Last of 2016

Nothing very exciting apart from a trip to the pub to check my emails. Otherwise it was more telly and more knitting. Mum went off to church with Carmen and David and hedonistic  heathen that I am, I enjoyed a moment to myself. We were invited down to Carmel and David's for a drink which made a welcome interlude. Their house is full of interesting books, pieces of art and David's own works done in wood. After that it was home for the long haul until midnight and the obligatory toast to 2017.

A Succession of Friends

30.12.16: More Friends

Another day and more friends made their way down to catch up with me; this time it was Kelvin, Irene and Margaret who live near Melton Mowbray. They came to the village and met Mum and I in the community café. Once we'd dropped Mum off home we headed down to "The Bell" which you'll know from old is a favourite eating place of mine.
We ate well, enjoyed an apéritif of cava and laughed a lot.
Next up, it was a trip into Stratford for a walk around and a cuppa. here they are outside Shakespeare's birthplace
I'm lucky to have such good, kind, caring friends both in France and UK.
Took the bus back to Mum's and had just settled down when her neighbour, Liz came up for a chat. Liz's mother was Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, the Nobel prizewinner for Chemistry and she, herself was recently nominated by the actress Miriam Margolyes as part of the Women's Hour "Chain". We talked about her work in South Sudan and the importance of education for girls and young women. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04p8pbj
  
29.12.16: A Tourist Gem

I went down into the town to meet Jean and John who were driving down from near Warwick. Met in Mrs Brown's Tearoom and after hot chocolate drove off to Stow on the Wold  "where the wind blows cold" or so say the locals. http://www.cotswolds.info/places/stow-on-the-wold.shtml  It's a pretty Cotswold stone market town with interesting shops, plenty of pubs and these old stocks. We settled on the Kings Arms for lunch where we managed to get a table near the fire. Then we had a wander around the town finishing with tea and scones/tea cakes looking out onto the main square. It's easy to understand why places like this draw the tourists; it's so pretty and no problem at all  to while away an afternoon. John and Jean dropped me back at Mum's as night was falling.
This evening the needles got into gear again; this time to knit  a sweater in turquoise. Not really sure about the colour but the woman in the shop convinced me that I needed something bold. What a push over!

28.12.16: Great Food

Jen left this morning to head back home in very cold foggy weather. I caught the bus into Stratford having enough time to whizz into M and S (clothing hasn't improved) before meeting Karen who came down from the other side of Birmingham, for lunch. Went to the theatre rooftop restaurant and this time it was a lunch that didn't disappoint. It looks down on the river, the menu was creative and the service pleasant. Thank goodness it was this way round as Karen would not have been as accepting as Jen and I were yesterday. Took our time without being hassled and caught up with each others news. https://www.rsc.org.uk/rooftop-restaurant
Caught the bus back to Jill and John's and had an action replay of the last two nights! Me, I'm all for consistency!

27.12.16: Poor Food

Made a leisurely start on a bitterly cold morning and went over to Mum's to go out for lunch. Didn't want to have to go as far as Stratford and battle with the sales crowds so settled on the garden centre which we thought might have a few shops open and a nice lunch. Wrong on both counts. Such a disappointment although Jen was too polite to say so,  it was pretty poor both on the service and quality front. Shame as it had always been a pleasant place to eat. Went home for dessert and tea. Then it was back to Jill's to settle in for more of the same as we had last night.

 26.12.16 Angel of the North!

Well, that's it all over for another year! Bah, humbug, says I!
Never mind, Jen arrived from up North this afternoon which was a real treat for both Mum and I. Jen was always a favourite. It's got to be nearly 40 years since she's be in the village though of course I saw in July. Needless to say, there was still plenty to talk about over tea and cake. Early evening we went over to Jill and John's where a warm welcome, good meal, bottle of cava and a comfortable bed awaited us.

Joyeux Noël à Toutes et à Tous!

          to all my family and friends wherever you are

This morning Jill came and picked up Mum and I to go over to Alison and Dan's to see the children open their presents. They were having a wonderful time as you might imagine. Great family atmosphere with 4 generations present including Uncle and Aunt from next door. Of course, there was chocolate, biscuits and cava on offer. 
It was not too long though before Mum could cope no longer with the noise making her hearing aid buzz so we said our farewell's and headed back clutching our presents.
The rest of the day was spent watching tv (dire programming apart from "Call the Midwife") and eating more chocolate both before and after our lunch of duck.
For some reason can't get the colour uniform!


 

Christmas Spirit

Toddled down to the town with 'little sis' and stocked up on wool to keep me going now that the neckweamer is finished. The Salvation Army was playing carols and folk were scurrying around doing last minute shopping. We, however, found time to go to the TripAdvisor recommended tearoom for a hot chocolate.  mrsbrownstearooms.co.uk
Lovely to spend a bit of time doing things that many sisters take for granted.
There was more family time at the end of the afternoon as Dan and Alison had organised a treasure hunt around the town. 11 adults, 3 children and a bump (due any day now) followed the clues to find the makings of Santa Claus's and his reindeers' supper, a key for him to get in  (there's no chiminey) and stockings for the children. All in all we were out for nearly two hours. The kids kept going very well and enjoyed seeing a number of houses adorned in lights and of course finding the booty hidden in various friends' gardens. There was even a red robed, white bearded biker who went zooming by on a Honda Golding with an Xmas tree on the back.🎅
No time for a Christmas warmer sadly as I was due to meet Mum coming out of church so that I could get a lift back to the village.
We spent a quiet evening in front of the tv; a far cry from a traditional French start to Christmas.

