Les flics - The cops.

Living here I have got used to the numerous road side checks when one is pulled in and asked to show the log book and driving licence to "flic" number 1 whilst flic number 2 has a look at the car and checks the insurance and MOT which are displayed on the windscreen. The stomach churning anxiety which hit me the first time it happened has now changed into resignation at having to waste a few minutes finding the relevant documents and hoping that they find nothing wrong. On the way back from Cambo, yesterday, I was flagged down as I came off a roundabout on the dual carriageway. Being a Sunday it was pretty quiet so I assumed that they were short of customers. I coasted to a halt, wound down the window and said "Bonjour". I was asked for the paperwork and as I handed it over he informed me that I hadn't put my indicator on as I came off the roundabout. Now as this is one of my bugbears about other drivers, I should think that the vast majority don't do so, I couldn't believe that I had been "copped" for that!! I said how sorry I was- (je suis désolée sounds so dramatic!) that I had seen that there was no traffic coming in the other direction so I hadn't thought it necessary to do so. He told me that it was an offence and that there was an immediate fine of 45 euros but that he had also seen that there was no approaching traffic so that, in this instance, I could proceed with a warning. He asked what nationality I was and I replied British. Ah but you are French now, he said, as you have a French driving licence. What a nice young "flic" !!!!!!!!!!!!
We had another brush with the law earlier in the year. When we moved here we had to re-register the car and change the number plate as we had changed "departements" We did this but somehow never affixed the number plate correctly. In fact Nigel fixed the new one on top of the old one and we forgot about it. On the way into Aire sur l'Adour we were flagged down and as I presented the paperwork I noticed that the second "flic" was looking at the number plates. We were asked why they weren't properly fixed and I replied that we hadn't had time to do so. The "flic" looked at the logbook which showed that we had had 3 months to do so. We were told that this was an offence, that we had to turn round and go back up to the nearest garage and get them done properly and report back to him with the properly fixed plates. This we did with a fair bit of verbal abuse from me to Nigel about him not doing it right in the first place. It was soon done and on reporting back the "flic" finally let his mask slip and smiled and said,"there, it didn't take long did it" !!

Tuesday 28th October, operation day.

Nigel rang me on the Monday evening to say that he had arrived safely at the clinic in Bayonne. The surgeon had been to see him and told him that the operation was scheduled for 10am Tuesday. We arranged that he would call me when he was able to. I spoke to the nursing staff on several occasions on the Tuesday and Wednesday and was told that the operation had been a success, that he was in considerable pain which they were treating and that he was resting. He finally called me on the Thursday lunchtime, what a relief to talk to him again. He sounded reasonably OK but obviously in some pain and very uncomfortable. He has a drain in his side which will be in place for about a week. He says that it is very painful when they change the dressings. By Friday he was able to get out of bed and sit in the chair for his meals. I was quite worried when I spoke to him on Friday evening and Saturday lunchtime as he sounded much worse than he had previously. When he didn't call on Saturday evening I became more worried. He finally called again on Sunday morning and sounded much better. The medication that they are giving him for the pain had really knocked him about but he is now feeling more "with it". I had said that I would go over and see him today, Sunday, but he said it is not worth me making the trip for just an hour or two with him, says it will be better to see him again when he is back at Cambo. I'm disappointed in a way but as it is foul weather today, very wet, I am quite relieved not to be driving all the way to Bayonne and back.
The drain came out on Monday much to Nigels relief and on Wednesday he went back to Cambo. He's much happier now that he is back there as he is more comfortable and there is much less noise. He has a room on his own on the second floor next to the nurses room so they can keep an eye on him.
I went down to see him yesterday and was surprised but pleased to find him looking much better than I had expected. I took the CD player and a selection of CD's which will hopefully help pass the time for him. At the moment he is confined to his room but he was allowed down into the dining room for lunch with me. The staples in the wound are causing him a lot of pain but half of them are coming out tomorrow. I also took him an electronic notepad which may take him a while to work out how to use! Lunch is served at 12 and dinner at 7 so he is finding that he gets quite hungry mid afternoon. I took him some biscuits and some cake so hopefully they will fill the gap. The scar is 25cms (81/2") long, I'm not sure why he had a tape with him but it did come in useful to measure the scar! After lunch we went back to his room, chatted and played Scrabble and then it was time for me to leave. So good to see him again and so good to see him looking relatively well,.

Day at Cambo-les-Bains

Nigel's operation is scheduled for Tuesday 28th October and he will be taken to the clinic in Bayonne from Cambo. So on the Sunday I went down to spend the day with him. It was a beautiful day and looks as if it was the last day of our wonderful Indian summer as we had rain the next day. I got there about 11.30 and we went for a short walk before lunch. I was able to have lunch with him and the other residents in the dining room there. Although he usually sits at a table for four, the staff had kindly given us a table for two. The food was very good and all the other residents were very friendly. After lunch we walked again. First Nigel wanted to show me the centre that he goes to for his painting and pottery workshops. The centre is housed in a beautiful old Basque building. The architecture in Cambo is amazing, virtually all the buildings are of Basque architecture, it is a very beautiful town. We then walked down 2 flights of steps and a very steep, narrow lane down to the town gardens and spa. The gardens are amazing, very tropical. Cambo is renowned for its mild climate and the gardens are set in a sheltered area. There is a profusion of date palms and tree ferns and, to me, it looked almost like a New Zealand landscape. In front of the spa building is a large swimming pool set amongst the ferns and palms. We then walked back up the hill and steps to where we had parked the car in the town centre. It was amazing to see Nigel so fit and well. He walked up the hill and steps without stopping or coughing, something he wouldn't have been able to do for many years previously.
We then went to visit the villa Arnaga, the house built by Edmond Rostand, the author of Cyrano de Bergerac. The house was completed in 1906 in the Basque style. Today the villa and its park are the property of the commune of Cambo-les-Baths, and house the museum Edmond Rostand.Arnaga means “water on the stones” in Basque. Edmond Rostand was 32 years old when he contracted pneumonia and he first rented a house in Cambo because of the gentle climate. The 3 hectare gardens with orangery, pergola, ponds and fountains are stunning.One of the many famous visitors he received at Arnaga was Sarah Bernhardt.
After a fascinating couple of hours at Arnaga time was quickly running out, I wanted to get back home before it got too dark, so I took Nigel back to his temporary home. It was difficult to say goodbye to him, he is so well at the moment and it seems sad that once he has had the operation he will be quite ill for a time. Still the whole point of this is that he is fit for the operation, almost 4 weeks at Cambo has made such an improvement. We both agreed that it had been a perfect day and one that we shall remember for a long time.

