268. The longest day

30th June. Here's one of those disturbingly beautiful and profound pieces of music that has the uncanny ability to haunt us - to reach deep into our souls. It's Max Bruch's Kol Nidrei - played here by the late Jacqueline du Pré, one of the greatest of all cello virtuosos. I can never listen to this piece without the feeling that it seems to presage the horrors that were later to befall millions of European Jews some sixty years on. 

Trivia question: Bruch wrote "Kol Nidrei" in 1880 - but where did he write it? Answer: Here & here. 

27th June. We drove down to Ilbarritz yesterday evening to take some air.. There were still quite a few people in the water and on the beach at 10pm! By the way, if you click on the photo, you'll see a speck far out to sea just to the right of the setting sun.. it was a swimmer! And in case you're wondering, the object at the top of the photo is an airliner inbound to Biarritz airport.

26th June. Bayonne's masterclass roadworks demonstration is still far from complete. For months now, pavements have been dug up and realigned in accordance with a grand master plan - while the roads have endured serious surgery to squeeze in one, and sometimes two, additional lanes for the new electric tram'bus service. It's battery powered so that means no overhead wiring is required. However, it begs the question: why does it need a dedicated lane then..? Aah, that must be to guarantee that it will keep moving when all the conventional road traffic is congested. A cynic might say that it wouldn't have been as badly congested if valuable road space hadn't been sacrificed for the Tram'bus.

And while the space for conventionally powered transport has been reduced, the Town Halls on the Basque coast have been busy approving the construction of "residences" (aka apartment blocks) wherever they can be shoehorned in. It's anyone's guess where all the additional traffic brought by these new residences will go though. Perhaps the anticipated traffic jams will force people to abandon their vehicles and make more use of public transport - maybe that's the plan..

Here's a short video I made of the works, followed by an artist's impression of how it will all look once it's finished. Curiously, those dreamy images omit to show the lines of queueing cars! If only..

It's a brave project.. (ahem!) Despite my misgivings about the impact this scheme will have on traffic patterns, I must congratulate whoever planned and managed the construction schedule as they deserve our plaudits - as it's been implemented with the absolute minimum of disruption. Carrying out public works on this scale and in such confined spaces while the day-to-day traffic continues, had the potential for the project to turn into a nightmare. Well done!

While waiting during the rehearsals for our concert at the weekend, I was talking to the two French horn (cor anglais) players - and attempted to hum this beautiful piece (I couldn't remember its name to save my life) when one of them kindly put me out of my misery and gave me an impromptu burst of the Rondo Allegro:

25th June. Temperatures of 40+° in the next few days in France are being spoken of - but I don't believe we'll experience them here - the modifying influence of the sea should ensure that. 

Flat peaches

24th June. One of life's little pleasures down here is in eating fresh fruit and vegetables as they come into season. So far, we've had asparagus, strawberries and flat peaches (I have to add that a flat peach straight from the fridge takes some beating!). Today, it was the turn of the humble cherry! After spending the morning putting things back in place after our concert yesterday evening, I came home to find that Madame had made a pipérade - which we enjoyed outside on the terrace - served with several slices of jambon de Bayonne. Afterwards, she brought out a large bowl of plump cherries - and it was all we (OK, I!) could do to restrain ourselves from finishing off the bowl! One consequence of the fruit season is that the pavements in our neighbourhood are studded with ripe cherries fallen from overhanging trees (the low hanging fruit beloved of politicians!).

20th June. Summer's arrived here like a ton of bricks. Yes, I know this is hardly "Sumer is icumen in" (I remember singing this song at school), but it's the best I could do at 7.30am! The other evening, it was 38° on our terrace. Whatever happened to the slow merging of one season into another? The gentle transition from Spring's chill breezes into the more balmy temperatures of summer? Suddenly, there was a mad scramble here to find a pair of shorts.. And my night was made complete 2 nights ago by the sweet music of a lone mosquito at 2am with only one target in mind (guess who!). Where did we put the anti-mosquito plug..?? And putting the bedroom light on - where the heck has the blessèd thing gone? Thankfully, the plug worked and we could go back to sleep. We don't get many here but those that do are all programmed to find your correspondent. Happy days!

Looking at the date I've just been reminded that it's the Summer Solstice tomorrow.. I think. Wiki explains all. Stonehenge will be on red alert at dawn tomorrow ready to receive its annual visitation of wannabe Druids (on motorcycles), tree huggers, stoners, flautists, crop circle enthusiasts, circle dancers (spare me!), bongo players, a few of the last remaining Hare Krishna acolytes and other assorted ethnically-dressed 'heads'.. all expressing themselves in that slightly self-conscious diffident manner that is Britain's gift to the world!☺
17th June. If there's anyone out there who still smokes but who'd love to quit.. this story is just for you. I smoked on and off for most of my adult life - and about 3 years ago, I realised I was pushing my luck by continuing. I used to think - aah, it's always someone else isn't it? I'll never have to sit looking across a desk at a doctor with a serious face telling me I've got cancer will I? That would be the moment when all I could hear would be the sound of rushing waves and I'd see his lips moving - except I wouldn't hear a thing he said. I suddenly realised I was coming up to 70 and I'm subject to exactly the same rules and luck as everyone else. I used to smoke cigarillos.. and I'd inhale.. (yes, ouch!)

