Busy Months of Summer!
We have been extra busy the month of August and some of the tourists have returned home, but there are still plenty left!
*We attended 4 Sundays of English Church and attended an additional ecumenical church service and short talk in a tiny chapel (St. Marguerite above Pont Aven). The subject of the talk was the need for food and water for Africa.....one in five people in the world who are hungry are in Africa! The service was attended with about 40 people and half were French and half were English, American, or Irish....(we were the two Americans). This service is held each year somewhere in the area.
*We were invited to aperitifs by our neighbors, Yves and Odile. They live outside Paris, but they have a house here in Kerdruc which they are trying to use more often...seems retirement is very busy...since Yves just published a new book about agriculture and landscape and is about to give a talk in New Zealand. I asked him if he had ever received a medal for his work.....which outstanding French people get from the President....yes he said he has TWO! Very nice people and Anne was invited as well and served as our interpreter again...but mostly we spoke French!
*One of our conversation sessions with our neighbor Anne was a crepe dinner....which she prepared like a REAL Bretonne.....with an authentic recipe and large hot plate. Delicious!
*We attended the Fete de l'Aven Port Manech which began in the early afternoon. After meeting some new Brits in church, they said they were going and would look for us.....we went and looked for them but did not see them. We sat on the sea wall and took in the wonderful sunshine for about a half hour and then I realized someone on the sea wall looked familiar to me....was it the Gendarme from Nevez????....no it was Richard who was with Sharon...the people we had been looking for! Did we feel dumb, but we talked for a while and then ate dinner while listening to great Celtic music and watching the Breton dancers...and looking at their beautiful coifs and costumes! Dinner was wonderful pork chops and fantastic pig knuckle.....very tasty. Then we got crepes for dessert and decided to take them to see our home....they were staying in a tent-like cabin in one of the camping sites which are all over our area! They enjoyed seeing our house and we were sorry they had to leave to go back to work....in the UK. We hope they will return next summer!
*We wanted to attend the Filet Bleu (a local charity fundraiser) in Concarneau, but the day we wanted to go, there was a downpour and it was cancelled. Next year for sure!
*We invited Anne and her two grandchildren over for American dinner...sausages cooked on the grill and potato salad! The potato salad was a bit much too different for the girls, but Anne loved it. They were so much fun to interact with....they don't speak English...but they are learning it in school.........then we had dessert cooked by Tom....panna cotta...and everyone loved it!
*After English Church this Sunday, we were invited by the chaplin to lunch at their campsite near Ragenez Plage. There were 5 couples, all of whom we had met at church. Great time to learn about their adventures in France and get to know everyone better.
*We love the new British friends we have met and have invited everyone to stop by and see us...and some have~! We got home after going to the beach and grocery store to find a note in our mailbox....missed them! Then Tom was changing clothes upstairs and looked out the window and saw them at the port below our house...so he ran down to tell them to come up. We had a nice time showing them the house and they brought some friends they knew from the UK....some people who have a house just south of Dinan, and come often. So we hope we'll have more people to interact with....even though they are English....it is great to be able to have friends...no matter what language they speak!
*Today we went to Pont Aven to the Tuesday morning market and to meet the Pastor and his wife from English Church for coffee. They are leaving tomorrow for Ireland and they will be back next year! The other couple, Mark and Filona will meet us at the church in St. Philibert for their Pardon on Sunday, followed by a Pig Roast. We are also going with Mike and Sally who told us about the event and before that we are also going with Mike and Sally to dinner on Saturday night and then into town to see the fireworks! There is another event in Pont Aven on Saturday afternoon which we'll try to attend.
*So my friend Ellen is about to arrive in Paris for a month in an apartment in the Marais district. We will pick her up in Paris, but first we'll spend 2 1/2 days doing some fun things in the big city. She will stay with us for part of a week and then fly back to Denver. We are very excited. It is fun showing people our part of the world! Then after that, Calla comes to spend 2 weeks in southern France and northern Spain with us! Exciting!
*Also below, my Martha Stewart Living magazine subscription has finally, after 10 months, has found me in France! Hallelujah!
Here is a list of things we've been doing and some photos....