3 day event Pau

On Friday the 24th October I went down to Pau to watch the 4 star dressage phase of the 3 day event. It was a perfect day, blue skies and sunny but not too hot. I got there at about 11am and was mildly surprised to see so few people. There were many free grandstand seats available but they were damp so as I had taken a fold up chair I opened that up and was able to sit right by the rails with a wonderful view of the arena. It was such a treat to see the immaculately turned out horses and their riders performing their dressage test. During the lunch break I wandered around the "village" looking at all the saddlery stalls and marvelling at the vast amount of equine gear available. I was quite grateful that I have no need to buy any of these products any more, it would have been so tempting! I sat at a table in the sun and had lunch, a foie gras sandwich and a glass of red wine, watching the world go by. For such a prestigious event there were not that many people there and it seemed to me that the majority of spectators were British. I then went round to the warm up area and spent a fascinating hour watching the top international horses and riders prepare their horses for their tests. Back at the ringside there were more people than in the morning but I was still able to set up my chair by the ringside. After a mornings viewing of the tests I was now able to anticipate which moves were coming next and to discern at some points when an error was made. The top score of the day went to Bettina Hoy, who was the eventual winner of the event. I didn't see her do her test as I was still watching at the warm up arena when she was in the arena but I did see her warming up. They all make it look so dreadfully simple!!

Long weekend and appointment with surgeon.

Nigel was "let out" this weekend. Lionel finished his stay at Cambo so he was able to bring Nigel home on Friday. They got here about 1pm and we had a long, lazy lunch outside helped down with a bottle of St Emilion that Lionel gave us. He's a nice chap and am sure we will keep in touch with him.
On Saturday we drove over to Marciac to have lunch on the boat with Kate and Peter. It has become a favourite meeting place for the four of us as it is about half way between our respective abodes. It will probably be the last meeting this year as they are off down to Spain for the winter before long.
Sunday was a day at home with Nigel back to "pottering" around, cutting grass, pruning the cherry tree and generally enjoying his freedom!
We left after lunch on Monday for Bayonne and his appointment with Dr Clerc at the clinic. We had a brief stop, en route, to visit the beach at Ondres. It was a beautiful day, bright sun and 25C. There were quite a few people sunbathing and a few paddling in the shallows. The sea was quite rough though and not safe for swimming.
Nigel's appointment was for 4pm but by 4.45 we were still waiting. I was getting quite worried as I didn't want to be late leaving Cambo for the journey back home. Anyway then a lady came into the waiting room who Nigel recognised as being another of the patients at Cambo. I went and asked her if she had come in by ambulance and if so did she think that Nigel could go back with them. I went off with her to find the driver and after explaining the position to her she rang her boss and said that she would be able to take Nigel back as well. Sigh of relief! I went back to the waiting room and found that Nigel had finally gone in to see the Dr so I tapped on the door and went in. He seems pleased with Nigel's progress and has decided to operate next Tuesday. He will be taken there on Monday afternoon from Cambo. It's a possibility that he will go back to Cambo after the op for a period of convalesence We then had another wait to see the anaethetist. I went and got Nigel's belongings from the car and then did all the paperwork for his admission. By now the ambulance driver was chomping at the bit and ready to be off as it was fast approaching 6pm. Luckily, when I went back to the waiting room Nigel had gone in to see the anaethetist so all was well. I said goodbye to him and made my way back home. I shall go and spend the day with him next Sunday. I can't say that he is looking forward to the op but of course he will be glad when it is behind him.

The last visitors of 2008?

Last but not least!!!!!!!
Sunday the 12th October saw the arrival of my old hunting mates, Dave, Sheila and Jan at Bordeaux airport. I was so excited that they were finally arriving in France after 11 years.
The flight was on time and we shrieked and hugged as they came into the arrival area. They couldn't believe that they had finally made it and neither could I. We got back here about 5.30 and after I had shown them their accommodation and they had met the dogs we sat outside and had an aperitif. Lots of chatting, laughter and a meal before bedtime.
Monday dawned damp and grey and after a leisurely start to the day we decided to go to Pau for the afternoon. En route to Pau we had lunch at the hotel du Parc in Garlin. I had never been before but it had been highly recommended to me and it turned out to be excellent value and good food. On to Pau and the sun came out and by the time we had parked the car it was pretty hot for the time of year. We went and visited the chateau and had a guided tour and then walked on the boulevard des Pyrenees and had a drink at a pavement cafe. Sadly the mountains were not in view today. Walked through the town centre where we went into Galeries Lafayette so that Sheila could buy a comb and Jan and I tried out different expensive perfumes!
Back home where we all sat out and nibbled bread, cheese and pate washed down with wine by Jan and I and whiskey for Dave and Sheila until it was time for bed.
Tuesday moning we visited the market in Aire sur l'Adour and then went on to Eugenie les Bains for lunch followed by a walk around the gardens. We came back via Grenade sur l'Adour for a small shop in Leclerc.
Another pleasant evening sitting and nibbling around the table outside, so lucky that the weather is mild and we were able to do that. The tree frogs were croaking away most of the evening.
Wednesday we had planned to drive over to Cambo to see Nigel. We got there about 11.30 and had a quick look around the town before going to pick him up. My idea was to go to the sea at St Jean de Luz but due to lack of route planning (OK it was my fault!) we ended up going in the wrong direction. By the time we had realised this we were in St Jean de Pied de Port which, after a quick look at the map, was too far to turn round and go back. Anyway it was a happy mistake as it is a beautiful, old town with an amazing old citadel and is on the pilgrims route for St Jean de Compostella. We had a very good lunch in the citadel and then walked along the wall of the citadel before walking back to the car through the beautiful old streets of the town. It was soon time to take Nigel back to Cambo and for the rest of us to continue on back here.
Another evening sitting outside and chatting but we were all early to bed as we have an early start in the morning .
The train to take them back to Bordeaux from Mont de Marsan is at 8am so I was up at 6.30, a great shock to the system, much to the amusement of my guests. I had said that we needn't leave until 20 to 8 but the general opinion was that we should leave earlier. Just as well as I hadn't realised that most people and schools start at 8am. I have never seen so much traffic in town, it's not often that I am up and about so early in the day!
So back home again it seemed very quiet after a wonderful 4 days. So much laughter and chatting. So much reminiscing, so much fun. Thank you, my friends, for finally coming to visit and thank you for being such wonderful guests.
Heres to the next time!!

Trip to Ariege.