After that belated realisation, I decided to stop. I had the odd relapse but I quickly stopped having those too. Then I'd be out somewhere and I'd smell smoke.. or I'd be in a situation where I used to fire one up.. I told myself smoking was simply a habit and not an addiction.

Then one day I smelt smoke on someone and I thought, "Yeeuucchh!". Now, I don't think about it at all.. What brought this to mind was that I was in town earlier and I saw two girls in a café and one was smoking. I felt like saying something to her - but you can't. I walked on. So, if you find yourself wanting to stop - stop buying the darn things and just do it!

13th June. I was down at the beach this morning with the dawg.. here he is attempting to dig down to Australia! He undergoes a personality change on the beach as soon as he realises he's totally free - he gallops in big lazy circles, rolls over on his back, digs as many holes as he likes, chases gulls.. shows me his sticks!

I had the beach to myself.. apart from a number of diggers who were clearing the beach of a winter's worth of detritus.. mainly trees. Surfers were out in force too.

Later in the afternoon I had a follow-up appointment with the rhumatologue.. I'd been to see him a few weeks ago about my knees.. and on that occasion, I was expecting an injection of a silicon-based gloop into the joint as he'd done in previous years. However, a good rule in life is always to expect the unexpected!

Six weeks ago, he declared that he was going to try a new treatment on me. He asked me to point at the exact spot where the worst of the pain was (and like a fool, I did) and then he switched on a vibrating hammer-like device (about the size of a domestic hair dryer) that sounded like a mini pneumatic drill (or jack hammer for US readers) - and felt like one - and he applied it to the spot for about 3 minutes but it felt like 10. It was banging away like a demented stone mason about 3-4 times per second. Now, I don't usually subscribe to the "man pain" theory - but I had to restrain myself from jumping out of his window. Today was the second visit and, as a toe curling experience, it was right up there. One more to go after this. This had better be doing me some good.

It's not yet 6pm but I'm more than ready for a Scottish tincture. Then choir practice. First though, Dr Glenmorangie's company is requested!     

12th June. I was so impressed by the whole experience of travelling up to Paris about a month ago on the TGV. Clean, rock steady, f-a-s-t and very quiet. The guard turned out to be something of a comedian - as he made a few announcements over the PA in the style of former French president Giscard d'Estaing! Now, take a look at SNCF's record breaking technology as a fully instrumented train broke the world speed record in 2007 at an eye-watering 574km/h (357mph) - speed in km/h is shown in yellow at top left:

This speed (faster than some aircraft I used to fly.. Ouch!) is almost twice the speed that the TGV routinely achieves in day-to-day service. Meanwhile, from the country that invented the railway, I'm ashamed to admit that there is still no comparable high speed rail service (apart from the Channel Tunnel link) almost 40 years after the entry into service of the TGV in France (in 1981).

The UK could, and should in my opinion, have invested some of the North Sea oil revenues into a high speed rail network. Norway managed their unexpected windfall far better than the UK.. A comparison of both countries' handling of North Sea oil and gas is here. Read it and weep.    

10th June. I found this video of Amalfi, Positano and Capri (Italy) on YouTube - a nice reminder of our trip there a month ago:

Having said that, the beach scene shown above is a million miles from how I like to spend my summers. When July and August come around here, finding a parking space on the coast can be "challenging". That's one of the reasons why the inland regions are so attractive here - as even in high summer, we're able to escape the crowds who occupy the coastal belt - and who spend their time in shimmering queues of cars, all looking with varying degrees of patience for that vital car parking space.   

8th June. We changed our car today from a diesel to a petrol jobby. We've only been doing about 7000 miles a year - because honestly, if you live here in the Pays Basque, why would you ever want to leave? And each time we have left home, I can guarantee that before half an hour has elapsed, one or the other of us will have said, "Why are we leaving?". And having left, we can't wait to return home. Perhaps one day the appeal of the Pays Basque might wear off - but after nearly twelve years, there's no sign of it doing so.

We were invited out last night for an apéro-dinatoire by some neighbours in the road behind us. There must have been twenty of us and we all brought something - either sweet or savoury - and it was a really great evening. They set up a couple of tables in their driveway and a few chairs for the oldies (who said, "Like you!"?) and away we went!  

5th June. I've mentioned old Bentleys before in the blog - but I think the one featured here is very special indeed. It's the 1931 8 litre straight six model made by Bentley just before the company went into receivership. What an engine and what a car! (More here)

I was prompted to search for this model after reading Woolf Barnato's biography. He was one of the so-called "Bentley Boys" and a three-time winner of the Le Mans 24 hour race in a Bentley. Here's a special 3½ litre Bentley that's had a twin turbo 8 litre engine shoehorned into it..   

