Cold, cold, cold!

The rain was back so I didn't bother going to the market and settled instead for a coffee at the bar. As I was about to leave, Jean-Jacques arrived with his sister for lunch and I even managed to resist the invitation to join them. Didn't resist the invite to partake of a glass, if you're starting to worry!
Wasn't feeling that hungry so went down to the recreation ground where the Mairie was providing a refreshment station for cyclist coming through from Girona, via the Coll d'Ares, the mountains behind the village and down to Pallafugell. Oh, how they were suffering; wet and cold, quite a few gave up en route. I spent most of the afternoon there and handing out a drink when those hardy souls came in and shouting "coratge" (courage in Catalan) when they left.
In the evening I went with Nicole P to Jany's show entitled a "Duo de Femmes" and very amusing it was too. There was even a glass of wine offered at the end which Nicole and I supplemented with one in the bar..
Weather:
12°, damp, cold drizzle

A Grand Day Out

Not able to raise enough people for a bus, Martine, of the other association that I'm in,  organised car sharing  for a trip to Pezanas to the gardens of St Adrien. Made from a disused quarry and the fruition of the owner's boyhood dream, in 2013, they were voted the favourite gardens of the French for a tv programme.
http://www.jardindesaintadrien.com/ 
Can't describe how enthusiastic I was  so, it's better that I let the photos speak for me...... and the icing on the cake ... the weather gods were with us. https://picasaweb.google.com/114284735716067114333/6283371623840489009#  
The visit ended with a glass of wine or fruit juice served by the family. 
Lunch for the 12 of us was in a purpose built restaurant on a commercial estate so there was no charm but the food was fine (bull stew). http://www.restaurant-essentiel-pezenas.fr/
The day ended with a couple of hours to look around Pezanas a town with narrow streets befind medieval walls and well populated by Molière memorabilia, Brits and arts and craft shops.
Weather:
22°, sunny

Changing Weather, Changing Plans

28.4.16: Hither and Thither

Just had time to call into the Language Exchange and say "hello" before meeting Nicole to go to Figueres. It was chilly, and rain threatened so there weren't the usual crowds thronging the market. Bought some plants and had lunch at the "Ou d'or" which you'll know from previous posts is a regular of mine.
Of course, Dali is reputed to have eaten there. We, however, went for the food not because of him. If the photo looks strange it's beacause it's an etching on the ground reflected in a large stainless steel tube.
Nicole being a great tea fan, we stopped off on the way back for a cup of Earl Grey in, of all places, La Jonquera.
Sticking to an artistic theme, once back in the village, I met Henri and his cousin Annie to show her the exhibition space for a proposed show. Following that it was on to Jean-Jacques for an apéritif with he and his sister.
Weather:
16° Rain, cloud, sunny spell at the end of the afternoon

27.4.16: Being Adaptable

Another change of plan. This time, I should have gone with Annie for some shopping and lunch into Spain but the road over the border was one long traffic jam so we went instead to Villefranche de Conflent, a lovely walled town, about an hour's drive. She'd suggested nearby Tourynia for lunch but the restaurant was closed. Still, it was a lovely wooded drive there and it worked up an appetite. So, back we went to the town and we were spoit for choice. Settled on the "Relais de Villefranche" where we were made welcome and ate well for a reasonable price http://www.lerelaisdevillefranche.com/ 
On leaving the restaurant, who should we bump into but Nicole P from the village with her two grandchildren. Annie was amused as she said that earlier she'd been surprised that I hadn't met anyone. Just goes to show, there's no escape!
Stopped for a cuppa on the way back; I do miss a good traditional tearoom, don't you know. Hardly the end of the world though.
Feeling tired so luckily I was able to have a quiet night in.
Weather:
16° Cloudy with a few sunny spells. Feeling damp

26.4.16: Not so Wicked Step Mother
Coffee with Hortense and then on to the lawyer's to sign the "Partage" so the kids can have their share of Christian's money now instead of waiting until I die.
Attended a Council meeting in the evening and went with Jean-Jacques to the bar afterwards for a glass of wine.
Weather:
16°, cloudy



25.4.16: Best laid Plans

There should have been a guided visit to a nearby village but hardly anyone signed up. Of the four who did, one couldn't come at the last moment, one forgot and the other two of us are on the committee and I'd already done it. A long way of saying this morning's plans were cancelled. Nothing else to do but go to the bar for a coffee. Even cooked for myself for once - a stirfry, if you're remotely interested.
Later on, François and Jacqueline came by to chose the carnival photos that they want copies of and Nicole called later to discuss her latest email reply. Once done, we sipped martini and Tio Pepe and chatted about life!
Weather:
28° sunny

