Friends from Puivert Return – A Day Out – and POOL PROGRESS

Remember this?Probably not, but this is the couple from Berlin with whom we played boules at Puivert last summer. We were delighted when they got in touch and said they were in the area again and would like to call. We opened a bottle of Blanquette (though Thomas drinks only beer), played pétanque on our gravel patch, and enjoyed a meal on the terrace, pulling the table well in towards the french window to be out of the wind, and they spent the night in their van, parked next to Harry.

Can’t think why HE’s looking so sceptical – perhaps because HE couldn’t win at pétanque, except when partnered by Thomas, who won every game.

‘After much debate internal’ (a bottle of blanquette for the person who attributes the quote in a comment below), or rather ‘quiet, calm consideration’ (another bottle for saying what that achieves), we have decided to avoid further hassle over insurance, MoT and road tax by importing Harry –

Wie? I’m going to be FRENCH?

Well, you were originally – before you went to Germany.

Anyway, as a first step we had to have the work on the rear lights which we had done last year in England reversed! Then we needed the ‘Contrôle Technique’, the French equivalent of the MoT (repeated every two years). So we took both vehicles to the Ford dealer in Lavelanet one day last week, and left Harry there for the day. After a bit of a delay at the ‘Orange’ shop – we’re going to have to change my mobile phone number – we went exploring in Sally.

Mais oui, c’était magnifique! First we went up to the col at the foot of Montségur. (Google that – it’s an amazing site, and the scene of one of the worst atrocities of the ‘crusade’ against the Cathars.)

Ensuite, we went up to the ski station at Les Monts d’Holmes. No snow now, and practically deserted, it was all a bit moche. Actually THEY were looking for a viewpoint shown on the map, where pique-nique might have been possible, but we could not find it. Never mind, we ended up at the village of Roquefixade, with another château on top of a cliff:And at the foot of the cliff, there was a parking area with a magnificent panorama:

where we picnicked in the company of a very friendly native:

Though maybe her friendliness was due in part to mendacity, and the wisdom gained from past experience; either way, I’m sure she had as good a late lunch as we did, though hers would not have been the first of the day!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the work we’ve put in – or mainly Carol has put in – to beautify the immediate surroundings is beginning to show, with tubs on the terrace:

baskets above the patio, and where the unsafe awning was removed, we’ve invested in a large parasol with a heavy, but moveable base, and a choice of seating, reclining or lounging:

The water feature which was a wedding present from Marjorie and Norman can be seen under the window, looking after the lettuces, and in case you’re wondering why there’s a hosepipe trailing across the terrace, here’s the news we’re most excited about, apart from Rachel’s Baby and Chris’s Children (include Sean and Michelle, of course!) – a new liner has been fitted in the pool and it is being filled! We expect to jump in it one day this week. With the weather as it is (80° in the shade at 10am), it shouldn’t take long to warm up!

O – oh! Showers are forecast for Wednesday! But temperatures over 30°C are likely by Saturday ……

A CANAL TRIP, AND THE SUN SHINES ON THE LATEST VISITORS.

The Canal Du Midi is a remarkable piece of engineering, now used exclusively by leisure craft. It links the Atlantic to the Med and much information and many pictures can be found by googling Canal Du Midi.

I had an appointment at a Clinic in Colombiers the week after Philip and family were here and we decided to take a short cruise on the canal afterwards from the nearby marina (above), the weather being ideal on this occasion (our third visit).

Our cruise took us through the Malpas Tunnel, with its fascinating, but natural, honeycomb pattern which has grown along the walls:

And, as usual, the natives were friendly, if a little camera shy:

C’est à moi, maintenant! My turn now! It was Monday 10 June when we went to Carcassonne to meet the next guests, Florence and Hilde. The weather was not wonderful that day, but after that there was sunshine for almost ten days until the day they left. And very hot, too.

Sorry, Family!

One day, they did the excursion on the Red Train, and on the way they had the pique-nique at the usual lay-by beside the Aude:

Then the ladies did the train ride while M’sieur and I went by road. Here we are – Little Red Car and Big Red Engine:

The first part of the train ride was along the part of the line we haven’t done before – from Axat through the tunnels and over the bridges of the Aude Gorge to the gravel factory at St. Martin, then back to Axat. Somehow I got taken along for free for this bit!

I wondered why you were away so long, leaving me alone with the wild beasts!

Tu exagères encore! You weren’t “alone” and they were hardly wild. But it’s true there was a circus occupying most of the car park at Axat station and there were some lions in a cage quite close to Sally.

Eh bien, voilà! That is what I said. Anyway, here is the train on the viaduc at Lapradelle, where they stop for people to take photos of the Château, and for the guide to say a lot about it.

And if you look carefully at the next picture – or enlarge it, you will see that the little figure on the bridge is M’sieur taking pictures of the train:

I also took one of the castle (Puylaurens):

It was so hot that day, that we did not go on to Galamus as planned after regrouping at Caudiès, but came straight home. However, we did do Galamus and Bugarach another day. Here’s yet another picture of Galamus:

And on the way back we stopped for them to have tea / iced tea or shandy on the square at Rennes Les Bains:

I did get to join in! The day they went to Carcassonne:

The weather was a bit dull to begin with, though it brightened up for the main visit, so they took me in order to have lunch indoors:

Das können vier Leute in Sally nicht! Four folk just can’t eat like that in a little car!

Big show-off! At least I’m allowed up Galamus –

Stop it! You’re both very useful in different ways. I dropped the Ladies off close to the Citadel and a very nice young man in uniform let me drive through the bus lane to get more easily to the motorhome park, where I left Harry (with lots of company!) and walked back to rejoin the party to do the little train ride, as recommended by the previous visitors:

All ready to roll!

So away we go:

Yes, a good one to do, especially for the less agile or in poor weather. But on a hot day, this was very welcome afterwards:

And back at Sunejo, we used the built-in barbecue to prepare supper and provide atmosphere – and a little extra warmth – afterwards:

Wednesday 19th June, another Harry-based lunch on the way to the airport, well, over the road from the airport in fact, then we entrusted the visitors to the staff and to RyanAir (they had booked wheelchair assistance).

We’ll close this entry with a photo of our star guest:

Miss Florence Kirkby (92) MBE

SUNEJO’S FIRST FULL HOUSE

Regular readers will remember that we had our first visitor (Mark) the day the furniture arrived, then another single (Daniel) at Christmas. Rachel and Sean came in February, and now we’ve had a ‘full house’ with the visit of Philip, Christine, Carol & Judi. However, there’s still the room above the garage, Harry wasn’t used as a spare room, and no tents were put up in the garden, so there’s still plenty of space!

The first step in receiving four visitors arriving with luggage at an airport is to hire a car big enough! Harry and Sally can seat only four people each including the driver, so the alternative is to go in convoy. Here in France most of the big supermarket chains do car and van hire so we chose our regular Super U in Mirepoix and booked a 7-seater Qashqai which we picked up on Saturday evening May 18th, ready to head for Toulouse on Sunday morning.

Toulouse welcomed our visitors with a torrential thunderstorm before they even got into the car – fortunately we were all under cover. But Toulouse is two counties away and as we came through Arriège skies cleared and snow-capped Pyrenees were in sight.

The improving weather meant that by the time we reached Camon, the little village just over the county boundary from here, there was sunshine. This was fortunate, both for us and for the village, where this was their biggest day of the year. Camon’s ‘Fête Des Roses’ is an annual event which draws visitors from miles around. You can find information and pictures by entering ‘Fête Des Roses, Camon’ in your search engine, and I’m spoilt for choice as to which of our photos to show here. We were very lucky to park that big car right opposite the little snack van, ‘La Camonette’ where we had lunch. (It’s a French pun, which is very unusual; a Camionette is a van.)

Furniture is organised, drinks are in hand, now all we need is FOOD! (The big black car is centre left, behind Philip’s hat – how do you tag a car?)

Roses grow round almost every door in Camon and most were in full bloom, obligingly:

Local crafts and produce were on sale beside every street and up and down every alley, as were plants, herbs, and lots of rose bushes.

