Our village has several events during the year, the fishing day and lamb roast I have covered quite comprehensively in previous scribblings here on my blog but there is also the lotto evening, the steak evening and the most recent one I attended which was the Mayors new year evening.
One of the reasons for mentioning this is because two of our English neighbours were at the function and berated me for not having written for a long time and also for not having a link in place for the new website now hosting powerfulpierre.
I have to say I was quite taken aback and touched by their interest and so Sally and Ed see what you have done, Powerfulpierre is back in the saddle. Thank you.
With regard to the link to the new website, currently there is a problem with the site and until the server gets back on line I will not include the link as all you will get is an error message.
Back to the Mayors new year do which is always well attended and is a way for the Mayor to give out any relevant information regarding all things civic and there is always a presentation or suchlike which this year was given by our neighbours daughter who had spent some time in Rumania
The final part of the evening is a slice or two of the gallette de roi, a puff pastry cake which in years gone by had a bean inside it and if you found it in your piece made you king or queen and a crown was worn by the lucky person finding the bean. The bean has now been replaced by a small figurine made of some kind of porcelain and is more likely to be a ninja turtle or a cartoon cat. Rumour has it that it was changed because if you did not want the embarrassment of being royalty you could swallow the bean and nobody would know.
Of course the crown still exists made of card and it is expected to be worn if you are the winner. As always with French get togethers the wine flowed and at the end a choice of infusions or coffee was offered and the mayor poured his home made calvados into our eager cups and glasses. I have to say it was the best I have tasted for a very long time. It had a smell of fresh green apples but an oakiness in the flavour and was not fierce like some calvados are. Apparently it was old but I did not get a date.
So a new year begins and next up is a party on Sunday for which I will try very hard to remember the camera and then the lotto or bingo night this Saturday.
I remember the first time we went, Mrs Powerful decided it would be a good way to learn my French numbers so I was going despite my protestations. I am not a bingo fan, but it was our first year and Mrs Powerful went on about meeting our new neighbours and how we should support events etc. So we went and Mrs.Powerful started winning everything, nothing big or expensive but all the little things like a box of groceries or a set of bowls. Everytime a number was called for the little sub games, everyone with that number had to stand up and everytime she got up she would get the next number and so on until she was the last one standing, time and again. The room was getting quieter and I was sure there was whisperings about new people winning everything. I honestly though there might be a lynching party at one point!
Of course as soon as the decent prizes appeared, the video camera or the big screen telly, she got nothing for which I was extremely grateful.
I do not think we have won anything since in the last 7 years, I will not feel too bad if our luck changes next Saturday.
Glad to see you back!