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.