29. 03. 09 Sunday Claire came by the house this morning and we went off to lac du Salgou for a hike. It was cool but sunny so we drove to Celles which is an abandoned village on the shores of the lake. We parked at Celles and then walked along the lake shore. Everything is bursting into Spring, the gorse is in flower as are the wild irises plus many other plants and shrubs whose names I do not know. It always surprises me the varieties of plants that survive in this harsh environment. We had lunch by the lake and then walked back to the village where we met a very friendly dog who lead us out of the village on another path up to the ridge and then back. A very invigorating day. Back here for tea after which Claire left for Montpellier.
Month: March 2009
Mt Aigoual
21. 03. 09 Saturday. Met Claire at St Martin de Londres then drove up to the summit of Mt Aigoual. We stopped en route at the Café du Siecle. Very authentic but when Claire asked for a little more milk for her tea they demanded another 20 cents! So much for the rustic locals!!! Surprised to find snow on the summit and despite the sunshine only 5 degrees. Came back down a bit until we found a Tourist Office who showed us a hike in the woods where all the trees were identified. Eventually found the trail, had a our sandwiches and then went for a lovely walk. Passed many different types of pine including some surprisingly big ones. Evenutally ended up at a little hameau with an old church and then back tracked back to the car. En route down stopped at La Cravate for the view and also dessert – excellent as always. Drove back to St Martin where I got back on the scooter and drove back to Clermont.
En Plein Air
20. 03. 09 Friday. It has been a busy week. On Monday started painting en plein air at George and Lawrene’s house and then did another small painting in the woods en route to Liauson Friday afternoon. Went to my engraving class on Tuesday but battery on the scooter was flat after the class. Managed to get a ride back into town with Claude but had to get the tow truck out there on Wednesday morning. Quite impressive service, rang for truck from Pezenas at 9 and was in Octon by 10. Of course as soon as we got there Alex managed to start the scooter!!! C’est toujours comme ça! I drove back with him to Pezenas where they changed the battery for me and off I went again. Yet another opportunity for improving my French vocabulary!! Apparently I can also get the towage fee back from my insurance. Thursday I started my life drawing class also at Octon in the evening. Drove there with Jonathan and met Rania and had a coffee before class. Good class, very informal group which just shares the cost of the model.
Landscapes
17. 03. 09 Tuesday. Yesterday I finally finished Textured Landscape or at least I think I have finished it. It is quite large 80 x 100 cm and is based on the the hillside just outside Clermont. Also last week I did a couple of small paintings 8″ x 10″ of the local landscape. One is of an old disused railway bridge and the other is near Octon where I go for my engraving class and is of burning the old bits of vines. I am hoping to start a painting of olive trees this week in the textured series based on a couple of olive trees just by the gas station at the HyperU. I have been to two movies, Bellamy by Claude Chabrol with Gérard Depardieu shot in Nimes and Sete and The Wrestler with Mickey Rourke. Depardieu is colossal physically and plays a commissaire de Police on holiday in the south. Quite Maigret-esque and all in French so I think I may have missed a few bits but enjoyed it all the same. Interesting how French actors don’t necessarily have to be in perfect shape altho Mickey Rourke is in interesting physical condition too for his part!!!
Pays Basque
Tuesday 10. 03. 09 Just back from a weekend in the Pays Basque chez les Deshabits. Took the train over on friday and was met at the station in Biarritz by Marie-Pierre and Olivier and went back to Michele’s for dinner. Saturday we went first to an exhibition of engravings by Michele Lasserre in Anglet before going off to Spain for lunch. Amazing lunch – 3 course with wine and coffee for 9.80 euros. After lunch had a walk around St Jean de Pied du Port before driving out to Eliane’s family farm which is in the heart of the Basque country. Quite a big farm with 300 sheep and I don’t know how many cows. Met all the family and of course had a glass and a slice of Basque cake. 
Drove back to Bayonne pleasantly tired!!. Sunday went for a walk with Marie-Pierre and Olivier along the beach at Le Chambre d’Amour before a magnificent lunch at Jean- Loup and Eliane’s house. Afterwards M-P and Olivier left for Bordeaux and Michele and I had a drive around Anglet before returning to her house. Watched a great Claude Chabrol film with Isabel Huppert on the TV in the evening. Caught the train from Biarritz at 9 but got held up at Toulouse as there was an accident at Agen. Train from Toulouse to Montpellier was 3 and a half hours late! Missed last bus to Clermont so stayed at Claire’s and took the bus back here this morning. A great weekend with my “French Family”.