We are feeling as though we've got our energy back again, post-Covid. We hit the swimming pool again and managed to do a decent swim, both feeling far more energised. Quite surprisingly the weather was much cooler, about 28 degrees at that time of day, and it was quite cloudy. Recharged the batteries with an espresso at Le Comptoir, and enjoyed one of our standard homemade lunches of baguette, cheeses, olives, jambon, rocket, pepper and the like. So delicious and something we never tire of.
Later in the afternoon I tackled the dust and grime on the stairway. I don't think it has been cleaned since we were last here, 30 months ago. I gave it a good sweep, and while swiping away the cobwebs on the front door an older man approached me. In fragmented French he asked about a couple called John and Karen who he had visited about six years ago. He clearly didn't recognise me and mistook me for the French cleaner! It was a bit of a laugh. I said I understood English and I was from NZ. He said he was Peter from New Zealand. We did a double-take and vaguely recognised each other. He and his wife Jenny, who was lurking 20m away, had visited us in 2016 when they were investigating buying near Ceret. They'd found us via Home-Exchange. Anyway, I hung up my broom and invited them upstairs for a hot drink. We spent an enjoyable hour chatting away about what each couple had been up to. Like us, they'd recently returned after a 3-year break from France, and were thoroughly enjoying being back. They bought a little house in a village well up the next valley, and have invited us to visit them before they return to NZ later in August. They live in Queenstown, where their daughter and grandchildren also live, but Peter's sister moved to Nelson a few years ago so they now know Nelson quite well. It's a small world!
As soon as they left our English friends Jon and Jude arrived for apero. We are very like-minded and we get on very well together. With the writing on the wall for Brexit, they decided to relocate and live in Ceret permanently. Jon is an artist and illustrator and we have bought a few of his quirky works. Three hours later and we were still talking, so it was a small make-do dinner after they'd departed. It's been a nice day. It's fairly quiet in the square down below us tonight, with not too many diners, but the busking guitarist is playing regardless and his lovely music is wafting up from downstairs.
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| A Tuesday night crowd. Friday to Sunday it will be doubled. |
We were up bright and early on Wednesday to go for a decent walk before it got too hot. We walked our favourite route around the Le Ventous, and did the extension past the Le Capuchins monastery which we were interested in buying a few years ago. The people who have bought are putting a serious amount of money into its renovation - something we wouldn't have been able to do. They're currently replacing the roof on the main building, having already done so on the chapel. The planning poster on their boundary shows their plans for a big new terrace, large windows and so on. It will no doubt be fantastic when all finished.
The walk and exercises was followed by coffee at Le Comptoir. Sebastian is putting our café and noisette in front of us only seconds after we've sat down. He knows our order never changes. After lunch, i.e. 2pm, we knew the insurance office would be open so we took a deep breath, went in, and hoped for some progress in dealing with the leak in the roof. Unfortunately the woman behind the desk was very unhelpful, was loath to agree that our co-proprietary even had an account with them (even though we supplied the account number) and categorically told us that no sinistre (claim) had been lodged by the head of our co-propriety. She basically sent us away saying go and see your own insurance company. Very disheartening. On returning to our apartment we went through all our documents and found one showing that this woman herself had dealt with our building's policy in the past.
With lots of grumblings and swear words we poured ourselves a glass of wine and gave the whole thing away for the day.
The temperature over the last few days has been a little cooler, with a high of just 32-33 degrees, which feels so much were pleasant than 37-38. This morning I wanted to tackle the stairwell with earnest, and managed to clean the walls and ceilings on the top level, all of the iron mongery down to the bottom floor, and scrubbed the outside of the front door. It's a great way to get on with the waiters who work next door in the restaurant. Meanwhile John carefully filled a number of large chips and holes in some of the steps with new plaster. I think it will take a good few hours more work to finish the cleaning, including washing down the stairs. It looks hugely better already though.
At 11:30am we met our friends Jon and Jude for a coffee before Jon drove us all up to Montbolo, where we met other English friends at a little restaurant for lunch. Andrew and Linda also spend most of their time in France now, and basically just go back to England for Xmas. We had a great catch-up and meal, lasting three hours as every good French meal should. It was lovely being up high on the valley side, looking down at Amelie-les-Bains on the valley floor and all the trees and vegetation everywhere else. It's incredibly dry, however, and many trees are showing severe signs of dehydration.
Friday we kicked off with a swim at the pool at 10:30am. It only opens at 10am, and we've worked out that it's best to avoid the initial rush at 10am. However, there can still be a number of swimmers in that part of the pool roped off for swimming lengths. John asked the lifeguard if he could put in a few lane ropes (like they have done in previous years) but unfortunately it was 'impossible' i.e. too much effort. Instead, every few strokes you have to look up and ahead and hope you are not going to crash into someone coming the other way. It's very frustrating but thankfully the numbers thin down by 11am. We are usually there for an hour or a little more. One has to exit the pool by 12:15am to ensure you are dressed and off the premises by half past. The pool shuts completely from 12:30-2pm, for lunch of course.
When we were leaving the pool we spied a Frenchman who was one of our neighbours at our first apartment. He's a real character. We ended up having a coffee with Philippe and Veronique. They live most of the year in Paris, have a family 'bach' in the Lot (we stayed there with them a number of years ago), plus the apartment here in Céret. We agreed to catch up again for apero tomorrow.
In the afternoon we settled down to watch some of the Commonwealth Games swimming events but we also spent a good four hours scrubbing and mopping the walls and ceilings of three levels in the stairwell. We were both dripping with sweat all afternoon. Completely stuffed, but the off-white/yellow walls/ceiling are now glistening white. It is so much lighter and brighter and was well worth doing. It should last another 8 years since it was last refreshed, i.e. when it was painted.
Our second market day this morning. It is definitely better than it used to be. There are more stalls, a greater variety, and we think a better quality of goods on offer. The fruit and veg are as good as ever. The flavour of the stone fruit in particular is superb.
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| Our morning haul |
