Sunday 27th July: Birthday Gig‏

So hot yesterday, thank goodness there's a slight breeze today.

Pleased with the gig last night. Such a beautiful house when we eventually found it. Rodrigo had given me and Alexander directions on a scrap of paper which were impossible to follow. After driving in circles in the direction of Quimper we stopped in a village. The place was deserted and Rodrigo wasn't answering his phone. Luckily a man walking his dog pointed us in the right direction, We found the place with ten minutes to spare.

Rodrigo and Ines were already in the Marquee setting up. The owners Henri and Mercedes came over and introduced themselves. It was Mercedes' fiftieth birthday and her husband had booked us as a surprise.

They must have had at least fifty guests. Most of them got up to dance to our livelier pieces; La Bamba, Mas Que Nada and Bamboleo seemed to go down well. We finished the evening with a couple of slow pieces, Los Aretes de la Luna and Besame Mucho.

I noticed Rodrigo seemed to be attracting a lot of attention from a couple of girls at one of the tables. They came over in the break and asked for his autogaph! Alexander had instructed him not to smoke any weed before the gig (but we were sure he'd ignored this). The girls certainly found him amusing!

The grounds of the manoir were beautiful. During our break, Ines, Alexander and myself walked around the courtyard and came across a herb garden. Very impressed by the variety: #. Behind the garden was a lawn with a lake beyond. I would have liked to explore further but we had to get back to play.

After we packed up Ines wanted to stay and talk to Mercedes (I don't think she knows many Spanish people here in Brittany).

Spent this morning searching for sites which review e-books. Not as easy as it sounds; there's a lot to wade through. Need to discuss this with Laura. Will send her a long e-mail later.  
Off to Gourin this afternoon for the pancake festival. 

Thursday July 24th 2014: Rehearsal

Was disappointed that Ines couldn't make the practice at Alexander's last night. Would have been useful to run through her pieces for the birthday gig on Saturday. Makes me wonder just how committed she is.

After practising in the summerhouse we sat out in the garden and Rodrigo told us about a few of the characters on the campsite. He's very good at doing impressions, imitating voices and accents; his description of the man who spent all his time in a tiny coffin shaped tent was hilarious. He also told us about a family, two parents and a young son who seem to do nothing but sit outside their tent all day. He said they go everywhere together and claims he'd never heard them speak. We sobered up when Simone came out into the garden and asked us all to be quiet, complaining that she had to get up early for work tomorrow. Alex affectionately calls her the Dragon, but he's besotted with her really.

Very lethargic today. Julien has been coming into the cottage today, peering around the door and then running away. He posts me presents of flower petals through my letter box. Pepin followed him in today, tail wagging. Solange came looking for them. She was very apologetic and told Julien off for bothering me. But he's very sweet and not a nuisance (well, not unless I'm trying to work). He'll soon get to an age when he won't want to know adults.

A strange thing happened this afternoon. I walked to the village and stopped off for a coffee. Pascal asked if I was good friends with Jean-Luc. I told him he's a neighbour and that I didn't know him very well. Pascal rolled his eyes and exclaimed "Il est fou, fou!" (He's mad, mad!). His daughter and several of the other drinkers at the bar seemed to find this very amusing. Wonder what Jean-Luc has done to make them say this? 

Monday 21st July 2014: Trouble at Restaurant

Had a long chat with Laura this morning (the wonders of Skype) about different ways of marketing my books; particularly Amatore's Restaurant. She wants everything to happen instantly but the internet has so much conflicting advice it's going to take a while to wade through it all. It's a matter of knowing who my market is and connecting with potential readers.

Thinking about what happened yesterday at the restaurant. Hope Philippe is okay. I've never known him to close the place up before. I was a bit annoyed after driving all that way and finding the entrance locked. Don't think he wanted to see anyone but after I stood there banging on the door for several minutes it was clear I wasn't going away. I could see he was upset when he finally appeared.

After I made us coffee he told me that Jose had stayed out and only turned up about an hour ago. While wasn't the first time, he's never stayed out the whole night before. He was supposed to start work at eight, but when he got back, he went straight to bed and wouldn't say where he's been. Philippe cancelled all his lunch time bookings as he was too upset to open up. He was very apologetic about my wasted journey and ended up paying my fee in cash from the till.

It seems things got a bit heated. There were some broken wine glasses and a few overturned chairs lying around. Before I left I helped clear up I told him not to worry as it'll probably all blow over. I feel like an Agony Aunt! I think Philippe going to have to accept this is how it's going to be, otherwise I can see him driving Jose away. Must remember to tell Laura all about it.

Pepin's made friends and not barking at me any more; I guess he must be used to me now.

Friday 18th July‏: Pepin

Solange came over this morning to tell me about her new dog, a little poodle called Pepin. He was running around her ankles barking. She explained he used to belong to an elderly lady with dementia who could no longer take care of him. Solange said the children really like him but he cried last night and she had to sleep on the sofa with him. Shame Laura isn't still here; she would have loved him.

I managed to run through several pieces this morning for the wedding gig in September. I really like Corcovado by Antonio Carlos Jobim. (Rodrigo told me last week how the song is about a guitarist and his girlfriend who are looking out of their window towards the view of the mountain in Rio and thinking how beautiful it is). Also ran through The Girl from Ipanema; everyone seems to know this one. Another favourite of mine is Quando, Quando, Quando (the original Tony Renis version, that is). I really like the arrangement of Cumparsita which Grace Jones sings (I've Seen That Face Before). Alexander's not too sure of this one, but I think it sounds great.

