Hi! It's me again

9.2.20:
What a long time it's been since I last sat in front of the computer to update Chitchat. Energised by a good long walk with Françoise yesterday and a message from Liz saying that she misses hearing about life here, I've been motivated to rectify things! Sorry it's in list form but here goes ......
Here's another "sorry", haven't been able to change the font size or spacing. Stumped so am giving up

January 2020:
Looking back on what I've been up to in January has been a surprise. I've been convinced that I've been lethargic and not out and about much but I've done more than I thought I had. Admittedly, a lot of time has been spent foutering, trying to sort out computer problems, watching tv and eating chocolate interspered with coffees and electoral chat at the café, trips to the market and flower making for the carnival float.  There are only 17,000 to do.

Of course, January means partaking of a "Galette des Rois" at every turn and more especially at the Maire's New Year's wishes, (during which both Christian and I got a mention) and those of the President of the Association. https://frenchfoodintheus.org/1059

Of more interest, after much administrative wrangling, the cinéclub started up again on the 9th with “The Fall of the American Empire”. Enjoyable but hard work as the French with a Canadian accents was difficult to follow; and not just for me. The evening finished with a drink, a piece of “galette” and a discussion of the film at Gérard and Anna's.
Other films this month were: * Almodovar’s “Pain and Glory” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain_and_Glory. I invited our wee group back to mine for a drink and the last of the Christmas cake. 
* "Who killed Lady Winsley", a film that despite being quirky and funny with a Turkish/Kurdish cultural overlay, I managed to fall asleep for a chunk of it! We ended the evening back at Jacques to eat the pancakes that Gérard had made.

* The Spanish film "El Reino" subtitled in French, took serious rapid reading skills as the dialogue raced along. The storyline was every bit as complicated. Only Jack and I ended the evening with a cuppa and wind down. 

In my “must- be - more – hospitable” mode, I invited

* Martine to talk about creating closer links with Comrie in Scotland over lunch. 

* Ken and Nicole, Nick and Lizzie for dinner. Guest preferences/restrictions included, chocolate, citrus fruit, fish, meat that comes from animals with 4 legs, so I ended up doing Chicken, Fig and Apricot Tray Bake with green beans and wild rice, followed by Bavarian apple cake. 

* Jean, Françoise and Jacques to finish up the rest of New Year's Eve's venison

*  Michel, Nicole S, Nicole P and Dani  for tête à têtes over afternoon tea and Jean-Jacques over an apéritif.

Needless to say there were invitations "chez mes amis"

* An impromptu lunch at Jacques. He's still feeling sorry for me with my empty fridge!

* Afternoon tea at Nicole S's along with Nick and Lizzie, Jacques and Joyce and Brian. A sedate affair.

* There are several women with birthdays around this time so there was a coffee morning to celebrate at Jo's. Walked over with Raymonde under clear blue skies and sunshine.

* We neighbours were invited for a “Pot au Feu” at Gérard and Anna’s     https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pot-au-feu-367768 

* A full on lunch at Daniel and Jeanie's to celebrate his birthday. Chris and Jo and the resident dogs were also there! Thank goodness I was able to walk home afterwards; a fish course and a meat course was all a bit much.

* Michel’s for another “Pot au Feu”. The French are nothing if not loyal to seasonal eating traditions. Maud, who’s standing for the Council in another town, and Daniel were there so inevitably there was loads of political talk and chit chat. And Maud brought the most creamy calorific lemon dessert.

To counteract all the good food, I got myself back on the treadmill to walk off all that had been on offer.

Then of course there were some restaurant meals.

* Lunch at the bar with Nicole and two days later with Pat and Penny. The frequency is a measure of  expediency rather than appreciation. The other restaurant being closed until the beginning of February.

* 9 Supreme for lunch after a morning at Figueres market with Michel.

* With the amber alert lifted and the rain off. the plan had been that Ann, Lynn and I should go to Perpignan on the bus. We only realised that morning that all servises had been cancelled due to a strike so Ann drove.