With Nigel tucked away at Cambo I decided to go over to see friends in Ariege for a few days and the dogs went with me as well. I left after lunch on the Sunday and had an uneventful trip, the dogs sleeping most of the time. I arrived at Martin and Meike's about 5 o clock and the dogs were able to have a good run around. Martin has 2 dogs, Chai a border collie and Ramsey a large, soppy dog of mixed breeding. Rambo and Chai hated each other at first sight and had several disputes whereas Rambo and Ramsey got on like a house on fire. Rambo and Ramsey stayed out all night "guarding" the property and Luna slept in the car. We sat outside and had a couple of beers and chatted a lot before going in for a meal.
Next morning I tried to contact Dominique, at Carol, but got no reply so I was unable to pop in and see them. Martin tells me that they have made a "road" to the left of the house around to the back of the house and barn. Dominique is now working on the ambulance service for Foix/Pamiers and is expecting a baby in January. What a wonderful place to bring up a family, I am so pleased for them.
After leaving Martin and Meike I went to visit Corry in Artigat and catch up with the village gossip before going to have lunch with Mike. Jik is in Holland at the moment so I was disappointed not to see her as well. Still it was good to see Mike again. Next stop was to see Leonoor and Sjef at St Martin d'Oydes. It was a beautiful day and it was like old times, sitting on the terrace chatting and laughing with Leonoor, and looking out across the valley to the beautiful view of the mountains which were incredibly clear. Sjef and Nico had been over to Lezat to pick up a couple of 25 year old olive trees which Sjef is going to plant in front of the house. It was good to watch him and Nico unloading them from the trailer and then of course we all sat and had a gossip over a beer.
Last stop for the day was at Nellekes in Le Fossat. Nelleke is living at Caoutelle which belongs to our English friends Jez and Caroline. They only rarely visit the house so Nelleke is living there most of the time and moves out on the rare occasions that they visit. Nelleke wasn't home when I arrived but she had left the house open for me and there was a bottle of red and a glass ready for me!!The dogs had been in and out of the car all day and were a little bewildered but soon settled down for the evening. Nelleke arrived home and we sat outside for a while until it was time to go in and have dinner.
Next day we left the dogs at Caoutelle and set off for Andorra. We left at about 10.15 and got there about noon. It was quite mild for Andorra with no snow on the mountains. After filling up the car with cheaper diesel, lunch and a shop we were ready to leave. We always go to Pas de la Casa which is the first town over the border, a very unattractive place, apart from the stunning mountain views. The whole place is one huge shopping centre with hotels and restaurants situated over the shops. In the summer the horses and cattle, that are taken up to the mountains for the summer, can often be seen wandering and grazing in and on the edge of the town.
This trip, for the first time ever, I met a smiling French customs man! There is a large drive through customs area just below the border and of course they are always on the lookout for people who have bought too much duty free goods. I'm the sort of person who always feels guilty on these occasions, even though I have no need to! Sometimes one gets waved through and other times, like this time, one is stopped. They only have to say what do you have to declare and I go to pieces! This chap, though, soon twigged that I was British and asked me where I came from, he then told me that his wife was from West Sussex and we had a jolly little chat before he waved me on.
Nelleke was enjoying being a passenger but offered to take over if I felt tired. I did a deal and said that I would carry on driving if she would not expect any help in preparing dinner. When we got back we had a rapturous welcome from the dogs and I relaxed whilst Nelleke made dinner. I think you could say that I was shattered but happy. Happy to be back, happy to have dinner prepared and happy to see the dogs again.
Next day I returned home. I left Ariege and called at Kate and Peters for lunch. They live near Lannemazan, just off the motorway and conveniently situated about equidistant from Artigat and Castandet. After a lovely lunch and lots of chat it was time to drive the last lap home. I think both the dogs and myself had had a great time but were glad to be back home again. It's good to go away and it's good to get home.

!st October - Off to Cambo.

After a visit to Nigel's specialist in Mont de Marsan, last week, we received a phone call saying that Nigel had to be at Cambo at 11am the next day. A busy couple of hours ensued sorting out what he would need to take with him. Next day we were off at just after 9am. It takes about an hour and forty minutes to get there as it is about 15kms south east of Bayonne. Cambo is a very pretty little town in the heard of Basque country. There appear to be many medical centres there so as well as being a very touristy town it is also a very busy place with all the "inmates" of these places. The centre was very easy to locate and the booking in process proceeded very efficiently. We were shown to what was to be Nigel's home from home for at least 3 weeks. He has a lovely room on the first floor overlooking the gardens with an en suite shower room and telephone by the bed. All the staff were very polite and welcoming. We asked if I could stay for lunch and they said that his meal was already in his room and that another one would be taken up for me. After lunch we said our good byes and I came on back home.
His routine there was soon established after an initial consultation with the doctor in charge of him. In the morning he has breakfast in his room and then has 3 hours exercise and physiotherapy in the gym where his oxygen levels are monitored. Lunch is taken in the dining room as is the evening meal. The afternoons are free but activities are provided. Nigel is doing art and pottery workshops 4 afternoons a week! Another of the "inmates", Lionel is from Mont de Marsan. He speaks a little English so he and Nigel get on well and share a table at meal times. They are allowed out for a day at the weekend so, as Lionel has his car there and was coming back to Mont de Marsan, Nigel was able to have a lift with him on the first two Saturdays that he was there. It was good to have him home even for such a short while and of course it saved me driving down there to see him.
The medical centre has a web site at www.centre-medical-annie-enia.fr
Once that they think that he is in top form he will have an appointment with the surgeon to decide when he is to have the operation.

Mary and Davids visit.

Mary and David, friends and neighbours from Dalwood, East Devon (where we used to live) came for a weekend at the end of September. David is now retired but they still have a busy life-style running a B and B as well as successfully breeding and showing a small flock of Jacob sheep. Mary had been to France many years ago but it was a first time for David. David is very interested in wine so they visited the Loire and Bordeaux areas on the way down. They arrived on the Saturday afternoon and we had a pleasant evening sitting over a meal and catching up on all their news. On the Sunday morning we went down to a boot sale in Eugenie-les-Bains and then went down to a small farmers market in Pimbo and had lunch there. The afternoon was spent relaxing and chatting in the garden. They left on Monday morning after an all too brief visit.

Heating

The house has oil fired central heating which was installed many years ago. We found, last year, that the spare bedroom, sitting room and dining room did not get very warm at all. The dining room has an open fireplace which looks very good when it is burning but of course most of the heat goes up the chimney. For this winter, partly due to the rise in price of oil and partly because of the above problem, we decided to change the heating in the house.Wood supplies seem to be plentiful and cheap in this part of the world so we are going to have an "insert" fitted in the dining room fireplace. We shall be able to heat the whole of the house with this as the heat will be taken from the chimney into the attic and from there, with the help of a small motor and insulated piping, taken to the rest of the house. It seems that we are not the only people taking this step as all the installers are incredibly busy and we can't have the insert fitted until early January. Hopefully it won't get too cold before then. Another advantage of this is that we will get a 50% tax refund on the price of the insert which is very helpful.

Scrabble

I have found a new Scrabble club which is vastly different to the one I played at last year. Last years one was one of a large club with many activities but it was only the Scrabble part of it which attracted me. The ladies I played with were very nice but it was oh so slow. Sometimes I almost fell asleep with the boredom of it! The new one is a whole different ball game, very serious and well organised. At last years club we played "normal" scrabble but at the new club we play duplicate Scrabble which is very popular in most French speaking countries. It is all very sophisticated with letters and top scoring words coming from a pre-set game on the computer.A duplicate set includes two boards: one regular board of the type we are familiar with, and another board on which to place all the letters face-up in an easy to use order (instead of a bag). Each player sits at a table by himself with his own board. There are no racks. Each tile has four pegs descending from its corners to anchor them in each of the boards, which are perforated with appropriate holes to in order to hold the tiles steady

An arbiter takes the first 7 letters from the computer and announces them and hangs them on a big board which is suspended at the front of the room; the players draw the same seven tiles and the arbiter starts the clock. After the allotted time period, (I think it is 2 minutes) the arbiter stops the clock and the players must submit their solutions to the arbiter.The highest scoring word (known as the top) is announced and place on the display board by the arbiter, and the players do the same. At the end of the game, the arbiter announces the top - the total score of all the moves, which is the theoretical high score which cannot be beaten. The winner of the game can be expressed in three different ways. Points scored, points dropped compared to the top, or percentage.

