Still Sizzling!

1.1.19 - 7.7.19:

It's still hot and I'm still avoiding anything energetic. My time has been spent watching tv (How to get away with murder) and more cookery book sorting. After years of collecting dust, so few were "must keeps" and such a small number of recipes (sometimes none) were worth scanning and keeping.
Things have gone wrong too. A leak from the tap on the side of the loo, (sorted!) malfunctioning heater control (yet to be done) and 120€ accumulated on my pay as you go phone card, lost. Here, you need to use it or lose it unless you renew before the 2 month expiry date. (Grinning and bearing it!)
Venturing into the ouside world, there was a quick trip to the market, going for a cuppa sometimes meeting friends, sometimes on my own. Had some restaurant lunches firstly with with the language exchangers, then with Lynne in Spain when we went to buy cava coming home via the Col de Banyuls and finally with Nicole at the bar. Was also invited with Harry and Sue to Angela and Paul's in Palalda and with Sophie, Martine and Martin to Joan and Thérèse's where paella was on the menu.
Other than eating and drinking, there was a jazz evening at the bar and on a more serious side, a trip to the clinc to catch Rowena when she was down from her mountain retreat for an out patient's appointment after a fall.
Click the link for the story so far in photos:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/EtjAha9Ft8JDjmVc8
Weather:
32° - 35° with rain (not enough) and thunder on Sunday, 7th

Unashamed Tourist

15.6.19 - 19.6.19:

Leaving Normandy behind, off I went by train to Paris where I was met by Elsa and Nolween. Had an unbelievable start to my stay; on visiting an organic wine fair as part of the commune's local fête, the first stand we came across was from this village. Imagine, travelling nearly a 1,000km to have my first taste of  the only wine made here! Didn't even know it existed.
Sightseeing with Stéphanie took in some Art Nouveau buildings, gardens, tea at the Mosque for 2€ and a, expresso at the Café de la Paix for 6€50! Glad that I didn't have tea as it would have set me back 8€50!
The next day, I was out and about with Elsa. Wandered around the Pere Lachaise cemetary where lots of famous people are buried but with little time and no plan, we only found Chopin's grave. After that we went to the "Atelier des Lumières" to see the sound and light exhibition featuring Van Gogh's work. A super experience! https://www.atelier-lumieres.com/
Evenings were spent at home around the table with the family and I even had the pleasure of Leo's company.
The journey back to the south went without a hitch and Jean and Françoise being at the station to meet me was an added bonus.
After rain and cloud in Normandy, temperatures rose in Paris. 
And .... here are loads of photos. Just be thankful that I wasn't there longer.
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipOJgNVsRirZQ2_s1tIc_f1CPhmgnTfPjUgF1p7t

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

Sharing Memory Lane

Had a lovely day out today with the family down on the coast in Spain. Started off in L'Escala and a brisk walk along the coastal path. Stopped of for a beer at the hotel where Christian and I spent our last St Valentine's together. A really beautiful spot. Refreshed, we set off again to continue our walk to St Martí where we had lunch in the square after a little walk around. It's hard to believe that the family despite their numerous visits had never been here. to say that they were enthusiastic about what they found would be an understatement.
https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Attraction_Review-g580329-d10751203-Reviews-San_Marti_d_Empuries-L_Escala_Costa_Brava_Province_of_Girona_Catalonia.html
Before walking back to L'Escala, the family headed for the beach; Tanguy even went in for a swim. Me, I found a bench where I could read more of "Outlander" even though I'm watching it on tv. So far, it's pretty true to the novel. I just can't get enough of it!
Stopped off in Capmany on the way home to buy cava which was as well, as Margaret called in after her language workshop and stayed for an apéro.
Weather:
23°, blue skies

A Cup of Tea and a Bottle of Wine

Took the bus from Jill's to Mum's for lunch. In the afternoon, Christine took us over into Gloucestershire to a farmshop and tearoom. Lovely views which would have been even better when the sunflowers were in bloom. A good addition for wee trips out. http://vegetablematters.co.uk/  Affordable and home baking; what's not to like?
Returned to Jill's on the bus where an apéritif was waiting. Sipped and nibbled in a leisurely fashion before walking into the town for a bottle of wine and a bite to eat at the "Bower House". Previously a dress shop and separate gift and card shop, it's been expensively  refurbished and gentrified.Word was that it opened and then closed for the kitchen to be re-refurbished and then reopened under a new team. I was told that it was very expensive but I reckon it is on a par with "The Bell" and as yet not suffering from over popularity and being stretched too far. https://www.thebowerhouseshipston.com/
Jill and I settled for two starters rather than a main course and they were delicious. The green bean salad was fresh and tangy and the shallot crumble melted in the mouth. Washed it down with a bottle of Côtes de Rhone which we topped off with another glass of red in "The George", just down the road. Some sister-time really is enjoyable and we've a lot of time to make up for; so, Jill's not getting out of a (longer?) visit next year.

