Snow White & the 7 Dwarfs

This last couple of days I've been doing a lot of association "housekeeping" so that all will be in order when I step down from the committee. There's something soothing about making lists and being methodical for obsessive types like me.
Christian had a Council meeting this evening after which we'd invited friends to join us for a salad on the terrace. As he was on his own for the evening, Christian invited the Mayor too thus making it me and 7 blokes around the table. You can see from the photo that none of them are of small stature, perhaps apart from Tristan and well, Snow White ... moi .... I think not!
The last to leave went after 2am and if the enjoyment level is commensurate with the number of empty bottles ... a good time was had by all!

Balmy Breezes

Started the day by attacking the giant courgette that Joséphine gave us from her garden. Courgette and Chorizo Soup (made up), Mediterranean Vegetables in a Thai curry sauce (made up) and Courgette Dip found on http://allrecipes.com/recipe/the-best-zucchini-dip-ever/  It had soy sauce in it and sugar. Next time I'll reduce drastically or leave out the sugar but it was unusual and delicious. Went over to the bar for a change of scene and met up with Nancy then Robert and his neighbour Alain.
I spent the afternoon catching up with the blog while Christian snoozed. Too hot to do anything else. Robert came around for a drink and "pica-pica" which included the dip. By the time we were ready to go over to the bar for the music, the bowl was empty.
The group playing are very popular and there was a great amosphere on the terrace  where we were joined by Jean-Jacques and with a bit of breeze we enjoyed a couple of glasses of rosé in the cool of the evening.

Hot, Hot and Hotter

It was far too hot to go to the market, so after 45 mins on the treadmill and a bit of pottering around we went over to Juste and Joséphine's for a coffee. Apparently 10.45am was too late so we chatted for half an hour before the apéritifs were brought out. Needless to say, we ended up staying for lunch and Michel came along just as we were about to have the plum cake I'd taken to have with our coffee.
Stayed inside all afternoon only venturing out after 8pm to go down to the recreation ground where sardines were being barbequed for this week's organised meal. We stayed only to have a glass of wine after which we wandered up to the bar.

An Empty House

Took Andy and Maureen to catch the bus which arrives right by the railway station. It was late which gave us a few anxious moments but it finally appeared and they had plenty of time to spare at the other end. Supermarket shoping for us and then a coffee at the bar where Andy caugh up with us by phone. He couldn't find his wallet which fortunately was still in the bedroom. Phew!
No lunch to prepare again as we joined Irene, Kelvin, Dave and Jackie at a new restaurant that's been having a good press. The food was good but both Christian and I thought that ours in the village is better and more reasonably priced. Spent the afternoon quietly and even had a wee snooze with the shutters closed against the sun and the fan on in an attempt to keep cool.

Battling with the Heat

No committee meeting and I skived off from the language exchange. Instead, while Christian was at the Mairie we took a walk along the river this morning and the shade was just what we needed. Called in at the museum on our way round to have a look at the current exhibition. 3rd time for me and I still haven't warmed to it. Had lunch in the restaurant. Well, that's what we do on Thursdays in case you haven't noticed.
As it was Andy and Maureen's last day we invited Jean and Françoise over to have something to eat with us in the evening. While, I prepared a couple of salads, Andy and Maureen went over to Maggie's for a swim, coming back in time to help organise the table on the upstairs terrace. as Jean had to be up early the next day, he and Françoise didn't stay late so we toddled over to the bar to listen to some music. We didn't stay late there either as the singer as not really on form! Still, it was pleasantly cool and at 10.30pm, I decided to go around the village and deliver the association's newsletter. Good job done.

Dinner on the Terrace

Temperatures are high and energy levels low so all we did this morning was take a trip into town for a wander and a coffee. In the afternoon, we did even less. Then in the evening there wasn't even a meal to prepare as we were invited over to Jean-Marie and Brigitte's new house for dinner. Brigitte is a nurse working in the community and Jean-Marie works at the Mairie. Jean-Jacques and his son who is here on holiday were also invited. Fortunately, there was next to no shop talk and the dinner was excellent.

