Monday, 11 February 2019
Gesina: DECEMBER 2016
Gesina: DECEMBER 2016: 27th December, I can't believe where the time has gone. Since November it's been outings, shopping, planning meetings for the Christ...
February 2019
We have a breakthrough - Nigel has tuned my Kindle into BBC Radio 4, Joy oh Rapture!!!!
When chatting to the man who lives here, and also has a Tibetan terrier (called Gyatso), he gave me the name of the toilettage lady (Joanna at Bain et Biscuits) he takes his dog to. So I booked Tashi in there and now she's looks normal again after her 10 days being muddy and wet at the boarding kennels!
17 February
Today we drove over to Quillan (1.5hours away) to check out the town, as there are quite a few good looking properties for sale there, at reasonable prices. It's a pleasant town. Higher up than Castelnaudary in a mountainous area, with a river running through. This river has a canoe slalom course marked out in the middle of it. The town is a popular tourist place with the canoe facilities, and close proximity to winter ski-slopes. Also its about one and a quarter hours drive to the coast at Perpignan. We wondered if the surrounding mountains keep fog in the valley/town during the winter months. It could also be quite a sun trap in the summer. Thinking about it from a gardening point of view, it's much more similar to Bavaria or Scotland than Castelnaudary, which has a more mediterranean feel and climate.
We had a couple of misty mornings, which were quite eerie!
but it soon cleared and the sun shone down on us all.
A jolly good evening was had by all at the restaurent named Le Kory. Mainly Chinese and Malay dishes.
Odile had a house warming party for her lovely new house right by a convenient mooring for us all to stop off at Villesquelande. All our hopes for free electricity and water, plus a dip in her swimming pool were dahsed. However we enjoyed her party.
I think we were the first to arrive and the first to leave, as the party went on 'til the early hours of the morning. Her sons set up a music sound system, and many friends joined in with playing keyboard. A good time was had by all.
When chatting to the man who lives here, and also has a Tibetan terrier (called Gyatso), he gave me the name of the toilettage lady (Joanna at Bain et Biscuits) he takes his dog to. So I booked Tashi in there and now she's looks normal again after her 10 days being muddy and wet at the boarding kennels!
17 February
Today we drove over to Quillan (1.5hours away) to check out the town, as there are quite a few good looking properties for sale there, at reasonable prices. It's a pleasant town. Higher up than Castelnaudary in a mountainous area, with a river running through. This river has a canoe slalom course marked out in the middle of it. The town is a popular tourist place with the canoe facilities, and close proximity to winter ski-slopes. Also its about one and a quarter hours drive to the coast at Perpignan. We wondered if the surrounding mountains keep fog in the valley/town during the winter months. It could also be quite a sun trap in the summer. Thinking about it from a gardening point of view, it's much more similar to Bavaria or Scotland than Castelnaudary, which has a more mediterranean feel and climate.
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| Canoe course. |
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| Some of the surrounding hills. |
A jolly good evening was had by all at the restaurent named Le Kory. Mainly Chinese and Malay dishes.
January 2019
Thursday January 10th saw me attend my first session with Roselyne. I'm not sure how awake I will be so early in the morning for a lesson at 9.30am! However I'm hoping this will prove to be a breakthrough for me. She comes from Brittany and speaks very clear French, so fingers crossed.
I rushed back from to be in time for Victoria and her husband to collect me to drive to Bram for the annual book club lunch. It was quite a large gathering with 25 of us attending for the excellent meal.
That same afternoon Cary decided to host a Sloe Gin tasting onboard her boat. What a day!
Friday 11th Odile invited us to the Capitainerie office for Galette des Rois, and presenting a prize to the winner of the best Christmas boat lights. Steve and Jo onboard Somewhere were the winners.
I decided to be brave and visit the same hairdresser as Robyn, (Fanny) in Carcassonne, as she makes such a good job of Robyn's hair. Well worth the trip
Saturday 19th We drove again to Carcassonne to meet up with Clive and Julie's friends, Carole & Gary, plus their two friends. Carole has had a holiday home down here now for over 10years, and the idea was to glean tips from them about living in the south of France, and houses etc in general. They very kindly brought us some books, leaflets and information in general. So we look forward to catching up with them later in the year.
Sunday 20th we joined Cary on her boat for lunch, along with Sally and Glen.
On Wednesday 23rd we drove through a snow storm up to the boarding kennels of La Bedouce. We were both horrified at the condition of the kennels. So much so that in fact Ni wanted to turn around and bring Tashi back out, staying in France while I joined our family for our belated Xmas gathering. But he didn't.
We had a fabulous trip to the UK, visiting Nii and family in Portishead; Andy in Guildford; Auntie Pat also; lunch in Reading joined by Sarah (Taylor) and family, plus Nii with Toby driving over from Reading University to meet us all. Most annoyingly the battery in my camera was flat so I was not able to take the photos I had planned!
On our way back down to Dorset we stopped over night with Geoff and Jill, and were pleased to hear that the sale of their house appears to have gone through, as well as the purchase of a house in Poitiers.
We lunched with the BOFs at the Chequers Inn, Lytchett Matravers with Jackie also joining us. Then drove back through more snow to Portishead
Before we flew out of Bristol we spent a lovely day with Val at her tiny flat in Key Stoke, (Weston-super-Mare).
I rushed back from to be in time for Victoria and her husband to collect me to drive to Bram for the annual book club lunch. It was quite a large gathering with 25 of us attending for the excellent meal.
That same afternoon Cary decided to host a Sloe Gin tasting onboard her boat. What a day!
Friday 11th Odile invited us to the Capitainerie office for Galette des Rois, and presenting a prize to the winner of the best Christmas boat lights. Steve and Jo onboard Somewhere were the winners.
I decided to be brave and visit the same hairdresser as Robyn, (Fanny) in Carcassonne, as she makes such a good job of Robyn's hair. Well worth the trip
Saturday 19th We drove again to Carcassonne to meet up with Clive and Julie's friends, Carole & Gary, plus their two friends. Carole has had a holiday home down here now for over 10years, and the idea was to glean tips from them about living in the south of France, and houses etc in general. They very kindly brought us some books, leaflets and information in general. So we look forward to catching up with them later in the year.
Sunday 20th we joined Cary on her boat for lunch, along with Sally and Glen.
On Wednesday 23rd we drove through a snow storm up to the boarding kennels of La Bedouce. We were both horrified at the condition of the kennels. So much so that in fact Ni wanted to turn around and bring Tashi back out, staying in France while I joined our family for our belated Xmas gathering. But he didn't.
We had a fabulous trip to the UK, visiting Nii and family in Portishead; Andy in Guildford; Auntie Pat also; lunch in Reading joined by Sarah (Taylor) and family, plus Nii with Toby driving over from Reading University to meet us all. Most annoyingly the battery in my camera was flat so I was not able to take the photos I had planned!
On our way back down to Dorset we stopped over night with Geoff and Jill, and were pleased to hear that the sale of their house appears to have gone through, as well as the purchase of a house in Poitiers.
We lunched with the BOFs at the Chequers Inn, Lytchett Matravers with Jackie also joining us. Then drove back through more snow to Portishead
Before we flew out of Bristol we spent a lovely day with Val at her tiny flat in Key Stoke, (Weston-super-Mare).
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