#seorae

The French Quarter at Seorae sounded good. We found a French vet, but most of it was shut too (Chuseok)

Emily suggested lunch at a Department store, Shinsegae. We thought that sounded a really rubbish idea. But we were wrong. Up-market, varied, unusual and tasty foods from Korea and beyond were exquisitely and tastefully displayed. What to choose? It was a delicious dilemma.

After, Emily joined the queue – the long queue – for their famous cheese tarts (think creamy and delicate cheesecake). We were utterly converted.

After, Gangnam for Emily. Malcolm went home, and after I’d gazed at a few enormous sky-scrapers, so did I.

A good, but not at all as predicted day. And today we leave for Busan. There’s a monsoon hurling down out there. Never seen anything like it.

[categories South Korea]

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A marquee, a couple of hundred people, and who knows how many bowls of cassoulet at this meal at Villasavary

A lucky find at a vide grenier?

Fontargent: the Pyrenees near the Spanish border

This sheep’s currently off milk-for-cheese duties

This sheep’s currently off milk-for-cheese duties

The snow covered Pyrenees are just about visible…

A view on our upward climb

Near the refuge

Spring gentian

Saxifrage

Our first view of the lake at Lanoux

…and another

The barrage

An ancient mountain hut – le Carlit beyond

Streams descending to the lake

Gentians

A carpet of tiny moss campion

A not-very-good photo of a very good evening

Walking through the snow: a June morning

A delta of streams

A horse with her foal: we saw so many

Not my photo: but I wanted to see a marmot close up too.

Henna-decorated hands the modern way: the henna paste’s applied through pasticised stencil grids

Our continuing nightmare: all that concrete too deep to dig up

First: lay an edging

Mix more cement….

Lay more setts…

Lay a gritty undercoat to hold the gravel in place

A window at night

A house at night

A night-time window

Harvest Festival

English cuts of beef

This shop sign’s been turned off at the end of the day for the last time.

Last day at the shop.

Black pudding and hams.

Marcel’s been busy…..

…and busier still….

…and even busier.

A few of the extras Marcel and Mercedes sold.

The Sagrada Familia is, as ever, under construction

You see? We’re fine now. Emily’s placed our order and I’m free to take a photo.

There we are: A container load of oranges. All I have to do is ask for a box….

Mount Grace Priory viewed from the cloisters

The monk’s bedchamber and personal chapel.

His sitting and dining area. There’s a large hearth here too.

His upstairs workroom, with weaving loom and table.

His privy.

His vegetable garden.

The writing equipment a monk was issued with on arrival at the priory.

This is the Manor House as it appears today, viewed from the garden and fishpond.

The simple, unadorned architecture of the priory.

One of the several fishponds.

Man at work

Sourdough for breakfast.