We bought olives and garlic and ginger, as well as a couple of patio plants.

Eventually tearing ourselves away from ‘one of the prettiest villages in France’ we drove the remaining five minutes over the county boundary to Sunejo, which, for that day at least, was living up to its name.

Once settled, people decided that a walk down to the river might be a good idea. Last time we took photos down there, there was a big log jam against the bridge; that has now been cleared:

Back at home, a leg of lamb had been in the slow cooker since 8am and, although this was no ‘perfect’ summer’s evening, dinner was served on the terrace. An unusually good sunset followed.

A priority on Monday morning was to go to Mirepoix and add Philip, Carol and Judi to the paperwork at Super U so that they could drive the car if needed. This didn’t add to the cost but the shop needed to see and photocopy their licences – cards and counterparts. That done, we went into the town to see the special Whit Monday market. (Some readers will remember when England had Whit Monday!) The market was a special ‘Brocante et Foire aux Plantes’ – Second hand goods and plant fair, so some of the same garden stalls were there as at Camon the day before. Again, spoilt for choice as to photos:

One of the cafés under the arcades is entirely vegetarian so that provided a suitable light lunch for everyone, then we went to look at the Eglise Rupestre, or Church in the Rock, at Vals:

A very unusual spot which we’ve been meaning to look at since we first saw the signs to it and Mark told us about it. You go in through a crack in the rock:

Then make your way up three levels:

Stopping to admire the Frescos on level two, or even taking time to study them:

Before emerging onto a balcony, with panoramic views towards the (snow-capped) Pyrenees.

Passing back through Mirepoix on the way home, the Nieces decided to investigate the ‘Voie Verte’, the long distance footpath, formerly the railway line which links Mirepoix, Camon, Sonnac and Chalabre, then on to Lavelanet.

They reported on a pleasant walk:

with excellent scenery, including views of the mountains:

But at Camon it was time to call in and say they had contact with the road and should perhaps be picked up or be late for dinner.

Dinner which, for the meat-eaters, was that now well-known specialité de la maison –

–Du Camping-Car!

Er, sorry, OK, Harry, secialité du camping-car, Lapin au Van.

Increasingly uncertain weather did allow Tuesday morning’s breakfast to be taken outside, but that was the last of al fresco eating till the final morning. Most of the rest of the week was spent dodging showers during trips or weather-watching from inside the ‘french’ windows!

Nevertheless, the under 40s did manage to get in one or two more walks and a bike ride without getting TOO wet

(I’m sure there’s an over-40 in that photo!)

And these occasions gave the over-65s the chance to play several rubbers of quite evenly-matched bridge.

On Wednesday, and in spite of the weather, which did at least dry up for the afternoon / evening, the visitors chose to ride ‘Le Train Rouge’ from Axat to St. Paul. We did this on Carol’s birthday last year, so we have shown photos of it before, but this time we ‘stalked’ the train in the big black car, which gave us the chance to take pictures OF the train, not FROM it:

From St. Paul we drove up the Galamus Gorge, which we have done several times before, and shown you pictures of it. Actually, this time we drove UP it, down it, and back up again! Many, many photos were taken, though it’s difficult to capture new views, but here are a couple from that day:

That evening we were treated – many thanks – to dinner at the Café du Fleuve in Quillan (Mike & Vincent’s), where we were very well received, of course, and the Irish Coffees which the Thompson Brothers indulged in at the end were served with particular flair:

On Friday I had an appointment in Carcassonne, so – again, in spite of the weather – everyone decided to DO Carcassonne that day. April showers in May is the best way to describe it, and no sooner had I dropped them off at the gates of the Citadel, than the heavens opened and they scurried into the first café they found and had, in fact, quite a nice lunch. Then they chose to ride in the little tourist road train, rather than visit the Castle as Carol and I had done, and they say it ‘validates the blow’.

They also visited the Cathedral:

And after I picked them up again we drove to Castelnaudary to look at the big harbour on the Canal du Midi. The Brothers played safe and sampled the wine at the ‘Cave du Bassin’ but the Ladies walked around. Maybe they just failed to keep an eye on the weather, or perhaps it was the excitement of spotting a coypu in the water:

but they got caught in another terrific downpour, and they were off-road so ‘rescue’ was difficult!

After dinner that evening there was a musical (sort of) interlude:

[Philip made a video of one the songs from this session; a bilingual, semi-toothless version of ‘Down By The Riverside / Apud La Riverbord’. Those who can’t resist it, or who are just curious, might find it here: http://youtu.be/NnH7dY2wQCo ]

On Saturday there was a horse display in Quillan and some wanted to go and see it.

So I got to do my bit for the week! Only four people wanted to go down the squiggles, so I took them, instead of Big Black Bertie, or comment il s’appelle.

You did! Did you see any horses?

Erm, non, but M’dame and the others did.

Outdoor eating was still not an option, but we tried to put on a last evening special, including steak-frites with sauce aux champignons.

(And a cloth on the table!)

And so came Sunday morning; with the party having nothing to do but pack and have an early lunch, the weather finally turned sunny again, so as on day one, lunch was served on the terrace, as it should be at this time of year – or any time of year, really.

Two happy diners – and an uninvited guest??

Whose pet dragon is that?

Lunch over, we were on the road to get to Toulouse – no thunderstorms – with comfortable time to check in, and plenty of opportunity on the way to take pictures of those snow-capped Pyrenees:

With a last one after take-off:

Footnote: We (the remaining residents) had to get up early on Monday (27th) to return the big black car to Mirepoix at start of business. That done, we went into the town for café-croissants and to see the regular market. (There’s always a market on Monday, but last week’s was different for Pentecost) It was just as busy as a week ago, but with more foodstuff, crafts and clothes.

In the café, we found ourselves sitting next to some people from Exeter who were part of a choir (unaccompanied, close-harmony) who were giving a concert that evening in the Cathedral. They were just going out to sing a few numbers around the market as publicity, so we followed them:

They were so good that we went back to Mirepoix in the evening and heard the concert, which we enjoyed. Not only that, but we’d never set foot inside Mirepoix cathedral before, which is well worth a look. Sometimes it’s good to get up early!

THE STORY SO FAR.

Start of November 2012

My first attempt at ‘blogging’, or keeping a photo-journal as I prefer to call it, was two years ago under the title ‘Travels With Harry’. Harry’s our motorhome:

DSCN3795

Harry was followed around, very closely, by a little red car called Sally – another cinematic reference. (Harry is a Chausson ‘Flash’ 04; Flash Harry, get it?)

Bugarach and Galamus (14)

We spent two months of that autumn (2010) trying to decide where to live in France, looking mainly at the area west of Poitiers, known as the Marais Poitevin:

and Languedoc, where we had holidayed before, but friends had warned us to check it out out of season before deciding. In spite of the risk of cold winds, Languedoc won by virtue of the spectacular scenery:

We found a house we really wanted to buy, in a little town in the hills, called Sournia:

and we thought all we had to do was get back home to Garth View:

sell up, and come back with the money!

Ah well, it didn’t work out just like that! It took a year to sell Garth View and by January 2012 a lot had changed. Rachel had married Sean

and become Stepmother to Megan and Becky; Chris and Michelle were about to adopt a family and the house at Sournia, which would now have been too small anyway, was off the market.

Quirkily, some may think, to help sell Garth View, we bought a flat in Appleby!:

Well, it helped us declutter …. We did take time out for a month in France but we didn’t house-hunt; instead we went down the west (Atlantic) coast as far as the Pays Basque:

Throughout that trip the diary was kept as a series of ‘postcards’ as written by Harry. But shopping and excursions were done in the little red car, Sally:

PTDC0002

so it became necessary to let her write a few of the postcards in her more excitable, Gallic style. Increasingly, the two vehicles were sparking off each other in a ‘married couple’ sort of way – a bit like us, funnily enough…. and they were coupled together a lot of the time!

The new family situation made me hesitate again about France, so when the opportunity came to film ‘A Place in the Sun, Home or Away?’, we took it, looking on camera at three houses in Cornwall

and three in Languedoc.

