It all started about three weeks ago when he broke into La Chambre Cheminee and started to sing loudly.

At first we thought that the fact that it was occupied by three ladies from Galway was accidental, now I am not so sure.

Le Grillon, for this man seems to be a cricket, not our usual cicada/cigale (who are busy off somewhere metamorphosing during the winter),Sile managed to find and extracted him from the boudoir of the Galway ladies.

But she then did a kind (if foolish) thing- she released him- live- back into the wild.

This Grillon had no intention in going too far from the Galway ladies.
He set himself up in an Oleander just outside their window and has stayed there ever since, serenading them (now long departed) from sunset to sunrise every night.

Unfortunately our bedroom is directly above La Chambre Cheminee so we are now the recipients of his amorous chanson, and it is very loud, sleep deprivingly loud.

Fortunately our windows when firmly closed keep out his chirping saw but, even in October, we do have warm nights in which a little cooling northern breeze would refresh us but this is not to be.
Several nights recently I have opened the window in the early hours only to find Monsieur Grillon singing away at the top of his voice. I have tried to reason with him but he is too cute (or too smitten) and every time I approach his tree he falls silent- only to start up again (mockingly) the minute my back is turned.
I can only be grateful that the nights are getting colder, sleeping with the window shut is getting easier.

Our Nature Strollers take a little Promenade en Bateau au bord de Le Bassin de Thau.

Kestrel on a tree at sunset with the Pyrenees behind.

From the terrace.

Even though our last Autumn Walking Course has only just departed we are already getting enquiries for our courses in 2018 so I have put next years dates up in the website: www.lepresbytere.net/courses.

Sun setting tonight over Le Presbytere

Last Monday I went for my regular check-up to my GP here in Thezan and she took out my most recent blood test and told me that I was giving up the drink.
I can’t say I was entirely surprised, several people of my age with what I will call Fat Old Man Conditions have told me that they have been advised to quit.
I can also say that, even though I was immediately a bit devastated I was also just a little bit relieved.
The decision had been taken out of my hands.
Since then life has been surprisingly fine.
Every evening at Apero time I do feel a bit of a longing for a glass of Rose, but, it soon passes ( and a bottle of alcohol free beer fills my empty hand).
It is I promise you much easier than giving up the fags.
I always gave up alcohol for the month of November so I am, to some extent, accustomed to the deprivation.
I could, quite easily at this moment go into a lamentation of the loss of my former friends, the Picpoul, the sparkling Kir, the Gin and Tonic and the Vin de Noix but instead I am determined to look at the benefits, at the time and money I will save to achieve better things.
But however let me reassure you all, alcohol will continue (as always) to be freely available in our house. We have had several dinners with clients since and they haven’t noticed that, while refilling their glasses with wine, I refill my glass with sparkling water- and the lack of alcohol has not in any way stemmed the Dwyer penchant for relating long rambling anecdotes, ( for better or for worse.)
I am looking at this as another new start, who knows what this one will bring.

In Kerry, with a Consolante at my elbow and a grandson commis.

L’Operation de la Bouillie Bordelaise Raoul Guiraud 1924

It was lovely to find this original by one of my favourite local artists in Pezenas yesterday.
The title would translate as “making the bordelaise mixture” and shows the artist’s father spraying against blight on the family vineyard in Lodeve.
Something which still happens today.

The blues and greens are Guiraud’s signature colours.

I love the French. We had a lovely family staying- for the second time- last weekend and it was plain that we were all happy with each other. This morning I was notified that they had left a review in Google Rate your Business and here it is.

This is a five star review but my is the wording subtle:

“Accueil très sympa. Chambres spacieuses. Décor “presbytérien”. Petit déjeuner maison. ”

You could translate this as a rather bald:

“Pleasant welcome, large bedrooms,vicarage furniture, home made breakfast”

but that would be to misrepresent M.’s intention.
He is in fact telling the (French) world that this place is “correct”- high praise in the French lexicon.
An Anglophone person would write this as ;
“Very warm and pleasant hosts, enormous bedrooms,the house is decorated perfectly in period and the delicious breakfast was all sourced and made by the chef/ proprietor”- but the shrewd French reader would see all that in the original.

Personally I am more pleased with the French version.