family matters

Obviously ex pat life has a few( just a few) drawbacks and separation from family ranks as the most significant. This is why we have always been keen to make  the effort to get involved with family events whenever we have the chance. We were therefore delighted when my brother asked us if we would go to his wedding at the end of October. A second marriage for both parties, it was to be a very small gathering at the historic blacksmith's forge at Gretna Green in Scotland, followed by a larger party in their home village in Suffolk . For us it meant a 5 day trip with a different bed every night but we caught up with some friends and spent  good times with the family.

Gretna has clearly capitalised on it's romantic and historic past and I gather some weekends get very busy. On a Thursday at the end of October though it was quiet and even the weather played fair.

The party at the weekend was great for us as both of our children plus families were able to be there as well as several nieces and nephews who we we see all too rarely.



The icing on the cake for us was that, after 17 years together, our daughter and her partner have finally become engaged, a moment I had thought might never happen and I suspect it was the same for our daughter, Anyway she was so so happy and is now eagerly planning her wedding "festival party" for next September. It will definitely be different from Gretna Green!

The bonus is I get loads of excited emails and phone calls as the plans unfold. It certainly promises to be a wedding with a difference.

It's now the count down to our next family time , our traditional  annual December get together in Derbyshire. This year we have rented a house for the family over Christmas week and will be spending a night beforehand in the potteries for the now annual meal with our old music and dancing friends.

Good times ahead. For now we are adjusting to some colder temperatures and settling down to a winter routine. There's still no time to slack though, lots to do in the garden, dancing 2 or 3 evenings every week, walks to be done etc etc .

                                     aiçi sén pla      

get yer boots on

Yes I know all the seasons have their plusses but for me summer wins every time. I can't get enough of warm days, light and sunshine, outdoor living and late night swims. Yesterday it was as though someone had flicked a switch and turned the summer off and the autumn on. It was not so much mists and mellow fruitfulness as b....y cold, windy and damp. We ate all our meals indoors and had to rediscover the salon and evening tele.

 We were pleased when it was a bit brighter this morning and as the forecast was at least aminly dry we decided to test out our respective dodgy joints by doing a walk. Good decision, It didn't rain we spents a happy few hours on the hills and dales around Ginals (we are still finding new walks even now) and saw hardly another soul all day.

 

 

 

this yucca isn't giving up either - it has decided to flower for second time this year.

Trevor is as I write preparing to swim but at just below 20 degs I am pretty sure I've had my last dip of the year.












In previous years we have headed south to the mediterranean or to Spain at this time of year to grasp a couple of extra sandle and t shirt days but this year we have different plans. Next month we are heading NORTH twice! Firstly we are going for a couple of days in Paris and at the end of the month we have to go to England for my brother's wedding. It would be nice to think we have some more été indien days left to come here before then and now we have warmed the boots up we'll still be getting out and about.

Reborn

It is one year tomorrow since our interviews for French naturalisation. On 25 th April this year we became officially French citizens (with dual nationality) and today we went to collect our official papers from the prefecture in Montauban. The papers include our decrees of naturalisation and also French birth and marriage certficates. Now we can get our French identity cards and apply for French passports - we will remain proudly European come what Mayhem!

Many of our visiting friends and family over the summer have remarked that we have clearly found where we belong in our home here. With each year that passes ( we have now been here 7 years) we feel more at home, our social life is crammed and we have made so many good friends - here's to many more happy years to come!

                                                      aiçi sén pla

crazy days of summer

Is the world spinning faster? I think not, it's just that time of year again.

July and August in SW France means fêtes and festivals, fireworks and feasts.

There is so much going on that it is impossible to fit everything in. This weekend, the last in July, is always the date of our local village fete, unfortunately it is also the weekend of the fete at the village which is almost a second home for us as it is where we go to dance every Friday evening. Luckily for us the last couple of years we have been able to do both as the main events ( at least for us) are on different evenings during the weekend.

So Saturday night saw us joining many friends at a traditional bal in Salles dancing under the stars on a beautiful evening. It's 50 kms to Salles but as always when we arrived we were not the only ones to have travelled, it was a case of all the usual faces!

