Food, glorious food!

Thursday 1 October 2015

24 degrees

Stunning autumn day with glorious sunshine and, oh dear, why are the cranes going over so early????  At least two weeks ahead of their normal schedule.  A grim winter is in forecast for northern Europe.  Feel totally relaxed after a week of not having to be on the phone to the notaries non stop, unreasonable buyers and difficult sellers.  Feel I have not been able to relax and breath for months as there has always been something niggling away at me.  OH has stopped making me lists - perhaps he realises the strain I was under.  I don't normally throw brand new laptops clear across the room and disappear for hours.

OH brought me tea at 7.30.  I had been deeply asleep and dreaming that I had a full beard but only on my neck, and no one had thought to tell me.  I was on a railway station with an aunt who has been dead for a number of years and we were seeing off her grand daughter to New Zealand.

Went down to the market.  There are new food stalls appearing every week - the first foreign food stall appeared about four years ago and it is an Indian guy and his wife and their wonderful chocolate eyed children who make curry and samosas and, probably by now, about five trillion onion bhajis which are his best seller.  Latterly, there has been a northern African lady selling almond sugary pastries and also a Spanish lady selling extruded battered and fried delicacies known as churros.  The normal French local approach is to treat the newbies with extreme suspicion and then take a little piece of the offering from the counter and run off and nibble it (think squirrels) and then the next week buy a very little portion and thereafter become devoted and go every week.  The Indian guy has a queue around the corner.  The longest standing food stall is the crêpe lady and she still has regulars and especially children who love her huge lacy Nutella filled pancakes.

There is a large maroquinerie stall selling faux leather handbags and purses, run by a huge African guy, with glossy black skin and stunningly white teeth.  There is an old carpet spread out on the floor, on which is spread a diverse arrangement of 'antique' items and watched over by an old guy who squats on a milking stool, chewing on the stump of a cigar, and glaring at passers by.  I have yet to see anyone buy anything from him.

There is the haberdashery and wool stall which sells odd balls of wool and a huge range of overpriced buttons and lace.  20p a button where you can buy a heap of them for a fiver off the Internet.  I go when I am stuck for choice or short of time.  Alternatively I go to the fripperie and find a garment with interesting buttons and pay one euro and contribute to a good cause.

Have a coffee and a local character comes and sits down with me and tells me about an old lady who is actually a very nasty piece of work, and how she is being cheated by a local agent and house management team and I think I am keeping well out of this and then say I have to go and head up to the Tresor Public.

The Tresor Public decided I was late with my rates payments and deducted some money from my bank account, without my knowledge or authorisation, and this was a year ago.  I was determined not to have any more excuses and charged in and demanded a cheque in immediate reimbursement.  The lady said she wasn't even sure they had the paperwork any more and fished around through many files and then pounded the computer and informed me that we had been part paid back in November 2014.  Where was the rest of the money?  She said she would have to ask her colleague.  I went out, forgetting that tomorrow they are closed.  I will have to take it up again on Monday.

Back home and found OH playing with the wood mountain.  Had lunch - no bread or milk or dairy and his knee is clearing up a treat.

Went back out to meet a lady from Down Under and we had tea in the tea shop and discussed her property search.  She has a very large budget but she has seen most of the stock in the local area.  Arrange to meet her next week and show her the chateau where the son is threatening to produce the roof quotes - had an offer on this three months ago and he has only just got his finger out...

Back home and tackled ironing mountain and wrote article for magazine where I will feature as Ask the Agent.  Had to do a head shot photo - took many attempts.....

Lined up some properties to take on for next week.  Walked dog and it started to rain.