Friday, July 4, 2014

Last Days in Pujuat

A farewell champagne with Pirkko, who leaves for Paris and then Finland tomorrow morning.
 The dots on the left, just above the bar roof, are military parachutists. Their plane is just out of sight to the left.
 Morning coffee in Pujuat.
 Cathy and I spent the morning in Avignon. First stop was the market at Les Halles - this is a small section of the cheeses.
 One end of the parking station.
 A very bandy tourist.
 Cathy heading for a church .......
 ..... and then wandering vaguely all about, quite of her own accord.

The sign, which may be hard to read, says "Avignon Bridge Club"

 Dans le rue des Artists. This whole area of Avignon was full of theatres and other arty stuff.
 I could tell a tall tale about this, but I won't.
 Meanwhile, the boys dressed in their France T shirts, waited at home for us. On Friday night, France plays Germany in the quarter-final of the World Cup, and everywhere you go, you can hear "Allez le bleus!"
 Preparing for another of Karl's magnificent dinners.
 Here it is - chicken with a tarragon sauce, beans, potatoes, zuchinni and roasted baby eggplants.
 Oskar facing the morning after. After two weeks of pain au chocolat for breakfast, he finally demanded cerial, albiet funny round French cereal.
 Erik was steadfast. When in Pujuat, ................
 Erik nearly came to a sticky end.
 Oskar waiting for the gatekeeper, to have a swim.
 It's not really cold.
An Oskar construction.



Thursday, July 3, 2014

Day 11 & 12 To Roussillon and then at home

Karl and Pirkko went to Arles for lunch, and the rest of us drove to Roussillon, the ochre centre of France. Erik dressed appropriately in orange and brown, to match the village houses.
 Some of us in front of the ochre cliffs.
 I ordered "deux assaiettes (?sp) de frites" which Cathy and Jen discouraged. With a little help from the boys, they were dispatched.
 Ice creams on the wall,  after lunch.
 Back home, and Pirkko arrived with new pyjamas for the boys.

 Next day, a raid on the orchard. Actually, the orchard belongs to M. Jean, the owner,  and we are permitted to eat the peaches and apricots which load the trees.

 A book for digestion.
 Lunch on the lawn, provided by Pirkko. Today was Turkish salad soup (fantastic) and then (I think) Finnish pancakes.
A bottle of Sancerre, then one of rose de Anjou, then a long afternoon nap.

Day 10 At quiet day at home in Pujuat

The house has a lovely pool .......
 ..... and when the temperature reaches 30 degrees, Cathy goes in!
 Variation on a famous Australian photograph (after Max Dupain).
 Screen time - Karl, believe it or not, is working 'at the bookshop'.
 More screen time for the boys.
 Jen and Pirkko in the garden.
 Off for a walk with Jen, Karl and Erik. There are huge mountains opposite the house (well, hills) and we climbed one of them.
 Breakfast in the garden. Erik and Oskar with pain au chocolat.

Day 9 To St Remy de Provence

With the boys and two flamingos in St Remy
 Anne would understand about the shops in this town
 Cathy looking for a new hat!
 Oskar looking for the rest of the ice creams in this shop.
 Piirko and the boys.
 All the boys resting on the fountain.
 Ambition!
 After their Herculean labours, what else to do but have a merry-go-round ride.
 Back at Pujuat, resting again.
 In the pool at Pujuat.
 Jen, Karl and Pirkko
 Cathy in the orchard next to thge house. Plenty of ripe peaches and apricots.
 M.Jean, the owner, brought some almonds from his trees. Some were dried (from last year's crop) and some were fresh. The boys loved using the hammer.
 Hercules revisited encore.