There was no competition! Once a way to manage inheritance issues had been explained, it was a simple case that the money we now had from the sale of Garth View would not buy us anything as nice as Garth View in Cornwall,

but something even nicer in France. What was to discuss? We offered to buy one of the properties the ‘Place in the Sun’ team had shown us:

BUT! On the way to sign the contract, before we even got to Dover, Harry broke down big time. We spent 3 weeks with Esperanto-Speaker, Trevor, waiting for the repair. The expense of that and the realisation that we might need to upgrade the motorhome meant we could no longer afford the house near Quillan. We withdrew, and eventually came back to the same area and started again. Spending two months living in Harry on a delightful, we might say, idylic campsite, beside the lake at Puivert,

we looked at about 30 houses and finally chose this one:

On the edge of a village and with a small swimming pool it seemed to be what we were looking for. A long wait ensued. French bureaucracy moves slowly at the best of times, but during August ! – nothing moves. We took possession on September 21st and the furniture ETC. (oh, yes – and the rest!) arrived a week later, as did our first visitor, Cousin Mark, by motorbike:

Five days later we had to turn our back on everything and head for the Channel. A brilliant 3 weeks included Nick’s wedding (one of Carol’s nephews):

Rachel’s 40th birthday party

and meeting the new Grandchildren.

Now here we are, all builders and boxes. And we are Harryless! On the way north we left him in Poitiers for a repair to some damage to his back end, expecting to pick him up three weeks later. Another ‘best laid scheme’ which ganged a-gley! M. Antoine, the nice motorhome-specialist-repair-man can’t get the part! The little red car was at first intimidated, then dead chuffed about bringing us all the way home on her own!

So for the next few weeks anything worth putting on the blog will be house related and unlikely to be reported by Sally, at least until the day comes when we are able to go and re-unite her with Harry. (Watch out for pink print – you’ll know she’s back!)

‘Sunejo’ is an Esperanto word meaning ….. (more or less) ‘A Place in the Sun’. This was sunrise the morning after we got back from the trip to the UK:

NOVEMBER …… DECEMBER ….

Bathrooms finished! THE MEN returned for a couple of days, so we now have a complete en suite to the guest room:

(with gruesome, ghostly image in the mirror!)

as well as a little cloakroom off the corridor.

Living room furnished! Carol got down to staining the woodwork round the stove,

and laying the new carpet:

The piano and other items got moved to their intended position,

and on Tuesday December 18th we took delivery of the sideboard:

Yes! As if we didn’t already have an excess of furniture, we decided we needed a sideboard and found this one in a second hand depot in Mirepoix. We’re very pleased with it.

Christmas and Boxing Day Less than a week before Christmas we were having lunch outside, followed by a siesta in the sun, and wondering whether it was true that Christmas dinner is sometimes taken on the terrace …

Anyway, we bought a duck ( a dead one!) and tried to find the base for the fibre-optic Christmas tree; then we learnt that Daniel had decided to join us for Christmas and would be arriving at Carcassonne airport at 17.20 on Sunday evening. The duck, we were sure, was enough for three, and the tree base came to hand just in time:

I made a cake, put the marzipan on on Christmas Eve and iced it on Christmas morning, but for some hours after that it looked as if my snow scene woud be just that – snow and nothing else. But then, while I was looking for something else (of course!) the cake decorations appeared and in a festive frenzy of ‘stick ’em all on!’, Daniel and I probably overdid it ….

Well, that matched the cake. My cake is usually underdone, if anything, but I haven’t fully adjusted to Sunejo’s electric oven yet, and I think we have a few burnt currants!)

The weather was fine and the meal could have been taken outside, but the morning was uncertain and I set the table indoors. There was no great enthusiasm for moving everything out – and we don’t have our planned patio dining table and chairs yet, so we settled for apéritif outside and the dinner inside.

Given the choice between Galamus Gorge and Andorra as Boxing Day’s exursion, Daniel chose the latter with its prospect of snow scenery and tax-free shopping.

[Galamus, of course, is just beyond and below Bugarach, the one place on earth where the world wasn’t going to end last week; it caused traffic chaos all around, lots of police activity and the cancellation of several evenings’ events in Quillan – perhaps that was the end of the world for some!]

As we climbed towards Andorra, it became apparent that we were indeed in for a snow-fest and I was a bit worried that we might be turned back, having no snow chains. Or that fresh snow might fall while we were up there and we’d get trapped.

But the cloud burnt off, and the roads remained clear, so that at Pas de la Casa, although we might have benefitted from more suitable footwear, driving little Sally was no problem

Where last time we went there was a thin line of (probably) artificial snow, this time the mountains were a hive of activity; all the lifts fully active and skiers and snow boarders sliding down, falling down, whatever else they do.

We went to our usual “buffet à volonté” restaurant for lunch, which was very busy, and thanks to Daniel for picking up the bill, then we drove on up and over the highest point for the less expensive fuel and the shopping. Still not wanting to be ‘up there’ after dark we shortened the return by taking the tunnel back to Pas de la Casa. This let us start the descent into an interesting sunset:

‘Interesting’ because it seemed to be in the wrong place! In the east, not the west – we were travelling North, we thought, and it was on our right?!

Daniel left this morning, and we are turning our attention to our next episode: we return to the UK on New Year’s Day; Trevor, our host for the three weeks of Harry’s breakdown in May (Esperanto hospitality to the rescue!), is getting married on January 6th and we intend to battle whatever England’s weather chucks at us to be in Mudeford for that event.

We’ll be coming with Harry only –

Et moi, qu’est-ce que je fais?

Tu restes là, et tu gardes la maison – that’s a big responsibility, you know!

Is it? Vraiment? Oo là, là!

– and we’re hoping to get him sorted with an MoT (he’s still UK registered). We’re also hoping to get me some treatment for this leg which has been playing up all year, and, of course, we’ll visit as many family and friends as we can.

What a year it’s been! Perhaps our wish for ourselves is that 2013 might be a little less exciting – or exciting in a different way! And for family and friends we can only wish you health and happiness, and if there’s anything left – that n all!

December 28th, lunch time; cheers!

GET HARRY!

“Get Harry”. Hmm …. Could be a film title; ‘Get Harry’. Or has it been done? Or something like it? Ah, yes – ‘Get Wilkins’.

CARTER!

Right, yes – I knew it was one or the other. And that’s how to mix cinema references with children’s literature from the fifties! Does anyone recognise the character? Mr. Wilkins was saying Doh! long before the creator of Homer Simpson had sharpened his first pencil !

Last Thursday I bought a new computer. On Friday we got up early and left Sunejo before 9.30 to try to get to Poitiers before M. Antoine closed at 6pm. 330 miles ….

You see? They do it again! They drive me all day at French motorway speed; they try to wear me out!

No, we don’t! We had two good stops and you know you enjoyed it really.

Yes, it was fun. A very nice drive in pleasant weather and lovely autumn colours all around.

The last bit alongside the Vienne River was really nice – you should have taken some photographs of that.

Sorry!

We couldn’t have taken photos of that section along the Vienne – it was getting dark.

Ah, oui, cest vrai – I had forgotten …. but this is a bit boring, you know, without pictures. But then we found Harry!

Hello, Big Van!

Hello, Little Car!

It’s been a long time.

Ja!

We would have come a month ago, you know, but you weren’t ready. Ce n’était pas de notre faute, tu sais.

Ja, I know. It’s OK – it’s not been bad.

Anyway, you’re looking good – I don’t mind following your ‘new’ back end now!

The front’s been done, too:

Do you remember – HE went gutter-bashing in Prades two years ago? From what HE wrote on the blog at the time, * HE seemed to think it was funny – well, HE stopped laughing when got M. Antoine’s bill!

[*’Travels With Harry’, Post 23:Due to the delay in arriving on Wednesday, it was getting dark as we uncoupled and parked up. I didn’t realise that there is water available with the electricity just beside the pitch, and I thought we had to go to the service point beside the the toilet block. I misjudged it, or really just didn’t realise how low the roof of the building is. CRUNCH!

So who got the best / worst of that bout, then? It was obvious I wasn’t the first, and when I ‘confessed’ next morning, that nice warden was very good humoured about it.]