Sant Jordi

Was in the square for 8.15am to help get organised for the village's Sant Jordi's day. No rain but it was really chilly and the wind was pretty strong. There were stalls, the story of Jordi/George and the dragon told by Jany, a story telling corner, colouring, music and a great percussion band from Figueres. Our bookstall made 350€ which will be given to the local primary and nursery schools. The wind was too strong to keep going longer than lunch time so I was able to linger over my meal at the bar in the company of Nicole P. After helping clear the square (amazing how people melt into thin air), I stayed on to have a cuppa with Lone and was then joined by France and Annie, making it about 4pm before I got myself home and out of my costume. By the way, I'm not as fat as I look; it's the layers of clothes doing a good job of keeping me warm.
Didn't have much time to rest though as Nicole S called and asked if I could go over to hers to talk through her response to an email that was troubling her. In need of clearing my head, I walked back and spent a quiet night in front of the telly.
Weather:
16°, Sun and strong winds

Happy Birthday, Will

23.4.16:

Have had a sore throat for a few days which is feeling a bit better.
Went to the market and back with Jacques. As it was Sant Jordi (St George's day), there was Catalan music in the town. There are two Catalan language groups; one the original and one a breakaway. Don't know what the rift was about but they were kept apart. Sat and listened for a while with Hortense. Had a glass of wine at the bar back in the village before going home to track down something in the fridge for lunch.
Planted the plants, did some paperwork in the afternoon and kept away from the 400th Shakespeare celebrations.
Weather:
18° Sun , dark cloud later.

22.4.16:

21 of us set off to go over the border for a boules "competition". Luckily, the weather had perked up again and it was a rain free day. It was even sunny enough to sport a hat and not look daft.
As usual there was a good buffet meal and plenty of laughs. Yours truly was particularly useless. So, enough said.
Weather:
19° Sun

21.4.16:
What a change from yesterday weatherwise making my trip into town a bir dismal. Got back to the language exchange in time to catch the last 45 mins. As usual there was a drink at the bar followed by an omelette lunch.
Spent a couple of hours at the end of the afternoon helping to sort out books for the Association's stall on Sunday's Sant Jordi.
Jean-Jacques came round in the evening for an apéro.
Weather:
17° rain, heavy at times

Sun, Sea and Strolls

Went over the border with Nicole S for a wee trip starting in L'Escala. Sun was shining so coffee overlooking the sea and the walk along the prom past the Greco-Roman ruins was just the thing. Had lunch in Sant Martí, srolled around the village and then walked back to the car.
Made a visit to the garden centre but was a bit disappointed with the selection. Still, we both bought a few plants so there's a bit of colour to look forward to on the terrace.
Stopped off at the shopping centre in La Jonquera on the way back for a cup of tea and so endeth a good day out.
Weather:
20° Warm and sunny

Apéros and Admin

19.4.16:

Appt at the lawyers went fine. Got off the bus one stop sooner to go and meet some new members of the association. We've now 332! All that talking made me thirst so I treated myself to a glass of wine sitting out in the sun until ater 1pm.
Took advantage of the fine weather in the aternoon to deal with some rather tall weeds then did some Association admin rather than deal with the tax papers.
Apérobio in the evening with among other things, some very imaginative uses of beetroot (leaf soup, stems in tempura batter and slices in a goat's cheese cream)! It was all delicious!
Weather:
19° sun in a cloudless sky

18.4.16:
Joined by Nicole P for coffee in the morning.
Trawled through bank statements ready for meeting with the lawyer's clerk tomorrow.
Fewer women at the "Café des Copines" but it went well with exercise I did, stimulated chat and quiet a bit of sharing.
Weather:
17° Low cloud in the morning, lifting later. Feeling even cooler

Procrastination

Yasmin, Nicole S, Martine and I met over coffee and while at the bar Hazel invited us round to see her gîte. Nice view to wake up to, eh? Back to the bar for an apéritif then Nicole and I stayed on for lunch. In order to put off sorting tax papers, I watched a bit of tv at home and just as I was ready to start, Françoise phoned to say that she and Jean were coming over. Never mind; it suited me well as I really don't want to tackle it!
Weather:
18°, feeling cooler. Increasing cloud in the afternoon, rain over night