*We attended 4 Sundays of English Church and attended an additional ecumenical church service and short talk in a tiny chapel (St. Marguerite above Pont Aven). The subject of the talk was the need for food and water for Africa.....one in five people in the world who are hungry are in Africa! The service was attended with about 40 people and half were French and half were English, American, or Irish....(we were the two Americans). This service is held each year somewhere in the area.
*We were invited to aperitifs by our neighbors, Yves and Odile. They live outside Paris, but they have a house here in Kerdruc which they are trying to use more often...seems retirement is very busy...since Yves just published a new book about agriculture and landscape and is about to give a talk in New Zealand. I asked him if he had ever received a medal for his work.....which outstanding French people get from the President....yes he said he has TWO! Very nice people and Anne was invited as well and served as our interpreter again...but mostly we spoke French!
*One of our conversation sessions with our neighbor Anne was a crepe dinner....which she prepared like a REAL Bretonne.....with an authentic recipe and large hot plate. Delicious!
*We attended the Fete de l'Aven Port Manech which began in the early afternoon. After meeting some new Brits in church, they said they were going and would look for us.....we went and looked for them but did not see them. We sat on the sea wall and took in the wonderful sunshine for about a half hour and then I realized someone on the sea wall looked familiar to me....was it the Gendarme from Nevez????....no it was Richard who was with Sharon...the people we had been looking for! Did we feel dumb, but we talked for a while and then ate dinner while listening to great Celtic music and watching the Breton dancers...and looking at their beautiful coifs and costumes! Dinner was wonderful pork chops and fantastic pig knuckle.....very tasty. Then we got crepes for dessert and decided to take them to see our home....they were staying in a tent-like cabin in one of the camping sites which are all over our area! They enjoyed seeing our house and we were sorry they had to leave to go back to work....in the UK. We hope they will return next summer!
*We wanted to attend the Filet Bleu (a local charity fundraiser) in Concarneau, but the day we wanted to go, there was a downpour and it was cancelled. Next year for sure!
*We invited Anne and her two grandchildren over for American dinner...sausages cooked on the grill and potato salad! The potato salad was a bit much too different for the girls, but Anne loved it. They were so much fun to interact with....they don't speak English...but they are learning it in school.........then we had dessert cooked by Tom....panna cotta...and everyone loved it!
*After English Church this Sunday, we were invited by the chaplin to lunch at their campsite near Ragenez Plage. There were 5 couples, all of whom we had met at church. Great time to learn about their adventures in France and get to know everyone better.
*We love the new British friends we have met and have invited everyone to stop by and see us...and some have~! We got home after going to the beach and grocery store to find a note in our mailbox....missed them! Then Tom was changing clothes upstairs and looked out the window and saw them at the port below our house...so he ran down to tell them to come up. We had a nice time showing them the house and they brought some friends they knew from the UK....some people who have a house just south of Dinan, and come often. So we hope we'll have more people to interact with....even though they are English....it is great to be able to have friends...no matter what language they speak!
*Today we went to Pont Aven to the Tuesday morning market and to meet the Pastor and his wife from English Church for coffee. They are leaving tomorrow for Ireland and they will be back next year! The other couple, Mark and Filona will meet us at the church in St. Philibert for their Pardon on Sunday, followed by a Pig Roast. We are also going with Mike and Sally who told us about the event and before that we are also going with Mike and Sally to dinner on Saturday night and then into town to see the fireworks! There is another event in Pont Aven on Saturday afternoon which we'll try to attend.
*So my friend Ellen is about to arrive in Paris for a month in an apartment in the Marais district. We will pick her up in Paris, but first we'll spend 2 1/2 days doing some fun things in the big city. She will stay with us for part of a week and then fly back to Denver. We are very excited. It is fun showing people our part of the world! Then after that, Calla comes to spend 2 weeks in southern France and northern Spain with us! Exciting!
*Also below, my Martha Stewart Living magazine subscription has finally, after 10 months, has found me in France! Hallelujah!
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| Martha Stewart Living Magazine....FINALLY! |
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| The new love of my life! |
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| Newly installed dish washer....by Tom |
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| Port Manech where we sat on the sea wall at the Fête...on the right |
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| Port Manech band at Fete |
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