An Island of Excess in a Week of Relative Calm

28.2.14:
 Today was one without any excess. Went to Spanish and was delighted when Pacquita with whom we have a telephone link asked if it was me that had just spoken. "You didn't recognise my accent?" says I. "No", she replied, "that's why I asked!" Sputters of mirth all around as I'm normally absolutely hopeless. It cheered me up no end and now we've a 2 week break in which to forget everything.
Weather:
12° and feeling chilly despite the sun. Rain later
Headlines:
Presumed Russian soldiers  positioning themselves at key points in the Crimea

27.2.14

A very heavy day caloriewise. Had lunch at the restaurant after the language exchange. There was actually a choice of already prepared meals in the fridge so I'm not sure what the excuse was. There again, do we really need one? In the evening we were back again for a get-together with most of the election team. If you look in the top left hand corner of the photo, you'll see the elderly statesmen of the team in a huddle discussing the  Mairie/politics, while the rest of us were talking about less weighty matters .... and a series of tapas just kept coming!
Weather:
12°, sun in the morning, rain in the afternoon
Headlines:
Anelke, the French footballer who plays (or maybe not) for West Brom has been fine £80,000 and given a 5 match ban for using the "quenelle" gesture during a match. In defence he says he didn't know it was an anti-semitic gesture! (or maybe not)

26.2.14:
Jean and Françoise came for an apéro
Weather:
13°, sun and cloud

25.2.14:
Another day infront of the computer and no evening meeting for Christian
Weather:
16°, sun then rain overnight

24.2.14:
Awoke with the resolve to be reasonable today so an salad with raw veg (no dressing for me!) was on the menu for lunch. Slightly derailed at lunchtime as Dominque stopped by looking for a favour and of course, was offered an apéritif.
Weather:
16°, sun

Not for the Feint Hearted!

23.2.14:

Started the day with a small bowl of 0% fromage blanc and a spoon of Violet's marmalde for breakfast in preparation for another hard day for the stomache. We were invited with André, Jeannine and Jaqui (a neighbour) to celebrate Michèle's birthday at a local restaurant but first there was an apéritif at their house. The meal was good and needless to say too much . it took an iron will to tuck into the cake which came with a glass of bubbly offered by the establishment. It didn't end there as Henri invited us all back for a digestif. Finally arrived home worn out, stuffed to the gunnals!
Weather:
17°, sunshine and blue skies

22.2.14:

Little did we know it, but we were in for a hard weekend of socialising. the morning started simply enough with a trip to the market but that was followed by an apéritif with the fisherman's association that had been cleaning up the river in the centre of the village.150kg! The sun was shining, we were in good spirits so went off to have lunch at the restaurant. There was no wind so a table on the terrace was a real treat. From there we went up to the village hall to see how the older persons' club was enjoying their "birthday" meal. They'd arrived at the cheese stage and were having a great time. we were invited to stay fror a drink and some cake so i finally handed over my cash (from Christian's wallet) for my membership. I also, paid to join the Wednesday ramblers all i need to do is buy some batons and psyche myself up!
There was just an hour before leaving there and going to José and Violet's for an apéro. Well, that's what we thought; it was an apéro + chacuterie + meal. There was even cake with the coffee after the meal and a pot of marmalde to take home.
Weather:
15°, sunshine
Headlines:
Tymochenko, the ex President of Ukraine (she with the blonde braids who was imprisoned for corruption) was released and made an appearance in a wheelchair in front of the protesters in Kiev. The current President leaves the city, presumably to head for Russia.

