An Unhappy Start to the Week

29.8.14

Met Hortense (now, that's someone that you've never heard of before), for a coffee to talk about advancing a service at her local Mairie offering help to anglophones. A larger than life character, with a similar outlook to myself, I thoroughly enjoyed our meeting. After two hours discussion, we were joined briefly by Christian and Michel but we didn't linger much longer, not even having a glass of wine.
The afternoon followed its usual pattern and then in the evening we went over to the bar to hear Laurent (in the hat), singing. The terrace was well packed but we were both pleased that we'd not eaten there as the chicken and tagliatelle didn't look at all appertising. Ended the evening with a last glass of wine at Michel's and for Christian and our host, a fried egg and bread!
Weather:
27° Cloudy with the occasional spot of rain

28.8.14:

Went for my usual coffee at the bar before going to the Language Exchange and took this photo of the swallows assembling and getting ready for the off. They were not just on the electric cables but were hanging onto the church tower too.
There were only six of us at the Language Exchange but it was more interesting than the last one that I went to. Christian was already at the bar sitting with Jean-Jacques, Nany and André when I arrived and we all ended up staying for lunch. The company was a lot better than the food I have to say. After Christian's siesta, we went to collect his blood test results and called in to see Michèle and Henri. Back in the village, the swallows had gone.
Weather:
29° Sun

27.8.14:
Had a meeting this morning with Annie who wants to learn English. She spoke about once a week but I'm not convinced that she'll stay the course. This afternoon, after a long absence, we made it over to Juste and Joséphine's only to find a houseful. Unexpectedly, they found themselves taking in their son and daughter-in-law,  two couples and two small children in addition to their daughter, her partener and baby who have been there for 10 days already! Chaos reigned but it was happy chaos and I was just so thankful it wasn't chez nous. Looking back, I don't know how we managed similar situations when we first moved here. There again, we were a whole lot younger.
Weather:
29°
Headlines:
Intermarché, a nearby supermarket burned down.

26.8.14:
Well, you just never know what's around the corner. On our way over to the bar for a coffee we met the local beekeeper (he, that Michel's ex-wife "went off" with but who had since dumped her for someone else) in a real state. His new partener died at the weekend in a freak accident when they were out mushroom hunting. She slipped and fell face first into shallow water and drowned.Just too awful to think about it.
Weather:
29° Sun
Headlines:
Christian Bourquin, President of the Regional Council died from cancer aged 60.

25.8.14:

Christian's tum is still not right but he went to the Mairie for a short time all the same. I had a session of physio which has moved up a gear to take in exercises as well as massage. Difficult at times especially, as the physio says, I'm not very supple. Met Nancy on the way back and we had coffee together. This afternoon Christian and I went into town and had a cuppa before calling in on Jean and Françoise who offered us something stronger and introduced us to their new pets.
Weather:
26° Sun
Headlines:
New governement to be formed after Montebourg (Economy Minister) and Hamon (Education Minister) are sacked for speaking out against Governement policy