Looking after Mind, Body and Soul

22.6.17: Life's Trivia
The language exchange was more trying than usual; it was too hot to think. Went afterwards to the bar, so nothing new there. worked on the blog in the afternoon before wandering around to Gilbert and Suzanne's to pick up the Spanish books that Paul had used for the workshops. I know, I know; you neither need or want to know such trivial details but this blog also serves as an "aide memoire" for me so I can remember what I've been up to and why. I'd be obliged therefore, if you'd make allowances and bear with me! Muchas gracias!
Weather:
31°, blue skies, rumbles of thunder 

21.6.17: Mostly in Good Voice

Took advantage of Colin and Lynn's regular trip to Perpignan to go with them to look at computer desks and deep freezes. The top of my desk is pretty tatty and the freezer is way too big. Came back without buying anything other than coffee for the three of us. If you've bought a desk recently, you may have noticed that there's very rarely either a pull-out leaf for a keyboard or a space to house a tower. Desktop computers are apparently on their way out.
Home for lunch, tea with Nicole P and got back on track with the website.
This evening I put in an appearance at the Fête de la Musique in the square mainly because I wanted to listen to Terry and Roger croaking out "I was born under a Wandering Star". They were joined by a couple of musicians and a women's backing group, which I had flatly refused to join, in a rendition of  "With a little help from My Friends". Terry assured me that they were very much more in tune during rehearsals but if they'd been better on the night, we all wouldn't have laughed so much.
I imagine that the other acts were a lot better but I didn't stay around to listen.
Weather:
Sunny

20.6.17: Pampering my old Bones

This morning, I made an earlyish start to get to my appointment with the osteopath on the bus. There's no problem, just an annual bit of maintenance.
I should have been at the Spanish lunch but as the date had changed several times, I had already booked something else in the meantime. Gilles and Martine had asked me to take them to buy cava and to have lunch. Took them to La Plaça in Garriguella http://spahotelgarriguella.com/fr/restaurant/ which you'll know by now, is a favourite of mine. The food, was good as usual but there was a big party in and the service was not. As the party was out by the pool, we ate inside the restaurant where we suffered a bit from the heat. I was disappointed that it wasn't all exactly just right; after all, I've a reputation as an ace restaurant-finder to live up to!
In the evening there was our last apérobio of the season with Nicolas's special tapas, as he'll be far too busy cooking for hordes of hungry tourists.
Weather:
28°, slight breeze

A Welcome Midweek Break

14.4.17: Clean Sweep

Coffee with Nicole P, then a delicious lunch at the restaurant with Margaret. In the meantime Thérèse more than earnt her money dealing with the dusty footprints resulting from all the coming and goings in the house.
Association website in the afternoon and telly in the evening
Weather:
24°, blue skies

13.4.17: Pottering around the Village
Language Exchange, tea afterwards, hair appointment, tea with Nicole P and attendance at a long tedious council meeting at the Mairie.
Weather:
26°, blue skies

12.4.17: Game of Patience
Tided up the garden; a long over due task. Had the handrails installed in the afternoon and spent ages untangling and sorting cables that have been lying around for ages. It's hard to know what belongs to what and even harder to know what it's supposed to do. Bet you've a drawerful too. Doesn't everyone?
Weather:
23° blue skies

11.4.17: Out of Bounds

Margaret, Anne, Nicole and I went off for a different sort of shopping today; this time for cava and so, altogether more interesting. And there was no one taking charge! Had lunch at "La Plaça" in Garriguella which you'll know from previous posts, serves good food with a bit of style.
Had hoped to look at the impressive standing stone on the way to the monestery at St Quirze but the access had all been cordoned off by the landowner. How many other gems are we denied? An old photo just aint the same.
Weather:
22°, blue sky and some cloud

10.4.17: One Bitten Tongue
Mme le General rounded Marguerite and I up to shop for some kitchen units for the Association's new room. She was on a mission and there was no time to lose. Had a tea sitting the garden in the other bar with Nicole S and not much else.
Weather:
23°, blue skies