Sunday it was back to home territory for the moules à la paille repas at Puylagarde. Another lovely warm evening and the threatened thunderstorms held off until we were safely tucked up in bed.

 

 

This has become one of our favourite events of the summer and this year was even better as we had a crowd of friends joining us.

I always love the atmosphere of these huge village meals, hundreds of locals, second homers, summer visitors all in holiday mood. It's so much better these days too as when we go to a gathering like this we are never on our own.







Tonight we will be dancing again, later in the week we are going to an outdoor Offenbach opera at Bruniquel and next weekend its back to juggling festivals, fireworks and meals with friends.

Voyages and dreams

The folk'n'jazz summer concerts have developed as the years have passed and a lot of preparation goes into making sure they are successful. June , July and August concerts use outside venues and  the expected audience is hopefully swelled by the  "swallows" and other tourists in the area. Each month a significant sum is raised for a charity chosen by the host venue. These days the majority of the performers are French, ranging in age from 39 to 80 plus so folk it isn't , jazz it isn't but interesting and varied it certainly is.

This month the theme is " voyages and dreams", as our usual practice venue was not available  everyone came here. A voyage for everyone else and a dream of an evening for me - 17 people around the table ( more than I would have thought possible), lots of good food and wine, music being played in all corners of the garden  AND the weather did not spoil it despite threats of rain earlier in the day.

It was the sort of party I have dreamt of having since we came here - oops - sorry that should read rehearsal not party of course! In fact everyone did work hard too but it was such a lovely evening. We are so lucky to be living our dream and thanks to the music and dancing our social life keeps getting better and better.

                                   aiçi sén pla

"farting the floor"

A thank you from the hosts of last night's free trad bal in Caylus reads :

Bravo les musiciens et les danseurs qui nous ont fait " péter le plancher " soirée réussi et toujours autant d'ambiance .....

auto translated as:

Kudos to the musicians and dancers who made us "fart the floor" evening and always so much atmosphere.....

Better on so many levels than last year when there was the ancestral lineage of a thunderstorm, this year it was a hot night with almost a full moon plus the benefit of a wooden dance floor. 

We go to two dance workshops each week during the winter months , one nearby in Caylus, the other 50 kms away at Salles sur Cerou near Cordes, where TC is one of the musicians. Last night a large contingent from both groups arrived to dance support Trevor and the musicians of Salles  "Sallebande" at a summer only guinguette venue in Caylus, run by a couple who also dance.

Sallebande

So there we were, as far as we know the only English people, at a French traditional bal where we knew almost all of the dancers personally and TC was  playing for the  bal.We were in our element.

It was like a great big summer party - one of those relaxed summer evenings the French do so well, lots of music ,dancing, chips and sausages and carafes of wine. No need to ask further why it is I feel so much at home here. Luckily my back had improved sufficiently for me to be able to do at least a bit of dancing and today I can still move!

The summer is really under way 

and    

 

aiçi sén pla  

emotional overload

The past few weeks have been something of an emtional roller coaster.

There was the excitement of adoption day and the flying visit to party. No sooner than we were back home when I had to book a flight back again this time travelling on my own.

In many ways this was good news too as a place had become available in a dementia care home for my mother who was in desperate need of a safe place to be. It was however also stressful, for Mum trying to accept the situation and settle in and for my brother and me as we had to dismantle her flat and a deal with sorting out a lifetime of belongings. We were both glad to be able to do it together and support each other. It was physically exhausting too as we had to become furniture removers and take vanload after vanload of unwanted items to the tip and boxes and boxes and yet more boxes of surplus belongings to charity shops. It was a long 5 days! When  I left it was good to know at least that Mum is in safe hands,she has lots of company, proper food,  her room is looking her own and the care home she is in is the very best we could hope for.

Back home again just in time to compere the celidh at folk'n'jazz - calling in French after nearly a week away talking English was a challenge but adrenanlin kicked in and the night went well.