Hot and Dusty Road

Another hot day in store but we started our day out with the hood down but had to give way just before arriving in La Bisbal. Had a drink there and a wander around the town, zigzagging from one side of the street to another in search of shade. From here we went onto Palafugell and the hotel/resturant, "El Far". Andy and Maureen were well impressed with the views out over the sea that was a beautiful blue. The food was good too, served by really nice waiters though the price had taken a huge summer hike.
Came home in time for Christian's weekly meeting at the Mairie after which we had a wee snack and a trip to the bar.

The Scots are Coming

Some last minute preparations and we were ready to go and meet Andy and Maureen off the on-time train from Paris. They had been there to watch the arrival of the "Tour de France"as a treat for Andy's birthday. It was a Brit, Chris Frome  (born in Kenya, trained in South Africa!) who won.
Once they'd settled in, there was time to wander around the village, visit the exhibition in the Mairie and admire all the changes that have taken place since their last visit.
In the evening we were invited to Martine's to help celebrate David's (also a Scot) birthady. She'd gone to a lot of trouble to make a super meal which included a scrummy chocolate cake. There was talk of the royal baby and a couple of difficult moments when the conversation turned to politics but I'm pleased to say that there was no blood spilt on the patio and all were agreed that Martine was a great hostess.

Cross Border Links

Despite a very late night last night Christian was up and out for 9am to take up his position behind the watering station in the square. A transfrontier mountain bike race was coming through the village so of course Christian was ready to give a hand. As a recompense we were invited by the Mayor to join him and his wife for the lunch put on by organisers of the race but first there were village commitments to fulfill. A tradition of the festa major is that the organisers go around the village playing music and collecting money at lunch time on the 3rd day. Their first port of call is the Mayor's house where they present his wife with a bouquet of flowers. In return they are invited to stay for an apéritif and some pretty substantial nibbles. This year, some of them also took a dip fully clad  in the swimming pool. Once they had decided to move on we did the same. Lunch was in the local hunters' premises and the main course was snails. Fortunately we were at a table with a French guy who had been in the village for about 18 years so we weren't completely lost.
Then it was back to the village in time to watch some Sardane dancing. On leaving the bar, which had been a great vantage point with large parasols giving shade, Jacques spied us passing his house and invited us in for an apéritif with his cousin and his wife. 2½ hours later we made it home!

Absent Friend

Yesterday would have been Michelle's birthday, had she not died earlier this year and today would have been her's and Jean-Jacques wedding anniversary. To mark this first milestone Jean-Jacques organised a meal at his place for a few friends and family. Samia came in to prepare and serve the meal which meant that there was no stress for our host. But before all that, I got stuck into several hours of cleaning and boring and tiring as it was, it was good to see the house looking so clean. Easy pleased, me! Quite funny really, Claudie is partially sighted and probably wouldn't have noticed the dust anyway!

Let the Festivities Begin!

The day was pleasant enough .... Elsa, Frank and Nolwenn went off on an association walk and had to

make do with a picnic lunch. We on the other hand, were able to go over to the bar for an apéritif as Stéphanie made quiche for lunch. Our happy wanderers came back hot and tired but somehow found the energy to go over to the lake for a swim
The village "Festa Major", 3 days of festivities, kicked off this evening but we only went down to see the village's new "Banda" but didn't stay as it was the family's last night and they were planning to be off for 7am. Then it will be a quick turn around for Claudie, Jean-Jacques' sister, tomorrow's overnight visitor.

Eating Well

Fortunately, there was no committee meeting this morning but I did put in an appearance at the language exchange. Sitting around the picnic tables under the shade of the trees down at the rcreation ground was quite pleasant, given the high températures that persist. Had a drink at the bar as usual and then went over to the restaurant for lunch which was Frank's treat. Just look at these delicious king prawns.
 As if that wasn't enough we were invited over to David and Laura's along with Alf and Bente, Jenny and John for dinner and did our utmost to do it justice. It's just so difficult to resist good food when it's put in front of you whatever you might have promised yourself beforehand.

