4 Etoiles de Pau - Dressage Day

Friday the 23 October was the first day of the 4 star event in Pau.When I wrote my blog, last year, I was contacted by Jill in New South Wales who had read it. She was visiting family in the UK this year and was very keen to visit Pau as well. We started e mailing each other and I helped her sort out flights and booked her into a hotel very close to where the event takes place.
Her flight landed at Pau at 10am and I met her there and we went straight to the event. We had a very pleasant day, alternating between watching the dressage tests in the main arena and watching the riders warm up in the practise ring. In between we had a picnic lunch and a couple of glasses of wine. Lots of chatting and we got on very well. I was very interested to hear about her life at the other side of the world.
At the end of the day Oliver Nicolson was place first, Andrew Nicolson 2nd and Dirk Schrade was 3ed. We had both been very imressed with Dirk Schrade's test. When the dressage was over I dropped Jill at the hotel and came back home after we had arranged to meet again tomorrow.

Saturday 24^th October – Cross Country Day.

I didn’t have a very early start as the 4 star cross country wasn’t due to start until 1pm. I got there about 11.30 and despite going to the paying car park I still wasn’t asked to pay any car parking charges which was a bonus! There was a considerable queue at the entry and it must have taken a good 20 minutes to get through. Once inside the park I wandered up to the restaurant area and Jill found me almost immediately. She was very pleased as she thought she had found something that she wanted to take back home with her as a souvenir of a trip to Pau. We went and had a look, at one of the tack stands, and it was indeed a good idea. It was a folding mounting block which should easily go into her case and also be very useful. After she had purchased it we went and got some water and a sandwich each and walked over to the lake complex where we had decided to spend some time watching the first few competitors. Jill’s portable mounting block came in very useful as a seat and I had my shooting stick so we were soon settled and eating our sandwiches. It was very mild and I had left coat, brolly and hat in the car but we did have a shower at some point but fortunately it didn’t last for long. In the end I was thankful that I had left everything as I didn’t have much to carry around.

Although the event was due to start at 1pm it was in fact 2pm when the first rider,Mark Kylke, came through. He is a very brave man as he has 3 horses in the event today! We watched the first few horses through the lake complex and then moved around the course staying at different fences for a while. Thankfully, although there were more people there than last year, it wasn’t too crowded and it was easy to wander around and choose which fences we wanted to see. At the end of the day Dirk Schrade was in the lead. William Fox-Pitt had a stop at one fence and Oliver Nicolson was well placed.

One of Jill’s requests was that she wanted to have a “real” French meal whilst she was here and this had cost me some sleepless nights!! What a responsibility. After much trawling around restaurant reviews I had picked the “O Gascon” in the old area of Pau and booked a table for 7pm. The cross-country finished at 5pm and we made our way to the bar tent and had a drink and looked at the results. Then back to the car and we drove into Pau. We had an hour or so to kill so Jill was able to see the castle and stroll around the old area of town before going to the restaurant. Thankfully the meal, and the wine, was good and Jill thoroughly enjoyed the gastronomic experience. It was good that I had booked as the restaurant was full by 7.30 and they were turning people away. We left about 9.30 and rushed back to the car through some pretty heavy rain and I took Jill back to the hotel and we said our goodbyes. I felt quite sad leaving her as over the last couple of days I felt that we had become good friends.

Neither of us were there for the final day as Jill had to catch a train back to Toulouse for her flight to London and I didn't feel like driving down there again.

Dirk Schrade was the eventual winner.

Thursday 24th September. Back to my Roots

I'm leaving Nigel in charge and going back to the North for 12 days.
Nigel took me to the train station in Mont de Marsan and I caught the 10am train to Bordeaux.
Shuttle to the airport from the train station and I had a snack after checking in and before boarding the 2.40pm plane for Liverpool.
It was a good flight and as we left Bordeaux I had a wonderful view of the estuary of the Gironde, Royan, the ile d'Oleron and the ile de Re. It clouded over for a while but as we flew over Devon I was able to see the moors and then the Severn estuary.
Landed safely at Liverpool and caught the bus to Lime Street train station.
Train to Leeds where Christine and David met me at 7.15pm.
Back to their home, wonderful curry, lots of chat and off to bed.
Looking forward to my holiday and seeing Steve tomorrow.

Friday 25th September.

Lots of plans were made for today and lots of plans went awry!! Firstly Christine had a call from a close friend to say that her mother (who she was nursing at home) had just died and could Christine go round. Of course she had to go so our plans for the morning were put aside. It turned out for the best really as David and I went for a lovely walk, up Hope Lane, onto the moor and up to the trig. point. Then back down the other side of Hope Hill, across to the golf club and back, down West Lane home. Many memories for me, on the moors, as I used to ride over them every week.
David had to pick up his car, later in the afternoon, from the garage so they asked if I would like to have a look at Bradford town centre. It's many, many years since I have been there and I knew that it would be different but how different it was came as a big shock. In the days, back in the 60's, when I worked there it was a prosperous town, centre of the wool trade. Now it looks neglected and forgotten and is not a nice town at all. Many towns have been regenerated but poor old Bradford looks to have been forgotten. Not a place I would choose to go back to again.
Back home we had a call from Steve to say that he would be arriving in Shipley at 5.40 so we said that we would pick him up there. This is where the next lot of plans go awry. He was to be staying with Max and Beryl (his wife's uncle and aunt) as there is not a lot of spare room at Christine and David's and we were all having a meal there on the Saturday evening. However, about half an hour before we were to pick him up Beryl rang to say that she was feeling very ill, bad cold/flu and what should we do. None of us wanted to catch anything so the meal was cancelled, Steve would stay with us and hopefully we would see her when she recovered. We picked Steve up at the station and filled him in with the new plan. He wasn't too happy about sleeping on a spare mattress in my room, he says that I snore! So he ended up sleeping in the attic. Not as bad as it sounds as there is a ladder up there, it has a floor and is boarded in and he was very comfortable up there.
Once all this was sorted out we went for my first Yorkshire treat, fish and chips at Websters cafe in the village. They were wonderful, so wonderful that I had to have a photo of them!

Saturday 26th September.

David was off at 8am to play golf. The plan was that Christine and I would drop Steve off at the golf driving range on the way to the boot sale. However, as we were having breakfast, David came back after walking off the golf course after a minor dispute with his partner! So on to plan B. David and Steve went off to the driving range and Christine and I to the boot sale at Esholt. Not very big but a lot of interesting things to look at and I bought quite a few books which are even cheaper than those in the charity shops.
Steve and I were to go to Ken and Kays for lunch. I had rung Ken to say that Steve was here and could we pop over. Ken said that he was about to go down to the butchers and should he buy a pork pie for me! How well he knows me!. A good pork pie is always a treat for me when I am back in the UK. Christine dropped me off at Ken and Kays and shortly afterwards David dropped Steve off. Their friend, Eileen, from Portugal, was there as well and we all sat down to lunch. The pork pie was one of the best I have ever had so I had to have 2 helpings. Later in the afternoon Ken dropped us back at David and Christines.

