If it's Sunday it must be France!

I have managed to put on a sideways photo. If anyone is able to fix it that would be great. I suspect I should hqve rotated it before publishing it. Anyway, that photo is especially for you Jane. It's me outside the Palais de Justice, which I assume is the Poitiers version of the Pukekohe Courthouse. The other photo is of all the people at the dinner part chez nous last night. It's funny how it was just like John and me with friends around. It just seemed exactly the same. It could hqve been you here Bass except that they probably speak French better then you and Hazza. It's funny really - I keep being terribly impressed at how good everyone is at speaking French. How different lqnguages evolved would mqke qn interesting study. (I realise thqt other people hqve indeed studied that very thing. I just think that I would like to.)
But back a bit... I cant remember where I was up to. But that's OK. Last week Thérèse and I went to the university to check out languqge courses, and we went by bus so that i would know how to go on the bus by myself. Anyway, it was a very long and drawn-out process, but fortunqtely T is not easily put off, so we eventually got the info we needed. I am going to the uni on Monday BY MYSELF and sitting a placement test. In the afternoon I have a meeting with the school principal. Then we are going berry picking with friends. I think that Thérèse knows more people than I do. I can hear you snorting Nadean, but it's true!!
Yesterday moring Thérèse and I went for a long brisk walk. Sadly it did not remove my fat stomach in one go, but I'll try again some time! We walked though suburban streets and also through open country, even stopping to pick and eat wild blackberries. Id like to say that that took me back to my childhood, but to be honest I don't think I did a lot of rambling down the South Road picking berrries. Although I do remember picking convulvulus at the tip and making fairy toothbrushes. And digressing a bit further, when I ate raspberries straight from the garden here, it reqlly did remind my of the delicious berries we ate at Grandma's in Alexandra. Real flavour. This blog could become a berry memoir. I will refrain from making berry awful jokes.
But enough. After a brief nap yesterday T & I raced into town again as there is a kind of Arts festival on. We ran into quite a few of T's friends including a chap who spoke English. You have no idea how exciting that was! Anyway, we watched a juggler for ages. He was very good, but I spent 30 years in arty Nelson (all good!)and there are only so many jugglers one needs to see. :-) We then walked back to the bus and came across a wonderful jazz band. I could have easily listened to them for so much longer.
Anyway, we went home and got changed and friends stqrted arriving for dinner. It was a group of friends who holiday together. I had made a pavlova especially, but help me please here - does anyone know of cream you can buy in France which can be whipped? Whipped cream was pretty much unknown to Thérèse, but she did tell me the sort to get that she thought would work. It tasted like tinned milk and whilst it thickened a tad, it really didn't whip. I poured it on to the pavlova where it paused graciously for a moment before glugging off on to the plate. Oh well.....
It was a long night, but just when i thought it was time for bed we all jumped up and went and watched a fireworkes display. Quite impressive in fact.
And now it's Sunday morning. I am continuing to hog the computer. There was an English speaking IT chap here last night who felt confident he could connect my laptop to the internet via wireless, but alas, no luck. But anyway, I had better wind up for today. Remember that if you click on a photo it will enlqrge it. And please excuse my a's and q's. (I wouldn't normqlly put apostrophes there but it looked funny without.)
A bientot!
Alison.