James, Kitty and Henrietta on Tour

6.11.16: A Pleasant End to the Hols

It was a misty start when we wheeled our cases down to the café bbgourmet for breakfast 
http://www.bbgourmet.net/bbgourmet-bolhao
Then it was off to take the car back with fingers crossed that they didn't notice the wee scrape on the wing mirror. Fortunately there had been one there when we picked it up and they didn't notice that it was a bit bigger. The sun was shining as we took off, as it was when we arrived back in Carcassonne after an uneventful flight. It was windy though and feeling very chilly.
Dropped off our cases and before I'd even got my coat off, there was a phone call about the trip to Scotland. A couple, despite having the flight number, had booked themselves back to Girona rather than Barcelona! Even so, had enough time to phone Mum to wish her "Happy Birthday" before it was time to meet Kitty and go over to Margaret's as Ken had kindly said he would cook a meal for us all. Their friend, Christine was there too. We ate, drank cava, talked about the holiday and burst into song at regular intervals!
Weather:
12°, sun and wind

5.11.16: A Must!

Mario, the owner of our flat, had thoughtfully created a walking tour app to put on a smart phone, of this beautiful city, classified as a UNESCO heritage site. We followed it and saw what we wanted to see without getting lost:

• Capela dal Almas with its outside walls completely covered in blue tiles, just up the road from our flat
• Bolhão Market opposite the flat
• San Benito railway station with its 20,000 painted blue tiles on the walls
• 18th century Clérigos church and tower
• Episcopal Palace
• Luís I two level railway and road bridge over the Douro river
• 19th century Stock Exchange
• Gothic church of St Francis
• Lello Bookshop, dubbed the most beautiful bookshop in the world by the Guardian  with its iconic staircase. Had to pay to go in!
• Lunch on the water front 
• Sandeman Wine Tour over the river
• Cable car
• Se Cathederal
• Town Hall
• Café Majestic, a fine example of Art Nouveau architecture 

 ...... and so much more. I'd love a long weekend there to just stroll, shop, eat cakes, drink coffee and a drop of vinho verde. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxqVlqRUhRI
Weather:
18°, sun, a little wind later

4.11.16: On the Road Again
Breakfasted in the same place as yesterday. Quite like being back in the village bar with the same faces, in

the same places. Anyway, it was time to move again so we retrieved the car and pointed it northward. Decided to make a lunch stop in Aviero, a town that was once on the coast but now is surrounded by salt flats; has several canals and a fair bit of Art Nouveau architecture. https://www.travel-in-portugal.com/aveiro
We visited the Art Nouveau museum (free for over 65s)  which had a lovely garden where another time, it would have been an ideal place to take tea. With brollies up, we made our way back to the car, wishing that we had more time to linger there but our flat in Porto was waiting for us.
Arriving at our destination, we parked the car up under a shopping centre, on the way out of which we lingered to listen to live music https://www.travel-in-portugal.com/aveiro that was obviously giving pleasure to its elderly audience. Seeing those smiling faces set us up for our search for the flat. It was so much more homely than the last one and had two bathrooms; always a plus.
https://www.airbnb.fr/rooms/7240303
Stayed long enough to choose our rooms and drop off our bags before going for an exploratory walk and a bite to eat. Just had a bowl of soup and a roast pork sandwich then it was early to bed in order to make the most of a full day's sightseeing tomorrow.
Weather:
21°, sun rain sometimes heavy

3.11.16: These Feet were made for Walking

Breakfasted in a nearby café on huge doorstops of toast and freshly squeezed orange juice and then took the train out to Belem where the famous tower and discoveries monument are. The town is also famous for its "pasteis de nata", little custard tarts. http://www.aviewoncities.com/lisbon/torredebelem.htm
Margaret and I took the lift up the monument and had some lovely views. Shame that the bridge was a bit hazy. As you may know, Lisbon still  has its old tram system so we took one back into the centre of town. The guide books say to watch out for pickpockets but we had no problem and can only speak of the kindness that we experienced.
Once back in town we walked or rather puffed up to St George's Castle with its fabulous views over the city. Had lunch in a side street complete with a half bottle of Mateus Rosé, (now there's a blast from the past) before wearing our feet out looking around the castle. That done, we walked back down again, stopping en route for a cuppa. In the fading light we wandered up the main pedestrianised shopping street and climbed up I don't know how many steps to have a vinho verde and bite to eat on a terrace overlooking the city.
Our last night in the capital found us moving on from food to music. The fado bar took a bit of finding and when we did, we had to jam ourselves in and try to get comfortable in a hot and stuffy atmosphere with standing room only. Not much fun so didn't stay too long. http://www.spottedbylocals.com/lisbon/tasca-do-chico/
Took the bus back which only went two stops before we arrived at the terminus only to find that we had a 15 minute walk back to the flat. Not exactly what we needed after a long day of being out and about fuelled by a few glasses of vinho.
Weather:
22°, sun