Dream a Little Dream with Me ♫

Woke up at 7h30 from a very vivid dream and it's a rare occurrence for me to remember what I've dreamt but this time I did. So, settle down while I relate all.
Was in a pub where there were loads of actors and thought I must go back. I was going to a wedding wearing aquamarine earrings. One fell down the loo and an unknown woman fished it out for me. Was also wearing a cotton frock and realised that I was still wearing a long-sleeved vest underneath. Took it off but you could see my bra straps. Even though late, I went looking for M and S to buy a more suitable dress. Believed I was in Birmingham but the views were of  Stratford-upon-Avon with the river in full flood and I couldn't get across. Andy and Maureen happened by and gave me directions but they were for M and S in Glasgow. As I was running very late, we sat down to phone my boyfriend (don't know who) but he seemed to be having such a good time that he hadn't even noticed that I wasn't there! Instead he accused me of having gone looking for a secret child. Woke up. Thank goodness, says I. Interpretation on a postcard, please.
Back to reality: Eye still red and used an eye bath which helped. Throat still sore. Oh, woe is me! Lucky, I had a full day so no time to dwell.
Went to the market with Michel, Eugénie and Daniel after which I was invited to eat couscous with them. Had just an hour at home before we all went down to Collioure for a breath of sea air. While there, we stumbled across a vernissage complete with Basque bagpipe musical accompaniment.
Culture vultures that we are, one vernissage was not enough. The next one was a planned attendance in Argelès where books had been used to create the exhibits.
Finished the day with a welcome night in
Weather:
20°, sun and light cloud

Perpignan and Paperwork, Flowers and Friends

15.4.16:

Woke with a very dry throat (thanks, Terry) and a red eye. The result of not having worn sunglasses yesterday? Did some paperwork; this time for the association. Had a drink at the bar with Jean-Jacques and then treated Martine to lunch at the restaurant.
Was it too much sun, the three course lunch or not enough sleep that brought on a 2 hour siesta? Whatever it was, it wasn't the wine as I only had 2 glasses.
Wandered down to the garden where a whole "hedge" of  iris were coming into flower. There were poppies too, plenty of weeds though also signs of cultivation. Linde's obviously been busy.
Weather: 19°, Sun

14.4.16:

Christian (not mine, of course) called out of the blue for a coffee but I couldn't listen to his stories of his private cure in Georgia for long as I had to head off to the language exchange. There was time though for a rosé after the exchange and lunch with Nicole P, Terry and Ann. After lunch, I caught up with the other Nicole and the other  Anne for a walk. Lots of wild flowers, beautiful views and fresh air. Three hours and a lot of chat later, we arrived back at mine for tea. Tea was fiollowed by a glass of cava. Ended up chatting every bit as long as we walked.
Oh yes, Eddie and Myriam called round with a rather snazzy pack of pilsner beer as a thank you. Why beer? I'd joked the day before that if there wasn't any water we could drink beer!
Weather:
21°, warm and sunny

13.4.16:
Better sleep last night. Water off due to emergency work in the street.
This afternoon I had a trip into Perpignan with Anne J which provided an opportunity to spend a 40€ gift voucher that Christophe and Valérie gave me for last year's birthday. time is running out and the last twice I'd been, things were either too expensive or just uninteresting. My luck was in; spotted a tee-shirt with 30% off so with the voucher I only had to pay 8€ instead of 69€. Finished with tea and cake overlooking the Quai Vauban. Shame the weather was too iffy to sit out.
Arrived back to find the young couple (Eddie and Myriam) from down the street wondering what had happened to their water supply. As I'd been reconnected and they hadn't, they came up for a few bucketfuls. Nice to be able to say more than "hello".
Weather:
Low cloudy start, sun, rain and feeling colder than the 18°

12.4.16:
Don't know why but I had a disturbed night's sleep. Went into the bank and pleased to say that I came away with the required statements. Scampered around the supermarket, came home on the bus, stopped off at the bar to profit of some nice sitting-out weather and a glass of wine with  Jean-Jacques who joined me on his way by.
Spanish in the afternoon and there's two week's holiday to look forward to. On the walk over to Nicole P's for coffee, I couldn't resist snapping this splendid wisteria. Then it was
home to prepare a few bits and pieces for Jean-Jacques who was coming for an apéro afer his council meeting. Even though we'd chatted at lunch time, his meeting gave us a whole lot more material for discussion.
Weather:
21° Sun and some wind

11.4.16:
Basically a day of admin. Went into the lawyers, tried to get back copies of bank statements (don't ask!); tried to do a name change on a document and have to send off a number of papers; tried to change my complementary health care card to my new number so more papers to send. After lunch some Association work then bringing the blog up to date
Weather:
21°, sunny, wind

Eating with Friends and Listening to Music

10.4.16:

