Hola!

Back from Seville, via Barcelona -  on trains with all the attendant excitement that is implied. An offer of apero will buy you many amusing tales. There is also a fine photo of the Captain in a jacuzzi which is negotiable.

Seville is brill even in temps of over 40 degrees. One special memory is of our last night, in the gardens of Real Alcazar where Marina Prado sang to the guitar of Juan Carlos de Mulder. Quite astonishing - here is a  link where some of the music can be played.
http://www.actidea.es/nochesalcazar2012/grupos/marina-pardo-+-juan-carlos-de-mulder

We came out from the park to the big streets knowing that the Spain/Portugal semi-final had been played (seen the first half, good foot but inconclusive) We had heard a faint cry followed by a greater, which indicated the penalty shoot-out.  The streets were rather calm, there was neither jubilation nor despair... took a while to discover that Spain had won. A great conclusion to a lovely week.











                                                                                                                                                                        Et voila! Captain H and Hugh Hawes, my old college chum and Seville resident, who housed us and took us to wonderful places.
And Velasquez. Spikey but on form.

happy birthday Debs

Everybodys favorite chanteuse has her birthday today. 

Dropped in for tea on Sunday and had cake. Above are Serge and Edith and a cake of some complexity made by Catherine...have a really great year, Debs, surrounded by your many friends:)

Other news; Tillings mayor, Msr Torrent, is in hospital in a severe state with hitherto undiagnosed diabetes. He's now in safe hands and I'm sure we all wish him well.

And finally: I'm off to Spain in search of art. Tomorrow its Barcelona to rendezvous with the Captain, the day after I hope to be in Seville with him. All by train.

Train strike? What train strike?

Clement and Christelle get spliced...

    Remember Clement and Christelle? They had the Normandy Frites when it was Le Schlimnick, after Msr Joly's tenure.


They decided on a medieval wedding. They live at Campagne-sur-aude (aka Lower Tilling) where the village church is a rather special Templar fort so it was a smart move - but the ceremony still had to happen in the town hall as well and the Mayor did the job with a  happy heart:)

(Hmm Im finding an historical anomaly here captain )

Max and I did a nine hour stretch at this fabulous event and its quite difficult to compress  it into prose; we left at midnight, he jet-lagged, me old, before they'd started the duck course. We walked back to Tilling - nightingales sang as we tottered along the star-lit riverside- marvelling at the french joie de vivre.

 These scenes are because Les Compagnons used a catapult to pelt the women and children with bon-bons and later to hurl the brides bouquet. They asked for marriageable virgins but settled for single women.

Max had quit his habit, nice short brown frock with hood that showed his legs to perfection, for cooler eating. The day was a scorcher. The knights wore quilted padding under their armour stuff and must have been roasted like the suckling piglets we ate. Which reminds me, I sat next to the only french vegetarian Ive ever met! He ate his plate.

saturday at the pont

 coffee at the Pont this morning - knowing that there is a vide grenier tomorrow and the forecast is good.

Tim is only pulling a face because I said he looked sweet and he STILL looks sweet, I think
Yvonne is basking in the sunshine...

 Many old-timers of Tilling will remember Msr Jolie though you may not know him without his string vest - here he is, waving - and below, Max, who has survived another birthday without looking any older:)

comings and goings

Max arrived yesterday, as did this finger-length caterpillar, which though lovely was not as much fun as Max. We celebrated his birthday today - Max's - with hot chocolate in Limoux. Tomorrow Peter G leaves us for the preferred company of Neleke and tonight we toast him on his way. Ryan and Alicia have made syllabub.

le foot

Here is Alecia with the first of the beetroot - we're about to eat it - and here are Pete (with little flag), Ryan, Ian, Bob and Lily watching Le Foot. No-one won but it was a good match.

the mill at Couiza

 Absolutely no trouble up t'mill last night - glorious fun with Annie and Pete and behold! Theo and Sylvia were there plus Ryan and Alicia - Captain H is in evidence too though he leaves today for rain-sodden Blighty.