2.11.16: Following in Literary Footsteps

Drove up to Sintra, which is touted as a "must see" site. Drove through the mist up an extremely windy road flanked by autumn colours. The castle although grandiose was a bit Mickey Mouse and artificial. Kitty and James explored every room; I prefered to zoom through and sit on the terrace of the café and write postcards. http://www.golisbon.com/portugal/cities/sintra.html
The town itself was a nightmare parkingwise and to add to our frustration there was a downpour. Byron spent time here in 1809 and said of it, in Childe Harolde's Pilgrimage, "Lo! Cintra's glorious Eden intervenes in variegated maze of mount and glen." He obviously saw another side of it to us! After lunch, we visited the National Palacio which was a lifeless sort of a place and much to my annoyance, my camera battery gave up on me.
Back in Lisbon we had to park a bit of a way from the flat but the bonus was that parking was free due to building works going on. Margaret and I dined on traditional garlic sausage in a nice wee place run by two women; Kitty was on salad again.
Weather:
22°, sun and rain

1.11.16: Moving On

I'll start by explaining the title. James is Margaret (the driver), Kitty is Nicole (the holder of the purse) and Henrietta is me (the navigator). Nicole was so taken with her psydonym that she's decided to adopt it as there are so many Nicoles in the village.
Today is a public holiday (All Saints) so the roads were quiet for our drive to Lisbon. We had thought of making just a coffee stop in Tomar but got caught up in our first minor hiccup. Kitty was keen to visit the small Jewish museum which we did and it then became evident that she was dead keen to visit the Knights Templar castle that we'd already driven up to as far as the car park. At that point she hadn't declared her interest thinking that we weren't interested in visiting monuments! The ensuing discussion tried to clarify that we each had the right to air our wishes and if one didn't want to follow, she could do something else. Back we went up to the castle and we were so glad that we did. So much to see and beautiful gardens to stroll through. Not sure about the music but this You Tube video shows the architectural splendeur. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87aO1xzF0wY So much to marvel at and there was lunch to eat too.
Continued on towards Lisbon, making a stop in Obidos a picturesque walled town where coach tours stop. Have to admit it was pretty if very touristy and of course every other shop sold jingina, the cherry liqueur. Here it was sold in little chocolate cups; even Kitty indulged. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf9tUUdGtrg
Found our apartment easily enough; it was a good size but had little to personalise it. There were a number of small cafés around and on our evening stroll, we fell across a curry restaurant. While there we invited an Australian woman, who's travelling on her own, to join us. She's been on the road for two years and had loads of stories to tell.
Weather:
24°, sun and whispy cloud

Off to a Flying Start

31.10.16: Portuguese Wine, Food, Music and Culture
After a copious buffet breakfast Margaret negotiated the car out of the garage which had steep slopes and tight corners. A helpful motorist called assistance for us bringing a smiling attendant arrived to let us out as we'd waited too long to go out and the barrier had come back down again . And that's how it was throughout the holiday; people were extremely kind and patient. Sad, isn't it when something like that is worth remarking on?
Margaret and I went off to visit the Roman ruins at Conimbriga about 30 minutes away. Fabulous as can be seen from the photos on Tripadvisor https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g1190898-d911530-Reviews-Museu_Monografico_de_Conimbriga-Condeixa_a_Nova_Coimbra_District_Central_Portugal.html 
It took us ages to find the mosaic of a rather handsome young man that featured in my guide book as it was much smaller than we'd anticipated. Sadly we have no idea who he was. Maybe no one does as I haven't been able to find a reference on the internet; maybe he was neither a god nor a real person; just a figment of the craftsman's imagination.
It was warm and sunny, so at the end of our explorations on the site and in the museum, we settled down on the terrace of the café and had a vinho verde and nuts.

