Sweet Temptations

Heavens! We've arrived at the last day in June. The longest day is past and we're halfway through the year.
Had coffee with Nicole P this morning, joined later by Jacques who came wandering by.

Michel had invited me for lunch but I decided to go just for the dessert;
a) because I was invited for dinner in the evening and didn't want to overdo it.
b) he had inherited the leftover tiramisu that Marie-Madeleine had made for the dinner at Jacques the other day and that was too good to pass up.
In France, it's not unusual to be invited to friends' for dessert or coffee after lunch or dinner. I've never done it myself; don't know why as I love not having to be hidebound by convention.
Going home passed the bar, I found that Nicole P was having an after lunch coffee so of course I joined her.
In the evening Nick, Lizzie and I were invited to Jackie's. We'd agreed that we get there on the dot of 19h as the last time she took forever to serve dinner. Forlorn hope; we finally got to the table for our

salmon lasagne at 21h. Arrived home at nearly midnight and goodness had we worked hard to parry Jackie's often negative and far from sparkling conversation. Sorry, I shouldn't be so unkind, especially as life has dealt her a couple of hard blows and she did serve a scrummy chocolate dessert. Now, who can I invite along with her so that we have a fun filled evening? Answers on a postcard, please ....
Weather:
23°, heavy rain at the end of the afternoon

Chosing between Culture and Food

Did nothing during the day other than potter and then  wouldn't you know, I had two invitations for the evening. One from Nany for a soirée at her house to celebrate her birthday and another from Michel to go to a vernissage in the Château Royal in Collioure. Michel had asked me first so culture it was!  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_Royal_de_Collioure
Despite being sponsored by the Region and in a prestigious historic monument there was a turnout of only about 25of us. Which was a shame as the sculptures, made from driftwood, were superb. This You Tube video shows all  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQem5xCyaMU
One nice touch was that standing next to us was an artist from who Michel was convinced that Christian and I had  bought a painting but he couldn't remember his name. He was right and we spent most of the vernissage in conversation with René Diaz. We were even invited to a vernissage of his in August; maybe we'll go but I did stop short of giving my phone number when he asked for it!
Weather;
23°, cloud, rain storms

Sharing Food and Sharing the House

28.6.17: Let the Work Commence

The workers actually turned up on the day they said they would at the time they said they would. If you don't live here, you won't know the significance of this. Once they were hard at work, I nipped out to the café to meet Nicole P and then decamped to the nest where I watched lots of downloads as the internet was off with all the storms that we were having.
In the evening I was invited to an English workshop, end of term soirée. Everyone had taken something to put on the table to share and Ken and Margaret had provided something to drink. Once again, there was no need to scratch around in the fridge. Oh, what bliss. No cooking, no washing up!
Weather:
24°, thunder, lightening, sun, cloud, hail, heavy rain.

27.6.17: Two Meals , Two Nicoles, Two Desserts
The workers are coming to replace the windows tomorrow, so taking down the curtains and washing them as a priority. It wasn't all chores however, as Nicole S and I went to the market in Figueres. Had a pleasant lunch at a restaurant that we'd spotted on a previous visit and found it much to our liking. And for once, Nicole was happy with what she had on her plate!
In the evening, the other Nicole and I were invited to Michel and Anne-Marie's for dinner. Managed  to pass on the champagne but not on the dessert; my second today.
Weather:
31°, short, heavy rain storm in the evening

26.6.17: Barriga llena, corazón contento (Full Stomach, Happy Heart)

Just by chance, Yasmin had to go for a blood test as did I so we made an early start on an empty stomach to get the business done. Had a pleasant surprise to find Jean, Françoise and their wee granddaughter at the café thus giving us the chance to catch up on all our news. Once fortified, we tackled the supermarket.
Back home, I found time to finish the "Vikings" box set that I've been racing through, attended a meeting about a pipe band tour and more or less got the cave back to normal. It's a long time since I've been so productive.
This evening Jacques prepared a Mexican meal at his place for some of us who'd been to Scotland. There were 5 Scots, two French, a German and a Brit, plenty to eat and tequila in abundance.
Weather:
31°, sun, cloud, showers, thunder

