Honky Tonk Men


We discovered a new phone book in our post box today- yellow pages and white pages for the region of Correze. I thought I'd have a little look at our local area, Bar, to see who was living around us, and was shocked and somewhat delighted to see my name listed there! There aren't many residents in Bar, and as there is currently no local shop or cafe, it is difficult to get to know the locals. Now I feel as though I am officially a member of this small community! So much so, that this evening I bravely telephoned a number that was on a poster on the door of the Mairie to book tickets to the advertised 'La Soiree Paella' in the Mairie next Saturday! Can't wait!

My body is sore from dawn till dusk manual labour. We've been removing some of the hay from the top barn to make space for the zillion boxes coming with the removal men next week. We're using old tools we found here, very long-handled four- and two-pronged pitch forks- they're highly effective! Kevin has already revived his social circle at the dump. We're still not allowed to have open fires in this region, so all of it has to go to the decheterie. It'll take about a hundred van-loads to do this hay, I imagine.


 Hay-stuffed van, ready for the off!

 We're not entirely sure what this is, but there are lots of them about in the barns... I guess it could be used to transport bales of hay from the fields, either being pulled by tractor, or a beast of some sort.

Polly ventured up to the top barn- quite an event for that little scaredy-cat!

Just a little reminder of the degree of dilapidation we're dealing with here...




Kevin has been playing an unusual game. It involves swapping the batteries around between the car, the van and the tractor, back and forth, to and fro. I can't work out the rules. There is also an element of the game that involves attaching the vehicles to one another via jump lead umbilical cords. I'm leaving him to it.

We enjoyed a night out in Uzerche last night with friends. After drinks and nibbles at Julia's, the 'Honky Tonk Men' from Brive were performing a mixture of rock and blues in the cafe on the square. There were tables of French families sitting very serenely, and then there was the English contingent. There was much dancing and merriment! The singer was English, and all songs were in English.The French were politely tolerant, as usual. Again, it was great to see young children out with their parents. I love how they're treated (and behave) like young adults. I'm not sure what they'll have made of our wild dancing...


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