An interesting location

By the time we got around to the second session after dinner and a glass or two of wine, the cowboy hats had been discarded.

You put your left foot in, you put your left foot out.......

It was a good and interesting evening just finishing in time as a summer thunder storm arrived; this pleased Gillie as it saved her watering the garden.

Now where are we going to get our cowboy boots from?

Jim

Time for dinner in le Place de Neuf Jets

The town was vibrant and full of locals and visitors alike all enjoying a balmy summers evening.

Street entertainers kept the crowds amused

The start of the market

Colourful Characters

A gift for the children

No she isn't Dutch, she's on stilts

No he isn't either, although his colours say differently!

We are already looking forward to the next one.

Jim

Les Alberes

It is a rare sight to see snow covering as much of the Mountain as it did this year.   Most winters there will be a covering near the summit but it soon seems to disappear and return to its normal rich shade of green.

Sun set over Les Alberes

As midday approached today the temperature at La Chataigneraie was in  the high thirties, so Gillie and decided to drive to the Col de U’llat in the Alberes for a walk and lunch.   The Col is situated within a few steps of the Spanish border and the views in all four directions are wonderful.

Cork Oaks en route to the Mountain peak

The views on the drive get steadily more dramatic and more beautiful.

Sound your horn!!

A cool and beautiful place to wander

The temperature at the Col must have been between 10 and 15 degrees cooler than at home; it was refreshing in the mountain air as is to be expected at 1000 metres high.

We enjoyed a light lunch at a favourite Auberge, which has an outside deck facing West and overlooking the peaks of the Pyrenees; a heavenly location.

A recommended place for lunch

Then it was back home to welcome guests.

Jim

Stefan and Monica from Bremen who had something to smile about!

They commented in our visitors book that they were delighted when we allowed them to stay and we didn’t force them to move on!!!

The following couple’s comments are worth recording on the Blog and relate in part to a swimming lesson I gave them.

” Dear Jim, Gilly and Kim, we can now float on the water!   Life is full of goals (A pity 4 of them were German…..!)”

Au revoir et a bientot……………..Bill and Maddy”

Maddy, Bill and Gillie. Maddy can now keep her eyes open under water!!!!

Margaret, Brett and Belinda just leaving after their third visit

When we eventually retire, our guest books are going to make wonderful bedtime reading, as they will bring back many happy memories of all of the friends we have made from all corners of the World.

Marguerite and Andy (plus an addition due in November)

They all enjoyed the experience of visiting and revisiting this wonderful region with its sunshine, great food and wines and superb art galleries.

Jim

A relaxing day out.

Jim

Kim very kindly bought us a visit as a Christmas present, so we couldn’t put off the experience any longer.

We arrived at the Thermes at 9.30am and were given a warm welcome by  all with whom we came into contact.   Our first treatment was in a horse-shoe shaped hot water pool, where we were massaged by extremely powerful water jets.   I could have stayed there all day as it felt wonderful.   We then moved onto an aquarobics class, which left us both glowing.    Following this we made our way through the  building, parts of which were built by the Romans in II cent. AD, to individual cubicles where we streched out, face down on a bed to enjoy the effects of a needle shower which moves up and down ones back.   This really does bring the blood to the surface.    Gillie and I then transferred to our mud bath.   This again was in a medium sized pool, about 1.5m deep, where gentle music was playing, to aid relaxation, but she and I found it difficult not to laugh, because we hadn’t quite got the hang of staying down as we kept on floating up to the surface;   It was like floating in the Dead Sea.    On top of this, Gillie’s hat slipped off the back of her head and filled with mud, when I told her she pulled it back on covering her hair in mud, laughter once again filled the air.    By now we were feeling very relaxed, we had yet another hot shower then sitting at the pool side in our bath robes we enjoyed a cup of herbal tea before leaving to return home.

Thank you Kim, it was a most enjoyable Christmas present and we would certainly recommend a visit to all of our clients.

Jim

]]> http://www.ceret.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=951 0 http://www.ceret.net/blog/?p=933 http://www.ceret.net/blog/?p=933#comments Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:03:38 +0000 jim http://www.ceret.net/blog/?p=933 We are enjoying some wonderful April weather, with temperatures in the mid 20’s and the pool warm enough to swim in; I had my first dip today.

Poolside Wisteria

Golden Orioles, which usually arrive in May, must also be aware of the warm weather as they have been around and about in the garden for a week already.

Our Swimming Pool

The poolside beds await your arrival

Gillie and I had supper on the terrace at 7.30pm and watched the sun go down behind Canigou, it is just so peaceful and beautiful here.

Ceret road bridge with the old railway bridge in the background

Claud with his flock of goats down by the river

We are looking forward to greeting guests of old this year as a number have decided to return, some for the third, fourth and fifth time, It must be the food and wine!

Jim

They periodically have other offers, so keep checking.

Jim

A young girl, Marie is freed from prison and moves to France, in the hope of starting a new life. Although this new life begins with a menial job, working as a fruit-picker, Marie’s new world soon begins to take shape. A major part of it is a handsome local mechanic Baptiste, who is more than willing to show Marie around town. Equally important is the grandfatherly figure of Jaume, who begins instructing Marie in the finer things in life – art, sculpture and cookery amongst them. As Marie and Jaume bond ever deeper, their friendship develops in a manner that is both heartwarming and inspiring.

