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.

Canoe course.

Some of the surrounding hills.

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.