2nd June. Here's Julie Andrieu (a French TV presenter) having an in-depth look at local products from the Pays Basque - how they're produced, cooked and eaten in this blessèd corner of France. It should give your French language skills a good work out - but if it's all a bit too much, I'm sure the images will tell the story. She visits some of our favourite places that I've mentioned here before - the magnificent valley of Les Aldudes (including the omnipresent Pierre Oteiza), the Irouléguy vineyards (above right) that wrap themselves around the steep slopes near Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry (France's most south westerly vineyards) and much more - before she finishes up with an über-Basque meal (the singing must have been edited out!):
I can never watch enough of these videos that show different aspects of Bayonne. Fortunately for me (and you, I hope), they just keep on coming!
1st June. What can I say..? Not a great match but what a result..! The story of the match: an early penalty awarded to the Reds following a disputed hand ball - followed by 80-odd minutes of eminently forgettable football during which Spurs enjoyed most of the possession - then a rapier-like shot from Divock Origi right at the death that must have broken Spurs' hearts ensured that the Cup was Liverpool's for the sixth time. To see Liverpool at their surging best, watch the semi final match (2nd leg) against Barcelona. I don't think I could stand to watch the final for a second time - and I'm a long time Reds fan.

At last, summer's here.. Looking up at the blue sky this morning, large numbers of swallows were darting around the rooftops with their characteristic twittering. And there's a 'three' in the temperature forecast..! We're looking at 30° today. 

Tonight, it's the final of the European Champions League - however, to me, it will always be the European Cup - or old "Big Ears" as the media like to call it. I've stocked the fridge in the garage with some San Miguel - plus some Sangria.. What to have this evening? Decisions, decisions!

Istanbul 2005

Who will I be supporting? There's only one possible answer to that. En route to the final, the Reds beat French champions Paris (aka PSG), then German champions Bayern Munich, then Portuguese club FC Porto (2nd in the Portuguese League) before going on to beat FC Barcelona (1st in La Liga & European Cup favourites) in what has been described as one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League history (since Liverpool's pulsating win in Istanbul in 2005) despite Liverpool being without Mohammed Salah and Roberto Firmino. In a memorable match, they overcame a three goal deficit from the first leg to win 4-0 (the odds were quoted as 66-1 against Liverpool winning 4-0) and this against a Barcelona team featuring Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho.. Here's how French TV reported the match - their commentator sounding as if his trousers were on fire! - and I make no apologies for linking to this post-match video that captured the emotion of that unforgettable match. Like many, I had tears in my eyes when they sang "You'll never walk alone.."

Their opponents this evening are Tottenham Hotspur - who finished 26 points behind Liverpool in England's Premier League. All this counts for nothing this evening however as the match starts with 0-0 on the scoreboard. This is going to be a loong day.            

267. Nutty in May

31st May. The forecast for here today is 33°C (91°F).. We were drifting along in the high teens, with the occasional foray into the low twenties - and then - boom! Whatever happened to the gentle progression of the seasons? This same unexpected surge in temperatures from OK to scorching happened last year too. Outside, it's a cloudless sky and the plancha (right) is still in the garage. There's my job for this morning!   

I wonder if planchas have started to make inroads into backyard cooking in places other than in Spain and south west France yet? There are many advantages associated with a plancha - I've mentioned them before here numerous times - compared to a barbeque, but I can understand that if you've invested in a gas barbeque, then there's a reluctance to change horses. Take it from me though - nothing cooks better than a plancha.

Later: we've just had a few rouget fillets on the plancha (all cleaned up afresh ready for the summer).. with some cold rosé.. (shorts on, neighbours warned..) with a fresh pineapple and kiwi salad and chocolate sorbet and pistachio ice cream to follow.

Nathalie and Gilles Salha

30th May. We visited Ascain today, one of the Pays Basque's most beautiful villages (the most beautiful in my humble opinion) - we'd booked a table for lunch at the restaurant Larralde. It used to be a hotel/restaurant but a few years ago they sold off the rooms as apartments and now it's run solely as a restaurant. (Warning: If you're looking for your choice of main course to be presented on a large white plate with the food artfully arranged into a meaningful pile (?!) -  with a swirl of coulis around it - then this is not for you.) If you're planning a trip to the Pays Basque, this is definitely one to note on your "must visit" list. Over the years, the fortunes of many of our old favourite haunts have waxed and waned: with changes of ownership, rising prices, the menus shrinking in size and quality taking a nosedive - except for here. Gilles and Nathalie Salha still offer country cooking at its best at a reasonable price. They have two fixed price menus - 17€ and 25€ - plus a very attractive à la carte section. Plus they feature Madiran as their house wine. You won't regret it. (Photo courtesy of Les fourchettes de Claire)        

29th May. Here's something I put together for all those of a red persuasion for whom the outcome of the European Champions League final on Saturday evening means so much. YNWA!

28th May. I see that the visitor counter on the blog has passed 80,000. Thanks to all those who come here looking for insights perhaps about the Pays Basque.. although these days my focus seems to have broadened out. A question for you: is there anything specific about living in the French Basque country that you'd like me to try and answer? How life here works as an expat? Cost of living? Housing? Work? Retirement? Or more day-to-day observations? I'm open to all suggestions. Use the contact form down in the left hand margin if you'd like to suggest something. Many thanks.  

Many years ago, before the dawn of time (OK, when I was a kid), neighbourhood chemists in the UK used to make up their own patent remedies for coughs etc and they'd be dispensed with a generic label on the bottle bearing the title "The Mixture". They didn't feature a list of active ingredients (it was probably best not to know!) and they tasted good - so much so that winter coughs were eagerly awaited.

