Monday, 7 September 2026

Arrivée Sur Place!

Date: 01 septembre, 2026

Arrivée at what is to be my home for the next 4 months!

The family is adorable. The kids are some of the biggest extroverts I have met in my also-extroverted life. We are going to get along just fine!  

This was about ten minutes after I met them :)

Ah, the French.
My train was delayed (actually a bunch of trains were delayed). There were lots of people milling around the station. Not anywhere near enough places to sit. This madame made herself comfy in the photo booth!

I can't stop taking photos of the view! 

Everyone, say Hi to Cleopatra! She's also a massive extrovert - very pleased to meet me, and the acquaintance continues to develop.

Various photos taken from my room

It's soooooooooo quiet at night, my ears buzz.

That pointy mountain in centre-frame is the Pic du Midi d'Ossau. Its shape is used on all the designs for this area's signage.

The 'back yard'
On Wednesday mornings there is a market in the Place de la Mairie. This is where the family does the bulk of their fresh food shopping. I was introduced at all the stalls that they like to frequent, and then instructed to 'go buy stuff'. The idea is that you buy what's in season, then you bring it home and work out what to make with it! I like to call it 'Masterchef Ingredient Challenge' and it is one of my favourite ways to cook.  After the market, and after the planning, a secondary shopping list is made, where we buy the items from the supermarket that we will need to implement the menu. 
The little town of Gan (pronounced gon), centre-ville.
Moroccan (?) bags and baskets at the market

Artist at the market

Our bread guy

The confit de canard lady

One of their favourite cheese ladies (there are two. There's a third cheese stall as well!)

The organic veggies guy. This family is very big on organic produce wherever possible.

Organic soaps!

One of the reasons that I am here, is to support Caroline in her work, when Alex is away from home working. The family took a stall in the market, to promote their "Portes Ouvertes" day on Sunday 6 sept, where Caroline was launching her "Global Explorers" programme (more on that later). To drum up interest, Alex put on a puppet show to attract children to come and participate in the programme. 

And then it was time for me to start earning my keep! :) With the bounty from my shopping spree, I was asked to throw together a lunch.On Wednesdays, French children don't go to school. Their school days are 8.30-4.30 on the other four days. So it was a nice family lunch out on the verandah.
On offer: 
* garden salad, lemon vinaigrette dressing (hand-made, of course!)
* jambon with fresh melon, hard-boiled eggs from our chickens. 
* two beautiful breads from the bread guy. 
* A Brebis (sheep-milk cheese) and a chèvre (goat cheese), OMG the chèvre, I can't stop. 
They have a proper sit-down lunch every day. So civilised!!! 

Dinner was pan-fried eggplant steaks, with crumbled goat cheese and honey drizzle (the honey from our hives), with a spiced rice pilaf. Rave reviews

Speed-Dating a City, Part Two

Date: 31 August, 2026 (still)

I remember this sculpture from a previous visit, but I can't remember when.
But I must have been past St. Eustache before! Happy memories.

This is the lovely fountain from yesterday. I bought a sond-WHEESH and found one of those wonderful public armchairs and parked my butt and ate my beautiful baguette in the sunshine!

... and then had a glace au mangue, because pouorquoi pas, et bien sûr!

And then just a jolly spot of la dolce far niente, which I am not very good at, but working on!

St Eustache, which I walked past in January and thought Oh rats! - no time to see it! Have to be next visit. So I was very pleased to be able to go, this trip.
If I remember correctly, it is older than Notre-Dame. when I arrived the organ was sounding, and I got very, VERY excited, but unfortunately it was just being tuned, not actually played. I hung around for a while in hopes that he would give it a proper go, but alas, no.

Oh, fun fact, that I just looked up on the internet! - this organ is the largest in France, with 8,000 pipes!

Note to self, GO AGAIN AND HEAR ORGAN BEING PLAYED!