All the world's a stage

A busy day that started with S's alarm going off at 7:30 (and being ignored as he decided it was too blustery to go sailing) and ended with stacking the dishwasher at 1 a.m.

When we did get up, we set off to Narbonne to do some shopping in les Halles. Leaving it in the car, we then set off to the place de l'Hotel de Ville to have another go at the aborted street theatre from Thursday. This time it was glorious day, if a bit chilly where we were sitting in the shadow of les Dames de France.

The experience was highly entertaining. The audience sat at cafe tables and we were supplied with headphones. The actors simply mingled wth passers by on the square (see extra), but only the audience could hear what they were saying, and the extra sound effects. This made the reactions of passers-by an amusing aside to the story; some of the activities, including a slow-motion car chase, a cowboy riding a bicycle, and a Western-style standoff must have looked quite deranged to those not in on the story, and a couple of people did ask us what was going on. At one point one of the actors was doing market research, so she stopped a passing couple and asked them what they considered a "fulfilled woman" was like in the 21st century. They looked completely bemused. "We're Dutch," they finally replied. And the guy rushing up to passers-by yelling "I'm going to have a baby!" got some very odd looks. This is the dance routine the cast burst into on the steps of the Hotel de Ville at the end. We applauded loudly, and a man who happened to be passing our tables looked a bit startled but then started bowing and waving to his admirers.

After this we popped in to see B, for a glass of fizz (celebrating nothing in particular) and a bite to eat. Eventually we decided we'd maybe better make a move as we had six people arriving for dinner at 7:30 and we hadn't done any preparations other than the shopping. We got home about four, and the kitchen rapidly came to resemble the Bake Off tent during a showstopper challenge as two red-faced chefs rushed about littering every available surface with dishes and pans. Menu: avocado, orange, and roasted pepper salad; roast leg of pork (of course) with Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, courgettes, and onion gravy; cheese; and Tarte Tatin. I'd also thrown a sourdough focaccia into the mix, but this was perhaps a dish too far as a combination of neglect and haste meant it was not entirely successful. I threw the soggy bits away. We flopped down with a glass of wine just as the first guests rang the doorbell, and the tart didn't make it into the oven till the cheese was served. It was an enjoyable evening, and the pork was really superb, well worth the money for organic Gascon pig. And there's enough left for several more meals.