Els Pirineus indòmits

S collected his copies of his book in Girona today! The publishers have generously given him 20 copies of it. It looks great -- there are lots of photos in it, and they have used really good quality paper, plus thick matt card for the cover, and classy black endpapers. He was back there for his last couple of Catalan lessons, largely practising interviews. Coming soon to a blip near you: a book launch in Catalan.

He was back here in time for a late lunch, bearing as well as the box of books a Catalan treat in the form of xuixos (pronounced shooshoo)-- a kind of eclair shaped doughnut, but lighter and less greasy,  with a variety of different delicious fillings, including dulce de leche, crema catalana, cheesecake ... 

It was outrageously hot again. Even the afternoon gossipmongers thought better of sitting on the bench outside our house. And in a Manon des Sources moment, a person unknown stole the water from my watering can that I had left for several hours under the slowly dripping fountain.

In the evening we went to Ribaute for cinéma sous les étoiles. There was a very generous and meat-heavy buffet beforehand. The film was Maison de Retraite, a 2022 vehicle for various elderly but well loved French stars, including (perhaps slightly less well-loved these days) Gérard Depardieu playing a grumpy retired boxer. It was better than I expected, a lightweight social comedy with amusing characters, lashings of sentimentality and a rather cheesy ending. Easy to watch on a hot summer evening. It was still 31C when we drove home at 11:30.