31st December. Another unseasonably warm day for forecast for today. I think it calls for a good walk along the coastal path down to Biarritz with the pooch.
What a world we are living in - we seem to be beset on all sides by many more problems than usual - with few solutions evident - and even fewer statesmen around to steady the ship.
Best wishes to you all for a happy New Year - and good health. We'll be keeping clear of large gatherings in enclosed spaces and hoping for the best.
28th December. 19°C today. Lunchtime bliss.. we each had a couple of Montauzer'sboudins blancs with trufflestoday - served with sauté'd apple. For some unknown reason, they only appear for a month or two around Christmas. When I'd finished mine, I found myself wishing I could rewind the previous 10-15 minutes - and enjoy them all over again..!
24th December. Wishing all those who find their way here, whether by accident or by design, a very Happy Christmas and, above all, a healthy New Year in 2023. Let's hope that those in power who affect our daily lives will try working together for once, for the common good - instead of the endless sniping we've heard so much of lately. One can but dream..
19th December. We paid a visit to one of our favourite restaurants at lunchtime yesterday. They'd just re-opened after the annual end-of-season break.. and it was good to be back there. I shared a beautifully-made omelette aux cèpeswith Madame. I'd like to watch how the chef makes these.. totally non-greasy and delicious. We followed that up with a sole belle meunièrefor Madame and canard à l'orange for me. I could easily make that a weekly visit..
17th December. This is a 25 minute video about the Pays Basque.. yes, it's in French but if your French isn't up to following the narrator, try clicking on the Settings button.. (it looks like a gear wheel) - then click on sub-titles, then 'French (auto-generated)', then 'Auto-translate' - and then scroll down to click on the language you want.
15th December. This is anothergreat old song that lends itself to the jazz manouche guitar treatment.. It featured in Woody Allen's excellent 1999 film "Sweet and Lowdown"..
14th December. I'll have to whisper this - this morning the thermometer on the terrace was reading 17°C (62°F) - in the shade. I promise I won't mention it again.
I finally finished my Christmas shopping this morning.. <sigh of relief>.
13th December. Here's a version of one of my favourite old Russian songs - Les yeux noirs - or Dark Eyes..
Stan Getz and Dizzy Gillespie in company with some other jazz greats recorded 'Dark Eyes' in LA on 16th Oct 1956..
And here's Gypsy Moon with something close to the original intention.
11th December. There were very few people out and about down at the beach this morning.. one or two hardy runners, a couple of dog walkers and that was about it. On the way home after a bitterly cold* walk, I turned on RFM just in time to catch the start of this song - one I'd always liked the sound of without knowing who it was by (The Korgis) or what it was about.
* I should have added: for here. (calm down in Winnipeg!☺)
Yesterday evening, it was time for the annual release of thousands of Japanese (or are they Chinese?) lanterns from the centre of town - and already by 5pm cars were nose-to-tail as they prowled around looking desperately for parking spaces. The first time we attended one (in 2018 I think) it drew an estimated crowd of 50,000. It was a cold still night for it. By the way, does anyone know the title of the duet being sung at the beginning of the video? (Please let me know if you do - thanks)
4th December. It struck me last night that with my recent acquisition of an iPhone, I now have 3 devices each with a different operating system: PC - Windows 10; my Samsung tablet - Android and now my iPhone - iOS. Is that a bad thing?
2nd December. Madame's face could be described as Color by Technicolor this morning - she took a real bang to her head and her face.
I've been entrusted with going to the indoor market this morning.. (Promotion!☺)
Here's something to brighten up a cold, misty morning:
1st December. In the pursuance of my newly acquired domestic duties*, I found myself at Le Comptoir Irlandaisthis morning to pick up some mince pies that Madame had ordered for Christmas. (Explanation: Mince pies don't contain mince and they're not pies - but your mileage may vary!). After collecting them, I stood back to admire the mouth-watering display of Scotch whiskies.. (each to their own but as far as I'm concerned there's no other kind) After a few moments lost in thoughtful contemplation, a charming assistant came over and asked me if I'd like to taste some. What a question - but I had to decline her offer as it was only 9.30am.. (what was I thinking?!)
* Madame had a fall on Monday evening just outside our dentists a few steps away from home and in so doing she broke a bone in her wrist - and her face tells its own story. The strange thing is that just a few days previously we'd talked about the need for her to take extra care with all the wet leaves around.
People from our dentists came to look after her - one brought a chair out for her - and a passer-by phoned for an ambulance while Madame called me on her phone. I wasted no time in driving down there asap.. I arrived there at the same time as the ambulance arrived - it belonged to the Sapeurs-Pompiers (firemen) based 3 km away. (hats off to the pompiers for the speed of reaction) The pompiers took her blood pressure while she was still at the scene and I can't praise them enough - calm, reassuring and professional - exactly as it should be.
Once again, the French health service came up trumps - her subsequent treatment at Bayonne hospital was excellent (arm and wrist x-rayed and concussion check) and it served to remind me of how far the sainted NHS in the UK has slipped. Hats off to all those in and around Bayonne who helped. If it had to happen anywhere, it was best that it happened here.
I never cease to be surprised at the way that memory works. Nutty, our oversized English cocker spaniel, woke up early this morning and decided that it was high time I woke up too. He raced down the stairs like a runaway train - and click - without me being aware of it, an old memory came to mind and next minute, I was humming along to a song (that I'd completely forgotten about for decades) that had kept us all entertained in the car when I was a child..
I turned on our radio in the kitchen (tuned to a '60s Gold station) and they were playing a song I'd always liked. Meanwhile, we in the UK were producing cringe-worthy songs like this (it was played at a thousand naff weddings with index fingers in the air..).
Someone sent me this the other day - it rang many bells with me! (It's in French so you might need to run it by Google Translate).
29th November. Who would have thought thatPaul McCartney of all people would haverecorded songs that could truthfully be described as little-known - but here's one that I came across earlier by chance that was new to me. Two of the Beatles have already gone - the day we lose Sir Paul will truly mark the end of an era as, for those of us of a certain vintage, their music was the soundtrack of our lives .
28th November. We were down at Saint-Jean-de-Luz on Saturday for some (Christmas) shopping - and it was so pleasant to stroll around the uncrowded streets in the late November sunshine.
Afterwards we drove around to Socoa and studied the menus at the seafood restaurants there. We decided to go to Chez Pantxua even though we haven't been there for a couple of years due to Covid and other reasons. We had a table outside and we had a freshly made paëlla (the best we've ever had there) - and at the end, our waitress offered us coffee on the house.. before we waddled away.