Rules of duplicate:

• The highest scoring word must be placed on the board after each move. However if there is more than one word which have the same score, the arbiter chooses the word which is most apt for opening the board up.
• It is possible to score more than 100% by benefitting from a solo top. A solo top is when only one player finds the top play, and is awarded a bonus of 10 points which is added to his total score at the end of the game.
• Any invalid word is known as a zéro and means what it implies - the player gets zero points for that move

I have to say that it seriously stretches my brain but is nevertheless a very challenging couple of hours. The most difficult part is gauging the time needed to fill in the piece of paper, after each word is found, with the position of the word on the board and the score achieved. Of course I have been bottom of the rankings each time I have played. I'm not there to ever be at the top of the rankings but it would be nice one day if I wasn't at the bottom!!

Check up.

Back to Bayonne again for another visit to the surgeon. No problems this time, getting to know my way around the place now. Dr Clerc was pleased with Nigel's progress but noted that he was still quite tired. The good news is that he doesn't have BOOP. What he does have, though, is a permanent infection at the base of his left lung which is not responding to antibiotic therapy. The solution to this is to remove the diseased part of the lung. As the surgeon says it will not make any difference to his lung capacity as it is not doing anything at the moment. Each time he gets an infection it seems that the diseased part gets bigger so it makes sense to have it taken out. Once he is feeling stronger the surgeon wants him to go, for 2.3 weeks, to a medical centre in Cambo les Bains which specialises in respiratory problems. There he will have physiotherapy to get his lungs in top form prior to the operation. So the next step is to visit Dr Lheureux in Mont de Marsan when he feels less tired and she will then set the wheels in motion for his stay at Cambo.

Library

I joined the library in Grenade last year. It took quite a bit of finding as it is (or rather was) only a small room in an old peoples home, open just three afternoons a week. The librarian was overjoyed to have another "customer" and was even more overjoyed to tell me that next year (2008) there would me a new library and media centre opening nearer the town centre.
Well the big day has been and gone and we now have the new, super, duper library open. I went in a few days after it opened and Madame the librarian rushed over to me, "Oh Madame Marsh, welcome" , she said and gave me a tour of the premises. It certainly is a great improvement, purpose built, light and airy and so much bigger. Many more books, a childrens area, DVD and CD areas and 2 computers available for the public to use. I think that the only people to regret the closure of the old library will be the old people where it used to be. They all used to sit in the entrance hall of the home and watch the comings and goings of people to the library on the three afternoons that it was open. Life must be a lot quieter for them now.

A solitary week.

Monday, the day if the biopsy I knew that I wouldn't be able to speak to Nigel. I did ring the nurses a couple of times and they told me that he was back in his room and resting. It was a relief to know that the biopsy was over and that he was OK. When I spoke to the nurse on the Tuesday morning she said that I could call him on his private line. When I did he said, grumpily, "What do you want"? Ho,ho I thought can't be feeling that bad if he's so bad tempered. After a very brief conversation we agreed that the best thing was for him to ring me as and when he was able to talk. At the time I rang there were several people in his room and someone was approaching with an x-ray machine. Also, it wasn't easy for him to answer the phone due to the lines in his wrists and a drain tube in his side, all virtually chaining him to the bed. Over the next 5 days we chatted 2 or 3 times a day. His main complaint wasn't about the pain it was about the food! He was on a light diet for a couple of days and was hoping for some improvement after that but apparently it wasn't much better. Perhaps I feed him too well.
I had a relatively lazy week. It was pretty hot, far too hot and dry to do anything in the garden. No Nigel to cook for and the house stayed relatively tidy. I seemed to have a lot of leisure time and spent a lot of it sitting in the shade in the garden with a good book. Can't be bad!
On Friday evening he still wasn't sure when he could come home but then he rang me at 9.30am on Saturday to ask if I could pick him up at 11. Well, it takes an hour and a half to get there and I had just got out of the shower so I said I would be there about 11.30. The roads were quite busy with holiday traffic but I got there OK and we left the clinic about midday.
We came back a rather circuitous route as the direct route was very busy with returning holiday traffic. After having lunch Nigel decided, before getting back in the car, to change out of his heavy corduroy trousers and back into his pyjamas as it was so hot (35C). Should he have asked me to take in some lighter clothing, should I have anticipated this? A short argument/discussion ensued!
We had to stop in Grenade to pick up the huge amount of drugs that he was supposed to take now he was home. (I say supposed as they were mainly pain killers, he has had little pain so has taken only a small amount of them). I parked in the square and went into the chemist with the prescription. It took quite a time to find all the drugs and I was very concerned about Nigel sitting in the car in the heat. I should have known better, knowing Nigel as I do! As I came out of the chemist he walked towards me, still in his pyjamas, from where he had been "lurking" in the shade. We went back to the car, me well in front hoping that no- one would notice him!!
As I write this, a week later, he is making a good recovery and taking things easy. No results as yet and we have to back to Bayonne (Oh joy) on Thursday to see the surgeon for a check up.

Bayonne again.

Sunday the 24th August was the day that Nigel had to go into the clinic in Bayonne for his lung biopsy. He had to be there for 5pm and we thought that he would be there for 2/3 days. We got to the clinic, this time, without too many mistakes and were able to park with no problems. After checking in at reception (bit like a hotel really!) we went up to the surgical ward. He was told that he had an intensive care, single room right next to the nurses station. Intensive care,why we thought, maybe there was no other room available. After a short while a nurse came to take blood samples, venous and arterial, and then another nurse came in to take his details. She explained that he was in the intensive care ward as they needed to monitor him closely after the biopsy. She also said that the first couple of days afterwards would be quite painful and that he would have a morphine pump to help him cope with the pain. Suddenly, what we had thought was a relatively minor procedure became a much more serious one. It was also explained that he would more likely be in for a week. We were told that the surgeon would be round later in the evening to explain more fully and to allay any fears that Nigel may have. I finally said good bye to him about 6.15 knowing that the next time I saw him would be up to a week later when I would be able to pick him up and bring him home.
I left the car park and was approaching the traffic lights at a very big roundabout when the car stalled, or so I thought. I tried to restart it but no joy. Panic! Luckily I was in the nearside lane (there were 3 lanes) so I put on the hazard lights and the traffic behind me was able to get into the next lane. Perhaps I had flooded the engine? I tried again, no joy. I then got out of the car and smelled and saw diesel in the road. The "sleeve" that my nice mechanic had put on which would allow me to drive in safety had obviously not worked. This was obvious, even to me, who has no mechanical knowledge whatsoever. As far as I am concerned either things work or they don't! By now I was shaking but realised that I had to cope with the situation somehow. I got the warning triangle out of the boot (thankfully I knew where it was) and placed it in the road behind the car -step one. Then with hands shaking I riffled through the insurance paperwork and found the emergency breakdown number - step two. Thankfully I had my mobile and it was charged up and I was able to call the required number - step three. How efficient they were and how pleased I was that they were so efficient. I only had to give the car registration number and they were able to identify me immediately. They asked what the problem was, a diesel leak I said proudly! Someone with even less mechanical knowledge than I have would have known that but it was such a relief that I was able to identify the problem. Then they asked where I was, ah, that wasn't such an easy question to answer. I knew that I was in Bayonne but perhaps they would want more information? So, I said that I am in Bayonne, I'm a stranger here but I am at the traffic lights by a large roundabout near the clinic Lafourcade. Is there not a street name on the buildings at the side of the road they asked. No buildings I said but there is a large sports field here. OK they said we will send a breakdown vehicle out to you. Relief flooded over me and I stopped shaking and started waiting, not too close to the car though. My imagination was working full time, what if someone threw a cigarette end into the diesel in the road, would my car blow up? Despite the hazard lights and the warning triangle many drivers still queued for the lights in the lane behind me and then had to try and get into the middle lane. Although it seemed very busy I thought that it was probably good that it was a Sunday as it would have been even busier on any other day. After what seemed an eternity but was in fact about 3/4 of an hour the breakdown vehicle arrived. The mechanic didn't say a lot but he put another temporary sleeve on the car, told me to get it fixed as soon as possible and wished me a good trip back home. I could have thrown my arms around him and kissed him but thought that it was perhaps not the appropriate action to take! Thankfully I got home safely although somewhat later than expected and yes the car is now fixed! A ghastly experience but now that it is over I feel quite chuffed that I managed to cope.