There goes another Week

21.2.14:

At long last we managed to do some supermarket shopping. That might be nothing of interest to you but for us, it's an event worth mentioning!  There was a public meeting in the evening where André invited  his list to present themselves. Sorry, the photo isn't too clear but I'd still vote for the guy with the white hair and classy overcoat. There wasn't any heckling mainly because, rather than drag out a debate, André invited those present to partake in  'un pot d'amitié'. Even the opposition swallowed their principles and drank up! Shame the bar is closed as a more intimate drink would have rounded off the evening well. still, Jean-Louis and Eve have the right to have a holiday, like us all ....... but 5 weeks?
Weather:
12°, overcast

20.2.14:
It being Thursday we had lunch in the restaurant and then in the afternoon I only managed to peel myself away from the computer to go to the museum with Nany to buy a birthday present for Michèle. Then we came back afterwards for tea. For Christian, there was a campaign meeting this evening followed by an apéritif dinatoire chez nous for Jean-Jacques and Carmen. Jack Munroe could learn a thing or two from me as I fed 4 of us with nothing significant in the fridge. http://agirlcalledjack.com/tag/recipes/
Weather:
17°, blue skies
Headlines:
Every day there are fears being spread about Scottish independence and its financial recpercussions.

19.2.14:
Not only is there banging at the front of the house but today, there is a steamroller making a lot of noise at the back. The holes in the street are being filled and the street resurfaced.Talk about going up in the world ; they've done a good job but pleas, no comments about councillors being favourised!
Weather:
15°, sunny pells
Headlines:
Escalation of violence against pro-west protesters in Kiev.

18.2.14:

Lots of banging coming from next door where the scaffolding is up and the stonework is being exposed. We did ours several years ago, so there's no room to complain about the noise and the dust. There was food enough left from last night to see us through the day just until  apéritif time in the evening. Armand and Martine organised a drink and nibbles after the Maire's weekly meeting to which "other halves" were invited. Jean-Jacques came back with us to finish off the evening. Do I hear you say "and your arteries!" Tant pis - you're a long time dead, says I.
Weather:
13°, cloudy

17.2.14:
At the moment there are neighbourhood meetings that are being organised usually in people's home. this evening there was one for the centre of the village but as a number of people were expected to attend, it was in a public room (actually in a disused chapel). Just as well as there were about 50 people in attendance. There had been threats that there would be the press and other disruptions because one family doesn't want the square pedestrianised (where would they park their 4x4?) but it came to nothing. Even someone on theopposite list was for the project! I gave the meeting a miss and instead prepared an apéritif for Jean-Jacques and André afterwards.
Weather: 13°

Changing Départements

16.2.14
We all slept well - was it the comfy bed, the peace of the countryside or the wine? Anyway, once again Claudie sent us off while she kept an eye on the 7 hour slow cooked leg of lamb which was on the menu for lunch. We went first to Villeneuvette which is a conservation village constructed around an 16th century factory which had made military uniforms and sheets. Nice place but very quiet.
From here we went onto Pezanas for a wander around the old town. It's main claim to fame is it's connection to Molière who resided there for several years. It's a pleasant place to linger in with lots of photo opportunities. We also visited a exhibition featuring paintings, photos and sculptures by local artists in the magnificent 16th century Palace of the Barons of Lacoste.
Arrived back at the house at 1pm prompt to the delicious aroma of roast lamb and it certainly didn't disappoint. There was time afterwards for Christain to have 40 winks before the drive home where there were signs of it having rained and with more to come.
Weather:
12° cloudy with rain later

15.2.14
Jean-Jacques' sister, Claudie has been asking us all to go and visit for ages and we've finally got our diaries together to go for an overnight. As we left after lunch, there was time to go to the market where we stumbled across the inauguration of the Social Party's campaign headquarters. We met some people that we knew so stayed and had the apéritif on offer.
Arrived at Claudie's without any traffic problems, had a cuppa and chat with her before she sent us off to have a look at the nearby town of Clermont l'Herault.
Claudie has a vineyard, so the evening was spent sampling wine and chatting with her and her
daughter-in-law, Isabel. http://www.berenas.com/
Weather:
14° Sunny start, cloud later

Great Choice

The day started with a nice surprise - a bunch of roses from Christian. Spanish  was easier on my brain cells than usual and put me in the mood for our planned trip out for lunch. I'd found a new restaurant on a Catalan blog which looked just great. The food review was good and the setting, in a monestery the middle of nowhere, seemed just right for a St Valentine's treat. To top it off, the weather was ideal.
http://elsgormandsfiguerencs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/restaurant-el-claustre-de-palera_25.html  
Weather:
20° Warm and sunny