Appreciative Friends, a Lazy Cat and a Photogenic Frog

My usual female companions for Sunday morning coffee were thin on the ground though on the plus side it gave Yasmin and I a good chance to catch up. What's more, she'd brought me some Iranian pistachio nougat; shame that I'm off sugar at the moment but no doubt I'll find a good home for it.
In the afternoon, I made a peach crumble cake to take to Kathy's this evening for dessert. Michel, JJ, Linde and I were invited for a BBQ. Weak of spirit, I did succumb to a small piece of cake and pleased to say that the others went for a couple pieces each. Kathy took the leftovers into her work the next day so that counts as a success I reckon.
Apart from us there was some other wildlife present; Kathy's new kitten put in a languid appearance as did a small frog that obligingly stayed put for a photo. Sad to say, the black cat didn't bring enough good luck to transform the frog into a prince but who needs a prince when there's cake on offer?
Weather:
34°, early cloud burned off, sunny, humid

Disappointing Food

Made my Saturday morning trip to the market as usual with Michel as my chauffeur. Anne and I joined Michel and Anne-Marie who were well installed over a coffee and then Yasmin appeared. She and I stayed on for lunch at a near by café. Sadly, it left a lot to be desired. The omelette was like rubber and once we'd finished eating, having refused a dessert and coffee, we were asked, in the nicest possible way, to vacate the table. The day was saved with a trip to the loo which had Indian music playing and was decorated with garish pictures of various gods. Incongruous, is the only way to describe it. I won't be hurrying back there any time soon.The afternoon was too hot to do anything energetic so I frittered away the afternoon until it was time to go over to Christian's room for a vernissage.

Henri's cousin, Any was showing her paintings; primarily flowers with a sprinkling of landscapes. There was a better attendance than of late, mostly as I'd chivvied up members of the association to put in an appearance. After the aperitif, it was only logical that we (Any, Jean-Pierre, Henri, Michèle and I) should eat at the bar next door. This meal wasn't much better. The steak wasn't cooked enough for my liking and was tough.  
Finished the evening more jovially with Anne, Terry and their friend Carol from UK.
Weather:
34°, sun

Here comes Summer!

23.6.17: Keeping Tradition Alive

Did some admin until the internet went off so went for coffee with Nicole P.
After lunch, I gave the freezer a long overdue defrost. It was almost a pleasure to scrabble around in the cold when it was so hot outside. Once that was finished, I then set about trying to put the "pub" back in place after all the work that had been going on. It was also an opportunity to start getting rid of some of the clutter.
JJ came for a salad supper before we went down to the recreation ground for the "Feu de St Jean". The name belies the pagan origins of this fête which is still strong in North and South Catalunya. It's celebrated on the eve of the feast of St John, on the summer solstice. A bonfire is lit on the top of Mt Canigou and the flame brought down and taken to towns and villages to light their own fires. Here, some primary school chidren bring in the flame and then lots more and their parents carry lanterns around the village; the sardane is danced, young people jump over the embers of the bonfire and adults buy small bouquets made from 4 Catalan plants tied with a ribbon of "sang et or" stripes (colour of blood and gold). The bouquet should be tied to your door so that good luck and happiness is attracted to the house all year round. Last year's bouquet should be thrown onto the bonfire. The evening was rounded off with some pretty impressive fireworks, and an open air disco. Christian's "inner child" just  loved watching the fireworks and he would ooh and aah like a seven year old! And what's wrong with that, I say!
Of course, Nicole, my neighbour, gave us all mini faggots and a bouquet to decorate our doors; so, I've one on the outside and the one I bought, going into the kitchen. Let's hope that I have a double dose of all that's good, this year.
Weather:
34°, humid

Looking after Mind, Body and Soul

22.6.17: Life's Trivia
The language exchange was more trying than usual; it was too hot to think. Went afterwards to the bar, so nothing new there. worked on the blog in the afternoon before wandering around to Gilbert and Suzanne's to pick up the Spanish books that Paul had used for the workshops. I know, I know; you neither need or want to know such trivial details but this blog also serves as an "aide memoire" for me so I can remember what I've been up to and why. I'd be obliged therefore, if you'd make allowances and bear with me! Muchas gracias!
Weather:
31°, blue skies, rumbles of thunder 

