Downtown

I never like to go out to a restaurant on my birthday because of rip-off, no choice, everything-heart-shaped set menus. So S cooked lunch yesterday and took me out to lunch today.  We went to Franck Putelat's new bistro in Carcassonne, as we've been waiting for an excuse to try it. It's nothing like his chic two-Michelin-star place; it's done out in both decor and menu as a classic French bistro. Nothing is fancy or contrived, it's just classic French flavours perfectly executed. I had a lovely squash soup with a dollop of chestnut cream, followed by very 1970s-style veal kidneys in a creamy sauce, served in a ring of mashed potatoes. And then a tarte aux myrtilles just like mine except that the pastry was soggier :) We ate à la carte, so it was a bit expensive, but the set lunch menus look very good value given the quality.

Afterwards we had a walk around to look at the improvements to the town centre thanks to grants for renovating facades. One of the nicest aspects is the wide range of colours allowed (see extras) -- not quite Irish, but more vivid than you might expect. Goodness knows how they got it past Bâtiments de France, the government organisation responsible for conserving built heritage, but I'm glad they didn't insist on only the traditional muted greys and blues.

Back home, by the fire, cat on lap. Last night Mystère managed to lose his collar, so when I opened the shutters this morning I was greeted by a frantically yowling cat, as he'd been unable to get through the magnet-operated catflap, and it was raining. I find it adorable that a) knowing that we don't use the back door where the catflap is, he knows he must meow on the front step; and b) when let in, he hurries immediately to the catflap, checking I'm following so that he can communicate with every fibre of his being that I need to fix it right away. The poor boy was damp and quite exhausted after having to be vigilant all night in case Evil Neighbour Cat was about. After his morning saucer of milk he curled up tightly on the end of the bed to sleep for the rest of the day. He still hasn't dared go out, although he now has a new collar.