Christmas Comes but Twice a Year

Jacques who was in the States over the festive period, once back home decided that he would do an action replay chez-lui for friends and neighbours. There were 11 of us in all + a 12kg turkey. Also on the menu were oysters and Christian limited himself to just three because of that 4 letter word s - - t  (no, not that one) which is ever at the forefront of our gastronomic lives these days. And that's not all ..... there was foie gras, cheese and (hopefully) the last galette of the season.
Weather:
8°
PS. In case you're wondering, we gave the market a miss.

Blowing in the Wind

30.1.15:

Oh what joy! We had a super new bed base delivered this morning amid much huffing and puffing from the delivery men as they climbed up to the nest. They couldn't even benfit of the great view that many of you know exists as it was completely shrouded in cloud. Seeing the prices of bedding in UK, those in France are eyewatering in comparison but I have to say, comfort is bliss and makes it well worth all those €€€€.
Had a Blue Peter couple of hours this afternoon helping to make crepe paper flowers for the village float. That's a few more brownie points racked up without any hardship and who knows when my new found skill will come in useful!
Weather:
8°, rain and low cloud

29.1.15:
Went to the language exchange as usual and then to the bar but for once, Christian didn't join us as he was feeling cold and tired.
Weather:
14°, sun followed by rain later

28.1.15:
For once we were up early but not out of choice. Christian had a routine check up with the cardiologist who upped his water tablets for 3 days and gave him another pep talk about reducing salt intake. We had thought to go on to Argelès for a walk but once again Christian was off the hook as it's still too chilly and windy.
Dined at Michel's this evening after I'd been to my p-r-o-n-o-n-c-i-a-t-i-o-n class and Christian and Jean-Jacques had attended the New Year wishes of the Mayor of a nearby village. Michel fed us on veg soup, spaghetti carbonara with apple purée and butter biscuits for dessert. "Simple mais bon"!
Weather:
12° but chillier in the wind, bluer skies
Headlines:
Caught a report on the tv about the permafrost melting in Russia where many buildings, including a nuclear power plant of the same generation as Chernobyl are built without foundations, the logic having been that they weren't needed. Apparently the plant is shrouded in secrecy. Is this a scare story or should we be worried?

27.1.15:
It's still windy and chilly so haven't ventured forth although Christian did make it to the weekly meeting at the Mairie. He brought back Jean-Jacques and Michel with him for supper in front of the fire.
Weather:
12° but feeling colder
Of Note:
Shoah commemoration all day on the TV, this being the 70 anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and therefore UN nominated Holocaust Day  http://www.un.org/en/holocaustremembrance/2015/calendar2015.html

26.1.15:
Now I know I've made it in village society having been invited to a "thank you for helping with the Téléthon" afternoon tea at Nicole's, the co-ordinator. There were at least 20 of us and the others, practically all Catalan, are pillars of village life. Quite an honour! If you lived here you'd get the significance of being included but as you don't, you'll just have to take my word for it.
Christian's examination showed no significant deterioration so I'm convinced the problem is more lack of use!
Weather:
8°, cloudy and still blowing strong
Of Note:
Today has been all about Greece

• The new far left Prime Minister, elected yesterday has been able to form a governement
• Demis Roussos died aged 68
• 11 French elite airmen with Nato died when a Greek fighter plane crashed at a Spanish military air base while on a training exercise.

25.1.15:

At last a bit of social life and a very good meal to boot. Seven of us (us +Nany, André, Francis,  Nicole and Patrick, Michèle's brother who's a cardiologist) were invited to celebrate Henri's 75th birthday. Needless to say there was a lot of rugby talk but thankfully for Patrick's sake we avaoided heart problems.
Weather:
9°, sunny, just as windy 
Of Note:
Scots the world over celebrate "Burns Night" with haggis, whisky, poetry and dancing to bagpipes.

24.1.15:
Stayed home all day as even though it was 9° and there were blue skies, there were winds of 120km. Not good for someone with heart problems.

