Saturday 2nd May

Hardly a week passes here in Eymet without some special celebration.  And the first of May is no exception.  Not only is it a bank holiday, held incidentally on whichever day it occurs rather than the following Monday as in Britain, it is also at least here in SouthWest France ‘Garlic Omelet Day”.   Another tradition is to give lily of the valley to ladies today.  There was a special lunch in the Salle PolyValente up near the old railway station.  It cost 11 euros and another 2.50 for a carafe of wine or Sangria.  A delicious lunch of the famous Garlic Omelette, though made with the green stalks of this year’s fresh garlic, with some cheese and a tomato filled with tuna mayonnaise (well you couldn’t imagine a French meal without meat or fish of some sort) and an apple flan Normande for dessert.

We met a few friends and for an hour or so had a lovely time.  There were mostly French people but as is the custom we were seated on long trestle tables and we knew quite a lot of the people there.  The ladies were all given a sprig if Lily of the Valley and the food was prepared by the ladies of the town.  All very organized; you paid at the door and received a ticket with formula or dessert and when you were ready you took it up to the table in front of the kitchen.  You then sat down and in a few minutes your lunch arrived.  Lovely.

Then in the evening it was our weekly music night at Le Pub Gambetta.  So, even though it has been quite wet, another lovely day.