Started with coffee at the Café de la Paix, https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g187156-d2669310-Reviews-Le_Grand_Cafe_La_Paix-Perpignan_Pyrenees_Orientales_Occitanie.html wandered the shops and had lunch at Chez Sébastien, a simple, local place off the tourist track dishing up tasty food. https://fr-fr.facebook.com/pages/category/Restaurant/Chez-S%C3%A9bastien-410766956018314/

More shopping followed and I found the exact boots that I've been looking for. 

* Went as Michel's +1 for the last supper of the Council. A good meal despite the presence of future electoral opposing sides. On a very personal level, it felt good to be included as Christian's representative in something that he worked so hard for.

January wasn't all eating drinking and being lazy. Health issues have been to the fore, too.

Mum fell and ended up in hospital, Maggie has had a knee replacement and JJ ended up in A and E suffering a period of amnesia. Lucky for him people were alerted when he didn't appear for a meeting. Sped with Antoine to the hospital and then spent 8 hours waiting before he was discharged. Nicole P arrived after a couple of hours bringing us a most welcome picnic.

The monotony of the wait was further livened up when 20 or so gypsies of all ages came in accompanying a family member. The women were all in slippers but that is normal for anytime of the day; some were in dressing gowns as we're the children.

Eventually we were reunited with JJ and apart from a gap in his memory of about 4 hours it was good to see him back to his usual self. Finally arrived home at 4.15am.

Oh yes, and there was a vernissage of a photographic exhibition.

Weather:

On the whole the weather has been good. Clear blue skies with temperatures mostly between 14° - 17°. At one extreme there were a couple of days of sunshine when temperatures rose to 25° and five days when we were on an orange alert for heavy rain, wind and flooding. Temperatures dropped to 7°. Even made the national news

Village Life

21.6.18: Being a grumpy old woman

Thursday and of course, it was the language exchange in the morning. Didn't succumb to a glass of rosé afterwards but had a cuppa instead with Nicole, Ros and Charles.
This evening the Fête de la Musique brought a goodly number of people into the square to eat, drink and listen. Didn't fancy beef cheeks and dessert at the bar for the princely sum of 20€. Seemed a bit much given that the entertainment was free and as a consequence had lots more people putting money into their till than would be normal for a Thursday.
We ate instead at the restaurant where gambas were on the menu with a delicious albeit small slice of chocolate dessert. Marginally better value; certainly better quality.
Kevin did a good blues set but otherwise, the music was the same ol', same ol' and pretty dull.
Weather:
34°, blue skies

20.6.18: A new square at long last
The bar being closed, I tried the new "salon du thé"  which has been opened by Joëlle, the seamstress in front of her workshop on the main road. She's created a comfortable terrace and with all the hard work she does to earn a living, she deserves to be supported.

After lunch I went with Martine and Laura to buy plants to cheer up my window boxes and in the evening attended the public meeting to unveil the project to renovate the square. Much to my surprise, there weren't any complaints even when it was announced that there would only be 5 short term parking spaces. Work is likely to start at the beginning of November so come Easter next year, the centre of the village should have a new look.
Martine and I joined Terry, Ann and their friend Carol afterwards at the other bar for a glass of wine and then had another when JJ and Antoine (also on the Council) joined us.
On the way home, I found Don and Roger in the square who had just finished erecting a canopy over the temporary stage that had been put up for tomorrow's "Fête de la Musique". They were enjoying a bottle of red wine and I was invited to join them. And I did!
Weather:
31° Sun and blue sky

19.6.18: Summer is a coming in
Beautician, computer, treadmill, cleaning (not much) during the day and then this evening an apéritif dinatoire chez Judith and Trevor, an Irish couple with a holiday home here. Munching, sipping, chatting on their terrace looking out over the garden and Canigou beyond. And, no washing up to do. All very pleasant.
Took this photo on the way over to theirs. Pretty impressive nest building, isn't it but all I can say is, thank goodness they're not my eaves. Doesn't take much imagination to realise the mess that all those baby swallows leave behind!
Weather:
26°, sun

18.6.18: 

Went along this morning to the ceremony to commemorate General de Gaulle's call from London to the occupied French to resist. You'll know by now that such events are followed by an apéro and this was no exception. Came across Anne on my way back home; she was having a cuppa at the bar while waiting for her take-away lunch. Joined her but didn't linger too long as I had a date with the treadmill to keep!
Weather:
26° sunny