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As she woke this morning Jan said, "I'm on cooking autopilot" (at least that's what it sounded like). Bless! ***
Mike, Joanna, Wayne and Kate went to the beach today. Jan prepared a scrummy picnic for their lunch but they will eat out in Aigues Mortes this evening. This means that Jan and I will have lunch alone together for the first time in ages. What the hell will we talk about? ***
Our dinner guests this evening are Glyn and Gill, our next door but one neighbours, who have just arrived for a two night stay, and Jill and Harry. If all this is starting to sound like an episode from Eastenders (hawk, spit) then I apologise, but console yourself in the knowledge that you didn't have to pay for a TV licence.
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My view of French politicians is one of very haughty grandees who love to dish out advice to the rest of the world but who don't seem to be in tune, or have much control over their own population. Given that a Frenchman (VGE) drafted the document, had aspirations of becoming the first European President, and given French ambitions to to be at the centre of political power in Europe, I have to admit that I keep giggling at the French 'NO' vote to the proposed European Constitution. What I find even funnier is that Chirac, who went on TV to get his humble subjects to vote 'Yes', stays in office but then sacks the Prime Minister, presumably because he is out of touch with public opinion. Nice one Jacques! The new Prime Minister who is appointed by Chirac, is a career diplomat and, unbelievably, has never been elected to public office. He is a longtime Chirac stooge and sidekick, and would appear to have his nose so far up his own arse that he can smell his own bad breath. So no change there then.
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Dinner tonight was great but then what did you expect?
Will and Ginny leave today and we are very sad to see them go. They leave for Marseille on their way to London. We hope to see them again soon. Just in case you missed the comment on yesterday's blog, an article describing la course can be viewed here.***
It's cloudy today so the planned trip to the beach is put on hold until tomorrow. There are just six of us for dinner tonight and as usual Jan excels herself. In particular and for the first time she cooks a stuffed tenderloin of pork. The stuffing includes apricots, pine nuts and left over tabouleh. Very nice indeed.
Last night, Max started to eat one of the chairs on the terrace and we wake this morning to find that he has also torn the inner lining from my swim shorts (you've got competition Harry!). On top of that, Jan tries to walk through an unopened glass door and bangs her head quite badly. This is not an auspicious start to the day.***
Mike ,Joanna, Wayne and Kate really enjoyed their meal at La Fourneaux last night. The cost was £30 per head, including wine, and Wayne, who has his birthday today, and who lives in central London, claimed that a meal of equivalent quality would have cost at least £80 per head. I have to agree. They don't get back until 1.30 am and I had visions of them getting stuck in a ditch somewhere. Not so, the meal went on until very late.***
It is very hot today, 30C in the shade at one point and Ginny and Will head off for another golf course. Rather them than me. The pool looks very inviting at the moment. We all agree to visit Sommieres to see a Course Camargaise this afternoon. For those that do not know, it involves razateurs (young men) attempting to take a medallion or some such from the base of a bulls horns whilst it is charging at them. There were some very close calls, and generally it was very exciting but a little tedious by the end. The bulls, however, become progressively more 'frisky' as time wears on and the spectacle more dangerous. This is a dangerous sport and not for the faint hearted, in or out of the ring.***
Jan cooks ribs tonight. An excellent dinner with lots of laughs. After everyone has gone to bed, Max decides that he will stay outside and no amount of coaxing from Jan will make him come inside. In the end we leave him to come in when he is ready by leaving a door open. What is it with him at the moment?
I'm out buying the croissants and remembering that Will likes Fougasse, I buy him one for breakfast. My thoughtfulness is short lived because no sooner has Jan laid the table than she notices that Max has taken it and is eating it in the orchard. Nice one Max. Yet one more thing that we now have to watch!
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A quick trip to Sommieres market with Will and Ginny, who then shoot off for a round of golf. I have to nip to Montpellier to pick up Mike, Joanna, Wayne and Kate. I get there at 11.15 to find that a truck has hit the plane on the stand at Gatwick and they now have an estimated arrival time of 15.00. I decide to stay and grab a sandwich. At 13.00 I check the eta again to find that the new eta is 16.40. Bum, bum, bum! Rather than stay there for another 4 hours it's back home to sit it out. They finally arrive at 17.15 after a 6 hour wait at Gatwick. Looking at the number of carrier bags, I think the shops got a hammering.
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Whilst I'm on the airport run, Jan takes Ginny and Will to an abrivado in nearby Durfort. I think that this is the first one of the year in these parts, but if you want a full list look here. They also take a quick look at Sauve. M,J,W and K go to eat at the same restaurant as we did last night so we can help them with our favourite dishes and the wines. We stay in and eat one of Jan's Indian curries.