– It was a lot of money for a little scuff, which you can hardly see on the photograph – I’m sure the gutter cost a lot less! So obviously my assessment as to “who got the best of that bout” two years ago was a bit adrift. We all make mistakes.

N’importe – it does not matter now. We spent Friday night at the ‘Futuriste’ caravan park as usual, and, as usual, M’sieur et M’dame were unable to be ready to travel before 11.30am!

Well, you have to enjoy Futuriste’s croissants for breakfast!

Oui, entendu, of course; but all the Dutch people left in convoy about 3 hours earlier!

And when THEY did leave, all they did was drive down to the lay-by by the river and have pain-au-chocolat.

No wonder they are both putting on weight!

I’m not, actually. – Are you two ganging up on us?

Aber nein!

Absolument pas! Of course not!

Hmm … Just decide who’s going to write the diary and get on with it!

Harry can – he hasn’t done any for two months.

Daß ist aber nett! How kind!

(They ARE up to something! …. being nice to each other ….)

So – finally THEY decided to travel and got onto that long, straight road towards Limoges. (See first photo)The weather wasn’t very nice, grey and drizzly, so in spite of autumn colours, no photos, until we stopped in probably the best off-road lay-by on that section, where THEY had lunch.

The grass bank between the road and the lay-by:

H & S parked up in the lay-by:

We had a shopping stop at the big Carrefour just off the (free) motorway south of Limoges and when we moved on from there, there was quite a good sunset, but difficult to photograph on the move:

It was too early to stop for the night while still on the toll-free section, so THEY decided – after some debate! – to pay to stay on the motorway so as to have access to service areas and lay-bys.

That was a GOOD decision as we ended up at Aire-Jardin des Causses du Lot, an absolutely superb service area. We’ve been in before for a quick stop, but not to spend the night. We woke up to this view:

and although we weren’t inclined to breakfast al fresco there was a profusion of picnic tables, at one point appearing to cascade down the hillside to the valley bottom:

There was a nice shop and a good restaurant, had we wanted it, and clean, sweet-smelling toilets.The whole area is as litter-free as anyone could expect, bearing in mind that there are always some idiots who would rather bung a bottle into a bush than a bin. (“I wish I loved the human race ….” – a strange little rhyme for a Christian minister to quote, but me father often did!)

We enjoyed croissants from the shop with our coffee –

Nochmals!

Encore!

Again, yes, why not? Then since we weren’t in a hurry to get under way –

HE’s getting at US now!

Oui, il nous provoque!

– we decided to walk off the calories

Oooo!

by exploring the site:

Remember, this is a motorway service area!

Down by the lake, we had the distinct impression that a certain British MP had got there before us!

The weather deteriorated from then on, so no pictures were taken during the journey home and both twelvsies and lunch were taken in uninspiring surroundings. Five minutes from home THEY uncoupled us on the car park in Camon, for ease of manoeuvring, and we pulled into Sunejo just as it got dark.

To match the ‘Cumbrian’ weather* we treated ourselves to a ham and egg supper after a minimum of unpacking. There’s no place like home …

Hey, Harry!

Yes, Sally?

Good to have you back, Big Van.

Thanks, Little Car. – How was the trip to England and Wales?

Comment? Tu n’as pas lu mon journal? You did not read my blog? Ca alors! Well, first we stayed at Potters Bar, where M’dame had a haircut and M’sieur had a tooth mended …..

*Sorry! We’ve been hearing that the weather in the UK has been anything but funny, We hope no readers of this journal have been badly affected, and offer long-distance sympathy if you have. Even here, we are now into our third day of cloud and rain …..

NO MEN, A TRIP INTO THE MOUNTAINS – AND COWS!

We’ve had a week free of MEN! However, a week ago on Friday (9^th) Martyn fixed up a water butt for us at the SE corner of the house:

By Sunday morning it was FULL and overflowing! It does rain here sometimes, and when it does ……

But on sunny days we have lunch out on the terrace and the temperature, in the sun, can still be over 40°C.

We’ve had another battle with THAT BANK, Santander; I set up a standing order to have most of our money transferred each month to the currency brokers. A few days later I found our account was blocked. It took two 20 minute phone calls, much of the time on hold listening to S-der’s ghastly music to discover that the account was blocked because of that standing order. They restored access to the account online but DIDN’T tell me the standing order had not been actioned. I found that out by checking the account again later the same day …. Another phone call …..

French red tape is irritating, but we knew that before we came. We’re trying to organise healthcare. The internet said we could go to the Mairie in Chalabre on a Monday afternoon and register the S1 forms which we now have from the DWP in England. A phone call to confirm this said no, we had to go to Limoux. Well, we go there about once a week anyway and the drive over there in beautiful weather and autumn colours was a pleasure, but at the office of CPAM (never mind) we were told that we would have to make an appointment to register the S1s. We’d also need the ‘usual’ sheaf of supporting documentation. So we made the appointment and we didn’t seem to mind too much because we then enjoyed a lunch in bright sunshine on the square surrounded, we guess, by Limoux’s office and shop workers taking their 1½ hour lunch break.

Next day, Friday 16^th, we closed the doors on Sunejo with all the decorating and unpacking still to do and set off towards the mountains. Just before we left, we phoned M. Antoine in Poitiers and were pleased to learn that he has the part for Harry’s repair and was ‘on the job’. (I sense an intervention in pink approaching ….)

Harry est en train d’être réparé ? Harry is being repaired ? When do we go and find him?

We don’t know – soon, we hope; tell us about the trip to Andorra if you like.

Ah, oui. Avec plaisir! C’était magnifique ! It was wonderful! First, there were those autumn colours all around,then we stopped so that M’sieur et M’dame could have their pique-nique – oui! Le 17 novembre ils pique-niquaient en pleine air! Not only in open air, but in full shade – the sun was shining on the other side of the valley ;

and they were sitting on a stone bench! OK, OK, they did put a rug on it, but still. …

Then on up to the snow (nearly);

a long climb with many ‘squiggles’ (bends, hairpins).

At the first town in Andorra we stopped and they went and booked into the hotel where they had a meal last time we came. They were able to keep an eye on me from their room:

But they soon came out and drove a bit further up the hill. The snow was not really close by, and it looked as if people had tried to make a ski run (a piste) with some artificial snow, or moved some from somewhere, but no-one was skiing and none of the chair lifts was in use.

Back down in the town they started SHOPPING! Stuff in bottles, mainly. Then they were lucky to get a parking place right outside the hotel, almost under their own window.

Dinner was ‘à volonté’ – as much as you want for just 10 euros ; buy an apéritif and get a small glass of bubbles free with dessert! Then a ‘digestif’ with coffee. This is why we didn’t want the 2 hour drive home after the meal. The night would have been good but for some late-arriving young men in the room above ours who appeared to be re-arranging the furniture at 3am!

Next morning, after a bright start,

the weather was not quite so good, but we drove on to the town of Andorra La Vella

and nearly bought a new computer. But fortunately the assistant told us that ‘Office’ on the computer was in Spanish! No sale – but we bought a camera instead.

And then I had to bring them all the way back up the mountain

and down the other side,

then along the valley of the Ariège, through Ax Les Thermes and Foix. At Pamiers we stopped to visit Isabelle – the partner of the man who played the guitar with M’sieur at Puivert. Unfortunately Assan was not there but it was nice to see Isabelle again and meet her little girls. Then we came home.

We did. Now we have new neighbours!

The cows have been grazing on the hillside till now and we just hear the bells that some of them wear as they come in in the evening, or go out in the morning, but on Monday they were let into the field opposite the house.

Also on Monday we heard that Harry is ready for collection …..

En route, alors?! What are we waiting for? ….

DANGER! MEN AT WORK.

Tony, the Boss, and his two Martins, or rather, Martyn and Martin, first came up here the day we got back; just as well, because if they hadn’t opened up for us and left the keys accessible, we’d not have been able to get in – our keys being in Harry, you know ….