Getting Around

23.12.16: Another One Rides the Bus

Well, time to bed-hop so I took the bus over to Jill and John's to spend a bit of time with my "Little Sis". In between getting on the bus and walking about 150m at the other end, I managed to lose my prescription glasses ******! Much to my relief,  I was able to buy a pair of reading specs in the local chemist's. Phoned the bus company to no avail. "Tant pis", as the French would say.
Weather:
9°, Cloudy

22.12.16: Walk on the Wild Side

Left the comfort of Mum's cosy cottage to walk down to the pub to use the wifi. The village in winter is still pretty but a bit mucky underfoot and of course, gardens look a bit sad at this time of the year. A few houses had outside lights strung in trees with the utmost taste; well this is the Cotswolds, so no tacky Father Christmases clinging on to house fronts here!
Anyway back to the pub, where I found an armchair next to the fire so settled in and ordered up a small white wine. Couldn't believe the price ..... £5.20! Here, I'd have had a half litre for the same money. Still, I made it last for a least an hour and a half while I caught up with emails.
Spent the rest of the day as I did yesterday. The neckwarmer is coming on a pace.
Weather:
8°, blue sky and sun in the morning, cloudy and showery later

21.12.16: On the Road Again

Had a leisurely breakfast and then set off to Mum's in time for a quick coffee at the community café. Had lunch (a tasty stew) in the house so that Mary didn't have to do any more driving than necessary, then spent the afternoon and evening quietly (apart from the clack, clack of my knitting needles) in front of the tv.
Weather:
9°, Showers, Cloudy   

20.12.16 Leaving on a Jet Plane

Left home with Jean and Françoise at 6h30 to get to Figueres bus station for the journey to Barcelona airport with time in hand. Yes, I'm off to UK for the festive season. As it was a 3 hour journey and there weren't any onboard loos, it was prudent enough to keep my liquid intake down to a minimum, so no coffee to kick start the day. Despite these minor irritations, the time passed more quickly than anicipated with arriving directly at the airport being a real boon. There was a three hour wait until take off but that passed well too.
I felt a bit of a wimp with my travel anxieties when a young Korean woman travelling on her own, who turned out to be deaf and mute, asked for directions. I'd love to have had a glimpse of our mimes, one of which involved arm flapping to signal departures! Just imagine having to cope daily with  that level of communication difficulty.
The flight was uneventful and Mary was at airport to meet me for an overnight stay and good catch up chez elle.
Weather:
9°, cloudy

Just so that You Know

19.12.16:

Nicole and Anna were busy yesterday decorating the street in order to bring a bit of Christmas cheer. Yes, folks in case you haven't noticed, Christmas is a coming. I'm not sure when I'll find time to keep "Chitchat" up to date. I don't expect that you'll have time to check in either but at least if you do, you'll know that I'm fine, just busy!
Weather:
10°, Cloudy then rain

Two Markets and a Birthday

18.12.16: Market 2

Went into the Christmas market with Kitty; first of all there was a breakfast at Chris and Fanny's around which the chorale had a last minute rehearsal before their spot at the market. As non singers, Chris and I made small talk in the kitchen.
Once at the market, Kitty and I went our separate ways; a bit of shopping and coffee with Françoise for me which meant that I missed the carols! Didn't miss the apéritif at the Mairie though! After that six of us accompanied Hortense to the pizzeria to celebrate her birthday. Met Helle, a Norwegian who lost her husband only 3 weeks ago, for the first time and Deborah for the 2nd. Both interesting women and therefore, good company.
This evening, Jean-Jacques came for an apéritif and I introduced him to the possibilities of free downloads of ebooks.
Weather:
13°, cloudy, sun later

17.12.16: Market 1

Coffee at the bar with Nicole who's had a busy few days with her son in hospital for a back op and an ill grandchild to look after. While  there Michel, my chauffer, arrived to give me a lift to the market where I had another coffee with Françoise. Rest of the day was without note.
Weather:
13° sun followed by cloud

A Few Days of Relative Calm

16.12.16: Another Take on Fruit and Veg

Coffee in the morning with Nicole S and then nothing of interest until the evening when I attended a short Council meeting followed by a vernissage. Once again there were only a few people there which was a shame as the black and white photos of fruit and veg taken at odd  angles from close up were original. What's more it was fun trying to guess what they were. The one that I had most difficulty with was a just a section of the peel of a hass advocat.
Weather:
13°, Rain, heavy at times for most of the day

15.12.16: A Welcome Bolthole

Another language exchange and another lesson in patience. The two most tedious participants (English speakers) were in the same group as moi. Luddites the pair of them and not in the least bit of fun. Do I need this? No, I don't but I feel obliged to go to help keep it going. It wasn't all "sacrifice however as Hannele, a Finn, had brought some Swedish cookies which was kind and what's more they tasted good too even if she did bring them in a metal dish that looked as it could be a dog's bowl!
Back to the bar for a coffee and stayed on for a bite to eat with Jean-Jacques who'd left his house keys at the Mairie. Only had an omelette and a couple of glasses of red wine before making my home across a very bare square now that all the trees have gone. No, more pink blossom in Spring but no more petals and dead leaves that fall to sweep up later. Every cloud, eh?
Weather:
15° sun, clouding over later

14.12.16: Square Eyes
Spent most of the day in front of a screen and ate far too much chocolate.
There was an unexpected interlude however, when I went up to Ken's English conversation group to give back the scarf he'd left last week. The participants had brought in a few goodies to share and I was invited to stay for the session which I did. There was a choice of "The Glenlivet" or a muscat sec to drink. No prizes for guessing which one passed my lips. Sláinte!!
Weather:
14°, sun and blue skies


