We are celebrating daughters Claire and Whitney’s 43rd birthday today! Birthdays are special for the person who is celebrating, and also special for parents. Our children’s birthdays mark some of the most significant days of our lives. We are very proud of each of them.
I walked this morning on a regular path. The Gers is the most agricultural department in France, and signs of farming are everywhere. Along my way today….
We have friends over often in Lectoure, or go out for lunch or dinner, always with interesting conversations. Since my friends lunch on 1 July, we had a casual supper on our terrace on 2 July, with Deirdre, Susan and Anling. Each of us brought something to the table, so it was an easy meal. On Sunday evening, Magali and Marcos met us at our house and we walked to O Badiu for dinner. It is one of our favorites! On Monday afternoon, Judy came by with her daughter Katie, and 2 grandchildren visiting from Sydney, Australia. Katie chatted with Papa and investments and Judy and I had fun with the kids. On Tuesday evening, we invited new neighbors, also new to Lectoure, Amna and Laura, for dinner. Amna purchased a home a block from us and is renovating it. Laura opened a new gift shop. Pirrko came for coffee this morning and it was so pleasant outside, we sat on the terrace.
A bonus of living in the ville of Lectoure, is seeing people we know every time we walk out our door. I walk around the village every morning, taking different paths, and we go to restaurants, boulangeries, the post office, shops, the market every Friday morning… and friends are always out and about.
Last evening, we went to the Blaziert Fete, our fourth in five summers. We have friends in Blaziert that we made that first summer we went to their Fete dinner, and continue to see regularly. Our friend, Laurence is moving to Paris this week, so it was her last Fete dinner, after living in Blaziert many years. Blaziert is a tiny village of 130 or so people that volunteer to keep their village full of beautiful flowers, so that it is a Four Fleurie Village, on a national scale of 1-4 fleures.
Last night’s Fete dinner menu included apéros with nuts and chips, 1/2 Lectoure melon, jambon cooked over a fire with sauce and baby potatoes, baguette, cheese course, and glace. It was very good! We talked with people we’ve met in years past and met some new people. We had a nice evening.
I walked this morning, and as I came up the steps from Fountain Diane, I looked up to this view. Incredibly beautiful morning!
I hosted the third Déjeuner aux Femmes today at 12h30, with 37 women friends. We gathered on the terrace of Le Bastard Hotel with apéros, wine and savory macarons, under the umbrellas with Esmee singing songs in French and English. At 13h, we went into the dining room. Everyone was assigned a table, and no one but me knew everyone. It was joyful for me to hear friends talking with each other and sharing a beautiful lunch.
I have a diverse group of friends, from many countries, many careers and interests, of different ages, and living now in the Gers. I enjoyed every moment!
Today is beautiful, with a cool fresh breeze, partly sunny sky, and blooming sunflowers! We never tire of our views of the countryside from Lectoure.
I walked from our hotel at 5:30 this morning, to the Charles Bridge, across the bridge, then back to the hotel for breakfast, with Lindsay and Manu. We have had an incredible few days in Prague with the ASU Global Studies team, Noah, Shira, Lindsay, and Manu. We enjoyed their company, time with students, and seeing Prague for the first time. We are impressed by the Global Studies programs ASU offers, and proud of our support. We loved Prague - a beautiful city, full of culture, history, beautiful homes and buildings, clean, walkable and with good public transportation, amazing restaurants of every cuisine imaginable, and easy to communicate with everyone from everywhere speaking English. A great time!
