arise and shine

still shattered, but jolly pleased to be here...just waking up to the sounds of the birds or the bells, is just lovely. For those that don't know we are three yards away from a beautiful and unusual twin bell towered church.

not having the exercise or rigour of the tennis court or the outdoor gym we have decided to do a forty minute walk in the countryside and around our village every morning, also to see how Marc's hip fairs. Due to the wear and continual tear of the last seven years he is in some discomfort and will eventually need a hip replacement.

we are continuing unpacking the huge amount of boxes downstairs and i am trying to stuff the contents somewhere upstairs...still have not found my franchi seeds

it is not for some days that we start to feel normal ie thaw or chill out

sticky beginnings....

this is looking more like it

At the beginning of the week we took our first french lesson in the old school in Castelnau Magnoac with 15 other anglaise, five that we knew, Marc thought Philippe our teacher was a bit like the actor comedian Robin Williams, french style. on Tuesday we had a crazy idea of getting up very early like our regular boulangerie so at 5.30 we got up to make French Catalan bread - Fougasse, which is a bit like Foccacia. it was good fun apart from the 5:30 bit, but then i had to think what length and how early our bakers all over the world are up to put loaves in their shops for us to buy for breakfast.

you could break your teeth or a window with it,
but on the whole pretty tasty with anchovies and olives

caught up with lots of people at the Guizerix vide grenier (open attic) which was tres jolie, managed not to buy any more stuff as we are both rather mindful of  the mountain in our garage, but did buy a lovely piece of cheese from a lady that had her own cows and ships !( this is how she pronounced her sheep) in the mountains. a typical Pryrenean sheep cheese called Brebis.

Friday, and i am still looking for seeds in unpacked boxes..no joy, but tidied and unpacked a few more. Then went to look at our intended allotment, Marc thinks we or rather I have bitten off more than i can chew?!

Saturday was our village market plus a flower market, it was very colourful and good to see the village alive and buzzing and i have bought tomatoes, courgettes aubergines, chard and cabbage all for eighty cents each. Bumped into all and everyone including my good friend Gertrud who has a flower stall here.

Christianne et Robert's family are down for the weekend. it is so good for me that we are surrounded by french neighbours it forces me to try and speak the language, which i really want to do. Christianne's daughter speaks some english and so does her husband...better than my french.

Beautiful sunny day, went for my first lac walk this afternoon (no views of the mountains P, almost a whole week)  very beautiful and very peaceful, the blossom on the cherries that they planted a few years ago is blooming and as always in spring the landscape looks new and clean, lively and healthy. Spotted a Copyu or Ragordin (my neighbour Ginette informs me)that had fallen off the edge of the dam in the lac. He was going to have to take a water slide in the opposite direction to get back to a large running stream, no wonder he was twitching his whiskers in disgust as he was probably still shocked at his untimely arrival over six foot, the height of a cliff too him.

As well as our bread experience duck three ways, and a first re gesiers du canard from my sud de France cookbook.

Poelee de gesiers de canard au fenouil (sorry about the  lack of accents)
Duck Giblets with Fennel

On sunday we had our own vide or rather the village did, we went with Ali, Chris and the girls, some interesting bits and pieces, but ended up buying more toms and three cucumbers. Then it was all back to la maison for wine and chat in the afternoon sunshine. After they left Marc and I managed to polish off the rest of the fois gras (thanks Marie Therese), olives and cheese. A relaxing afternoon , i mowed the grass for the first time this year, while Marc made supper.

our garden, late in the afternoon sun