Next day Adam and the family arrived with the addtion of Tania's dad so all of a sudden it was meals for 7 and full time holiday making. We had a great time, the weather had been hot so the pool was nice and warm and lots of continuing sunshine meant it got good use. There was also gocarting, sightseeing, picnics, barbecues, the space centre, restaurants etc etc.

When they left I came down with something of a bump - mega highs, mega lows, travelling and entertaining seemed to have caught up with me and I was feeling very drained and sorry for myself for a few days.

Some good nights sleep, some "mad in the attic" sewing time and getting the garden back under control restored the equilibrium and I can now start to look forward to the rest of the summer.

                                 aiçi sén pla

what a week !

The polls, and all reason had said all would be well but after the events of 2016 ( Brexit , Trump) who knew what could happen . It was therefore with not a small measure of  relief that welearnt the very sensible French election system had resulted in a new French president with an actual majority who was not a confirmed fascist.

 ( cartoon in the Rochdale Herald)

Vive la France et vive la republique - and I wish the new president well in all the policies I agree with!

It would have been so ironic if this election had gone the other way as the following day we got another letter about our French citizenship application. We knew already that it had been approved but this letter confirmed it and the date of our French nationality was announced as 24th April 2017 - so we are now officially French / British.

Encore - vive la France et vive la republique!

Next was a short trip to England for a momentous family party. We have two of the most wonderful children you could wish for who are both thankfully  happy and settled now they are grown up. We gave up the idea of grandchildren years ago with both of them being steadfast in their refusal to supply ( and indeed why should they unless they so wish) . However, 6 years ago our son met his soul mate who already had two children aged 6 amd 8 ( or thereabouts) from a previous marriage. They have grown together as a family and last year decided to take the step of our son formally adopting the children. When we heard the final court decision was to be celebrated with a party we of course had to be there - after all its not every day you get to be  mamie and  papy.




It was  a brilliant day, even the Manchester weather played nicely and the sun shone all day, and we were so glad we had made the effort to go . Separation from family is the only drawback of us living abroad but we try not to let it keep us from having significant times together.


So we are now officially grandparents.





A 2 hour delay on our flight home meant we arrived home  yesterday very tired but ready to face some serious gardening.


Catching up on emails I was not so positive about the prospect of another trip to England next week - more family stuff but not quite so celebratory as it will entail emptying my Mum's flat after she moves into an old people's home. It's likely to be an emtional time . Another reminder , if one were needed, to enjoy every minute of your life while you can and don't miss any opportunities to spend time with the people who matter most.

clout casting

The weather here in the Spring is always unpredictable - cool days, days of warm sunshine, weeks of rain , weeks without rain,  cold nights, storms, winds, hail you name it we get it. The locals have always warned against planting tender plants out too soon but this year has been really extreme and certainly the most difficult in the garden since we came here.



Two months ago we had mornings when we ate breakfast outside, in early April we had some days when the temperature got to the high 20's. Jumpers were washed and put away, summer clothes were rediscovered and hung ready. The garden burst into life , the birds were nesting,
the fruit trees were loaded with blossom and things were looking good.

 Then ZAP - several mornings waking to below zero temperatures and catasprophe in the garden.

The fruit trees have now no sign of fruit, each day I find more casualties amongst plants which had been fooled into thinking it was time to put a spurt on. In the greenhouse my seedlings have struggled and many have given up altogether.

So now it is May - hopefully we have seen the last frost, the forecast looks OK for the next week so fingers crossed. I have a second batch of geraniums and more tomato plants all ready to plant out and the potato plants are well above the protection of the soil. Let the summer begin!

Nous serons Franglais

A momentous day for us this week when we opened the letter telling us that our French naturalisation application had been approved just over 6 months after our interviews. There was much shreiking and dancing around the garden.

We now have to wait for our French birth and marriage certifcates to be prepared so we can apply for French passports. As before reactions from all our French friends and acquaintances have been positive, the only negative remarks have been from a few English who apparently feel we are being "unpatriotic". Actually I have always felt that blind patriotism is somewhat overrated and is the cause of much worldwide dissent and in current times there is much about Little Britain which leaves my heart cold. In fact we will retain our British nationality, we will continue to pay much of our income tax in England ( because of our former local government employment), and we will continue to visit as long as we have family and friends there. But we will now have security in our adopted homeland, we will have a vote here, and we will stay proud Europeans whatever idiocy prevails across the channel. The timing could not have been better as Mayhem reaches the edge of the cliff with her lemmings today.