Walked to the village and had a beer in Pascal's bar. Not many people out drinking tonight. Chatted to him about football (his favourite subject). I'm sure he believed France would win.

Got back and gave the garden a good watering.  

Tuesday 15th‏ July 2014

Disappointed at the lack of Bastille Day celebrations yesterday; seem to be mainly centred on Paris. The nearest firework display was in Callac in the North of Brittany; too far away for my old car.

Had to leave at 8.30 this morning in order to get to St Malo in time for the ferry. Laura took loads of photos on her phone before we left. Mainly Coco and the garden, with a few of me and Karl who arrived at 7.00 to give us a lift. Stopped at Dinan and had a coffee. Laura told me she'd swallowed almost a whole packet of sealegs (she's somewhat prone to exaggeration), moaned about the ferry not arriving back in the U.K until six thirty this evening and about having to get two trains from Portsmouth back to Tunbridge Wells. I think she was probably just anxious about the journey.

Karl said he's only been to England once, several years ago. Laura asked him about Berlin but he didn't say much about that; only that he hasn't been back there for years. He did tell us about his life on a kibbutz in Israel and how he's been married several times (to a Japanese woman, to a Portuguese woman, et all). I didn't know that he'd lived in the Algarve. Laura was very interested in this as she taught English at a language school in Faro, but only for a short time, saying she was hopeless at it. The school had asked her to stand in for a teacher who had mysteriously disappeared. Laura said she had no experience or training and was thrown in at the deep end to a class of children who went out of their way to disrupt the lessons (probably the reason for the previous teacher's disappearance).

Made it to St Malo in good time and after a quick goodbye started the journey back. Stopped on the way to look at a house sale but nothing interesting. Karl dismissed the furniture as cheap tat and after after a few minutes we left.

Quiet without Laura. Hope she wasn't too sick on the journey.

Saturday 12th‏ July: Dinner Party

Last night's dinner went very well.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the starter; Breton pancakes. Rodrigo, fork waving, talked all the way through. He had everyone laughing at his impressions of the characters living on the campsite. Tatiana chatted to Laura about different places in Portugal, they get on very well. Ines wanted to discuss some new pieces with myself and Alexander. I asked Simone to explain to Jean-Luc that I'd given Gertrude to Karl. I thought it best to keep to the truth. Jean-Luc seemed puzzled by this whilst Marie shook her head in disapproval. They were very quiet throughout the dinner. Karl showed them a picture of Gertrude on his phone but they remained unimpressed.

Tatiana passed round photos of their house which Rodrigo is building. She's desperate to be out of the campsite. She and Laura shared a common interest in the horrors of campsite showers.

I was pleased with the main course, Poulet au Cidre. Laura thought I might have put too many onions in but everyone seemed to enjoy it. Laura played hostess; filling up everyone's wine glasses.

Simone was complimenting me on my Far cake when Marie interrupted, advising in very slow and over pronounced French, that it needed more prunes.

After a few puffs in the garden, Karl launched into a speech extolling the virtues of Schubert whilst Laura seemed to be fascinated by the size of the moon. It was only when we went back inside that I noticed Jean-luc and Marie had disappeared; don't remember them saying goodbye.

Alexander had brought his guitar and Karl started off by singing his version of JJ Cale's Cocaine. We carried on jamming until the early hours with Ines leading the singing. Have to admit she has a good voice and I'm looking forward to working with her again. 

Thursday 10th July 2014

Accidentally woke Laura up at 5.30. She then spent five minutes explaining that she's not a morning person. Tried to be as quiet as possible but the slightest sound wakes her. Yesterday it was me filling up the kettle, today it's me stirring my coffee. 

Set off for Carnac for a practise at Alexander's. On the way we stopped and walked around the Alignements de Keriescon an area of over 240 prehistoric standing stones. Laura was interested in knowing the history behind them. Brittany has over three thousand but no one seems to know their significance. 

Had a quick look at Carnac beach and then stopped at St Colomban, a little fishing village where oysters are farmed. Laura reminded me she hates shellfish. I showed her the 16th century fountain with two troughs, one for the washer women and one for the animals to drink from. She took several pictures of this, also some of the Gothic chapel. 

When we reached Alexander and Simone's bungalow Rodrigo was already there and had brought Tatiana and their little boy, Paulo, along. Ines turned up fifteen minutes later with a pile of music under her arm (what is it about singers and timekeeping?). She wanted to run through Sin Ti and told me about a version by Ikira Baru she likes; must admit I do like that version but hope she's not expecting me to sort out the arrangements this time. Also went through some of the songs we rehearsed earlier this year: nice to get back to those bossas again (Agua de Beber, So Danco Samba and Desafinado). 

Whilst we practised in the summerhouse, Laura sat in the garden with Tatiana and Paulo. She told me on the way home that Tatiana had been complaining about life on the campsite and how crowded it's becoming. Not sure why they're living on the campsite or why they left Brazil. Laura said she had lived on a campsite in Portugal. 

Alexander is stressed about work and wondering yet again whether to resign. He also agreed to organise the band this year, but I think he's taking on too much; I can't see Rodrigo doing it (and I certainly don't want to).

On the way back we called in at Karl's . We sat outside with our coffees and watched Gertrude swimming on the lake with her new friends. Laura said she reminded her of Jemima Puddle Duck. 

Ran through our plans for promoting the books. Maybe I'll have to go over to Brighton for a few days.