Au revoir August

 23rd - 31st August 2021:

It's now almost dark at 20h30 and mornings are cooler; a sure sign that Autumn is not too far away. Still, the days continue to be warm and sunny so no complaints. This week, like so many others, has involved all the usual everyday activities and a number of social get-togethers around a table. No complaints there either!

• An apéro dinatoire chez Jean and Françoise with JJ, Linde and her daughter.

• Lunch at the other bar with Nicole S then back there in the evening for an apéritif with 2 of the usual 3 English women. Tried to do a bit of consciousness raising about "Incels" which made a change from endless covid conversations. The platter wasn't that exciting either and to top it all only bottles of wine were available rather than the option of a carafe. Not on, methinks. It's hardly a gastro pub.
  

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  Coffee with Jim and Mags who've just arrived back after an absence of nearly two years and with Françoise here and in Céret.

• Apéro with JJ, Jean and Françoise sitting out by the fountain; on the way home Camille, a neighbour, called me over to the picnic bench in the square where she was having a glass of rosé with some friends and invited me to join them. Couldn't refuse

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  Another offer I couldn't refuse was dinner with 3 generations of friends here on holiday from Leicestershire. Even though I have scant regard for what they serve up at the bar, catching up with them more than made up for my misgivings. 7 adults and 5 kids made for a jolly evening feulled by a few glasses of rosé.

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  There was even an evening at mine for JJ and Jacques who's in the village for a few days. For once it was supper rather than an apéritif dinatoire and having made ample, there were left overs and even some cava that saw me through a couple of days.

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  The next day an impromtu dinner invitation came from Jacques's at 18h. Jim and Mags came for the works and David and Laura came for coffee. However, we were still on the apéros when they arrived so David, joined us for a small portion of the meal; Laura saved herself for dessert and cava.

Haven't been on the treadmill but as yet there is no sign of all those meals on the scales. Not a bad way to end the month.

Weather: 29° - 31°, dry and sunny 

Some Come, Some Go and Some Stay Put!

Hard to believe but I'm on a roll . . . 4th day running that I've sat in front of the computer to catch up with Chitchat. Too hot to be outside has maybe something to do with it.

16th - 22nd August 2021:

Sadly, our Colombian friends have left the village to make their way back home but another week with something different to enjoy helped fill the gap. This time there was a overnight with Rowena way up in the back of beyond! Met up in Céret so the stress of wondering if bus connections would work was removed.

Lunch, chat, bird watching (robins, nut hatches, blue tits, great tits and a hawk) on the patio, reading and relaxing until time for an apéro of G & T. Drove to the village for dinner and saw a hare sitting by the side of the road. Food was copious and tasty; much better rapport/qualité prix than here. Ro is an early bedder so was upstairs by 10h30 though read until I nodded off sitting up. The next morning I read the papers in bed before a leisurely breakfast and more chat on the terrace. Light lunch and then off to the photo exhibition that Rowena had organised and was having to watch over 2 afternoons a week. Caught the 3 buses back, all of which connected! Homecoming was not that joyous as I could hear water running downstairs in the toilet. Plumber on holiday but recorded message said he'd come out if it was an emergency. Apparently, this was such and he'd be out, first thing in the morning. In the meantime, had to shut the water off (Dominique helped as the tap was too stiff for me) and make do. True to his word , the plumber arrived at 8am along with his apprentice. They managed to locate the problem in the cave and isolated it so that I can continue with day to day life until he can come and put it right after the holidays or whenever.

Outwith the usual activities of my daily life that you are now well and truly familiar with, I managed to deal with Orange, my internet provider, and things are a bit better. Amid all this techie stuff there was a cultural pause at Romer Kitchen's vernissage in Céret that I attended with Linde and her daughter, Eve who's here on a flying visit from the States. Really good paintings. Portraits of live models and scenes done in situ.

There were a couple of early evening apéritifs with Jean and Françoise, the second one being before an evening of Sardane dancing on the village square. Bought three raffle tickets and won some biscuits that are a local speciality, a bottle of rosé, a bottle of white and a bottle of sweet Muscat wine.

Ended the weekend with dinner at Katie's with Linde, Eve and Christine. A good evening with tasty things to eat, good wine and some wide ranging conversation mixed in with plenty of chat. 

Weather: 29° - 32°, sunny

Something Special

9th - 15th August 2021:

Started this week with the first day of obligatory covid passes in bars, restaurants, cafés (even on a terrace) along with other venues attracting numbers of people. One of our municipal police officers came along and made a check at the café. There is a lot of disagreement and talk particularly from antivaxxers, dividing friends and families. The restauaurant has decided to stay closed for a period of reflection as they don't want to apply the pass rule and have to turn away regular clients who don't have one. Otherwise, life ticks over in the hot, sunny weather. Forget "dog days"; here, it's the cats who reign supreme.

Until the weekend, days were much the same as usual. Papers and magazines to read, a few online puzzles, emails, a cuppa at one café or another and nothing much domestic except for preparing my contribution to meals at friends and evening watering of some very grateful plants.  More interestingly . . . .

* An apéritif chez Jean & Francoise. Sat out under the pergola with JJ, Yaneth and Jacques; laughed and put the world to rights.

* Dinner chez Jacques which through a misunderstanding turned out to be a cassoulet! If you've eaten it, you'll know it consists of white beans, duck, pork, and sausage (not always used but Jacques is from Toulouse so it always is) in a thick, rich sauce. Normally eaten in the colder months unless you're a tourist needing to tick it off your must experience list. To add more calories we ended up with 3 desserts as Jacques doesn't like to decide what people should bring! Once home I went straight to bed with a stomach that knew it had accomodated pulses in abundance.

