233. Where's the heat?

26th July. It's started - the first wave of those coming to Bayonne for the Fêtes de Bayonne (France's biggest festival) have arrived. Streets which are normally car-free have now sprouted cars parked with two wheels up on the pavement as the trickle of people heading here has turned into an unstoppable torrent. The police habitually turn a blind eye to all but the most flagrant abuses of parking laws. For 5 days, cars will be seen parked in the unlikeliest of places ("How did the driver get in there?") and tents will spring up on pavements and - well, everywhere. We're off!

25th July. I surprised myself by liking this song called "It's the last one who spoke in your house who is right" by Amina Annabi. It was France's entry to the Eurovision Song Contest in 1991 when it finished 2nd to an instantly forgettable bit of Eurotosh. Back in 1991 the ladies taking part were, for the most part, clean-shaven (unlike today!)  See what you think:

The Fêtes de Bayonne start on Wednesday - but the scale of mass public gatherings has been toned down this year due to the national state of emergency brought on by terrorist activity.

24th July. In Paris and just fancy strolling around and taking it easy in a fascinating quarter? This video should whet your appetite! We always find ourselves drawn to this part of Paris:

Looking at this video though, it must have been filmed on a Saturday afternoon.. I've never seen it so crowded.. I'm not really one for crowds.

22nd July. Listen to Charles Trénet's poem to the sea.. and follow through the words in French and English here.

The alarm bells are sounding for yet another one of life's pleasures according to a gloomy new analysis. The report's findings reveal that "alcohol causes seven forms of cancer, and people consuming even low to moderate amounts are at risk".   

21st July. If you're interested in getting the French perspective on current events - but your French language skills aren't quite good enough to follow news stories on French language news sites, then try this live feed from France 24 - it's a French news channel in English.. If you watch this first, then have a look at the news on TF1 or France2, you might find their output easier to follow.

  

19th July. I didn't forget Pamplona this year - but here's a gentle reminder of the fiesta as it was (before you-know-who discovered it!):

18th July. I spoke too soon asking "Where's the heat.."? Apart from a quick visit to the beach at Ilbarritz this morning, we've been skulking indoors with the shutters closed since then as this part of France has been sizzling under 38° temperatures. Time for something cold..

Plage d'Ilbarritz

16th July. This is the sound of the France that I love.. It's a forlorn hope that we've seen the last attack against innocents, those out for a carefree stroll on a summer's evening. It could have been any of us.

15th July. While people were dying in Nice, this was happening in Paris.

Shocking news overnight from Nice.. Appalling carnage on the Promenade des Anglais.. What a world.

Zoko Moko, 6 Rue Mazarin

12th July. We went to Saint-Jean-de-Luz this morning and stayed on to have lunch at Zoko Moko. This is a restaurant that we've been hearing good things about for a year or two and so today we finally decided to give it a whirl. It's a little off the beaten track - go to the Place Louis XIV (with the bandstand) and you'll find the restaurant at 6 rue Mazarin - between the harbour and the sea front (here). If you haven't booked (as we hadn't), I'd advise arriving early - there wasn't a table to be had later on. There are 2-3 fixed price menus plus à la carte. We had the menu du marché and it was e-x-c-e-l-l-e-n-t! Right up there with Chez Pantxua at Socoa.. so - praise indeed. Choice of only two starters, two main courses and two desserts (always a good sign!). The main course was filet de canette (duck breast) with braised peaches. This was the best duck breast we've ever had - tender, tasty, pink & juicy. I also spotted that Madiran Château Bouscassé (mentioned before here) featured on their wine list (Mar 2020: edited to add: sadly no longer true). We were once given a bottle of this as a substitution a few years ago and it really is something special. This is definitely a restaurant we'll return to. (Other top Basque restaurants here.)

The late Joe Dassin wrote some good songs before he died at the age of 42.. This is one of his best:

This is a strange summer. This morning at Saint-Jean-de-Luz it was around 18° and the beach was virtually deserted.  

