After another very good week of learning french with our teacher Dominique...although I have to admit it is getting harder retaining all the info we have learnt in the last two weeks...we are having a relaxing weekend with family and friends.
It was Mike's birthday on Friday...21 again!! We met up with his sister Liz and husband Mark at La Cité and found a very good restaurant for drinks and a celebratory meal. The meal was quite delicious and we will certainly go there again. The seafood dish I had was cooked to perfection and Mike's starter 'Gazpacho' was sooo delicious...well, he did offer and I did give him a piece of my squid..fair do's!!
Then Mike and I went on to the outdoor Theatre Jean Deschamps to see a dance production of 'Carmen' by Antonio Gadès. A lovely warm evening and a Theatre buzzing with people, fabulous. The production was minimalistic with scenery and costume ...quite common now because of rising costs and it gives it a contemporary look. The women's costume were a colourful array of Flamenco dresses......the men, however, were in sweatshirts and jeans......say no more!!
It was a fabulous, energetic and powerful performance from them all. Carmen was a little older than one normally imagines but no less able than her younger counterparts....amazing physique and energy. They danced for one and a half hours without an interval! It takes some doing in that heat and under lights!
On the way back the Cité looked amazing, all lit up and a full moon hovering above like a white balloon. So out came the camera..out of about six photos I got one decent one...well not bad without a tripod!
Saturday morning we met up with Mark & Liz to go to le marché to get some local produce and to have a coffee. Then off to the Cathedral to listen to some Bach & Mendelssohn played on the organ for about half an hour. Lunch, siesta and prepare a meal for our evening meal which Mark & Liz have been invited. A lovely evening, albeit, very humid. During the night we had a dramatic electric storm with TORRENTIAL rain. We received a thank you text the next morning from Liz so we assumed they and their tent survived the downpour!
They were then off to the Alps to watch more of the 'Tour de France'. Bon Voyage!.
Sunday was french homework day which took a little time to do! It is definitely getting harder!
Then at five, friends from the Montagne Noir region - La Bastide Esparbairenque..Ty & Martine arrived for tea. We had a lovley 3 hrs chatting and eating
le petit gâteau individuel..I think even if you can't speak french you will be able to work that one out!
They have invited us to their home in the Montagne Noire this Sunday for a meal...looking forward to that!
Early night ...School tomorrow!! Bon nuit!
Mike also has a blog of his work. You can view it by clicking
here
PRODUCTION BY ANTONIO GADÈS OF BIZET'S 'CARMEN'
I have just bought a French bicycle -la bicyclette bleue -so I can ride along the Canal Midi on a lovely sunny day. This is me testing it out and Mike going mad with the camera!! Too many close ups I think but have promised I would put them on the blog! The seat is very small as you can see from the photos and I am not talking about my seat either! I have decided I need to replace it with a silicone one for comfort!!....saddle that is!