25th November. We were invited to attend a citizenship ceremony at the Town Hall, Bayonne, yesterday evening. There were around 200 of us altogether and Mr Philippe Le Moing-Surzur, the sous Prefect of Bayonne, spoke in his address of what is entailed in French citizenship in a warm and moving manner.
22nd November. I forgot to mention that yesterday when we were cruising around the town centre looking for a parking space, we happened upon Bayonne's Christmas tree.. Words can't describe it - instead of a tall pine brought down from the mountains and covered in lights - we have a garish plastic tree that a child could have designed - festooned with a few oversized football-sized globes. I haven't seen an uglier Christmas tree in my life. I'll have to go back and take a photo of it for you..
Those of us of a certain age will never forget the moment 59 years ago today when gunshots rang out in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas - and they echoed and resounded around the world.
For those who weren't around at the time, JFK's inaugural address on 20th January 1961 set the bar very high indeed. I doubt if it has ever been equalled - let alone surpassed.
I finally took the plunge yesterday and consigned my clunky old Android phone to the back of my desk drawer from where it will gather dust together with a few other relics of redundant technology (mainly cameras - six at the last count) - because Madame persuaded me to make the switch to an iPhone.
While we were splashing around outside in gusting rain that threatened to turn our umbrellas inside out, we went for our 5th Covid jab..
After all that excitement, when we came home I closed the shutters, lit the woodburner, and then we had something Scottish and warming (no prizes for guessing!).
18th November. Yesterday evening there was a flash of lightning followed seconds later by an ominous rumble. Then, as if someone was opening up all the valves that control rain, a drizzle morphed into a noisy downpour that intensified into a deluge. Just as well we weren't caught outside. Then this morning at 5am I woke up to the sound of rain drumming on the roof and water running in the gutters. It looks like we're in for a wet few days.
17th November. The Beaujolais Nouveau is in the shops. I always thought (in the UK) that it was highly over-rated - but not here. If you see any by Georges Duboeuf, it would be worth trying. Fresh, fruity and v drinkable.
16th November. This record by Kim Carnes provided the ever-present (albeit scratchy!) soundtrack to my first visit to the US in 1981.. (Was this a one-hit-wonder for her?) She looks like one scary lady..
This was another song that blasted out continuously from many US radio stations at the time.
15th November. DIY Rules: A few new ones for you..
Rule No 26. Nothing is more permanent than a temporary fix.
Rule No 27. Keep the receipt.
Rule No 28. If all else fails, read the instructions.
(You can download the complete Rules by clicking here)
8th November. Another annoying word has crept into general usage recently in the sovereign independent coastal state* (or the United Kingdom as we prefer to call it). Apparently we no longer have debates, discussions or oral exchanges of sentiments, observations, opinions, or ideas - but conversations. To me, an ageing out-of-touch dinosaur, a conversation is something you might have at a bus stop, in the pub, or over the garden fence. A conversation has no starting or finishing point - they are simply characterised by the noise our lips make as they flap together. The use of this word legitimises a pointless speech exercise where there's no imperative to reach a conclusion. What are we doing to our great language? Winston Churchill (who else?) said it best when he declared that "short words are best and the old words when short are best of all."
* in Brussels-speak
Our plumber arrived yesterday with a huge package containing our new 200 litre water heater to replace the one that gave up the ghost the other day after only 10 years. This seems to be the design life of white goods these days. After removing all the packaging, I took one look at the contents - and it struck me immediately that while it was shorter than its predecessor - crucially, it was wider. We must have measured its width and the narrowest part of the dog-legged staircase down to the cellar several times but both measurements remained obstinately within 1mm of the other. It was also very heavy. There was no way we could try to manoeuvre it down the stairs with the severely limited clearance available without damaging it.. which would have made it impossible to return it to the supplier. It was the same brand as the one before - but it seems that the manufacturer had chosen to re-size the thing without stating the dimensions on the packaging. Ultra frustrating - and it proved Rule No 1 of the immutable Rules of Home DIY yet again.. namely, that there’s no such thing as a simple job. (I've included the complete list below)
This morning, the plumber was back here at 8am - with a new, slightly smaller one and we managed to get that down the stairs without any bother. This time it has a 150 litre capacity.
The absence of instantly available hot water over the last few days put me in mind of those poor souls from not that long ago who had to wash in cold water. We're spoilt these days.
Rules of Home DIY
1. There’s no such thing as a simple job.
2. If it isn’t broken, fix it until it is. (This replaces the old rule: if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it)
3. If the screw isn’t going in, use a bigger hammer.
4. The drill bit you want is the one that’s missing from the box.
5. Never be tempted to change the drill bit in your electric drill with the power still on. (I'll tell you the story one day!)
6. Measure twice. Cut once. (This rule can be applied to many areas in Life)
7. The best tool is a mug of coffee. Look at the job often - thinking time is never wasted.
8. Anything thrown away will be required within the week.
9. If you drop an Allen key, nut, bolt or screw it will always end up in the most inaccessible place.
10. As soon as you get your hands greasy you will need to scratch your nose or use the lavatory.
11. If you are in desperate need of one item to finish a job, the shops will be closed.
12. When the shop is finally open, the one item you want comes in a pack of six.
13. If it's your lucky day, and the shop sells the item you need in a single pack, they will have it in two
sizes: too large and too small.
14. You've been saving something for 20 years knowing that one day you'll need it. When that day finally arrives, you can't remember where you left it. (happened to me yesterday!)
15. Never start a job on a Sunday afternoon.
16. You'll never find the thing you need until the day you don't need it.
17. Someone will have used the last bandage/band aid the day before you do involuntary finger surgery.
18. The only known supplier of the part you need closed down last weekend.
19. The most useless tool in your tool box is the wrong size Allen Key!
20. Superglue is a must for many DIY tasks - it is guaranteed to rapidly and permanently stick objects to things other than that intended.
21. Despite tidying up after a job and putting everything back in place on the right hook, in the right box, on the right shelf - things disappear.
22. If you have to remove twelve rusty nuts/screws/nails that have been untouched since the Spanish Civil War, eleven of them will unscrew/come out easily.
23. You have a couple of partitioned boxes neatly filled with every type and size of nail, screw and bolt known to mankind - except for the one you want.
24. You discover that the new lamp that you bought just before closing time on Saturday afternoon doesn't come with a light bulb (and this fact isn't mentioned on the box it came in). You then discover that it will only accept a new type of bulb - and none of your spares will fit.
25. Screwing up today's "small job" turns it into tomorrow's "big job". (Hands up all those who haven't done that!)
I'd welcome any additions to the above list.
