Jayac is a sleepy little village : 180 inhabitants the average age of which is 76 – just as well we Djelils moved in otherwise it would have been a lot higher 😉
In spite of that people really pull together and several times a year the local Salle de Fête stages a themed event to keep the community spirit alive. We’ve had crêpes evenings, BBQs, Périgordine nights and apéro gatherings to name but a few.
There has even been a suggestion of my good self organising a Scottish ceilidh & teaching all the locals to set & reel…can you imagine?? Just translating all the moves into coherent French and picturing the ensuing chaos was enough to send me loupin’ ooer the Périgord hills. I’ve kept a pretty low profile since then and all has gone quiet…so far so good!
This weekend we had a Soirée Moules Frites ( mussels & chips night)! As with most of these events Amar was nominated as head chef.
Turning out Moule Marinières for 150 hungry people was never going to be easy but add a pulled ligament in his right arm to the mix & he was facing quite a challenge! Luckily there were plenty of helpers to clean & prepare the 140 kgs of mussels so they got there in the end.
I’ve never known these events to start on time and this night was no exception – , by the time all the stragglers arrived, got settled and fuelled the appetite with lots of apéritifs – cider with créme de cassis this time – it was nigh on 10 pm!
The entertainment was provided by local band ” Weekend” – they are always brilliant at getting everyone in the party mood with a repertoire for all ages & costumes to match – not that age has any bounds…I have to say there is something quite surreal about seeing a Périgordine Granny getting to grips with Gangnam Style!!
Amar and I also had a very Proud Parents moment when Emma was invited to sing during the dessert. A couple of English numbers and a Celine Dion French classic went down very well and left me amazed at how seamlessly she can dip in and out of both languages with the greatest of ease ( Note to self – really must try hard to polish up my own linguistic efforts).
The night eventually drew to a close around 1.30 am with the band still playing as everyone was clearing up…another successful fun filled evening with a real sense of community spirit. Just waiting to see what the next soirée will be….hoping beyond hope it won’t have anything to do with haggis, neeps or Dashing White Sergeants!