Once the car was back in the garage we gave lunch a miss in favour of another vinho verde at which point we tried to catch up with Nicole who had decided to explore the town instead of the ruins. She was our guide for what was left of the afternoon climbing up through the old town to the university area. Needless to say there was lots that we didn't see, so another trip at some point would be good. http://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/coimbra-p-coim-coim.htm
We managed to catch the tail end of the sunset and great views from the terrace of a smart wine bar that Nicole had spied from down by the river and funnily enough, my inner radar found it despite the maze of narrow streets more easily than the mosaic . Yet another vinho was in order, Nicole had lemonade. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g189143-d8547128-Reviews-Passaporte-Coimbra_Coimbra_District_Central_Portugal.html
Came back down to get our cardis and found a bite to eat near our hotel. It was a simple place but Margaret and I who were starving by now, had a very tasty dish of veal in a spicy sauce. Nicole ate the smallest of salads having had a good lunch.
Next came our search for a bar where fado is sung. Coimbra is the only place in Portugal where men sing fado and a man toting for business for his restaurant took us to a great wee bar called the "Diligencia". We had to wait about an hour but the barman didn't hassle us to buy more than the one drink that we made last. Between us we tried two local liquers; ginjina (a cherry brandy) and Beirão (made with herbs and seeds) and this time Nicole joined us. Hope you enjoy this You Tube clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7XLCGQqnns
There was a great ambiance with local folk arriving to sing when the resident singer took a break; whats more one of them was a woman!
Weather:
27°, whispy high cloud

30.10.16: Taking to the Skies

Still woke at the normal time so there was no benefit of an extra hour of sleep. The day started cool enough but the drive over to Carcassonne airport for our flight to Porto was in glorious autumn sunshine. The vines looked lovely and the idea of going on holiday, actually took root. Although I've had trips away to visit family and friends, it's over 3 years since I've been a tourist and the only time I was in Portugal was in 1985 when an ex and I went with Suzanne and Eddie on their honeymoon! This time I was off with Margaret (English) and Nicole (French).
We didn't have anywhere in mind for lunch and we took what we could find ending up in a village bar on past the airport serving simple fare. Still, the patron was a friendly type and the food was fine. The flight went without a problem and we arrived a little in advance which was just as well as we found ourselves heading to Coimbra, our first stop with the GPS set (unbeknown to us), to avoid motorways. The 100 miles seemed to take forever so it was dark when we arrived. Still, we found our hotel, set between the river and the old town, easily enough and it didn't take long for us to drop off our bags and head for a much appreciated glass of "vinho verde". http://www.hoteloslo-coimbra.pt/en/
Wandered around the through the narrow streets of the old town where we spied lots of boutiques and cake shops. Finally settled on one called "Brasileira" that had a restaurant upstairs. Unsurprisingly, the charming waitress who spoke excellent English, was from Brasil. Margaret and I settled on omelette and chips, Nicole on a salad; Margaret and I went for more vinho verde, Nicole for water which set the pattern more or less for the rest of the trip. We were all impressed with the linen serviettes which not only had the restaurant's name on them but a buttonhole in one corner to attach them to a garmet. Now, that's what I call a good idea; something like that would have saved Christian a number of spoilt shirts!   https://www.facebook.com/CafeaBrasileiraCoimbra/photos/?ref=page_internal 
Weather:
23° at 5pm in Portugal, sun

Weather Gods on our Side

The rain came in with a venegence but temptingly their were windows when the sun shone and it was dry. We'd planned to go to Figueres market, so go we did. And we were right as we passed a rain free time wandering around the crowd free market. All so much nicer than sitting through the language exchange.
I think that Bernadette should be paying more attention to what St Jordi (George) is up to as his sword is menacing her  rather than the dragon!
Drove down to Garriguella for lunch at "La Plaça", a long time favourite and weren't disappointed with the menu. Guinea fowl was one of the main course choices and delicious it was too. Oh, yes ... and not to mention the to die for chocolate dessert. Bernadette was well impressed.
Stopped off at the cava wine cave to visit the tap museum and to replenish my stock of bubbly which was down to its last bottle.
Also stopped off at the outlet centre in La Jonquera for a hot chocolate and rapid dash through the supermarket. Don't like the centre but there's a café there which has settees and low tables thus making it a pleasant place to sip and chat.
Had torrential rain on the way home which with luck stopped when we had to unload.
Watched the start of the new serial "Missing" which took a bit of brain power with all the time slip scenes that kept popping up in what seemed to be a random fashion. We kept asking "who's that? Where does she fit in?" Apparently we weren't the only ones. TV reviewers of the Alison Graham ilk struggled too.
Weather:
21°, rain on and off, sometimes heavy

Mission Accomplished!

