Fete des EcolesIs it really Monday tomorrow? I need another Sunday after our weekend of thoroughly French activities. Friday night was the Fete des Ecoles – the end of year show. First, several short plays – Tana and India were rabbits – and lots of amazing songs. Followed by a presentation on the week-long trip for children as young as six, which traced the Adour river from mountain to sea. Aperitif and snacks in the playground while the salle was reshuffled and finally a full-on, sit-down meal with copious amounts of wine that went on well past midnight. The children ate in a separate room by themselves, painted each others’ faces and played in the road outside the school in the darkness. Carnage. Awesome carnage.

PetanqueSaturday saw a rematch of a recent BBQ with our neighbours, Franck and Shirlie, and friends, Jim and Becci, who live in a library bus in our garden. In France, you generally start a social event with an ‘apéro’ – your choice of drink ranging from wine with cassis to beer or Pastis. Franck and Shirlie arrived at midday, the apéro was served and it began. Basically, we ate and drank all day, breaking for our first game of petanque.

Then the boys went to fetch Franck’s ping pong table and there ensued a fierce Anglo-French battle, dominated by the French but thoroughly enjoyed by the English.

Ping pong

Chris rediscovered his teenage love of ping pong and we will be looking for a secondhand table. In fact, at the hog roast we went to today (not quite so French as it was organised by the local expat group), he met someone from the next village who has a ‘club’ in his garden where men gather to play pool, darts and ping pong. We are so checking that out…

 

Filed under: Happy Coulson

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