Today, I think a "finger" of The Mixture, with a splash of whisky, would make for an interesting drink. Is that a tickle I can feel coming on at the back of my throat? Quick, Nurse, the screens!

27th May. Some major upsets on the European political scene last night as Nigel Farage's Brexit Party (formed only 6 weeks ago) gained twenty nine seats in the European Parliament - only one less than the combined total of MEP seats gained by the LibDems, Labour & the Conservatives, traditionally the three main political parties in the UK. Surely there can be no doubt now as to the mood of the UK electorate.

I doubt very much that Nigel Farage's political ambitions stretch any further beyond his desire to separate the UK from the EU - he has always been a single issue politician. This result should give the clearest of indications to the as yet unelected leader of the Conservative Party of the direction he or she should take on the Brexit issue.   

26th May. There could be more "Blood on the tracks" tonight as the European Election results come in.. I've just embedded a live feed to France 24 - the French state-owned rolling news service (English language version) in the left hand margin. It may take a few seconds to load. Let me know if you are unable to see it - or indeed if you have any problems with it. (As far as I can see, there are no UK news streams available.)

25th May. Here's a Dylan song I've always liked - from his "Blood on the tracks" album (1975) - "A Simple Twist of Fate":

23rd May. So - last week - we took the TGV for a relaxed ride up to Paris (only 4 hours away from Bayonne now) to meet up with our 30-strong group before flying from Paris CDG to Naples on the Saturday night. We've travelled before with this group - and they're all good fun. We were booked into a hotel at Torre del Greco, to the south of Naples, and we finally fell into bed at 1am on Sunday morning for an all-too-brief coma. The hotel was thoughtfully situated on the direct path that any flow of lava from nearby Vesuvius might take en route to the sea (!). I thought that fact might have kept me awake - but it didn't - it was too late.

I put this video montage together of some of the sights we saw.. As usual, best in full screen:

NB. I've just noticed a mistake I made when putting the above photo montage together: the old kitchen that appears at 1:45 was actually from the Villa San Michele, Anacapri - not Pompeii (that's been puzzling me for a while!).

Pompeii

We were up early on the Sunday morning for our coach trip to Vesuvius - but unfortunately a layer of low cloud obscured the 4000ft summit with its impressive crater. The local police had closed the road off near the summit due to the poor visibility - but despite that, some of the group were determined to walk up to the rim of the crater to see what could be seen. Answer: very little.

In the afternoon, we visited Pompeii - the Roman city at the foot of Vesuvius. It's the only active volcano on mainland Europe. During the eruption of 79 AD, Pompeii had been completely buried under a thick layer of tephra (volcanic ash, dust and rocks) some 25 metres (82 feet) deep and it stayed like that until the mid-18th century when excavations started.

Chile's Cabulco Volcano
erupting in April 2015

When, in 79 AD, Vesuvius erupted in a series of cataclysmic explosions, a cloud of stones, ash and fumes rose to a height of 33 km (20 miles), and molten rock and pulverised debris spewed out at the rate of 1.5 million tons per second - an unimaginable quantity - ultimately releasing a hundred thousand times the thermal energy released by the Hiroshima bombing. (Excellent explanations here of the geology of the Bay of Naples). Read extracts of Pliny the Younger's eye witness account of the eruption here. (His letters in full here. Modern assessment here. Animation of the eruption.) In case you're wondering, Vesuvius last erupted in 1944. Chile's Cabulco volcano experienced a "Plinian Eruption" in 2015.

Over the years, Pompeii has been revealed as an almost intact time capsule of a 2,000 year old Roman city. In the first of several surprising discoveries on this trip, I was astonished to see at how much more advanced, sophisticated, complete and extensive Pompeii was than I'd ever imagined. At a time when many in western Europe were living in mud huts or similar, the Romans were following the Greeks in laying down the foundations of future European civilisation. It set us both thinking about what our legacy will be to those who will follow us in 2,000 years time. It must be borne in mind that the glories of the Roman world were enabled by slave labour, drawn from across its vast Empire. The mosaics in particular show craftsmanship and artistry of the highest order.

The following day, we took the coach into Naples (our first experience of daylight traffic mano-a-mano combat - Neapolitan-style!) to take the fast ferry over to the storied isle of Capri. Before that, I must tip my hat to all those who drove our monster coach during our week - through the narrow streets of Naples and its environs - we somehow squeezed with millimetric precision through the anarchic maelstrom of pedestrians who hadn't read the instructions, darting scooters, manic car drivers and buildings ancient and modern. I think the motto of Neapolitan drivers is: "He who hesitates is last". And you'll never read this anywhere official but take it from me, in Naples traffic lights are advisory only - and "right of way" as a concept doesn't exist. Anything goes. Don't believe me? Look here..(start at 2:40!)

Capri

I'd always thought of Capri as some kind of diminutive kitsch "island in the sun" whose best days were behind it, inhabited by wealthy lotus-eating retirees and the occasional gold digger looking for his/her next target. Neither of us expected to like it as much as we did. In fact, of all the island paradises I've visited, I'd put this one right at the very top of my list, even allowing for the ever-present tourists. The Italians have the happy knack of doing things with such style - they tread lightly and rarely put a foot wrong. In its long and rich history, the isle of Capri has welcomed many distinguished visitors ranging from the Roman Emperor Tiberius to Rochdale's own Gracie Fields (a real star of her time in my opinion).