Coffee first and then over the border with JJ and his son who is here for a few days. This was a cava buying trip with lunch afterwards. Both missions were successful. We were warmly welcomed at the cave (me with kisses from both of the assisstants who were unusually there together) but turned down the offer of a tasting. Well, both JJ and myself know it well!
With 20 minutes in hand before our reservtion at the restaurant, we stopped off in Espolla for a wee walk and photo stop. You'll recognise the view as last Sunday's photo with Nicole  was taken here too.
Lunch overlooking the pool (JJ's treat) at "La Plaça was, as usual excellent. http://spahotelgarriguella.com/en/
Home in time to bump into my neighbour Gérard who gave me a couple of ceps for an omelette and Nicole P who was just back from a day trip to Carcassonne with the association. Needless to say, we headed for the bar for a report of the day over a glass of rosé.
Weather:
24° Warm and sunny

Non-stop

This morning brought a shock to my rather sluggish system with a 7am departure with Maggie for the supermarket over the border. Of course, so early we sailed through the frontier and had to wait for it to open. That must be a first! Anyway, it was worth it as we got around in record time and were back home before 9am. I had a "Jingle Bells" meeting over a coffee with Dani later on in preparation for our visit to the kids at the after-school centre. Starting to get nervous already.
Jean-Claude, my neighbour, kindly came by to
 fix up a curtain rail for me and in the afternoon, I set to and made 20 litres of mulled wine for tomorrow's Christmas market.

Two engagements this evening. Incredibly, I'd turned down another 4. First a whistle stop visit to one of the English language groups for their Christmas celebrations where I sat through some seasonal vocabulary, had a drink, received some flowers from Jean-Pierre (on my right) and then ran for the bus.
Jean was at the bus stop to meet me to go around to Mohmmed and Hélène's for a tajine. Sadly, I managed to leave the Christmas cake I was taking to my hosts on the bus. My head is all over the place at the moment. Lucky for me I had my flowers. Didn't like giving them away but that was better than going empty handed. Needless to say, it was a good night.
Driving home, we passed the recreation ground and I had to laugh seeing a group of young people sitting at a portable picnic table having a drink. It looked so bizarre!
Weather:
16°, cloudy

Plain Sailing

Gave French conversation a miss in order to get myself organised for a cava buying trip in Spain with Dani and Bryan. Despite the (in theory) increased border controls while the COP21 conference is on in Paris, we sailed through without neither checks nor holdups. Weather was gloriously warm and sunny for the time of year.
Stocked up well ready for the festive season and Paula gave me a good bottle by way of a thank you. Usually, it's a bottle of plonk so she obviously thought it was a good order. Apparently, busness is quieter since the Paris attacks.
By the time the car was loaded it was time to think about lunch so we just went on to the next village and ate in a restaurant that Christian and I have always by-passed. It was good value for the 11€ we paid but not very exciting. https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g2424757-d2406739-Reviews-Restaurant_Mas_Ullastre-Sant_Climent_Sescebes_Province_of_Girona_Catalonia.html#REVIEWS Came home by way of the scenic route over the Coll de Banyuls and stopped of in Collioure to buy red wine.
This evening I took the English beginners' group as Margaret is away. We told the time and practised ome Christmas vocabulary. It was more fun than I'd anticipated and I think the participants enjoyed it as well!
Weather:
18°, Sunny

Father afield but not much!

15.8.15:

Today's a public holiday and the village up in the mountains fiesta. I went up with Maggie for the inauguration of a refurbished square which was part of the celebrations. The new mayor from our twinned village from across the border was there as was Lluis, the President of the Lluis Campays association who gave a speech in Catalan. I won't bore you with going into the history for the umpteenth time you can just follow the link if you're interested  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llu%C3%ADs_Companys Just know that the square was named in his honour as an anti-francist. A sardane  and an apéritif followed. Good old Nancy had a go at dancing but found it more complicated than she'd anticipated. Is there nothing that this woman won't try? Maggie and I didn't dance the sardane neither did we stay for the annual giant paella, settling for the apéritif and prefering to come home and have a siesta.
Weather:
24° Cool in the morning but warmer laer with the sun. Nothing like previous years when there's either been a thunderstorm or baking heat

