From one week to another everything changes. Even the weather.

 We have had such dramatic switches from really hot temperatures to quite chilly times.

 Everyone is complaining. The run down to winter is now on.

 Thinking of getting the chimney swept, looking at the wood to order and still a leaking roof – buckets are on standby until someone comes to sort out last years problem.

Now I have a leaking shower and rotten floor boards

 It is of course an 850 year old house

 Full of charm as many people say when they come to visit.

The last market on the Square was just last week and the sun was shining.

 Everyone was still in summer clothes and enjoying their meal and wandering around the stalls laden with fresh vegetables, fruit, bread and local produce. Listening to live music

 Today I am wrapped up in warm woolies !

This is now when I think of soups, casseroles and even mince and tatties(potatoes). Where has this year gone ?

Just recently I met my French friend that I have known now for 20 years. She used to live in Salignac and I would see her walking her lovely dogs. We got talking with other friends at the Convent during a soiree musicale

I told her I was a dancer/teacher of Cunningham technique. Thinking she wouldn’t know who that was I was pleasantly surprised that she did. We started a long friendship from there. She now lives about 30 minutes away and she invited me last week for lunch and to meet some other “famous” dancers. One I met was a former member of Mark Morris’s company. in New York. Coming from the world of Contemporary Dance that was very important right from the 1970’s, I saw many companies when I was in London in 1980. We had a good time reminiscing. Now both of us are suffering from arthritic knees, like most dancers.

Whilst I have been in France I have met Robert Swinston, ex member of the Cunningham company from the very early days and, who was also his assistant in staging his later works. Modest and easy to talk to. Like most who believed in their work and didn’t need to brag about it.

In Glasgow in 1996 I retrained in Childcare /Education, finishing a two year course with Merit. At the prize ceremony at the City Chambers in Glasgow I was presented to none other than the marvellous English actress Glenda Jackson. Not once, but twice did I shake her hand ! Again, very nice and modest.

One of the young girls serving at the Cafe des Voyageurs was wearing a sweatshirt the other day.She turned round and these phrases, in English, were on the back

 Cool ! She asked me what was the English translation of rose as in the wine? Pink wine she thought. Well not really.

 We do say Can I have a rose please ? So funny how things don’t often translate.

• I have a new student for English lessons at the moment . We worked on some expressions and some myths about French/English stereotypes. Like ” do the Brits always take tea at 5 “? and that we drink an average of 876 cups a year. Well, I certainly don’t. Manners are however very important to us. We apologize all the time even when in a queue or bumping into someone accidentally. The phrase ” having a stiff upper lip ” was discussed too. We moan about the weather, traffic and TV but rarely burden others with our problems. The French however ? Are they really all arrogant, cigarette smoking and dirty, eating snails and frogs legs. ? I don’t think so. No one I know certainly.
• Lovely conversation though.
• Until next time.
• Fifi’s stories from rural France. October 2025