21.6.17: Mostly in Good Voice

Took advantage of Colin and Lynn's regular trip to Perpignan to go with them to look at computer desks and deep freezes. The top of my desk is pretty tatty and the freezer is way too big. Came back without buying anything other than coffee for the three of us. If you've bought a desk recently, you may have noticed that there's very rarely either a pull-out leaf for a keyboard or a space to house a tower. Desktop computers are apparently on their way out.
Home for lunch, tea with Nicole P and got back on track with the website.
This evening I put in an appearance at the Fête de la Musique in the square mainly because I wanted to listen to Terry and Roger croaking out "I was born under a Wandering Star". They were joined by a couple of musicians and a women's backing group, which I had flatly refused to join, in a rendition of  "With a little help from My Friends". Terry assured me that they were very much more in tune during rehearsals but if they'd been better on the night, we all wouldn't have laughed so much.
I imagine that the other acts were a lot better but I didn't stay around to listen.
Weather:
Sunny

20.6.17: Pampering my old Bones

This morning, I made an earlyish start to get to my appointment with the osteopath on the bus. There's no problem, just an annual bit of maintenance.
I should have been at the Spanish lunch but as the date had changed several times, I had already booked something else in the meantime. Gilles and Martine had asked me to take them to buy cava and to have lunch. Took them to La Plaça in Garriguella http://spahotelgarriguella.com/fr/restaurant/ which you'll know by now, is a favourite of mine. The food, was good as usual but there was a big party in and the service was not. As the party was out by the pool, we ate inside the restaurant where we suffered a bit from the heat. I was disappointed that it wasn't all exactly just right; after all, I've a reputation as an ace restaurant-finder to live up to!
In the evening there was our last apérobio of the season with Nicolas's special tapas, as he'll be far too busy cooking for hordes of hungry tourists.
Weather:
28°, slight breeze

Heatwave

19.6.17: Hot and Bothered

A bit of a later start; oh what bliss!
Coffee with Nicole P at the café where we were later joined by Gilles. Took Paul's present around to Gilbert and Suzanne's for them to give him tomorrow and found that they too, were suffering from the heat. To add insult to injury, I couldn't get the association website to work. Grrrh!
Weather:
31° even though it was hot and sunny, here, along with Brittany was the coolest place in France!

18.6.17: Olé! Olé!

What a good sleep I had last night, not waking until after 8h this morning. Coffee as usual at the bar but didn't stay for lunch. There were lots more people out and about today as the village square acts as a thoroughfare to the polling station at the Mairie. The French were voting in the second round of the election of their Députés (MPs). Emanuel Macron heading up "En Marche", a party of just a year, won with a large majority. The National Front did less well than they'd expected; the socialists were all but wiped out. What a pleasure to see the FN take a hit. It wasn't all celebrations though, as Macron was mainly seen as the lesser of two evils which was borne out by the high abstention rate.
In the evening Françoise and I went to watch a local "seveillanes" group give their end of year show. Joséphine was dancing; it was good to see her and we made yet more resolutions to catch up once she was back from Paris. Had a drink in Céret afterwards; squeezed lemon juice, well diluted for me. Helle, a Norwegian of whom I've already spoken, stopped on her way by and it was good to see her in good spirits after her recent "scare". Jean came back to the village with us and we had another refreshment at the bar where Michel and JJ joined us after their stint at the count.
Weather:
31°, sunny

17.6.17: Being a Healthy (on the whole), Wealthy (maybe not) and Wise (sometimes) Bunny

Went there and back to the market on the bus. Fulfilled my mission to buy the Spanish groups' present for Paul who is giving up and helped put things back in store after last night; stopped off at the bar for a cupppa on my way home. Otherwise, not a lot else so found my way to bed a little earlier than usual. Should try and get into the habit, shouldn't I? afterall, you know what they say ......
Weather:
34°, hot and sunny