Ups and Downs

13.2.14:

There was no language exchange for me this morning as I joined Françoise and Thérèse for a trip to Figueres. The weather was just glorious. I was disappointed that we didn't stop for a coffee on the Ramblas to start off but we did eat there at lunch time. However, our table was right by the road and the food typical tourist stuff. Grrrh!
Meanwhile, Christian and Jean-Jacques went to Can Nadal for a pleasanter setting and far better meal.
On arriving home from his campaign meeting, Christian noticed that the restaurant was serving scrambled egg with truffle, so we off we went as given the price of these rarities, it isn't something that we'd serve up at home.
Weather:
18° Bright Sunshine

12.2.14:
Another anti-André tract has arrived by post in the village. This time it had xenophobic overtones. It really is a sad that such a rag should overshdow all the good that happens here.
This afternoon I went to the funeral of an elderly woman from the village while Christian helped deliver an election circular. Later I joined Lynne, Dani and Anne for this month's "apérobio". Christian, meantime was chez Jean-Jacques for an omlette and a glass of wine. I joined them later but we were sensible enough not to stay too late.
Weather:
15° Blue skies and sunshine

11.2.14:

Jean-Jacques and Michel stopped by after the regular Tuesday meeting at the Mairie for an apéritif dinatoire.
Weather:
14° Sunny

Comings and Goings

10.2.14:
More of the same with a constant stream of leafleters. I've been housebound hunched up over the computer only taking a break from the Scotland stuff to get the blog up to date, But what a treat when Christian came back from Nany's with a bunch of mimosa that's been wafting it's heady scent in my direction as I tap away. Now, this afternoon, Christian and Jean-Jacques have been on the campaign trail this afternoon and then there's a twinning meeting this evening. He should manage to get a bowl of soup in-between times to keep him going and instead of hunching, I shall slump in front of that other screen that isn't good for me.
Weather:
13° Blue skies, cloud later

9.2.14:
We had thought to have a quiet  day with just an omelette for lunch and some tv time but we all know

what happens to bestlaid plans. All the comings and goings  really started on Friday as we are the distribution point for André's first campaign leaflet. This morning we had Jose who stayed for coffee, then Martine who stayed for a long drawn out apéritif. In between times I spent the day and the early part of the evening hunched over the computer putting together a detailed itinerary our tour of Scotland and it's not yet finished.
Weather:
13° Blue Skies, cloud later

And Yet Again!

Today we were guests of Henri and Michelle at the meal organised by the twinning association where they live. Given that it's with a town in Germany, choucroute and beer were on the menu. The meal was copious and it was inevitable that a siesta would follow. There was hardly enough time to digest lunch than we were at André and Nany's for apéritifs. We did walk there and back which was the least that we could do as today has been a day pretty serious consumption.
Weather:
13° Blue Skies, very light drizzle at the end of the evening.

And Again!

Today's main event was the Association's tapas evening for which I made Delia's seriously delicious Austrian Coffee and Walnut Cake again. If you're interested in the recipe, scroll back to 19th January and you'll find the link there. Sadly by the time I arrived at the sweet things stage, it was all gone. This evening's theme was "noir et blanc" so this gave us the chance to wear the trilbies that we bought in Figueres the other week. While we went for more of a gangster look, Jean-Jacques and Michel were much more stylish. It was well attended and there was also a quiz which we didn't win. We didn't win the prize for the most original get-up either. Neither did JJ and Michel but we're nothing if not good losers!
Weather:
13° Overcast start, sun later
News:
Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics in (well, outside really) Sochi. To think that when I went there, it was mid summer and and I was still able to fit into a bikini!

Out Again!

