Carpet saga update

Back home nearly three weeks and I realise, belatedly, that I didn't finish this story.
Well, the fitters' shop is closed on Mondays so we only have the (innocent) carpet suppliers to rant at. Anyway, I tell them that we are definitely finished with the fitters and want them to suggest an alternative. This they do and we have a friendly call to the new guy who promises to come out and see the job. He comes when he says!!! He's friendly, realistic ("can't fit it in before you go, or I would be letting other people down"), likes email :).  We trust him. He'll email us a quote.
The pent-up anger has to wait till the shop opens on the Tuesday, but only Madame is there, very apologetic as usual, but our cheque is in the van with the boss. She assures us that, though unreliable, he is not a crook.  So next day we retrieve the cheque, and the day after take a wee chocolate gift to Madame for being so helpful and as commiseration for her redundancy - the firm is closing at the end of the month.
End of part one of the saga.
We've received the quote and hope to arrange fitting for May, a mere 18 months after the stairs were ready.

Allotments and farms and language methods

What else?

We've had a dinner party, the greatest success of which was my summer pudding. The first time I'd made it, and it looked magnificent, I have to say. We sat talking afterwards about books, audio books and various ways to improve learning French/English. Barbara reads books in English to understand the story, then listens to the audio book in French. I read the newspapers and go to every function I think may afford me the opportunity to talk to anyone French. Marie and I, Michel and Jon exchange sessions in one language or the other. But we often hear people who have lived here for years saying that they still have trouble following the news or films in French. I'm not sure if that's disheartening or encouraging!

Family gardens

I've spent an afternoon on a group bike ride in Carcassonne, along the banks of the river, visiting “les jardins familiaux” - what we would call allotments.

 One of the "cyclists",a keen gardener.

It was interesting to explore the river banks, which constitute a tranquil recreational area between the old walled city and the lower town. And to hear from the gardeners how their plots are managed. This event was organized by the CAUE, an official body concerned with preserving the architecture, environment and planning of the town.

From farm to farm

View over Saissac to the Pyrennees, on our way to the farms

Our most recent event, again in the company of Marie and Michel, was “De Ferme en Ferme”, an annual event which attracts hundreds of visitors to local farms, to see how they are managed and to taste their products. We visited a deer farm, where we were able to hear the rutting call of the stag.

The stag

He had a troupe of 44 adoring females and no competitors but he was still anxious enough to make sure of his 44 wives that he strutted round threateningly, bellowing occasionally. Then a goat farm where I made a friend for life by scratching a nanny goat's head.

Marie and Michel at the olive oil tasting table

Lunch at the château, and an olive producer afterwards. Did you know that olives have to be soaked in sodium hydroxide to make them edible?

Chance encounter and the Gaza pig

Chance encounter

We went to a concert given by 5 Czech sisters who played gypsy music on accordions, and fiddles, where we sat next to two English men. One looked familiar and turned out to be someone we met on our first night here in our new house. We went on a nocturnal walk in the mountains, leaving our bare house behind with the beds yet to be put together, and Ralph told us of his first morning in his new house, where he was woken by the speaker, mounted on the walls of his house just outside his bedroom, announcing LES BRITANNIQUES SONT ARRIVÉS. 

I've told the story many times so it was reassuring to meet the central character again and know that I had not imagined it.

The Gaza pig

Jon let himself be talked into going to see “Le Cochon de Gaza ”, a film in Arabic with French subtitles. We sat through the adverts and the trailers and then a film in Arabic with French subtitles. No pigs and nothing obviously Gazan, and we thought it might be a trailer, but after half an hour or so decided maybe it was just the wrong one. So we stumbled out of room 2 and into room 3 where there were plenty of pigs, and one of them dressed up as a sheep, (because pigs are impure to Muslims, of course – why did you ask?)

There's no end to the blunders you can make when you don't follow quite enough of what's going on.

The carpet saga

This still continues. We are now down to only 9 days left before returning. When I went in to complain on the Monday, Madame was on the phone to the boss so she handed the phone over to me. He assured me he would ring me back with a date for the fitting when he had access to his diary. Thursday we rang again and Madame said she would get someone to ring back. Late afternoon we went in to complain, having heard nothing and spoke again to the boss, who said he would come and see the job at 5.30. And he did!!! with two workers. They said they would do the job (which was supposed to be finished before the end of September) on Saturday Oct 1^st at the very latest. When I expressed doubt the boss said I could cut his throat if it didn't happen by then. Saturday Oct 1^st – no sign of anyone, no knife to cut the boss's throat with,the fitters shop is closed, so we go to the carpet shop to tell them that the fitters they recommend are rubbish. They ring the boss who tells us to go back and wait because they will be coming. But the carpet is still in the shop, which is about to close for the day so it's clear there's no possibility of doing the job today.

You'll have to watch this space (if you can be bothered) as the next instalment will be tomorrow when the boss has until 11 am to ring and tell us when it will be done! Why, I wonder, has my customary optimism deserted me?

UPDATE – it's Monday morning now, 10.50 and no phone call, so we're off shortly to try and retrieve our deposit cheque, as yet uncashed! Where's my kitchen knife????

I'm a star!

I had an email following up the citizens' choir which I took part in earlier this year. It invited members to go to Toulouse to record a CD destined to go on sale in time for Christmas. I feel a bit unworthy as I have not been to any events over the summer, but decide to go anyway and it's just as well. Of the 30 or so original members, only 15 turn up. The studio is a pretty professional one and for once the day proceeds without the long sessions of sitting round waiting to be called for. We're focussed and hard-working and it's interesting to see how it all works.

Because we're 15 instead of 30, the studio will double our part, so we record the same parts lots of times, they choose the best versions and make 15 voices into 30 or 45. Easy when you know how! We have a bring-your-own lunch (only 1 and a half hours!) with plenty of wine provided and get back at 6 pm.

We only recorded 2 songs (!) and the CD will cost €5. My question about who on earth is going to buy it was greeted with shock and surprise. Apparently it will be very popular. Well, I'll buy one.