The idea was to get the ‘messy stuff’ done before we were in residence. Well, in view of how much dust we’ve lived with since, thank goodness we weren’t here that day! The ‘messy stuff’ involved removing the wall round the bedroom to the right of the living room as you look in to the house from the garden and terraces ( the one under the tiled awning – more of that later!):

and also the fitted wardrobes in both bedrooms on that side of the house. This was to make a bigger, L-shaped lounge and room for an en-suite to the main guest room as well as a cloakroom for general use. That was done and that’s how we found it on our return from the UK on Wednesday 24th October after Sally’s super 2-day run south from Baldock.

Apart from the weekends and Friday 2nd November the MEN have been here everyday since.This is a view which will not be seen again:

looking through the former bedroom to the window of the guest room – to be known as ‘Patience’ because parents need it …. the other room will be ‘Pirates’ for young people; yes, there is a G & S theme there ….. What shall we call our room?

Tony places the ‘furniture’ in the cloakroom in the most practical way ….

Some digging was needed outside to find the outflow pipe from the bathroom, so as to link into it from the new ensuite and cloakroom. With a minimum of information to go on, an almost direct hit was achieved!:

Carol takes a break with the MEN.

November 1st: We’ve been trying to attract birds into the garden since before we left for England (and Wales), and were surprised on return to find that the nuts and fat block we had hung up had remained unvisited. But today there was a robin fluttering around the terrace, and a great tit tried out the feeder. Robins are winter visitors here, we learn, not all-year-rounders. Since the first of the month there’s been no feeding frenzy, but we have seen more tits, sparrows and the robin or robins. No photos yet.

You can see in the picture looking out across the terrace that the grass needed cutting. We thought at first the mower wouldn’t start (it’s called a ‘tracteur’ in French, though it doesn’t pull anything), but on careful reading of the manual left by the previous owners, I realised that I had to be sitting on it first! Turning the key standing beside it doesn’t work! So the grass got its first cut under new management:

Well, at least I flattened it!

Friday 2nd November: Responding to advice, we went to open a local bank account. (So far our French account has been with a branch of Crédit Agricole called Britline, English-speakingand specialising in accounts for Brits and they have been BRILLIANT, but they are based in Normandy, and Crédit Agricole Normandie is not the same bank as Crédit Agricole Languedoc!) We do know a bit about French red-tape, but we still have a lot to learn; opening the account took over an hour and we came away with FORTY-FOUR sheets of A4 in a folder (a ‘chemise’!) many of them initialled, or signed with the words ‘lu et approuvé’ (read and approved), which, of course, they weren’t!

Sunday 4th November: After an English-style Sunday dinner of roast pork etc. we went for a walk up the lane beyond the field behind the house. This photo shows the back door, kitchen window (no shutters) and the two back bedrooms – ‘ours’ and ‘Pirates’.

and this one, taken from within Sunejo’s fence, shows the bit of road from where the first one was taken:

Colours are autumnal, and the field has just had a second ploughing and fertilising. We wait to see whether next year’s crop will be maize or sunflowers. Snow has fallen on the Pyrenees and we have distant views of it on our shopping trips. Photos should follow, but so far we’ve not had a camera with us on suitable occasions!

Look carefully at the first photo of this entry …. there’s a vertical post in the centre of the tiled awning, apparently holding it up! This was not present when we visited the house. Tony’s assessment of the awning was that it was unsafe; it would need 4 hours’ work to secure it, or two hours to dismantle it. Moreover, now that the window it covers is part of the lounge, not a bedroom, it seriously restricted the view …. we’ve had it removed:

and in case anyone is wondering what we are going to do on hot days, we intend to get a large parasol and sun loungers, and place them as needed.

Another problem was the wiring …. the hunt for the feed to the cooker hood, which had failed, involved a lot of dismantling and grovelling, till it was traced to a light switch near the back door!:

However, today, Friday 9th November, we’ve been able to sit down beside our new fireplace,

have a drink from the bar without too much battling with dust and clutter:

and the living space is looking almost civilised:

The bathrooms aren’t quite finished, the ceiling lights still need fitting – you have to get new ones, you can’t just put lampshades on what’s there – you buy integrated units – and there’s decorating to do, and a carpet to choose and have laid in front of the fire, not to mention curtains to hang everywhere, but it’s possible that the worst of the disruption is over and the MEN will pay their last visit on Monday. We’ll see …

.MOVE IN – MOVE OUT – TRAVEL ON…

Well – THAT week soon went! Which week? The one after we moved out of Puivert and parked Harry at Sunejo.Living with only the furniture we had on the campsite:

lots of shopping, another visit to the lawyer (wills), the Mayor (you have to do that!) and the doctor (just routine), and then on Friday 28^th, clearing the space and waiting for the lorry.

12 noon, jobs done, Carol settles down to a puzzle:

While Stephen anxiously searches throughout the panorama for the now long overdue removal men.

As you might expect, a call to head office saying ‘do you know where your lorry is?’ had the effect of the lorry’s arriving while we were still on the phone!

Then – Chaos! We simply have TOO MUCH STUFF!

Then our first visitor arrived even before the removal men had gone! Any competition to be first here has been won by many weeks by Mark (Jaques) who arrived, as planned, by motorbike at about 7pm. Well, there was a bed ready for him!

The removal men stayed till dark and finished unloading the lorry in that time, but had to come back next morning to unpack the boxes marked fragile.

Our intention to eat out was ‘postponed’ by the lateness and general fatigue, so a satisfactory meal of salmon steaks and what goes with was produced from the freezer. Oh, – and that bottle of Blanquette got popped at last!

Saturday started OK, weather wise, and because we had to stay at home for the ‘men’, and the delivery of the washing machine, a new one, not on the lorry, Mark had to go out end explore on his own. An unlucky necessity because by afternoon it was POURING and he got SOAKED on the bike. We are sorry – we came for the sunshine! Another arrival that day was the previous owner, who came to show us a few intricacies of looking after the pool and other things. Kind of him, but we’re only a bit wiser – and the water’s still green! We did go out that evening to a restaurant in Puivert, which we had passed many times but not sampled till now. We enjoyed a pleasant meal which Mark kindly treated us to – many thanks!

Sunday’s weather was a little better, dry at least, and we took a day off to give Mark a bike-free day. We revisited the Galamus Gorge, and now out of season the convoy system – no stopping allowed – isn’t in operation, so we got some better photos.

Mark and Carol visited the Hermitage at the foot of the Gorge, while Sally and I stayed and admired the view.

Oui – c’était aussi magnifique que la dernière fois! Just as nice as last time! When Carol and the man got back we drove down to St. Paul and through the Defilé – done it many times now, but I love it. Back at Sonnac – home, I should call it – Harry and the man’s bike were waiting patiently, and, of course all that nonsense about putting me in the garage is quite forgotten – it is so full of BOXES, you can’t even see that tractor-thingy, let alone get it out!

There was a nice smell coming from inside the house! It seems M’sieur had prepared a lamb casserole before they went out and left it in the slow cooker.

M’sieur? – Makes a nice change from HE.

OK, M’sieur. Mark left next morning, riding his motorbike.

M’sieur & M’dame began to try to orgainse stuff in the house –

Then HE –

M’sieur.

HE took me over to a Ford Dealer in Lavelanet to see if there were any electronic updates needed before we travelled to Poitiers. The mechanic said it would be a waste of money as they could tell from the engine number that there was nothing to do …. Nice little drive, though.

Tuesday ( 2^nd October) was spent desperately emptying the bedroom at the front, near the living room. We plan to have some work done to create a second bathroom and an L-shaped kitchen-diner-lounge, and the builder might come while we’re away to remove the wall. There are also two built-in wardrobes which have to go, but the removal men had to fill one of them with fragiles as there was nowhere else and we had to re-locate that lot. We did it, then began packing. Ironically, it was a lovely day; and the day ‘our’ TV programme was shown in the UK.

We hooked up the two vehicles in the gateway before dark. There was something like a sunset, but the evening photos didn’t work very well, so I took some more at sunrise (8.15 am).

(Note the ‘Billing’ log on the barbecue wall!)