An acquaintance died suddenly the other day and it got Jan and I talking about what to do with our ashes. I told her that when I die I want my ashes sprinkled over the swimming poo. Some other bugger can clean it out for a change! ***
Despite our inability to even form words correctly, it's off to Aigues Mortes for lunch. Will treats us to an excellent lunch at a fish restaurant on the east side of the main square (as you can gather I failed to pick up a card). Back home via Nimes with a quick drive past the Maison Carre and the Arene (this is how sight seeing should be done) to prepare for a meal at La Fourneau de Clelia in Aigremont. This is the second time that we've eaten there, and this meal is better than the last. We have two excellent wines, one local white, Mas d'Espanet 2003 (Denys Armand) from St Mamert (a Viognier, Sauvignon, Chardonnay mix) and the other, L'Enfer, a red Corbiere from Castelmaure scv. We shall be tracking the white down and buying from the domain. Will pays for the meal again. Thank you Will!
One of last weeks guests trained as a doctor and he told this true story.Imagine a pompous, formidable and intimidating consultant putting his trainee doctors through the hoops.
"Hart, see that woman over there?""Yes sir.""Well I want you to give her a rectal and vaginal examination.""Yes sir.""Ok then get on with it.""Yes sir.""Haaaaaaaaaart.""Yes sir.""Not both at the same time, you idiot."***
Will and Ginny arrive at 6.00 pm. I panic when I see the amount of luggage that they have because I thought that they are only staying for a few days. Panic over when they explain that their next stop is London. Will was my boss for several years in a previous life, we became friends, and he taught me how to run a business. After he returned to the States, I took over the reins and the rest is history. This is the first time that we have met Ginny, and very nice she is too (I have to say nice things because I know that they are regular visitors to this page, so email me for the lowdown). Despite everything that I am told, Ginny can drink. Will, Jan and I are working our way through several bottles of Merlot and, "I never drink more than one beer", Ginny, is slowly working her way through a bottle of our locally produced rose. As the Americans say, "we were all over served".
Up with the lark for a bit of tennis, then, having converted Alastair to their Merlot, off to Chateau des Hospitaliers to buy some of their delicious wine. Wine tashting over, we then scoot over to Jill and Harry's for lunch. It's just non stop eating and drinking this month. Where do we get the energy? A & M leave at around 4.00 pm and then after a dip in the pool we collapse. This evening I watched the Champions League final. I'm supporting Liverpool, but AC Milan were clearly the better side and at half-time were 3 - 0 up. It was so one-sided that it became embarrassing and I started to lose interest. Zut alors! Liverpool pulled two goals back and the game became interesting again. They got a third, three all and everything to play for. Extra time and still stalemate, and so to that most painful and gut wrenching decider, a penalty shootout. Liverpool won 4 - 3 on penalties and are crowned champions of Europe. Good effort lads, even if Milan were the better team.
We leave for the hairdresser this morning. Jan to have her her highlights done (there I was thinking that she is a real blond) and me for a short back and sides. (Do we really need to know all this petty stuff - Ed?) ***
Marsha and Alastair arrive. I dare anyone to try and get a word in edgeways as the two women hit the airways. The pool is up to 26C, so I suggest a manly swim. My first swim this year - very macho. Jill and Harry join us for dinner and they bring some of their local fizz. I think I prefer it to ours so will try some more. We have a fun night and talk a lot of nonsense, that is everybody except me! Bed at 01.47, I must be a teenager again! Marsha and Alastair are driving, so want to take back some wine. I feel a tasting coming on!
After a big breakfast, we all head off to Nimes, for a little sight seeing. Everyone's departing flight is more or less on time, so now it's back to the ranch to prepare for Marsha and Alastair who arrive for dinner tomorrow. Marsha is a longstanding girlfriend of Jan's, from Windsor, who is staying a short distance away.
Max doesn't understand where everyone has gone. He'll learn.
Everyone is a little quieter this morning. Can't think why. Tony H, Jenny and Gail leave today, from Nimes, on the Liverpool flight. We are sad to see them go especially because we have enjoyed their company and they have been a big help around the house. Thank you guys.
This is a day for R&R. No activities are planned.