Garages

I would like to be able to say that "I don't do garages" but since we came to France, due to Nigels lack of French, I have no choice. We were extremely lucky when we lived at Carol as the local garage in Fossat was very good. It was run by the Estrade family, Madame in the office and Monsieur and their son in the workshop. Our dear old Peugeot 309 had many problems in the last few years with us and they were always so very helpful. As we didn't have a second car one of the family would always run me back home and pick me up when the car was ready. A side effect of this involvement with the garage was a widening of my knowledge of car parts in French!
Since we sold the Peugoet and "upgraded" to the Renault Scenic my involvement with garages has become less until recently. When Max was here he suggested that we may have a diesel leak as he was able to smell diesel when the car was warm. After a few days we noticed that there was a small amount of diesel leakage on the ground under the car. I rang the Renault garage in Grenade and the lady on reception said that they were very busy due to the holiday period. When I explained that it was quite important that we had it seen to as I had to take my husband to hospital in Bayonne on the Sunday she said to take it in and they would have a look. The chap there was extremely helpful and took the car, almost immediately into the workshop. The showroom part of the garage was very comfortable so I settled myself in one of the chairs and got out my book. I have learned over the years always to take a book with me to places where I may have to wait!! The receptionist served me with a coffee so I was quite happy reading and drinking my coffee whilst I waited. I could see that the mechanic who was dealing with the car was doing other things as well so I was prepared for quite a wait. After an hour he told me that a hose had fractured and needed replacing but that they didn't have the required part. Not to worry he said, as he had put on a temporary "sleeve" which would allow me to drive safely in the meantime. He said to go in the following Tuesday and he would replace the part so I left feeling very happy that I had the car for the weekend and that the whole experience had not been stressful!!

When Jennifer, Max and Beryl came to stay.

My old friend and mother of my beautiful daughter-in-law, Sasa, Jennifer came along with her brother Max and his wife Beryl on the 9th August.
They had driven down from Caen and stayed a night in Laval and a night in Angouleme on the way here.
The, not too weary, travellers arrived about 6pm just in time for an aperitif or two. It was a beautiful evening and so we ate and a chatted outside until it was time for bed.
Next day dawned hot and sunny so everyone was happy to enjoy the sun and relax in the garden. Determined that they should see a bit of local "culture" I managed to drag them out in the afternoon. We went to Eugenie les Bains and had a walk around the gardens there before sitting in the shade and relaxing with a beer. The purpose of this outing was to see a course landaise so we went and got a good position in the arena about 1/2 an hour before it started. It was exceedingly hot with no shade so we were all soon rather overheated. A couple of chaps were watering the sand in the arena and at one point they hosed us down! I have to say that it was very welcome and our clothes soon dried out. I think everyone enjoyed the course but we only stayed for the first half which lasted an hour. It was so hot and the cement seating was very hard that we all felt that an hour was enough.
After an overnight thunderstorm the next day was damp and cool. In the morning we went into town and did some shopping at Leclerc and then had a coffee in the town centre. By the afternoon the sun was out so it was back to relaxing in the garden and gaining energy for the night to come. It was the last night of the local fete in Maurrin, our next village, so we were going to eat there. We arrived about 8.30pm and there were already crowds of people there. Large open sided marquees had been erected and long tables were ready for the meal. We managed to find some places and waited for the food. What a meal, 6 courses, all well prepared and efficiently served. We had "tourrin" which is tomato soup with vermicelli, tomato salad, "Daube de taureau" (beef stew) which had been cooked slowly and was beautifully flavoured with herbs, steak and chips, cheese and green salad and finally coffee or chocolate liegois. All this was rounded off with coffee and Armagnac. Then the disco started and we "girls" were soon strutting our stuff!!! Not as young as we used to be but we can still strut a bit!! Even Max and Nigel took to the floor, Nigel rather briefly but at least he made an effort. We made it back home by about 1pm and were soon slumbering away.
On Tuesday morning I had a big treat when Max cooked a big breakfast for us! Surprised that we could eat it after last nights feed but we did do justice to the excellent cuisine. What a treat!We girls then decided to go into Aire sur l'Adour to visit the market. We had no sooner got parked and got half way to the market when the heavens opened. I had an umbrella so the passers by were treated to the sight of the 3 of us, arms around each other, huddling under the umbrella. Don't worry I said, it's only a shower but I'm afraid to say that I was wrong. Beryl made a dash for it, back to the car, to get another brolly and we then walked into the town. After buying postcards and having a coffee the "shower" was continuing so we gave up and came back home.
After lunch the sky brightened a bit and relaxing in the garden continued.
Wednesday was their last day and after a late and lazy morning we went to the hotel du Commerce at Estang where the set lunch was as good as ever. Back home for a last laze in the garden before they packed ready for their departure in the morning.
So next morning they were on there way again. I have to say that I give them full marks for their efficiency at clearing up after the meals we had here. It was almost as if I waved a magic wand and everything disappeared miraculously into the dishwasher and anything that wouldn't fit in was washed and dried in the twinkling of an eye. Thanks folks for being such good guests and looking forward to your next visit.

The hot, hell that was Bayonne!

