On Tuesday afternoon, we invited Monique et Luc for a cold beverage and a chat. We met them recently at a friend’s dinner. They have a summer house near Lectoure and live most of the time in Bordeaux. Luc is a retired doctor and did a fellowship at the beginning of his career in Tampa, Florida. We know many of the same places in various parts of the world. Later that afternoon, I picked figs with friends Susan and Anling, in their garden.
On Wednesday, we had lunch with Jay and Dominique in Castet-Arrouy, at La Plancha, where our across the street neighbor is the chef. We dropped in Eglise Sainte Blandine, built in the 1500’s, with beautiful mural wall paintings. In the evening, we went to a Latin Jazz concert in Marronniers Park, with the stage situated with the rolling hills of the Gers behind it.
Friday morning is market day in Lectoure. I went up to Rue Nationale by 9:30 to buy fruits and vegetables. At 11:00 there was a Blues Band parading down the street. It was such a happy moment, with people in the street shopping, stopping to listen to the band, clapping, and smiling. I cried tears of joy. I love living in Lectoure! I stopped by my friend, Agnes house to pick up figs and plum from her garden before coming home. We attended a concert on Friday evening, the first day of Lectoure’s Bleu au Blues Festival weekend. We got home at midnight.
On Saturday evening, we attended a Rotary Club reception for the Ukrainian children that have been in Lectoure for a two week holiday, away from the war. The children were generous with kisses and thank yous. They sang songs and the Rotary Club thanked donors. The children are growing up surrounded by war, with the constant noise of bombs and sirens, having lost one or both parents, friends, and extended family. Their time in Lectoure was a short recovery period for them. After the reception, we went for dinner at Manufacture Royale, six courses prepared by the Parisian daughter of the owners, for 30 guests. We sat in the garden. It was a beautiful evening.
Today, Sunday, we woke up to hot air balloons over the Gers and then over Lectoure. I saw a deer on my walk this morning. We went to the Roques Art Festival in the morning. Roques is a tiny village, about 45 minutes from Lectoure, that we drove to via country lanes, with planted plane trees, and rolling hills of vineyards, corn, and sunflowers. It was a bucolic drive and we enjoyed seeing the art of 18 artists. I’m picking more plums with friends this afternoon. Always fun!