Sunday

Another boot sale day for Christine and me, this time close to Leeds/Bradford airport. David and Steve planned to play golf, Steve wants to conquer Baildon golf course which is very different to the type of courses that he normally plays on.
The boot sale was much larger than the one we went to at Esholt and there were a lot of people there. A lot of rubbish but I did buy even more books! When we left there we drove over to the Chevin to have a look at the house that Mark and family are hoping to buy. It's a nice house with a beautiful view so I hope that they are able to complete the purchase. We then went down to Otley and had a quick look round the farmers market before having a coffee and a sandwich for lunch.
Back to Baildon and the "boys". David was extremely pleased to have beaten Steve at golf, it made his day!
A lazy afternoon followed, for me at any rate, as I looked at the papers and watched the European 3 day event on TV whilst David and Christine cooked a splendid roast dinner.
Steve is off early in the morning, taxi to the station is booked for 6.15am. It has been a real bonus to have him here for the weekend.

Monday

When I spoke to my brother, Ken, and told him that I would be in Baildon he asked me if there was anywhere I would like to go. After some thought I said that I would like to go to Morecambe.
When I was a child we spent our holidays, for many years, in Morecambe. The first few times we stayed at a hotel called the Strathmore, it must have been soon after the war as I was quite young. Then my father rented a flat, on Sandylands, for a month and mum and I stayed there and dad visited at weekends. Morecambe not only had donkeys on the beach, they also had horses and I spent a lot of time leading the donkeys along the beach in return for a ride back to the stables on one of the horses. I also went to a riding school at Heysham and remember some wonderful gallops on the sands. I learned to swim in the open air pool, the lido, which was where the Miss Great Britain beauty contest was held. So I have many happy memories of the town.
Ken and Kay picked me up on Monday morning, sadly the weather didn't look too promising. We drove a very different way to the way dad used to go as the roads have now changed so much. When we got to Morecambe it was starting to drizzle. We drove north along the promenade and I was very surprised to see that the Strathmore Hotel is still there although somewhat tarted up now. We drove back to the town centre and parked close to the Midland Hotel, a beautiful art deco building that has been restored to its former glory. Sadly the rest of the town looks very sad and down at heel. It seems that the area around the Midland is the only part that has been cared for. The open air pool has gone and nearby a statue of Eric Morecambe has been erected. By now it was raining quite heavily and after a quick look at the statue, and a photo call, we got back into the car. We drove on to Heysham and found somewhere to have a pub lunch before driving back to Ken and Kays at Micklethwaite. They later dropped me back to Baildon. A somewhat sad return to the past but I am glad that I have been. There were so many memories there but I certainly do not want to return.

tuesday 29th September.

From boot sales to charity shops, we know where to shop we do!! Harrogate today to browse the charity shops and meet up with Veronica. Veronica lived close to me when we were children so I have known her longer than any other friend, all our lives. After living all of her life in Baildon she moved to a flat in Harrogate a couple of years ago. We had a long chatty lunch and a wander round the shops before taking Veronica back to her flat. Christine has a bad knee at the moment so she wasn't able to climg the 3 flights of stairs so I went up just for a quick look. Although Veronica is not keen on living in a flat it does have a very nice view of the Stray but of course after having her own garden for so long it is not the same.

Wednesday 30th September.

More charity shops - Ilkley this time! Christine and I had a good time browsing the upmarket charity shops in the town and I just bought a rather nice blouse. We had lunch there and then back "home".

Thursday 1st October.

In the morning we all walked into the village. David went off and Christine and I had a coffee and a cake before going to the library to use the computer there. David re-joined us and we walked back home. In the afternoon we finally went to see Max and Beryl. Beryl is just beginning to feel better after being quite ill for a week. The weather was nice and we were able to sit out in the garden with a cup of tea and have a long chat. Such a shame that last weekends plans were cancelled due to Beryl's illness.
On Thursday evening I was able to achieve the ambition of a lifetime! Christine had mentioned that their son, Mark, had bought a Burmese Python a couple of years ago. I have always wanted to handle such a beast so immediately asked if I could visit him. The snake, name of Dutch, is "lodging" at the moment at Mark's friends in Idle as Mark and family are moving house. We got there at 7pm and I was so excited!! Mark said that I had better sit down as Dutch is quite heavy, when Mark appeared with him I was awestruck. He is a wonderful colour as he is an albino and quite some size. Mark draped him around me and he seemed quite content to lie still and let me stroke him. What an experience, never to be forgotten, one of the highlights of my life!!!!!!!!

Friday 2nd October.

Christine went to her friend's mothers funeral in the morning and David went to do the supermarket shop. I walked down to the village to meet my cousin Margaret who came over from Rathmell. We went over to the Cow and Calf on Ilkley moor and met up with her brother Peter and his wife Jean for lunch. We had a lot to talk about. Since I last met them, their mother my Auntie Jean has died and also Margaret's husband Ron. Although we are not very good at keeping in touch we always get on well when we do meet up. It was really good to see them again. We left about 3pm and Margaret dropped me in Ilkley where I bought some postcards and Christine picked me up. In the evening Christine and I went to Websters again, at my request, as I wanted another fish and chip supper! Making hay while the sun shines!!

Saturday 3rd October.

What a day. Strong wind and heavy rain. Not a day for David to be golfing! We decided to go to Sainsbury's at Keigthly as I had been borrowing a housecoat of Christine's and hoped that they still may have some in stock. Sadly no housecoat but they did have a clothing sale on and I was tempted to buy a few items! On the way back we stopped off at the butchers, in Micklethwaite, and bought one of their amazing pork pies for lunch. In the afternoon Christine and I went to the flower festival in Baildon Parish Church. So many memories. We were both married there and I took confirmation classes and was confirmed there. The flowers were beautiful and afterwards we went into the Parochial Hall for a cup of coffee and a meringue for which I was charged the exorbitant price of £2.50 each! Hope the proceeds are going to a worthy cause! Back "home" where we relaxed for the rest of the day with the papers and TV. Well, I relaxed and David and Christine prepared yet another wonderful meal!

Sundasy 4th October -Tuesday 6th October.

Sunday is the day that I leave Christine and David and get delivered, like a parcel, to Sue and Peter! I felt a bit sad to be leaving Christine and David, they are such good friends and they have looked after me so well. I managed to cram everything, even the books, into my suitcase and it still weighed it at under 20 kilos. We left about 11 and drove to Holmfirth where we met up with Sue and Peter and had a good gossip over lunch. I was at school with Sue so our friendship dates back to 1954 - over 50 years!
We left Holmfirth about 2.30 and drove over Holme Moss and on to Kettleshulme where we had a welcome cuppa and a relax in their very comfortable conservatory. Sue made a lovely meal and afterwards we watched some TV before going off to bed.
We had a lovely day on Monday. They drove me up to Bowstones, high in the Peak Districe, with a splendid view one way of the Peaks and in the other direction of Manchester and the Welsh mountains in the distance. Then we went on to Lyme Hall which was the setting for Pemberley in the TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. We had a coffee before setting off for a walk in the Deer Park. The Park is woodland and moorland and very beautiful. We walked for about an hour and met many dog walkers, wished we had had Rambo with us! Back to the Hall and a quick look around the beautifully landscaped gardens before going to have a look at the Macclesfield canal. Seeing the canal brought back memories of our times on the canal back in the '70's. Fortunately there was a pub nearby and we sat out in the sun and I enjoyed a welcome pint of good bitter!
Back to Sue and Peters for a late lunch and a catch up with the papers and crosswords. Lots of chatting! So good to catch up with old friends.
Early start on Tuesday as they were taking me to Manchester airport where I was to catch the coach to Liverpool airport at 7.30am.
The journey back went well and Nigel picked me up at the train station at 7pm. So good to be back home!!

New Sofa.

