3.3.22: Unbelievable! Is there anyone who thinks that Gavin Williamson merits a knighthood? Not parents, children or teachers, I'm sure!
4.3.22: Out and About
Two of the three light projections in Céret, in place for three days to mark the re-opening of the Modern Art Museum which we stopped tp look at after an evening at Jean and Françoise's
The ceramic fountain, however, is always lit at night. Such a beautiful piece with so many different elements to admire.
5.3.22: What do you do all day? Is a question that I’m often asked so, randomly chosen, here’s what happened today.
- Was in bed just after midnight so was downstairs before 9am
- Read the local paper over breakfast. “Press Reader” is down so couldn’t access the Guardian
- Parcelled out the bitter oranges and distributed them to neighbours
- Took food and toiletries to the “Resto du Cœur” collection point
- Made soup
- Lunch with Michel and Anita at Jacques which lasted until teatime
- Worked on the computer
- Emptied out cupboards in the cave ready for the plumber to put in new pipe work to the toilet on Monday
- Supper, Wordle and other puzzles in front of the tv
- Bed for 2am
Clearing up after a morning when a handful of men served women tea/coffee/cake in the square as they have on the Sunday nearest International Women's Day (8th March) since 2009. Well, it was a mix of being useful and a 'let me fill a plate with left over cake to take home" moment!
7. 7.3.22: The day the plumber didn't come to call!
8.3.22:
Took clothes and unused medical supplies to the Mairie for a Regional convoy that's leaving at the end of the week for Ukraine. Life continues despite the crisis and this evening dinner chez Michel with his northern cousins was far from the gloom of the news reports.
9.3.22:
10.3.22:
Another splendid meal at Martine's after an apéro on the terrace.
Rain all day and night and goodness do we need it. Hunkered down in the house and didn't feel in the least bit guilty.
11.3.22: Dinner chez Jacques. Didn't take a photo as the company was a composite of the last two meals. 3 margarita's were a bit much. Thankfully, I had the sense to drink only water for the rest of the evening.
12.3.22:
13.3.22:
14.3.22:
Yippeee! Pity cases are rising again with another omicron strain! Hey ho! Let's take the risk and live a bit. Still raining, by the way.
20.3.22: Still
Well, it's still raining; more some days than others. The Russians are still in Ukraine dropping bombs; more some days than others. Boris is still playing statesman making pronouncements ; some more crass than others
(likening Ukranians fighting for freedom to Brexiteers). Other bad news to that of rising prices is the dismissal of 800 P & O employees by video call. Still waiting for the Government to react in ways other than using limp words. and phrases. One bit of bright news has been the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anousheh Ashouri who are back in UK; a third person has been released on "furlough".
Lots of things here are still the same since I last posted. Meals with friends (1 at a pizzeria, 1 here for a raclette and one at Michel's for a couscous). I'm sure you're fed up of photos of the same people whom you might or might not know sitting around one table or another, so I won't bore you with more of the same. As usual, there has been apéros, coffee, tea and chat with friends, daily Wordle and other puzzles, papers and magazines to read. And oldies gym with a new trainer who really put us through our paces.
But for a change . . .
I've watched "Belfast" (can recommend it), attended a meeting on Domestic Violence (what about men? someone asked), been to a vernissage (well attended), been to a concert of Cuban music (a welcome change), helped record some English conversation vignettes for Nick & Lizzie's son who teaches in Asia (fun) and got long distance glasses for the first time (not so much fun).
And this evening . . .
Dvd and apéro at Jean & Françoise's followed by some heated analysis.
21.3.22: Spring has (not) Sprung!
Nicole, a tea officionado, came around for a cup and a chat. Other happy moments were doing Wordle in two and after 4 days of trying and puzzling, managed to get the laptop connected to the internet and a 24 hours withour rain.
Weather:
14°, cloudy with occasional spell of sunshine
23.3.22: The plumber came to call
Did the job in the morning with no problems arising. Rowena is rarely down here from her mountain hideaway that I took the opportunity to take the bus to meet her for a quick cuppa before her appointment at the clinic. Dinner with JJ chez David and Laura to do some planning for our trip to Scotland.
Weather:
15°, sunny spells and cloud
24.3.22: Best Foot Forward
Taking advantage a day without rain (or so Françoise said) she, Thérèse and I went down to Port Vendres for a walk. Went up 656',; sounds more impressive than 200m, doesn't it. Towards the end it rained! Not often that Françoise gets it wrong but having said earlier that my new specs were too dark when I was thinking that the turquoise green was pretty smart, I took it as an omen that she's not infallible!
Feeling virtuous, Nicole's farewell dinner at the restaurant was eaten without a side dish of guilt. so the three widows' club now only has two members.
Weather:
14°, sunny spells and a rain shower
25.3.22: Another walk
This time with Jacques, Dominique and Suzette. After all the rain we've been having it was the right time to go to the water falls. However, this time there was no fancy meal to follow; just a cuppa and a couple of "Nice" biscuits chez Jacques.
Weather:
18°, sunny
26.3.22: Catalan Culture
If you travel around the Département, you'll see streets, buildings and halls named for Joan Cayrol, a Catalan poet and song writer. His daughter organised a homage to mark the hundredth anniversary of his birth and I went along and to soak up a bit (well, a fair bit, if I'm honest) Catalan culture. The evening was sponsored by the Mairie and of course, a "Pot d'amitié" followed.
Weather:
16°, sunny, light rain late evening
29.3.22: J'en ai marre de ce temps pourri!
Cherry blossom on the way to see Maggie. Canigou is normally visible in the backround but rain is on its way again. Real fear is what a drastic fall in temperature will do to this season's cherries and people have stopped saying " we need the rain to raise the water table," and now say "I'm fed up with the rotten weather."
31.3.22:
Apart from the "daily doings" above, there have been several other unphotographed meals and coffees with different friends here and there. The treadmill has been on the backburner due to too many late nights sitting up watching some series or another. The latest "Outlander" has started and Holby has ended its long run on a Tuesday night. Still going to oldies gym though, so all is not lost.
Can't believe that the first quarter of 2022 has gone by; the clocks have changed but covid hasn't. It's still here though life has eased up as to regards restrictions and the recautions people are taking. No one asks these days if you've had the latest vaccination. Let's see what April will bring us.
