a heart problem.

Good Vibrations

Had dinner with a Flemmish theme round at Michel's this evening. We supplied the main course(a present from Michel's cousin from Picardie) - a large jar of a traditional dish with an unpronouncable name (Pot Jevlech) which was basically 3 white meats in jelly which is eaten cold accompanied by chips and beer. It was surprisingly tasty.

Ended the evening by watching the film "Hysteria" which was all about the invention of the vibrator! Well worth watching for a giggle if you should come across it.

Wine and Cheese

On the nose, aromas of small red fruits, in the mouth a wine fresh and fruity or so says the blurb à propos du Côtes du Rhône.This evening we organised a blind tasting of 5 different wines from the Rhône valley and 2 others for 10 of us from the association. Bread, cheese,good conversation in front of an open fire and the glory of knowing your Rhônes from the imposters.Much to my surprise, Crozes-Hermitage, my usual favourite, didn't score as highly as the Vacqueyras so it's good to move out of the box from time to time.

When Duty is Fun

The village with which we are twinned celebrated it's fête today and of course we went. One, to support the Mayor and two, because it's always a nice experience. Starting to be recognised and welcomed even when you can't speak Catalan feels good.It was foggy, drizzly and chilly so the sardane was cancelled as the only indoor space was being used for the apéritif. Although it was about a 20 minute drive way we took André, Nany, Michèle and Henri to Mas Salelles as our treat. We all opted for the mushroom menu and weren't disappointed. They went back for the afternoon sardane but we headed for home to put our feet up.

Weary Bones

Things caught up with me today and I stayed in bed until lunch time so there was no weekly visit to the market. Feeling a bit more refreshed, we went to a musical evening, the proceeds of which will go to the Téléthon fund raising effort but we did sneak away at the second interval.We'd put our hands in our pockets by buying raffle tickets, drinking rum punch and eating snacks so we reckoned that we'd done our bit.

Aging Groupies

A day of contrast. A funeral in the morning and a Lebanese meal at which Michel and his group played in the evening. The restaurant owner was well pleased with all the extra business brought by us groupies though at 25€/head without wine we found it overpriced. Foolishly, we fell for the "would you like to try the Lebanese wine?" ploy. It was of course much more expensive than the French wine and not as good. We really should have known better.

Men are from Mars

Would you believe it? Like most associations, we're always looking for people to join the committee but at the AGM at the end of September, no one came forward; that is until all the official business was over. Philippe said he'd be interested if our all female committee would accept a man! So today, we held an Extaordinary General Meeting and he was duly elected. The evening was more fun with an apéritif dinatoire chez Juste and Joséphine.

Cin, Cin, Amiche!

Finally got organised enough to go for a dental checkup which here is not automatically made for 6 months hence. No treatment needed, thank goodness.

Our Giordano parcel arrived and it was great fun finding all the goodies in jars, pasta, biscotti, wine plus white plates and bowls for 6 people as a freebie. A great deal, so if ever you see an introductory offer for about £39, go for it. It's genuine.In fact this is our second introductory parcel and we're running out of cupboard space.
This evening, I joined Barbara, Lynne, Anne and Dani at the restaurant for an apéritif and a good time was had by us all, especially Anne who got the giggles after her second glass of wine .... she's normally a café au lait or half a lager female and she had better get some practice in as another evening is on the cards.

101 Things to do with a Giant Squash!

It was a bit cold and grey this morning when we set off for a "boules" tournement in the grounds of our favourite restaurant "Mas Salelles". José and Dolores always make us welcome and feed us well and this time even gave a prize. The most enormous squash which lent itself to alot of hilarity but which no doubt will end up as soup. It was a fun day rounded off with a drink at Gaby and Robert's when we drove them home.

Coffee Table Travel

Couldn't drag my heels this morning, had to open up the room for the calligraphy workshop atfer which the day drifted on until teatime when Geneviève and Philippe came around with a book that I'd ordered. Geneviève is an artist and has illustrated and published her travelogues. This one was dedicated to Asia and is a really nice addition to the coffee table. You can see her work on http://genevieve.rouanes.pagesperso-orange.fr/

Double Dose

Armistice Day, a public holiday which brings a national expectation to participate in any commemmoration . As our commune is made up of two villages, there were two ceremonies to attend. For a change the second one was up in the mountains so there was another expectation that we'd stay on and give some lunch custom to the local auberge which laid on the after-ceremony apéritif. It's always much better than the one we have in the village but I suppose it is for far fewer people. Have to say,it wasn't too difficult to do either our municipal or gastronomic duty.