13.12.16: Bringing on the Substitute

Before I got stuck into my "to do" list, I had to deal with an early morning email from the person processing my grant application. The people who will decide if I'm successful or not want my estimates for the work to have my first name on them and not just the name I use. Good old André the project manager did the necessary tout de suite.
Ploughed on with my list, interspersed with my Spanish group and a bit of telly and then toddled over to the bar for an apérobio. Lynn having a cold gave it a miss sending Colin in her stead to do justice to the tapas that Nico had prepared. Terry had been asked but preferred to stay and watch his football team on tv.
The bar was quiet so there was no competition to get ourselves installed next to the fire where we enjoyed the good things put before us by Eve.
Weather:
13°, sunny

12.12.16: Copines go Chinese
匹口戶工內三弓 Had a little lie in until 8am, took it easy and then went to meet Nicole P for coffee. Came back and did some get-ahead cooking which you'll know is an usual event for me. Ironic really as I was out with the "Café des Copines" for a "Chinese" buffet in Le Boulou. in case you don't know or have forgotten, "copines" are female pals. I usually avoid this type of restaurant but Kitty who's pretty fastidious had been and said it was good value for money (12€80 for a weekday lunch) so I was read  to give it a go. It wouldn't be my first choice of restaurant but was fine for a change and the other women were happy; so enough said.
Came home and prepared an apéritif dinatoire for JJ, Jean and Françoise. Amazingly, I managed to tuck in along with the others. Conversation was a lot more stimulating than of late with Victor Serge a Russian revolutionary born in Brussels in 1890 and died in Mexico (like Trotsky) in 1947, who fiction, non fiction, poetry, essays and pamphlets being one topic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Serge
Another topic was JJ's presence at the signing of a convention (Ségolène Royal for the government) bringing environmental grants to the area. Most people tag a holiday onto an official duty but with JJ, it was the reverse so no profiting of  public funds here!
Weather:
16°, sun

Cassoulet, Cinema and Christmas Cheer

11.12.16: Christmas Market

It was a cold start at 8.30am when we gathered in front of the Mairie to set up our stall. Still, we had an ideal place in the sun so, no complaints. We sold our bits and bobs for next to nothing; the mulled wine was 1€ for a generous helping. We felt well pleased with the 257€ raised which will be given to the "Restaurant du Coeur" an association that provides food, basic necessities and work experiences for people in difficulty. It was founded in 1985 by Colouche, a much loved comedian and irreverential critic of the system. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coluche
There was a good buzz in the morning with lots of children coming to hear the story of "Gaga Tió" at the end of which they tap a log from which, fruit, sweets and little cakes fall out from the rear.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ti%C3%B3_de_Nadal
I managed to grab a very quick one course lunch at the bar with Nicole S before heading back to welcome the Anglophone choir on behalf of Carmen from the Mairie who had not yet finished her lunch. There are a couple of French people in it too and although the carols were predominantly in English there were a few in Latin and French. Fewer people came in the afternoon so we happily cleared up just after 4pm.
I had intended to go to the carol service in the church but I felt I'd had my dose and it had been a long day so just stayed home.
Weather:
17, sun°

10.12.16: Is She Guilty or not Guilty?

Whilst waiting for the bus to go to the market, Jacqueline came by and gave me a lift. That's the 3rd time that she's picked me up. Met Françoise for a coffee, saw Hortense too and came back with Jacques and his son Pierre.
In the afternoon a couple of us loaded up Maggie's van with the stuff that we were to sell at tomorrow's Christmas market. I also made about 18 litres of mulled wine while my thoughts strayed to other years when I stirred and Christian tasted - all in a good cause of course!
Finished the day with a trip to the cinema with Nicole S to see "Allied" starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard. It was the kind of film that you might watch on a borrowed DvD on a wet Saturday afternoon. If you watch this clip, you have the whole film apart from the very end which I can fill you in on if you wish. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jlp94-C31cY
Weather:
14°, sun, cold night

9.12.16: Doing my Duty, Having Dinner
Coffee at the bar this morning, admin and then dinner at Jackie's this evening along with Nick and Lizzie. Yes, the same couple who were around at my place on Wednesday. It was a typical French dinner with apéros and savoury pastries, a fish in sauce starter, cassoulet (a bit on the heavy side for a late night meal), cheese and dessert. It was just shy of midnight when we left the table. Conversation was very general but at least Jackie didn't start to cry when her husband, who died about five years ago, was mentioned. All a bit sad really as they'd only moved from the North of France a couple of days before. Jackie's no family here so we've all tried to encourage her to come to the café des copines, Sunday morning coffee and the Association but no, she isn't one to mix. Can't do more but as they say "you'll reap what you sow" and that's something I can attest to.
Weather:
14°, sunshine

Life in the Crawler Lane

8.12.16: Nowt Much Going On
Language exchange, hot chocolate at the bar, leftovers for lunch, blog catch up and the latest episode of the Dr Blake Mysteries was the sum total of a not-in-the-least-bit-exciting-day.
Weather:
16°, sun, blue skies and cloud later.

