Getting out of the Village

 February 2023 (Sadly, have never made it to South America)

 The shortest month but with a lot going on. After a cool start, temperatures began to rise, galettes have given way to pancakes, the mimosa is finally blooming and the restaurant opened its doors again on the 1^st after a layoff of several weeks.

JJ, Martine and I continued our tradition of eating there on their reopening (as we do when they close for a break) and as is also the tradition there was cava and nibbles chez moi to kick off the evening.  This time we were joined by Jacques and Suzette. What with the café only being open in the mornings for the first two weeks and the colder weather pushing us inside, the square was dismally quiet; furthermore it then closed completely for 4 weeks. Everyone needs a break, n'est-ce pas?

There was another restaurant the next day though nowhere near the same price. 9 Suprem is Michel’s usual haunt after the market in Figueres. While it’s a lot less sophisticated, coming in at 15€90 for 3 courses and wine, it’s great value for the money. As if that wasn’t enough, at the end of the afternoon there were pancakes at Jacques’. Well, the 2^nd is the official day for them to be eaten.

And there were more pancakes at Michel's later in the month.

As usual, food has figured large this month. Meals at Jacques’, who has a load of wild boar in his freezer, to eat up, dinner at Babette & François’ where the conversation was about music, language and culture, another meal at the restaurant (Jacques’ treat), another meal in Figueres after the market but this time at Can Jordi with Lisa and her husband André, teas, coffees and apéros in various places with various people. In among it all I did do dinner for7 of us and the meat on my table was of the domestic variety .. roast leg of lamb.  The meal was by way of a "goodbye" to James & Beverly, a Kiwi/American couple who have sold their holiday home in the village. That's life here; a time comes to sell up and go back "home". It's not just the Brexit effect on 2nd home owners either. The pull of family increases with age or the loss of a partner. 

Also did dinner JJ and Jacques and this one for Thierry and Emon. Michel brought dessert of a "Tropézienne", a speciality of St Tropez which in this case had a nod to St Valentine. 

Ok moving away from food, I'll give the subject a rest for the time being in favour of  looking at some cultural happenings. 

Let's see; there was a vernissage of Jacques' and his friend's photos of famous Jazzmen.  Then there was an apéritif acompanied by, yes, some jazz.

 The next day there was some folk music, this time in, of all places, the local supermarket. Yes, really! The owners like live music but never have the opportunity to hear any, so Franc gave them their own mini concert. Quite a surprise for the Saturday morning shoppers, too.

Better weather and the buskers are out on market day.

We can do intellectual, too. Jacques and Yaneth did a presentation in Christian's room of their book "Bogotraces" . What was nice was that there was a complimentary copy already dedicated to me. Lunch at the café followed which heralded the inauguration of a "Café Litteraire". There were 17 of us and about half dozen people presented a book that had impacted on them. I kept schtum and listened.

 

Saw a couple of films; Tár - it was long and hard going and "Babylon". What can I say? Bizarre? Gross? Sad? Foolish? Long (over 3 hours). A BBC review said it was "a messy, dazzling epic that is often mesmerising". I beg to differ. Well, apart from one bit which came out of the blue and left me in stiches.

Exercise figured, too. Not just the treadmill either. Hit the road with Françoise and Timéo for a 8k walk starting from Fitou The "Vines et Garrigue" route also highlights wind turbines, views over the sea on one side, Canigou on the other and a number of "capitelles", dry stone pastoral shelters built from the end of the 18th century. Sadly, the village doesn't live up to the image that its bottles of red wine on Safeway shelves conjures up! Even worse, there was nowhere for thirsty hikers to get a drink on a Monday afternoon.

Other days out came may way, too, mostly with Michel and his friends Thierry and Emon.

 

 

Figueres market with Emon, Michel and Thierry followed by lunch with the Michèle & Michel in Empuriabrava. Needless to say we spent longer in each place than planned, so the proposed trip to Girona was abandoned. Only Michel thought it was doable. Anyone would think that they’re not likely to come back again! 

 

A drink in Banyuls was all we had time for after a trip to the Gendamérie to report an attempted break-in on Michel's car.

A picnic lunch at the monestry of St Llorenç de Sous up in the mountains over the border. Carried on up to the Sanctuary of the "Mother of God of the Mountains" where we found snow lying (no surprising at 1,100m+) in places and no possibility of a hot drink as all was closed. Found somewhere though in Besalù. 

The only other thing worth mentioning is that sanglier wasn't only on the plate. Coming home after tea with Nicole, five large wild boar ran out from a neighbour's garden. Made me jump, I can tell you. They're fearsome looking beasts.

Weather:

Mostly blue skies with temperatures between 9° and 20° and just a small spattering of rain on a couple of days