Villa San Michele

We took a minibus up the soaring Alpine-style roads to the Villa San Michele, the former home of Axel Munthe, a Swede who visited Capri in 1875 as an impressionable 18 year old, was irrevocably smitten by it (I know the feeling!), and he finally moved there at the age of 30, having qualified as the youngest-ever doctor of medicine in France. After treating the rich and famous of Paris and Rome, he was in a position to able to acquire the Villa San Michele at Anacapri. He later became the physician to the Swedish royal family. More photos of the Villa San Michele here. Views are often described as stunning - but in this case the word 'stunning' hardly seems adequate to describe the view from the pergola of Dr Munthe's truly magnificent villa perched on cliffs overlooking the Bay of Naples. Not for nothing was the phrase "See Naples and die" coined - but in my view, Capri raises the bar and puts it completely out of reach.
The house was built on the site of a villa owned by Emperor Tiberius - and apparently in digging and constructing his wonderful garden, Dr Munthe came across all sorts of buried Roman artefacts and treasures. Some bronzes were copied (the originals having gone to museums) and many pieces were incorporated into the structure of his island retreat.

Here (below) is Dr Munthe's Sphinx, (Egyptian, 13th century BC), in pink granite, with its head of a woman and the body of a lion, that looks out forever over the sublime blue waters of the Bay of Naples from its lonely vantage point a thousand feet up - and contemplates eternity.. (this is a photo you have to enlarge).

I did consider posting an image of the Sphinx's face but I think some things are best left to the imagination. Later in his life he wrote "The Story of San Michele" which was published in 1929 (and I'm reading this at the moment). How fortunate he was to have discovered Capri before the advent of mass tourism. What a paradise on earth.. Words fail me.

We later took a boat trip around the island but sadly the sea conditions would not allow us to enter the famous Blue Grotto.. (video here)

We went on to visit Amalfi and Ravello that lay on the south side of the headland, the road was flanked with some vertiginous drops.. This is prime tourist country.. lemons are everywhere.. and the shops everywhere in the region are full of limoncello (top tip: try it with lemon sorbet) and pavement vendors selling lemons including some - limone cedro (cedro lemons) - that are almost as big as a rugby ball - and that can be eaten in their entirety. We spotted Sea Cloud (right), a beautiful four masted barque that operates as a cruise ship in the Mediterranean and elsewhere.

granita al limone

Staying with the lemon theme, we each tried a granita al limone - which was the perfect drink (remembered from previous trips to Naples) - made from lemon juice, sugar and water. A slushy granita al limone is the perfect thing for quenching a thirst - or cooling the inner man. However, a word of warning, if taken too quickly, it tries to freeze the interior of your head - a place that's impossible to soothe. (ask me how I know!) Try a gelato al limon instead!

Next came a visit to Salerno and Paestum. This video explains much of what you'll find at Paestum. I'm ashamed to admit that, prior to visiting Paestum, I'd neither heard of it nor its three amazingly well-preserved temples. They are far more complete than the world-famous Parthenon at Athens but perhaps the Parthenon is considered to be of greater quality - the ultimate expression of the genre.     
The pace of our trip didn't slacken as the following day saw us at nearby Herculaneum - another Roman town buried 20 metres (50-60 feet) under a thick layer of tephra. This had clearly been a wealthy town as the quality of mosaics and objects recovered from there would testify. Documentary about Herculaneum here.                                                                                                                          Midday saw us lunching at the so-stylish Miglio d'Oro Park Hotel.. what a treat! Yet more pasta.. (I realised at this point we were eating pasta twice a day.)

After an excellent lunch, we drove to the Royal Palace at Caserta.. easily identifiable on the link by its elongated garden with water feature that runs in a straight line for 3½km. The massive palace itself could have stayed teetering at the far extremity of good taste but, without wishing to be unkind, it has to be said that the overall impression was one of over-sized and over-decorated excess. It was built on a Hitlerian scale - but without the Aryan restraint!

Finally, Friday came - our last day of visits and for this, we dived into the old central quarter of Naples. We explored its characteristically narrow teeming streets (complete with washing drying on balconies) in the morning before walking to a pizza restaurant for lunch.. (what else when in Naples!) Some of our group elected to take a taxi to the restaurant and one of them contrived to leave behind her expensive digital camera (containing thousands of un-downloaded images) in the taxi. Our guide took it upon herself to find it.

Here's a programme on Naples produced for ARTE - the Franco-German TV channel. Don't worry if your French isn't up to snuff - the images tell their own story needing little in the way of explanation.
In the afternoon, we visited the Naples National Archaeological Museum.. (another link here and thousands of images - including the mosiacs dating from 200 BC - here). Impossible to describe the riches of this museum in any kind of preference - but if I had to, I would rank the mosaics very highly indeed.

