Food for the Body, Food for the Soul

22.5.16: Dumb Waiter!

Sunday started as usual with coffee. Anne, Nicole S, Tony, Jennifer, Rosie and Jo. No Nicole P who is in Paris and no Yasmin who was breaking her back in the garden. It's interesting how Sunday is becoming a meeting point for different groupings. The churchgoers were meeting at the bar long before Christian and I started going but the people from the music association are new comers. So, as well as the weekday regulars there are three different groups who sometimes stay seperate and who sometimes merge.
Feeling like a change, Anne, Nicole and I decided to go over the border for a simple lunch. It didn't come more simple than the Café Fraternal in Espolla. Many villages in Catalunya have a bar/restaurant/social centre built under the Republican ideal in the 1920's and 30's. Décor was basic (communal tables with paper tablecloths) as was the food but it was wholesome and cheap. One big gripe though, was the guy who was front of house who didn't say a word to us. I only understood which was our table when he took three knives and put them down at the end of the table where 5 young South Americans were eating.. There was only one chair so in the event of him not doing anything, I took 2 others from another table. Our order was taken by an older man (Dad?) who spoke some French and the food (salad, charcouterie, paella cooked in squid ink) was served by some pleasanter young women. The other guy totally ignored us and didn't seem to speak to anyone else either so our charitable sides concluded that maybe he was dumb and not just surly. I imagine that there's a more p.c. expression but I can't for the life of me think what it is. Ah well, you can't charm 'em all.
Had a quick walk around and managed to get back with five minutes to spare before JJ picked me up to go to a concert (flute and piano) in a church in a nearby village. Beautiful music to transport you to whereever your imagination might take you.
Home for a sandwich and bed by 10h30pm
Weather:
23°, sun, rain and thunder in the early evening

21.5.16: Cherry Ripe, Cherry Ripe!

Took the bus to the market where the Cherry Festival was starting to gear up. Cherries in every possible form, edible and otherwise were everywhere. Met Hortense for a standup chat and then Yasmin for a sit down chat over coffeee though it was hard work at times to be heard over the decibels being pumped out by an endless succession of bandas. Nicole V joined us for a while and seemingly had gotten over her miff from Thursday night. Arrived home to find messages from both Michel and Jacques offering a lift to the market but this early bird had been up and out for the 9h30 bus.
Bumped into Linde in the afternoon and she came back for tea and catch up after her trip to Austria.
Spent a quiet evening in.
Weather:
26° Sun with strong winds later.

20.5.16: Thai Cuisine

Went to bed early last night and had a good sleep. Jany called in to say "hello" and stayed chatting until it was time for her GP appointment so I took my coffee late. The village was amazingly quiet. Had a light lunch at home on the patio and then caught up with the blog and some association admin stuff. Walked over to Dani and Brian's in the evening for a delicious Thai meal. They go every year and the cookery course that they did this year was money well spent, says I. Holiday photos followed but they had just enough to be interesting and not too many to be boring. The photo is of us having a not-very-Thai apéritif. Pity that you can't see the garden that was full of glorious colour from the roses that are in full bloom.
Turned down the offer of a lift home so was able to enjoy a still night, the scent of orange blossom and a starry sky complete with a full  moon.
Weather:
28°, Sunny