We have been here nearly 3 years and in all that time we have only seen one snake. It shot across the road, in front of the car, never to be seen again. Well, now we have seen 3 more, all in the space of two days. The first time was on the beach when Gail went off to 'spend a penny' and came running back scared out of her life. I'm really glad that she wasn't bitten because there wouldn't have been a queue to suck out the venom! Out of curiosity, Tony H and I went off to find it, only to see a yellow backed blur disappear into the scrub. That really got the adrenalin going.***Sommieres market this morning (sorry if we missed you Harry). As you may have gathered, Sommieres is hot on the visitor trail, and quite rightly so. Everyone enjoyed the experience and even us, hardbitten 'tourist guides',enjoy it as well.***We have a lazy, boozy lunch on the terrace and Jan produces her famous chicken and mango salad. Steve then offers to hold a musical quiz. Mistake! To hold an even vaguely serious musical quiz, which involves guessing the country of origin of tunes, played either on the flute or piccolo, to a drunken baying crowd is not the smartest thing. Steve takes all the jokes and insults with very good grace, which only further endears him to me. Thanks, Steve.
Sheila kindly presents everyone with a copy of an excellent sketch that she has done. Thank you, Sheila.
***Three of the party are staying in the gite and have decided to hold an impromptu cocktail party. The story is that they have invited the Maire, and for various reasons he can't make it, so his substitute is "Maurice" (Pete). Pete sings several choruses of a song he has written himself to the tune of ' La Mer'. It was hilarious. Thanks Linda, Pete and Tony for their very kind gesture.
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We wander back to the house for my world famous barbecue lamb. My signature dish. And bloody good it is too. Jan just about manages to rustle up a few roast vegetables and dauphinoise potatoes. Needless to say my lamb steals the show.
This is presentation evening. Our MC is Tony Moss. He was a journalist in a previous life and he gives the funniest 'awards' speech imaginable. Everyone gets a prize for their heroic endeavor over the few days. It was very, very funny.
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After the prize giving we head off to the village, because this weekend is the annual Festival du Clown. This is the first of the village celebrations this year and we go to show our solidarity. The band were excellent, the dance floor was full, the bar was heaving and everybody was having a good time. We are not sure what happened in the big marquee because whatever it was it had finished but we will try and find out tomorrow. The perfect end to a lovely day.
Today we have a three car convoy to the Pont du Gard.Culture over, we head back for a lunch of quiche and salad. The rest of the afternoon is spent by the pool before we head off for a look around Domaine Costeplane, ( http:// www.costeplane.com ). Francoise and Vincent Coste make delicious organic wine and there is nothing nicer than sitting in the sun sampling their wares after a personally conducted tour, by Vincent, and an explanation of their wine making techniques.
Dinner tonight is at Mas de Roux, so Jan gets a well deserved night off. Thank you darling for all you do.
I have not hit a tennis ball for nearly 3 years, so I am pleased that I have finally persuaded William to have a regular hit. Today is the first one. We start at 8.00 am and hit gently for about an hour. It's good exercise and we will now do it twice a week. I am determined this year to get into better shape and this is a good start.***
We all leave for a picnic lunch at the beach. L'Espiguette is our destination, which has to be one of the largest beaches you will ever see. Tony Moss organises games whilst Jan lays out the picnic. Results and presentations for all the events will take place at the awards evening on Saturday.After lunch we all head for Aigues Morte, the walled city that Louis IX built for himself, which used to be by the sea, and which he used to embark for the crusades in 1248.We are home by 5.00 pm so that Jan can start on the Italian meal which consists of antipasto, followed by Spezatini (veal and potatoes cooked with white wine and garlic) and then Tiramisu. Yummy.
Last minute maintenance on the pool, this morning, before leaving with Jan for yet another trip to the airport. Jan will come back first with Ric and Sheila and Pete and Linda because they come in on the afternoon flight from Luton. I hang around for an hour and a bit and wait for Tony H and Jenny, Steve and Angela, Gail H and Tony Moss, who come in on the Liverpool flight. The group is so big that Tony H very kindly hires a third car.
It is really good to see them all again and needless to say there is lots of reminiscing.
At around 7.00 pm we start to carve a leg of Serrano ham (sorry to all you veggies out there) which is sweet and moist. This was washed down with Blanc de Blanc from the Carnas Cooperative and got the rest of the evening off to a good start. It must have been the wine, because 4 of the men ventured into the pool, which is at a temperature that I wouldn't have washed the dog in. Their reply to my astonishment was, "when you are used to the North Sea, this is pure luxury." C'est la vie!
Jan prepared dinner on a Greek theme with meze to start, moussaka for main and those good old Greek puddings of Tarte au Citron and/or strawberries. Ok smart ass, what do Greeks have for pudding? The wines, also from Carnas, went down well. This is a really good eating and drinking group!