7.12.16: Cullinary Challenge

Spent a couple of hours this morning with Maggie and Marguerite sorting out the leftovers from the Téléthon and organising the stuff that we'll be selling at the Xmas market in the village. Another long day in view but that's Sunday and there were more pressing things to do for this evening's dinner guests: Nick and Lizzie, Roger, Margaret and Ken. Ken is allergic to chocolate and citrus fruit and doesn't eat meat from 4 legged animals. Not being great at cooking fish, I fell back on Moroccan Red Harissa Chicken http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/moroccan-red-harissa-chicken.html
Have to say that I didn't bother grilling and skinning the red peppers, used a jar instead. There's even enough of it left to do a lunch for me and there's also some apple cake too for tomorrow afternoon's tea time. Was a pleasant evening and I only switched off when they started talking "dogs". Ah well. Not everyone is up for the cut and thrust of political discussion.
Still having to get used to entertaining on my own; feels strange and what's more there's all the clearing up to do single handedly!
Weather:
13°, sun and blue skies
 

6.12.16: Musings, Mayors and Music

Kathy, who does from "Ou own Correspondent" for BBC radio from time to time came for coffee. Here's her report about French Mayors featuring her thoughts on ours. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02rzb8q
If you've been here or if you've followed "Chitchat" for a while, you'll know that André did indeed stand again and won another 6 year term in office. What you won't know is that the shopkeeper split from her husband and moved away and he became more and more offhand not giving much incentive to shop there. He too, has now gone and we have a small modern supermarket where there's a warm welcome and courteous service run by someone else more suited to the job. Now, that's more like it.
After that little detour, I'll explain that she came to talk over what we might do about the intermediate English workshop that is losing its leader who's returning to UK. As an experienced TEFL teacher and the person who headed up the BBC's language learning output in China, she has a good brain to pick.
You'll know that today being the 1st Tuesday in the month, there was a "Soirée Guitares" in the bar. I didn't go over until about 9ish and didn't stay too late. Caught Vincent who sings the most dismal reggae I've ever heard so thank goodness for Gadjololo who livened things up afterwards.
Weather:
16°, sun and blue skies

5.12.16: Chores
Respite over, another early start to take advantage of a lift to the supermarket with Nick. Apart from that there was nothing other than Spanish homework and some ironing.
Weather:
15°, low cloud and heavy rain

Work, Rest and Play

4.12.16: Christmas Cheer

Oh! So good not to be on an early deadline. A change today from the usual Sunday routine as I accompanied Kitty to a nearby village for their Christmas market. She was singing carols with a predominately expat choir. I'm not much taken by sacred chorale music but I can do carols and they sang "Gaudate" (means rejoice in Latin) which I love to hear. There are loads of versions on You Tube but I finally sttled on this one by Steeleye Span because of the glass of wine brought to the stage by one of the band members, the clarity of Maddy Prior's voice, and plain old nostalgia for a youth in which the band figured! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDc2FD-vy8M
Enough of that .... back to the present ....
Met Hortense by chance so, coffee and a catch up was in order. As well as a load of other people, I also saw Penny which wasn't a surprise as she was working hard with her "Cancer Support France" stall. Frank was there too sweating under a Santa costume which ever year he swears will be his last.
Came back to the village for lunch where we were joined by Gilles and Martine.
Sunday being a day of rest, I just chilled out for the rest of the day
Weather:
16°, heavy cloud and rain

3.12.16: Roll Up, Roll Up

An early start to the Téléthon big day. By 8h30 I was up at the village hall along with Maggie and Marguerite to set out our wares and apart from a half hour lunch break, I was there until 6pm. There were stalls, a Catalan hunter's breakfast (including red wine!) accompanied by Joan singing Catalan songs, the apéritif was accompanied by the village banda in which the Mayor plays trumpet and the British tearoom, including "guess the weight of the Xmas cake" (2.9kg) and guess the date of the photo (April 1971) was animated by the babble of voices while a whole range of musicians and singers (even carols) gave their best under difficult circumstances.  Our stall made 638€ selling accessories and running a bottle lucky dip; the village made 17,049€; even more than last year.
I was invited to stay on for the helpers' meal but my back and legs made a stronger plea to go home to the comfort of the settee.
Weather:
12°, sun (not that I saw much of it!)

2.12.16: Sigh of Relief
Spent the morning updating the Association website; yet another long overdue task and then in the afternoon, I went up to the foyer to make up goody bags for those children who turned up for today's Téléthon activities. Stayed on a bit afterwards but beat a rapid retreat when told there wasn't any need to stay on. A lucky escape from noise and youthful buzz.
Weather:
15°, sun

Bargains Galore

1.12.16: A Slow Start

It was a bit nippy this morning when we went to set up our accessory stand outside the bar at 8h30. Had to quickly rethink this plan as there was huge earth moving equipment and a deep trench in front of the terrace. Headed over to the square in front of the Mairie having borrowed a few small tables from Jean-Louis to display our wares on. Not the most ideal place as there were few passersby. Selling at 2€,1€ and 50c, we made about 60€ which was better than I thought but worse than previous years. Hopefully we'll make up a bit with our Saturday sales.
Went for a coffee afterwards then went home for a lunch that had come out of the freezer.
Couldn't be bothered to do the Association website, settling down for an afternoon of telly instead. Or so I thought; Ann and Terry called in and stayed for tea so yesterday's digestives were just the thing. .
Weather:
13°, sun and blue skies

November's End

30.11.16: Tea for Two, Wine for Two

Worked on the computer and had to send more papers for my grant. Some things never change.
Had a surprise visitor this afternoon; an ex colleague of Christian's, who lives on the edge of the village and had just heard that he died, came to present his condolences. Had met him once in the market but Christian had never sought to pursue the contact so I didn't invite him in.
Michel came for tea bearing digestive biscuits.Once he'd left I hot footed up to our store to help Maggie load up her van with the stuff we're selling for the Téléthon tomorrow.
Was out again a bit later to meet Nicole P who was in need of a morale booster so went to the other bar for a glass of wine and a long chat.
Weather:
14°, sun

29.11.16: Being Investigated
An "expert" came to call this morning at the instigation of the people who might give me a grant. His remit is to report on the energy saving benefits that will be brought by the work. Need a 27% saving, so time will tell whether I apply for help with insulation or the electricity.
Spanish this afternoon; I was as mediocre as ever.
There were only three of us for the apérobio this evening; Dani was elsewhere. Nico the chef is now working his winter schedule so it was Eve who did our tapas. We had suggested that she kept it simple with chips to share. Was tasty and a pleasure for the eyes.
Weather:
14°, cloud, rain later in the morning, clearing later

