Feria

Feria 2016

Carcassonne just held its annual feria,  an event comparable to what we in the  US would consider a fair, but without the rides and games of the carnival midway.  It is connected to its close cousins in Spain, and indeed, the colors of the feria were yellow and red, the colors of the flags of Occitan and Catalonia.  Even the Musee des Beaux Arts sported yellow and red.

La Musee sports Feria colora

Celebrating the corrida cultyre

True ferias have roots in bullfighting and indeed, here in Carcassonne, there were corridas over the weekend.  I did not manage to attend, but there were colorful photos in Sunday's paper.  I have to confess to being fascinated with the spectacle and the heritage of bullfighting. I know that it is not politically correct to support or encourage the sport in any way, and I myself have  signed petitions to ban it.  But I think I need to get a little better educated about bullfighting. I don't know; it seems to me that the bulls, even though they usually meet their ends in the ring, have a better life than those steers who spend their lives on feedlots of the US.  At least in the bullring, the animals have a chance to inflict some revenge.  

stage is ready for the musicians

One of the dancers

Feria's Spanish roots are reflected especially in the music.  During the weekend, the Bastide was full of small bands of roving musicians entertaining in nooks and crannies with rhythms and harmonies of Andalusia and Catalonia.  I encountered a group on my way home from church yesterday--a 7 piece ensemble playing Latin music.  The drummer, who was 60 if he was a day, was really good.  Turned a corner, and there was yet another combo.  I have to confess that I do not know what was going on up in La Cite, because I almost never go there.

One way to keep cool

Another way to keep cool

The weather was Spanish, too, as in HOT. The local paper described the Sevillian dancers who were performing flamenco in Place Carnot as dancing in Sevillian heat.  But it made for a pleasant evening outside, listening to music, having a bite to eat, watching couples dance. People find their own ways of staying cool--fans, or a small pichet of beer or sangria.

Before the crowds arrive

According to the paper, there were 10,000 people in Square Andre Chenier Saturday evening.  The city erected a huge stage there for the musical entertainment.  One aspect of these free concerts is that everyone stands--there is no seating.  Another interesting aspect of this year's feria was the degree of security...I was carrying  my little purse, containing only a packages of Kleenex and my walled, but it had to be opened and searched.  After Paris, and Nice, local authorities are taking great pains to insure everyone's security.  Many locations have canceled their planned activities, but not sleepy little Carcassonne, I am happy and proud to say.  Feria goes on as planned!

One of the rugby bodegas

Another association offers food and drink

Andre Chenier was transformed into a little village of bodegas, manned (or womanned) by members of sponsoring associations or clubs, offering food and drink..  Several soccer and rugby clubs had stands, as did the local ski club.  The feria has a definite local feel--yes, there were tourists, but so many people belonged there--they greeted one another, and the people working in the bodegas.  There was a, "Yes, we will welcome those tourists who're still here, but this is for us," feel to the event.  

Menu of my chosen eating spot

I had my glass of sangria (delicious) and duck breast dinner  at the Pays d'Oc booth.  I love it that street food here consists of offerings like oysters, cassoulet, duck breast.  I didn't see a hamburger offered anywhere.  Lots of selections of fresh fish, too.  Tapas, of course.  The Mojito booth was doing well and people were walking around with wine, or a glass of beer and were actually managing to not be falling down drunk!  Imagine!! Responsible consumption of alcohol by adults.  Those Europeans! Again, this was a booth where I "rented" my glass--I got a Euro back when I took the empty glass back to the counter.  Clever.

Miguel

And partner

I confess that I left before the main music attraction--Chico and the Gypsies.  I was tired and as I mentioned before, there was no seating for the music.  I had already stood through the "warm up" act.  The prospect of standing with 10,000 people did not thrill me, and I had been able to get a dose of authentic feria, so I headed home shortly before 10.  I ran into my neighbors who were headed in as I was headed out.  I don't feel that I missed anything--my head was full of Latin rhythms and harmonies.  My stomach was satisfied with magret and sangria.  I had held several conversations at the dinner table with locals, enough to feel that I sort of belonged there.  

Members of the crowd dance

Now it is time for the town to turn its attention to the re-entry--back to school and the vacation season is over--back to work.  One thing I know for sure, there will something else to hold my attention right around the corner. I simply felt "right," a last salute to summer.