I finally managed to drag N out,to go sofa hunting! I have never had a new sofa and now that we have moved our sitting room into what we were using as the dining room I decided that now was the time to have one. En route he gave me a talk about bargaining, not my best attribute. The first 2 places we went were very upmarket and far too expensive. Next stop prices were within our budget but only one sofa tempted us, comfortable, right size, right colour but awful covering. I found it surprising how many sofas were not at all comfortable. Last hope was Conforama, big chain of furniture shops. Didn't hold out much hope but Hallelujah we found it! Much trying out of and much chat with amused guy who was hoping to sell it to us. Finally said that we would buy it and he went off to see if they had it in stock. When he came back he said that it was the last one so I immediately asked if there was a discount, with no prompting from N. There was a matching chair, he asked if we wanted that and I said no.Well, to be honest I woukd have liked it but that and the sofa were too expensive. Off he went and came back, he offered just 40 euros off the sofa but said if we took the chair as well he would give us 20% off the pair. Well, we certainly have room for a chair as well so we did the deal. Delivery charges are expensive but they hire out vans for 20 euros an hour so I asked if we could have free van hire as well to which he agreed.

I felt very proud of myself!! So we got it home straight away, 2 neighbours unloaded it for us and I am now able to sit in luxury! Added bonus: the sofa is a three seater and 2 positions havc reclining mechanism and footrest as does the chair. I'm in heaven!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Michel and Lucas 'party.

So, Saturday the 22nd of August is the big day for Michel and Lucas. Earlier in the year Michel was 50 and Lucas was 18. Michel is divorced, lives in Perron and has two sons, Lucas and Rafael. We don't know them that well but they were all invited to our aperitif evening so we are invited to their celebrations in the village hall. We had been told that 107 people were expected for the day. It is the custom to take a present but we had been asked to make a financial contribution instead as they are hoping to take a trip to Spain. Something we were only too happy to do, much easier than buying a present!
The invitation stated that aperitifs started at 12pm but after conferring with Sophie we went down there at about 1pm as the aperitifs usually go on for quite some time. It was another hot day, the village hall doesn't have air conditioning but all the doors and windows were open. There were 3 long tables running down the hall with the top table joining them at the top end of the hall. The decorations were red and yellow, the colours of Spain in deference to Michel's ancestry.
There were already a lot of people there, most of them clustered around the bar, and we first went round everyone that we knew, shaking hands or kissing them. Drinks were free, I asked for a sangria, and people were circulating with beautifully presented "nibbles". Not long after we arrived Michel,Lucas and Rafael arrived all three of them on mopeds with their names as their number plates. We had another glass of sangria and carried on chatting. By 2 pm there was still no sign of people making their way to the tables so we had another drink, tonic water this time due to the fact that there will be wine served with the meal.
Finally, at about 2.30 people started making their way to the tables. Sophie had sorted out which table we from Perron were going to sit at so Nigel and I stood guard, repelling invaders, until the rest of our party was seated. Many at our table were helping with the service, the meal was catered but the service and clearing was undertaken by friends.
We started with melon, dried ham, pate, tomato and lettuce with a very nice dressing accompanied by rose wine. Next came the fish course, an unnamed fish with an extremely tasty sauce. The main course was a thick slice of rare roast beef accompanied by the eternal haricots (tinned of course!) and bottles of red Bordeaux. This was followed by a slice of sheep's cheese with black cherry jam and a green salad. Finally the dessert was birthday cake. It seems to be the custom that the cake has to be shown to everyone before it is sliced up and apportioned out. Lucas brought his cake round and Alain "paraded" Michel's cake. Then of course coffee and Armagnac was served. By the time we stood up from the table it was 6.30pm and we were all replete!
Many people then left to take a breather before the next round of festivies and we were only too happy to do the same. We went back again about 9pm and it seemed that most of the guests had been back home for a breather as well. The bar was, by this time, sadly lacking in soft drinks although there still seemed to be whiskey and pastis available. Opting for safety we shared a beer and a lemonade which combined to make a lukewarm, flat shandy!! Standing outside in the cool of the evening we could see the two huge pans of paella being prepared for the next round of eating. We chatted for an hour or so and then the karaoke started!!!!!!!! Oh dear!! We both decided that it would be good to make a quiet exit, too much noise and it looked as if it would be quite some time before the paella appeared, not that we were hungry anyway.
It was certainly a good time and another insight into life in Castandet (quartier Perron.)

Burning the pine.

Our neighbour Michel was 50 earlier in the year and his son, Lucas, celebrated his 18th birthday earlier in the year. As is local custom two "mais" or "pins" were erected in honour of these occasions and on Friday the 21st of August we were invited for aperitifs in order to "water" the pine trees and then watch them taken down and burnt. This evening was only a prelude to the next day when many more people had been invited to celebrate these events in the village hall - more of that later.
We walked down to Michel's at about 8pm and there were quite a few people already there, about 20 or so I should think. This time we managed to do the polite thing and saluted everyone with kisses or handshakes.! There were quite a few people there that we hadn't met before including some Spanish cousins as, apparently, Michel is of Spanish origin. Otherwise it was the usual culprits! Bernard and Chantal, Pascal, Sophie and Phillippe, Dominique and Christine, Michel's other son Rafael and his girlfriend, Olivier and various children. We accepted a drink and sat around and chatted for a while before we got to the business of the evening. Dominique wielded the chain-saw and cut down the pine and then cut it into smaller pieces for burning. It was just falling dusk when they set fire to it and it burned very well, thankfully no sparks setting light to anything else - at least we had two firemen in attendance, Phillippe and Pascal. Mme Gourdon(Monique) came over to watch the fire and I walked over to have a chat with her. As always the chat turned into quite a long monologue from her but I was only too happy to listen to her. Then back to the table and more drinks and nibbles were served. Aftera couple of Martinis I thought I should go onto something a little weaker so I changed over to Tonic water whereas Nigel was given another, and maybe another as well, pastis with no option of refusing it! I had a chat with the son of Dominique and Christine, a charming young man who is at university and speaks good English, he is very keen to visit London. Nigel and Olivier were chatting away in a mixture of French and English, both of them finding this much easier after a couple or three pastis! We made our way home at about 11pm as we know that it will be a long day tomorrow!!

Surprise Party.