174. River frolics

15th January 2012. I had a novel experience yesterday morning down at the river and it was one that I have absolutely no wish to repeat! It was bracingly cold - it couldn't have been much more than 5°C (I can hear howls of derisive laughter from mid Canada!) but we're spoilt here as far as weather is concerned so when it's down to 5°C it does feel cold. Anyway, where were we? Oh yes, after the usual milling about, handshakes all round for the mecs and bises for the nanas, four of us mecs decided we'd take a coxless IV out.

The outing started fairly well with the occasional promise that we were getting somewhere. At one point we heard the sound of a boat ahead of us getting louder and louder and, as we started to overtake it, we saw it was a women's VIII. No words needed to be spoken but a sudden turbo-like surge of testosterone-fuelled power saw us shoot past them.. If you have any competitive instincts at all, this challenge was irresistible and the response was entirely understandable! (Yes!) After that, we stretched it out a bit and continued on up the river. Turning around, things started to gel a bit more and as we really settled to the task the rowing became crisper and more punchy.. As we entered the last few km, we worked up the rhythm to a hot sprint and we shot at full pelt underneath a footbridge that's only about 1½ km from home.

Suddenly, there was an almighty crash and the boat stopped dead in the water as we tangled with a part-submerged tree that we hadn't seen.. (payback for overtaking the girls!☺) The current then took charge and the boat started tipping over to the right (in ever-so-slow motion) before it turned completely over.. I always use Velcro straps to secure my feet tightly to the stretcher and as the boat went over my feet stayed firmly strapped in (which was a bit unnerving). I went under but managed to kick myself free. By now the boat was floating upside down and we were all starting to feel the cold of the water. As luck would have it, a few minutes later a club VIII came storming around the nearest bend with a coach following in a small speedboat and, on seeing us, he shot across to heave us out of the water (which was getting colder by the minute). Once aboard, we managed to retrieve our trainers which were bobbing about. Another speedboat arrived to take the upturned IV in tow back to the clubhouse while we returned to the pontoon. I had a cold and squelchy trip home!

Once there, I had a long hot shower followed by a hot chocolate with a splash of whisky in it.. That really hit the spot and I felt much better! (Note to self: must fall in more often!) We did 16km before going for an early bath. That river water was cold though.. Thinking about it afterwards, I can't remember ever falling out of a boat before - and I started rowing in 195... well, a long time ago.☺

Later. Every picture tells a story:No prizes for guessing! Mmmmm.. I've mentioned Château Bouscassé before here - a stunning Madiran that deserves wider acclaim - and I'd managed to find a bottle before Christmas. We had some friends around for dinner and I was still feeling the effects of that morning dip in the Nive (honestly!) so I thought a morale-booster was called for. It didn't disappoint.. If you like your reds on the meaty side, then see if you can find one wherever you are. (Available in the US, UK, Ireland and elsewhere). Make sure it's at room temperature when you drink it - if you have an airing cupboard leave it there for a few hours. And if you do manage to find one, let me know your thoughts on it - either via the comments or via email (link in LH margin).

17th January 2012. We've noticed that nightfall is finally starting to get a little later each evening. About time. Living here has altered my perception of the march of the seasons through the year. I used to tell myself (in England) that I enjoyed all the seasons equally, which was just as well as I had no choice! Sometimes, just to reinforce the point, we'd experience all four seasons during the same day..! But, I have to say, having now experienced the pleasures of wearing shorts for 6 months of the year (if not longer) and living outside just about every day, the return of those long days and warmer weather can't come soon enough for us both. At 8am though, as I write, it's still dark - and cold; but things are on the move.

In looking for a picture of the spot where we had our 'shipwreck', I came across this atmospheric shot of a very high Nive running in front of the covered market:

Finally, if you ever feel that your life has become humdrum, and that you could do with a bit of excitement - then maybe this clip is what you've been looking for (but I doubt it!). Best in full screen:

Saturday, 22nd January. Our plan to celebrate Burns night (25th January) wi' a haggis have fallen apart.. The shop I'd found on the internet that sold haggis appears to be no more. Googling Haggis by mail order, I found a Scottish site that was charging ~£5 for a haggis and a whopping £31 to post the thing here..!! Don't let the gory details put you off - haggis is delicious - even Madame loves it!

