You'd never know that it's Winter

December 2023: Good News, Good Deeds and plenty of Good Cheer

 

The last calendar image brings you a bonus. Not one but two trips to Egypt. 

 

 

In January 1987 I spotted a bargain long weekend in Cairo in the travel agent's window so MaryKate and I seized the opportunity to have some exoticism in the sunshine and off we went. A visit to the Museum, the Citadel, Giza pyramids and the Sphinx on horseback, the Sakkara stepped pyramid, Khan al - Kalili souk and of course we also checked out some bars and restaurants, trying Ful medames for the first time.

 

 

By way of a pat on the back for starting up the Ra's Gharib plant on time against expectations in 1989, Total offered the team an all expenses paid cruise on the Nile. For us it also included 3 nights in the Cairo Meridien, my flights from Glasgowto Cairo. Merci Total for such a treat. Outstanding sights, great experience, faultless organisation that brought a touch of luxury and a far cry from work and everyday life.

 

1.12.23:

 

First the good news; a routine MRI came back clear of any nasties and I did Wordle in 1 for the first time! According to reddit that's a 1: 150,000 chance. I also won a prize of electronic kitchen scales, a silicone loaf pan, a bottle of avocaat and of sour cherry liquer, chocolate lined wafer dessert cups and some recipes, in the Téléthon raffle. Coals and Newcastle spring to mind but have to admit, winning was nice.

 

Good deeds were centred primarily around the annual Téléthon fundraiser. For pleasure there was a 2.5km walk around the village starting and ending at the Mairie for which there was an entry fee of 3€ or more if you wished. Lovely to see families and adults of all ages and stages participating in a non competitive event and there was coffee and mini croissants at the end. Less pleasurable was helping out serving tea and cakes on the Saturday afternoon. Along with drawing the raffle, the main event was to be a cascade of dominoes which had taken ages to set up by a young man from the next village who is a national champion. Sods law and all that, didn't someone bump into the finished structure and send them flying in all directions five minutes before the "pièce de résistance". The young man kept his cool and we all clapped extra long and hard to make up for the disappointment.

Closer to home, I fed Nicole's cat of 17 years over the Christmas period; she sleeps most of the day. Kept my fingers croseed that nothing untoward would happen; what would I have done with the 

body!!

And so to the cheer which was plentiful. Morning coffees and afternoon teas here, there and every where but the only place there was a log fire to add to the cheer, was here in the village. JJ cried off coming to the "meet the artist" coffee and sweet things afternoon at Michel & Sandrine's to showcase the work of Jean Hellemans. It was very colourful but not a fit for me. Felt awkward at first as there were so few of us and I was way out of my comfort zone but luckly, I managed to join in the conversation before too long. It made up for me missing this month's vernissage in the village.

 

Meals chez Jacques, Anna & Gérard and Jean & Françoise. I did dinner here for Jacques and an apéritif dinatoire for Jean's birthday.

 

There were restaurants, too (when aren't there?) . . . Le V.I.P. in Perpignan with Nicole, Les Trabucayres in the Commune by way of a thank you for hosting the Germans, Les Abeilles with JJ, Daniel and Maud, Cal la Francisqueta in Llers with Nicole, Patrick and Martine and La Source with Pat in Céret. 

Came across this fabulous house in Perpignan as Nicole and I were walking back to get our bus. How I'd love to visit and have a tisane with Monsieur Poirot!

 Christmas, of course, brought its own cheer. A "Secret Santa" evening in the café and the Christmas market with a choir after which there was a samba band that heralded fireworks at the recreation ground. 

 

As usual, there was the pensioners' Christmas box, decorations in the village and I made a last minute Christmas cake on 22nd which was delish; I should know, I ate a good part of it! No more Delia for me. This was every bit as good and it cooked in 1h30! 

 

Martine came round to mine on Christmas Eve for fizz, foie gras, smoked salmon and other canapés; not a peanut or olive to be seen! 

Linde came for an apéritif on Christmas morning before I went over to Ann and Terry's for lunch of Beef Wellington etc, etc.

Boxing Day which doesn't exist here and is a work day, I spent on my own, the highlight of which was lunch in the sun on the terrace and a piece of Christmas cake at tea time.

 

idn't fancy the New Year's Eve bash in the village hall so I was happy to accept Gérard & Anna's invitation to join them. I was on apéros . . . 

• Nigella's Poinsettia Cocktail which looked very festive with the sprig of rosemary garnish

• Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Cream Verrines

• Smoked Salmon Toasts

• Delia's Cheese and Sesame & Poppy Seed Twists

It was an international table where French, English, Catalan and Spanish were spoken between the six of us (+ Nicole, Alvaro and Mercedes), lots of laughs, plenty to drink and more than enough to eat (foie gras, duck, chestnuts, sautéed ceps and potatoes, cheese and fruit salad). In bed for 3h45.

December's Notes of Nature:

And there was the most spectacular sunset. One evening I missed the bus back to the village. But as they say ... every cloud has a silver lining or in this case, a red and golden one. I witnessed a fabulous sunset while I was waiting for the next bus. 

 

 

 Awesome!

 

Weather:

1st Dec: 12° ; 31st 16°. Reached 22° with a damping of rain. storage heater went on on 3rd. Never so late