Saturday 2 February 2013

Winter Quarters

Feb 13

Winter ennui has been warring with accedie but it looks like the first is winning so the next installment of the blog is underway.  I found a few photos from 2012 on one of the cameras so here goes.

The steam train mentioned in the last post taking on water (only in France).



Despite being a bit thin on the ground - we had Pre Xmas drinks mid Dec - Midi visitors will recognise La Capitaine (Stephanié)



The Xmas market was well lit but a bit light on customers and anything worth buying - after a vin chaud back to the boat (Angie refused a ride on the Big Wheel) but I snapped the Palais de Justice on the way.



Palais de Justice
I had decided further photos of Carcassonne Cité were a bit much - but Ricardo off 'Ricoheba' had a few good ones so here they are.







Then it was our 35th Anniversary - off to our Italian restaurant - then it was Christmas.  Christmas Eve Dinner was a bit quiet and giving Angie a computer tablet was a major mistake as she spends her days playing Sudoku and word games rather than cleaning and polishing!



But on Christmas Day we gathered on 'Gladys' for a few drinks with Eric and Lisa.


We have had a word with Eric about his dress sense - but his leather shorts probably raise the standard compared to Nigel on 'Sirius' who walks the dog mid-morning  in dressing gown and pyjama bottoms (too shocking to photograph) :LOL.


Eric and Tyler
The weather so far has been great - a few frosts and a sprinkling of snow one day - but every time Nigel paints it rains so that has to stop.


New Year's eve was in the Irish pub again with the usual suspects - then to see what real snow was like Angela visited her sister in Bonn for a week in Jan - a lot of snow and a hat to suit,


and then the ecluses opened and our first boat movements, First the hardy narrow boaters, then the VNF and finally a hippy hotel boat.




Off to UK in a few weeks to restock on Branston Pickle and this and that - then it will be start up the diesel and cast off the moorings!