The Nile Mosaic from the House of the Faun, Pompeii

On emerging from the museum dazzled by what we'd seen, we met up with our guide who somehow had managed - miracle of miracles - to track down the taxi driver who had taken some of our group to the pizzeria. Lo and behold, he suddenly turned up on a scooter, having driven in from out in the suburbs having finished his shift and there he was with the missing camera in his hand!! Yes, in Naples of all places. We all gave him a well-deserved round of applause while the guilty party slipped him a more tangible thank you. Without the help of our guide though, the camera would have stayed forever lost.

So ended our action-packed week in Campania - we had to set our alarms for 3am to be ready for our 6.30am flight back to Paris.. I think all of us felt the need for a holiday after that! Thank you Isobel (our guide) for whom nothing was too much trouble and mille grazie Italy for a wonderful week.

We can't leave Italy without something from Italy's greatest ever tenor.. Here's the great Luciano Pavarotti with "E lucevan le stelle" from "Tosca":

22nd May. Here's something I found that may amuse you - while I gather my thoughts about our Italian week.

That sousaphone in the background reminds me of that classic Woody Allen story - he said that "my father used to play the tuba as a young man, he tried to play the tuba, he tried to play the "Flight of the Bumblebee", and blew his liver out through the horn".

The pianist (above) is now believed to be helping the police with their enquiries! 

21st May. We returned late on Saturday night from a wonderful week in and around the Naples area.. I'll write it up in a day or two - I'm still playing catch up here (I nearly wrote I'm waiting for the dust to settle..).

7th May. The internet is an amazing resource. This morning, I caught a fragment of harmonica (or similar) on the radio this morning just as I was taking the dog out for his walk. It reminded me of an old song I'd always liked - but could I summon up the title, the tune or the singers? Not a chance. All round the dog's walk I was scratching my head. All I had to go on was that it was a duo. Back home, I googled "60s pop duos" and while scanning down a list - their names popped out - April Stevens and Nino Tempo.. with Deep Purple from way back in 1963.

It's an unusual song in that Nino Tempo sings the melody line while his sister April harmonises. The only other duo that used this technique was Frank and Nancy Sinatra with this song.. (unless you know better!) The appearance of the video makes it look like it took place a very long time ago - but as I'm sure you're aware by now, your correspondent is no millennial. (that's all I'm saying!)

2nd May. We'll be singing this wonderful piece by Gabriel Fauré - his Cantique de Jean Racine (written when he was just 19 years old) - in our June concert (that's fast arriving) and it's one the most satisfying of all choral works to sing - and I hope our interpretation of it approaches this:

This interpretation is still the benchmark for me.

We were up at Andernos-les-Bains yesterday and as we exited the last péage at Saugnacq-et-Muret on the autoroute before Bordeaux, most cars were being stopped and searched by narrow-eyed military-style police of some description (possibly CRS).

This was no doubt a pre-emptive measure to filter out people who fit the Black Bloc profile and who looked like they may have been heading to Bordeaux to create trouble on May Day. A policeman flicked a cursory eye over us and waved us through. We didn't merit a stop and search as we didn't fit the profile - clearly having reached the age now where we no longer look threatening or capable of causing trouble. I should feel slightly insulted - but I don't!

In case you're wondering about the title of this post, I gave this a tweak. (for new readers, our cocker is called Nutty..) 

240. Spring in the French Basque Country

31st March. Here's some more of that gypsy music that I like listening to:

Café Bleu

It was like summer here yesterday - 27° - I dusted off a pair of shorts for the first time this year and we enjoyed lunch out on the terrace. This is more like it! The palm trees down the garden have pushed out pods which have burst out into yellow blossom (left) and the maple is suddenly red with leaves. A couple of pairs of blue tits have discovered the bird feeder and the feed level seems to be going down steadily. We went for a stroll around Biarritz later on and had a coffee at the Café Bleu that overlooks the Grande Plage. The beach was well populated with people trying acquire that first tan. Very pleasant and borderline hypnotic watching the waves!

29th March. Ignoring all the political chatter this morning, it must be noted that Spring has arrived here with a bang.. (a term to be used advisedly in the Basque Country!) We were out and about in the car yesterday and in a week, the countryside has turned green..

27th March. When the British government activates Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon on Wednesday 29th March, it will start a process that will enable the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union. All I can say is - at last! No doubt there will be some who will confuse my view with being "anti-Europe". Far from it. I think Europe contains more cultural riches of the human story per square kilometer than any other surface in the world. It was from this soil that civilised society first grew and flourished. It was from here that many of the fruits of Western civilisation first appeared. Its culture remains the reference for modern day Western culture. 

However, the political expression of Europe's identity - the European Union - leaves much to be desired in my view. I won't delve deeply into the arguments here but suffice to say the 'democratic deficit' lies at the heart of my concerns. Millions died in the twentieth century to preserve democracy and yet somehow the UK, with its proud democratic parliamentarian history and love of freedom stretching back hundreds of years, allowed itself to become embedded in a profoundly undemocratic political construct. No doubt there will be a price to be exacted from the UK for leaving the EU. To me and many others like me, regaining our sovereignty is paramount. I look forward to the next few years.   

