Monday 17th February

Market again, this time Issigeac, one of our favourites.  A long narrow street which winds through the town, round the square and along a back street Issigeac is the perfect market.  A mix of fresh produce, charcuterie and a few specialities; foie gras, prunes, nuts, honey and wines.   I bought a lovely bottle of home-made Vinaigre du vin for only three euro’s.  We stopped at the Boulangerie where I bought a gorgeous almond croissant and a citron tartlet which we took to the café and ate with grand café au laits.  There we met a mid-seventy year old Irish woman.  We asked how long she had been in France; twenty four years she replied; four with her husband and then when he died twenty on her own.  A remarkable woman, very sprightly and knows everyone in the area.  Several women came up and spoke to her while we were drinking our coffee.

Home and I carried on painting.  I noticed a woman looking at the house, and spoke to her.  Her husband and her are from Paris but have recently bought the large Inn over the river Dropt.  It is being rebuilt and we often wondered who had bought it.  Now we know, and they are really nice people.

A walk round the town looking at all the wonderful Brocante chops full of gorgeous old French furniture, another coffee in the Café de Paris.  Home and a nice meal of champignons in a cider sauce, potatoes, cabbage and petit pois; lovely.  Then we watched TV for a while.  Nothing spectacular about the day, very typical but really relaxing.