One of the reasons for Janneke and Barclay's visit to Ariege was to organise a surprise party to celebrate Martins' 60th birthday which was in June. Janneke had e mailed me a few months ago to tell me all about it. The plan was that they would be at Landry for 10 days and that many friends and relatives from Holland would arrive for the weekend of the 8th August, the date the party was to be held. When we saw Martin and Mieke, at Corry's party, we said that we would be back on the 8th to see Janneke and Barclay making, of course, no mention of the party. When Janneke and Barclay visited us,during the precious week, they said that there were between 40 and 50 guests arriving from Holland on the 7th, many would be in caravans or bringing tents and some would be in B and B accomodation.
We went over to Ariege on the Thursday and once again we were able to base ourselves at Caoutelle. Jez and family were there along with a friend of Cissies and we had a pleasant evening with them, dinner on the patio which terminated with an amazing display of thunder and lightening. Jez and the children left next morning, Caroline wasn't leaving until the next day.
We went over to Landry in the afternoon and met, on the road to there, Martin and some of the guests who werre going into Pamiers. When we got to Landry Mieke still hadn't realised what was happening. Janneke had gone shopping and there were a couple of caravans there and about 10 people including one of Miekes sisters. At this point all Mieke knew was that they had all decided to call in after a holiday in Spain. I asked if she was expecting anyone else and she said "no thirteen is enough, already". Little did she know. After sitting and chatting for a while Janneke returned and we had a brief chat with her before saying our farewells.
The plan was to have the party at Landry and they had made arrangements, with the mayor of St Michel, to borrow the chairs and tables from the village hall. The mayor said that if the weather was wet they could use the village hall. The weather looked unsettled but when we arrived, at about 4pm on Saturday, they had taken the bull my the horns and decided to have it at Landry. There were a lot of people there!!! Apparently, when Martin got back from Pamiers on Friday afternoon, after we had left, Anna their other daughter was there. He immediatly thought that there had been a disaster as she wasn't supposed to be there! Janneke said that it was soon after we had left and other people started to arrive that they had told her parents what was afoot!
It seemed that they had all celebrated well into the early hours of Saturday morning before starting again after lunch. The beer and wine were flowing and Janneke and Anna, along with quite a few of the ladies, were busy in the kitchen. The Dutch are like the French with everyone shaking hands and introducing themselves to us. A pleasant custom but no way were we going to remember all those strange sounding Dutch names. The only one whose name I remembered was the husband of one of the Dutch ladies introduced himself to me as Rafael from Barcelona! So the afternoon slipped pleasantly away and soon the barbecue was alight and Barclay and some helpers were cooking the meat. The ladies emerged from the house with dishes of salad, couscous, pasta, tomatoes, rice and tortillas. A few local people arrived to swell the numbers and the evening drifted on. We finally said our goodbyes. Martin was very emotional, so overcome by the fact that so many people had made such a trip to come to his party.

A surprise visit.

Several years ago Janneke, the daughter of Martin and Mieke, visited her parents and met Barclay, a young man from Nicaragua, who was staying with them and helping Martin to build his barn.It may not have been love at first sight but it was obvious, over the coming weeks, that they were becoming very close. Janneke went back to Holland and Barclay back to Switzerland, where he was staying and working with friends, but they carried on meeting when they were able. They eventually became enaged and married in Nicaragua in 2005. We were invited to the wedding but only Nigel was able to go as I stayed at Carol to look after all the animals.
Since then they have settled in Holland, Barclay has learned to speak Dutch and has done his apprenticeship as a plumber. In February this year they had a baby, Kenai. They came down to Landry on the 30th July to visit Martin and Mieke. Janneke rang me the following Monday to ask if they could come over the next day and stay overnight and of course we were delighted to say yes. We had met up with them when they were down last year, for lunch, a meeting which was all too brief.
We spent a wonderful 24 hours with them this time and were able to make the acquaintence of Kenai. He is a very good humoured little chap and much adored by his parents. Barclay is more than happy to spend time with him and when we got up the next morning Barclay was wandering round the garden with Kenai talking and laughing with him.

Opera aux fenetres.

Last night we went to the old village of La Bastide d'Armagnac to watch a performance of the Opera at the Windows. This takes place in the "Place Royale" in the centre of the village, a stunning site for such a show. For a period of 10 days professional and amateur musicians, singers and actors get together to produce the show which takes place for just 2 performances. The theme is somewhat mysterious but the basis of the show was explained afterwards by the producer. A long time ago the surface of the" place royale" was of hard sand and the villagers gathered there to play quilles and boules . When the square was paved (although it is now not an even surface so it must have been done over a century ago) it was forbidden by the local council to be used for the games. From this little bit of history the show was based on the word "interdit" (forbidden). Somewhere along the line the story of Snow White came into the show! I think it was because they were trying to imagine a world with no such word as forbidden, a fairy tale world.
There were several nests of house martins directly under on of the balconies and despite all the noise going on around they continued to fly into their nests to feed their young adding an extra "song" to the show!
Despite the complications of the "plot" it was an amazing evening with the hard work of all the participants being fully appreciated by the large crowd.

Video below.

More aperitifs.

On Saturday the 18th July we were invited to Olivier and Barbara's. They too had received a "mai" (tree) at the same time as we did as they were also new to the village. As is the custom they had to "water" it, like we did, and offer aperitifs to the neighbours.
We strolled down the lane at about 7pm and, surprisingly, we weren't the first people to arrive. Mme Gourdon and Mme Lamothe were sitting near the entrance to the garden and we said hello to them before going to say hello to Olivier and Barbara and giving them a bottle of champagne and some Smarties for little Romeo. Olivier offered us a drink, which we accepted, and I then realised that we had made the faux pas of not walking round everyone first and kissing or shaking hands with them! One day I shall remember to do so! Michel Quintaillou was there with his 2 sons and one girlfriend who had also been to our party. They didn't stay too long as they were going in to the fete de la Madeleine. Bernard and Chantal were there as well as M Lamothe, Sophie and Phillippe, Christine and Dominique.. M and Mme Lamothe look very frail, not surprising as they are in their 80's but they do seem much frailer than when we first came. Jean-Marc and Pascale soon arrived, closely followed by Pascal and his wife (who I have not met before). I escorted Mme Lamothe and Mme Gourdon, one on each arm, down the garden to look at Mme Gourdon's vegetable garden (which is immediately behind the garden of Olivier and Barbara). Mme Gourdon has a very impressive vegetable plot, she must grow for Jean-Marc and family as well as it is quite a size.
Several more people arrived, some whom we had not met before, including the young farmer and his family and his mother. Second time we have met them, must find out their names!
We got talking to Pascal's wife (must find out her name too!) and got on very well with her. Her father was in the military and she had lived in Germany in her youth. She spoke a little English, enough for her and Nigel to communicate in a mixture of French and English, and we chatted for a long time. I never got round, though, to asking why she didn't come with Pascal to our party. She did say though that she doesn't go to many of the village "do's". They are from Nancy and have been here for 11 years, Pascal is a fireman at the military base in Mont de Marsan as well as playing the drums in a local banda. She doesn't seem to be into that and says that she goes to the Loto, at which point I asked if I could go with her sometime. I think that it is like bingo, held in different villages most weeks in the autumn and winter. I think I would enjoy it and also meet more people. They have some good prizes too!! I also had a long chat with the young farmers mother, I have met her before and chatted when out with Rambo. As the evening wore on I noticed that most of the women had disappeared and asked Pascals wife why they had left. She explained that is what happens in this part of the world!! Ladies go home and men stay on chatting and drinking!! By the time that we left (about 12.30am) there was only Christine, Dominique's wife left to represent the gentler sex!
It was a very good evening and so nice that we are now made to feel so welcome in our little community of Perron.

Fete de la Madeleine.

The fete de la Madeleine takes place each year, over 5 days, in Mont de Marsan. It is one of the largest fetes in the south west and people come from all over. The town centre is closed to traffic and many people camp in and around the town.
I went in on the Saturday morning to watch the "encierro". I had a walk around the town first and saw all the temporary bars and restaurants that had been set up in the town centre. The streets were full of people and "bandas" were parading and playing in the streets. Bandas are orchestras that play music at all the fetes in the region. Many towns have their own banda and colourful uniform. I saw one banda who had a little boy, of about 6, playing the drum and tapping his foot to the rythem of the music.
Mont de Marsan has a large bull ring and one of the main activities, over the 5 days, is bullfighting. It is very popular in this part of the world and it seems that they have some famous matadors who perform here each year. The "encierro" is the running of the bulls and a part of the street from the main roundabout to the bull ring was fenced off for this. The bulls ran from the bullring through the street and then into a lorry that was parked at the end of the safety railings and then back again.

Fete de Castandet.