6th November. Perfect weather this morning for a walk along the beach at Anglet (just 10 mins away) - a calm blue sea with dazzlingly white rollers breaking under blue skies, a light breeze somewhere between warm and crisp, and the northern coast of Spain standing sharp as though cut out with scissors.
A minor "pinch me" moment.
4th November. The plumber's just been and gone - and the upshot is that we need a new 200 litre cumulus eau chaude(Google trans: storage water heater) - I couldn't remember the English term - would it be immersion heater? Should have a new one in on Monday afternoon.
Mopping up operations in progress down below..
3rd November. Just when I thought that all the domestic jobs were done and dusted and that there's nothing left on the 'to do' list, I went down to the cellar a few minutes ago only to see a pool of water spreading out from underneath our 200 litre hot water boiler. Our Basque plumber installed it almost 10 years ago to the day - I remember manoeuvring it down the stairs with him - anyway, he's just texted a message to say that he'll be here this afternoon. Phew..
2nd November. Watching ARTEtoday, my eye was caught by a glimpse of graphic art (right) that had T shirt written all over it. I think it had been inspired by that slick and highly memorable logo for New York (it comprised just 3 characters and one symbol) from the late 1970s. The true test of great design is that, fifty years on, it still looks timeless in its simplicity.
We had our flu jabs yesterday.. and Madame is feeling her shoulder today. A number of our friends have tested positive for Covid recently - which is a timely reminder to wash our hands regularly and to wear masks when appropriate. Fingers crossed.
The seasons and the weather now appear to be in sync for the first time in months.. October was unseasonably warm but finally normal service seems to have been resumed with Mother Nature. I can't help wondering what treats she has in store for us in the months to come.
31st October. This painting of a winding street in Ciboure - attributed to Pierre Labrouche - caught my eye.. I liked his treatment of light and shade.
25th October. Films/Movies: there may be better opening scenes out there but I can't think of one. Here's Woody Allen's "Manhattan":
A friend in England reminded me of this opening scene (best in full screen) from "Out of Africa" - one of our all-time favourite films - as a contender with the one above. As I've mentioned before here, the movers had inadvertently packed all our books except one during our move in 2007 - and that book was Isak Dinesen's "Out of Africa". Reading it, it was hard to believe that English wasn't the author's mother tongue. I think I read it three times while we spent 5 months in the gîte at Villefranque. Highly recommended if you haven't read it - and even if you have.
24th October. I read somewhere today that among the many and varied accomplishments of the new British Prime Minister-in-waiting is the fact that he'd been Head Boy at Winchester College, his alma mater. My Maths teacher at school was also an Old Wykehamist and his standard punishment was to have boys write out (in multiples of 50 according to the offence) his school motto: "Manners makyth Man" - three small words that lose nothing in repetition. I wish our new PM well.
23rd October. While we've been enjoying a warm week or so down here with temps in the range 23 - 31°C, it can't be long before Autumn morphs into Winter. The clocks go back next weekend and then it can only be a matter of time before a storm rises up out of the Bay of Biscay and comes roaring in. A few days of wintry gales will set the shutters a-rattling and strip the trees of their leaves - and the period that follows always puts me in mind of this next piece:
This live version by the Georgian pianist Khatia Buniatishvili is arguably the definitive rendition of Debussy's "Clair de Lune" - but I selected the one above simply because of the moon..
17th October. A few internal bulkheads were creaking andgroaning last night after our copious lunch yesterday at our "banker" restaurant when we sampled their Autumn menu. Neither of us felt the need to eat a single thing in the evening - and even today, I could give lunch a miss..
We'd arrived early at Ascain yesterday and so we took a slow drive around the same leafy lanes where 30 years ago we used to go for a run before breakfast.. (was that really me?) It's still my favourite village in the Pays Basque and it was at its best yesterday under the October sunshine with few tourists about. A Basque brass band was creating a lot of noise (playing as though their trousers were on fire..) in the square but as we'd reserved a table outside in the secluded rear garden (right) of the restaurant we were well out of earshot. I hope it's not the last time that we'll be able to do that this year.
16th October. When we left the restaurant this afternoon, we were both - in Bill McLaren's memorable phrase - riding very low in the water.. after enjoying an omelette aux cèpes, followed by sanglier (wild boar) in a saucegrand veneur (a red wine reduction), then a couple of Basque cheeses - all eased down with a velvety Irouléguy Gorri d'Ansa (more here) - then dessert and coffee. It was also 31°C..
15th October. One of our favourite restaurants is offering its long-awaited Autumn menu - featuring such things as wild boar, venison and wood pigeon (and no, it doesn't all taste like chicken!☺). We're off there tomorrow for lunch..
14th October. Just back from the hairdressers after a shearing.. and after contemplating the stranger in the mirror in front of me, the title of one of Hemingway's short stories sprang to mind - "The Snows of Kilimanjaro".. Can't imagine what made me think of that!
Meanwhile, walking back from town I couldn't help noticing this display of pink umbrellas overhead in support of something called 'October Rose'.. (I believe it's a breast cancer campaign..)
I'll be watching England take on France tomorrow morning at 0800 GMT .. in the Women's Rugby World Cup.. Think there might be some skin and hair flying!
11th October.. (already!) There are some great songs tucked away in here.. I don't think I've ever bought an album, a CD or - what have I forgotten - a cassette tape by any of these artistes (apart from a few Billie Holiday CDs) but still - these songs will be played loong after I've gone..
29th September. If you enjoy the sound of someone at the very top of his game playing those old standards on a guitar, this is for you. I've mentioned Joe Pass before here - but his 'Virtuoso' album (1973) is really worth listening to from start to finish:
"Night and Day" (Cole Porter) 00:00; "Stella by Starlight" (Ned Washington, Victor Young) 03:38; "Here's That Rainy Day" (Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen) 08:47; "My Old Flame" (Sam Coslow, Arthur Johnston) 12:20; "How High the Moon" (Nancy Hamilton, Morgan Lewis) 17:37; "Cherokee" (Ray Noble) 22:37; "Sweet Lorraine" (Cliff Burwell, Mitchell Parish) 26:13; "Have You Met Miss Jones?" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) 30:20; "'Round Midnight" (Bernie Hanighen, Thelonious Monk, Cootie Williams) 35:02; "All the Things You Are" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern) 38:38; "Blues for Alican" (Joe Pass) 42:32; "The Song Is You" (Hammerstein, Kern) 48:04.
If the video is taken down again, you should be able to listen to it all here.
Joe Pass - of whom it was said that "he looks like somebody's uncle and plays the guitar like nobody's business.."