3 Little Leos

Sun screen applied, hats on and all 7 of us piled into our respective vehicles to do a rerun of last Wednesday's visit to Banyoles. This time however we opted out of the Besalu bit, coming home to organise the evening's meal which was a celebration of three birthdays. Chocolate cake, of course, champage of course  and presents, of course. Even Christian had a present and well chuffed he was too!

Summer Skiing

Yesterday was a quiet day apart from feeding 7 of us and then a drink in the bar in the evening. This evening Lone and Jesper organised their 3rd "Danish Challenge" for the association. Being made of stern stuff, we only stopped for 10 minutes when the rain was at its heaviest. potato and spoon race, sack race, three-legged race and summer skiing! Well, there's a dry ski slope in Dubai, so is skiing here any more unlikely? After all the hilarity it was over to the "buvette" for Danish beers. Jean-Jacques had joined us there and came back to eat at the house. Then lo and behold , who should come knocking at the door but Nancy who had just flown in from the States only to find that she didn't have a key to get to her bathroom. so she went in search of the missing key and came back to eat with us.

Pour la Patrie!

On the road for 8.30am to travel the 10kms up into the mountains for the first of the commune's Bastille Day cérémonies. Early as it was, the sun was warm. As usual, there were refreshments in the local restaurant before driving back to the village for an action replay. Now, it wasn't just warm, it was hot and Maggie and I opted to stay with the Mayor's wife and have a cold drink at the bar rather than march up to the war mémorial. We did however, go over to the Mairie for the speeches and presentation of medals and certificates for long serving fire officers and people who have contributed to village life. A British friend remarked, "only the French could give reconition to the local goat's cheesemaker! You may be wondering about an abundance of
European flags as well as the French Tricolour. something that didn't find favour with a lot of people.This was a decision of the Mayor who fearing the rise of the National Front used his speech to stress the importance of Europe.
After another apéritif we headed over to Michel's for a pasta lunch. On the way home Christian stopped off at the bar where he stayed celebrating France's national day. Frank, Stéphanie and the two younger kids arrived after a long hot drive. Had a BBQ on the terrace and were joined by Jean-Marie and his new partner. Finished the day in the usual manner with a superb firework display.

Fiesta Time

Day two of the fiesta and Joséphine took Elsa to see young bullocks run through the Streets kept up together by horsemen from the Camargue and pusued by "young bloods" from around and about. Joséphine's dance group was scheduled to dance in front of the arena before the bullfight; another non-p.c. event. However, it rained and the dancing was abandoned.
Meanwhile, we had a slow start to the day, having a soft drink at the bar before joining Jacques and his friends for a barbeque on his upstairs terrace. There were 11 of us altogether including 5 people from Galliac that he'd made friends with at a previous fiesta. They certainly were a lively crowd and dead nice with it. We ate well (snails à la catalane) to start and sampled wine from Gaillac. By the time that we arrived home about 7pm, Elsa was home and we all gave the evening meal a miss. There's an early start tomorrow so no late night for us.

Sizzling Temeratures

 

Today, was far more interesting, however. Firstly a walk up through the woods with Elsa before it got too hot. She had great fun (trying) to take photos of butterflies that were of course, forever on the move. We were out for over 2 hours and were more than pleased when the bar finally came into view. A long cool drink by the fountain helped as we were both feeling pretty sticky by this point.

Temperatures continue above 30°, so a vernissage in the air - conditioned Mairie allowed us to linger over the apéritif and chat. The expo itself , which wasn't very well attended was pretty ordinary and the artist more like a car salesman in manner than anything else.

Ended the day by going to the restaurant with Michel for a plate of tapas followed by icecream at his house. On the way home we were hijacked by Jacques and his friends and whipped off to a local fiesta which started tonight and goes on until Sunday. Bars, dancing in the streets and lots of good humour. Finally made it to bed at 4am!! Is that anyway for grandparents to behave?



