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