Friday 13 March 2015

The same....but different, or at least it will be.

We’ve been in Caunes for 11 days, and we return to Yorkshire tomorrow. 



The plan was to spend some time in the garden, pruning and spring planting, and to check out some of the work we have had done in the house over the winter. ( That includes having gates fitted to the drive). We were also looking forward to catching up with friends, and hopefully enjoying a bit more warmth than has been around in Yorkshire recently.

We have had a brilliant 11 days. Everything we needed to do has been done….weeding, planting, mulching, painting the downstairs loo, painting the kitchen walls, trialing various Annie Sloan colours on the kitchen cupboards, ready for the major painting job in May, car has been control techniqued ( MOT equivalent), Mark has played golf 3 times, been for a couple of fairly serious bike rides and we have spent time with friends, as intended. Also....there has been some glorious spring weather. days of blue skies, warm sunshine and the smell of almond blossom.

I realise that whilst wanting to blog from Caunes, it would be very easy to rewrite previous first visit of the year posts, and we are now in our 4th year here. I take the same photos every year, I repeatedly  go on about how lovely the village is and  how great the views are. I could easily fill a post with thoughts of almond blossom and wild irises, but I have decided I want to post some different things this year. 

I need to put some thought into what I want my blog to become. I'm not sure what that means yet, but I'm going to make a start here.


So....no photos of almond blossom and glimpses of the abbey from our terrace.

Different things...this time.

A truffle auction in Villeneuve......we've never done that before ! This little lump of tastiness went for 80 euros.
Meeting of our cafe des langues group....at our house instead of in the bar. Most people posing for the photo...Mark and Jean Claude continuing to discuss some burning issue.

ok....we've been to the Limoux Carnaval before, but I've never been covered in confetti before when we've been there.

Spending time with friends has been important this time...it has featured before, but it has been the real highlight of this trip. No doubt, sipping coffee ( or wine) in various cafes with good friends will continue to be important.



Back to Hebden Bridge tomorrow, safe in the knowledge that we will be back in Caunes in about 6 weeks time....and then, we'll be staying put for 6 months. By then, I'll have decided how I'm going to develop my blogging.