Gypsy Jazz

It's not yet the middle of August and it can be quite cold at night. For the first time this summer, I slept under a cover last night. The weather is very strange. This time last year we had the portable air con unit blasting away noisily in the bedroom. We've hardly used it this year. I suppose there's still time but something inside says not. Whilst not a problem in the scale of things the evening entertainment for the wedding, where everything has been geared to heat, it's more likely to be igloo than boogaloo.

***

On a similar theme, my usual habit of scrubbing the pool algae from inside the pool has been put on hold. This morning the temperature was only 23C which, by my standards, is little short of brass monkeys. Whilst it kills my back, I scrubbed from pool-side.

***

We've got figs and plums. I had the first two figs this morning and then Jan and I picked a whole bunch of 'wild' plums. There are just too many fruit trees in the garden (that I haven't planted)to suggest that they are all wild. There are two different figs (black and green), plums, almonds and what looks like a huge pear tree. At some stage these must have been cultivated but it feels good to consider them as 'wild.'

***

We have two bands playing at the wedding and today I met with Claudio della Corte who leads a Stephane Grappelli type gypsy jazz band, to show him what was entailed with his session. Rather unusually the band will play in the temple before and after the wedding ceremony and then later during cocktails at the house. They're a good band that Jan first found playing at the market in Sommieres. They comprise two guitars, double bass and violin. Click on his name to listen to a few pieces. Excellent.

The second group that will be playing, later in the evening, are Lastimelie. Listen to them here.