Creating a life in Esperaza. . .

The sun finally comes out - Spring has arrived...maybe

After Buenos Aires we wanted a quiet, unencumbered life.

Esperaza seems to be fitting the bill.

We seem to be establishing a daily routine. 

I will bore you with writing it out,

sprinkling a few photos to make it more interesting.

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Monday - Blog day, raining so we don't go out.

Tuesday -

Yoga 10:00am @ Centre Culturel

Drink tea and coffee at home

Wednesday -

Another rainy day - we stay in, again

We do our homework for French Class

Thursday –

French class 9:15am @ Centre Culturel

We have cafe au lait at L'Orygin'l

with classmates Tina and Brian

(the sun seems to want to come out...)

Friday – The sun comes out!

So, we find the hiking trail that starts above the cemetary  

We follow the sign ...
not sure what it says, should we be wathcing out for something?

Vinyards all along this trail

No need for a jacket, today...

It's still Friday... at 6:30 pm –

Dinner at St. Ferriol Chateau with Sophie and Guilhem,

Julie (sohpie’s mom), Diane and Mark.

Entrance to
Saint Ferriol Chateau



The View from St. Ferriol



John and Guilhem chatting
with Joy sleeping under her portrait



Julie in the kitchen getting dinner ready



Mark, me, Diane, Sophie and Esther

Saturday – another beautiful sunny spring day

A hike a little farther - this time to the other side of the hill

Sheep and blooming Cherry trees

Abandoned huts and open fields



"The other side of the mountain, to see what we can see..."
Can you see the windmills?

On the way home - snow on the Pyrenees



Esperaza nestled in a high valley
of the Pyrenees

Sunday – Beautiful day!

The Marche

We sat in the square and pub with bier

then home with windows open.

Last bit of sun on a beautiful sunny Sunday

A last look at the village square on a late Sunday afternoon
This is what we have come here for...

2 Weeks in Esperaza - a look at the Village and little bit beyond???

Photo of Esperaza "Map"
Find the Church, Town Square and look right
Circled is where we live... 

Can't believe we've finished our 2nd week here in Esperaza. 

I think we finally feel like we live here.

We've explored the town, taken a few "trips" out of town to discover the area,

with our landlady, Sophie, and on our own. 

The following photos will show you the town, our sojourns out of town

and the activities around the town at this time of year.

The "Mairie" - The town hall
all the information you want/need to know
about the town of Esperaza is here, I think

The Cultural Center
French Class and Yoga once a week for us

Le Cantou
where we had dinner our first night

Dinosaur Museum
It was closed this day - have yet to go in

Gare Esperaza
waiting booth by the tracks
and station house that is not used 

Walking down the street

Street Houses

The church on the village square

  

  

The River Aude
the familiar sighting of trout fisherman

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--Sojourns out of Esperaza-- 

Sophie and Guilhem took me to the coast the first Wednesday...

a beautiful drive through the mountians

and to the  beautiful beach shore

Driving through the mountains
to the coast

Guilhem on the beach

Guilhem is happy
after a day at the beach

Another day, John and I walked/hiked to Quillan - 8 km!

In the Gare Quillan parking lot
waiting for the bus to take us back
to Esperaza

Bocci ball anyone???
next to the Gare parking lot

Carcassone on the train...

From the train station
to Le Cite (the walled city)

There it is...

The train back to Esperaza

Chocolat Chaud
in the walled city

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It's Carnivale time around here now.

Saturday afternoon, the children of Esperaza were in the square,

in the evening after 9:00 pm, the adult children gathered...

Costumes and prizes, then...

the parade around
the town square

*

We were getting ready to get into our pajamas and

we heard the band at the far end of the square (at the pub)

The parade came around to our end of the square

so John and I put on our shoes and joined the fun

Costumes for the annual Carnivale Parade

More people, more costumes...

The Band - where all the noise comes from

In the pub with the Harlequin

John and Jean Jacques
(the so called Mayor of Esperaza???)

Lots of singing and bier
before moving on to the next bar
We didn't follow -
we didn't understand anything anyone said
the whole time we were in the pub

***

Another Sunday Market Day...

Fromage from "our" cheeseman
he was please to hear us practice our French...
"Je voudrai un morceau de fromage, s'il vous plait"

Paella is popular in this Catalon region

Poulet Roti, s'il vous plait...

Fausses Fluers anyone?
makes for a pretty picture

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So ends another week in France...

What's up for next week????