We had to go to Bayonne on Thursday as Nigel had an appointment,at 3pm, to meet the anaethetist and surgeon prior to going in for his biopsy at the end of the month.
We left here at 11.30 so that we could have lunch on the way. The roads were quiet, the sun was shining, the scenery was stunning and by 12.15 we were looking for somewhere to have lunch. Now I am sure we have all been in the same situation - how many suitable looking places do we see just when we have got past them and there is no easy way to turn around! Sods law! Time goes on, there seems to be a dearth of eating places and finally one says what the hell, stop looking for just the right place, anywhere will do. So, we stopped at the next one, it looked OK, menu seemed to be OK, let's go for it. The reception was fine, we were shown to a nice table, it didn't look too crowded. The menu came very quickly and the waitress went too quickly, before I had had chance to say we wanted the menu du jour. When I managed to catch her eye and ask what the plat du jour was she said that it was lasagne but that there was only one left. So, we had to go back to the menu. After deciding on a salad we were, finally, able to order our meal. By this time a couple of guys who came in after us had almost finished their menu du jour, 3 courses, and we were still without even a carafe of water, something that is usually brought to the table automatically. I asked for water, it never came. We watched another couple who had arrived after us start tucking in to their meal and we decided that the time had come to make a quick exit. Fortunately there was a pizza establishment over the road that also did salads so we went in there, it was empty, the service was quick and the salad was good. Not quite what we had envisaged, a lazy lunch on the terrace of some nice local establishment, but heigh ho, by this time we were past caring!!
So, on to Bayonne. We have been to Bayonne before but not in the height of the holiday season. It is quite a large town and we didn't really know where we were going as the print out I had taken from the web seemed to bear no resemblance to where we were. Not helped either that the fete of Bayonne had started the night before and many streets as well as the town centre were closed to traffic. The streets that weren't closed to traffic were crammed with parked cars and the streets were full of "festyres" (festival goers) dressed in white top and trousers, red neckerchiefs and red cummerbunds. They all looked very happy and excited despite the heat and the crowds, in marked contrast to Nigel and myself who were desperately trying to find the clinic Lafourcade and not far from the divorce court! Suddenly I saw a sign saying clinic La..... so I quickly turned down the side street and into the clinic car park. Phew, what a relief, but of course there was nowhere to park. A chap appeared to unlock the oxygen/gas compound so I asked him if there was anywhere that I could park. Although there was a sign, forbidding parking by the compound, he said that we could park there. Normally I would have been a bit apprehensive as there was also a sign saying that any vehicle parked there would be towed away but we threw caution to the wind and did as he said. We went into the reception area at the clinic with 10 minutes to spare only to be told that we were at the wrong place. We were at the clinic La...... not the clinic Lafourcade!. The receptionist was most helpful and told us that it would be easier to walk there, that it would take us about 10 minutes. So now, instead of being early we were going to be late! Off we went, through the searing heat and the festive crowds, to find the right clinic. Hot and sweating we got there to be told that the 3pm appointment wasn't until 5.30pm. No, no I said, we were told to be here at 3 to see the anaethetist as well. Ah, yes she said and took us off to the anaethetists' waiting room. Half an hour later, slightly less hot and sweaty we saw the anaethetist who was very pleasant and efficient. Back to the first waiting room where we were told that we may have to wait a "petit moment" to see the surgeon. I love that saying, "petit moment", such a nice way of saying that it may be quite a while!! By this time I was beginning to get worried about the car so I left Nigel in the waiting room whilst I went to, hopefully, rescue the car and move it to the car park at the correct clinic. About half way there I realised that I was feeling rather overheated and faint and by some great chance I saw that I was right by a shop where I could buy a bottle of water. Half a litre of water later I felt restored enough to get back to the car which I am pleased to say hadn't been towed away. As I opened the car door it felt as though I had opened the door to a furnace! The temperature on the dashboard showed 38C, no wonder I had felt somewhat hot. I managed to drive back to the other clinic with the air con on at full blast and by some miracle managed to get into the last parking space in the clinic car park. Nigel was still waiting for a "petit moment" so all was well. When we finally got in to see the surgeon it was well worth the wait!! Very dishy!! Apart from which he filled us both full of confidence and explained everything very clearly. His English was very good and he was very keen to answer any questions Nigel might have, and there were plenty! We finally left the clinic at 5.45 and were able to get out of Bayonne with no problems. I felt no envy at seeing all the festival goers I just wanted to get out and get back home!!

A visit from Titch

Titch arrived at Pau airport on the 23rd July to spend a week with us. It was my first visit to the airport and I was very impressed with it, a beautiful, new, modern building on the edge of town. It was quite late when we got back here, almost midnight, so after showing Titch to her room and a quick chat it was off to bed.
We had a very busy and enjoyable week and managed to fit in a lot.
The first afternoon I took her on a tour of the Tursan, visiting Geaune, Miramont, Pimbo and then on to Eugenie for a coffee and a look around the gardens.
On Friday we went over to Lily's for coffee and then brought Lily back here, picked up Nigel and the 5 of us went down to Grenade for lunch. We had lunch at the Pain et Adour hotel/restaurant, sitting on the terrace by the river. A beautiful setting and beautiful food, what more can I say, we were all very impressed!
Saturday was to be a relaxing day but Titch was kind enough to start cutting the lawn for us, something that Nigel hasn't been fit enough to do since he came out of hospital. It was very hot and after doing most of the grass we were able to stop her and drag her indoors to cool off. In the evening Titch and I went to the night market in St Sever. Lots of interesting stalls to look at, a nice bar to sit outside, enjoy a drink and watch the world go by. The evening ended with us sitting on the curb eating ham and cheese crepes.
Sunday morning we went over to Hontanx to a very poor vide grenier (car boot sale), it had rained heavily during the night so there were few stalls there. By the afternoon the grass had dried out and Titch heroically finished cutting the grass. What a star!!
Monday morning we went into Mont de Marsan and had a look round the town. It was looking rather less pretty than normal as they were clearing up after the big fete and many of the shops were shut. We did a quick shop at Leclerc as my hard working guest wanted to cook dinner for us in the evening. Another gold star for her!!
Nigel and I went to see his consultant in the afternoon, all nicely refreshed after her holiday. She has made an appointment for him to go to Bayonne on Thursday to see the aneathetist and surgeon as it has been decided that they need to do a lung biopsy to try and find out what exactly is his problem.
My dreams of sitting on the patio with a glass of chilled rose were slightly shattered as Titch needed to know where everything was in the kitchen whilst she was preparing our meal! Not complaining, honestly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The meal was well worth it and I will let her cook again (and cut the grass again) should she ever dare set foot in the house another time.
Tuesday we went over to Estang and had a menu du jour in the garden of the hotel du Commerce, a very pleasant lunchtime.
At 5pm Titch and I did a guided tour of the chateau de Ravignan not far from here. Another chateau that is lived in and one where the owner himself does the tour. At the end of the visit we were taken to see the "chai" where the armagnac that is made there is stored and given a tasting of the armagnac too.
Wednesday was Titchs' last day and in the morning we went up to the market at Villeneuve. As her flight wasn't until 10.30 pm we thought that it would be a good idea to have a look around Pau and its gardens in the afternoon and early evening. Nigel, wisely as it turned out!, decided to stay here. Not that there was anything wrong with Pau and its gardens but it was extremely hot, about 35C and not quite the ideal day for walking round a town. However we managed, with a couple of pit stops, to see the gardens and the town centre as well as having a meal, near the chateau, before it was time to leave for the airport.
Despite all the outings and sightseeing I think that one of the biggest delights of Titchs' holiday was the sight of 2 woodpeckers on the lawn at the back of the house early one morning.
A busy week, lots of food, quite a lot of drinks (especially the rose at Estang!!) and lots of fun.