Monsters on Wheels

Committee meeting, language exchange, bar; yes, today started as most Thursdays. We did however, break from tradition by not succumbing to a restaurant lunch. Supermarket in the afternoon, stopping of at the recreation ground to look at these monsters that were the star attraction in an show this evening. Not very p.c. but they certainly aroused a lot of interest. As it had been a while since we'd seen Juste and Joséphine we paid them a quick visit, had a cuppa and caught up with the their news.

Picturesque Views

Another hot day and once the sun screen was applied we hit the road with the roof down and Elsa in the back of the car. Today's destination was Banyoles where it was market day. Had a pleasant wander around and then lunch overlooking the lake. Ate in La Carpa which we felt didn't merit some of the damming reviews that have appeared recently on Tripadvisor. The service was very pleasant and not "disaterous" and the food was better than "mediocre". At  12€ for 3 courses including wine ....?? While Christian had a siesta (above), Elsa and I walked up to the lovely little church which dates from the 11th century. The metal door in the photo below is actually a fountain which has the water coming out of the handle. Once we'd roused Christian from his sweet dreams we climbed back into the car and went off for a walk around the picturesque village of Besalu. This of course was hot work so a cold drink in a pleasant garden was just the ticket.

Fresh Veg without the Work

Had a later start this morning and so as not to make Christian late for the Mairie we had breakfast before I went down to the treadmill. not such a good idea as it took awhile to get into my stride (sorry!) but I did do 45 instead of 30mins. Christian popped home mid morning with this lovely basket of veg which had been picked just this morning in Carmen's garden. Michel joined us for a salad lunch which included some of the green beans. A wee apéritif on the terrace where luckily there was still enough shade then inside for the main event.
Later in the afternoon we went into the town for a wander and to organise an electrician for our friend Margaret's holiday house in the village. Had a drink (non-alcholic) and with a bit of a breeze it felt more comfortable than it has for a while.

Fresh Mountain Air

Elsa went off with David, Laura and Martine for a day kayaking. She came back exhausted and only had about an hour to snooze before we went up into the mountains for Chritian's surgery. While he was busy (not), we went and saw Annette. A cold drink on her terrace looking out over the wooded mountains was really relaxing and of course, it was cooler than down in the village. Still, beautiful views do not outweigh the isolation of living up a very windy, narrow road, for me. Give me a bar, I mean bakery, within walking distance. Elsa and I then walked back down to the restaurant where we ate heartily without feeling guilty. The menu stays the same, it's just gone up by 50cts which still makes it a great deal. Duck of course for me, Christian had steak and Elsa lamb. Rounded off the evening with a a glass of rosé at the bar then bed before midnight.

Edge of the Seat

Well, Andy Murray did it and what a match it was! Fast furious, funny and infuriating. The three set win doesn't really portray how strong Djokovitch was. There were several times when it looked as he would make a come back but it wasn't to be. So the "auld alliance" triumphed at Wimbledon. We just managed to see the winning point before rushing off to collect Elsa from the station. Had a quick bite to eat before going to the bar to watch Michel and his group in action. Another balmy evening in Paradise and there are lots more to go before summer is over. Just hope that we can stay the course!

French Victory

Oh dear! Slept too long and had a head that said "no" to the idea of the treadmill, so my mail distribution circuit had to suffice by way of exercise. Went to the bar for a coffee and enjoyed the shade of the terrace and the sound of the fountain (yes, Ken, it's now working again) and the water from the mountains  running down the channels. My goodness, it was hot, 32° this afternoon.
Finished off the ironing, another 2 shirts++ and watched the women's Wimbledon final. Marion Bartolli won easily enough even though the crowd was behind the German, Sabine Lisici. We were rooting for the French woman of course. Can Murray come through for us tomorrow?

She who Laughs Last

Made a start on the huge, overflowing basket of ironing which has been sat in the dining room for weeks. Ironed 26 shirts, trousers, shorts etc etc. Sheila will no doubt be chucking at this after all the advice I used to give her. Had to call a halt before it was finished as we had a schedule to keep and besides my poor old legs were beginning to complain. There was a vernissage to attend and a Tunisian meal at the campsite to eat.
The meal was very tasty, the company good and it was really pleasant sitting out under the pine trees. stopped off at the bar on the way back for a coffee and were invited to Jack's along with Patrick, anna and Gérard for a nightcap. finally got to bed at 2.30am.