18th September. I won't add (much) to theNiagara of words that have been and will be written about HM the Queen - but for me, there's one thing that has jarred.. and that is the sight of the extended Royal family standing in 'vigil' around the Queen's coffin. This seems one step too far to me. The acid test is could you ever imagine her doing this for her father? I'm afraid the UK media is in danger of going over the top with the 24/7 coverage, analysis and adulation of the late Queen. Of course, I respect her for how she conducted herself over her long years on the throne - but we're in danger of beatifying her.. and I think she's the last person who would have wanted that.
We've definitely turned a corner into Autumn. I was out buying logs yesterday - and this morning I reached for my dressing gown!
28th August. I was just looking back at an earlier post - and I noticed that quite a few of the videos and links in older posts don't work anymore. I've been putting off this job for some time - as it is a long, fiddly process but I can no longer put off the painful job of blog maintenance. So, if you don't mind talking amongst yourselves for a while, I'll be off with my bag of hammers. Just ignore any bangs and thuds from your PC. Back in a while.
25th August. I don't think mosquitoes and midgies know the meaning of the expression, "Once bitten, twice shy.." as they've been consistently nibbling at my extremities for the past few weeks. We've both been scratching ourselves like demented chimps.
A new colour for cars has hit the streets - it's a non-metallic mid-grey colour.. the kind of ultra boring colour you would paint a car if you were ashamed of owning one. Perhaps that's the message.
I mentioned the Citroën Ami a while back - a car the former East Germans would have been proud to produce. How big are they? Imagine 4 tea chests pushed together to make a 2 x 2 square - then imagine another 4 placed on top - and bar a little bit here and there, you've got it. This is a real anti-car.. if only they came in mid-grey!
13th August. The forecast is for 26° today - that's more like it after the temps in the mid-thirties we've had this week. The high temps gave the local mosquito population a boost and I've been the target of these whining pests.
I was down at Biriatou this week checking on the state of a memorial we put up there on the banks of the Bidassoa and the surroundings were like a tinder box. A fire swept through the valley a year or two ago from Spain and a strong southerly wind carried sparks and embers across the river and the blaze roared up the slopes and continued almost as far as Ascain..
Fires are wreaking havoc in areas we know to the north of here (above). As for the Pays Basque, it's green for a reason - but in the current drought its forests and woodland have surely become vulnerable to fires. The cause of these is unknown for the moment but while some are undoubtedly caused by accident, barbeques or thoughtless discarding of cigarettes, pyromania is a known condition. (the cause of the fire that ravaged Notre-Dame in Paris has never been found)
11th August. I was using the Kärcher pressure washer a few days ago to clean the tiles on the terrace when I noticed that I needed to renew some of the grouting (a real Anglo-Saxon word that!). I managed to find the right material - Portland cement - at our local Castorama (a DIY store) - but I thought I'd check with an assistant that I had the right product for the job in hand. A few years ago, this kind of conversation would have been way beyond me so it felt like a minor victory when the assistant and I understood each other the first time around. Another plus was that it came in a handy 2½kg pack - I didn't have to buy enough to re-grout Trafalgar Square! The job was soon done with the aid of one of Madame's rubber spatulas discreetly borrowed from the kitchen. I thought it best not to ask prior permission! She is very happy with the result. What she doesn't know etc..
This T shirt (right) made me smile! We're in for more heat today.. Yesterday it was 34° in the shade - today's forecast is for 36°..
9th August. After days of relentless heat and humidity, I've become accustomed to waking early, going downstairs and opening the windows front and back to let some early morning 'coolth' waft through the house. This morning I did so and was sitting in the half light reading by the light of my Kindle when I heard what sounded like someone moving a piano upstairs.. Fine, except we haven't a piano! It was the discreet rumbling of thunder. I went over to the French windows that open out on to our terrace to see the garden lit by a strange orange light.. and I could see leaves quivering on a number of plants and bushes as large drops of rain spattered down. Slowly, as if someone was cranking open the tap, the spattering turned into a downpour.. I put on my Crocs and went out to make sure that the tap from the main down spout to fill our 350 litre récupérateur d'eau de pluie (rain water barrel) was open (it was) and stood there for a while taking in the sight and sound of rain again.. and savouring the smell of the parched earth and plants as they were revitalised. I can't remember the last time it rained. Unfortunately this downpour didn't last very long - maybe 10-15 minutes - but it was very welcome. I suspect rain water barrels will be selling well these days.
We managed to escape the crush of the Fêtes de Bayonne - we headed for the hills and stayed for a few days at Vielle-Aure (near Saint-Lary-Soulan). We were up in the Hautes-Pyrénées - very close to the Spanish border - and we were surrounded by some seriously steep mountains.. with roads to match. Wherever we drove, cyclists like racing snakes in neon coloured outfits were grinding up the endless hills - you have to admire them. One day, we visited the tiny village of Ens (pop'n: 21) - situated on a valley floor surrounded by soaring mountains.
It featured a charming simple 12th century church - L'église de l'Invention-de-Saint-Étienne (Eng translation here) - situated on what could be described as a small elevated headland (Wiki describes it more accurately as a glacial plateau). The above photo doesn't do it justice. We missed the church going into the village - but spotted it only on our departure. I stopped the car and tried the door to the church but it was locked with a note saying that the keys could be found at a nearby address. What struck me though was the cemetery.. If we have to be buried - and sooner or later we all do - I doubt if there's a better place in the world to be laid than here in this graveyard with open skies and stunning views on all sides. I don't think it's a morbid thought.. is it?
By the way, it's one 'n' in Pyrenees.. not two! (even in French: Pyrénées)
28th July. At the conclusion of the opening ceremony of the Fêtes de Bayonne shortly after 10pm yesterday, it sounded as though 'Saving Private Ryan' was being filmed in the centre of town as the night air echoed to what sounded like a belt-fed mortar company firing off a year's allocation of ammunition! The Basques like their fireworks chest-poundingly noisy - and I imagine that no-one present was disappointed!
27th July. Just back from taking the pooch for a quick walk around the Bull Ring and return before the neighbourhood is swamped with people off to the Fêtes in town. I saw a note stuck to a mail box that a few years ago would have puzzled me. It read like a message to an errant or a bibulous husband - "Stop à la Pub". It doesn't mean "Stay at the Pub" - although perhaps it should. All it means is "No advertising material". Advertising material in French is publicité - and thus, knowing the French penchant for shortening words, it becomes Pub.
I was half listening to a discussion on French TV yesterday and someone came out with barbeq - no prizes for guessing what this refers to.