The fete de Castandet took place on the 10th-13th July and we were finally able to get to it. The first year that we were here Nigel was suffering from bad toothache, last year he was in hospital so this year we were hoping that it would be 3rd time lucky!
Saturday evening was the bodega, food and drinks, followed by a capea. A capea is a demonstration by young boys from the bullfighting school who show off their prowess with some young bull calves!
We had had a meal earlier so just went to have a drink and watch the capea which was due to start at 9.30 but of course, this being Les Landes, it didn't start until 10.15! By then it was dark but the temporary arena was floodlit so that was no problem. I suspect that the youngest boys were about 14 and the older ones 16 or 17. Although the calves are not that big they were very agile and fleet of foot and I wouldn't have wanted to be standing in there with them. Each of the lads "did his bit", a new calf for each one and showed off their ability with the cape. They were encouraged by their "teacher" and family from the sidelines which brought to my mind the similarity of parents the world over. Although in my case, it was parents shouting and encouraging their children from the sidelines of the football pitch! At the end of each "turn" the lads strutted round the ring to cheers and clapping from the crowd. Sadly, for the last lad, the final calf didn't seem to get the hang of things and was quite happy to just stand and wonder what he was supposed to do! By this time Nigel had had enough of the noise and the hard wooden seating so we decided to leave.
Monday night was the final night of the fete and the big meal. We went down about 8.30 knowing that things wouldn't get going until quite a bit later but in time to have an aperitif first. In retrospect we could have probably had half a dozen aperos in the time we were waiting! By the time we had joined up with neighbours from Perron (about 9.45) and decided to sit down, we found that most of the tables had been reserved by people writing their names on the paper tablecloths. We finally got organised and they set up an extra table for us so we were all able to sit together. I have to say that we have had better meals. The soup was fine, the salad nicoise was a stodgy mess of rice, tuna and haricot beans. This was followed by "tete de veau", calves head, in sauce ravigote. I managed to eat a little of it, can't let the side down, and if one can avoid the fatty bits I have to say that it was very tasty. Nigel on the other hand just served himself some of the sauce which he wiped up with his bread. Next was steak and chips, the steak was fine and a lot of it too but the chips appeared later and were barely cooked and very oily. Desser was ice cream which was apparently OK but I couldn't face any more food! Just before we finished eating it started to rain but thankfully not too heavily and not enough for everyone to get up and rush for cover. We left then, giving a lift to Pascale and one of her daughters, and left the others to return to the bar. A good evening, despite the food, in good company.

Trip to Ariege.

We were invited to join in the 60th birthday celebrations of Corry, a Dutch friend of ours, which were to be held in the village hall in Artigat on the 6th July. We were lucky to be offered the use of the holiday house of our friends Jez and Caroline in Le Fossat so we decided to go for a long weekend. The previous Thursday saw us packing up and installing Rambo in the car ready for the drive over there. Thankfully the weather was cloudy, the previous few days we had had temperatures up to 40C, so it was much better for travelling. We used the sat nav, successfully, for the first time although it was somewhat of a magical mystery tour! After a brief stop at the patisserie, for pizza, in Lezat we arrived at Caoutelle at 6.30 and opened up the house. It's quite some while since anyone was there so we had to fight our way through the cobwebs to open up the shutters. The first job was to sweep up all the dead bees which had somehow managed to find a way into the house. After making up the bed and letting Rambo stretch his legs we settled down with the pizza, a glass of wine and finished with a game of Scrabble before going to bed.
On Friday morning we went into Pamiers and did some shopping at Carrefour before heading back to Fossat and a long,lazy lunch at "chez Janine". Back at Caoutelle where we found Rambo very happy to see us return and off to bed for a siesta!
We had invited Mike and Jik for dinner in the evening so after the siesta it was time to start preparing the meal. Sadly the weather was heavy and thundery so we had to abandon plans of eating outside. It was good to see them again and we had a very pleasant evening with them.
On Saturday morning Nigel went over to St Martin d'Oydes to call on Sjef who we thought was back from Holland as indeed he was. Nigel had not long been returned when Sjef, who had decided to go out for a walk, called in to say hello to me as well, a nice surprise. We were invited to Martin and Miekes for Saturday evening and on the way there we called in to say hello to Rudd and Kitty some more Dutch friends of ours who have a holiday home in Bajou. Then on to Landry where, after a look at all the animals and the veg. garden we spent a pleasant evening, on the terrace, catching up with Martin and Mieke.
On Sunday morning Nigel and Rambo walked down to Fossat to the boulangerie and 8 to 8 ( as if a shop in rural France would actually keep those hours) to pick up a few necessities and then we drove over to Carol. There was no-one at home so I left a note saying that we would call again the next day.
Sunday afternoon we went over to Mike and Jiks where I had arranged with Jik to watch the me Wimbledon mens finals. Unfortunately it was a 5 set final and we had to leave after the 4th set in order to go back to Caoutelle to prepare for the party.
The party was to start at 8pm and we had been told that everyone had to be there on time! An unusual occurrence in this part of the world! It was a good evening, about 75% Dutch and most of Corrys family had come down for the party. I was pleased to meet up with several of my old Scrabble friends who gave me a warm welcome. The Artigat dancers gave a display and Corry and Hans did a tour of the hall on a bicycle, Corry riding pillion to great cheers from the assembled guests. The theme of the evening was the "60's" and Mike had but together a great tape of many of my old favourites! Various people did sketches and songs throughout the evening. Tapas and sangria were served at the start of the evening and later we were served with grilled sardines, sausages, pork ribs and salad. Sadly there seemed to be a huge amount of food left over but I learned that most of it was used up next day. The evening continued with dancing and even Nigel managed to take to the floor!! At midnight, which heralded the start of Corrys birthday, we were served with Champagne before it was time for everyone to take their leave after a very good evening.
On Monday morning we went back to Carol and found Dominique and Jean-Marc at home along with a couple of their friends. We sat and chatted for a while and admired baby Ines who is now almost 6 months old. They have finished converting Nigels "workshop" which led off the sitting room. About 3/4 of the space is now a sitting area with French windows out to the rear of the house and the other 1/4 is a separate toilet and utility room. There is now a door from there into the kitchen. They have recently started work on the bathroom and there is now a shower in there and the bath has been taken out, they hope to complete the work in the next couple of weeks. We walked round to the rear of the house and said hello to the horses who were standing under the trees swishing their tails to try and get rid of the flies. We then did a tour of the "garden" which has sadly become very overgrown although they are managing to find the time to grow some vegetables. When I look at it now I marvel that we managed to keep on top of it all!
On Monday evening we had invited Tim and Tina for a meal and we had a very pleasant evening with them before going to bed for our last evening at Caoutelle. After packing up, tidying the house and checking that all was safe we left on Tuesday morning and drove over to Tajan to have lunch with Kate and Peter before returning home in the evening.

Fete de la Musique.