Beautiful summer evening sky

I think I like August" feria  almost as much as I like the Parade of Torches in December. 

One. Bite. At. A. Time.

Keys to the new abode--two sets.  No idea what they fit.

I suppose this should be another new chapter in the Carcassonne period of my life.  It has taken some doing and some major hoop jumping, but I now have my own unfurnished two bedroom apartment here in (barely) the Bastide. 

New view from the bedroom window

Fancy new sink--needs bleach badly

It will mean saying good-bye to #34, which has been a nest and safe haven for me (and for others) for the past year.  Jason is a superb landlord, and I highly recommend him and his properties for anyone considering a short or long term stay here in the Aude.  He takes exceptional care of his tenants, going above and beyond normal landlord duties, especially lately, with tenant injuries and an untimely death.  He shelters us from the storm of French bureaucracy, taking care of the electric bill, paying the fonciere taxes, providing attestations to tenants' actual residency when it comes to opening a bank account or renewing a carte de sejour.  He even takes those without cars on "field trips."

Corner of the kitchen.  Space is for dishwasher

This space is for the stove/oven

But try as he might, Jason ultimately could not deliver on the one thing I needed--one extra room.  It's not that living here has been uncomfortable and Betty and I even managed it for three weeks and still remained friends.  But I am not a transient.  I do no look upon this time in my life as an interlude between events.  I live here.  I am not and never will be French, but I am doing my best to make this corner of France my home. 

Shelves, glorious window

A small table by the window for coffee

And that meant navigating the waters involved in renting an unfurnished apartment.  I had a frightful experience with the first real estate agency I contacted.  Let's say that I let everyone I come into contact with know about them should the topic ever arise.  They made me feel unwelcome.  Saying, "We don't rent to Americans," can have that effect.  It's telling that the apartment I was panting to see and probably rent still sports a For Rent sign.  It makes me want to contact the landlord and tell him/her that a responsible tenant could have been paying rent for the past few months and that the agency is NOT acting in the client's best interests.  But why pick a fight? 

A small fridge can live between the windows

I have never signed so many papers in my life.  At the signing of the contract, I had an hour's lesson on French rental law. I am still wrestling with getting the electric account in my name; now that I have the meter reading, I have no place on the website to put it! 

To the left--the bathroom.  Right to the kitchen

Looking at the entry and into the living room

Yesterday was the "etat de lieu," the walk-through where we determined the condition of the place--marks on the walls, places for pictures already in place, water runs and the pipes don't leak, all the windows open and close as do the shutters.  Cleaners had been in since the first (and only) time I saw that space, but there is still much to be done.  

Betty, can you believe this?

Or this?

Summer has decided to make one final giant push--this week is hot, hot, hot. I am not keen on being up to my elbows in bleach, sweating up a storm.  So, I will try to work in the cool of the morning.  And after all, how does one eat an elephant?  One. Bite. At. A. Time.  

My cherry red toilet seat

The apartment is two bedrooms, with a kitchen big enough for a table by the window.  I will need to buy a fridge, stove and a dishwasher.  The bathroom feels spacious enough for a barn dance.  I have the hookup for a washer and will get one of those.  Something simple.  Not a combination washer/dryer like Jason has provided.  I never use the dryer feature--everything dries on the rack--mostly because electricity is very expensive here in France and more importantly, the dryer simply doesn't work very well.  Now I have an outdoor clothesline and will continue to use the rack.  Simplicity.

Bathroom vanity--who needs more?  I have only two towels

Living room with odd little glass door

Living room "alcove"

Living room into my bedroom

There is a sunny living room big enough for sofas and chairs and even a small dining table and chairs, which could sit by the wall when not in use and moved to the window for guests.  The living room also has this odd set of glass doors.  I am not sure why you'd close it unless it was for noise or heat control.  The spare room is turning out to be my favorite room of the house, even though I have been warned not to clutter up "Betty's" room.  The "master bedroom" isn't overly large, but it doesn't need any furniture other than a bed because there is an ENORMOUS walk in closet adjacent to it.  With shelves and bars and everything!  I don't own enough clothes to fill it.  And I am aiming to keep things that way.  Because as we all know, "stuff" seems to fill whatever space is available to it.

Looking into the spare room

Spare room-er Betty's room-reading corner

I am excited about finding treasures to furnish my place.  There are several antique and brocante shops nearby that have fascinating things.  I am happy that I don't have to rush to fill the space, but can do so as I find things that make my heart go "thunk."  After all, I spent much time this time last year getting rid of things and have managed to stay relatively "stuff-free."  