28.11.16: Challenging History

Early start for a committee meeting at 9am and then Maggie, Marguerite, Hazel and I continued to ruthlessly sort the donations we've had for the Télethon. Can't imagine people buying some of the stuff but as Hazel said "some one might like it". Went for a glass of wine and a catch up with Maggie afterwards.
Work is still going on in the square and this part looks so much bigger without all the cars and some of the trees cut down.
Spanish homework in the afternoon then Jean and Françoise came to see if my tv would be ok to show a film about Howard Zinn who wrote "A People's History of The United States"  https://zinnedproject.org/materials/a-peoples-history-of-the-united-states/   Those of you who know Jean will realise that the film which he'll show to a small group of us will be thought provoking. If you're interested, there are several videos on You Tube. The bits that I saw over our apéro will make for an interesting evening in the New Year.
Weather:
14°, cloud

Solidarity

27.11.16: Tête à Tête

Of course, I toddled over to the bar for coffee and was pleased that Patricia joined Maggie, Martine, Rosie the Maire, Jo and Yasmin. Yes, she's back from UK, bringing chocs and mince pies that amazingly survived the flight, for me. As the morning wore on, there was only Rosie, Patricia and I left by apéritif time. We talked and talked in the way that women do when they feel at ease with each other  Patricia said that she had had such a good time that she wanted to invite us for lunch so that it didn't have to end so soon. This was just how I'd hoped that the Café des Copines would work but I doubt that it will ever develop such intimacy. Still, that's another story.
Worked on the blog this afternoon so, as of now up to date. Yippee! Long may it continue!
Weather:
14°, cloudy

26.11.16: Giving Support

Went to the market with Maggie, met Françoise for coffee and then came back and had an apéro in the village. Warmed up the leftover stirfry for lunch and caught up with several emails and phone calls until it was time to go back to Christian's room for the latest vernissage.
Oh dear, I was the first to arrive, on the dot of 5.30pm and by 6pm there were only a dozen of us there. No one from the Mairie which was a shame as it was Ng's first exhibition; no friends of this enthusiastic and warm young artist either. Kitty and I had a fair bit of conversation with her in an all very relaxed atmosphere. Ng, who's self taught, uses a fine pen and ink for her designs, occasionally with a bit of colour. The patience she must have to do such intricate work. I'll need to go back and take a photo for you to see what I mean as my camera battery died on me as it had in Portugal; obviously didn't leave it on charge long enough. All very frustrating.
Went on from the apéritif to the bar and Kitty even had a glass of white wine which she finished!
Weather:
16° sun in the morning, heavy rain overnight

Almost there!

25.11.16: Stirfry, Salt and Spinsters

Getting towards the end of the blog catch up; thank goodness. Had a good go this morning before preparing lunch for Rowena who was whizzing through the village between appointments. Hadn't seen her since before the summer. Duck stirfry and a replay of Lone's prunes in red wine. More computer this afternoon before going to Linde's for an apéro.
You may remember that Linde started an Association in the village that sponsored young women in the Democratic Republic of Congo to go to secondary school. Some of them have now left and she's settig up a scheme to buy sacks of salt that can be sold by them in smaller quantities. Well, I think that's the idea but to be quite honest, I don't want to get drawn in as I've neither time nor energy to be involved though I'll probably give her the 25€ needed for a sack.
Jean, Françoise, Christine and Kathy were there too and we talked about anarchists, films, the selection of the republican candidate for the presidential election next year, renovations and nonsense.
Called in at the bar on the way home where the quiz that I'd avoided (had been asked to join 3 different teams) was in full swing. The place was full to bursting with over 60 participants. Too busy and noisy to do other than say my hellos.
Just in case you're interested today is St Catherine's day when it was customary in France for unmarried women to pray for husbands. Those unmarried women over 25 would wear elaborate bonnets; wonder if that was the origin of the millinary extravaganza I wore for the fashion parade! It's said that before a girl reaches 25, she prays: "Donnez-moi, Seigneur, un mari de bon lieu! Qu'il soit doux, opulent, libéral et agréable!" (Lord, give me a well-situated husband. Let him be gentle, rich, generous, and pleasant!") After 25, she prays: "Seigneur, un qui soit supportable, ou qui, parmi le monde, au moins puisse passer!" (Lord, one who's bearable, or who can at least pass as bearable in the world!") And when she's pushing 30: "Un tel qu'il te plaira Seigneur, je m'en contente!" ("Send whatever you want, Lord; I'll take it!"). An English version goes, St Catherine, St Catherine, O lend me thine aid, And grant that I never may die an old maid.
Oh, how things have changed!!!
Weather:
14°, sun

24.11.16: No Way Out
I do wish I'd had my camera with me when I went across the square which is being dug up at the moment as pipework is being replaced. Jacques was standing marooned on a tiny patch of ground, obviously ready to go out, surrounded on all sides by wide trenches!
Otherwise, it was the language exchange that was assailed by the smell of over 800 jars of jam being made downstairs, lunch at the bar with Nicole P, the blog and a good dose of telly. I guess you'll be thinking that I watch a fair bit of tv. Well, I do but I do read too, though in all honesty, nothing too earnest.
Weather:
16°, sun

23.11.16: Remembering Christian
Went into town to the lab to have my nail scrapped for analysis, the woman came to complete my file for the grant, helped sort out the jewellery and accessories that the Association is selling for the Téléthon next week and prepared the apéritif for the new members' welcome drink. Once again we were in Christian's room and I was so pleased when Philippe, the Vice-President, (the President is in hospital) made reference to him and to the appropriateness of the venue when he introduced me. Forgot to take my camera so there's no photo of the 20 or so folk who turned up.
Weather:
18°, rain