Tripe, Trout and Tapas

23.1.15:
GP appointment for Christian and he needs to see a specialist for an evaluation of his arteries in his leg. Umph!
Weather:
9°, blue skies and cloud later

22.1.15:

Language exchange, bar but then home for lunch for a change. Apparently yesterday was national hug day. Not a UN day so I don't know who designated it thus or what purpose it serves; the day rather than the action, I mean. Bet that you didn't know that knuffel is Dutch for hug, did you?
Weather:
10° Cloudy 

21.1.15:

Lunch out again today; this time at Jean and Françoise's and once again we were at the same table as Juste and Joséphine! We were joined by Ghislaine and Nicolas, Belgian friends and it was Ghislaine's birthday. Christian is really feeling the cold at the moment and for a lot of the time he sat with a blanket aroung his shoulders with either Françoise or Joséphine rubbing is hands to warm them up! Today, river trout were on the menu, I provided a spicy red lentil and pepper soup and there was a large galette made by Joséphine which easily fed the eight of us. Ghislaine got to blow out the candles and Françoise was crowned Queen. Once back home, Christian snoozed with a hot water bottle and soon warmed up.
Two funny stories which make me worry that my head is on the decline.
Firstly, Françoise, Joséphine and I spent ages scouring a map of Sicily to find a Roman site which we had visited. I couldn't remember the name until I realiseded that it was near Seville, in Spain!! It's called Italica if you're remotely interested.
Secondly, on leaving the French pronociation workshop, I couldn't find my black leather gloves. You'll never guess where they were ... I found them when I got home; they'd been tucked inside my black hat and I'd carried them home on my head!!!!
Weather:
10° Sun with cloud after lunch

20.1.15:
Christian and Michel have been talking tripe oops, I mean about tripe since the Normans who came to stay with us brought a couple of pots. Tripes de Caen are a speciality and are the intestines done in sauce rather than the white spongy stuff much beloved by North country folk. Finally, a lunch date was organised to eat them with chips. Juste and Joséphine were invited too. Juste ate les tripes with the lads while Joséphine and myself had duck, much the better option. What a long time it's been since we've shared a table with them.

This evening, while Christian was at his weekly meeting at the town hall, I met up with les anglaises for our regular apéritif. We were plus one as Barbara who used to live in the village but has since moved back to UK, is here on a few days holiday. Once again we were at the bar as the restaurant is closed and we were all impressed by the spread that was put on for us. The time passed quickly washed down with a couple of carafes of red wine.
Meantime Christian and Jean-Jacques shared an omelette and bottle of wine back at ours after the meeting and  by the time I arrived home, JJ had left and Christian was tucked up in bed.
Weather:
10° Cloud with patches of blue sky

Blog Prequel

1st January1995 is where it all began long before we were ever users of the internet thanks to the gift of a Visitors’ Book from Mary Kate . It was sporadic at first as we didn’t always like to ask or simply forgot to ask people to write a few words but then it took on a life of its own especially after we moved to France. People became more imaginative with their entries and started to read who had said what since their last visit; I started to record the menus we’d had so that I didn’t offer the same thing to the same people and to decorate the entries wth wine bottle labels and other souvenirs of the event recorded. A small library of visitors’ books started to grow and inevitably, things evolved. More and more it was me that recorded not just visits but also other things that were happening in our life until the time came at the beginning of 2008 to let the dust accumulate on the books and hit the keyboard instead. Never having kept a diary before, I wasn’t sure that I could keep up a blog but apart from the occasional backlog, it’s still alive and although our audience isn’t large (not that it was ever meant to be), our “daily doings” are read by a few faithful friends and family who have said that they enjoy catching up with our news. Well, they would wouldn’t they? We enjoy reading it too, by the way! 

So, now for a digital version of all those entries nestling in the six now-redundant books that as time goes by will appear on this blog in pre 2008 date order and others' comments will be in script rather than print. It will be a laborious, long, slow process but here goes ...... 
Weather:
12°, Drizzle

A Week's Worth

18.1.15:

Today, the local rugby team celebrated it's 100th anniversaryband André had passed Christian his VIP invitation as he prefered to eat with the "veterans". Henri was pleased to take Christian who knows next to nothing about rugby, under his wing for the meal and the match.
As for me, I went to the bar for coffee where I met up with the church goers. As one of them was Martine we then moved on from coffee to rosé and then lunch. As the restaurant is closing for its annual break next Tuesday, there wasn't a great deal of choice. I gave the wiener schnitzel a wide berth and settled for an omelette. Didn't bother with anything else as I was invited to Nicole's along with Mike and Linda and Alf and Bente (Danes) for a "galette" but this one was made with apple rather than frangipani thus making it alot lighter.
Christian arrived home around 6h30 feeling tired but happy with his day out.
Just a little anecdote to finish. BBC are showing "Spiral",  with a feisty, sexy female lead role and French TV is showing "Vera" with a feisty, far from sexy lead role. Compare and contrast ...........!
Weather:
11° Cloudy with drizzle overnight