Happy Inner Child

The Prseident of the Association was away again as was the Treasurer, so with nothing urgent on the agenda, the committee meeting this morning was cancelled. The language exchange still went ahead though and this week I stayed on. Christian joined us at the bar for the usual glass of rosé before lunch at the restaurant. This week Anne joined us as a "thank you" for her help with my Spanish. Lunch was excellent and the terrace was full with a large group who were on their way from A to B.

In the evening we wandered  up to the local chapel for some Romanian folk tales told to music (guitar and accordian). The tales were recounted in French with bits of Romanian thrown in and ironically, the guitarist kicked off his warm up with "Only the Lonely"; most appropriate as the only spectator in the audience who wasn't a friend was me. Christian came for 10 minutes (it had been his idea to go and represent the Mairie) but as it all seemed a bit disorganised, he didn't stay. I'm glad I did, as the storyteller was captivating.

Curiosity Satisfied

There's a new shopping centre that was opened a couple of months ago, so when Rowena phoned yesterday and suggested going  there, I thought "why not". I needed to know first hand what people have been talking about. It was spacious with lots of leather settees dotted around for people with weary feets. There were bargains to be had but sizewise, no luck and I came away empty handed. As a shopping experience we both decided that we'll stick to Figueres. In fairness, I guess that it would be ok for a rainy day and there was a nice rooftop café/bar.
We didn't eat on site saying "no" to another huge all - you - can - eat buffet and "no" to an overpriced Italian. Instead we drove up towards the mountains and went to a café/bar/social centre for their set menu (16€ all in). This kind of establishment is a tradition in Catalan villages and this one is housed in a building over 100 years old. It was a favourite of our deceased anarchist friend José, who, if you've been following the blog, you'll know I've mentioned several times before. For some reason we've never been but always wondered about it. Our young waitress was charming and tried out a few words in French and English; the older woman in charge was very stylish under her black apron. Quite a surprise for such a simple place.
Meanwhile Christian cooked an omelette and did a chicory and walnut salad for his lunch guest, Jean-Jacques. Wonder when my turn will come???

Terranova

Christian had a day off from the Mairie so we planned a day out. We needed to stock up on cava for the summer and there was a new restaurant to try out. Started the day with some exercise and then rolled back the hood on the car and set off under sunny skies.
Mission accomplished at the wine cave, then coffee at the local social centre/café/bar in a nearby village.
We found the restaurant with the help of our trusty GPS and were more than pleased with the setting and the stylish meal that we had. After a little siesta in the car, under the shade of a tree, we made it home in time for Christian to go to a meeting at the mairie. So he  didn't actually have a complete break. C'est la vie!

Music Al Fresco

Today saw the first day of our new bid to take a bit more exercise; me on the treadmill for half an hour (need to break myself in gently) and Christian going for a walk. All before breakfast.
Anne came for my final Spanish session before the long summer break and I was worse than ever. Hopefully, revising "Coffee Break Spanish" while I sweat away, will keep me going over the hols. "Early days", says a little voice in my head.
This evening we were out for Linde's belated birthday celebration. Her kids and their families are over from the States and they'd organised a musician to come from Aix-en-Provence to play. Yan Yalego plays the ukele (as does, Linde's son) and the kazoo and is internationally know in ukele circles. You can listen to his music (mostly 1920's blues) on YouTube. Rest assured, he's nothing like George Formby. There's another trip on the internet for those of you non-Brits under 50 reading this post who are completely mistified by the refeerence. Laurent and Linde's son also played though Michel, who brought his guitar, didn't
Of course there were good things to eat, buffet style and the wine was plentiful out in Kathy's garden that had been lent for the occasion. Only downside .... 3 bites around the ankle but hey, who said it was a perfect world?