A Christmas visitor

We've had a few of these in the garden, but a big group on Christmas Day - not a robin, not any traditional Christmas bird, but lovely.  Back again today.  Not in my guide to birds of Europe but found it eventually on the internet.

The first and last post of 2020

The year started well with sunshine at the end of January - tea on the terrace..

Then we had two (half) days snowshoeing near Ax-les-Thermes with the walking group.

Nicky, Bryony and Morgan came for the UK half-term, we took the kids to the mountains for 3 days, but not lots of snow.

Then came lockdown, restricted to 1 hour and 1km from home for a month, but it's quite pretty here.

A month later and it was 100km.

C was a lycra lout again.

We found a beach-side campsite with good sanitary measures before the hordes arrived.

Then we stayed quietly at home, no parties, no fetes!  Had to cancel our trip to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia - thankfully, as they were at war when we would have been there!

At the end of July we took a friend from Condom and an Armenian refugee up to other friends near Auxerre. 

 

 In September we had a week walking (well strolling) in the Ardeche with the walking group - about 35 of us.  Very beautiful countryside.

 

 

Just before the second lockdown we escaped to a ballet in the Grand Theatre at Bordeaux

and then the three-day event at Pau 

 

which included carriage driving.

Back to 1 hour and 1km for a month then 3 hours and 20km.  Started ordering take-away meals from local resto's and one superb one put together by top chefs of the region.

When we could travel anywhere (in France) we booked a nice apartment in Limoux and walked for 4 days.

So Happy Christmas from Montreal.