Spare room "alcove" for futon

Bedroom closet

As in "walk in" closet.  Luxury!

So, now, there is a true place for visitors as I make my nest.  One. Bite. At. A. Time.

Nouvelle Addresse

 I have a new address.  Or rather, I will FINALLY have a new address on Monday, August 22, when I meet with the inventory specialist and get the keys to my new, two-bedroom apartment.  This has been quite the learning experience, and I am sure there is more to come.  Today I signed the contract and paid: the agency fee, the security deposit, the partial rent from August 22 through August 31, the September rent (although they assure me that check will not be cashed until September) and the check for the services of the inventory expert.  I spent an hour being schooled in French rental laws from the viewpoint of the tenant.  I learned how to write out a French check--yes it is markedly different than a US check, and furthermore, the amounts have to be written in -----French!

I have to go to my insurance agency this afternoon and get a certificate of habitation insurance for my new address--the certificate I have has my current address on it.  Then I start the process of getting the electric turned on in my name--that should be the adventure, just by itself.  I still have some money left, after all the check writing this morning, in my French bank account, which is a good thing.  I have a feeling that the electric company will want a deposit.  It's interesting here--several electric companies compete for one's business, but I will do whatever is easiest, probably EDF, which is the biggest and longest-established of the companies.  

It's time to find phone/internet/tv.  I thought I saw a connection for a land line, which would please me no end.  I think I will go with Orange, as someone told me SFR is on the ropes.  They are the carrier for my cell phone, and the service is particularly lousy.

Then I need to go to the tax office and find out where, how and how much habitation tax I need to pay.  I have to go there anyway, to finalize getting my visitor's tax stamps for my visa renewal.  August is going down as an expensive month, but I knew it was coming and had prepared for it.  

Fortunately, I have time to get this done. I have "double booked" my new and my old apartment for about a month, so I can still use my current place until September 20.  An unfurnished apartment in France means just that--to the bare walls.  I am lucky in that there are some cabinets and shelves in the kitchen.  I will need to buy appliances, but they are not as expensive here as they are in the US, and are actually more energy efficient.  I found a good price for the big ones--washer, fridge, stove/oven combination and maybe a dishwasher, and they can be delivered.  That's a big factor for me.  Then I can turn my mind toward furnishings...and some of my Carcassonne friends are over the moon about getting to furnish MY apartment. 

I am trying to get excited, but still it seems that there are a lot of hurdles to clear before I can truly feel more than anxious.  Once the power is turned on and I have the keys, then perhaps, I will feel excited about my first true French nest.  But I am making progress.  Now it's off to the insurance company.

I have not been able to take photos of my own, but for those who want to see it bare walls, I have enclosed the link to the agency's website and their photos of the place.

http://www.guyhoquet-immobilier-carcassonne.com/annonces-immobilieres/location/appartement/3-pieces/carcassonne-11000/2788227.aspx?ideo=8258864&nrpp=11

Sleepy Carcassonne Sunday

quiet shaded park along the Aude

I have heard Carcassonne called, "Sleepy little Carcassonne,"  In fact, I myself sometimes lovingly refer to it that way.  Never is this description more deserved than on Sundays, even in the thick of tourist season.

Looking across the river at no street activity

I walked today, taking my latest "habitual" route  across the Aude on the Pont Neuf  )New Bridge,) through the Trivalle and the shaded parks along the south side of the Aude, across the footbridge and back home..  It's a bit circuitous and as the crow flies, not very far from the apartment.  But it takes me a while, even without stopping for photos, or stopping to enjoy the shade and writing a little, like I did this morning.  I encountered fewer than two dozen people, and enjoyed long stretches of time when I heard nothing but birdsong, the breeze in the treetops and the gurgling of the river.

Sunbathers along the Aude

Right now there's an end of summer look--trees are looking dry, and their leaves lack the brilliance of a May green. It has been particularly dry here and fire danger is real.  A few early potimarons--relatives of the pumpkin--are showing up at market.

