Is this really the last week here?

It is hard to believe we'll be leaving this wonderful little village we've come to love so much on Saturday, then Nice for three days, then home.

We had a super meal Friday at this fabulous restaurant on an estate overlooking a great view of pines and ocean called Les Pins Penches. This was our anniversary celebration and what a perfect place to be. We had been there with the Curlings on a rainy day and that daywere seated in the solariam with the best view...and it was actually the non smoking section. Generally, if they even have them, you are relegated to the worst part of the restaurant. We all really enjoyed the meal and it was a good way to spend a rainy afternoon. This time it was a beautiful day and we were out on the terasse...better than perfect.

Then, Saturday, I started to develop some ghastly mouth and throat infection that was diagnosed as 'champignon' here...Jim thinks it might be called 'thrush' at home.
A reaction from the antibiotics I took a month ago. I hope no one has had the experience. I won't go into the gory details but I'm pretty much on a diet of water, milk, scrambled egges and vanilla ice cream...everything else feels like eating raser blades. Oh yes...supplemented by some nasty disinfectant mouth wash I have to take 4 times a day and some other medicine.

Now I would like to think my friends reading this would be crying crododile tears on hearing this but I suspect that most will be having a quiet little laugh and SOME will be splitting a gut with laughter...and I know who you are and I won't forget it...A.B., P.B. and D.C.!

I can see the humour of spending my last days in France like this....makes a better story than another boring week of la gourmandise but I do hope this will improve so that I can at least enjoy one last experience of that wonderful crusty bagette that no where in the world seems to be able to replicate.

I see Richard has got some more pictures up...Don and Elaine and Jim and I in front of Notre Dame and a couple of paintings. I've done 21 and have now packed up my studio. I think we're actually going to manage to fit everything in our suitcases.

Quel orage!

We had quite the storm yesterday and the pool went up almost two inches and our local little creek which had previously been a trickle was running very noisily this morning so I guess that will help their dry spell somewhat. There was thunder and lightning for about 8 hours...read this morning that an adolescent was struck by lightning and badly burned. Luckily an ambulance was passing by.

Elaine phoned this morning to wish us 'Happy Anniversay' (37 yrs) and give us the surprising good news of the NDP doing very well in the election....wow!

Last Saturday Roger and Jacqueline (Monique's mom) came for lunch and we had a great visit with them. We started with a super bottle of Champagne that they brought for us...I do love the way the French do things. It was so nice to see them and we had lots of good laughs.

On Sunday we went to Sanary to meet a fellow who is doing an honour's essay on 'Huxley in Sanary' (Jim met him at the conference he gave on Huxley's letters).
He had lots of interesting info and showed us exactly where the Huxleys lived when in Sanary (house now replaced). We had found the area but didn't know the exact property. Three years ago a plaque was put up so now people can find it quite easily. We were looking about 10 years ago. We went for lunch at the restaurant on the beach (a 'pieds dans l'eau' 'feet in the water restaurant'...I love that term!)
and overlooked where they went swimming often in the nude...little too busy for that now.

Been swimming most days since May 1...pool 72 to 74 but so warm outside it's just perfect now. Saw my first sunflowers at the market so did a couple of paintings.

Pictures

I see Richard has got some more pictures up...these are mainly of Bandol and especially for Monique! BTW, Monique's mother and Roger are coming for lunch tomorow and we're really looking forward to their visit.

#1 Bandol...I think this is Monique's favourite place for coquillages (shellfish, oysters, etc)

#2 Bandol

#3 Bandol

#4 Interior of the 400 yr old house of our landlords...beam is original but not supporting anything now.

#5 Painting of our back garden with Robin leaving in disgust at us not providing him with the treats he wants.

#6 Fern's magnificent watercolours of west coast scenes...I get pleasure looking at them everyday and they have pride of place on top of our fireplace.

#7 This painting is sideways but supposed to be the view from the Hotel Suisse of the Promenade des Anglais in Nice.

#8 Jim and one of these little motorized bikes he has dreams of tootling around on.

#9 and 10 Bandol

Swimming in the pool...perhaps the ocean soon...

It was a gorgeous weekend for people (many had 4 days) and lots of people around....too many at our local market...glad I don't have to travel in the summer these days. We lounged around the pool and swam mostly but went to Aix en Provence Sunday and there was a great antique market on the main boulevard. Lots to look at and we found a Ricard corkscrew/bottle opener/knife so we were quite happy to get that. Went to our local flea market Sat and found 6 Pastis 51 glasses with the ribbed bottom...our favourite type so we were thrilled with that find.

I did two paintings with poppies and quite pleased with them...didn't think they were going to work but they did. Working on one now of the village square, fountain, bakery and the city hall....lots of fun solving all the problems.

Hard to believe we'll be home 3 weeks today. It will be nice to sleep in my own bed and have regular internet access and a phone that doesn't sound like a walkie talkie.
Of course, we are completely spoiled here with food but I will look forward to our local crab, halibut and chips, and wild sockeye salmon....and a juicy steak...

holidays, holidays, holidays

After a two week break in April, May seems chock full of holidays as well...May 1 Labour Day, May 5 Ascension Day, May 8 Liberation Day, May 16 Pentecoste....!

Looking out an upstairs window today and saw Robin in full hunt mode on the arbour. I couldn't see any birds but figured I better warn them and our two turtle doves that we've become quite attached to flew out...wow...that was a close call for them. I doubt he would have got both but they don't stop billing and coing so one would be quite desolate without the other. Robin was not amused to say the least...walked away at his hautiness.

We had a super dinner at the Heinrich on the weekend...wow...the French certainly seem to be nightowls....we didn't get home until 3am...way past our usual bedtime.

Don and Elaine packed in lots of stuff while they were in Nice. Since returning they have been trying to replicate the experience of that wonderful crusty bagette you only seem able to get in France...I wish them luck but we haven't managed to find something quite the same outside of France.

We went into Toulon the other day to blow Jim's 60 euro gift certificate and got a load of great CD's. Had a super lunch on the harbour....great gambas and then did a tour of the harbour ...quite neat with all the military ships including the air carrier Charles de Gaulle that was soon heading off for Canada and the US.
It was a pretty hot day do Jim had a swim in the pool...a bit chilly for me yet but now we have the solar blanket on so it should warm up pretty quickly...it was at 70....I'll go in when it hits 75.