Sunday, December 29, 2024

Christmas Week - Another beautiful week

Merry Christmas!

A Place Royale Christmas

____


I walk by this bush daily on Rue Henri IV.
It feels like Christmas with the cute red flowers and dark green leaves.
Sasanqua Camellia
(sometimes call the Christmas Camillia)


So starts my Christmas week.

Maison Constantine window

Christie and I meet to plan
Christmas dinner











Christmas shopping starts with Cafè Lattés
At Café de l’Europe…in the rain


____


Christmas morning after mass,
I sneak into St Martin Elige to give my regards…


Then to Christie and David’s for Celebrating the day


Appetizers


Admiring gifts


(Forgot the photo of the dinner - 
duck with baby potatoes cooked with pears and apples, 
peas, green beans and a fine red wine)



A Christmas evening end


____



Francoise’s gift is in it final stage
of fragrance and bloom

____

Friday nite we are treated to a light show on Eglise St Jacques







____


We end the week quietly in Parc Beaumont
admiring the valley view

____

Another beautiful week in this lovely city



***

Happy New Year wishes 
for next week!




Sunday, December 22, 2024

Feeling like we actually live here now

It’s Sunday, Françoise and Patrick offer to take us to the Hippodrome 
for the Christmas Steeplechase races 


We are ready by 2:30 pm to be picked up by our friends, 
but they text and say they will be an hour later.
With the Christmas traffic that goes by our place, we don’t get picked up until almost 4.

We arrive at the Hippodrome 

We are greeted by this statue


As we get closer to the track, streams of people are walking to their cars.
Now, if you read the poster, it does say 11 to 16 H.
That means the event(s) are over by 4.
We missed the whole thing, 
I am allowed by my friends and husband to look at the track,
peruse the tack shop items on sale and 
enjoy the horsey atmosphere of the Hippodrome building.

Patrick and John have been talking about rugby, so we get in the car 
to tour the area and go to the Rugby Stadium, Stade Hameau. 
Patrick said he’d take John (us?) to a match during the season. 

Françiose suggests we go to Bizanos where she grew up.  
(Last year I painted the Church in Bizanos, so I am interested in the area.)


Eglise St Magne


We end up at Franqueville Chateau…



It’s also a vineyard
Check the view of the Pyrenees



We are glowing in the golden light of the day


____


During the week, Christie takes me to France Asia



I buy a rice cooker, good rice (sometimes called sushi rice) and 
other items like gyoza and rice crackers.

____


Laundromat wall

While at the laundromat I take this photo of the wall…
I wonder how old this wall must be

____

I go window shopping one day.



____

Another walk through Henri IV and Marguerite’s back yard





Before going home, we enjoy the skyline at sunset



____


We go out to dinner one nite…
M Restaurant
9 Place Royale


Rabbit salad (?)

 Guinea Fowl Ballotine stuffed with Shrimp,
pumpkin purée

Deconstructed Mandarin Tart

____

A Saturday morning to Le Halles

The bootie from Le Halles



After dinner, while working on the blog, lots of voices,
some music is happening below on Rue Henri IV

An evening Christmas Run


Living in Centre Ville is really fun.  
Always something going on and something to do.

Next week - Christmas!
Happy Holidays - Merry Christmas to All!



Sunday, December 15, 2024

A boring, ordinary week in Pau…

 

View from the “guest” room window

____


Sunday, we check out Place Royale’s Christmas Village. 
Love the animals.
Santa’s house, the decorated trees and more animals (mostly the sheep)


Check out the curly horns!

 



____

It rains for a couple of days


——


We have a day of sunshine so we take a long walk 

The “Park” below the Chateau 




It starts to rain again for a day or two.

When the sun comes out again…

We wake up to this view

____


Thursday nite we go out for dinner with Christie and David.

The lights of Place Foirail
In front of Hong Chang

Walking home from Hong Chang —-

Place Royale
Where we drop off C & D



Now the trek up the stairs

____


Looks like a rainy day for Saturday
Christmas Parade and Fireworks tonite?

The Christmas Parade has changed and this is all we get.



Françiose, Christie and David have come by to see this limited part of the Parade.

Because of the cloudy skies, fireworks are canceled so we just have 
Pizza, Hot Wine and Hot Chocolate (with Irish Cream) 
and lots of conversation in French and English.
We had a great evening.

John walks Françiose to Place Clemenceau to meet her ride home while I clean up.


All cleaned up so we rest up for bed

——




That’s all for this week.
See you all next