saturday warning

All of Jills friends know that she is in 

hospital;currently Carcassonne, awaiting 

test results. 

In the meantime an exhibition of her 

landscapes is opening on Saturday,

apero at 18.00. Its unlikely that 

Jill will be there but lets all turn out 

and wish her and her family well - 

and enjoy her paintings:)

samedi 2 juin 
de 16h00 à 20h00
 
PORTES OUVERTES à L'ARTOTHEQUE DE RENNES LES BAINS
 
EXPOSITION de Peinture « Paysages Audois » de Jill COOPER
 
Apéritif à partir de 18h00
 
Exposition ouverte tous les mardi et vendredi de 16h30 à 18h00
 
RENSEIGNEMENTS: 04 68 69 82 94

We've gone foreign

 Voila! The mighty station of Tilling now has an Occitan interpretation.
And below are my summer frocks, out of storage and looking rather better on the washing line than they do on me, sigh.
I'm sure there are things of more import happening but I can't remember.

not for the squeamish

Yesterdays drama ... anyone know what sort of snake Tache is devouring? (Thanks to Ryan for photos)

no dramas today.
The beautiful weather continues; we went to Limoux, me to replace my Carte Senior (lost with bank cards and cheque book some time ago, what a drag -) and for Ryan and Alicia to suss out the mechanics of becoming working Americans in France. Everyone very helpful and rather fun though no-one actually knows anything.
Saw a heron catch a fish in the Aude from the old bridge at Limoux though.
Train was a treat and when we were tired we bumped into Peter G who gave us a lift home.

Louis and Jeanette

Louis and Jeanette once more proved themselves the best cooks in the world - (this is a challenge to Ryan and Alicia)
We started - at lunch, mind you - with strong apero. I had Jeanettes mandarin liqueur. Breakfast, effectively. Very good indeed. Then a Marseilles fish soup, with fish that they'd bought as the boats came in at the port, on top of little toasts spread with garlic mayonnaise and saffron, all scattered with grated cheese. After that was cuttle fish stew, the fish prepared by Louis and cooked by Jeanette and featuring fennel stalks (from Mont Marot) which I didn't know you could use... a rose with the fish courses. Chilled.  Then salad and wild boar pate, made by herself of boar shot by him. Jeanette shot with the hunt when she was young, had her own gun, but after her marriage let Louis do the hunting and contented herself with the prep indoors.The salad was dressed with olive oil, vinegar, heavy on the salt and pepper; that was all. Then cheese, with a Costiers de Nimes, perfect with the roquefort. (By this stage, as you can see from the picture, we were all quite cheerful) The blanquette got opened for the apple and almond tart which was covered in egg and cream baked without sugar.
Then Bob and I went home and passed out for a couple of hours. Caught the last of the light walking above Luc sur Aude, looking at orchids and listening to the birds and marveling at our lives.

sat nite sun morn

 Ate last night at the very remarkable poulet en bicyclette, en route to St Ferriol, reopened for the season; still run by charming and capable folk suffused with visions. Few things can be better than sitting with friends in a forest by a lake watching the sunset and eating and drinking far too much.
http://www.chez-pierro.com/ for contact stuff and directions.

Followed by the local vide grainer:))) Now we are about to lunch with our neighbours, they of the legendary culinary skills. Oh la. Words fail.

saturdays metaphors

 Saturday morning in Tilling and there is a wedding - which I got embarrassed to photograph, so here's the confetti outside the town hall - and a funeral, with Msr Bigot here waiting for the coffin. Both had an 11.00 o'clock kick-off.

 Here's Msr Francois in his funeral outfit; he was making jokes about it being the funeral of the husband.

thursday dinner

 Here is Captain Harris wandering about before dinner; followed by the dinner, some of it, made by Alicia and Ryan and totally yummy; and Andree who graced us with her presence.