The local fete de la musique took place the evening that we got back from our holidays so we thought it would be good to go with Tony and Mags to give them a taste of village life.
The programme stated that aperitifs would start at 7. 30 and the meal at 8.30. Knowing that these things never run to time we got there about 8.15. It didn't look as if there were that many there so we resigned ourselves to having a drink and waiting for things to happen. There was a group from Toulouse who were playing rather loud music so we took our drinks outside for a while. Slowly, more and more people turned up and the crowd round the bar got thicker and thicker. Another drink and we asked Sophie what time we could expect to eat, about 9pm she said. About 9 Sophie suggested that we take our places at the table she had reserved for us and our neighbours. Alain was sitting next to me and by 9.30 he was getting quite angry about the lack of food!! It seems that there is a hard core of "drinkers" who are reluctant to leave the bar and also a reluctance on the part of the organisers to close it as of course the profits go to whoever is organising the evening. Finally, at about 9.45, starters appeared and the bar shut and the rest of the evening got underway. After the starters, melon and ham, the main course of magret de canard and stuffed baked potatoes arrived and kept arriving. Not only seconds but thirds and fourths as well ! It must have been 11pm when everyone had eaten their fill and this was the time that the pupils of the Castandet school of music were due to give their "recital". We felt so sorry for the children as it was so late and their excitement had been building throughout the evening. It was such a big occasion for them! The "recital" only lasted for about half an hour as they showed off their prowess on various instruments. As we commented, their enthusiasm was greater than their ability. A young lad on the drums, so small that one could barely see him behind them, was very good as was the last performer an older lad on the piano. That over it was back to the food, large platters of sheeps cheese and then dessert. Once dessert was over the group took to the stage again and started on a very special version of what sounded like rap. Most people were amazed at this, some laughing, some looking decidedly shocked! At this point we decided not to wait for coffee and to make our farewells. It had been a long evening and Tony and Mags were leaving the next morning. I think that, although bemused, Tony and Mags enjoyed their taste of village life but would not be too willing to repeat it on a regular basis.!

Holidays. June 2009

Our friends, Tony and Mags, arrived on the 13th May ready to have their holiday here whilst looking after Rambo for us as well.

Day 1. CASTANDET TO BORDEAUX.

We left the next morning and our first stop was Bordeaux. I had bought a GPS much to Nigels dismay, I reckoned that it would save some domestic disputes! However by the time we got to Bordeaux the battery was not charged, is it a duff GPS or did I not charge it up properly? Well, at least that has solved the problem of Nigel complaining every time it told us where to go!!
We parked at the park and ride on the outskirts of Bordeaux. Bordeaux has a very modern and efficient tram service. Three lines serve the network. Parking plus the return trip, to the city centre, was just 6 euros for the 2 of us, a bargain we reckoned in these days of car park fees. Whilst we were waiting for the tram there was a public service announcement to say that the tram could not go beyond a certain area due to a demonstration in the town centre. We had to get off about 3 stops before the town centre, so with no map of the town we just had to try and walk in the right direction. It was soon time for lunch so we had a relaxing hour or so eating our lunch and watching the world go by. It was a very hot day so everywhere we went we walked or sat in the shade if it was at all possible. After lunch we found our way to the banks of the Garonne and eventually found the town centre and the tourist office where we were able to get a map and to relax for a while in the air conditioned building.
The architecture in the old town is stunning and the banks of the Garonne have recently been renovated and planted out.
We walked through the old town and had an ice cream stop before visiting the Beaux Arts art gallery. At this point we came across the demonstration which was still going on - a Gay Pride march I found out by asking a bystander. This explained some of the very bizarrely dressed people that we had seen! Apart from the tremendous noise that they were making there seemed to be no problems and no signs of violence.
Entrance to the Beaux Arts was free and it was worth going in if only for the air conditioning! I don't think either of us was very impressed with the paintings but one certainly took my eye. Sadly I can't remember who painted it. It was an extremely large work and depicted the scene on the quay in the centre of town back in the early 18th century. It was such an interesting work and so full of detail. The sort of painting one could look at again and again and still find something one had missed beforehand.
A brief walk around the park and we made our way back to the town centre. The rue Ste Catherine is the longest pedestrianised street in Europe and is full of many major retail shops The historic part of the city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble" of the 18th century.
The Grand Theatre which stands in the centre of the old town was designed by the architect Victor Louis and was conceived as a temple of the Arts and Light The inside of the theatre was restored in 1991, and once again has its original colours of blue and gold. The Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux is the oldest wooden frame opera house in Europe not to have burnt or required rebuilding.Today the theatre is home to the Opéra National de Bordeaux, as well as the Ballet National de Bordeaux.
I managed to encourage Nigel to take a trip around the town on a little tourist "train", not really a train a motorised version of one. It was good to sit down and relax but the trip involved a lot of cobbled streets and we were bounced around a lot! I enjoyed seeing the sights and hearing the commentary but sadly it was not the high point of the day for Nigel!!
Another walk down the rue Ste Catherine and we decided on an Italian restaurant for our evening meal. The waiter was jolly, completely covered in tattoos, well at least the parts of him that were visible.
A short walk back to the tram stop and we were soon on board and on our way back to the car. We managed to find our overnight accomodation, the Formula 1 hotel near the airport, even without the help of the GPS!

Day 2. BORDEAUX TO LA ROCHELLE.
From the hotel we made our way up the left hand side of the Garonne estuary to Verdon-sur-mer where we caught the car ferry to Royan. Thankfully it wasn't as hot as the previous day and there was a nice breeze. Royan is a very popular seaside town with a harbour and a long beach. Lots of seasidey shops and restaurants along the seafront where we walked and browsed. Choosing the right place to have lunch was not a problem as we immediatly went for the 3 courses for 13 euros with a starter of half a lobster which was very acceptable! Then back to the car and we drove up towards La Rochelle. I had booked a hotel in les Minimes which is a smaller seaside town adjoining La Rochelle and boasts the largest marina for pleasure boats in Europe. After booking in Nigel decided to have a siesta so I went out and explored the area. The hotel was not far from the harbour, beach, shops and restaurants so after recconoitering the area I went back to have a relax before we went out for the evening.

Day 3. LA ROCHELLE-ILE DE RE.

Cool, overcast and drizzly morning. Drove the short way to the Aquarium in La Rochelle which is one of Europe's premier aquariums. Spectacular stuff. You enter through an 'elevator' which simulates a ride deep into the sea. When you emerge you are in a tunnel surrounded by water. From there on in it gets better. The highlight must be the "central core" shark tank which must be some 20 metres deep. In effect, you pass by it at three different levels, viewing the sharks from below, and then at eye-level. On leaving the aquarium we had a stroll on the quay admiring the vast array of boats and yachts in the harbour. We had a quick lunch and walked on into the old part of town which is adjacent to the quay. Then back to the car and on our way to our next destination, the ile de Re. After an exciting drive with few directions through the centre of the town we managed to find the road to the bridge which would take us over the island.
The bridge is 3 kms long and was opened in 1988 and Since then, touristic activities on the island have developed considerably, with real estate prices reaching very high levels.We saw properties priced at much more than a million euros! The island has a resident winter population of approximately 16,000 residents and a resident summer population of about 160,000. Since the local population is distributed all over the island, it never gets too crowded. The island is covered by bicycle tracks, with many residents rarely using cars for transportation. Night life consists of going to Saint Martin, the main port, or to La Flotte, to walk along the quays and to potter around the shops, which are open very late. Île de Ré is a low, narrow island some 30km long, fringed by sandy beaches to the southwest and salt marshes and oyster beds to the northeast, with the interior a motley mix of small-scale vine, asparagus and wheat cultivation. All the buildings on Ré are restricted to two storeys and are required to incorporate the typical local features of whitewashed walls, curly orange tiles and green-painted shutters, which give the island villages a southern holiday atmosphere. In years gone by when the islanders used donkeys for agricultural work they "dressed" them in "pyjamas" to protect their legs from biting insects!
Once on the island we made our way to our hotel in the village of La Flotte. We drove past the harbour with its restaurants and shops and eventually found our hotel up a little side street not far from the harbour and shops. Amazingly we found a parking place right outside the hotel. We were shown to our room which was beautiful with french doors opening out onto the patio. Once again, Nigel took to the bed for a siesta and I went out to explore. The village is a maze of narrow streets, white walls and hollyhocks abound. Back to the hotel and we got ready to go for a stroll and a meal. Mussels and oysters abound on the restaurant menus, at one place I counted 13 different ways of serving mussels!!
Next morning we walked a short way out of town and along the beach. At the far end of the beach was a quiet parking area lined with mulberry trees. We decided that it would be nice to spend some time there so I walked back to the hotel, got swim suit and towels, went and bought ingredients for a picnic and drove back to the carpark. We were able to set our chairs in the shade right at the edge of the beach and enjoy a lazy several hours. I went in the sea which was quite warm but quite shallow. I manage to get out far enough to swim but with some difficulty as it was still relatively shallow. Another evening in a restaurant on the quay followed.
Although we had only booked for 2 nights at the hotel we decided to stay an extra night. Our hotel was booked up but we were able to get a room at another hotel on the quayside. So next morning we packed our bags and set off to explore the island and went up to the tip of it where the "lighthouse of the whales" stands. The lighthouse takes its name from the many whales that beached at this spot. The last mass beaching of whales dates from 1920. The Phare des Baleines itself dates from 1854, but it was built to replace a first lighthouse dating from 1682, locally known as the Tour des Baleines (Tower of the Whales). The old tower, of a smaller size and insufficient range, is one of the oldest lighthouses in France and is close by. The present lighthouse is 57 metres high, and can be seen from a distance of around 45km.
After the lighthouse we found a quiet beach where we could sit and relax for a while before going for lunch. We went to St Martin de Re which is one of the main villages of the island. It was much busier - and more expensive- than La Flotte although a very pretty place. Back in La Flotte we checked in to our new hotel for our last night on the island.