Gosh, did I have a good night's sleep last night and with no need to rush to get up, I felt much better than yesterday. Went to the bar and was surprised to get a wee gift of a shawl from Françoise, the general's wife, who was just back with the group of 45 association members that she took to Andalusia. She also invited me to lunch with Barbara and Olga whom you met on 22nd March's post. Still, before that there was coffee to drink and Anne, Yasmin and the two Nicole's to chat to.
Home from a very tasty lunch to have a rest for about an hour before going to a concert (flute and piano) in a nearby village with Nicole P and Yasmin. It was seriously beautiful with this piece just gut wrenching. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTOoLxtIDJc The flautist had encouraged us to close our eyes and think of love but I couldnae; the lump in my throat was already verging on the difficult to control.
Weather:
21° but feeling cooler in the wind, sunny

9.4.16:
Had a lift into the market with David and Laura and for the second time went to collect a purse that I was having stitched and for the second time, it wasn't ready. Coffee with Henri and home with Nick. Actually cooked myself a risotto lunch. Now that is noteworthy.
This evening I walked over to Martine's for dinner with Diana and Robin who have just arrived for a few days and David and Laura who are off back to Scotland tomorrow. It was lovely having our apéros on the terrace but we retreated to the shelter of the house for the meal. Whether it was because I'd eaten too much or not had enough sleep but come 10.30 pm I was really tired and glad to have a lift back.
Weather:
15° , sunny and windy

8.4.16:

Well, I should have been going to Spain with Ann and Terry but man-flu was in the air. So, I made do with a coffee at the bar. Then in the afternoon, Ann suggested that I accompany her to Annette's for tea as I'd never seen her new house. Didn't quite make up for the shopping that we should have done and the lunch that we should have had but the walk in the sunshine was good. This photo was taken from the road on the way over.
Met up with Nicole P in the evening for a glass of rosé at the bar and ended up staying for a bite to eat too.
Weather:
14°  cloudy start, sunshine and strong winds

Barcelona Break

7.4.16:
Took the 9h30 train back to Perpignan and this time there were airport style security and ticket checks. The train was on time and I managed to get the bus back to the village which saved a lot of hassle. Had soup in the bar with Ann and Terry as usual and then pottered at home for the rest of the day.
Weather:
14°, sunshine and cloud. wind. Overnight rain.

6.4.16:

Christophe and family are spending a few days in "The Capital",  (ie of Catalunya North and South) as was pointed out to me when I said "Barcelona". Kindly, they invited me to join then for an overnight. Left the village at 8am to get to Perpignan for the high speed train that took 1h20. Not one single ticket check. Just my luck, I had my ear bent as we waited for the train by an old buffer (ex RAF) who was accompanied by his long suffering wife. Despite having had a holiday home here for 25 years, he complained about the banks and other French ways of doing things; didn't compare to UK! Of course he didn't listen to my counter arguments. He also commented that a gang of railway workers standing around were like those in England and where they would be called "Irish".  He back tracked  when I said that most families had Irish origins. What a ......!
The journey went well and there was a row of smiling faces waiting to welcome me at the station. We headed straight off for a visit to the Sagrada Familia. Thank goodness Valérie had pre-booked our tickets. You'll know what an amazing piece of design it is. The stain glass was just wonderful. http://www.sagradafamilia.org/en/photo-gallery/   Construction started in 1882 and is due to be finish in 2026 to coincide with the centenary of Gaudi's death. http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/jun/03/barcelona-sagrada-familia-gaudi-history-cities-cathedral-poor-church-religion
By the time we'd walked to the restaurant that Valérie had picked out, our feet were well tired but it was a great place with healthy food and cold beer. http://www.granjapetitbo.com/
More walking was in store for us afterwards with a trip to the Parc Guell. just fabulous though bad luck for us as the main paying part of the park was not accessible until 19h because we hadn't booked our tickets. The kids had no desire to wait around so we headed back to the flat for a cuppa, a rest and then an apéritif. Walked to a nearby Moroccan/Lebanese restaurant situated in a lively street lined with bars, restaurants, tapas bars and pastry shops. Not bad at all.
https://picasaweb.google.com/114284735716067114333/Barcelona2016?authkey=Gv1sRgCOiNx67rk-XpjAE
Weather:
22°, sun. Windy in Perpignan