But as I have said before, although overjoyed to have been accepted as a welcome French citizen,  I am acutely aware how lucky are we to have the chance to even think about choosing where we want to live - our personal paradise - when there are so many less fortunate displaced people around the world, and here in France, just desperate to find a safe haven to escape real horrors and persecution in their homelands  - another and much more important story for our times.

For us the Spring is truly sprung - it's good news time, my shingles have gone, the weather is looking up, the garden is full of buds and flowers, I've heard cuckoos, we have already had our first guests of the year and the calendar is filling nicely.

                                              aiçi sèn pla

faceache

I learnt a new French word this week - un zona


I have been laid low with an attack of shingles on my face from my scalp to my lips. Very painful and very scary as it was around my useful eye ( the other one being pretty well hopeless). Luckily our local doctor services meant I could get to see a doctor very promptly ( a good deal more quickly than in England) and got the appropriate antiviral medicine in time for it to have an effect. All of this week I have looked like someone who has had a very bad botox experience and then an acid attack.
 
The swelling has gone down a lot now so with a serious amount of make up I can face the world albeit with a droopy eye and lopsided smile. 

 I have even even managed the odd  hour of gardening and uncovered my hellebores which had started flowering under a blanket of old leaves and winter debris.

 
 

Although on the mend I am still very tired all the time and with a bad headache so actvitiy doesn't last long. Our hammock normally lives in the shade for reading on hot sunny afternoons - we have just moved it for "out of season " use so I can rest and read in the lovely spring sunshine rather than curled up ( poorly on chairs) in front of a fire indoors.


 I have been fascinated at the number of people (even those I would normally think quite rational) whose first reaction is to insist I should find someone with a "secret" to " lift the burn". No less than three of the ladies at patchwork claimed the power over burns and un zona. I suspect it is a countryside thing - there are a lot of old fashioned superstitions, some religious , some not still current. Anyway I have been well administered unto although I think perhaps the prompt antiviral treatment may have had the most significant effect ( I'll just keep quiet about that )

have you forgotten anything?

When we woke up the Autun was blowing with a vengeance ( orange alert from the meteo for worse to come) so we decided it would be a good day to head down to Pavillon to get a coat of paint on the recently repaired shutter.



I usually try to get out of going as I find visiting our seemingly unsellable, erstwhile holiday paradise retreat somewhat depressing as nature reclaims it but I today I was happy at the prospect of escaping the wind but still being outside.

reminder of the olden days!

Pavillon is near Bruniquel is 40 kms away so not on the doorstep but it is always a lovely drive  through the beautiful scenery of the Aveyron gorge. We were pleased to find the river well within its banks ( it's several years now since the house was  flooded) and I was set to work collecting wood. A few minutes later the air was rent with unsuitable language as TC discovered  he had paintbrushes , white spirit , rags but no PAINT!



Just as well there was some wood to collect !





We were also amused to find that Pavillon ( an isolated riverside house without electricity )now has a new address : number 3472 a swanky metal number plate delivered free!

Back home and the wind is still raging, it was a good idea to get away to the shelter of the Vere valley even if the shutter still needs painting.

live every day

As we get older it becomes part of life to lose people close to us.

We expect to have to face to death of parents, aunts and uncles. But sooner or later it is the turn of our own generation to bow out. This week one of our English friends here (yes we do have a few) died leaving us all feeling rather stunned. He was one of the founders of folk'n'jazz and he and TC had become quite good friends over the last couple of years as a result of singing and playing music together. A few years older than us but not many and no one would have expected him to die young, until very recently he had always seemed fit and energetic. He will be much missed and remembered with affection by many.

RIP John Taylor

A lesson to learn - you never know when your time will come - don't waste your life, get on and live it to the full and value your time with family and friends while you can.