There was still a lot for THEM to do, so the idea of an early start didn’t work out – it rarely does. But once on the road THEY decided to use motorways most of the way, regardless of cost so travelling was very easy, appart from one section of CONTRAFLOW! Very unusual on French motorways.

We did a good 300 kms and stopped on a very good ‘aire’ not far from Limoges. On a section of car-park inaccessible to lorries, the night was quite quiet.

And there were croissants for breakfast!

With only about 200 kms still to go to Poitiers, we did that in good time and after a few re-packing jobs we trreated ourselves to a dip in that lovely warm pool at the ‘Futuriste’ (a caravan park we’ve used before).

In spite of the jobs already done, it still took a long time to organise everything to leave Harry at Antoine’s (the motorhome dealer who replaced his ‘cheek’ two years ago), and be ready to travel on in Sally only. But we got away about 10.45 and by 11.30 we were ready to move on, having explained what needed doing (mainly the repair at the back) to M. Antoine.

Goodbye, Big Van! You take care of you.

Goodbye, Little Car; you take care of THEM.

M’sieur et M’dame? But of course ! We’ll come back for you in three weeks – you’ll look better to follow then!

In Ordnung. Enjoy England. – And Wales.

We will. Tchüß!

Deutsch? Die kann kein Deutsch ……

Untitled

DAY 1: 23^rd September.

(Don’t worry – you’re probably NOT going to get a daily bulletin!)

We lingered in Harry to listen to the ‘Sunday’ programme (Radio 4) on the computer, then emerged to find ‘Sunejo’ living up to its name. With the house facing south, the sun rises to the left of the French windows (which the French call ‘portes fenêtres’) and stays on the terrace all day, moving round the corner of the house just before sunset. Today clouded over during the afternoon, but never mind, we were busy.

Well, busy before and after a rather late lunch, that is; roast pork cooked in the OVEN – we’ve got a noven! And we found out how to work it, both for the meat and later as a grill for the toast to go with that ongoing, imported, almost-inviolable-since-Billing Sunday evening tradition – the Boyle Degg. (If you visit on a Sunday, that’s what you’ll get; you might get asked ‘Ow d’y want yer regg?’ but that’s just a formality.)

Anyway, here’s Harry settling in and admiring the view:

Schön, ja!

And for the moment Sally can choose between one of two carports:

Or the garage, if we move the ride-on mower:

Hmmm. Je ne sais pas, moi. I’ve never had a port or a garage! Je suis assez contente en plein air – I like the open air.

Good, ‘cos I don’t think the garage will stay uncluttered very long!

Our problem / dilemma is whether to wake up in the morning to this view:

And be tempted out to swim,

Or this one, and be called to climb the hill:

Of course, we could use the back bedroom and still swim first thing on hot days if we want.

We’d love to say we celebrated our arrival by jumping into the pool, but it hasn’t happened yet. The previous owners moved out a few weeks ago and since thunderstorms were expected – and happened – they took the precaution of turning off the pool’s circulation & filtration, which can be damaged in storms. Unfortunately this has turned the water green and we have to add something called Chlor Choc (that’s to do with ‘shock’, not chocolate!). This product is usually in the supermarkets, but the one we went to yesterday has taken it off the shelves for this year because the ‘season’ is over!

Here be dragons!

Carol found this chappie between the window and the shutters of one of the bedrooms when she opened up this morning. He was kind enough to stay put while she took his photo.

Yesterday was something else! We knew we had a lot of work to do to break camp after two months, but I never thought we’d still be at Puivert after 4pm! At one point Carol was sceptical as to whether it was all going to go in to the two vehicles:

But it did!

And, as me father would have said ‘we’ll leave nothing but a good impression’.

But what an impression!

Serious business, folding an awning.

One last bit of leftover bread to feed to the fish

And at 4.40 pm we drove off the site – having paid our bill, of course, and that made a hole in the bank balance!

We came ‘home’ unloaded the car then went and did a BIG shop in Mirepoix. Supper was unspecial and unphotographed, and the night was quiet till the barking of many dogs woke us up; we assume a group of hunting enthusiasts was gathering nearby. Probably no more than a weekly occurrence, if that. Return to the top ….

PUIVERT – THE LAST DAYS

Yes, the title IS an echo of a similar one at the end of May. I’ve just re-read that, and the next one; leaving the clip-board in Garth View’s kitchen turned out to be the least of our worries, and as for the catch on the fridge door – une bagatellle – it’s a twice a week occurrence. Just snap it off, put back on again and carry on.

But there are similarities with May’s departure; the sale of Garth View was completed on the 21^st. Today, 21^st September, we expect to sign the acte de vente and so become owners of our new home. So we’ve been homeless, or houseless (sorry, Harry!), for exactly 4 months.

Hausloß, ja, besser!

We came to Puivert saying it might be for two months. It’s been two months, two weeks and two days – we don’t plan to leave till tomorrow. Today is too busy.

Curiously, yesterday evening was the first time we’ve seen anything like a sunset. Someone told us we’d get sunsets in October. Maybe we’ll get another tonight.

There’s a gliding club just a couple of fields away, and we often see the towing plane taking off with the glider still attached. It’s taken a long time to get a photo, but here’s one. Minutes later the towplane comes back on its own and very soon repeats the process.

While we’ve been here the CADAC barbecue has been much in use, all its accessories having been tried out. Just in case last Sunday did turn out to be our last Sunday Lunch here, we made it a big one: a lamb shank each with the vegetables cooked all round, and plenty of red wine – some even found its way into the sauce – then took a photograph when it came to the dessert.

Today has been a mixture of relief, celebration and anti-climax. We met the agents and the vendor at the house to check on things before going to the notaire. Another long, detailed explanation of all the papers, each sheet to be initialled and / or signed. Then the handing over of the keys and WE HAVE A HOUSE! Caroline, the former owner, (wife of Stephane, curiously) couldn’t stay for the customary drink, having to get back to Perpignan for family reasons, so we had a glass with Natalie and Marie, the agents who have looked after us vey well, but they wouldn’t come back and share the bottle of Blanquette from Harry’s fridge as they had other commitments. So we went to the house again just to look around on our own and now we’re back for the last evening at Puivert. They’re not doing meals here tonight and Natalie told us that Mike and Vincent, where we might have gone to eat, have closed for a two week holiday. We’ve no ongoing contact with anyone on site, nor immediate neighbours, so the Blanquette will stay unopened.

But hey – no matter; we have a house! And next Friday it will be furnished!

MORE SNIPPETS

…. “And we’re eating outside again”. On good days (for weather) that includes staying out till well after dark:

But the weather has become much less predictable, with grey, sometimes showery, days mixed in among the fine ones, which are still very warm and a dip in the lake remains an almost daily activity.

…. “Lizards are common round here”; This is the best attempt so far to photograph one:

I’m sure there’ll be a better photo once we move to the house …..

FROM LAKELAND TO LANGUEDOC. (Could be a book title; ‘Lakeland to Languedoc; A Year To Move House’. Hmmm …. Hasn’t someone done something like that already?) Many years ago, when I first went camping in the Lake District with a little girl in a little tent, I was sat outside the tent one morning (couldn’t sit IN it!) planning the day, and I said to little girl “Could you bring me ‘The Southern Fells’, please?’ (Maybe not all readers will know that that is the title of one of A W Wainwright’s guide books). Instead of popping into the tent to get the book, little girl trotted off to the other side of the campsite. I thought ‘must have said something wrong!’ and got the book myself. Some minutes later, little girl comes back carrying (for her) quite a big stone. ‘I couldn’t bring you the whole of the Southern Fells, so I just brought you a bit of them – hope that’s all right.’ …. We kept that stone and put it in the car at the end of the holiday. It stayed with me through time at Billing, Plumpton and Garth View; now here it is at Puivert, between my flowering (sort of) shrub and my herb trough:

An irony is that ‘The Southern Fells’ is the book that has gone missing from the set of Wainrights. A replacement won’t be the same as all the amendments, notes and dates of the walks and climbs are irreplaceable.

There’s also a log (piece of wood, not a diary!) that served as a mug stand in the hearth at Billing – nearly got burned once when a guest offered to pop it on the fire – which also made it to Plumpton and Bolton. That’s here, too.