Here's another one that may catch you out the first time you hear it on leaving a shop. If you thank the shop assistant, you will often hear back, "Non, c'est moi.." ("No, it's me..")which is the short form of "Non, c'est moi qui dois vous remercier." ("No, it's I who should thank you..") Contrary to what you might read in the papers, la politesse is alive and well and living in France.
26th July. This magazine is telling us something that both of my regular readers here (yes, you Madame - and you, Sir!) will have been aware of for some time. Only No 3 though? *
* This refers to a survey that placed Bayonne 3rd on the list of the 50 best French towns & cities (of more than 2,000 inhabitants).
22nd July. Many of you will have seen images of the forest fires that have beset France recently. One of the tools that Sécurité Civile has at its disposal is the Canadair - and here are three of them dropping in to scoop up water from the Garonne near Tabanac:
19th July. Here's a view of the paintings of Van Gogh as you've never seen them before..
18th July. I feel slightly guilty for not including England's series win in Australia - so allow me to correct that right now. Watch out for Marcus Smith's 50 metre dash to the try line. He's a special talent and provides England with that touch of unpredictability and verve that they so need. Other plusses? The formidable Ellis Genge has developed into a world class prop and ball carrier. Michael Hooper - no slouch he - attempted to tackle Genge head-on and bounced backwards off him as if he'd run into a tree. (video here) To be fair, Hooper was caught off balance by 250lbs of Bristolian beef on the hoof. There's more footage of England's one-man wrecking ball here. Let's hope that Genge's medical condition does not worsen.
The clock's ticking.. the Fêtes de Bayonne starts on 27th July.. when upwards of a million people will converge on Bayonne (pop'n: 50,000) over the 5 days.
Downstairs at 3.30am to let a restless dog out (he wasn't the only one!) and I noticed that the thermometer outside showed 26°C (79°F). The forecast is for 39° here today. Up at 6am to open all the windows to let the cool morning breeze waft through the house. I'll try and catch up on lost sleep with a siesta during the afternoon heat.
16th July. I've been a fan of Irish rugby (second to England) for as long as I can remember - but today, in the All Blacks back yard in Wellington, they achieved a mighty first, namely, to win a Test series against the most formidable of rugby nations for the first time since matches between the two began in 1905. Enjoy:
We're steaming in the heat here in the Pays Basque - the shade temperature in the garden is 35°C (95°F°) at 5.30pm. It's too hot for your correspondent. Madame has just returned from a trip into town and she'd like some ice cream. Always happy to oblige!
8th July. I was in town early this morning and the appearance of two girls near the coach departure point dressed in white with red sashes and a red bandana each reminded me that the festival of San Fermín had just started at Pamplona across the other side of the Pyrenees. Hemingway has much to answer for. I've mentioned before here that this is one festival I will never attend but for those of you who'd like to experience vicariously the dubious thrill of running down a narrow crowded street echoing with the sound of drumming hooves behind you, this (below) was the opening encierro (bull run) of the festival. As always, my money's on the bulls as this is the one and only chance they get to fight on a level playing field with their tormenters. This goes on every day until next Thursday 14th July..
4th July. This is going to be one long post! (I'm allowed 300 posts with my Blogger account) so each post from now on will cover 6 months of ramblings from the Pays Basque.
First of all, happy birthday America..
I don't want to pass comment on a great Nation that has never seemed so divided - perhaps since the Viet-Nam war - but I'm hoping that one day a politician and statesman will emerge from somewhere in that vast country who will pick up the torch and lead the American people back to the values that its founding fathers so wisely laid down almost 250 years ago.
A friend in the US kindly sent me a link to the story of Walter Anderson - an American artist whom I suspect very few, myself included, have heard of. Once you see his work, you will be astonished that someone of his creativity is not more widely known. Like all great artists, he had a unique 'eye' through which he viewed the world. His talent - his genius - was, in my view, unlike anything that preceded it or followed it. He possessed the single-minded spirit of a true artist who was determined to express himself above all else.. regardless of what people thought of him (reminiscent of van Gogh).
29th June. I thought I was pretty well-read - until new words started appearing in the 'meeja' in the last few years that I'd not heard of previously. Is it me or did these words catch everyone else by surprise too? I'm talking about words like these: avatar, meme and trope.. and there are more. Fortunately there aren't enough minutes left in the day for me to find time to look up what they actually mean. Are these real words - or is there a sub-editor at the uber-trendy Guardian hard at work dreaming up new ones as we speak? (and if I hear one more 'iconic', this PC is going out of the window - or through it)
28th June. While we have Gary Larson fresh in our minds, how about this one:
27th June. It was just over a week ago on Saturday, 18th June, that Bayonne lay sizzling under a stiflingly 42° heat with humidity to match. (A friend told me that at Tarnos - just the other side of the Adour - that temps of 47° were recorded on that same day). We closed all the shutters and still we sweltered indoors - only Nutty (our cocker spaniel) felt the occasional need to go out and, after doing the necessary, he would shoot straight back in again. I failed to keep myself adequately hydrated and this mistake led to a medical problem that hit me hard. I'll leave it there - but suffice to say I've learned the importance of drinking at least a litre and a half per day.
26th June. Gary Larson with his Far Side cartoons has long been a favourite of mine. For reasons that will be obvious to those who know me, this one is a special favourite!
Here's a short guide (in English) toone of the most famous products of this area - jambon de Bayonne. As withall of these cured hams, ask for it to be sliced as thinly as possible so that it melts in the mouth.
19th June. Apparently all records were broken for Bayonne yesterday with temps just shy of 43°. I'd taken the dog out earlier, walking him in the shadows. As for us, we couldn't do much else except close all the shutters and lurk indoors with a fan blowing warm air around. The humidity was off the clock and it really was unpleasant.
Then at around 4pm, there was a sudden swirling wind and the temp dropped down to 26° in less than 30 mins. What a relief to open all the windows. Phew!
18th June. Just back from walking to the bakers and I'm perspiring like a porcus maximus. According to our thermometer in the west-facing garden, the shade temp at 10am local time is already 28° - and the forecast is for 40° today. We have all the shutters closed and a fan in the study is moving the air around..
I was at Hernani in the Spanish Basque country yesterday for a simple ceremony to celebrate one of its most famous sons - Florentino Goikoetxea. He was the legendary Comète guide and smuggler who led many evading Allied aviators out of occupied France over the Pyrenees into Spain. After the war, he was invited to Buckingham Palace to receive the Kings Medal. While waiting in an ante room to be received by King George VI, he was asked by an aide-de-camp what he did for a living. Florentino replied memorably - "I'm in import-export!".