25th March. How many of you have tasted Saint-Pierre (or John Dory - more here on its origins)? In the opinion of your scribe, it's one of the finest of all sea fish. It's expensive in restaurants - because it's an expensive fish to buy. However, earlier today we went to the Leclerc supermarket at Urrugne and I was surprised at the extent, range and quality of the fish and seafood on display. My eyes lit upon a display of pale golden Saint-Pierre and out of curiosity I checked the price.. it was only 11 euros and something a kilo! In contrast, the price at our local fishmonger is usually somewhere between 25-28€/kg. In fact, many of the prices were significantly lower than we're accustomed to paying in Bayonne, no doubt due to the proximity of the fish market (known as La Criée) at Ciboure (1km away). We bought one and enjoyed it with a beurre citronnée sauce.

So, if you intend visiting here and wish to take advantage of the above, this self-explanatory video (no sound) shows how to fillet a Saint-Pierre:

However, if you don't feel like getting "up close and personal" with a Saint-Pierre (as above), then the Saint-Pierre at Chez Pantxua at Socoa is highly recommended. (Needless to say, I have no connection with Leclerc or Chez Pantxua other than as a satisfied customer).

24th March. British journalist Andrew Neil spoke out yesterday in the wake of the terror attack in London that saw the death - among others - of Police Constable Keith Palmer. 

PC Keith Palmer

In a moving tribute to PC Keith Palmer, he said: 

Keith Palmer had been a copper for 15 years, a husband, a dad, brother, uncle, public servant. Before joining the police, he’d been in the army, defending our nation. Yesterday he was murdered defending our democracy, defending the very heart of our democracy from a barbarian at the gate. Just doing his duty, reminding us of something we badly needed reminding of, that the most important people in this country are not the rich, the powerful, the famous but those who run to confront the enemies of our civilisation while the rest of us are running away. First responders like PC Palmer. Brutally stabbed to death by a jumped-up jihadi, not fit to breathe the same air as the man he killed. 

Now I know there are still some ‘Jihadi Johnnies’ out there who think they will eventually triumph because their love of death is greater than our love of life. Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with? This is the country that stood up alone to the might of the Luftwaffe, air force of the greatest evil mankind has ever known. If you think we’re going to be cowed by some pathetic, Poundland terrorist in an estate car with a knife, then you’re as delusional as you are malevolent. Yes, you have the power to hurt us. Sometimes the hurt is more than we can bear - but you cannot defeat us. Because for every brainwashed, brain dead Islamist you send to do us harm, we have thousands upon thousands of Keith Palmers. You find them in every walk of life and in every part of the land, they come in all shapes, all sizes, all colours, all faiths. They are the British people and against them you will never prevail.

Well said Andrew.

23rd March. This is the time of the year when the temperature fluctuates. The other day we had 25°. Tomorrow? The forecast is for 3°.

20th March. I'm afraid no words are possible to describe "Intro Outro" - by the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band - except to say it always put a smile on my face. See what you think:

Looking at my desk, it's clear that I must be keeping the makers of Post-Its in business. I think moths have been at my short term memory. I'll be downstairs and think of something I need to google on my PC upstairs.. In the time between having that thought and finding myself sitting before the flickering screen, I often find that the inspiration for the trip upstairs has evaporated. It must be the stairs!☺ The worst are those stairs with a landing half-way up. Pause for a second, and you can't remember whether you were on the way up or.. Perhaps a high speed chair lift is the answer - to get me to the top before I've forgotten what I came up for! So now, we (OK, I) keep a block of Post-Its in the kitchen to make a note of that transient thought.

I believe goldfish have the same problem. It's claimed that they have a 5 second memory. Anything that happens longer than 5 seconds ago is deleted. Life must be hard for them swimming around the goldfish bowls - each time they come across that bridge, they must think "What's that??"

19th March. I read this morning that Chuck Berry had passed away.. A real original and the true father of rock 'n roll. I was lucky enough to have seen his live show in the sixties and that memory will live long with me. His obituary here.

In addition to the seemingly endless list of rock 'n roll standards he wrote, he also made famous his "Duck Walk" (right).. and crystallised teenage angst (before we knew we had any). His guitar playing had that distinctive driving rhythm and he could make it conjure up the lonely wail of a freight train whistle as it thundered through the night across a darkened prairie. A true giant who didn't owe anything to anybody. Thanks for the memories. RIP Chuck. 

And this was in 1958..!

One of Chuck's songs featured memorably in "Pulp Fiction":

18th March. Another video for you that shows why the Pays Basque is gaining in popularity.. I'll watch it in slow time after this afternoon's rugby marathon has finished! It's the last weekend of the Six Nations - and England have everything to play for in Dublin..

 

La Concha

16th March. The forecast was for a sunny day here so we decided to go to San Sebastian. It's always a pleasure to go there - it has real style. The pavements are wide, there's no shortage of shade when it sizzles and there are some cafés worth visiting - plus there's La Concha, an almost circular bay with its golden crescent of sand to contemplate should you feel the need. It has more than its share of individual shops where it's possible to find unique designs. I've long admired the stylish apartment blocks in San Sebastian and I finally got around to taking a picture of one in the centre of town - and yes, that's a blue cloudless sky.. According to the car, it was 25° and what a pleasure it was to feel the sun on our backs again. Take a look at San Sebastian for yourself here.

