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

Enjoying the Last of June

Social life started to pick up with the light nights and extra freedom. There were even events in the village: 

• The annual Fête de la Musique surprisingly (the new Maire is not one to put his head above the parapet) took place on 21st despite being cancelled in most other places. The evening was warm and there were three spots in the centre of the village where a variety of  musicians and singers  played. Much better than the concert style evening that we've had before ... the result of covid requiring smaller gatherings. Saw lots of people I'd not seen for ages. The biggest surprise of all was finding Juste and Josephine there. Despite having been quite close (hols together etc) they'd started to distance from us over village politics before Christian died and then not so long after they moved to Spain (a long term project) without saying a word. They were back to finalise selling their house. Spent the rest of the time that they were there with them. It was as though nothing in-between had happened. Was even invited to go and stay with them. Funny old world. Ended the evening with Jacques on the terrace of the restaurant where we had a couple of glasses of champagne which ended up being on the house! 
•  An open air jazz concert
• The Feu de St Jean didn't happen, however. Firework display will happen in July at the Festa Major. Nicole and Anna as usual decorated the street and I hung out my Catalan flags. The cats are nothing to with St Jean but are an amusing feature of the neighbourhood.
  

Get togethers with friends happened, of course: 

• Apéritis at Michel's
• Apérits and grazing platter with the 3 English women that I meet from time to time at the other bar. The food was a good deal but the covid conversation was wearisome. No risk taking was the order of the day so was surprised that they lived dangerously coming out and mixing, albeit at a distance, with unknown people! 

 

A BBQ at Rémi and Lynne's on the patio overlooking a large well tended grass area and garden. A lot of work that I was glad not to have to do. After a leisurely apéro and lunch we played a couple of rounds of a Finnish skittles game and a never ending darts match round the clock.

 

• Lunch under the shade of the cherry tree at Jean and Françoise's. It's oft said that there's no such thing as a free lunch and so it proved to be. Jean asked me to translate a hour's talk given by an astrophysicist he knows and who, indeed, I've met, too. Gulp! Not having yet got the hang of an online translator, it took a long time. I'm no scientist that's for sure.
  
• Lunch at Jacques.
• Dinner with JJ at the restaurant by way of a thank you for helping me with my tax return. 

• There were even a couple of apéritifs chez moi. 

 One of the days, Françoise and I set off after a coffee at the bar to further explore the Retreat grounds. Out for 2 hours during which time we found the "Belvedère des Poètes". Luckily there was some shade from time to time as it was hot. Treated myself to a shandy while I read the papers when we got back. Have'n't managed any treadmill though so exercise has been sadly lacking.

 

 The papers continue to be a regular activity as does a cuppa at the café while I read them. Even went to the market in Céret a couple of Saturdays for a change of scene.

Chores are not such a regular activity so I surprised myself by tackling the weeds and moss on the cobbles down by the well. Took three mornings and a back ache to get it done but it looks so much better.

Not a month goes by without something not working out. The repairman who said he was coming to sort my washing machine didn't make it after I stayed in and then after the weekend he phoned not to say sorry but that he had just realised that the suppliers had sent the wrong piece!

On a more serious note, I noticed that my left eye had pale filaments in a kind of half moon shape moving around on one side and there were some occasional white streaks. Worried it could be a detached retina I rang my opthalmologist's; of course being Saturday, it was closed. The recorded message said to go to the Emergency Department of Medipole Clinic in Perpignan. Ann came up trumps with transport. Got as far as the triage nurse, who came after the fire officer doing a covid check outside the front door and the admin check in. The nurse sent me off to the hospital on the other side of the city as they didn't have an ophthalmologist on call. Went through the process at the hospital but this time got to see a specialist. Nothing like Casualty on the telly. All very civilised. The retina was fine, it was some gel that had come away which apparently can happen with age. Normally it goes away. Arrived home around 15h45 having left about 10h30. Kept off small screens for several hours and watched "The Last Vermeer" on the big one instead.

You might be surprised to know that we villagers are also aware that there is a world outside. Won't rant on about how things are going in UK but can happily report that the Rassemblement National party (the new face of the Front National) did not do well in the Regional and Departemental elections here. 

So that's that a positive note to end this post on. Will be back (with a bit of luck and a good dose of discipline) sometime mid July to let you know that all's well before tackling the end of month round up. 

Weather:  Lowest temperature was 26° and that was only for one day. Otherwise, the thermometer showed 28° - 32°. Mostly clear blue skies and only one thunderstorm.