Turn the other cheek? Not us ...

Last weekend our friends Graham and Tracey came to stay at Le Pre vert. We first met 8 years ago when we moved into our apartments at Thollon-les-Memises, Haute Savoie. Although we were in different buildings we were invited for drinks and found we had a lot in common. They are both teachers, interested in music, skiing and cricket and we discovered that when we first started teaching, in 1979, Graham and I had lived about 500m from each other in a small place close to Cannock called Great Wyrley.

We'd meet up during most holidays for meals, drinks and the odd days out in the mountains. When we sold in 2009 we vowed to keep in touch and last Christmas we returned to Thollon to ski and this summer, on their way back to the UK, they made the long trek across France to visit us.

We took them to Angles-sur-l’Anglin which in many ways is a miniature Yvoire (a medieval village on the shores of Lac Leman) but without all the souvenir shops and the lake!

A semi-retired Graham helping Tim with a drainage problem.

On our way home we drove through the main street of Preuilly-sur-Claise (where Simon and Susan of Days on the Claise live). The day was hot so the car windows were wide open. Near the boulangerie Tim noticed a lad hiding behind some cars wielding a huge water squirter. As we drove past Graham was soaked by the squirter and although Tracey and Gaynor ‘see the funny side’ neither Graham nor Tim can. We manage a U-turn at the top of the hill and go back. Graham, for once, is speechless but wags a finger or two. Tim manages to tell the lad several times that he isn’t very pretty (in other words, this could mean that he is very UGLY!) Gaynor wonders whether gentil (kind) is the word he’s looking for!

Feeling somewhat better we drive back down the hill, do another U-turn, and back past the lad who is waiting for another unsuspecting motorist. He doesn’t notice us coming back or even Graham with a water bottle at the ready. Graham squeezes, and, with exceptionally good timing  and a squirt of biblical proportions, soaks the lad!

This kept our simple minds amused for the rest of their stay and whenever we thought about the look on the lad’s face as he was soaked we had a little chuckle.

Turn the other cheek? Not us …

A bar-blog-que bleet ...

Yesterday we were invited to a BBQ in Preuilly-sur-Claise at the home of our friends Susan and Simon. They had organised the event so that Martine (from Belgium), who is on holiday in the Loire valley with her friends Mats and Vera (from Sweden), could meet up with a bunch of people who live in the area, and others who live further afield in St-Aignan, Arlington Virginia (via Paris), Antwerp and the Charente. We were amazed at how easily our friends moved from language to language. Even Florence managed three!

The rogues gallery!

Back L-R Mats, Simon, CHM, Martine, Gaynor, Antoinette, Ken, Nigel, Diane, Florence and Alexander

Front L-R Tim, Susan, Walt, Vera, Caroline and Niall.

Thanks to Simon for the photograph, who manfully set the timer and then sprinted into position!

Susan co-ordinated the food contributions and the result was a magnificent and delicious table of food and wines.

Simon manned the BBQ and we all sat around and chatted for the whole afternoon.

We met friends old and new and there was always someone interesting to chat with.

 Martine had brought gifts of some exquisite Belgian chocolates.

Martine had brought gifts of some exquisite Belgian chocolates.

At the time of writing you can read and see more here (Simon and Susan), here (Ken) and quite possibly here (Walt), here (Niall and Antoinette), here (Diane) or here (Martine). 

Susan even kept her guests comfortable by holding up the sun/rain canopy!

A big thank you to Susan and Simon for hosting the event and making the bar-blog-que bleet possible.

Window art .....

 On our way home from an afternoon out - at the Brico - we stopped off in Preuilly-sur-Claise to take a photograph of these shutters….

and how about a catch like this to go with them….?