Since we returned from our marathon trip we’ve done countless loads of laundry, commented every day on ‘is the river flooding more or has it gone down’, wearing winter coats, and lighting fires and now…’how low is the river – there’s hardly any water coming over the weir’ – wearing shorts and flip flops, and replacing the old broken down air conditioner.
One day we could see a couple of ‘hippy looking’ folks at the welfare office – they were leading two donkeys that were loaded with baggage. Colin took the last of my carrots to feed to the donkeys and went to chat with the woman – they’ve just left Goue and are on their way to the Dordogne.
The Sunday after we returned we helped out with a regional race – once again we manned the beverage table.
The weather was somewhat inclement – bits of sun and lots of rain. Luckily we were under a nice big canopy so were shielded from most of it. For the first half of our time there we sold dozens of cups of coffee, then when the worst of the rain had passed we sold more beer. A couple of little boys were so cute – standing on the podium perhaps dreaming of being Tour de France winners in 20 years!
We’ve been for several really nice meals – twice at the Penalty Bar (veal with rice, then Beef Bourgignon – both just delicious). Another day we went to Verdille, which was also excellent.
I also cooked rabbit for the first time ever – then again! The first attempt was a stew in the slow cooker – very tender and delicious. The second time was roasted in the oven with potatoes and shallots – also very good, but would probably go with the slow cooker if I do it again.
We did have to go down to Angouleme and get a new air conditioning unit – the cost of the machinery was dwarfed by the cost of getting it properly installed (a law in France – not just anyone is allowed to do it) and the old unit taken away. But it will be much appreciated as it’s now getting up into the high thirties each afternoon with no break in sight.
We’ve been enjoying watching the Giro d’Italia on tv, although many of the top riders are not participating. At this point unless there’s a disaster it looks like Vingegaard will take it rather easily – guess it beats throwing ice on freshly caught fish in Denmark.
There were a couple of kind of exciting moments here – both on the same morning as we were sitting outside the Penalty Bar on VE Day. The first involved what sounded like a car alarm but was actually the defibrillator box on the outside wall of the Mairie – someone had opened it and it was in use just down the road from us. In a short while the paramedic van arrived, loaded a man in and took him away. The defibrillator was returned to it’s glass box on the wall, apparently having done it’s job.
The second bit of excitement was when a gendarmerie car screeched to a stop at the corner and two (rather fit) cops jumped out and ran up the road, one of each side of the Mairie. A few minutes later one of them returned and jumped back in the car, turned around and sped over across the bridge. Presumably the second cop was either pursuing someone on foot, or perhaps swimming for it in the river.
We got a few flowering plants for the terrace – mostly they’re doing ok except for one of the lobelias.
Sally McKenzie's European Adventures 