Tiny Tantrum

Yesterday dedicated more time to the website but this time, it was new rather than repair work. Today we had our weekly trip to the market and had an apéritif with Jacques and some of his friends on the terrace of the bar. Are any of you UK readers jealous? In the afternoon, I went to Nicole's for tea and then we both walked down to this month's vernissage which unusually was on a Saturday and met up with Christian. He came back home somewhat out of sorts complaining that there was nothing of interest in the house to eat and insisted that he needs to eat 3 times a day but really it was because I wouldn't say "yes" to buying chips on the way back!

Out of Sight?

A Thursday with a little extra and a little less. After the usual association stuff in the morning and an apéritif in the bar,we ate in the village restaurant. Then Rowena called in for a cuppa in the afternoon but couldn't stay too long. We seem to have less and less contact and it doesn't feel like it used to between us.

Supa Soup

Nicole, Anna and Gérard, our neighbours are keeping the tradition of an autumnal neighbourhood get-together alive by organising a soup evening. The weather was with us as it was warm enough to eat outside. Young and old sampled several varieties of soup, even the restaurant sent over a pot. Our contribution was cake. Well, Marie-Antoinette did say "let them eat cake!"

Winter Entertainment

It's Mum's birthday today so, of course, the first thing to do was to phone. 83 and still living independently. She's doing better than Josette. Hope it's in the genes!
Cut short my Congo association meeting to go to the first "Soirée Guitares" at the bar. Christian was more consciencious, not leaving his meeting at the mairie until it was over. The evening was a great success with a log fire, several guitarists of different genres, an appreciative audience and a great ambiance. (Thanks to Jean-Michel for the photo)

Back to Work

Yesterday we spent a lazy day with lots of telly and a pheasant lunch which today we had to make up for. Christian with the Mairie during the day and his surgery this evening; me distributing association messages in the village and as Mike is away on two outlying estates. Not to mention, still trying to iron out website problems.

Going Live

Spent several hours in front of the computer instead of going to the market as even though the new website has gone online, ther are several glitches to sort out before anyone notices. It wasn't all work though, Jean and Françoise called in for an impromptu apéritif and they are always good for taking you away from navel gazing.

Carpe Diem

At long last we made it to see Josette in her care home. Not the most cheering experience and a future we childless folk prefer not to think about. Anyway, let's not get maudlin .... we took her out down the coast, walked in the sun, admired the boats and drank tea. Came home and celebrated Juste's birthday, so "sieze the day" while you can.

A Better Option

Today's a public holiday and traditionally, the day that people visit the graves of their loved ones. As we have no one lying at peace waiting to be visited, we went with James and Beverley for lunch at Mas Salelles.

A Lucky Escape

At last, the biting high winds of the last few days have calmed a bit. The sky is blue and the Association website after numerous trials and tribulations is almost good to go. We were invited for lunch by Nicole, an association member but before that we called in at Carmen's with a cake I'd made to say "thank you" for a rabbit (a dead one) that she'd given us. Her husband who is a hunter offered us an apéritif and a pheasant still with its feathers on. Fortunately, Carman took pity on us and said that she'd pluck it. Nicole gave us, Danielle et Maggie a good lunch, after which Maggie and I went to see Trudi who is knitting things for us to sell in aid of the Téléthon in December. It gets more like the WI everyday though you'll have a long wait for a calendar, if that's what you're thinking.

Pasha Christian

Although we do quite a lot of things our life has a very regular structure. Today is Saturday and by now you've long since known that it's Saturday and therefore market day. We did however stop in at the library where there was a short jazz concert. In the evening we met up with Margaret, Irene, Izzy, her future mother-in-law and another friend who are here for a very quick visit. They came to ours first for a cocktail and "canapés" (sounds so much better than "nibbles", n'est-ce pas!!!) before we all went to the restaurant for dinner. Christian with 6 women, he was in his element! Of course, we couldn't end the evening without a nightcap.

Rubbing Shoulders

There was no need to cook as this evening we joined 1,500 other supporters of our newly-elected MP in a huge hall in his fiefdom. Just a dozen of us from the village but we bumped into several other sympathisers we know from elsewhere. It ws really well organised and the paella was delicious and amazingly arrived hot on the tables. What's more it was a freebie.

Andalucia in France

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Christian to the Mairie and me to the Association then meeting up for an apéritif in the bar, it started as a Thursday like any other. In the evening, however, Juste and Joséphine picked us up to go to the wine bar where there was a singer/guitarist. We were joined by Marie and Antonio wh didn't take long to get up and flamenco between the tables. now, that was much more fun than watching the telly