July 2012

This is embarrassing, so long since the last blog, my excuses could include directing the latest 007 movie, advising Richard Branson about the next space shuttle, training people in fire dancing, teaching myself to hold my breath under water for more than 10 seconds but no believe it or not none of these excuses would be true, try boring old apathy!! Between the usual French activities eating, reading, gardening, sleeping and did I mention eating?

Also, mustn't forget we popped back to the UK mid May and went to Jamaica with Helene and Dudley and had a fabulous holiday, although Reggae is a bit old hat at the moment with us.  We had a great holiday  with  lots of laughs. Won't mention 50 shades of Grey, say no more!!

France:

Wow, it has eventually happened, Terry has fallen into the pond, apparently whilst whipper snippering (strimming)  around the pond he stepped backwards up to the waist, I wish I had my camera there on the ready.

At last the summer has arrived in SW France, I say at last as it has been appalling weather, storms rain and even hail stones, which is why the pond is so full he he.

The night markets have started with vengeance, we could eat out at a different village every night (see the Vianne night market photo), they are great, for a small price you can get a variety of local produce for example: duck kebabs x 2 5E, chips made in duck fat 2E fresh strawberries and cream 3E, all very healthy and fat free delicious.  Talking of which we are once again amazed at the Plats du jour menus at 12.50E for three / four courses, as much wine as you like and coffee, we could only get an entrée for that price in Perth.

You may or may not be aware that our friends from Perth, Dei and Rick are coming over beginning of August for us all to cycle the remainder of our adventure ie the Med to the Atlantic along the canals, this final leg is  273.5 kms our longest yet, this is spread over a few days averaging 55kms per day, should be interesting.  Terry and I have been practising along the canal du midi and canal lateral, it has been quite convivial cycling for an hour one way along the canal stopping for coffee then cycling back and having lunch very nice.

There are those of you who are avid followers of my blog (aren’t you Chris) and want to know the mole score, it is quite impressive this year and the sick person who shall be unnamed (Terry) has taken photos of them, I have refused to download them onto my computer, he poses the dead bodies on the window sill and takes an evidential photo! sick or what.  The score so far is 6

I will quickly move on…

Life in France has taken on it usual routine as I mentioned earlier, one difference is that I am taking French lessons on my own as Terry has been banned from the class for a variety of reasons including not paying attention (looking out the window, trying to distract Gerry to talk about tractors or anything else other than French), not doing his homework need I go on.  Now he loves to tell people he has been thrown out of class, maybe brings back memories of his school days.

Terry is still playing petanque on a Tuesday night at the local village and as you can see he won the cup last week, second time this year.

We have had our first Citreon rally this year with Bob and Deborah we had a lovely drive through the Gers and stopped at a new to us restaurant for lunch which was most enjoyable.  At least we didn’t run out of petrol this year, which made is more enjoyable. See photo

I think its time for a nap Abientot

July Photos 2012

On our Rally, our car is the blue Ami 8 1976

Proud cup winner

Vianne Night Market

Our pond in the garden

Jamaica with Helene and Dudley

Helene and Carol enjoying cocktails in Jamaica

Back in France May 2012

You might want to make yourself a cup of tea or a glass of wine before you sit down to read my first blog of our 2012 French experience. We had a good trip over except for the usual hanging around in airports and train stations, we eventually arrived in Agen to damp cold weather with grey skies, as expected as we arrived three weeks earlier than usual.

As we drove down ‘our lane’ low and behold a bloody great tree had come down completely blocking our way, not only that it also had taken down the electric cable and completely snapped off our telephone line.  Great start, it is now 6pm so we head up to our   

friend and saviour Jan at the duck farm, who informs us that the tree is owned by Jean Paul the recluse up the road who is a complete nutter (our words not hers).  Luckily we had Philippe with us a French speaking French man to speak to M Jean Paul, who completely denies it is his tree, luckily with more discussion he agrees to come down our lane with complete with a pre-war blunt chain saw.  Eventually we are able to get down to our house and luckily and amazingly we have electric, but of course no phone.   We are now waiting for the 48hrs that French Telecom promised us that they repair the line, we wont hold our breath. Quite update the phone took 5 days!

Although it has been cold and wet, our second day in we have sunshine, the first for weeks apparently, Terry reckons he will be in everyones good books as they will think he bought it over from Perth !!!!!!   The reason for our early arrival is that we wanted to go to the flower festival in our next village, well we went today and it was wonderful.  We sat in the sunshine drinking coffee and watching the world go by it was wonderful.

One week later and it looks like the summer is beginning (not including last night where it rained at least 2000 litres into our pond).  

We are getting into the swing of our French lifestyle by going out for spectacular and cheap 4 course French meals for a princely price of $16 including wine and coffee!!  Good job our lane is a good evening walk, we have just got back it took us an hour up our lane and to the next corner through the woods, amazing, 8.30pm and the sun is still shinning, we looooove daylight saving.

I mentioned the pond in the garden, not only in the garden but 8 metres from our bedroom window, I bring this up because the noise the frogs or toads make in the pond is so loud at night we can hear them loud and clear through our double glazing, I must admit last year Terry had to ‘cull’ them as they were so bad, but hand on heart they are worse this year, we are going away for a few weeks so they have got a reprieve.

We are going to the UK and then off for a ‘holiday in Jamaica” with our friends Helene and Dudley for a bit of R&R, just what the retired couple need!! ha ha.