View from the lounger

I slept much better though I did wake early and listened to some Val McDermid. Then up earlyish for the Big Birthday Bash.  Olivia, in KL, is 7 and San Yi, in Pingtung, Taiwan is 3.  The KL family were all at Po Po and Gong Gong's and then there was Er Yi eating breakfast in London and the French contingent.  There was the usual opening of presents, singing of Happy Birthday, candles and cakes.  Wen Xin is in the lull before the flu vaccines and 3rd doses start. Wen Shan gets her second vaccine, the Taiwanese brand, on 22nd.  She and Kai move into their new apartment this weeks so we had video tours of there and also the gite and house here.  This meant we continued longer than normal so Mum was able to join us.

After the excitement J, D and I walked down to the village via Mentaresse for bread and the bank.  There was a boules competition taking place in the area near the old station.  We came back by the forest, we are right on the edge of the Cevennes. It is a long hard pull up the hill out of the village whichever way you go. On the way back we passed the donkeys Myrtille and Pericles and were almost adopted by a 
black tortoiseshell cat with a cream stripe down her nose.

The rest of the day, apart from lunch on the terrasse and finishing Hugo's macarons was spent by and in the pool.  Even Mum managed a swim.  It was 30 deg outside and 26/27 in.  My pool in Montgaillard never got that warm.  I read and dozed and watched the planes heading for Barcelona. 

After their siesta D and E came over to see Mum.  They are off to Pau and Carcassonne on Tuesday. I was pleased that I could keep up with and participate in the conversation though E does speak very slowly and clearly.

A bit more swimming and lying in the sun until it started to head towards the trees and it was time to 'dress for dinner'. I did the return admin, ordering our PCR tests while J tried to decide on a restaurant for Wednesday and waited for the sun to really go down making it cool enough to eat.

After dinner we went upstairs for 'Antiques Roadshow' but I baled before 'Vigil'. that +1 hour makes all the difference.  I'll catch up later.

Tomorrow more of the same, eat, swim, lie in the sun, read, repeat and perhaps a trip to market.