We had a musical interlude when Joxan Goikoetxea (Florentino's grand-nephew (?)) provided the accompaniment to a stirring rendition of this song. Joxan is an internationally recognised accordionist - here he is with Karl Jenkins' "Benedictus":
16th June. Temperatures for the next 3 days are forecast to be: 35°, 38° and 41°..
15th June. As it was a fine warm day today, and we had a bottle of Listel rosé in the fridge, and the plancha was gleaming, it seemed a pity not to fire it up and throw some sardines on it..
Aah, that feels better!👍
14th June. What with the heat and the odd shower of rain, the garden has seen some stupendous growth recently, with some of the bushes that I've slowly been pruning into shape (Topiary 101) suddenly sprouting in all directions. I planted a wisteria 2-3 years ago and its tendrils were everywhere they shouldn't be. I couldn't put off the job any longer - so yesterday out came the stepladders, the extendable ladders and the long-handled shears - and before long I was tempting fate again on the wobbly top step, reaching out into oblivion.
We didn't use our plancha at all last year - as the weather had been too unpredictable and as a result, it stayed under wraps in a corner of the garage where it's been home to some frighteningly large spiders for the last two years - and I'd put the cast iron cooking surface (the part in black =>) down in the cellar, lightly oiled with olive oil and wrapped in an old sheet. Today, however, was the day of the 'Big Clean Up'.
First up though, was the chariot that the cooking surface rests on. To spare you the thousand words, here's a picture. I heaved this out of the garage and up the steps to the terrace where I was going to clean off the grease I'd applied to all the metal surfaces prior to putting it away in 2020. I found some white spirit and boiled linseed oil (that miraculously appeared a year or two ago after being 'lost' for 13-odd years) and I set to wiping off the dried-on grease from the metal surfaces and then wiping down the wood surfaces with white spirit, before applying some linseed oil. If I say so myself, it soon looked like new again.
I went down to the cellar and took hold of the cast iron top in a death grip - it weighs a ton* - and lurched back upstairs and out onto the terrace where I eased it back into position. Its last coating of olive oil had solidified and so I turned all the gas taps to 'on' and lit the burners. After 5 mins, I wiped off the surface and all the hardened oil came away. I turned off the gas, let it cool down, re-oiled the surface with olive oil and stood there admiring my handiwork (as you do!). All we need now is a fine day, some fresh sardines and an icy-cold bottle of Listel rosé Grain de Gris from the Camargue (worth searching one out).
* I'm sure the metal was recycled from the Tirpitz..
13th June. This is a song I've always liked - it's Georges Moustaki with the aptly-named song Le Métèque.. (a 'métèque' is a pejorative word for a shifty-looking immigrant of Mediterranean origin!)
12th June. We voted in the Parliamentary elections this morning at a school a couple of minutes away. There can't be too many Brits here as they remembered me from the last time (is that a good or a bad thing - you decide). I was asked if I would like to come back this evening to assist in the count - I must have an honest face! The system is well organised and it runs like clockwork.
10th June. I've just added a link to Impact FM's 1960s channel in the left hand column. (give the widget some time to wind up..) If you're anything like me, you'll be amused at some of their attempts to convert gen-u-ine rock 'n roll lyrics into French. I mean, where do you start with Be-Bop-A-Lula..?! There are some great French songs from the period though..
2nd June. I tried a glass or two of Spain's Rueda Verdejo white wine the other day for the first time - dry, crisp, fruity and very more-ish. Worth looking to see if you can find a stockist wherever you are..
1st June. For any golfers out there who are thinking of visiting the Pays Basque, here's a list of the most beautiful golf courses in the area.
It's hard to believe that the longest day of the year is only 3 weeks away.. Aarrgghh.
24th May. We had a few days away up at St-Malo last week.. and fortunately we missed the wave of heat (32°C) that sat on Bayonne.
We stayed in a hotel that if it had been any closer to the sea, we'd have had wet feet. This was the view from our window straight down one morning:
The hotel was situated right on the sea wall a short walk from the old walled town of St-Malo - - and for lovers of tidal action, the hotel is on the front line - as can be seen below. Our hotel shows up at 0.39 - it's the one with a flag on its roof:
The tide at St-Malo, with its 12 metre range on average, is one of the highest in Europe - and when the Spring tides occur (6-10 times per year), the results can be seen above.
Unsurprisingly, with all the water around, seafood plays a big part in the local diet. I enjoyed some of the best oysters I've ever had at the Café de l'Ouest. Yes, it's something of a tourist magnet - but the staff were friendly, efficient and on the ball - and the oysters (N° 4 size) that we started with were something special. After we got into our stride, we each had a seafood choucroute. There was a buzz and a hubbub reminiscent of those famed Parisian brasseries.
We continued to eat seafood and oysters (this was taken at "Le Bout du Quai" at Cancale) until we left last Saturday.. (and I'm still peckish for another stack of those N° 4s from the Café de l'Ouest, Saint-Malo..!)
15th May. I was having a haircut on Friday when suddenly the coiffeuse shrieked, dropped her comb, followed by the satisfying sound of a splat as she dispatched what she said was a tiger mosquito. These pests are now to be found in France south of the Loire (map here) and I would urge tourists planning on visiting the south of France to make sure they equip themselves with mosquito repellent. There's nothing worse for a mosquito magnet (like me) than hearing the hum of a mosquito in a bedroom after turning out the light.
14th May. Here's 'Tuba Skinny' - that great street jazz band playing here in the 'Big Easy' (aka New Orleans) - showing that 'jumpy leg syndrome' needn't necessarily disqualify you from a career in music! In case you're wondering, the trombone player is behind the box of CDs:
13th May. I think it was yesterday that I heard and then saw the first swallows of summer.. (or were they house martins? I'm not sure what the difference is.) There was a formation of about 8 of them racing around the rooftops at breakneck speed skimming past chimneys screaming for all they're worth.
11th May. This is the Hot Club du Nax with their very-listenable-to interpretation of 'Joseph Joseph'.. (Isobel Cope, the singer, has a great jazz voice.. is it me or is there not a touch of Amy Winehouse in the timbre of her voice - especially in the lower registers?)
10th May. The "Great Warming Up" seems to be underway at last. We had lunch out on the terrace a day or two ago and today the temperature here is set to be 23° - with Bordeaux to the north at 29°. Suddenly it's summer..😎
8th May. We took our eyes off the garden over the last few weeks and it had a sudden growing spurt.. Yesterday, we were out there cutting, pruning and snipping - and filling bags ready for a trip or two to the décheterie (the recycling centre nearby). We have two palm trees out front and three in the back and when the blossom (doubt if that's the right word) emerges and blooms, everything (like the car!) within a radius of about 25-30 yards gets covered in a fine layer of yellow dust (pollen?). Elsewhere, the countryside is now freshly green and the skeletal tree forms of winter are but a distant memory. Yesterday evening we had our first apéro on the terrace. It won't be too long now before the shorts come out. I'd better warn the neighbours!