Dodging the Rain

A bit of pampering started the day; well, at least for my nails which are now a striking red.
Later on, umbrellas at the ready, Kelvin and Irene (here on holiday) and I sallied forth to go for lunch down in  Collioure. Ate at the Amphitron, a fish restaurant looking right over the sea which sadly wasn't a lovely Mediterranean blue but a murky North Sea grey.
There was no after - lunch stroll to aid the digestion; it was still raining. We made do with a cuppa back at mine instead.
 By the time I went over to Jean-Jacques' for an apéritif the rain had stopped. After a couple of glasses of cava and some off-loading on both sides we headed to the bar for the last guitar evening until Autumn. The music was good and the bar crowded with folk from a load of different nationalities ..... French, Catalan, British, Irish, Belgian, German, Spanish, Guinean, Tunisian, Brazilian and a New Zealander. Of course, those were just the ones I knew. 
https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g187152-d1332670-Reviews-L_Amphitryon Collioure_Pyrenees_Orientales_Languedoc_Roussillon. html#REVIEWS 

All Kinds of Weather

4.4.16:

Met a prospective new Association member for coffee. She only moved into a neighbouring village two weeks ago and she's keen to get involved. Interesting woman of Iranian origin who grew up in India and then lived and worked in UK. Nicole P joined us later. She and I met up again this afternoon along with the other Nicole to go over to Anne's to look at possible medieval style costumes for the forthcoming fête de la Sant Jordi (St George's day - the Catalan one, not the English one). Stayed for a cuppa and admired the cherry blossom. Came home and caught up with the blog. Hey presto!
Weather:
18° Sun but feeling chillier in the wind

3.4.16:

Didn't get to sleep until 4.30am; heaven knows why. Didn't sleep in though so was on time for my usual coffee stop at the bar. Stayed on for an omelette lunch with Anne and Nicole S. Had just a short spell of time at home though instead of snoozing I wrote a very brief article about our street decorations for the local paper (which was published, by the way) before it was time to meet Nicole S to go to an early evening concert.  This time she arrived! Sat with Françoise to watch "Carmen in swing" performed  by an amateur group. I'll just say it was "original" and leave it at that. Came back to the house for another brief spell and then walked over to Maggie's for dinner; once again David and Laura were also around the table. Roast guinea fowl and pheasant were set before us and the veg were served from the hostess trolley, I'd given her. Thinking of it always puts me in mind of Victoria Wood's "Let's do it!" and I can't help laughing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNU5KVa_Tu8 Looking at the comments, it has the same effect on other people too!
Am anticipating a better night's sleep tonight, probably because of the wine.
Weather:
22°, Chilly start, sun and light cloud

2.4.16:

Went to the market with David and Laura and called in to see Bridget and  apologise for my "no show" last night. Met Françoise for a coffee and a catch up. Then this afternoon went to Collioure wth Nicole S though the chilly, humid weather rather spoilt the trip which a mediocre hot chocolate didn't make up for. I did buy a bag though and took this photo rather than one of the sea as on such a grey day the splash of colour was cheering. Spent a night in.
Weather:
13°

Fishy Tales

Kicked off the month with a busy day. It started  with Nicole and Anna at the door with some coloured cardboard fish. Asked to choose, I went for the red one which had "Poisson Coquelicot/Fish Poppy) written on the back. Are you confused? Curious? Not in the least interested?
So, for those of you in the first two groups ...... it's traditional in France, as well as trying to make people believe tall stories, to pin a fish on unsuspecting folk's backs. These tricks and stories (remember or maybe hearing about Richard Dimbleby's Spaghetti harvest April Fool in 1957?) are called "Poisson d'avril". There was a fish for every house in the street and they didn't go unnoticed. A bit of fun to brighten the day.
I was taken in by a report in the paper about a local restauranteur who fancies himself as a trend setter putting insects on the menu. Not true
While waiting for the bus, to go to Michèle and Henri's for lunch, the dentist drove by and offered me a lift. I got to meet Michèle's sister (Danièle) and brother in law (also Henri) and there was also fish on the menu. Coming back, however, I didn't have the same luck and had to shell out 1€ for the bus.
Had just over an hour at home before it was time to meet Nicole S to go back to town for Bridget's "private viewing" of her exhibition. Standing waiting for 15 minutes I felt as I did when I got a "dizzy" http://www.scotslanguage.com/articles/view/id/4588/type in Glasgow one time. Great expression, is it not? Didn't have a mobile phone then so I was left wondering; this time an answer was forthcoming. She hadn't turned up because she'd forgotten!
All was not lost. I went instead  to the vernissage in Christian's room in the Maison pour Tous and had an apéritif and nibbles. Yes, of course i looked at the paintings too. From there I went into the bar to hear Kevin, a good 60's/70's singer/guitarist record a promotional video. Resisted (easily) joining the table of Brits, prefering to sit chatting with Philippe, the association's only male committee member.
Weather:
14° Sun, drizzle in the evening