22.11.16: Market Mooch
Went with Michel to the food market in Figueres. All followed the usual pattern. Split up to do our shopping and met up for lunch in the café right by the market. Even our main course was the same as usual but being cooler we opted for a squash soup rather than gazpacho. Apart from that nothing out of the ordinary.
Weather:
17° rain but sun in Figueres

21.11.16: Entertaining Friends
Spent a lot of time in front of the computer interspersed with preparing dinner for Lone and Jesper, my Danish friends, Jacques and JJ. Michel had been invited too but didn't make it back from Montpellier in time.
On the menu:
Apéritif with Tapas (so no need to do a starter)
Chicken and Chorizo with 3 grain rice and salad https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/chicken-chorizo-and-potato-stew.html made with red beans rather than potatoes
Cheese
Marmalade Cake with cream augmented by the prunes in red wine brought by Lone
A pleasant evening during which as all was ready to go, I could relax and enjoy the company of my guests.
Weather:
16°, wind and rain all day.

All in a Good Cause

20.11.16: Food for the Body, Food for the Soul

This morning there was another Téléthon event; this time it was an oriental breakfast. Mint tea, coffee and arab pastries. Once mass ended, the terrace in front of the bar filled up making it a more lively affair than it looks here. Patricia, who's recently been put out by her partner, joined us for the first time and I think it really lifted her spirits to pass the morning with us. After doing our bit on the terrace, we went inside for a coffee and then later on had an apéritif. Home for lunch, watched some telly, did some work on the blog and then went over to the church for a pianao and flute concert in aid of the Téléthon given by Marie-Pierre, Anne and Penny whom I've spoken of before. This You Tube clip was put on line by Marie-Pierre as a homage to the victims of the French attacks this year  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmJuJeisvHo
Weather:
17°, sun, strong winds later

19.11.16: Strutting my Stuff

So, the fateful day of the Téléthon fashion parade dawned and in line with Jany's orders we were there for 9am, even though it was scheduled for 11h30, to be made up by the local beautician. Jany arrived a good half hour after us (artistic licence) complaining that she had a sore throat and was exhausted. Straight off the makeup that I had had done didn't suit her, so poor Anaïs who'd not had any instruction from our estwhile director had to start again while all the time being given detailed advice. Don't know how she kept her cool. Another one of the models was a right prima dona and I felt that we really should have had more rigourous rehearsals.
Of course, it was well after 11h30 when we took to to the stage but the audience waiting to get to their apéritif were receptive and not too noisy.
Anyway, despite feeling uptight I got through my part as "the timid" and was pleased that many people hadn't recognised me under my very large hat. A photo will follow when Kitty sends me one. Just stayed on long enough to have a glass of sangria.
Watched a bit of tv to blank out my performance and then went to prepare the apéritif  for after a commentated slide show of an association member's visit to Argentina that was being shown in Christian's room. Came out from there after clearing up and went into the bar next door and had a couple of glasses of wine with Nicole by way of relaxation.
Weather:
17°, sun, cloud and rain later

Feet, Friends, Food and Fundraising

18.11.16: Catching up over Lunch

Toddled down to the carpark to take photos of those members of the Association that were going off to Spain to play boules only to find there wasn't a soul there. In fact there had been a last minute change of plan and they arrived later to play in the village. I came back later to do my duty and then went off to La Jonquera with Michel to do a bit of shopping. On the way back, we called in to see Juste and Joséphine and were warmly received and invited to stay for lunch. Joséphine's brother Nico and his partner Beatrice were there on holiday, so there was a lot of catching up to do.
An appointment at the hairdressers and some admin catch up took care of the afternoon.
Weather:
17°, sun, cloud later

17.11.16: While I'm here....

Only had a short time at the language exchange because I had a couple come to give me an estimate for a pellet burning stove. I immediately felt at ease with them as they made a thorough survey of the house and took their time to show me the models to choose from. Not that there was a huge choice as most were modern and wouldn't suit the house. Settled on a cast iron affair which was of course expensive but it was the one that caught my eye straight off.
There was only Ann, Terry and Nicole who stayed on for a drink at the bar after the exchange but no matter. Oh yes, and the cat, who like us, enjoyed the sunshine. Came home for lunch and to do some work on the blog before going to see the GP.
Every two years we have the right to a colon cancer screening (affectionately known by the Brits as a "poo test") available from the GP. She was out of them so I'll have to wait a couple of weeks for the new stock. While there, the GP had a look at my big toe nail as I thought it was infected. Sure enough, there's a fungal infection and I've to go for an analysis which takes 4 weeks for the results to come through. In the meantime I've a powder to put into my socks daily (yes, folks, if you're going to have this sort of thing, its better to have it in the winter than the summer) and a varnish to use once a week. Sorry if there's been too much detail.
There were 13 members of the public at tonight's coucil meeting mostly from the opposition. What I didn't understand, JJ filled me in on when we went to the bar from a glass of red wine.
Weather:
17°, blue skies

16.11.16: No Such Thing as a Free Lunch

Did quite a bit of admin and like always, frustrations abounded as I tried to register to pay my local and income taxes on a monthly basis. Gave up and invited JJ to lunch at the restaurant to say thanks for all his help past, present and to come.
Back home I made two cakes, one for tonight's apéritif dinatoire with music from Gadjololo (aka Lolo nickname, Laurent real name), a Téléthon event. He sang his most recent You Tube offering of a poem by Jany's father (an aclaimed Catalan poet) that he's set to music. Have a look at this clip as the photography gives a glimpse of the magnificence of our area. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1wkBwgeBF But, I digress ...
back to the foyer where I ate, drank, danced and marvelled at Marie-Paul (who must be heading toward 70) and Lolo who à propos of nothing, did the splits! Here he is accompanying the Maire who's always game to sing.
Weather:
17°, sun and cloud