17.1.15:
A very brief trip to the market where it seemed as though we met half the village. Joined Henri and Michèle at theirs for a quick apéro before the 4 of us came back to the village where we were joined by André and Nany for lunch at the bar. Christian opted for mussels and me for a pretend wiener schnitzel. The coating was soggy and the veal tasteless. Still the company was good but with cold feet, I was glad to get home for a digestive. Henri and Michèle came too, of course.
Juste called in later on to collect a carton of champagne that we'd had in our cave for at least 18 months and he reminded us that we could call in at anytime. (?) Françoise also stopped by but didn't come in. She'd made Christian's favourite dish of lentils and smoked sausage and as it had been too late to invite us  to lunch, she kindly brought us what would have been our share. She does spoil him.
Weather:
12° Blue skies and sunshine

16.1.15:
Just a trip to Amélie for a belated well woman checkup. All fine and much to my delight I weighed in at 65kg in comparison to 73kg the last time I went in the summer of 2013
Weather:
13° Drizzle

15.1.15:
Well, today we paid the price of a late night and one too many. Managed to get up in time to go to the bar to join the language exchange people. I stuck to squash and Christian had a beer. Needless to say, there was no provision for lunch at home so we stayed on for an omlette. How many more days to go before the restaurant reopens? Help! Another 3 weeks.
Weather:
13° Sun and blue skies

14.1.15:
At long last I managed to get myself organised to go for a walk with another association in the village. The weather was pleasant and the walk wasn't difficult so I was able to stride out at the front. Much to my relief I neither slipped nor got wet feet in the two streams that we crossed so bring it on.......!
In the evening it was the Maire's turn to present his New Year's wishes. It was a moving affair with Laurent singing his song, a minute's silence, the Marsaillaise and a passionate speech from André. The apéro that followed was an amicable affair that we carried over chez Laurent and Samia's. We were in the good company of Jean (singer/composer), another Jean (bass guitarist) and Patrice (film maker). Home for about 2h30 and straight to bed.
Weather:
14° Sun

13.1.15:
A trip to the bank to pay some money in for a change after which we went for a coffee and found Henri. Dentist for Christian this afternoon while I prepared an apéritif dinatoire for Nancy and Jean-Jacques. As Christian and JJ had their weekly meeting at the Mairie, Nancy and I had a chance to catch up on stuff that was for our ears only.
Weather:
6° and cloudy in the morning, sun and 13° later

12.1.15:
Dentist for me for a check up.
Weather:
14° Sun

11.1.15: 
Weather:
11° Sun, cloudy later

Coming Together

11.1.15:

Huge marches took place all over France with people of all religions or none, police, trade unionists, politicians and heads of states from a number of countries but you don't need me to tell you about it as there's been wide tv coverage. 3,700,000 all together; 40,000 in Perpignan, 1m in Paris. Here's hoping that we can capitalise on the solidarity and passion that has resulted from such terrible events so things can change between communities to make it clear that extremism is unacceptable.
In the village, Mass was dedicated to those who died. Christian attended but I prefered to look at Canigou. Afterwards, a large number of us went to the bar where we were joined by Laurent who had written a song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht_3lk0N4oshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht_3lk0N4os
Seven of us ended up staying for lunch which means that tomorrow's lunch is already in the fridge.
Weather:
13°, Sunshine but clouding over later

10.1.15:

With a sigh of relief and with our faces turned to the sun shining in a blue, blue sky we set of to the market. Our usual haunt was closed so we had coffee across the road and then along with Jean-Jacques, we followed Michèle and Henri back to theirs for an apéritif. Christian and I had to leave at 14h40 for me to arrive back in the village for an AGM. There had been some concerns that an elderly couple would be critical of the President but they weren't there and despite their best efforts with other members, no one took up their cause. At the end, galettes des rois (yes, again), were served with mandarines, a little bag of sweeties and cider and a jolly time was had by all!!!
Weather:
20°, Sun and clear blue skies
Of Note:
Lots of marches throughout France in memory of those who died and to show that freedom of expression and the republican values of liberté, égalité and fraternité won't be extinguished.

It's Over!

Things became worse during the day with the two "jihadists" taking refuge in a printworks in the countryside north-east  of Paris where an employee hid undiscovered in a large carton. Back in Paris the killer of the policewoman attacked a kosher grocery shop and took 15 people hostage. 12 came out alive. As it happen's, grandaughter Elsa, goes to school close by and was confined inside all day until it was deemed safe to leave. The sites were attacked simultaneously and the three killers "neutralised". Total number of dead over the 3 days is 20 (17 victims and 3 jihadists) and several injured.