Company around us keeps changing, but most of the time we are the only occupants of our ‘square’. (the campsite is arranged in enclosures like this, mostly containing four or more very generously sized pitches):

When there are no immediate neighbours a good place to socialise is in the all-purpose, unisex, wash-up, laundry and toilet / shower block. Our current friends are from Germany, he German, she Austrian, and when not sitting in our awning on drizzly days:

…. We play light-hearted games of boules, ignoring most of the rules and speaking a Durcheinander

Quoi?

Un méli-mélo

Wie?

He means un mélange.

Oh – ein Durcheinander, ja !

… and speaking a mish-mash of English, French and German.

Hey, Harry – c’est quoi un ‘mish-mash’?

Das weiß ich nicht ….

Doh! Carol has never played boules (pétanque) before, but two of these winning bowls are hers!:

Life goes on …….

BAD DAYS, BIG MOUNTAINS AND BUTTERFLIES

Don’t panic! ‘Bad Days’ refers to the weather and computer problems, nothing worse …

The month end brought big changes. First, we had three nights of thunderstorms, and a fourth of heavy rain. Also one day of almost continuous rain. Whether it was that day or another we can’t remember, but around the month end we had all three meals in the van for the first time since crossing the Channel, we think. Temperature plummeted and we began to wear long trousers and cardigans! We even used a heater in the van one morning when the temperature was only about 18°. Well, you have to be comfortable ….

Pair of big softies!

Tais-toi, petite!

Die hat aber recht. She’s right, though.

OK! OK! Leave it …. The month end also brought the departure of our neighbour for the last three weeks or so – REMY! (And a journal of our stay here wouldn’t be complete without reference to him.) He burst into our lives one morning when a mate brought his caravan round from another pitch. Then he fetched his car and parked it on OUR pitch, and said (in French) ‘Is that OK?’ ‘Otherwise I’ll put it over there, but it’ll block your view of the lake’. I said ‘there’s room’ – we were having breakfast – and that was that. The car was there for 3 weeks. Rémy has been a long-term resident here since the eighties, spending the month of August on pitch 11. When we came (July 12^th) we were on pitch 13, but they changed the numbers and we became no. 10. So R. had to move to the next pitch. (Would he have been so keen to keep no. 11 if it hadn’t been lakeside? ….)

Anyway, at times he was very friendly, inviting us to share drinks, or coming to our table with a bottle in hand and insisting that we share it. We invited him to eat with a us a couple of times but he always refused. He has a naturally loud voice, which he continues to exercise even when phoning …. He also has made friends with other regulars over the years and calls to them from pitch to pitch regardless of who might be in between. But the greatest irritant was his RADIO, which he switched on in the morning and left on all day, whether he was on site or not …. We did speak to him about this, but he was unmoveable – he’d been a policeman for five years and was convinced the radio deterred intruders.

Much more could be said about this larger than life character, but Carol doesn’t think it’s appropriate, and is concerned that this journal isn’t as private as it’s supposed to be …. Anyway, he left in the early hours of a soggy Sunday morning, leaving a note on Sally’s windscreen that would bring tears to your eyes if it weren’t already damp enough with the drizzle ….

However … Summer is returning! It’s been forecast all along, and finally it’s breaking through. There seems to be a battle of the seasons going on; summer, desperate to return, is fighting off autumn, who, having arrived, is reluctant to let go!

So one day when it wasn’t raining, but not too hot, we drove up to Andorra –

Laissez-moi! Let me! Me do! C’était magnifique! Très difficile, mais magnifique! I took THEM up to Ax Les Thermes, where we’ve been before, very twisty-turny, voyons, then on to Andorra in the High Pyrenees.

It took THEM a long time to find a place to stop to picnic, so I was quite glad when they found this spot:

So were we!

And then after that I had another rest while THEY went shopping.

Whisky £10 for 1.5ltrs! – No tax.

And HE filled up my tank with petrol for 2 or 3 cents less than in France (per litre).

On the way back THEY got excited because THEY thought THEY saw a pair of eagles riding the thermals –

We did!

Well, you don’t have a photograph, so who knows?

Be reasonable!

Raisonnable? But of course…. We stopped at the highest point – where there were no ealgles – and SHE took photographs of the mountains with ski runs on them.

Then just before we came back into France we stopped again –

And found this excellent hotel-restaurant where they serve a help-yourself-as-much-as-you-want buffet dinner. Special offers included champagne (small glass) with dessert and a bottle of Pastis. (We don’t drink that – we might have given it to Rémy. but he’d gone before we got up next morning!). Total bill: £24 (3 courses, kir and wine). Think we might go back there! I nearly bought a computer, too.

Au restaurant?

No!! earlier, at the superstore. Yes, this ‘puter has been playing up big time, a bit like Harry on the M25 –

I heard that.

Well,… you did!

And I haven’t really been able to use it for about 5 days. I’m told my profile was corrupted –

It’s the new hair cut!

What? Who said that? Just call me Samson! That hasn’t even been mentioned yet. The computer was fixed this morning (Wed.) by Rachel’s friend, Peter.

Two other vsits to record: we ‘did’ Chalabre Castle on the last day of public opening. It’s more of a big house than a fortress

And it’s seen better days, but a dedicated team of enthusiasts put on displays and run workshops. After the rain of recent days the display of armed combat on horseback couldn’t take place – risk of slipping and injury to the horses – but a good show of hand-to-hand swordplay took place indoors.

After the castle we explored Chalabre’s little lake and tennis club.

Yes, one of us has had a haircut.

One of us hasn’t.

Then today we visited the nearby butterfly house. Not much to say, really: just put up a few piccies:

Others were very envious when Carol took this one! Whenever it posed it closed it’s wings and was just brown. Brilliant.

THAT is an invasion of privacy! ….. Shouldn’t be allowed….

That one’s a moth – just emerged. When I can get it to work I’ll put an album on SkyDrive of these. And by the way, those who were with us last year and and have been having sleepless nights ever since wondering what the butterflies on Oleron were – they were ‘Soucis’. Sleep well ….

This morning (Wed.) they took the canoes and pedaloes off the lake, and also the chains of floats that mark the safe swimming area. They’ve also taken away the lifeguard’s chair:

Carol actually encouraged me to do that!

The campsite has been bleak and almost deserted, but this afternoon as the temperature rose and the sun really did try to shine again, the beautiful people began to reappear ( and some of them really are!). More pitches are occupied tonight on the site than for some time, though mostly by one-nighters. We have our ‘square’ to ourselves! And we’re eating outdoors again.

BREAKFAST TIME!

BAD DAYS, BIG MOUNTAINS AND BUTTERFLIES

Don’t panic! ‘Bad Days’ refers to the weather and computer problems, nothing worse …

Pair of big softies!

Tais-toi, petite!

Die hat aber recht. She’s right, though.

So one day when it wasn’t raining, but not too hot, we drove up to Andorra –

It took THEM a long time to find a place to stop to picnic, so I was quite glad when they found this spot:

So were we!

And then after that I had another rest while THEY went shopping.

Whisky £10 for 1.5ltrs! – No tax.

And HE filled up my tank with petrol for 2 or 3 cents less than in France (per litre).

On the way back THEY got excited because THEY thought THEY saw a pair of eagles riding the thermals –

We did!

Well, you don’t have a photograph, so who knows?

Be reasonable!

Raisonnable? But of course…. We stopped at the highest point – where there were no ealgles – and SHE took photographs of the mountains with ski runs on them.

Then just before we came back into France we stopped again –

Au restaurant?

No!! earlier, at the superstore. Yes, this ‘puter has been playing up big time, a bit like Harry on the M25 –

I heard that.

Well,… you did!

And I haven’t really been able to use it for about 5 days. I’m told my profile was corrupted –

It’s the new hair cut!

What? Who said that? Just call me Samson! That hasn’t even been mentioned yet. The computer was fixed this morning (Wed.) by Rachel’s friend, Peter.