28th April. A small group of us were out on the road yesterday briefing mayors in a couple of villages about the content of the programme of our association's commemorations this September. We had a break at midday at a restaurant known as Aldaburua in the über-Basque village of Larressore. Here we were - at a time when the cost of living is high up on the national agenda - walking in to find almost every table taken.. Without boring you with the details, we took the set 3 course lunch, including a carafe of rosé and red. It was far better than it had any reason to be - and when the bill landed on our table with a whisper - rather than with a thump - it came to 13 euros each..
27th April. Who would have thought that the vote for both of the main political parties of the French Right and the Left combined would have collapsed to the extent it did in the first round of the presidential elections in the weekend before last - with the vote for the official candidates for the Right and Left totalling only some 6% of the total vote.. These two parties had previously provided all the presidents of the 5th Republic since 1958. In forming his La RépubliqueEn Marche party from scratch five years ago, President Macron had cleverly cherry-picked the brightest and best from France's main political parties from the Right (Les Républicains or LR) and the Left (Le Parti socialiste or PS) to join him. In doing so, he effectively left them both with a leadership vacuum in the centre of their ranks and they were forced to field two lack lustre candidates who achieved that mighty 6% total vote.
Could a similar thing happen in the UK? In theory - yes - because neither of the main Parties in the UK have any inspirational people - and political debate has been reduced to the ritual name-calling during Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons. In practice - no - because there are so few in Parliament who could qualify to be included in a category called the "brightest and best". On the other hand, there's no shortage of shiny-trouser'd dullards.
25th April. There's no better way to start the week than with a burst on my banjo:
Are we having fun yet?
Last chance!
24th April. I voted this morning in the second round of the French presidential elections here.. It was one of those occasions when I had to remind myself which candidate I disliked the least. No prizes for guessing.
I've said this before here I think but we're living in an age at a time when we don't seem able to produce statesmen or -women anymore. Is there one statesman on the world stage at the moment? Can anyone name one? Someone of genuine integrity, with impeccable judgement, a vision for the future and the ability to persuade us via his power of oratory that he or she is right? In other words - to lead us? There are one or two around who can tick some of these boxes - but not all four.
In an attempt to slow down the speed at which Nutty, our English cocker spaniel (aka the 4 legged Dyson), devours the contents of his bowl - we've bought one of these - and it definitely has added a minute or two to his usual 50 seconds. In French, it's known as an "anti-glouton" bowl (no dictionary required to work that one out!
10th April. We had a walk around Biarritz this morning - blue skies but with an onshore breeze that was two steps up from chilly. Many people out and about - so we found a seat at the Bleu Café at the Grande Plage to watch the world go by.
A girl in her twenties had a shoulder bag that bore the message: Ctrl + Alt + Delete Last Night - that made me smile! - but not quite as much as when I read the result of the Australian F1 GP - this song sprung to mind.
5th April. I have to admit that the appeal of golf* has always been lost on me. Yes, I've got a bag of golf sticks/bats/whatever in the garage but to me, it's a 'sport' that requires an inordinate amount of preparation prior to playing.
First of all, you have to find a club to join (ker-ching!), then there are the green fees (ker-ching!), then you need to spend oops, what am I saying, invest a large amount of folding in a set of clubs without any guarantee that you'll be able to hit a single ball with any of them (except perhaps the putter). When I served in the UK military, golf was known by the unwashed, and even by some of the washed, as 'swish f***' - this being the sound that the club head made as it scythed at speed past the ball - that remained tantalisingly fixed on its tee - and the inevitable expletive that followed.
I rest my case
Secondly, you need to outfit yourself with clothes that say 'golfer' - polo shirts with that 'must have' crocodile brand, chinos, a peaked cap and not forgetting the single golf glove dangling from the back pocket of your breeks (trousers).
Finally (but there's probably much more), you have to draw a happy face on your golf balls to remind yourself that you're not trying to kill the thing - simply to hit it - and eventually sink it in a hole.
There's no shortage of golf courses either in this part of the world.. looky here.
* or, as golf is known in Scotland: a good walk ruined.
4th April. The more news I read or watch, the more I am convinced by the sentiments expressed below by George Bernard Shaw:
1st April. We started off the morning with what looked like sleet - and just after lunch we had the MOADs (the Mother Of All Downpours). We're going to the cinema this afternoon to see "Seule la terre est éternelle".. (Only the land is eternal):
27th March. We had a sad accident in the house a couple of evenings ago. We have a 19th century spring-driven brass lantern clock very similar to this one and it's been sitting on a bookcase in the dining room out of the way.
Or so I thought..
I was taking something through to the kitchen past the bookcase and just as I entered the kitchen there was an almighty crash behind me. On turning around I saw my beautiful old clock was lying in the floor in a state of disarray. I found the major parts of the clock where you'd expect to find them - directly underneath where it had been standing for 15 years - and after a careful search we managed to find the hands. However, the little cup washer that retains the hands in place had vanished. I now need to find a clock restorer to put it all back together. The clock hadn't been running for some years - it had slowly started gaining time to the point where the regulator could no longer restrain it. I'd taken it to a clock specialist in town about 3-4 years ago and in the end I had to go and retrieve it over a year later as he hadn't touched it. No apology from him either - so that's one place I won't be taking it to. I wish I could bring it here.
What caused it to make a sudden leap for freedom? I know I didn't touch it - the top of the bookcase is 4 feet off the ground. I think the clock must have been moving forward imperceptibly over the years due to vibrations caused by my footsteps (OK - who said elephantine?!) .
The all-weather cover will be coming off the table out on the terrace today. It feels like Mother Nature has changed a gear - and we're on Summer time as of now. So goodbye string vests!😊
Here's the Man himself playing his own notoriously difficult Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30:
25th March. We took advantage of a sunny day yesterday to have lunch at Larralde at Ascain - an old favourite of ours. We had a table outside in the sheltered south-facing garden and once again I was reminded how lucky we are to be able to enjoy days like this - and in March too.