14.8.15:

Pension paperwork; yes, it is an never ending saga. Afterwards went into town with Michel who had a meeting at the Mairie and bumped into Hortense so we did our second lengthy chat in less than a week. Had my nails done in the afternoon which I'm sure many of you will find out of character but there you are. Then, there was music in the bar in the evening. Passed on the meal in favour of a couple of glasses of wine  and table hopping to avoid the showers.
Weather:
23° rain showers
News:
The American Embassy (re) opened in Cuba amid a flurry of concilitary words and a blare of publicity

13.8.15:
Thursday again and did the usual stuff but this time we language exchangers were joined by Nancy and Annie for a glass of wine.
In the evening there was an interesting wine tasting chez Gabriela and I went home the proud owner of six bottles of red kindly carried by Jean-Jacques.  http://www.domaine-des-schistes.com/fr/index.html
Weather:
29°, Cloudy, rain

12.8.15:

Took the early bus into Perpignan. What a disaster the "Centre del Mon" is. Dali named the old railway station the centre of the world decades ago but it's way off the mark for the new TGV station just across the tracks. Almost all the shops have gone in a very short space of time, the offices, carpark and hotels are empty. In fact there are more security guards than shops. With so many train and bus passengers passing through, how has it not worked? Still, there are reports that another group is going to take it over so we'll see if it can be turned around.
Had lunch in "Le Figuier" which I found last year with Elsa and was entertained by a table of six blokes next to me. Came home and snoozed. Big city life is too much for this country bumpkin; though in my defence, I had done a fair bit of walking.
Weather:
31°
News:
Huge explosion in a Chinese chemical plant

11.8.15:
Michel came around to make a start on sorting out computer glitches after which I treated him to lunch at the restaurant. Spent the rest of the afternoon decluttering Christian's usb keys. You and me both; Yawn, yawn !
Weather:
29°, sun

10.8.15:
Took the bus into town to meet Hortense for a coffee. Talked long and hard. Updated the blog this afternoon. Didn't have a lot of energy so gave the open air cinema a miss.
Weather:
30°, Sun after a cool start

Languishing in the Doldrums

This week has not been a lot of fun, especially for Christian. He's been very tired, has no appetite and for the last three days has been migrating between bed and settee. The stairs are unthinkable at the moment.

Friday was May Day and a public holiday. We were booked in at the restaurant with Henri and Michèle for a wine tasting (Domaine Piquemal, http://www.domaine-piquemal.com/index.php/fr/le-domaine ) and tapas meal. Christian didn't feel up to it so, I ran back and forth with each course in the hope that he would be tempted to eat something. Two king prawns was all he managed. That gives those of you who know him an idea of the state of play. There were 18 of us in all; French, Catalan, Norvegians, Danes and yours truly. The wine was good; I particularly liked the rosé. The food was good though too much to finish it all.
Yesterday I begged a lift to the market with Hans and Marie-Madeleine and met up with Rowena and her parents for a long, leisurely coffee in the sun. Couldn't help but spare a thought for 35 folk from the village who are at the moment on a twinning visit to Normandy where it's raining heavily. Of course, we should have been with them but we prudently decided not to sign up. Shame, as the contact is always warm and fun-filled. I came home on the bus and spent the rest of the day in front of the tv.
Apart from a trip to buy bread, a chat stop at the café this morning and a quick whizz around a carboot sale down on the recreation ground this afternoon, today has been another very quiet day. See, life isn't all lazy moments on sun-filled cafés watching the world go by with a glass of wine in hand.
Weather:
Temperatures between 18° - 26°, sunshine, cloud with a couple of rain showers at the end of the afternoon.
In the News:

• Nepal earthquake death toll over 6,200. Thousands more missing, injured and homeless
• Unemployment in metropolitian France now 3.5m
• French women voted for the first time (Municipal elections) in 1945. Interestingly, the radical socialists had voted against their enfranchisement as they were convinced that women would vote for whom the priests directed them to!
• The Guardian revealed that French soldiers accused of sexually exploiting children in the Central African Republic (there as peacekeepers!!!!) in exchange for food. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/30/un-accused-of-reckless-disregard-for-allegations-of-peacekeeper-child-abuse
• Birth of royal baby. Of three British residents living in the Dordogne interviewed by French tv, only one could speak French! After weeks of is it a boy or a girl, the world is on tenderhooks to know her name!