* An impromptu lunch chez Jean & Françoise.

My only foray into entertaining was coffee with Hortense, who brought the pain aux raisins, sitting out on my patio which is looking quite pretty at the moment. Shame though that there's no abundant crop of oranges. 

Jean & Françoise came over for an apéritif at the bar as much to sit by the fountain as anything. It certainly wasn't for the platter of charcuterie that Françoise paid 9€ for to accompany our drinks. Felt embarrassed that they could serve such a poor offering.

On a completely different plane was lunch out in Spain with David, Laura and Martine.  We headed off to Mas Gusó, a restaurant recommended by a golfing friend of David's. Upmarket al fresco eating with un upmarket shop selling wine and locally made/grown produce. . A pleasant escape from the heat of the day. Came home the long way round by meandering North along the rocky coast.

Finally the big event arrived with sunshine and it found me in a frock feeling chuffed to bits to have been asked to be Lisa's "guidemother" in a civil naming ceremony. Had to google an alternative name for godmother and found "guidemother" on the Humanist website; in French it's Marraine. Anyway, before that there was the inauguration of an outdoor exhibition of old photos about the cork industry here, blown up and displayed on various buildings around the village.

There were about 20 of us for the ceremony presided over by the Mayor after which we went over to José's for a really appetising buffet with  sangria to accompany the aperitifs and wine for what followed. Interesting flavours all served in verrines. Was difficult not to over indulge. Had to leave by 4pm so the obvious choice was to come back to mine. Quite like the hospitality that used to be a feature of chez nous while Christian was alive. The spontaneity of it saved me from getting stressed. There were 10 of us, only 6 drinking alcohol. We still managed to get through 4 bottles of cava, some red and rosé wine. Luckily there was enough in the fridge and fruit bowl to lay on something to eat Another reason to feel chuffed. 

Sorry that there aren't any photos of Lisa but from previous posts you'll know why and I am a known rule follower so, no Lisa. Shame as she looked radiant as did her proud parents and . . .  why wouldn't they?

Even after the previous day's festivities, I managed an hour's treadmill before a rv with JJ to go up to Las Illas for the Festa Major. Decided to walk up to the church 1.5km up above the village. Claudine (other guidemother) and Hervé followed several metres behind. It was hot but we made it before everyone came out from the Mass. Then we walked back down again to watch some sardane, chat and have a picnic lunch organised primarily by Martine (Jacques's cousin). 

The cooler temperatures of home were a welcome relief. A late night even though I needed an early one.

Weather: 30° - 37°, sunny

An Unseasonal Start to August

1st - 8th August 2021

Socially, off to a flying start but weatherwise you'd never know that it was August. Chilly (24°, cloudy with rain showers). Kicked off the month and surprised myself by putting on an apéritif dinatoire for 9 of us. Guests of honour were our Colombian friends and I didn't stint. Loads of food which took hours to prepare. As I've often observed, it's quicker to do a 3 course meal! In between all the chopping, mixing and garnishing I kept an eye on the sky and despite having cleaned the upstairs terrace, I played safe and relocated to the kitchen. Just as well, it rained. Shame I've had to cut off Lisa, who at 15 is underage, as I didn't ask for permission to post.

And, hold your breath, I hauled myself back onto the treadmill for a bit of pre-breakfast exercise the first two mornings. Then came, a merry - go - round kind of few days followed; with late nights and 4 unproductive days treadmill wise. Do I hear, "now there's a surprise" ? Nothing, that I didn't say myself, believe me.

A trip to Perpignan for my annual dermatology check up which took me 6 hours to get there and back on the bus. Oh, the joys of hanging around searching for shade in between times. Still, all was well, so can't complain.

Dinner followed by a mini harpsicord et cello recital give by our hosts.

 A soirée for 10 chez moi, this time due to impending rain, in the dining room yet again with far too much food. This time it was to reunite friends from our Norman twin town and ex Mairie people who participated in the exchange.

 

 

 A welcome day out with Laura, David, Martine, joined en route by Jacques and Monique, a friend of his from Roses. Started in St Laurent with a visit to the espadrilles workshop and Les Toiles du Soleil. From there we wound our way up to Falgos; a bit fresh but it made for clear, fabulous views. On to Tapis for a quick shop and rv with Jacques. Then came the main event ~ a good meal at La Quadra in the garden. Walked back through the village to the café/bar in the square for a coffee where 6 drinks were a fraction more than a third of what we paid at Falgos! Difference between a bourgeois golf course and one of the earliest (1834) workers' social centres in Catalunya that still functions in the same spirit. Rounded off the day with a visit to buy cava. All in all, my kind of day.

A vernissage in Christian's room. Mirrors and ornaments. Different but not wildly exciting and the artist is the partner of the woman on the Council responsible for Culture. JJ and I didn't stay long enough to partake of the apéro as there was one programmed at his to say "cheerio" to the Normans. 

The lay off from the treadmill had to came to an end. All the rich eating and no exercise was not a good combination. Helped the digestion this evening which was spent snacking on some tasty sandwiches (even if I do say myself), other nibbles (Yaneth) and a couple of bottles of cava (David), not that he was celebrating unlike Jacques when the Springboks won in the last minutes. 

Sunday lunch at the restaurant with Martine, JJ, and just two of his house guests; Jacques was flat out after his vaccination. Didn't affect our appetites though!

Weather: 22° - 30° bringing cloud, rain, sunshine