Give way to the right

We finally solved the mystery of the strange driver behaviour in our village. This came up at our aperos evening.  
The main D road goes right through the village but we have observed that many drivers on it give way to the Trebes road which joins it. We have taken the precaution of doing the same but not knowing why we do so here and not in other similar situations elsewhere. This is the answer

This sign at the entrance to the village means that you have just lost your automatic right to priority and must give way to the right. 


This is the sign when you're leaving the village and back to having priority.

In practice in Villaier, people mostly only observe it in relation to the (fairly main) Trebes road but I have been given way to when coming out of a very minor side street.
It wouldn't be too bad if the application of the rule were consistent but you definitely can't rely on it! 
I wonder who spread the rumour that the French had abandoned "priorité à droite"

Apéros

Last week we invited some friends for apéros. These were the hairdresser and her husband, Marie-Anik and Alain, and our new neighbour Laurence, who was kind enough to come and introduce herself when she saw our car parked outside. My hairdresser has always been very patient with my attempts at conversation and last year had us round for apéros with our Canadian visitors.
On that occasion I looked up the rules and found that one should not take wine, as it infers that your host hasn't any - or at least not good taste in wines ! - and should leave by 8.30 at the latest so your hosts can get their evening meal. So we took some chocolates but so enjoyed the company that it was about 9.30 before we left.  I wrote a thank-you email afterwards apologising for outstaying our welcome which was very graciously replied to - words to the effect that on an occasion such as that one doesn't watch the time.  So far so good.

So we invited them this time, along with Laurence who has bought the house at the end of our street. They came at 7 and brought a bottle of rosé and one of champagne. We had lots of nibbles and sat out in the courtyard. As time went on, we replenished the nibbles, and then the wine and eventually, about 11.30, made coffee.  They all insisted on clearing and washing up - Jon fell backwards climbing the stairs from the garden, which was a dramatic finish, but pretty well unhurt, though he broke a branch off the hibiscus.  So we finished up after midnight, full of olives, biscuits, nuts, bruchettas, fruit etc and wondering who wrote the rule book.

In the mountains

Two weeks ago we spent a wonderful few days up in the Pyrenees near Font Romeu.  I went walking there two years ago with French friends (some of you may remember pictures of the needle through my big toe on that occasion). At that time we noticed a hotel situated high up but on a plateau with flat walking around, and therefore suitable for Jon.  So we finally got round to booking in there for a couple of nights and it was gorgeous. It's at over 2000m so the air was crisp but the sun hot. Just lovely. We took a picnic and walked slowly to a nearby lake.

That's the hotel, Les Bones Hores, in the background

While Jon rested after our picnic I wandered off and saw 3 different species of gentians.

Lake Pradelle

Jon so loved it that he walked further than either of us thought he was able to these days.





The next day we walked about the same distance but along the road this time as the surface of the tracks is quite uneven.  Another picnic, this time in a meadow bright with Euphorbias.

I was there too

Cowboys and guinea pigs

We still do not have broadband set up and I have written quite a long piece on my PC without thinking that I have no way of sending it as yet so meanwhile here is just a little amusing incident from Saturday.

We were having coffee in the square on market day. It's so nice sitting watching all the activity and gathering our strength for the long walk back to the car with our load of fruit and vegetables.  As we got up to go a lady at the next table pointed out that Jon's hat was on the ground and not to forget it. She called it a "coo buy" hat.  Unfortunately I have been watching a French TV programme called "On n'est pas que des cobayes" (we are not only guinea pigs). It's a popular science programme where they investigate listeners' questions and invent experiments to test them out, ie they act as guinea pigs.
But cobaye didn't sound quite like what she was saying. I had her repeat it about 3 times before I realised she was calling it a cowboy hat. Then I told her I thought she had called it a guinea pig hat which she found quite amusing.
I think the new name might stick !  It goes quite well with his stalking wick.  So all a mad dog or Englishman needs when going out in the midday sun is his guinea pig hat and stalking wick.


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