Burns suppers are great occasions and it's customary for someone to propose a Toast to the Lassies.. Here's a Toast to the Lassies delivered by someone who's clearly enjoying himself (and feeling no pain!):

I should add that it's traditional to drink whisky throughout the meal.. well, strictly speaking, not traditional - but infinitely preferable.. Can't argue with that!

24th January 2012. Yesterday's lunchtime news on TF1 featured a short report on a sport I've not mentioned here much but it's one that's omnipresent throughout the Pays Basque - just about every self-respecting Basque village will have a fronton.. and it's far from unusual to see private houses with their own small fronton in the garden. What's it all about I hear you ask? The sport in question is Pelote Basque and it's a ball game that's played outdoors against a fronton (a high wall) or indoors in a Trinquet.. When played with a chistera, it becomes the fastest ball game in the world.

168. Mussels in Brussels..

26th October 2011. Back home late on Monday night after a long weekend away in Belgium for the Comète Line Reunion. We'd decided to drive up to Belgium and it took us ~11 hours to do the 1100km. The plan was to stay two nights with B and then two nights with A (B's brother) and L-M.

Although our GPS coverage shuts down at the frontiers of Gaul - it's a case of Here be dragons beyond that - we somehow managed to find B's house which was situated in a winding maze of unmarked country lanes in farming country about 40 minutes south of Brussels. A hearty portion of steak/frites eased down with a couple of glasses of red in a nearby village restored the inner man and we were ready for bed.  

We had a good night's coma and the next morning we decided to do some tidying up of B's garden. Despite it being much colder than we're used to - the car was covered in frost - after that long drive north it was good to be out in the bright sunshine under a blue sky. We collected fallen branches and a few old logs and it wasn't long before there was the crackle of burning wood as the flames took hold (a 1 match job!) and soon a healthy column of blue smoke was rising up in the crisp morning air.

After lunch, B took us for a drive around the tangle of lanes and showed us some local landmarks. The evening saw us in Brussels where we met Janine De Greef (daughter of Elvire aka "Tante Go"- the legendary head of Comète's operations in south west France) together with C and A (A is the daughter of Freddy De Greef - Elvire's son). Don't worry about all the names - there won't be a test! We enjoyed mussels and frites at that grand old Bruxelloise institution - Chez Léon. This deserves a place on anyone's list of top 50 places to eat before you die..

We were up early on Saturday morning and after a quick breakfast we were back on the road to Brussels again where we would join up with everyone. I was wearing a tie for the first time in a loong time and once again my trusty diagram saved the day! We climbed aboard our coach for a tour of sites of special relevance to the Comète Line. We drove past the Swedish Canteen - a front for the de facto centre of Comète operations in wartime Brussels - stopping at the plaque honouring Jean Greindl aka 'Nemo' (who ran the Brussels operation for 6 months before being arrested in February 1943) before heading out to the De Jongh family home in Schaerbeek to lay some flowers. We then drove on to the Enclos des Fusillés where 11 members of Comète were shot on 20th October 1943. (Edith Cavell - Andrée De Jongh's inspiration - was shot here during the Great War) It still retains its dank, sombre and poignant atmosphere - not somewhere that you'd choose to spend your last moments on earth.

After this we travelled a bit further to the Monument of the Women deported to Ravensbrück at Woluwé St Lambert where flowers were laid by 'Nadine' (herself a survivor of Ravensbrück) and 'Monique'.

Everyone was very moved by this visit and it remains a fitting memorial to Man's inhumanity to Man.

It was here that I became aware of Henriette 'Monique' Hanotte. She'd been a guide for Comète, passing evaders across the Franco-Belge frontier until she was 'burnt' - ie, her identity compromised. At this point, she made the long journey with Comète down to south west France and eventually landed back in England where she was trained as an SOE agent. Here's a film that describes the Special Operations Executive (SOE) that was initiated by Churchill after the fall of France. 

This training would have included hand-to-hand combat, proficiency with small arms, sabotage, demolition, silent killing, parachuting and a host of other skills that aren't very marketable in today's world - at least in the world that most of us live in.. 

Then

Now

Today she looks like everyone's favourite grandmother - but when she spoke passionately about those wartime days, there was no mistaking the set of her jaw and the fire in her eyes. I'd not met her before but the old determination that drove her is clearly still there - a wonderful brave lady.

