A lot of Work and a little Play

Meetings for Christian Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evening. Such a devoted servant of the public! It wasn't all work though. We had an apéritif at the bar on Thursday before having lunch with Penny, Frank and Michel at the restaurant and as a bonus we were able to sit out on the terrace.

Hammering the Keys

Christian had his apointment about his arteries this morning and he needs an operation to sort them out.The good news is that I've just caught up with the blog, well apart from finding some illustrations for those dreary looking posts without photos. Christian has just come in from a council meeting and put the soup on to warm and the toast in to toast. Can't be more up to date than that, can it?

Tradition and Modernity

The weather was miserable on Saturday and there was just time to go to the supermarket before the annual lunch in the village hall organised by an old soldiers' club . A meal of wild boar and galette for dessert; indeed, everything has its season and inevitably we over dose.
Then in the evening we put in an appearance along with Michel at a vernissage in Cabastany where a sculptor from the village was showing along with a number of other artists. This sizable town, on the outskirts of Perpignan has a communist mayor which is obvious by the investment in arts and culture. We can only look on with envy.
Today, Juste and Joséphine came for lunch.
Avocado and Bacon Salad,
Grilled Swordfish and Rice, http://allrecipes.com/recipe/grilled-marinated-swordfish/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=grilled%20swordfish&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e13=A%3aSearch%20Results-List%28contro%29&e7=Recipe
Chocolate Mousse ... we're all galetted out so this made a welcome change!

Another Day, Another Doctor

Yesterday Christian had his check up with the cardiologists and guess what he told him? Yes, you're right, dear reader; "lose weight and walk"! He also wants hime to see about his arteries which are obviously seriously furring up.

An unexpected invitation came our way this morning when we were having our after language exchange glass of wine ... we were invited to eat calçots this evening in the bar. Calçots are large spring onions, grilled and eaten with a sauce in the same way as you would asparagus (ie, with your fingers). It's a traditional dish hereabouts and the season isn't very long. Jean-Louis grilled them over the open fire and we enjoyed. Couldn't stay too long as Jean-Jacques (Michelle is in hospital again)was coming for supper. Made a really delicious soup, even if I do say so myself. chestnut and Parsnip, the recipe for which you can find at http://andyskitchen.co.uk/blogs////blog1.php/recipes/soup/creamy-chestnut-and-parsnip-soup
Mmmm! My mouth is watering at the thought of it.
Today, as there was no Spanish so I had a bit of a lie. Michel came at apéritif time so stayed for something to eat. I'd been planning for us to eat some pretty sad looking left-overs so did a quick rethink and made pasta with a smoked salmon sauce.

The Great and Not so Good

Sunday and Monday have been miserable and Christian was at the GP again, this time for an inflammed little toe.Surprise, surprise, he was told to lose weight and walk more. No comment!

I think Christian needs to ge his hearing tested as well as he did more than justice to the meal we had today. As the Mayor had to be elsewhere, he asked Christian to stand in for him at a local village fête in honour of their patron saint, St Vincent (patron saint of wine growers, by the way), Sardane, an apéritif for all and sundry and a meal. I got to go too. Mass first (gave that a miss), sale of bread that has been blessed, the Mayor's New Year Wishes. The weather was sunny and it was a pleasure to be outside and not infront of the computer as I have been recently.

The meal was substantial: charcuterie and roast red peppers, stuffed squid and king prawns, wild boar and white beans, chicken and potatoes, dessert and coffee all washed down with bottles of wine. Being part of the official group, we got to sit at the top table with several Mayors, the local MP, a Regional Councillor and wit for it ... the Archbishop. I must remember to tell my Mum who will be well impressed!

Keep the Home Fires Burning

It's been cold for the last few days and imagine my misery to come downstairs on Monday to find that the storage heaters hadn't heated up. What's worse,we've been on a red tarif pricewise. One good thing is that I've started to clean up the dust in the cave in an effort to keep warm. All it needs is for Juste to take away all his tools which yours truly has put tidily in one place.

Tuesday we both went to Sylvie's hair salon to get our unruly mops sorted out and Wednesday Jacques, his son Pierre and his girlfriend Lea came for an apéritif dinatoire next to a roaring log fire. Several bottles later we got to bed at 2am.
Thursday, our guests from last night joined us in the bar after the language exchange and we ended up going back to Jacques to eat pasta. As he and Pierre were leaving the next day for the States, there was food to eat up and bottles to empty. In the evening, I joined, Lynne, Anne and Barbara for an apéritif in the restaurant ... told you that it was going to be a regular thing.
Friday and though it's sunny, it's still cold and we're still on a red tarif.I went to Spanish in the morning; Christian, of course went to the Mairie and in the afternoon we watched 'Oranges and Sunshine' about kids in care who'd been shipped out Australia and told that their parents were dead. It reminded me that in the early 70's that I'd had a social work placement at Middlemore Homes which had sent children to Canada. For once, the social worker was the "goodie" in the story and that doesn't happen often.
Today, it started to rain so we gave the market a miss and went to the supermarket. Called in at the bar and had a glass of wine with Lauren and Patrick. Christian invited the latter to come and eat with us, so thank goodness for the large tin of confit de canard (duck legs) that I had in the cave. Maggie came around in the afternoon and we watched "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" while we sipped the pink champagne that she and Trevor had brought New Year's day. The film was so funny; so many great onelinersfrom a really super cast. What a change to see Maggie Smith transformed from Dowager to working class wifey. Still, they were both snobs in their own way, so I guess we're all the same underneath.

Happy Campers

Nancy, who's over from the States, and I managed to catch up over a coffee in the bar.she'll be back next in June when perhaps we'll find it a bit easier to get time together.This afternoon we kept our date at the campsite which being a naturist establishment, is closed in winter. As promised, there was coffee and yes, you've guessed it, more galette. There was also a calvados (Papa Roger comes from Normandy) and an armagnac for me. All very congenial. Then, before the light finally faded, Roger took us for a drive around his domaine which is just enormous. River, woodlands and great views.

The day ended with Françoise and Jean coming for apéritifs, which thankfully, I'd prepared this morning. Glad to say that he's looking much better but at 9pm, it was he rather than Françoise who said that it was time to go.

A Choice of Chips

Bumped into Gaby and Robert at the library where there was a jazz concert. From there we decided to try a new restaurant nearby that has been taken over by Guillaume who used to live in the village. Sod's law, it was closed for renovation and as it was 1.15pm by this time we took pot luck at the casino. Buffet hors d'oeuvres, steak and dessert. The food was fine but the waiter bordered on the grumpy. Imagine our surprise when we arrived chez Juste and Joséphine and found that the apéritif dinatoire had turned into a meal ... Rabbit and galette for dessert. The other surprise was that Sylvie brought presents for Jo, Kathy and me. She said that the Three Wise Men had left them .

Addressing the Populace

The Mayor's traditional New Year best wishes were yesterday evening. There was no heckling when he spoke about the projects that would be going ahead. The French are amazingly respectful of their traditions. I don't think British opponants would be so circumspect. Of course, there was an apéritif to follow after which we stopped off at the restaurant for a bite to eat. Another couple who at been at the village hall came in and inevitably we got talking. The upshot being that we're invited to the campsite that they run for Laure's parents for coffee on Sunday.

Ate there again today, this time for lunch, much more interesting than warming up left-overs,n'est-ce pas?

Guitars a GoGo

Another guitar evening at the bar and a bit of a struggle to find somewhere to sit. Once again it was well attended by both musicians and spectators.Just the thing for the post festivity blues.