Having had the voucher that we'd won at the quiz in the restaurant hanging around for a couple of months, Robert, Martine and ourselves settled on today to finally use it. We went at lunch time for the menu and as usual ate well. That's our kind of prize. Christian had an election campaign meeting in the evening after which Jean-Jacques invited us along with Nany and André for pizza and a glass of wine.
Weather:
14°, blue skies with strong winds in the evening

Budget Food but Good Food

Finally, we managed to pin down a date to take Jean and Françoise for lunch to celebrate Jean's birthday which was back in December. I'd found "La Cucina del Syndicat" in Serinyà which had positive reviews on the net, so it seemed a good opportuntity to try it. What's more, for left-wing Jean, the name was sure to please. The village doesn't inspire as you arrive from the main road so it would be easy to just keep going. Glad to say that we were not disappointed. The restaurant is set on a small square with a beautiful 12th century church. Inside it was plain to see that it had started life as a workers' bar/restaurant/social centre but Judith (Catalan with S African husband) the adorable young owner had kept the spirit but updated the furnishing and decor within  the limits imposed by the height of the ceilings and it's square form. The food was delicious home cooking done by Mum. We came away well satisfied by the experience with a bill that in no way made a dent in the wallet!
With such good weather we stopped off in Besalú for a walk where we were lucky enough to find the Jewish Baths open. Had a hot chocolate in the square where we dived into the huge bags of broken biscuits that we'd bought from an artisan pastry shop for 2€. Lovely and crispy, made from wholemeal flour and sesame seeds, we were able to kid ourselves that they made a healthy balance with the chocolate.
Once home, Christian just had time to gather up his papers for the Council meeting leaving me to prepare a tapas platter for Michel and Jean-Jacques who were joining us afterwards. I regret not taking a photo as on the large wooden platter, it looked pretty good, even if I do say myself!
Weather:
14°, Blue skies.

5.2.14:
A late night last night led to a slow start this morning. All I did was do some B and B hunting for our trip later this year and make a "Tuscan Wild Boar Stew" with some meat that a hunter friend had given us. http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/tv-show/come-dine-with-me-recipes/series-11/tuscan-wild-boar-stew-recipe
Weather:
14° Blue skies, some high wispy cloud

All Saga's come to an End

2.2.14:
Our evening out brought a series of invitations, the first being an apéritif today chez Henri and Michelle. Henri then  insisted that we share their lunch. Arrived home late afternoon when Christian had a siesta (Henri had started his before we even had our coats on to leave!) and I delivered the association's latest newsletter. Home for tea and the gripping and surprising end of "The Bridge". I don't think that the Belgian offering next week will be able to live up to it. There's no one quite like Saga! 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA_Q4I9Swlo 
Weather:
13° and blue skes. Just look at the photo taken from in front of Michelle and Henri's.

3.2.14:
Nothing particular today apart from Christian having his monthly surgery up in the mountains. Michel was held up in a meeting so he was alone until the upstair's neighbour came down and brought an apéritif.
Weather:
13°. Clear blue skies to start but clouding over later
News:

• Holland puts on hold assissted conception for lesbians and legalising surrogacy after demonstrations yesterday. He intends to concentrate on the economy. in his favour, he didn't backtrack on the drive to eradicate sexism in the classroom, another iniative that's throwing the conservative reactionary sections of society (we all know who) into a flat spin.
• Wild storms continue to batter the Brittany coast.

Addressing a Haggis!

1.2.14:
A little late as Alistair (the piper who played at my birtday a few years ago) was busy at a Burn's Supper in Barcelona on the 25th. Can you believe it? The supper took place in Lamanere, the most southerly village in France which has a population of 57! It's been held there for the last 10 years but we've never had the courage to drive up there at night but this time Brian and Dani took us with them. André, Nany, Michelle and Henri came in another car.
There were about 70 of us all told. There were speaches in French, English and Catalan, some poetry, dancing, whisky, a few songs and the haggis was an authentic "Mac Sween's" - the best there is.If you're interested in Burns follow this link http://www.robertburns.org/works/147.shtml  where you can read his "Address to the Haggis" and other delights.
Weather:
11°, 8° when we left, 2° when we arrived. Iwas cold, misty and there was some light snow in the rain from time to time but thankfully we got there and back without mishap, even passing through a Police check farther down the valley!