ILE DE RE - BOURROU
After a leisurely breakfast we said goodbye to the island and went back over the bridge to the mainland. Our next stop was to be Bourrou, a village in the Dordogne about 20kms south of Periguex where our friends Irene and Fabrice live. We had an uneventful drive there with just a quick stop for a picnic lunch arriving about 4pm.
Irene and I "met" on the internet and we have met a couple of times previously. I met Fabrice once and Irene has been here once. They live on the edge of the village and are in the process of building a house and creating a magical garden. Fabrice is a farmer and he and Irene have a herd of Angora goats, a few sheep, geese, hens, pigs and dogs. The house looks about 200 years old but they have built it from scratch, the wood and the beams being sourced from their forest. They have done so much work there that I can't begin to describe it but if you want to know more have a look at www.lafermedesourrou.blogspot.com

We had a very warm welcome from them both - dogs as well- and settled down to have a good chat. We ate outside on the terrace, steak cooked on the bbq by Fabrice was the main ingredient and very good it was too! Needless to say the wine flowed!
Next day Irene and I went shopping to a nearby village before going back and wandering around the garden, looking at the goats and all the other livestock. Fabrice cooked a splendid Tartiflette for lunch washed down with some more of the local wine. A lazy afternoon followed, another splendid meal and off to bed.
Next day it was time to say goodbye and leave for home. Before leaving Irene and I walked round the garden and she offered me lots of plants and cuttings so we had a full car when we left.

The Party

Well, as I said in the previous post we were now expected to provide aperitif and food for the neighbours who erected our "pin". It seemed a good opportunity, as well, to do a house warming at the same time. I conferred with Sophie, our neighbour, about the date as we had to make sure that there was nothing else planned in the area for the same night. We settled on Saturday the 6th of June as the evening and she assured me that the weather would be fine by then. Sophie also helped me with the wording of the invitation and, once they were printed, I asked Thomas, her son, if he would deliver them for me. By the time that I had added on several other friends it looked as if the total number of guests would be about 30, not counting children. Our friends Kate and Peter who live near Lannemazan planned to come over for the evening and stay overnight, good to have them for moral support.
Preparations started on the Thursday morning when I started preparing the food. A job I love doing but always a problem to know how much to make for so many people. Relying on my memory of previous parties in Ariege I knew that people would eat a lot! Sadly the weather was not good and the forecast didn't promise any improvement. Too late to cancel so we would just have to try and cram everyone into the house if it rained. So, kitchen all day Thursday and most of Friday until about 3pm when we brought the large garden table into the big room next to the kitchen. There are french windows from there out into the garden so it would be easy to move it outside later. Paper plates, serviettes, forks, knives, glasses and bottles all laid out, quick tidy round the house before getting ourselves ready. Thankfully the rain of earlier had stopped and it looked as if we were going to be lucky with the weather and hold the party outside.

Guests were expected to arrive from 7pm onwards. I was outside arranging some chairs at 6.30 when a car pulled into the driveway. Panic, had I got the time wrong! It was Mme Lamothe who has a farm down the road and also makes and sells Armagnac. Don't worry she said, the guests aren't arriving yet. We may be a little late so I have popped up with this for you and presented me with a bottle of 1990 Armagnac. It was just the first surprise among many that followed.

Kate and Peter arrived and we were just having a pre party drink when the neighbours below arrived. Now I must explain about Phillippe and Dominique as I now know them. Although we live so close we have never met them before. We had been told that he is an anaesthetist at the local hospital and that she has a business in Mont de Marsan and that although they have been here for 4 years that they don't integrate in village life. Well.. I decided that we should invite them and I had put an invitation in their postbox. I did recognise him as I had seen him pass by in his car so at least I knew who they were when they walked down the drive. After the introductions they said that they could only stay for half an hour as they had a previous appointment in town where their daughter was playing in a volley ball team. He is very quiet and she is charming and chatty. All too soon they had to leave but before doing so they invited us to their house, tomorrow lunchtime, for an aperitif. So a very successful start to the evening.

By 7.30 the place was buzzing and I was busy serving aperos and welcoming everyone ably helped by Nigel, Kate and Peter. Sadly Alain was not able to be here as he has the flu and Phillippe, his son and Sophies husband, was only here briefly as he was going down with the same thing. At one point I noticed Phillippe and Dominic erecting a couple of sun loungers. I thought that's good they are going to be comfortable. I was completely and utterly stunned when Sophie told me that the neighbours had clubbed together and bought them for us. Not only are they comfortable but they are bottle green to match the shutters. So thoughtful. I managed to thank everyone and then Nigel and I had to "lounge" on them whilst a group photo was taken .

I conferred with Sophie about the food and although one or two people had still to arrive she decided that we should serve it at 8.15. It was easy to carry the table outside and as soon as I announced that it was ready everyone was there with their plates. Some stood up to eat and several people nabbed places at the little tables that were dotted around and made themselves comfortable. By the time I got to the table lots of the food had already gone but I think that everyone had their fill.

There were quite a lot of children here ranging in age from 2 to about 15, next time I shall make sure that I buy more coke as the 2 litres that I had bought disappeared very quickly as did the bottle and half of whiskey (that wasn't for the children!) The children ran around the garden and soon discovered the cherry tree! They had great fun stuffing themselves with the cherries. Fortunately it is laden this year so there are still a lot left! Oh and a couple of neighbours dogs came too, so Rambo too had someone to play with! He was a bit of a spoilsport though, after a couple of hours he went to bed and ignored them.