A Rosy Glow

Took the bus, or rather two buses to the clinic and found Christian still hooked up to his drip. As it was exceptionally hot Martine insisted on coming in to pick me up even though I could have caught the bus home. That was kind especially as she has Claudette still with her and does loads of things that keep her busy.
This evening it was the restaurant's annual "soirée rosé" where I joined Martine, Claudette, Di, Robin, David, Laura, Lone and Jesper. Françoise and her brother, Jacques were there too and quite out of character Françoise stayed until midnight. Tapas, wine by the bottle and rock music provided by Michel and his group; the atmospere was great with lots of buzz and dancing in the square.
After a really hot day, the weather was perfect for delivering the association's newsletter which I had intended to do yesterday but of course, it wasn't a priority and I hadn't. Scooted around the village and arrived back in the square at about 12.30am to be invited by Lone and Jesper to have some more rosé. Finally made it home for 2am.
Weather:
38°, Sun, blue skies
Headlines:
100 yers ago the Archduke Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated by Serbian rebels in Sarejevo thus lighting the fuse that led to the outbreak of the 1st World War a month later.

Changing Départements

16.2.14
We all slept well - was it the comfy bed, the peace of the countryside or the wine? Anyway, once again Claudie sent us off while she kept an eye on the 7 hour slow cooked leg of lamb which was on the menu for lunch. We went first to Villeneuvette which is a conservation village constructed around an 16th century factory which had made military uniforms and sheets. Nice place but very quiet.
From here we went onto Pezanas for a wander around the old town. It's main claim to fame is it's connection to Molière who resided there for several years. It's a pleasant place to linger in with lots of photo opportunities. We also visited a exhibition featuring paintings, photos and sculptures by local artists in the magnificent 16th century Palace of the Barons of Lacoste.
Arrived back at the house at 1pm prompt to the delicious aroma of roast lamb and it certainly didn't disappoint. There was time afterwards for Christain to have 40 winks before the drive home where there were signs of it having rained and with more to come.
Weather:
12° cloudy with rain later

15.2.14
Jean-Jacques' sister, Claudie has been asking us all to go and visit for ages and we've finally got our diaries together to go for an overnight. As we left after lunch, there was time to go to the market where we stumbled across the inauguration of the Social Party's campaign headquarters. We met some people that we knew so stayed and had the apéritif on offer.
Arrived at Claudie's without any traffic problems, had a cuppa and chat with her before she sent us off to have a look at the nearby town of Clermont l'Herault.
Claudie has a vineyard, so the evening was spent sampling wine and chatting with her and her
daughter-in-law, Isabel. http://www.berenas.com/
Weather:
14° Sunny start, cloud later

Feel Good Factors

A walk followed by a coffee has fast become our morning habitbut at least it gives the family a bit
of respite before we descend upon them. Lunch time today we all took the métro to the station Stalingrad which comes out opposite the Communist Party HQ, to go to a bar/restaurant where Léo used to work. He quickly slipped into role and looked after us and other clients extremely well. there was a very pleasant atmosphere, we ate well and were treated to dessert and a digéstif. Christian and I went for the Malian dish, beef maafé and weren't disappointed. Maafé is Wolof for dish and is made with a peanut sauce http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maafe#Recipes
On our return to the house there was time to catch up with "Midsommer Murders" before headingout for a soirée with Jean-Jacques and friends at his neice's wine bar and restaurant http://www.domainesdesophie.com/ a nice wee, unpretentious place where we ate well and drank the wine from her family's vineyard. http://www.berenas.com/
The evening was dedicated to Michelle and his nephew, Christophe who both died this year and I'm sure it did him (as it did us) good to be surrounded by the warmth of family and friends. 
 

Cheers!

We had anticipated a quiet time in but as we all know, the best laid plans ….
Jacques telephoned early evening to say that his son and his girlfriend had arrived and they had some fizz to share. Two bottles later, there was a “pot au feu” to share as well. Well, it is the season of good will, isn’t it?

 

Question Time

In preparation for the forthcoming elections in March, Maggie held a meeting at her house so that Anglophones from the village could put their comments and questions to André and others who will be standing with him. Christian was there “officially” and I went along to help serve the coffee. Two hours later at midday, we had to break up the meeting as some of us had other engagements. We were invited to Michel and Marguerite’s to sample a bottle of wine they’d bought and were 30 minutes late but no worries, they weren’t put out about it.
Tonight we made up a quiz team with Jean-Jacques at the restaurant and what do you know? We won AGAIN!!