Food to Share

16.6.17: La Vie en Rose

Started the day with Maggie on shopping duty for this evening's soirée tapas, the theme for which, was "rose". As you can see from the photo, the colour and the flower were in abundance.
Participants bring something sweet or savoury to put on the table to share while the Association provides the apéritfs, wine, juices and nibbles.
My humble offering was smoked mackerel pâté and crusty baguette which always goes down well. I tend to use peppered smoked mackerel rather than the horseradish in this recipe and some chopped walnuts
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/may/24/how-perfect-smoked-mackerel-pate
 The summer tapas evening is the time when all the workshop leaders receive a bottle of champagne for all their efforts. I was given one for the trip to Scotland. Martine, the President fought a valiant battle against all those who were too busy drinking, nibbling and chatting to listen.  Have to say that this kind of behaviour really annoys me but I've observed that there's little that get's between folk and an apéritif.
There was a lot of the food that either had too much sugar or gluten so my choice was somewhat limited. As a consequence, I spent the evening working behind the scenes and feeling a bit out of sorts with the whole thing, I didn't bother to take more than a couple of snaps. Needless to say the President, as usual, left before the rest of us. However, this time, as Maggie (and therefore her van)  wasn't with us, she had to load a lot of stuff into her 4x4 so didn't get off scot free. Sorry, if I sound grumpy!
On the way home I realised that I'd left my bag somewhere complete with money, keys, cards, etc. Rather than panic, I made my way over to the bar where Terry and Anne were having a drink and they helped me think through where it might be. Remembered that I'd left it on my chair when I went into the kitchen to wash up and that it had been cleared away by the time I left. I sped off back to the recreation ground with Terry in hot pursuit. It was dark by this time but thankfully, I was able to make out a small heap and there it was. Someone had taken it off the chair and left it on the ground. Phew!
Back at the bar, I had a welcome cup of tea though I would have preferred something a bit stronger.
Weather:
33°, sunny

That's More Like it!

15.6.17: Women who Lunch

Even though we'd said "goodbye" last night, Yves and Janine arrived at the door at 9am, just as I was on my way over to the café. Apparently, they'd been waiting there since 8h30 to see me. Anyway, whatever their rationale was, we went there together and they sat for a while before we said our second goodbyes.
I went up to the language exchange as usual but left early to meet Anne and Nicole P for a trip to La Jonquera. First we winkled out Mathilde from the shop where she's manageress, to come and have a coffee with us. We lingered longer after she had to go back, talking about Nicole's forthcoming interview for a part-time job.
From here, it was just a short drive up the hill to Can Nadal where Anne had reserved a table. Good job that she did too as it's a sure bet and often busy. Unlike the last time I was here (with Jacques and Nicole P) my companions found no fault with either the place or the food. http://www.fogonsdecannadal.es/el-restaurante/
Weather:
33°, su, rumble of thunder at the end of the afternoon

Best Laid Plans and All That

14.6.17: Needing to Rest Zen

We took the bus into Céret to have a coffee and a walk around and I thought that we were coming back at 11h so that we could have lunch at the restaurant. Yves thought otherwise, he manoeuvered us to one of the bars where a bruschetta at 9€ was the main item on the menu and said that we would come back on the 13h bus. The fact that I'm gluten free didn't seem to bother him even though he'd been party to previous discussions and Janine pointed it out! I smiled, just ate the topping and put it down to him being a bit of  a self centred old "pain in the .........."! I can just hear the expression that Christian would use but am far too polite to do likewise.
Another siesta and rubbish daytime telly that Yves seems to enjoy. Of course, we went over to see Christian's room, of which Janine was obviously very proud (as am I, if that needs saying). Here she is wearing the dress that she bought this morning.
Yves didn't want to go to the bar either for an apéritif or for a coffee after dinner; he preferred more tv and an early night.
Weather:
32° hot and sunny

13.6.17: Resting Zen

I had thought to have a couple of days without any obligations what so ever but as we all know, all can change with a phone call. Janine, Christian's cousin from Normandy telephoned that she and her live-out partner, Yves were just an hour away from the village. It had been on the cards that they would call at some point but I'd asked for at least a day's notice so that I could do some food shopping. Fortunately, as they have a camping car all they had to do was put it on the site in the village and I didn't have to get in a tizz about preparing a bedroom. I had thought to buy them lunch in the bar but when we finally got together, Janine said she was paying for dinner and they were happy with a salad lunch. A bit of imagination and a trip to the village supermarket sorted that, so no need to panic. Tomorrow apparently Yves is going to treat us. And there was me thinking that they were only staying one day.
It was too hot to move in the afternoon so I closed the shutters after lunch and while Yves snoozed, Janine and I chatted and looked at some photos.
Though not a riotous evening and I had to cancel dinner at Jean and Françoise's, it was pleasant sitting out at the bar by the fountain.
Weather:
34°, hot and sunny

