We’ve all been hearing about the end of the world on 21st December. Although we are just an hour from Bugarach, I suspect that the alien spaceship, as it launches from the bowels of Pic de Bugarach, will not have strong enough traction signals to “beam us up, Scotty”. So we have decided that as tomorrow night (Thursday) is our last dinner, we are going to have a really good slap-up meal.
For aperitifs, we are going to have a nice Blanquette from Limoux (which is only 35 minutes from Bugarach), followed by smoked salmon salad.
Main course will be fillet steak, accompanied by stir-fried mushrooms and onions, and baked potato filled with creme fraiche (no need to worry about the diet, is there?).
Cheeseboard - usual nice blend of hard and soft cheeses garnished with luscious grapes and ripe pear.
Dessert - can't agree but might eat some of the Buche de Noel - won't need it for Christmas dinner, eh?
All will be washed down with some nice wine produced here in the Corbieres, and a little Armagnac as a digestif.
I had the usual round of calendars then on a Saturday just after lunch the Gendarmes came round, 2 of them, v smart & shiny. "Come in come in coffee is ready" I cried, "let's have a look at your calendar then - "
Elaborate surprised look.
"Hem. WE are the Gendarmerie. We don't do calendars. We are inquiring about a suspicious van & wondering if anyone has been round trying to sell you stolen tarmac."
Had coffee anyway with me feeling pretty foolish & being reminded (v kindly as if speaking to tiny child) to shut my shutters etc as I live in a maison isolée.
This year the pompiers sent out a local woman, but from the village, to sell calendars. One of our dogs opens doors, so on hearing somebody outside trying to attract our attention the two hounds flew at and out of the door. Imagine the horror on her face as roughly 40kg of GSD hurtled toward her, with a smaller black creature in tow! She fled to the gate, closed it quickly and got in her car and vanished fast. The worst that would have happened is a severely wet licking, but poor woman!
Hahahah! David Gay that has so made me laugh! Oh yes the annual calendars! You have to hide lol, mindyou you ought to have one from the post lady and the firebrigade..that is essential to sweeten them up I think. I got a real shock the first year here when the firebrigade turned up to my door..at first I thought it was gendarme. The post lady to be fair is very good..but notice she did really really hover to ensure I'd buy one :)
I think I'm going to dinner at Vin's house. Yes double egg and fat chips. Never had the cockles and laverbread-that sounds yums. Otherwise for my last supper I'll just stick to desert-massive mixed fruit and cream Pavlova..after all its my last supper. Ooh and some bubbly red wine. Might have some nibbles first of some sort-cheese straws. Nice bit of caviar on butter brown bread-squeeze of lemon.
Double egg and chips for me .....but if I was back in Wales Welsh bacon, cockles and Laverbread.......Merry Christmas / Nadolig Llawen/ Bon Noel to all....
Why not go to the most expensive, michelin starred restaurant you can find, about 2 hours before it all ends, have a superb, slap-up, high cholesterol, fat boy special - then you won't have to pay the bill.
According to my 'schedule' it worked out to be my fasting day, the one with no dinner! I shall therefore, in my state of purity, transcend rather than go up in a puff of smoke. On Saturday, I'll have a good nosh wherever I happen to be or not be as the case may be!