24th March. We missed an innovative exhibition/celebration (22nd Feb 2019 to 5th Jan 2020) of Vincent van Gogh's paintings as they were brought to life in a magical swirling display at the Atelier des Lumières, Paris in a novel immersive experience:
I've just realised that I'd forgotten to post the outcome of the 2022 Guinness 6 Nations rugby tournament. There was only ever going to be one winner (although before the first match was played I thought that Ireland might be in with an outside chance) and that was France. Enjoy the final day against an England team that just didn't have what it took on the day. (England won only 2 of their 5 matches - same as in 2021) France were clearly the team of the tournament - they were head and shoulders above the rest - and I fully expect that they'll go on to win the Rugby World Cup in Paris in 2023. They have quality running all through their side with at least seven world class players. I can't think of one English player - or any other player from the remaining 4 Nations - who would make it into the French XV on merit - and that says it all. Well done on a thoroughly deserved win and Grand Slam!
18th March. I came across this very atmospheric collection of photos of the landscape around here.. Well worth a look at.
10th March. Out on my ebike on a bright afternoon for the first time this year - good to get my legs pumping again.
Walking back from the baker this morning, a BMW i3 went whirring by (impressively in my opinion) and it struck me that electric cars will become more popular if, like the BMW, they resemble normal cars (ie, with internal combustion engines) - and if the range can be extended to 500km and if there'sa truly national recharging network.
It was followed shortly afterwards by two examples of electric vehicles by French manufacturers - the Renault Twizy and the Citroën AMI.. As Citroën itself says in the link - without a trace of irony: "since making its debut in 2020, Citroën AMI has been turning heads around the world – not least here in the UK".
I thinkthe target market for both of these cars will be found in the ranks of the counter culture.. the visibly green, bearded with a penchant for hugging trees. I can't imagine a moment when I could seriously entertain the idea of owning either of these two vehicles: the Twizy looks like it's escaped from a fairground while the AMI looks like not much more than a motorised tea chest designed by a 10 year old. BMW has shown with its i3 that electric vehicles don't need to flaunt their green credentials so obviously as the two French offerings.
9th March. We 're getting down to the nitty gritty in the Guinness 6 Nations Rugby Tournament. France travel to Cardiff to take on Wales at the Principality stadium on Friday evening - while on Saturday England welcome Ireland to their Twickenham headquarters. Earlier on Saturday, Scotland travel to Rome to take on an improved Italy. My predictions - and bear in mind I have a poor track record - are for France, Italy and Ireland to emerge victorious.
8th March. You can listen here to one of the most fascinating discussions on BBC Radio I've ever heard. The programme is called "The Life Scientific" and Shankar Balasubramanian outlines in 30 minutes how he and a colleague David Klenerman decoded DNA. Shankar Balasubramanian is an internationally recognised leader in the field of nucleic acids who is distinguished for pioneering contributions to chemistry and its application to the biological and medical sciences. He is a principal inventor of the leading next generation sequencing methodology, Solexa sequencing, that has made routine, accurate, low-cost sequencing of human genomes a reality and has revolutionised biology. More here. (Now to try and understand it!)
4th March. I've been aware of Wordle for some time now - and until a day or two ago, I'd not tried it. I didn't think it was particularly engaging - but then I don't do Sudoku either. Here's today's special offer - click here to launch Wordle.
26th February. You'll be pleased to know that you'll not find 24/7 coverage (or speculation) here on the situation in the Ukraine. I'm already fed up with right-on presenters on the BBC's "Today" radio programme who have started pronouncing Kiev as - wait for it - Keeve. (Thwack!)
There's not much to smile about in the news today but this caught my eye:
18th February. No sign here of the high winds that are howling over the UK today.
17th February. A few minutes ago I was standing idly watching some skating from the Olympics and at the end of one routine, the commentator on French TV mentioned Triple Salchows and Double Axels and for some unknown reason a snatch of music (from the fifties) sprang to mind. I think our memories may be interlinked and capable of being accessed and stimulated by a complex set of cues. I've got no idea of the connection between the music and the ice skating terms (never having ice skated). Is it me - or are others similarly afflicted? Anyway, here's that piece of music that will be familiar to readers 'of a certain age'.. It also brings to mind Sunday lunches at home decades ago..
14th February. Here's the late Cesária Évora with Cabo Verde Manda Mantenha - I find this very 'listenable' to:
13th February. No more rugby predictions from me! Both Wales and France won their fixtures yesterday in two different matches that were both compelling. Of the two, the France-Ireland match had physicality and intensity in spades. With the score at 22-7, I thought Ireland were out of it - but they came back with 2 quick tries to bring the score tantalisingly close at 22-21.. France though had that little bit extra in the tank and they ran out 30-24 winners after one of the greatest 6 Nations matches in modern times!
12th February. We're all set here for two major confrontations this afternoon: the first will take place at the Principality stadium (formerly the Millennium stadium) at Cardiff between Wales and Scotland.. with the second - probably the match of the tournament - between France and Ireland in Paris. The winner of this encounter will probably go on to win the 2022 6 Nations rugby tournament. I'm going for wins by the 'away' sides in both cases.
9th February. As the lunchtime weather forecast pointed at Biarritz as being the warmest in France with an afternoon temperature hitting an unseasonal high of 20°C, we decided to drive over there to sit in the sun somewhere and shout at the traffic. Unfortunately, we were unable to find a café with the sun warming its terrace - so we eased into the Miremont - that grand old lady of cafés - or perhaps I should say salon de thé - that has seen it all (it's featured on page 143 of this guide). On the ground floor, the walls are lined with ancient mirrored tiles (ideal for discreet people-watching) that have clearly seen better days - but that's all part of its Belle Epoque charm.
We were lucky to find a table right in front of its picture window that overlooked some of Biarritz's prime real estate and the sea. Once in place, we invested (invested being the operative word!) in some weapons-grade pâtisseries - an éclair chocolat for Madame and a russe pistache (right) for me. The cakes here exemplify the very best of the fine French art of the pâtissier. Be warned: there's a link here to photos that will make your mouth water if you have a sweet tooth.
This magnificent old building below - the former Casino Bellevue dating from 1857 - dominated our view of the outside world. I've included a clunky guide (here*) to the Bellevue that gives a flavour of its former prominence in the town. Remember, it was built just a few short years ahead of the south westerly extension of the French railway network that opened up Biarritz to the rest of Europe. Biarritz then became a 'go to' destination for many of the crowned heads of Europe.
* Click on the play button at the bottom left. Note: it works fine on my Android tablet.. but it stutters on my PC.
France's rail network expanded dramatically with Biarritz being connected to it in 1865.
It's days like these that make up for the rainy ones - and yes, I still pinch myself.
3rd February. The annual bright spot for me on the sporting calendar is fast-approaching - yes, the Guinness Six Nations rugby tournament kicks off this coming Saturday with some tasty fixtures programmed for the opening Saturday. Your weekends should be built around these matches (with kind permission of She Who Must Be Obeyed of course!):