Deft Dancers and Great Danes

12.6.17: Scandi Games

An out of sequence committee meeting this morning in order for us to get organised for our annual "Danish Games" and Friday night's tapas evening. It all seemed to involve me in a lot of toing and froing in the heat of the day. Called into the bar for a coffee on the way home and met up with Lynn and Ann. Marie-Louise joined us and as my Mum would say, she's someone who can "talk the hind leg off a donkey" and golly did she live up to her reputation. It was exhausting and my compatriots, who don't speak French, left me to it! Not that I needed to say anything; a nod, a smile and a few huh, huhs were all that was necessary.
The games in the evening were explained and refereed by Lone and Jesper who also supplied several varieties of Danish beer at full time. There were about 30 of us to play "Kubbs" which is kind of like skittles. Well, 29 played and I took photos. https://www.mastersofgames.com/rules/kubb-rules.htm
Went for a cup of tea at the bar to wind down with Nicole P after clearing up. Finally went to bed about 12h30 and it was still 26°/78.8°F!
Weather:
In the 30's, hot and sunny

11.6.17: Didn't She Do Well?

The usual Sunday routine: coffee, then an omelette lunch with Nicole S and Patricia. A short rest followed which was followed by a dance gala featuring participants from the age of 2 to 67 years of age. The hall was filled to bursting and the audience very appreciative; not only because they were family and friends but also because it was genuinely good. Imaginative routines and incredibly supple and fluid movement. Nicole P and I had been invited to the show by Gérard and Evelyn. Evelyn was the 67 year old and it was her first ever year of dance. Have to say that it was extraordinary that someone who always seems so reserved and serious should take to corporal expression so easily.
By way of  recompense, we went to a local auberge for dinner. It's ages since I'd been there and I have to say that it hadn't changed enough to make me want to hurry back.
Weather:
30°, sun

Music for Free

10.6.17: In and Out of my Comfort Zone

Our village baker makes maize flour and rice flour bread, both of which are more than acceptable. What a treat to have it rather than the "gluten free" stuff that's a bit like cardboard.
The bar was celebrating its 19th anniversary and the theme was masks. I donned the rather stylish one I'd bought for one of the Association's tapas themed evenings and toddled over and bought myself a tonic water. A pot of tea would have looked pretty ridiculous, wouldn't it?
The village banda was blasting out its repertoire making it difficult to chat and hardly anyone was wearing a mask even if they had one. For the first time since Christian's not been around, I felt somewhat adrift. None of my usual pals were around and while I could have attached myself to other people who were there, I didn't want to butt in. In any case, as I had no intention to eat there and was incredibly hot, I beat a retreat to the sanctuary of home.
Did some more catching up with the blog in the afternoon which took my mind off things and then in the evening went to a free brass band concert in the village hall. This was an altogether different experience as I felt comfortable to go on my own and found that other people attached themselves to me! What a difference a few hours makes.
Weather:
30°, blue skies and sun

French National Sport and North African Food

9.6.17: An Exotic Doggy Bag

Once a month recently, the Association has organised a boules "tournament" so true to form, Gilles organised a morning down at the recreation ground. true to form I didn't play contenting myself to take some photos that look much the same as all the other months' photos and to help set up the apéritifs. Mimi and Eric served up a home cooked couscous to 25 of us which true to form was delicious. Mimi, kind person that she is, made quinoa especially for me to keep the meal gluten free. I even got the remainder with some left over sauce and veg to take home for another day. Of course, I had to give the Moroccan pastries a miss but as they're full of honey, that was absolutely no hardship. I didn't say "no" to the mint tea that was on offer though.
Blog again in the afternoon.
Weather:
23°, low cloud, drizzle, sun later

Money and Mundanity

8.6.17: A Routine Thursday

Language exchange, a cuppa at the bar afterwards and a late lunch at home. Spent the afternoon in front of the computer doing association admin and updating the blog.
Weather:
26°, Sun and high cloud

7.6.17: A Maze/Haze/Daze Day

This morning I was invited to my bank to meet the new (well, not so new; he's been there for over a year) manager and to review my account. I went with a piffling list of very mundane questions and was confronted with himself and a financial expert who wanted to sell me life assurance. Despite asking that they explain things slowly and in non technical language, after half an hour my head was hurting, not only with the French but all the figures and percentages. I called a halt and told them that instead of wasting their time any more, I'd come back another time with a friend who'd help me through the maze or maybe I should say, haze of it all.
So I've now arrived at my "holding" post, so you'll be glad to see that I've updated and taken down that photo of me in the silly hat!
Weather:
Sunny

