… day that I’m up and about at 08:30 and having breakfast.
For it to happen on a Sunday, when I don’t have an alarm clock set, is really quite extraordinary.
Mind you, it’s just as well because between then and 10:00 I had three telephone calls
- Radio Tartasse telling me that the Monday morning session is cancelled
- Marianne reminding me about our morning at St Hilaire
- Rosemary who wanted to talk about cheese
Just imagine me being polite on the telephone early on a Sunday morning! But then they were all important, especially the one about cheese!
Marianne is doing this Sunday “tour of the communes” of the Canton of Pionsat thing this summer, and I’ve been tagging along as technician and general labourer. Marianne isn’t as young as she used to be – which goes for all of us.
Today was the turn of the commune of St Hilaire to be honoured by our presence.
But we weren’t actually “in” the commune (although we were, if you understand what I mean”. We were out in one of the Lieux Dits – the hamlets associated with the Bourg – the Lieu Dits of Baudry
Here at Baudry is the “Domain de Baudry”. It’s a pisciculture or fish farm where they rear trout and carp for sale or for release into the river system.
It’s very popular with fishermen of course, and everyone can try his hand at it, whether you are an experienced fisherman or a rank beginner. Even the equipment is available to hire.
And it’s not as if you are going to have much difficulty in finding a fish, is it?
The place was absolutely heaving today, and I hoped that they had all come for our exposition and not just for the fishing.
There were loads of people whom I knew too, including Anne and Mike and daughter Misha from up the road in St Fargeol. Misha had tried her hand at fishing and I had spent much of the morning watching her on her maiden fishing expedition.
And to everyone’s surprise and delight, she actually caught five fish! Well, well done Misha! I hope that mum prepared the chips for tea.
Musical entertainment was provided by the fanfare de Pionsat – the Pionsat jazz band.
We have encountered them before and I remember saying at the time that they are more noted for their enthusiasm than their technical abiity. And that still holds true today.
However, as I said when watching the rock band at St Gervais d’Auvergne last month, the comments of Samuel Johnson are relevant – “It is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all”.
This isn’t a big city where you can choose from 200 musicians. You have to take people as you find them. They do their best, we are all grateful for the effort that they make and we all have fun.
What more can anyone expect?
After dropping off Marianne back at Pionsat I had a couple of hours off in the afternoon (well, it IS Sunday) and then went round to Liz and Terry’s to go over our radio programmes.
Mushroom risotto was on the menu too – a huge improvement on the last mushroom risotto that I had, the famous one at Hardon House in Newport Pagnell, that looked as if someone had eaten it before I had.
Ginger cake for pudding too! That really made for an excellent Sunday.