Fete in Castandet

Our village fete turned out to be a bit of a non event for us as this was on the weekend that Nigel was admitted to hospital. However I did go to the course landaise which was held on the Sunday evening. I enjoyed it much more than a bigger one as the arena was a temporary one which had been erected on the car park of the village hall. This meant that the seating area was much nearer and so one had a much better view. There were several attempts by the cows to gore the "coursairs" which made it much more exciting but happily they were all able to pick themselves up, dust themselves down and carry on.

Sjef and Leonoors visit.

Sjef and Leonoor, friends from Ariege arrived at lunchtime on the day that Nigel came out of hospital. He was very pleased to be home as he had been looking forward to their visit. The next day was Leonoor's birthday and we booked to have dinner in Geaune that evening. We left here just after lunch to catch the 3pm tour of the chateau de Mascaraas down near Garlin. Nigel and I had been before and were very impressed with the place. It is privately owned and it is the owner who does the guided tour. He seemed quite dour at first but he did brighten up as the afternoon went on. It can't be easy doing 2 tours a day round his property. The chateau is on the borders of Armagnac and Bearn and was constructed in the 17th century.
The tour lasted a couple of hours and Nigel and Leonoor were pretty shattered so we then went into Garlin and had a beer on the terrace of a bar. After that we drove on through Miramont and Lauret, to Pimbo. Pimbo is a beautiful little Bastide, the oldest in Les Landes, situated at the south eastern edge of Les Landes with views across the plain to the mountains.
Finally it was time to drive on to Geaune and have an aperitif in the bar before going in to eat. We all enjoyed the meal and had far too much to eat!
Next day our friends left us to go back to Ariege. A good visit with lots of fun and laughter as you can see from the photograph!

More medical matters

Nigel had the scan a month after he had finished a course of steroids but had to wait until the end of July to see his consultant as she was on holiday. Unfortunately he started with another infection at the beginning of July and had to go into hospital again. Once again it was at a weekend so I rang up the duty doctor and after giving her a brief low down on his troubles she advised us to go to casualty as the hospital had all his notes. After 3 hours in casualty where they gave him a good going over and did an x-ray they decided to admit him. The Monday was the 4th of July and a public holiday so he didn't see his hospital consultant until the Tuesday and he then prescribed a new antibiotic for him and he was allowed home on the Thursday. He was not so ill this time and was pretty bored in the hospital so was glad to be able to get home.

Summer Garden

It's always nice, when one moves into a new home, to see the garden develop over the year. Two of the main features in this garden are the magnolia tree and the Albizia (silk) tree. I hadn't realised that magnolias flowers come into bloom over a long period or that they smell so beautiful. The flowers on the Albizia are so small and delicate and the tree appears to be covered in them. it seemed that they would never come into flower, and then last weekend many flowers appeared as soon as we had some heat.
Some of the fruit trees are not having a good year due to a wet and chilly spring. There are hardly any pears or plums to be seen and only one of the apple trees seem to have a reasonable crop. The cherries though have had a good year and the few that we were able to pick before the birds did were most acceptable. The big fig tree has plenty of fruit on so we shall once again be inundated with figs if the wasps allow us to pick them!
The veg. garden has just started to produce which is a real treat as we missed out on home grown veggies last year due to the move. At the moment we are harvesting courgettes, tomatoes, cucumbers, french beans, lettuce, beetroot and aubergines. Hopefully we shall have some hot weather to ripen the melons and peppers.The basil has done amazingly well despite the weather and the herb garden is beginning to take shape.

Luna

Many of you will have met my little dog Luna. She is now 12 1/2 and has been our faithful friend for 11 of those years. A couple of weeks ago she was very ill and we thought that we would lose her. I know that this will happen sooner or later but somehow it was such a shock that it could be now. We think that she ate something when she was out walking in the fields, she is rather prone to picking up things and calling her back makes no difference as she is quite deaf now. I took her to the vet on the Wednesday and he said that she had a gastric upset as she was obviously in a lot of pain in that area and not eating. He gave her an injection and said if she was worse the next day to go back again. Well she was worse, much worse and appeared to be in such pain so off we went again. This time the vet was obviously very concerned, he took a blood test and suggested that we leave her with him so that he could keep and eye on her and put her on a drip. It was awful leaving her there she looked so ill and pathetic but it was of course the only thing that we could do. I rang in the afternoon for the results of the blood test and was told that it was very serious that it looked as if she had a severe kidney problem as well as a very painful tummy. We were asked to go in at 6pm to have a chat with him, we really thought that this was the end. When we got there the vet was not 100% sure what the problem was although he said that he could operate but that it would not guarantee anything. We decided against that and he suggested that we give her 24 hours and see how she went. He assured us that she wasn't in pain as she was having pain killers in the drip. We went in to see her and she looked so poorly and pathetic lying in a cage with a splint on her leg to hold the drip in. She did realise that we were there though and we were rewarded with a little tail wag. I rang up next morning and was told that she had improved slightly and had had a little walk outside. It was suggested that we collect her in the afternoon and bring her home for the weekend and see how she progressed. It was quite a different dog I saw when I went to get her, certainly not recovered but so much better than the previous day. Now, 2 weeks later, after a lot of medication she is back to normal and we can hope that she has at least a few more months if not years with us. A blood test on Friday revealed that her kidney function is OK. Now when we walk through the fields she will have to stay on the lead as I don't want to risk her picking up anything else.

Bulls and horses.

Whilst David and Christine were here we went into Eauze in the Gers our neighbouring county/departement to a display of course landaise and horsemanship by a group from the Camargue. The morning started with the "abrivado" or the arrival of the bulls. A group of camarguais horseman rode round the perimiter of the bull ring surrounding two of the famous black camarguais bulls. Then we went into the bull ring where there was a demonstration of the course landaise and the course camarguaise. The troupe of horsemen, and one woman, then gave a demonstration of the agility and training of their horses which is necessary for them to have when they are herding the bulls on the Camargue. They made it look all so easy but of course one cannot see the aids that they are giving their horses to do this work. I have seen this group twice before when they came to Ariege and I was so impressed with them then. It was a pleasure to see the togetherness of man and horse.

Course Landaise and bullfighting.

Contrary to what many people think bullfighting is very popular in this area and is exactly the same as in Spain where the bull is killed. Many of the towns in the area have several bull fights during the course of their annual fete.
However les Landes is famous for the course Landaise which is a much milder version of bullfighting in its most simplistic explanation.
There are teams of men who are divided into "handlers", "dodgers" (ecarteurs)and "jumpers" (sauteurs)(my translation) During the season points are awarded and the top team along with the top dodger and top handler are awarded the championship. Cows, as opposed to bulls, are used and it seems that the more courses that they go to the more crafty they get! A cow, with a rope attached to its horns, is released into the ring and manoeuvered into position at side of the ring. Then the dodger places himself in the middle of the ring and encourages the cow to charge him. At the very last moment he turns away from the cow as she continues her charge across the ring. Similarly the jumper encourages the cow to charge him and then as she reaches him he jumps over the cow. A very simple explanation but I hope that I have given you some idea of what happens. Occasionally there are also courses without the rope which of course are much more dangerous for those participating. Several courses are on each weekend and many people follow them avidly, a real passion of les Landes.

