SEPTEMBER

September is my favourite month of the year.

I spent a week of it in the UK where the weather was unusually kind.

Much as I enjoyed my week I was looking forward to getting to get back to France.  The Ryanair flight back was completely stress free.

I grumble about Ryanair but really shouldn't, without them we couldn't do what we do - live in two countries.

Yvonne was pleased to see me back home.

The double cushion trick is the way to a cat's heart.

Hugo has matured into a truly wonderful dog.

The September weather has been fabulous.

Warm days, cool nights and mornings, and plenty of sitting out.

The sunrises have been gorgeous.

The sunsets beautiful.

There has been plenty of deer activity - the brame is in full swing. 

We went to our favourite town, Chinon, for the afternoon.

Chinon never fails to enchant us.

We have passed an early evening or two enjoying life in the village square.

With the village pizzeria not yet re-opened after a change of ownership we went to Descartes to try the newish pizza restaurant there.

The pizzas were not great and we have read that the restaurant is about to close.

Making good pizzas is clearly harder than you might think.

Two gorgeous old cars were parked outside the salle des fêtes in our own village.

It was "Paella night", rescheduled from earlier in the summer.

It's usually an outdoor event with fireworks at the end of the evening but due to the successive heatwaves it was postponed to September.

Paella was served to a huge number of people.

It was an excellent evening, great food, lots of fun and fabulous fireworks.

With the cooler weather we fished the old Harleys out of the barn and went for a few rides.

I never thought I would still be riding my Harley at the age of 74.

Mine is 19 years old, his 22 years.  Almost vintage.

The band "Celtiqua" played their farewell concert at the Lavoir in Preuilly.

It was a bitter sweet event, great music from old friends but a sad goodbye.

The weather is looking good for the coming week and into October.

Long may it continue (although we really do need some rain).

When comfort food is more tempting I have earmarked this recipe for our courgettes:

https://www.ocado.com/recipes/one-pan-courgette-lasagne/3PNvJ4T7DIynBjWpm04ISQ

A WEEK OF VILLAGE CELEBRATIONS

 

On St Patrick's Day, 17th March, there was a celebration in the village bar, the PreHisto.

The PreHisto gets its name from the château in the village, which is the French National Museum of pre-history.

The local musicians were there to play Irish music and everyone had a good time.

On the Thursday of that week I went on a girls' shopping trip to Tours.

We went on the bus, which takes an hour and costs 3.40€ each way.

(Less than the cost of the petrol and car parking for the same trip.)

I bought a set of lovely coffee spoons, small enough to be used with the daintiest of espresso cups.

I celebrated my purchase with a nice cup of coffee when I got home.

On Friday 20th we were invited to a cocktail party in the local garage.

This was a first for us.

It was to celebrate the end of the first year of trading for the new garage in the village.

As one of their earliest customers we received an invitation.

It was a very nice thing to do and very convivial.

After the cocktails we repaired to the PreHisto again to continue the celebrations.

Ayo, the bar owner's cat was there to greet us.

He was an abandoned stray kitten, adopted by the proprietor more than ten years ago.

He's turned into a beautiful cat, very friendly with the customers.

While we were in the bar the newly elected Maire arrived with her team.

In France you vote for the whole team and for the first time (I think) the village now has a lady Mayor.

There was a good deal more celebrating still going on when we slid away and headed home.

In "other news" we still have no idea what was going on at the neighbour's house a week ago.  He turned up as usual on Friday teatime, with a friend.  A camper van with two more people arrived soon afterwards.  They stayed the whole weekend then left as normal.  There was no sign of the Mayor or gendarmes this time.  

In more "other news" we are still waiting for the SMS summoning us to collect our cartes de séjour from the Préfecture.  It's more than three weeks since we were told our application had been approved.  My mum used to say "don't count your chickens before they hatch" so we're not celebrating just yet.