Le week-end

Ok so FIRST of all, (how I do not know) I forgot to include my Sunday lunch in last week's blog!

I went to a Moroccan Restaurant down the road and had this:

It's a lamb tagine with cous-cous and almonds and raisins or something similar - all very nice indeed! I was sat on the outside patio in a small courtyard, with lots of plants and tiled tables and at the top of the walls there were neighbouring roof gardens and vines and it was just lovely! I did feel a little foolish though as once I had finished, the lady cleared away my plates and asked if that was all, I replied that was and sat and waited for her to bring the bill whilst I finished the rest of my jug of water. She kept serving all the other tables but there was no sign of my bill. By this point people who arrived after me had finished their pudding. It was then that I sheepishly realised that you were meant to go to the bar to pay! Fool.

Now, when I got in on Friday there was an exciting package waiting for me from Gay, it contained the tales of Little Miss Magic and Little Miss Fun - I especially liked this one because I read it when I went to bed and I was very comfy and sleepy and at the end the narrator asks why, when all her friends were asleep, Little Miss Fun was still pretending to be a clown;

"Why, for you of course!

because you aren't sleep yet...

...but you will be soon."

And I was! Ah, I loved it.

So, Saturday I went in search of the bank to ask why my card hadn't arrived yet. The lady who set me up with my account was in a meeting so I waited but I was glad I did because I am quite certain she is the smiliest, friendliest and generally nicest banker the world has ever seen and even though she was very busy she took lots of time to help me out. I needed to upload of photo of myself online and then she helped me find my missing login number too.

I also passed by Zara and found a couple more tops in the sale, and then as my beautiful bag lovingly handmade by my own dear mother has officially worn through to the inner lining, I bought a new bag in a little bag shop on the main street. It is yellow and I love it.

Also, on my way to the bank I smelt a really good smell but couldn't see where it was coming from but as I stepped outside I saw a LUSH right opposite!

Even though I don't have a bath, I went and smelt all their lovely products and I sighed deeply.

The rest of the afternoon wasn't very exciting, I cleaned my room (and I'm certain that some parts hadn't been cleaned for a very long time indeed!) and then in the evening I made chicken soup. Vanessa came in and smelt it and liked it so I shared it with her. She then showed me how she made gratin and shared that with me! We then made a cake with orange juice and cherries and crumble on top (?!) It was superb.

Then Sunday I went to church (and really struggled to concentrate on the sermon). I think there's only one lady who can play the piano in the congregation and she is on holiday for the summer, so we sang everything "a cappella" and I think people sing louder when there're no instruments playing. I mentioned this to Anne-Laure and she agreed saying "louder, yes but in tune? Perhaps not!"

She and I along with a professor from the church went to Versailles for the afternoon!

I had planned to see the gardens only as I'd heard they were free and it was a beautiful day to be outside but upon arrival discovered we did in fact have to pay as there were musical fountains! There was classical music being played from hidden speakers and as we walked through the many, many gardens (we must have only seen a tenth, if that, in four hours!) there's loads of tall hedges and then you turn a corner and come across things like this!

We came across these fountains which were cleverly made to dance to the music!

I met Jo on Friday night and she introduced me to this French nursery rhyme (it talks about a green mouse running through the grass which is then caught and dunked in oil, then water and then turns into a hot snail! Check it here) anyway, whilst we had been in the queue, I'd asked Anne-Laure if she knew it and we tried to remember all the words but then as we were walking along the main lake at the bottom of the garden two women with young children passed us and they were singing it! This made me very excited indeed.

We were comparing names of plants in French and English and I was just explaining how Buddleia attract butterflies when, as if to demonstrate my point, this butterfly very obligingly landed right next to us!

As we walked back we saw a "bio" stall selling sorbets and I really wanted to taste them to see which one I wanted, Anne-Laure wasn't sure if that was allowed so I asked the man who looked at me and said "Technically, yes but..." and he pulled a face so I said "Oh never mind, I only wondered" and he then produced a spoon and asked which I wanted to try.

He really was making a bit of a fuss and I could tell that I'd only get one try of something without REALLY winding him up, so I asked for the redcurrant (h'YEAH!) and it was REALLY good so I had that with orange and because they were organic/fresh/whatever it was, they were quite sharp and juicy and beautiful and with the sweet cornet it was quite the most perfect sorbet I have ever had, EVER!

As we came back Anne-Laure told me how above the main station by us, there is a roof garden! So after work this evening I went to explore and it is indeed beautiful - I'll take my camera and get some pictures but it seems to be quite new and rather big and it's all exciting as it's lots of twisty paths which come out into lots of different spaces, and it's quieter than out on the street but then you pass a big grate and can look down and see the trains below and you can hear the noises they make and feel the hot air rushing upwards!

Oh and I am currently missing out on our summer holiday in Cornwall but just as I was going to bed last night I got a call from Alex on skype and there were my most favourite people in the whole world smiling at me from the newly decorated Wheel House!