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

How Quick it is to get back into the Swing of Things!

8.7.20 - 18.7.20: Catching Up

You'd think that with over 4 months just drifting along that I'd be raring to get into cleaning, sorting, organising and other worthwhile activities ...... ah, no! Frequent trips to the café for an internet connection were more of a priority; not that I managed to have an uninterrupted run at it as there was always someone to talk to. At least I managed to download the Guardian  and something to watch for later on. In my defence, I have been on the treadmill most days, so it's not all indolence.
There's been a lot of catching up going on during these last few days which I've found pass just as quickly here as they did in UK. Several sessions over coffee, mostly with Nicole but also once with Ann and Lynn and once with Carmen. As you can imagine there were times when food was involved too.
The village had 5 positive covid cases of which one person was hospitalised for a day. People are laid back about mask wearing and social distancing of 1m is fluid. The tables at the bar are reasonably spaced but people have a tendancy to come quite close to speak to you though the Brits are noticably more cautious than the French. So far, I've not kissed or hugged anyone.
Thursday, 9th:
It's our turn to receive our Normandy counterparts this year and the pressure is on to organise a visit at the beginning of October. I have my doubts it will happen but we're going ahead to show willing. After the meeting we ajourned for a drink and ended up staying for a bite to eat. Martine, Dominique and myself from the committee were joined by Antoine, the mayoral candidate that lost.
Friday, 10th:
Was invited to Rosie and Maurice's for an apéro and BBQ. Walked there and back and to my delight I found that the phone and internet were back on again. What will be my excuse now to go to the café. Come to think of it, I don't need one, do I?
Saturday, 11th:
During my absence a small local producers market has been established. There's a real buzz and the café and restaurant are doing a good trade. Whiled away the morning over some chilled rosé and then stayed on for a salad lunch with Martine and Carmen.
In the evening I joined Jacques and his friend Antony for dinner at the restaurant. Foie gras as a starter and steak to follow. No room for a pud.
Sunday, 12th:
Went with Jacques who was driving Anthony to the station in Figueres so that I could do a bit of shopping on the way back. Catalunya has had a rise in positive cases so masks are obligatory even in open spaces. The town of Lleida SW of Barcelona has returned to lockdown.
Monday, 13th:
Apart from a coffee with Nicole, I just pottered at home.
Tuesday, 14th:
The French national day was a low key affair with the fireworks cancelled and the apéritif after the

ceremony and parade was a sit down affair instead of the usual free for all. Fewer people were present and the Mayor's speech was lacklustre. He certainly lacks the flair, depth of reflection and vision of André. Official stuff over, I head over to the bar to meet Nicole and we were later joined by Martine, Antoine and Carmen. Rosé and a bowl of chips to share made for a pleasant end to the morning.
Wednesday, 15th:
JJ is back from a 3 week trip around France visiting friends and family and the pair of us were invited to Jean and Françoise's for an apéritif dinatoire along with Thérèse and her granddaughter. That meant that I spent time in the afternoon making a Peach and Sour Cream Ring Cake. It went down well thank goodness.
Thursday, 16th:

Had a coffee with Nicole, bought some farm cheese at the market and to my surprise and delight, the stall holder, who I know from years back but who has only just started coming to the Thursday
market gave me a generous piece of goat and sheeps' semi hard cheese. Oh, my god, is it delicious. I couldn't get over how kind she was.
Had lunch at the restaurant with 4 Brits (Ann, Terry, Angela, Paul) and Roland who is French. The two other tables on the terrace comprised of 14 Brits from the village. Couldn't believe it. It felt uncomfortable, for me anyway, especially as the table of 8 was loud mouthed. As the French would say it brought me out in a rash!!
Met Nicole this evening in the bar to listen to Joan (Catalan for John), a singer/composer from the village and sod's law wasn't the loudest mouth from lunch time there, along with 4 other blokes.
Friday, 17th:
Took the bus into Céret and met Jean and Françoise for a coffee before heading off to Henri and Michèle's for lunch en famille. Was great to catch up with them after so long and to find that they'd both come through the lockdown well. Both are 80. Michèle celebrated hers last year and it's on the cards that Henri and another pal will be celebrating theirs in September all being well.
Saturday, 18th:
Met folk at the bar while watching all the activity at the market and of course drank some chilled rosé. All very jolly with a mixture of Scots, French and me. Jacques, cooked dinner of pork chops and chips for the two of us. Not the best move on my part as I was due to have dinner with JJ at the restaurant in the evening. Couldn't be impolite and refuse, now could I?
Preceeded dinner with an apéritif at JJ's which was nice and relaxed. Dinner was on me by way of a thank you for his help from a distance with my tax. He certainly earnt it dealing with me and my anxieties. It was a pleasant and not too late an evening and there wasn't a Brit in sight!
Weather:
A bit of thunder last week and a couple of very light showers. Temperatures between 26° and 31°
Covid Update:
Figueres, just over the border has 45 cases and people there and in Barcelona are being asked to stay home. There are a handful here in the Departement; all seem to be following stays in Catalunya. Some speculaion that the border could be closed but nothing concrete.

Vive la France

15.7.18: Vive les Bleus!

Preparing lunch meant that my Sunday morning cuppa came later than usual and unusually, I didn' linger for long.
Had a lazy, lethargic afternoon; it was too hot to do otherwise.
Timed my trip to the bar, where we were booked in for the communal paella, to coincide with the end of the match. Needless to say the terrace of the bar was packed and everyone was in high spirits. You'll know of course that France won. Of course, there's all too much hype but the pleasing thing about this team is that they're not the "brats" (too polite to use the term that more adequately describes them) that the last team that included the like of Benzema was.
About 80 of us tucked into the paella which sadly was pretty mediocre. Mass catering at the bar is always a bad deal and if I hadn't been invited, I would have eaten at home. Sorry for being negative.
I did have a mini bottle of cava though to bring back a bit of sparkle and all the positive vibes around meant that no one, not even me, could small niggles spoil the evening.
Weather:
32°, very hot and sunny

14.7.18: Vive la Republique!

Glory, it was hot this morning for the "Bastille Day" ceremony. A procession to the war memorial, the Maire's speech in which he emphasised that there are still personal, national and international Bastilles to be felled, presentation of medals, sardane dancing and an "apéritif républican". It was too hot to linger without shade so Nicole, Nono, Evelyn and Iwandered to the bar for a coffee in the shade next to the cool of  the fountain.
Didn't have to prepare food as I was invite d to the cousin's for lunch and in the evening we ate the leftovers in the fridge after Nono had sorted out the light that I've been waiting for Sauveur to fix. My kind of day!
Weather:
32° very hot and sunny