I am actually writing this in our house in Thezan while the electrician, the last of the workmen in the house until September, cleans out and packs his van to go.
In a mere half hour or so the house will, for the first time since May again be in our possession.
A shout of joy would probably not be out of place.
The work is not over but we have been granted a temporary respite.
As I write Sile is busy with our new industrial vacuum on her third attempt to get rid of the dust in our living room, a Sisyphean task which will be repeated for most of August.
Since some friends have contacted me and told me I have sounded a little peevish of late (I would have thought that almost an understatement at times)
I have decided to give you a photo journal of my month here without mentioning Macons, Plumbieres or even dust.
Life does exist outside of building.

This was taken on one of our first days in France this summer on a trip to Pezenas, the Brocante capital of Languedoc, in search of furniture.
Considering the relationship between that town and Moliere (and his known contempt for the medical profession) I assumed it to be a malediction.
In fact i think it is just a street named after two doctors with an unfortunate surname.

This is by way of being a representative shot of the river Orb which flows by us and where we have been immersing ourselves from time to time as the climate hovers about the early thirties (as it has all month)

I was so taken by the style of this sign I photographed it as an inspiration for my own.
In fact it was belonging to a restaurant called Auberge de l’Abbeye where we afterwards had a very good dinner.
Always judge books by their cover!

While we were in Faugeres they had their annual Fete de Vin and, the whole village became a wine fair for the day, the excellent Chateau des Peygrandes chose our doorway for their display and the son of the house Herve Boudal-Benexech manned the stall.

As the day went on we saw birds of startling plumage begin to gather in the lanes.

These turned out to be the various Confreries de Vin who marched past our balcony in procession later. (Some were even gracious enough to acknowledge our presence)

We went on a trip to Villeneuvette on the 14th July, our 35th Wedding anniversary. This is a stunning ex-cloth factory built by Louis 14th. The main watersupply for the village was fed by a hansome fountain into a cystern.

And by a marvellous series of waterways from the nearby hills.

On the 18th the Tour de France passed through the village.The streets were lined by enthusiasts, this one carrying a banner to welcome their participating cousin to the village. This insured them a liberal supply of freebies from the passing publicity vans.

There then passed many vans carrying freebies which they cast on the crowd.
(Our Thezan cousins then blotted their copy books a little by departing the scene before the race arrived, showing little concern for their “cousin” and his efforts, but possessing enough keyrings, fridge magnets etc to last a life time.)

We ungreedy Irish waited on to cheer him on as he passed.

That evening the local choir gave us a concert in what we (the proprietors of the presbytery) think of as OUR church.

At an excellent little Vide Grenier (literally Empty Attic) in a village above Fougeres I picked up this perfect copper pot for a snip at €5.

And this old coffee bowl (without the appropiate cherries ) for €1

With friends Peter and Siobhan I climbed (in the midday sun) to the Mediterranean Gardens in Rocbrun. The siting, over the River Orb, is spectacular. (they used the village for externals for the film Chocolat)

Last week end, as at the same time last year, they turned the lane next to our house Rue del Catet, into a tiny amphetheatre for a concert of Flamenco music.

The month finishes as it started in Pezenas, this is the galleried facade of Hotel Alphonse where Moliere used to stay. Quite my favourite building in France.