Those of you who have been here before will, I am sure, recognise many places in the film.

The following appear on-line in l’independant of 20th April 2010:

© Ph. Rouah

Grand moment de cinéma et de convivialité, hier, pour la présentation en avant-première au MégaCastillet, du premier long métrage du Perpignanais Laurent Vinas-Raymond, “J’ai oublié de te dire”, avec Omar Sharif et Emilie Dequenne. Début d’une carrière cinématographique pour le département ?

Il y avait du bonheur et de la joie, hier après-midi à l’hôtel de la Fauceille, pour la présentation à la presse de ce premier long métrage du Perpignanais Laurent Vinas-Raymond, tourné exclusivement dans le département. Bonheur de l’aboutissement d’un projet qui, comme beaucoup de films à petit budget (3 millions d’euros pour celui-ci), a subi contre-temps et déboires ; joie d’une équipe soudée qui, du réalisateur aux producteurs (Pascal Servais et Thomas Bourguignon) et co-producteurs (les Perpignanais de Cat Studios) en passant par les acteurs (Anne Canovas et Franck Goulard,

présents hier), a cru dans ce beau film. L’histoire d’un vieux monsieur (Omar Sharif, toujours renversant) et d’une jeune fille un peu paumée (Emilie Dequenne, époustouflante de sincérité) que la peinture réunit dans une quête initiatique pour celle-ci et une volonté de transmission de celui-là. Franck Goulard campe avec justesse et pudeur, le fils adoptif et Anne Canovas, subtilement, la demi-soeur protectrice d’une affection fraternelle longtemps quêtée.

Un potentiel économique

Laurent Vinas-Raymond, né à Perpignan en 1966, diplômé de l’ESEC, n’en est pas à son coup d’essai. En 1997, il réalise “L’enfant qui connaissait les femmes” , un court-métrage entièrement tourné à Collioure mais “à l’époque, je n’intéressais personne” , dit-il. Puis en 2001, déjà avec Franck Goulard, “Mes amis d’en France” , un moyen métrage pour le tournage duquel il fut en partie contraint de s’exiler hors du département “J’ai oublié de te dire” est donc son premier long métrage, entièrement tourné dans les P.-O. Les cultures maraîchères, Céret, la tramontane, Aimé-Giral (le match de coupe d’Europe Usap-Trévise l’an dernier), Collioure et Argelès, Castelnou, les Bouillouses et les bougnettes… une partie des richesses du département pare sans ostentation, le film. Et, sans chauvinisme outrancier, on peut se réjouir qu’enfin elles s’affichent sur grand écran. Ce premier long métrage, soutenu par les conseils régional et général, à l’instar de ce que beaucoup d’autres régions et départements font pour le cinéma depuis des années, annonce-t-il un futur pour une industrie cinématographique locale ? C’est ce qu’espère Jean-Philippe Julia, l’un des 7 partenaires de Cat Studios, fondé il y a déjà 5 ans dans cet objectif : “C’est le premier film qui montre toutes les possibilités du département : les décors, les lumières mais aussi le savoir-faire et les talents locaux” . On retrouve notamment pour la musique, la compositrice polonaise installée à Taillet, Joanna Bruzdowicz. Outre la beauté affichée du département, le film tient d’abord la route par ses acteurs.

Le bon casting

“Le bon casting, c’est le plus important. Ce n’est pas moi qui joue. Chaque acteur a sa sensibilité et apporte sa touche, moi j’ai une vision d’ensemble du film et du résultat que je souhaite” , explique le réalisateur. Mais aussi par son scénario. “L’idée de transmission autour de la peinture m’était venue il y a une dizaine d’années grâce au peintre Jacques Claramunt” , se souvient Laurent Vinas. “Le thème de la maladie d’Alzheimer est venu ensuite” Cette autre thématique du film – la douleur des proches désemparés face à l’esprit qui quitte à petit feu méchant, le corps de ceux qu’ils aiment – inscrit crescendo la revendication du libre choix de sa propre mort, dans la dignité. L’une des scènes finales, dans la maison de retraite des Capucines à Argelès, est bouleversante tant est juste et fort le jeu d’Emilie Dequenne, devenue son personnage. Mais la vie reprend ses droits et c’est par un clin d’oeil au “Vieux fusil” de Robert Enrico que s’achève “J’ai oublié de te dire” . “Les films que l’on fait viennent de ceux qu’on a vus et aimés. J’ai grandi avec les films d’Yves Robert, Jean Becker, Claude Sautet. Je m’attache au côté humain des gens” , dit pudiquement Laurent Vinas. Il n’oublie pas de nous le dire dans ce premier film.

I do hope this photographic record will assist guests in finding La Chataigneria from their arrival in Ceret:

No 5 Turn right after the Telephone Box

No 6 Pass the Fire Station on your left

No 7 At the "T" junction turn left

No 8 Pass the Town Car park on your left. Turn right in 50m

No 9 Up a narrow street, only wide enough for one vehicle

No 10 Keep right

No 11 Keep right again

No 12 Keep left up the hill sign posted Fontfrede

Nearly there, about 1k to go.

No 13 Keep to the left, up the hill, we are about 100m on the left.

We are looking forward to greeting you.

Until later

Jim