One way to "shade" your house

It feels like all the world is on vacation--somewhere else.  There is a quiet and peaceful air here and no hurry or bustle: no honking horns, no traffic, no sirens, no yelling.   I went into the cool of M Bimas' shop on my walk and there were no customers, only Madame Bimas and her assistant conversing quietly.  I passed, or rather was passed by, a few joggers.  Several people were walking dogs or pushing strollers.  But we were all outside, enjoying the day. For all those people who can't stand "cities," I would invite you to try Carcassonne, especially on a Sunday.

East wind makes the Aude run "backward"

Morning Meander

Early morning sky

My sleeping pattern, disrupted possibly forever, allowed for a very early morning stroll.  I have awakened in the early morning before, but have always managed to go back to sleep.  This morning, the sweetness of the air, the delicious cool lured me into my tennis shoes and out the door for a walk.  I did take my camera, as I have never captured the light at this time of day.  It always feels like things are new when I visit them in "off" hours.

Bronze sunbather catches early morning light amid the roses

I wish I were an easier riser.  Maybe I am just being contrary, but I had to get up every day of my working life--and that was a long time--before I felt ready and really awake.  I like my productivity level when I am up and active at 6 in the morning. However,  most of the time, I don't like it enough to actually---get up!  

Workers in Gambetta

Today the siren song of the outside was not to be ignored.  We had a little rain last night, and the air was scrubbed clean.  The birds outside my window were in full throttle, the light was gentle, and the winds, forecast to be strong this afternoon, were at this point, gentle breezes.  After my morning toilette and breakfast, I gathered the trash (never leave the apartment empty-handed) and was out the door by 7:15, later than I had hoped, but still early enough.

La Cite watches over the Pont Vieux and the Aude

Pont Vieux

I started my walk through Gambetta.  The city workers were out cleaning,  deadheading the roses, clipping stray blades of grass.  The city takes pride in its public spaces and does a thorough job of keeping them looking post-card perfect.  I got several good photos of the bronzes that are on display for the summer.  The proprietor of the Kiosque Gambetta was setting up for the day; I was tempted to stop for a cafe and croissant, but I had already had my breakfast, so I was able to resist.

Last hurrah of the mimosa

Yellow catches the first direct rays

I continued across the Pont Neuf (new bridge).  There was a little morning commuter traffic, but nothing like a big city would experience.  I stopped on the bridge to get some photos of the Pont Vieux (old bridge) in the early morning light.  A few joggers and walkers were out, but really, there wasn't much foot traffic.  The light on the arches of the bridge was just right.  

Shadows on the banana leaf

I continued across the Pont Neuf and then down to the gardens at the foot of Pont Vieux.  They are a riot of color and textures.  The sun was just starting to illuminate some of the tips of the taller ones.  I found a mimosa tree, the pink fuzzy-flowered kind, not the yellow mimosa here in the spring.  I missed its full glory, as many of the blossoms were spent and drying.  I watched shadows play over what looked like a banana leaf as the sun began to light it from behind.  

Bridges and arches

Reflection in last night's rain puddles

I was headed for the riverbank, and crossed through the wooded picnic areas on the Cite side of the Aude.  It had obviously rained harder than I realized as there were still puddles on the walking path and on some of the picnic table pads.  Good, because we needed the rain. 

Once I reached the river bank, I took the path that leads to the footbridge across the Aude.  The river was running swift and clear, a sign that there had indeed been some significant rain upstream, in the foothills of the Pyrenees.  The Aude has been low, and sluggish for most of the summer, but now it's back to speed.  From the higher bridges, it's deceptively calm.  On the footbridge, it's not so gentle.

Along the Aude

The Aude running swift and clear

Among the rocks of the riverbank

I was surprised by the stillness, the lack of noise other than the run of the river and the songs of the birds.  There was a siren in the distance, but very few other sounds of human origin.  At most times, the Aude is a place to be with one's thoughts, but this morning it was especially quiet.

I climbed up the steps and headed downstream, by the walls of oleander.  Other than birdsong, there were no other distractions inside these hedges of color and scent.  Maybe one day, technology will offer us a way to capture scent and include it with a photo.  Wouldn't that be something?

Oleander "wall"

Finally I returned home, energized, although I took too many photos to have taken an "aerobic" walk.  But I did get moving, I enjoyed fresh, sweet air, lovely sounds and glorious light.  I came home ready to write this, deal with the photos, and get busy on household tasks.  I want my weekend to be "chore free," so I can play without guilt.  And I came home with a renewed sense of awe and appreciation for the spot I now call home.

Flower Box along the Aude