15.10.16: Moon

The moon that was visible early this morning was a bit more impressive. Only other thing of note was a costume try on for Saturday. Help, I'm getting more and more twitchy about it!
Weather:
14°, sun and blue skies




14.11.16: Energise your Crystals

A quick trip with Maggie to the tax office to find out why I hadn't had a rates bill and had a lovely surprise to know that this year I'm exonerated. We then went to the supermarket and then for a coffee where we met up with Nicole (yet another one) from the village.
Jacques called around and stayed for an apéro and after lunch I tried to do some work on the association web site but I couldn't settle so went and had a cuppa at the other café with Nicole P. We both went to the Mairie to write our positive comments about a new housing development that is being contentested.
There was a wonderful sunset but the full moon that was meant to be the biggest for 70 years was disappointing. Still, hopefully it will re-energise my rose quartz (meant to bring good health) anyway.
Weather:
14°, sun, afternoon wind

Routine Start, more interesting End to the Week

13.11.16:

Overnight rain continued until noon. Sunday morning coffee is now taken inside. Sunday lunch was taken in Maçanet over the border. As it was the village fête commemorating their patron saint, St Martin, two car loads of us (André and Nany, Henri and Michelle, Kitty, Marie-Louise, Martine and myself) had lunch at Can Tenli. The place, needless to say was was doing a good trade for their speciality of salt cold. Even though it's desalinated, I find it too salty so I went for a meat option instead.
JJ came for an apéro this evening and we went over my estimates and caught up on family and holiday news.
Weather:
14°, rain and sun later

12.11.16:
Today is St Christian's feast day though there's no Christian at home to spoil. Still, life goes on; so, off I went to the market with Michel and met up with Françoise for a coffee and then with Lone back in the village for an apéro. This afternoon I walked over to Maguerite's, the association treasurer to update our membership lists. Then it was tea with Michel and dinner alone.
Weather:
15°, sun, cloud later

11.11.16:

Armictice Day speeches and wreath laying ceremony at the war memorial after which the assembly trooped behind the brass band to the Mairie for the inauguration of an exhibition about the Somme and Verdun. Interesting texts, posters, objects made from spent shell cases, weapons, photos and items of uniform.
There was an apéro afterwards at the Mairie of course and then I met up with Nicole, Kitty, Maggie and Martine for lunch at the bar. Spent the rest of the day on the settee in front of the telly.
Weather:
15°, sun in the morning, rain in the adternoon

10.11.16:

Language exchange as usual but our numbers were much reduced at the bar. This evening, there was an evening dedicated to "Les Poilus", the rank and file soldiers who fought in the 1st World War. There were songs sung by Lolo and Joan and letters written by men holding the line at Verdun. All very moving.
Weather:
16°, sun

9.11.16:
Marie-Jo came with a box of chocs for helping with her tickets and had another rehearsal for the parade this evening.
Weather:
16°, sun

8.11.16:
Had a bit of a later start this morning but there was still a bit of time to do so work on the computer, Jany and Kitty in the afternoon for tea and costumes and an apérobio  in the evening with Lynn, Dani and Ann.
Weather:
14°, sun and cloud

7.11.16:

A chilly start to a busy day and there was snow glistening on Canigou. Went to see Jany about the fashion parade, met Françoise about the couple with the flight problems, went to see the current exhibition in Christian's room this morning and then  in the afternoon I went to the lawyers about updating my will and had a coffee with Hortense. Came back from town with André, the builder who wanted to talk about the estimates for the work. Fingers crossed that the grant application will work. Gave myself a bit of me time afterwards catching up on various tv programmes.
Weather:
13°, sun

James, Kitty and Henrietta on Tour

6.11.16: A Pleasant End to the Hols

It was a misty start when we wheeled our cases down to the café bbgourmet for breakfast 
http://www.bbgourmet.net/bbgourmet-bolhao
Then it was off to take the car back with fingers crossed that they didn't notice the wee scrape on the wing mirror. Fortunately there had been one there when we picked it up and they didn't notice that it was a bit bigger. The sun was shining as we took off, as it was when we arrived back in Carcassonne after an uneventful flight. It was windy though and feeling very chilly.
Dropped off our cases and before I'd even got my coat off, there was a phone call about the trip to Scotland. A couple, despite having the flight number, had booked themselves back to Girona rather than Barcelona! Even so, had enough time to phone Mum to wish her "Happy Birthday" before it was time to meet Kitty and go over to Margaret's as Ken had kindly said he would cook a meal for us all. Their friend, Christine was there too. We ate, drank cava, talked about the holiday and burst into song at regular intervals!
Weather:
12°, sun and wind

5.11.16: A Must!

