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Today is another frosty day but I am continuing to  weed, add manure and add straw to all the flower beds.


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Full Weekend Sunday 5th

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There was a Fête in the Village on Sunday. It was organised by the school for everybody. After 7 years I am still amazed by the organisation of these village affairs. Makeshift structures are erected in case of inclement weather and the tables are prepared for the usual five course meal. It was a starter of beetroot with a kir and meat of some kind, followed by barbecued pork with potatoes and ratatouille and red wine, then cheese and a sweet then coffee. A hundred and fifty meals were served. Then the games began. Villagers had organised themselves into teams to take part in the traditional local sports. A pool had been constructed from bails of hay and a giant sheet of polythene. A moving diving board was provided by a local farmer and the contestants had to put on a pair of overalls while travelling along the moving platform before they reached the edge, otherwise - splash. Another game was rolling a giant bail of hay around an obstacle course. The team who achieved the shorte...
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The French culture regarding art and the environment is different from that in UK. There are often walks in the countryside which are accompanied by musicians or singers. Sometimes the musicians wait en route and play when the walkers approach. In the gardens there are frequent exhibitions of sculptures or paintings. Last weekend I went to an event which combined a garden visit with a walk and a dance performance. The garden was classical French- a park rather than a garden. There were no flowers just trees. But what magnificent trees. They were mostly hornbeam. They were laid out in geometric forms or in long alleys. It was big, big enough to have fully grown trees in most of the areas. Some of the trees were pruned to keep their size to form hedges some were allowed free rein to show their magnificence. Even hornbeams had been shaped as in topiary. We met the leader of the event and she gave us an introduction to the event. We were all given a mini cd player. We we...
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My Private Paradise Part Two

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Club Des Aines Sometimes we meet to play games, boules, belotes or scrabble. Sometimes we have outings. Sometimes we have a communal meal. The numbers vary from 100-300 but everyone is found a seat and we enjoy waitress/ waiter service. The meals are usually five courses, sometimes more and each course is accompanied by a drink. We begin with the customary greetings at the door. Having lived here six years I mostly know who to kiss once, twice, three or four times and with whom to just shake hands. As you can imagine this takes some time especially when some people stay to chat which I always hope they do because it’s one of the opportunities I get to practise my French. We begin with a choice of aperitifs Ricard or whiskey or Kir with crispy nibbles. Next comes the starter which last time was a salmon steak and salad with a glass of white wine. The main course is steak or ham on the bone or coq vin or pintade (chicken) and chips and vegetables. This is served with red wine of cour...
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