If you wish to know more about the WWII escape lines, "Home Run" by John Nichol & Tony Rennell is highly recommended. 

After a good lunch, we went to a cinema for a private showing of "The Last Passage". We had dinner at the Grand Café before leaving B to spend 2 nights with A and L-M.   Due to a motorway bridge being removed, our route out of Brussels was severely congested and so it was late by the time we arrived at A & L-M's house - but not too late for a very welcome wee dram! We slept well that night - all this activity was tiring..

Sunday morning saw us en route for the colossal brick-built Basilica at Koekelberg (above) - the largest Art Deco building in the world, for a tri-lingual Sunday Mass (Flemish, French, English) which was to be followed by homage to those of Comète by the dedicated stained glass window and the RAF Chapel. Here's a remarkable short clip of it that uses some clever tricks (I think zooming out as the camera approaches) to produce an almost 3D effect..

After this, we set off for the Maison de Ailes (below left) where we had a splendid lunch complete with a piper! The pipes have the ability to set the emotions churning and this was especially true for the small Scottish contingent. We shared a table with W and K, a charming couple who'd travelled all the way from California. I met them during the 2010 Comète walk in the Pyrenees and it was good to see them again. They weren't the furthest travelled though.. M, an Australian lady, had come all the way from Queensland for this weekend. The Comète fraternity has this effect on people.

Het Huis der Vleugels /
La Maison des Ailes 

Finally, it was time to bid farewell to all our friends and head back to A's house. All too soon though, the next morning we were back on the road to the south west. We set off on Monday morning at 9.30 and after a long wet drive we finally arrived back home in the Pays Basque at 10pm. Phew...!

28th October 2011. We spent a warm afternoon in St Jean de Luz - there were quite a few people on the beach and even some still swimming. It may have been cold up in Belgium but our hosts' welcome couldn't have been warmer. A most memorable few days.

29th October 2011. Down to the river this morning for the first time in several weeks - I'm afraid to say the Rugby World Cup had taken priority with the big matches being shown here live on Saturday mornings. There was a very strong current running downstream and it made for slow progress up the river. Despite that, we rowed almost as far as Villefranque in a mixed VIII sculler. Once we'd turned around though, our pace quickened and we sped down river. We did 18km and I have to admit that at the moment I can feel every one of them!

There's a big match in Bayonne today and there are plenty of red & yellow clad Perpignan supporters in evidence. I wondered if Mike Phillips (the Welsh scrum half) - the latest addition to Bayonne's line-up - would be playing or if he's still on post-RWC wind-down. He's an intelligent, quick-witted scrum half with real physical presence - he's 6'3" (1.90m) - and very mobile. His form for Wales augurs well for Bayonne this season.

Another new player and one just as talented is the French international full back Cédric Heymans.. Like Mike, a hard running player, he's seldom had a game for Les Bleus where he failed to make an impression. Both he and Mike bring some much-needed international class to Aviron Bayonnais.. who are currently lying 10th in the Top 14. By contrast, our nearest & dearest neighbours Biarritz Olympique have had a cracking start to the season - storming straight to the bottom of the French Top 14! (equivalent to the Aviva Premiership in England) - sorry - couldn't resist that one..!

30th October 2011. The steady march of the season into autumn continues.. Today, as I bumbled into Bayonne with the dog for a baguette, I noticed that the small locomotive - similar to this (right) - that sells hot chestnuts is in position. The smell of hot roasting chestnuts is one the distinctive smells of autumn & winter here. Also, the pavements were carpeted with an increasing number of purply-red-yellow leaves. The tree-lined Allée Paulmy (a major boulevard in the centre of town) looked very autumnal with its foliage displaying well. The usual suspects were out and about too. The lady who optimistically twirls her scarf for a few centimes - a minimalistic act I've commented on previously - was in position but there didn't seem to be much action heading her way.

The weather is still being kind to us - I'm writing this with the study windows wide open. There was a report on the lunchtime news about an unseasonably early dump of snow on the US East Coast.. so if you're reading this in North America - look away now! Here, the forecast for tomorrow is 23C (73F).  