Mario, the owner of our flat, had thoughtfully created a walking tour app to put on a smart phone, of this beautiful city, classified as a UNESCO heritage site. We followed it and saw what we wanted to see without getting lost:

• Capela dal Almas with its outside walls completely covered in blue tiles, just up the road from our flat
• Bolhão Market opposite the flat
• San Benito railway station with its 20,000 painted blue tiles on the walls
• 18th century Clérigos church and tower
• Episcopal Palace
• Luís I two level railway and road bridge over the Douro river
• 19th century Stock Exchange
• Gothic church of St Francis
• Lello Bookshop, dubbed the most beautiful bookshop in the world by the Guardian  with its iconic staircase. Had to pay to go in!
• Lunch on the water front 
• Sandeman Wine Tour over the river
• Cable car
• Se Cathederal
• Town Hall
• Café Majestic, a fine example of Art Nouveau architecture 

 ...... and so much more. I'd love a long weekend there to just stroll, shop, eat cakes, drink coffee and a drop of vinho verde. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxqVlqRUhRI
Weather:
18°, sun, a little wind later

4.11.16: On the Road Again
Breakfasted in the same place as yesterday. Quite like being back in the village bar with the same faces, in

the same places. Anyway, it was time to move again so we retrieved the car and pointed it northward. Decided to make a lunch stop in Aviero, a town that was once on the coast but now is surrounded by salt flats; has several canals and a fair bit of Art Nouveau architecture. https://www.travel-in-portugal.com/aveiro
We visited the Art Nouveau museum (free for over 65s)  which had a lovely garden where another time, it would have been an ideal place to take tea. With brollies up, we made our way back to the car, wishing that we had more time to linger there but our flat in Porto was waiting for us.
Arriving at our destination, we parked the car up under a shopping centre, on the way out of which we lingered to listen to live music https://www.travel-in-portugal.com/aveiro that was obviously giving pleasure to its elderly audience. Seeing those smiling faces set us up for our search for the flat. It was so much more homely than the last one and had two bathrooms; always a plus.
https://www.airbnb.fr/rooms/7240303
Stayed long enough to choose our rooms and drop off our bags before going for an exploratory walk and a bite to eat. Just had a bowl of soup and a roast pork sandwich then it was early to bed in order to make the most of a full day's sightseeing tomorrow.
Weather:
21°, sun rain sometimes heavy

3.11.16: These Feet were made for Walking

Breakfasted in a nearby café on huge doorstops of toast and freshly squeezed orange juice and then took the train out to Belem where the famous tower and discoveries monument are. The town is also famous for its "pasteis de nata", little custard tarts. http://www.aviewoncities.com/lisbon/torredebelem.htm
Margaret and I took the lift up the monument and had some lovely views. Shame that the bridge was a bit hazy. As you may know, Lisbon still  has its old tram system so we took one back into the centre of town. The guide books say to watch out for pickpockets but we had no problem and can only speak of the kindness that we experienced.
Once back in town we walked or rather puffed up to St George's Castle with its fabulous views over the city. Had lunch in a side street complete with a half bottle of Mateus Rosé, (now there's a blast from the past) before wearing our feet out looking around the castle. That done, we walked back down again, stopping en route for a cuppa. In the fading light we wandered up the main pedestrianised shopping street and climbed up I don't know how many steps to have a vinho verde and bite to eat on a terrace overlooking the city.
Our last night in the capital found us moving on from food to music. The fado bar took a bit of finding and when we did, we had to jam ourselves in and try to get comfortable in a hot and stuffy atmosphere with standing room only. Not much fun so didn't stay too long. http://www.spottedbylocals.com/lisbon/tasca-do-chico/
Took the bus back which only went two stops before we arrived at the terminus only to find that we had a 15 minute walk back to the flat. Not exactly what we needed after a long day of being out and about fuelled by a few glasses of vinho.
Weather:
22°, sun

2.11.16: Following in Literary Footsteps

Drove up to Sintra, which is touted as a "must see" site. Drove through the mist up an extremely windy road flanked by autumn colours. The castle although grandiose was a bit Mickey Mouse and artificial. Kitty and James explored every room; I prefered to zoom through and sit on the terrace of the café and write postcards. http://www.golisbon.com/portugal/cities/sintra.html
The town itself was a nightmare parkingwise and to add to our frustration there was a downpour. Byron spent time here in 1809 and said of it, in Childe Harolde's Pilgrimage, "Lo! Cintra's glorious Eden intervenes in variegated maze of mount and glen." He obviously saw another side of it to us! After lunch, we visited the National Palacio which was a lifeless sort of a place and much to my annoyance, my camera battery gave up on me.
Back in Lisbon we had to park a bit of a way from the flat but the bonus was that parking was free due to building works going on. Margaret and I dined on traditional garlic sausage in a nice wee place run by two women; Kitty was on salad again.
Weather:
22°, sun and rain

1.11.16: Moving On

I'll start by explaining the title. James is Margaret (the driver), Kitty is Nicole (the holder of the purse) and Henrietta is me (the navigator). Nicole was so taken with her psydonym that she's decided to adopt it as there are so many Nicoles in the village.
Today is a public holiday (All Saints) so the roads were quiet for our drive to Lisbon. We had thought of making just a coffee stop in Tomar but got caught up in our first minor hiccup. Kitty was keen to visit the small Jewish museum which we did and it then became evident that she was dead keen to visit the Knights Templar castle that we'd already driven up to as far as the car park. At that point she hadn't declared her interest thinking that we weren't interested in visiting monuments! The ensuing discussion tried to clarify that we each had the right to air our wishes and if one didn't want to follow, she could do something else. Back we went up to the castle and we were so glad that we did. So much to see and beautiful gardens to stroll through. Not sure about the music but this You Tube video shows the architectural splendeur. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87aO1xzF0wY So much to marvel at and there was lunch to eat too.
Continued on towards Lisbon, making a stop in Obidos a picturesque walled town where coach tours stop. Have to admit it was pretty if very touristy and of course every other shop sold jingina, the cherry liqueur. Here it was sold in little chocolate cups; even Kitty indulged. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf9tUUdGtrg
Found our apartment easily enough; it was a good size but had little to personalise it. There were a number of small cafés around and on our evening stroll, we fell across a curry restaurant. While there we invited an Australian woman, who's travelling on her own, to join us. She's been on the road for two years and had loads of stories to tell.
Weather:
24°, sun and whispy cloud