12th February. We received a warning via a text message yesterday that this area would be subject to very strong winds last night. I had to go downstairs in the wee small hours (around 2am) to let the dog out - at a time when 70 knot winds were howling around the house and garden and the all-weather covering on our terrace table was ballooning like a spinnaker. I saw this morning that all the fasteners that secured the cover to the table legs had snapped under the strain. Fortunately, we have a spare cast iron metal base (manhole cover size) that we use to keep our parasol upright - and it was ideal for plonking on top of the table to keep the cover from flying away.
I've not been following the Winter Olympics but I've just had a squint at the Olympics medal table and, imagine my surprise, not a single medal of any colour for my home country. I seem to remember that the British TV 'weather girls' were always prattling on about Arctic conditions when there was an inch of snow on the ground.. so the lack of a proper winter climate can hardly be used as an excuse. I might write a note to the Olympic organising committee suggesting the they consider holding an Autumn Olympics - to be held under grey skies, wind and drizzle in? - where else but here. We might stand a chance then! (New events could include the 200m dash through a rain-swept crowded supermarket carpark pushing a loaded shopping trolley with a wonky wheel..)
11th February. We went to the so-called Chambre d'Amour, Anglet this morningfor a walk along the sea front there. Predictably, we ended up in a restaurant with a good view overlooking a grey and misty seascape. In recent years, this quarter has seen a steady improvement in the facilities provided for the summer visitor - plenty of parking spaces, room for families to spread out, beach volleyball courts, and a variety of restaurants, snack bars and coffee shops to suit all budgets.
8th February. I was down at the beach this morning with Nutty, our cocker spaniel - and there was a strong onshore westerly wind gusting out of the Bay of Biscay. It buffeted us as we made our way to the coastal footpath - and the dog's ears flew out horizontally.. It was close to high tide and the wind was driving the crashing waves to explode in masses of foam high up the beach. A degree or two cooler, and it would have been cold. As it was, I felt as though I was breathing 100% oxygen. As a way of starting the day, it would be hard to improve on it.
7th February. A bright sunny morning today - and as I left the house with the dog at about 9.30am, a sudden movement caught my eye. To my surprise, a lizard (about 6-7" long) had been sunning himself on a narrow stone ledge that runs along the front of the house, and he started moving in the general direction of away - but not at their usual lightning pace, he was still moving a bit sluggishly. I don't think I've ever seen one out and about as early in the year as this. (People say the same about me!)
4th February. This song - an old favourite of mine dating back to 1968 - just popped up on the radio. See what you think!
Bringing you slightly more up to date (I'm doing my best!) here's Edwyn Collins with his 1994 hit "A Girl Like You"..
30th January. Today's gold price: 145,900 euros. (note to self: I must look down behind the cushions to see what I can find!)
Yesterday we had a short walk around Biarritz and we were tempted to step inside the Miremont cake and tea shop (it sounds much different in French). This is one of the last surviving businesses in Biarritz that pre-date the Belle Epoque.. Look at the photos in the link above. This is somewhere to visit at least once in your life.
22nd January. I was ambling around Saint-Jean-de-Luzin mid-2023 when my eye was caught by the sight of a gleaming gold ingot in a shop window. Once back home, and solely out of idle curiosity, I looked up the current price for a 1kg ingot and I found it was 57,000 euros. I later returned to the website every few months to see if there was a trend upwards or downwards. You might be interested to know that today's price for it is - wait for it (put your cocoa down!) - a hefty 132,000 euros. That should tell you all you need to know about the present political situation.
14th January. Mid January and need a lift? This piece should do it!
13th January. We had a spell of cold weather recently (in the bracket 0° - 5°C) and as a result, the bougainvillea that I planted last year is now looking the worse for wear. It had quickly climbed up the front wall of the house to a height of around 8-9 feet - but I've just noticed that all the leaves have shrivelled due to the cold. My question is this: should I prune it back hard - or leave it and let Nature take its course? The outside temperature is now up in the mid teens.
2nd January 2026. First of all, a happy New Year to you!
I just had to check how long it had been since we arrived in the Pays basque.. The answer? 18 years and 4 months.. Phew.. It has f-l-o-w-n by..
We went out yesterday to have lunch at an old favourite of ours - the Restaurant Larralde, Ascain. If ever a lunch started a year with a bang, it was this one. Suffice to say, without going into detail, they did us proud.. and I imagine it will be a long time before we enjoy a better lunch than we had yesterday.. (but I'm always willing to be proven wrong!😃)