Being Neighbourly

6.6.17: Honesty is the Best Policy

Sauveur came to fix the problem with the kitchen light that I had just before leaving for Normandy. While he was hard at work, I went for a coffee with Nicole P at the café. No need to worry about shopping to fill my empty fridge as I was invited to Monsieur and Madame le General for lunch with Barbara who was leaving that afternoon to fly back to UK.
Made a chocolate mars bar cake with stem ginger in the afternoon to take to our neighbourhood get-together. It was very rich and I couldn't resist just a tiny piece to make sure that it was fit to serve.
There were a couple of new faces around the table which added to the pleasure of the evening. Jeanne and Daniel, Americans living in Hawaii, were staying in a holiday home overlooking the wee square and responded to the invitation to join us without hesitation. As you can see, Jeanne was quite a "hit"!
Sloped off a bit early to resubmit my tax return as I'd thought of a more accurate way to calculate my UK revenue but to my disappointment, it gave me more income to declare than before. Couldn't in all conscience let sleeping dogs lie, so pushed the send button just before the midnight deadline.
Weather:
Sun with a cool wind

Heading for Home

5.6.17: No Place Like Home

By the time that all the goodbyes were said and the kissing done, we were a bit after 7h30 when we set off for the return journey home. As it was a public holiday (Whit Monday), the roads were clear and with only motorway service stops  to stretch our legs and grab something to eat, the journey was trouble free. The time passed more easily than I'd thought it would, as my tablet was well charged and I could watch films to my heart's content. When I was fed up of watching, I read and may even have dozed off.
We arrived home around 8pm and here's the view as we got off the bus. It felt good to be home and it felt good to be alone after three group trips in a month.
Weather:
Cool and damp in Normandy, sunny at home

Sunday and a Day of Relative Rest

4.6.17: A More Leisurely Pace

Oh, what joy! No need to timetable our getting up. Today was a "free" day. I took of advantage of the time to go and visit François, who Christian had worked with and Josette, his wife who used to teach English Ryes, a village of 485 inhabitants about 20 minutes away. It was good to catch up with them as I hadn't seen them since Christian's 70th birthday party in Normandy which was over 3 years ago.
We had a leisurely lunch of scallops (Josette remembered that I really like them) and fish both coming straight from the quay in Courceulles.
André and Nany went to Bayeux to see the tapestry while Agnes visited family who by coincidence also live in Ryes.
In the evening, there was the "official" dinner which was a more elaborate affair with speeches, a demonstration of folk dancing and a disco.
Weather:
Warm and sunny

Full On Day N°2

3.6.17: Two Faces of Norman History

Yes, you've guessed it, another early start. This time a 7h30 departure to Domfront. and it was a chilly one at that. Cloud and wind; this is more like what we'd expected weatherwise!
Our first stop was at the church Notre Dame sur l'eau (Our Lady on the water) built between the 11th and 12th centuries which true to its name was next to a river. There are still the remains of the public wash place to be seen. On a pilgrim route, apparently Eleanor of Aquitane (Henry II's wife) and Richard the Lionheart passed through here and stayed in the adjoining abbey which has since disappeared.
Next came a guided tour of the ruined château built by Henry I of England in the 12th century to replace a wooden edifice that had been built in 1010. Given the site's dominance over the surrounding area, it's easy to see why it was such an important strategic stronghold during territorial and religious wars.
In the town itself, there are narrow paved streets with evocative Medieval names, alleys and half timbered buildings protected by still existing ramparts. The Town Hall and Court House are altogether more solid bourgeois buildings and ironically enough, the latter is situated on la Place de la Liberté!
The church of St Julien, in contrast is a 20th century neo-byzantine concrete building with interesting Art Deco mosaics.  http://www.francethisway.com/places/domfront.php
Lunch was taken at the "Auberge du Grand Gousier" which was not as grand as yesterday's restaurant but it did have more character and the food was just as good. http://www.restaurant-grandgousier.com/en/auberge-de-charme.html