Two other vsits to record: we ‘did’ Chalabre Castle on the last day of public opening. It’s more of a big house than a fortress

After the castle we explored Chalabre’s little lake and tennis club.

Yes, one of us has had a haircut.

One of us hasn’t.

Then today we visited the nearby butterfly house. Not much to say, really: just put up a few piccies:

Others were very envious when Carol took this one! Whenever it posed it closed it’s wings and was just brown. Brilliant.

THAT is an invasion of privacy! ….. Shouldn’t be allowed….

This morning (Wed.) they took the canoes and pedaloes off the lake, and also the chains of floats that mark the safe swimming area. They’ve also taken away the lifeguard’s chair:

Carol actually encouraged me to do that!

BREAKFAST TIME!

PUIVERT SNIPPETS

Eleven steps – two lizards. Lizards are common round here. We’ll probably see them basking in the sun halfway up the walls at home. The other day I spotted two as I went up the steps. Well, two on the way up an one on the way down, so there may have been three, but I think the one on the way down was one of the ones from the way up, which makes two…. If you see what I mean. The keen-eyed have also spotted glow-worms under the steps, and under the hedge near Harry.

I haven’t seen them!

Well, you wouldn’t …. Did you know, a glow-worm is really a beetle, and only females glow – to attract passing males in flight? Then once they’ve mated they turn off their light, lay their eggs and die.

C’est triste, ça!

Yes, but isn’t Wikipaedia wonderful !

We’ve been up to the castle. We cheated and went as far as we could by car (I’ve got a leg that wont work properly all the time – Rachel & Sean might remember a bit of a problem last time we walked in the Lake District – I’ve even had a session with an osteopath, which has helped a bit, I think.)

It was very hard and bumpy –

What, my leg?

Mais, non! (Imbécile) The drive up to the castle. Good view, though.

Yes, and we learnt about Troubadours and how the lake used to be much bigger, and the legend of the White Lady ….

Several days a week I go into the village by bike to get the bread:

Carol comes too, now, sometimes. One day we’ll go for a longer ride. Quand il fera moins chaud ! (When it’s less hot !) One day a bit back the notice board showed the air temperature to be 29˚ and the water (of the lake) 26. But that was when the lifeguard came on duty at 12.30. Both get warmer through the afternoon.

A young couple camped on one of the pitches in our square a bit back, and he got a guitar out. I went over and suggested we should see what we could do together. We had a really cool session! Then another one with drinks after dark. They live not very far away, and one day this week they came for a day by the lake, but called to say ‘bonjour’ and brought a friend with a little girl with them. That was really nice! They were here again this weekend and we shared some more music and a meal.

Google this: Fontestorbes and go to which ever site(s) take your fancy. We’d read about this intermittent spring, but when we were there, we didn’t realise that’s where we were, because we were on our way to somewhere else! On the way back we had other priorities, so we didn’t stay to see the sudden surge in the flow. It’s one to go back to. Certainly a remarkable phenomenon.

My little Esperanto flag flutters bravely by Harry’s bike-rack.

It’s instigated a number of conversations about Esperanto, but (so far) none in Esperanto.

Ĝis la!

BUBBLES AND FIREWORKS!

It’s good is buying houses round here! We should do it more often. Most readers know of the local product – a sort of slightly fizzy, colourless drink called Blanquette de Limoux. (Google it or go straight to its website – you might end up buying some; Rachel did!) Well, on Tuesday morning we had one bottle of Blanquette on our winebar. By the evening, we’d bought a house (sort of), drank a bottle of blanquette and we had two bottles of blanquette on the wine bar. (You might need to read that again!) By midday Wednesday we had an extra bottle of local red as well (which we hadn’t bought).

Better explain! We re-visited the house in the morning, with the agent who picked us up here at the campsite to save us going down into Quillan. We measured some rooms and walls (we can’t think in square metres, we need length and breadth in feet!), asked lots of questions and forgot to take photographs. We came away to talk about it over lunch and phoned Nathalie (agent) to make the offer. She negociated for us and got the ride-on mower, the big ‘american’ fridge and the dishwasher into the price we wanted to pay and a deal was agreed.

I went to the little café at the site entrance and said ‘We’ve just bought a house’, then, a bit tentatively, ‘do you happen to have a bottle of Blanquette already chilled?’ ‘Of course’, said Sophie, ‘c’est indispensable – en Aude. Which one do you want?’ Then she refused payment, as the site’s contribution to our celebration. Next, Nathalie’s boss, Marie, came round with the ‘offre d’achat’ for us to sign, and brought with her – a bottle of blanquette. But she wouldn’t have any herself because she was still working and driving. We shared the chilled one with ‘neighbours’ from Normandy and so ended up with two bottles on the shelf, instead of one, having drunk one. Simples! The neighbours were leaving next day and before they went the gave us a bottle of Fitou.

Wednesday 25^th was a big day – or evening – here in Puivert. There had been no local celebration of the Fête Nationale on the 14^th, and this was the substitute. About 200 people gathered here on the campsite, on the pitches with the most open view of the lake, for a communal meal.

Not just residents on site – there probably aren’t that many, but locals and some who had travelled from further away. The meal was a splendid 3-course do – 4 if you count the apéritif with nibbles and pâtés and drinks as alcohlic as you wanted to make them. Then a starter of duck liver pâté:

Followed by a daube de boeuf, tarte aux fruits and coffee. During the meal, there seemeed to be an endless supply of red and rosé wine, which no doubt contributed to the general conviviality.

The sun had gone down, with the last rays shining onto the castle, not behind it:

So now it was fireworks time. Well, what a display! All reflected in the lake, of course. Here are a few pictures, but I’ll put an album on Sky Drive and the best way to see them would be as a cross-fading slide show, if you can do that, with music, of course, as we saw them in the first place.

We just can’t imagine anything like this event in England. Jeannine, Sophie’s no 1 helper, had taken trouble to do a seating plan and place us (the only English) where she thought there would be a good atmosphere. She got that right, too, people were very friendly – including the man who will be our refuse collector! He teased us with some local dialect, but others were quick to translate.

But the evening didn’t end with the fireworks! There’s an evening market just outside the site every Wednesday, and this week that was ‘enhanced’ by the disco which continued till sometime after 12, but no problem to us.

When I thanked Sophie and Jeannine for the evening (or for their work) next morning, they both took the line that we were to be thanked for being there (!) and Jeannine was very anxious to know that we had been happy with the placing at table.

We’re starting to unwind and relax now, and consider ourselves ‘on holiday’. We’ve had a swim in the lake the last three days – just as well it’s there, because temperatures have soared. Even at 7 pm yesterday evening (Thursday) when we went shopping it was still 33° in the town (Lavelanet).

Unfortunately, the lawyer whom everyone (except the original agent) has recommended to us is on holiday till August 6^th, but we’re told there’s still a reasonable hope that we may take possession of the house at Sonnac by mid September. Here’s another little picture: (anyone know how to make them bigger?)

BUBBLES AND FIREWORKS!

Followed by a daube de boeuf, tarte aux fruits and coffee. During the meal, there seemeed to be an endless supply of red and rosé wine, which no doubt contributed to the general conviviality.

The sun had gone down, with the last rays shining onto the castle, not behind it:

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Stephen's space

SKT's photo-journal, for family and friends

Tag Archives: French Life

Friends from Puivert Return – A Day Out – and POOL PROGRESS

A CANAL TRIP, AND THE SUN SHINES ON THE LATEST VISITORS.

SUNEJO’S FIRST FULL HOUSE

THE STORY SO FAR.

NOVEMBER …… DECEMBER ….

GET HARRY!

NO MEN, A TRIP INTO THE MOUNTAINS – AND COWS!

DANGER! MEN AT WORK.

.MOVE IN – MOVE OUT – TRAVEL ON…

Untitled

PUIVERT – THE LAST DAYS

MORE SNIPPETS

BAD DAYS, BIG MOUNTAINS AND BUTTERFLIES

BAD DAYS, BIG MOUNTAINS AND BUTTERFLIES

PUIVERT SNIPPETS

BUBBLES AND FIREWORKS!

BUBBLES AND FIREWORKS!