Food: From the Simple to the Sophisticated

11.2.18: Back to School

Well, David and Laura really treated us well today. They invited 8 of us to lunch at the "Ancienne École" to celebrate them having sold their house and by way of a thank you for our support. Not that I did anything special. A minibus picked us up, so everyone could make the most  of the wine on offer. The meal was excellent and while always very good, it has gone seriously upmarket since Christian and I used to go. https://www.ancienne-ecole.fr/
Scallops to start, guinea fowl main and a café gourmand for dessert was my choice and it was absolutely delicious.
Some of us had thought to come back for the Scotland/France rugby match at the bar and I was all geared up to don my kilt and tartan bonnet. What a damp squib; the bar was closed. Went home instead to catch up with the family by phone and ineveiably to watch some tv.
Weather:
16°, rain

10.2.18: Bliss!
Abandoned the market in a favour of a very long lie. Skipped breakfast and went straight for lunch. Computer, settee, film and tv.
Weather:
9°, sun, strong winds

9.2.18: Tapas and Tarts

Did the wine shopping with Maggie for this evening. Being an electricity "red day" with the tarrif 10x the normal rate (won't bore you with the whys and wherefors), rather than make a cake to put on the table, I bought a tart which worked out a whole lot cheaper. Maggie did likewise.
Carnival flower making this afternoon, a quick change and then setting up the hall ready for the winter soirée tapas with "scarves or ties as the theme. There were around 80 folk present and by the time I got to sit down there was precious little savoury stuff left. The mayor who arrived late, fared even worse than me. On the other hand there was plenty of sweet things to eat with a proliferation of raspberry tarts the same as Maggie and I had bought! Yep, they were the "tart of the day" and on special offer at a very popular local bakery, So no surprise there.
It was good to get cleared up and back home for 10h45.
Weather:
7°, blue skies

8.2.18: A Usual Thursday

Did the apéritif shopping with Marguerite ready for tomorrow's "soirée tapas" then had a coffee with Mireille, another widow, before the language exchange. Tea afterwards at the bar, lunch at home followed by work on the computer and plenty of tv.
Weather:
6°, blue sky





7.2.18: Should have gone to Specsavers!

Whenever I meet Rowena, I always write that we've finally managed to put a date in the diary and today is no exception. The bus up to Arles was on time; so far so good but imagine my consternation when the driver told me that there was no connection up to Rowena's. Two other passengers, one of whom had a wheelchair, hadn't read the timetable properly either. The bus runs on Mondays, Tuesdays , Thursdays and Fridays but not Wednesdays. Umph! Luckily, we were permitted to take a school bus that was due along later. After a few moments of panic, our faith was rewarded and we arrived only about 10 minutes late.
It's so easy to forget that you don't have to travel far to have colder weather; there was snow on the verges, on the mountains and fields.
Rowena was there to meet me for the next leg down to a restaurant in Spain. We decided on El Fau, tucked away in a side street in Maçanet where neither of us had ever eaten.  Small bar, exposed stone walls, 12€ weekday menu in Catalan, pleasant and patient staff. There was a secluded garden behind which augers well for visits in the warmer weather. https://www.facebook.com/ElFauBarRestaurantBraseria/timeline?ref=page_internal
No trouble with the bus back as it came all the way to the village.
Martine came around in the evening for an apéro and to talk about a night away for "le club des trois veuves" (the three widows' club), destination Barcelona.
Weather:
7°, blue skies