Our afternoon was occupied with a visit to Bagnoles de l'Orne, a smart spa town where the mineral waters are believed to be therapeutic for rheumatism, gynaecological and vein problems. It's a town that came to the fore in the "Belle Epoch" (1871 - 1914) with the advent of the railway. A guide took (some) us on a tour of the town, through the park down to the spa, then up to admire the large houses typical of the era and the Art Deco church of St Jean the Baptist which continues the water theme incorporating it into the stained glass windows and the outside facade. http://www.france-voyage.com/cities-towns/bagnoles-de-l-orne-normandie-23714.htm
Once we'd rejoined the shoppers/café goers, we headed back to Bretteville, another communal meal and another late night.
Weather:
Chilly and cloudy in the morning, a bit brighter and warmer in the afternoon

A Full On Day

2.6.17: Bells, Bagpipes and Copper Pots

Heavens, it was an early start after a short night. Rendezvous at 7h45 and on the bus ready to leave at 8h. Some of our hosts were with us for the visit in the morning to Villedieu les Poêles where we first visited a bell foundry of international renown. Bells have been made here since the Middle Ages, though today's foundry only dates from the 19th century. About 100 bells of all sizes are made to order every year, including the new bell for Notre Dame de Paris in 2013. There were several bells in the courtyard and the sound when they were struck could make the hair on your arms stand on end. Oh, how I wish we could change the tinny one we have in the village for something with some resonance.
After that we chugged up the hill to a copper workshop, in existence since the 18th century, where we saw a film, admired but couldn't afford the pots, pans, bath and other items, all along being entertained and informed by the guide. Quite a character to say the least who held his audience in the palm of his hand. Then it was back down the hill again through this rather prosperous looking and well kept town. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villedieu-les-Po%C3%AAles
All this listening and walking makes a body hungry so the thought of lunch at the "Fruitier" restaurant was a welcome one. What's more, I can tell you that while the hotel didn't look out of the ordinary from the outside, the private room where we dined brought more that a few sharp intakes of breath. Stylish to say the least. http://www.le-fruitier.com/fr/groupes-loisirs
Journeying along the coast to Granville, a smart coastal resort where we spent the afternoon, we could make out Mont St Michel in the distance through the haze. http://www.francethisway.com/places/granville.php
Mme the General, ie, Françoise, and I wandered through the town, bought postcards, drank tea and remembered that Christian Dior was born here in 1905, rather than scamper around in the heat (yes, Normandy was warm and sunny), looking at historical monuments.
Once back in Bretteville, a surprise awaited us as we descended from the bus ..... a piper playing "Scotland the Brave" was there to greet us! Goes without saying, I just loved it.
There was just enough time for a much needed cuppa chez Agnes before going to one of the town's halls for dinner with our hosts.
Weather:
Warm and Sunny

Jolly Boating Weather

1.6.17: Boating through Green Venice

Started the day with a good buffet breakfast and then we loaded our cases and ourselves back on the bus for a trip to the Marais Poitevin also known as the "Green Venice" which consists of a large area near the sea called the "dry marsh" (or "dried marsh"), used for farming and breeding, and a smaller area to the east called the "wet marsh", a maze of islets criss-crossed by picturesque canals. It's also the main area of angelica cultivation in France. I had thought that a trip for 1h30 in a boat where I'd be sitting so close to the water would not be much of a pleasure; how wrong was I! It was lovely and tranquil, birds were singing and the guide-cum-boatman who punted us along was interesting to listen to. At one point he agitated the water and set fire to it. No, it wasn't wizardry but a pocket of methane gas. It's not just tourists who are transported; livestock is often moved by boat too! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marais_Poitevin
Safely back on dry land, we took a short walk into the village of Coulon, https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g1490900-d1493411-Reviews-La_Passerelle Coulon_Deux_Sevres_Nouvelle_Aquitaine.html
Hugging the shade as we went, we were pleased to find  "La Passerelle, our lunch stop where traditional dishes were on the menu. http://www.restaurantscoulon.com/
From here there was a drive of over 5 hours until we arrived at our destination in Normandy for the start of the twinning visit. There was much hugging, kissing and chatter over an apéritif before we could finally get off to our respective accommodation. André, Nany and I were billeted on Agnes with whom Christian and I had already stayed. She in her turn has stayed with us a couple of times. Bruno and Christine joined us for dinner so it was after midnight before we got to bed.
Weather:
Sunshine