And so the evening carried on with people chatting, eating and drinking and generally enjoying themselves. I was told that the "pin" now had to be burned, I protested and was told that we can keep it a bit longer. Until the fete of Castandet when they will come and burn it and then we have to buy the aperos at the fete. Crafty lot aren't they, they get 2 lots of aperos!! Not that I am complaining after their generosity. The best part of the evening was when we were told that we are now part of Perron (our part of the village).People started drifting away about 10pm and it was about 11.30 when the final ones departed.

A truly memorable evening and one that we won't forget for a long time.

There are lots more photos on http://picasaweb.google.com/drnmarsh951/AperosJune6th2009#

The next bit is mainly for me if I need to refresh my memory about who was here.
Jean and Cristel - the ladies who live in the house above ours.
Dominic and Christine who live opposite the ladies.
Christine but not Alain who was ill who live opposite.
Sophie, Phillippe, Anna and Thomas who also live opposite.
Pascal who lives in Perron.
Bernard and Chantal who live next door to Pascal.
Jean Marc and Pascale and daughter Adelaide, the farming family from Perron.
Olivier and son Romeo (wife popped in later, she had been somewhere else) the other newcomers to Perron.
Roland, Christiane and Thierry Lamothe, big farmers who supply us with our Christmas capon and used to make Armagnac.
Richard and Karen who Nigel met at French language classes.
Arthur and Lily, our Irish friends.
Stefan my bridge friend with his wife and 2 children.
Raphael, Lucas and Lucas' girlfriend from Perron. Their father couldn't come as he had to work early the next day.
And last but not least Kate and Peter

Le Pin - The Tree

Historically the "mayade" is a custom in the area of Les Landes. It consists of decorating a branch of a pine tree which is called the "mai" in honour of the person/people to whom it is dedicated. These "mais" are, nowadays, the occasion to honour, in the villages, newly elected councillors, friends, neighbours or family members. It is the custom to erect these "mais" in certain circumstances, such as a marriage, a birthday, an arrival or a retirement. The "mais" are erected during the night of the 30th April to the 1st May, in front of the house of the recipients, in secrecy. The recipient then has to organise a meal/aperitif for those who erected the "mai"

AND THIS YEAR WE GOT ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I spent a couple of days, with a friend, in Ariege and was due to come back home on the 1st of May. Before I left I had a phone call from Nigel saying that there was a major surprise for me when I got back. He would tell me no more so I spent the journey home wondering what it was! Of course I couldn't miss it as soon as I drove into the driveway there it was tied to the big oak tree on the right of the gate. It is magnificent, coverd in paper flowers with bottles of wine hanging on the branches. We had a very good idea who had done it as Bernard, who lives further down the lane, had been promising to do one for us since we first met him. I took some photos of it, straight away, we were both so chuffed to have the tree. We could see 4 bottles of wine hanging from the tree and didn't know how to get them down. Just one of them was accessible by ladder, so Nigel climbed up and got it down. The next day I was in the garden and saw Phillippe and Sophie in the lane. They shouted out to me to say what a beautiful "mai" and in the ensuing conversation I learned that it was Phillippe, Bernard, Jean-Marc and 3 others from Perron who had put up the tree. Apparently they saw Nigel sitting in the sitting room watching TV but neither he nor Rambo heard anything! I also learned that the bottles are supposed to stay on the tree until we give the party, oops!! Lucky that we could only reach one. So we shall now combine a house warming party with a thank you party for our "mai"

Music School Dinner.

On Saturday the 24th April we went to the Castandet Music School dinner. It is surprising that such a small village has such a group but I believe that it is very well supported and that many of the children in the area learn to play an instrument. We went to the event last year and several of the children showed off their talents. Sadly, this year, there was no concert. The event was advertised to start from 7pm but, having learned from past events, we went at about 7.45. On arriving at the village hall we saw that there were only a few cars there so we came back home for a while! We got there, again, about 8.45 and ordered an aperitif. Then several of our neighbours arrived and we finally got the chance to buy them an aperitif. It seems that on many occasions we have not been able to do so as they are all very generous. We sat down to eat, at beautifully decorated tables, at about 9.30. We were sitting on a table with our immediate neighbours and several other people from our part of the village. As usual we had a very copious meal, Tourrrin, which is a popular tomato type soup, daube de taurau (bull stew) cheese and green salad and creme caramel. Another pleasant village evening.

Birthdays

On the 11th April, Easter Saturday, we went over to Tajan for a joint birthday celebration. It was our friend Kates birthday and 2 days later it is Nigels birthday. Kate and Peter moved into their new house just a few weeks ago so we were looking forward to seeing the new property. It was a dreadful day weatherwise, very wet and at times I had to have the wipers on full. Being Easter there was quite a traffic jam in Aire sur l'Adour so the journey there took a couple of hours, 20 minutes longer than usual. We found the place without a problem and were very relieved to have arrived at last. Rambo had been invited too and he was very keen to get in the house as he doesn't like the rain! After a tour of the house, which is very nice with wonderful views over the valley to the mountains which of course were obscured in the gloom, we had a long, chatty lunch. The plan was to go for a walk in the afternoon but sadly the rain never stopped so we just had a quick look around the garden before settling down to carry on chatting before we had a cup of tea and some birthday cake. Kate has a bad neck at the moment and is having to wear a support collar and Nigel has the same problem so we had to have a photo of the pair of invalids in their collars!! Much hilarity! Just before we left we saw a couple of deer come out of the neighbouring woodland to feast on the new grass. A very good day and a good time was had by all despite the weather.

Back to Devon March 2009

After almost a year I had a trip back to see Steve and Sasa in Devon. I flew from Pau to Stansted with Ryanair as there were no other convenient flights available. Nigel took me to Pau and on arrival at Stansted I caught the bus to Victoria, tube to Waterloo and train to Axminster. London was quite a culture shock after life in Les Landes. So busy, so many people rushing here and there. A relief to get on the train and settle down with a book until I got to Axminster at 10pm. Steve was there to meet me and after a glass of wine and a chat it was good to get to bed after a long day. We had good weather whilst I was there which was a help. I saw many old friends and did lots of chatting. Steve and I went to see "Slumdog Millionaire" at the cinema in Lyme Regis. Last time I was there it was when the boys were young and we went to see ET! Before the film started we walked through the gardens and down to the Cobb where we sat and had a beer and a snack looking out over the bay. So many memories. On the Saturday I met up with Titch and we went to the meet of the Cotley at Blackhayes Farm, Stockland, Roger Parris' place. A beautiful day, glorious views and horses and hounds looked so well. Saw lots of old friends there, not many I know were mounted though. After that we went into Honiton and met up with Sasa and had lunch prior to looking round all the charity shops in the Hight Street. Saturday evening we went to a quiz at the village hall in Kilmington, a good evening but we didn't win!
Monday I went into Exeter, had lunch and a look around the shops before going to Annies where I spent the night. Next day Annie dropped me back at Steves and in the evening I had dinner at Maries along with Trish, Caroline and Gilly. Lots of chatting!! Wednesday morning I rode out with Dave, Sheila and Jan. Good to be on a horse again but certainly not as young or as fit as I was!! After an hour or so I had to ask Jan to stay at the back with me and walk back the last lap as I just felt that I couldn't do any more walking or trotting! Not helped by the fact that my mount was not the most comfortable of rides but he was very safe! Thursday we went to the Northcott Theatre in Exeter to see "Stones in his pockets" a very entertaining and funny play.
Friday was my last morning and Steve and I went for a long walk in Shute woods with Scout and then to lunch at Stockland before catching the train in the early afternoon. Always sad and difficult to say goodbye but once I was on my way was looking forward to being back home.