Ramparts, Bayonne

31st October 2011. It was so warm today at lunchtime we had lunch on the terrace. The shade temperature was 20C but it was much warmer in the sun. That will probably be the last time this year that we sit outside. The cloudless sky was criss-crossed with high level contrails streaking silently across the Bay of Biscay - bringing back all those who'd squeezed in one last trip south for the sunshine. I did my bit for the Greek economy by finishing up with a Greek coffee (I like mine metrios) and a cigarillo (yes I know!).. Taking the dog out afterwards for his daily leg stretch, the garden walls were alive with the sound of scurrying feet as lizards basking in the warmth of the late afternoon sunshine darted for cover as I walked by. I felt over-dressed as I walked the pooch around Vauban's ramparts - the sun was hot on my back. Still largely cloudless at 5.30pm but the forecast is for this fine weather to break tomorrow. Pity!

2nd November 2011. Incidentally, I've just noticed that Alain Brumont, the celebrated viticulteur who produces that marvellous Madiran - Chateau Bouscassé - is having an Open Day over the weekend of 19-20 November. Remember all those articles about the health benefits of Madiran red wine? Earlier in the year, when we were staying in the high Pyrenees for a few days, we were offered a bottle of Chateau Bouscassé (Madiran).. and I was bowled over by its quality. It was right up there with the best Bordeaux I've ever tasted. Seriously. Well worth seeking out a bottle to try/ It's always reassuring to find out that your own experience matches the views of the experts. Here's the Great Man himself:

  

And, for interest, here are his 11 Commandments:

I. Strong plantation density: 7500 vines/hectare. It is well known that the closer the vines are to each other, the more likely we will be prone to a Bonsai effect resulting in smaller bunches.

II. Row orientated at 1500 Hours allowing the sunrays to reach both sides of the rows morning and afternoons. A bunch of grapes that is 100% in contact with the sun will develop a better quality. They should transpire 100 to 300 times more than a bunch protected by its leaves. At 1500 hours, the sun is at its peak and vertical to the leaf this lets the grapes cool for 1 hour, which keeps them from burning.

III. Bud Selection: The most hardy and weakest are excluded during bud bursting. Without selection, there could be an interval in maturity between hardier and weaker vine-shoots from one grape to the other, ranging from one hour to several days.

IV. Selecting 5 to 6 bunches per vine and one bunch per vine-shoot (one vine-shoot can produce up to 2 to 2 1/2 bunches).

V. Thinning out the leaves systematically 3 times:

- June: thinning out East side

- July: thinning out West side

- August: remove 10 cm above the grapes on both sides.

VI. The two first thinning outs let the grapes get used to the hardship of the sun, the last thinning-out in August slightly reduces the alcohol level by reducing the photosynthesis and the sugar production.

VII. Calibration of the grapes in 3 checks.

During the last check, all the bunches must be shaped to obtain the same weight.

VIII. The bunches are checked one by one three weeks prior to harvest to make sure that none of the grapes are damaged or late (maturity).

In total, 9 to 10 supplementary checks are made throughout the whole vineyard.

IX. Control: Each row is marked by the person in charge (28 to 30 persons employed in the vines from April to September). Points are given to each row. Each terroir has a pre-determined grape yield.

X. No grape yield per hectare. This notion applied by the INAO and various control organisations is, according to Alain Brumont totally outdated and is of no subsequence. Indeed, with a 50 hl/ha yield, we may find bunches of 1 kg or 25 bunches depending on density. At Brumont, we prefer talking in grams per bunch (120 to 300 g) and in kilos per vine per terroir.

XI. Hand harvested in crates of one layer for the high quality vintages.

Simple isn't it!

3rd November 2011. With Christmas coming up over the horizon (who said that!), if you fancy trying something different this year, this is what the French will be tucking into - la bûche au chocolat.. here are several videos that show you how to make the perfect bûche au chocolat. This will blow the rust off that French you haven't spoken in years! Personally, I  find these things a bit sickly sweet.. but if you have never tried one before, here's your chance. The chefs make it all look suspiciously easy.

Having made the mistake of mentioning Christmas about 6 weeks too early, I began thinking about wine. I must see if I can find somewhere that stocks Château Bouscassé..