Marble time again

Amazingly enough, I have just attended my 3rd marble fete in Caunes and watched my 3rd procession of the saints.

Marble on display outside the abbey.....under the watchful eye of what I suspect is another marble statue

The Saints being brought out of the church by the men who waited outside, chatting and smoking, while the women attended the hour long mass inside the church

Year 1: I was on my own as Mark was working in England ....and got all the timings wrong, I kept walking down to the village to find some event had just finished or was hours from starting.

Year 2: I was in the first weeks after chemo and radiotherapy, and remember venturing out for a short walk among the exhibits before sitting in the bar and drinking coffee with friends...which was really all I was up to at that stage.

Year 3:  Well, this year we felt so experienced..... real old hands at marble festivals.

Local produce stands everywhere

For a start we knew not to expect the village meal to begin on time......we still arrived too early, but not as early as in previous years.

We wandered through the Caunes streets, catching some interesting exhibits......some we had seen before.....last year and the year before.

Saw the Rosie the Riveter figure here last year....might have to buy her next year if she makes another appearance

I loved this....not marble of course....wood.

ok...  another one that wasn't marble...

Metal and something else...not sure what.

There were also the usual dancers and musicians

What is she thinking ?

The weather has been glorious for a couple of weeks now, in fact it was too hot for me last week. It has cooled a little now, and I have been enjoying watching the vegetables grow...almost visibly, as the sun ( and twice daily watering ! ) does its magic. Mark has been on a couple of bike rides, I've been walking, and visiting vide greniers and we've both been swimming.

I managed to avoid buying this at a vide grenier

Now, we're wondering where the last 2 months have gone, as we head back to Yorkshire tomorrow for hospital visits, dentist appointments, hairdressers appointments and a couple of golf tournaments Mark wants to play, the Hebden Bridge Arts Festival......and most importantly,  Le Grand Depart of le Tour in Yorkshire.

 I'm particularly looking forward to Hebden Bridge's street party on 5 July... called "Le Grand deParty". 

We'll be Back in Caunes in just  a couple of weeks....certainly in time to catch the rest of Le Tour as it winds its way around France, with another depart to be seen, in Carcassonne on the 21stJuly.

But at this very minute... we're looking forward to seeing all the children and grandchildren.....particularly catching up with the "parkrun" adventures that they are all involved with these days.

Dexter, in the middle in the pale blue top, warming up for a junior parkrun event.