Christine and David's visit.

One of my oldest friends, Christine, and her husband David arrived on the 31st May for 10 days. Christine and I have known each other since we were 16 so we have a lot of shared memories! They had driven down from Yorkshire to Poole to catch the ferry and then down here, having a night in the Loire on the way down. N is feeling much better now but still not 100%. Once again our visitors were to be somewhat disappointed with the weather but we still managed to get out and about quite a lot and also have some lazy time in the garden when the sun shone. I went down to Pau for the day with them they had a day at Capbreton (by the sea) when amazingly the sun shone. The dogs had more walks than usual as C and D like walking and exploring the local area. On their last day we all went out for lunch to the Hotel du Commerce in Estang which is about 15 miles away. It was recommended to me by a friend of our Dutch friend Nelleke and is indeed very good. I had taken N's parents there, when he was in hospital, and they too were very impressed with it. It's a nice drive there, through the vineyards of Armagnac, and they provide a very good 4 course lunch for 11euros 50. They left early the next morning, before we were awake, to make the long journey back to Yorkshire. If you read this Christine I am really missing you and the help you gave me, it is quite difficult having to empty the dishwasher again!!

Medical matters

Monday the 12th may was a bank holiday here (Pentecost)and N was very ill, he had been going downhill for some time and during the night he had agonising pains in his right side. I rang the duty doctor who asked us to go and see him immediately. When we got there he was very concerned and said that we should go to casualty straight away. He rang the hospital in Mont de Marsan and also wrote a letter for us to take in with us. It was very quiet in casualty and he was soon taken away to be examined. I waited for 3 hours and then it was decided that he should be admitted. The casualty department was very efficient and the waiting area was more like a hotel than a hospital. Comfy seating, lots of magazines and indoor plants. I don't understand why French hospitals don't have the disinfectant smell of English hospitals! I came back home to pack some things for him and then went back to find him in a very comfortable 2 bedded room with ensuite facilities. No other person in the other bed. He wasn't in the correct ward, pneumologie, as there was no room in there at that time. By the time I got there he had been settled in and was on a drip and feeling much more comfortable. He said that he was very happy to be there, that he felt safe there. Next afternoon he was moved to another 2 bedded room in the pneumologie ward. He shared the room with a man in his nineties who had a heart problem (don't know why he was in that ward!). A very pleasant chap who was very chatty and had loads of family visitors. Over the next few days N was seen by the doctor who prescribed the correct antibiotics for him and gave him many tests and x rays. I went in to see him every afternoon and he was soon feeling very much better. We had hoped that he may be able to come home on the Friday but there was some anomaly with the x-rays and they decided to keep him in for further tests. On the Saturday he was moved to a single bedded room which was very comfortable.
Sunday saw the arrival of N's parents, Peter and Thelma, at Bordeaux airport. I went up there to pick them up and we came back here via the hospital so that they were able to visit N. It was an easy drive up to the airport but it is much further than the trip I used to make up to Toulouse to pick up visitors. At least there was not the hell of the Toulouse ring road to cope with !!
Monday to Thursday I took Peter and Thelma out and about as well as visiting N in the late afternoon each day. A shame that the weather was not as it should be at this time of year, rain, rain and more rain with just the odd half day of sunshine when they could enjoy sitting out in the garden.
On Thursday Nigel came home. So good to have him back! He is much improved but obviously rather weak. We tried to impress upon him that he needs to take it easy for a while, not easy!!
Thelma and Peter left on the Monday after perhaps not the best of holidays for them with N being in hospital and the weather not behaving itself.
We visited Dr l'Heureux, N's consultant on the Tuesday. She is pretty sure that he has BOOP, bronchial obliterans organising pneumonia, and suggested that he may have to have a lung biopsy to confirm this. N was not happy about this and she said that she would be having a meeting with his hospital pneumologist to discuss his case and would keep us informed. She called the next day to say that they had decided that he should finish the course of steroids that he has been taking and then have a scan in a months time to see what was happening. So we now wait until the end of June and the next scan to see if we have a diagnosis. I think that we are very lucky to be here as the medical treatment is so good and efficient.

Bridge

On Saturday the 4rd May we had a bridge tournament for beginners at the club. In fact it is simultaneous and all bridge beginners in France compete at the same time. I have to admit that I find it quite scary! There were only 2 tables, 8 of us, at our club. I felt that I played better than I did at the first tournament but still didn't manage to be in the top 4. Never mind, once I had settled down I did enjoy it. Afterwards we had all taken food and after the obligatory aperitif we had a meal. Our other halves were invited for the evening but sadly Nigel wasn't well enough to come. It was good to meet the other students partners and to be together in a social situation as when we go to classes there is no time for chit chat. I got on very well with the wife of A, a local dentist, who is in my class. He is a very nice chap but not very chatty or outgoing, the complete opposite of his wife who was very chatty and with whom I got on very well. A long afternoon and evening as we played from 3pm to 6pm and I finally was one of the first to leave at 9.30pm.

April, early May.

The wet weather continued throughout the month but I managed to escape it and went back to Devon for 10 days. Less rain there but very cold and frosty, even had a blizzard!!
When I returned it was nice to walk round the garden and see what had happened whilst I was away. There are lots of Iris in the garden and now that they are coming into flower I am pleased to see that there are several different varieties and colours. We went to an open day at a nursery garden in Mont de Marsan, run by the handicapped. It was very impressive and they had a very good selection of shrubs and annuals. I bought some herbs for the garden as I was very short of them here only having fennel and a very old rosemary. By the end of the month the weather had changed and we were into hot, sunny days for a while. Suddenly the whole agricultural community seemed to wake up and within a few days vast areas of ground had been spread with manure, ploughed and seeded with maize. Lily and I went on an orchid walk arranged by the county. They have bought 8 hectares of land, on a steep, south facing escarpment, which has ideal conditions for the orchids. After many years of agricultural exploitation the area is now unfertilised and grazed by sheep at certain times of the year which is giving the orchids a chance to re-establish themselves. There are 40 types of orchid in les Landes and 30 of those are in the Tursan area where the site is situated. We saw about 5 different species one of which, serapia lingua, is growing in an abundant patch on our lawn!!
As I write, Monday 5th May, the rain is teeming down again after a very hot and sunny weekend. I am not complaining though as it will give ideal planting conditions for all the summer vegetable plants that I want to get planted out later this week.

March

It has been an extremely bad month, weatherwise. A few springlike days but an awful lot of rain. On speaking to local people it seems that this is not normal and we also hear that it has been very wet in Ariege as well. Some days we have had persistent rain and other days torrential downpours. Easter was early this year, the weekend of the 22nd, and it was cold,wet and miserable. On Easter Saturday we went to a vide grenier (car boot sale) in Geaune, not many stall holders there and they all looked fed up! We had a nice meal, though, in the Auberge there which cheered us up somewhat. Today, the 29th, the sun is shining and the sky is blue, what a change from the past few weeks. The garden is looking very green and no doubt will now spring into life after all the rain.