Over the past week, we’ve had several dinner parties. Last Saturday, we had Christine and Maurice, Katrin and Andreas. They all live south of Lectoure, 20 minutes away for Christine and Maurice, and an hour for Katrin and Andreas. It was a hot evening, so we ate in our garden room and talked for hours. Earlier in the day on Saturday, I went to an artisans exhibition at Saint Joseph’s School, and in the afternoon we went to Bastion Park to see the soapbox cars that were competing in Carriolades.
The next day, we were guests of Rachel and Sid for lunch, along with their friend Natasha, and their son, Alexander. Rachel prepared a delicious meal. On Sunday evening, we hosted a dinner party at our house for Deirdre, Anma, Sylvie, Ria, and Kate. Anma and Ria are new to Lectoure this summer, and we all enjoyed getting to know each other better. After dinner, we sat on our balcony and enjoyed watching the moon rise and the changing sky just after sunset.
On Monday morning, Deirdre and I went to Jean Francois property to look at his fruit trees. Deirdre agreed to assist him over the coming winter to trim his orchard. That evening, we went to Rue Nationale for Lundi Nuit and a walkabout to hear the band. On Tuesday morning Papa had coffee with Nelson. I went to Fleurance to the Tuesday market and to my friend Claire’s brocante shop. She gifted me a beautiful leather bag that I admired the last time I visited her shop. I love it! Papa and I met Jean Francois, Marianne, and Emmanuelle (Jean Francois sister) for lunch on Tuesday, at O Badiu. Lunch was delicious as usual, and I enjoyed meeting Emmanuelle, who has been active in Garden Associations in France for 50 years. After lunch, Papa and I visited the Archive office at the Mairie to ask for historic information about our house.
On Wednesday evening, we hosted dinner for Lesley and Andy, Susan and Chip, Rachel and Sid, and Jay and Dominique. It was a nice evening and we ate on our terrace.
We drove to Pujaudran for lunch with Rebecca on Thursday at Le Puits Saint Jacques, a Michelin recommended restaurant. We enjoyed a multicourse lunch and conversation. We don’t see Rebecca often, so there is always lots to catch up on. In the evening, Romain and Dominique came over to play many games of rummy. We are all competitive and always have fun.
I went to Friday market but it started to rain, so I cut my shopping short. We had lunch at O Badiu again on Friday, with Deirdre and Abby. We love going there not only because the food is good, but also the chef and his assistant are so happy.
On Saturday morning, we did some repairs and clean up at home. Papa repaired the door to the summer kitchen and the awning on our breakfast room window. I washed and ironed the guest room sheets and remade the bed for guests expected in a few days. In the afternoon, I picked figs with friends Susan and Anling. In the evening, we went to a piano concert at Chateau Lacassagne. Dating to the 15th century, the chateau’s Salle des Chevaliers de Malta. The painted room was done between 1620 and 1640 as a replica of the grand council hall of the Knights of St. John of Malta. Among the pictures are copies of paintings representing the attack on Valletta by the Turks in 1565. The originals were in the council chamber of the Grandmaster’s Palace in Valletta, Malta and were destroyed by Napoleon in 1798. Chateau Lacassagne has been listed as a monument historique since 1980. We had several friends attending the piano concert, and we enjoyed a glass of wine together afterward.
Throughout the week, I went on my daily walks around the village. The views are so beautiful, I can’t believe we live here!