France in Shock

8.1.14:

The two men haven't been captured but they've been identified from an identity card that was found in their abandoned getaway car. The news has been given all day coverage and 3 days of mourning declared. There have been people in the streets and the cartoons in the papers and on social media have been superb. Reactions and support have been global. Even "The Sun" had as it's banner headline "NON!"
Early this morning there was a shooting elsewhere in Paris and a young municipal policewoman was shot dead but as yet there's no indication that it's linked with yesterday's attack.
After the language exchange we, as millions of others in France, observed a minute's silence. Went to the bar where there this message was outside and then on to the restaurant for lunch where "Nous Sommes Charlie" was displayed in the window.
Weather:
16° Blue Skies and sunshine 

7.1.15:

Today, was going to be a quiet day but Dominic and Marylise arrived to wish us a "Happy New Year", stayed for an apéritif and then for lunch. Luckily, there was more than enough leftovers from last night in the fridge to put an no-stress meal together. Then the news came in .....
Of Note:
Today, 12 people shot dead and as many injured in a terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris. Thousands of people came out into the streets of a number of large towns to demonstrate in silence, holding up pens, pencils, press cards and placards saying "Je suis Charlie".
Weather:
15° Blue skies and sunshine

More Kings and Queens

Yesterday was quiet, today less so with the traditional New Year wishes of the asociation's President. We listened diligently (well, most of us did) to her discourse and then got tucked into the "galettes des rois" and cider that was on offer. The room sprouted a number of newly crowned Kings and Queens. Funnily enough two of them were also crowned last year and as you'll have read, as was Michèle on Saturday. Christian had to leave early for a meeting at the Mairie at the end of which he, André, Michel and Jean-Jacques joined Nany, Michèle, Henri and myself back at the house for an apéritif dinatoire.
 Weather:
Chilly in the mornings but with blue skies and sunshine temeratures rising to 13/14°

Starting As We Mean to Go On

We're both sleeping better together than separated and that must be a good sign. By the time that we breakfasted and dressed, it was after 10 o'clock so we went to the bar for a coffe and then as the time went on, we had a glass of wine. It was fairly quiet and again, the door was without it's handle.
Instead of going home to eat tarted-up leftovers, we stopped by the restaurant and went for broke with the slap up menu. After all, as there hasn't been any credit card payment for a restaurant since Boxing Day, we didn't want our bank manager to worry that we weren't well ! Here's me after a good meal of foie gras and scallops. Yummmm ...
Weather:
16° blue skies and sunshine

At Her Majesty's Pleasure

This week there was no messing about; the weather was fine and it was off to the market for us. It wasn't busy and one of the cafés was closed for the winter break so we found that the Brits from the village had migrated to our regular haunt. We caught up with Michèle and Henri and rather than have an apéritif there, we were invited back to their place. Lunch, of course followed, which included a galette and today it was Michèle's turn to find the charm and be crowned Queen. Just after 3pm we'd finished our coffee and as Henri was starting to nod off at the table, we took our leave so that Christian could do the same.
Weather:
16°, bright sunshine
Of Note:
A cargo ship normally carrying animals docked in Italy with over 350+ passengers, mostly (middle class) Syrians, including unaccompanied children. The crew had blocked the engines and abandoned the ship, which if the authorities hadn't intervened, would have cast up on the rocks. Can't think of any other word for it than "barbaric".

Round Two

A great start to 2015 .. last night, Christian climbed the two flights of stairs to sleep in his own bed something that he hasn't done since the middle of May.
As our New Year's Eve meal had been a shared-expenses affair, we invited everyone to come back for tapas at noon conjured up from the leftovers. We were joined by Kate and Olivier, friends of Martine's who are staying with her and with a few additions, there was more than enough to feed the 11 of us. Once again it was a 3h30 finish.  Olivier is wearing a crown as he had found the lucky charm in the galette des rois. I found the other one but a bit like Cinderella, I took it off to do the clearing up once everyone had gone!
Weather:
17°, blue skies and sunshine

Non-Traditional First Foot

We were slow to start this morning but it wasn't possible to lounge around after breakfast with all the cleaning up to do before Maggie was due to arrive for lunch at 13h. So, our first foot was not a tall, dark male and there was no coal or black bun either. Forgiveness came rapidly as she came bearing a bottle of pink champagne which the two of us put paid to with no difficulty. Christian and Maggie finished off the oysters and then we had duck breast with the rest of the cranberry sauce.
Otherwise, the day passed quietly with a box of very good chocolates in front of the telly.
Weather: 15°, sunshine