14th March. I've finally started the process of requesting dual nationality. Why? When I look at the political pygmies (you know who I mean!) who straddle world stage today, I wouldn't put it past any of them not to make life more difficult than it need be for those of us who live in the EU in somewhere other than their country of birth.

One of the first delights I encountered was a requirement for me to attach a UK Criminal Record Certificate (CRC) along with my application, testifying to all and sundry that I'm a model of sobriety and an all-round good egg. The software gurus who designed the CRC application form have, in their wisdom, made it impossible to save it - to enable it to be completed in stages. Plus - once I started completing the online form, it wasn't possible to go back to the page of instructions - and the lengthy form had to be completed within 60 minutes, with all the scanned material attached, otherwise all the data on it would be deleted. Nice touch!

So there I was - having dutifully assembled all the required documentation as briefed - scanned passport photos, two scanned proofs of address and other supporting (scanned) documents - and I clicked the website to start completing the form. The first shudder was caused by the fact that straightaway I was asked for information that hadn't been called for in the instructions on the previous page (aarrgghh!) - including various key identifiers that should have pinned me down uniquely, such as my UK National Insurance number. You might be excused for thinking that this alone would have been enough - but oh no - I also had to state my UK Drivers Licence number - despite the fact I no longer have one. This had me dashing around the house frantically opening drawers and cupboards - before I could lay my hands on my old tatty out-of-date one. Perhaps UK government agencies aren't as joined up as we sometimes might believe. I won't bore you with any more of this but it was one of the most stressful 60 minutes I've had recently.

The CRC is but one of the many pieces of paper required by the French authorities. A whole host of assorted documentation is required for the process - all of which has to be translated by a sworn translator (ker-ching!)

Soon* though, if all goes well, I'll be in possession of a French passport and I too will be able to stop anywhere for an al fresco pee.. or go sailing blithely around roundabouts while indicating with my windscreen wipers. (oh yes, and be able to vote!) I found out by chance a few years ago that I will lose my vote in the UK once I've lived outside the country for 15 years - despite the fact that I still pay my income tax there. (Remember "no taxation without representation"?)
* Soon = <12months!

However, I don't anticipate that, even with a French passport in my sticky mitts, I'll ever be able to enjoy a steaming plate of tête de veau or andouillette. While I have to confess to enjoying frogs legs, I doubt if I'll ever be hungry enough to eat a snail! I'll always support England come the Six Nations rugby. A French passport will simply provide me with an additional "belt 'n braces" layer of security regarding my stay here.

12th March. If, like me, you never tire of walking in (or simply looking at) the more remote parts of the Pays Basque, then you'll enjoy these two films.

More here:

11th March. Look away now if you're not a fan of England rugby.. They demolished (there's no other word for it) Scotland today 61-21 in the 4th round of the RBS 6 Nations rugby tournament.. A match that some commentators thought beforehand (in their dreams) might go Scotland's way. This was the first time this year that England really clicked - and they were scoring tries at will. I've long been a fan of Scottish rugby but today it was no contest. England - sending Scotsmen homewards tae think again since 1983. To be fair to Scotland, they lost their likeable and influential playmaker Greig Laidlaw a couple of weeks ago and today they lost their dangerous full back Stuart Hogg through a head injury. But - these things happen in rugby. England were without 4 key forwards at the start of the 6 Nations campaign and they're still without Chris Robshaw and George Kruis.

It's a pity that Vern Cotter is nearing the end of his contract - he's made Scotland into a much more potent attacking force - but sadly, for those north of the border, not today.

I read somewhere this morning that "Life's too short to drink cheap wine" and I suddenly thought, you know, the man has a point. Old habits die hard - I've usually bought wine in the past that sits somewhere between wine that makes you grit your teeth when you buy it and wine that makes you clench your teeth when you drink it.. In real terms, in France that means I've been paying between 5€ to 10€ a bottle. The trouble is that wine money is different to whisky money. I could, without much effort (not that I do), drink a bottle of wine in one swell foop, oops, I mean in one fell swoop. Whereas a bottle of Scotch gives me more pleasure for longer. Where is my money better invested? I've always tended towards buying better whisky. I think the person who came up with that maxim though about cheap wine did hit upon a truth though. I'll have to stop buying wine from the bottom shelf!

9th March. We went out to Chez Pantxua at Socoa for lunch today. Our waitress asked us where our cocker was..(she always made a fuss of him) and so she heard the sad story of what happened to the poor lad. She took our order and minutes later, she returned with a couple of complimentary sangrias and some nibbles. We've known her for a good few years and her kind gesture was greatly appreciated.

We sat outside under a blue sky in the sunshine and enjoyed a whole sea bass between us, eased down with the aid of some Jurançon Sec.. We opened the roof of the car on the way home and watched as the temperature crept up to 20°..

The temperature is slowing creeping up here - the forecast is for 19° today. I'd better start dubbining my legs in preparation for their annual re-appearance under a pair of ex-8th Army "Desert Rat" shorts..

8th March. That Emmanuel Macron is being talked up as a serious contender for the Presidency is worrying.. I fail to understand how any thinking person can seriously consider voting for Macron and at the same time say ".. quite what he will bring is unclear."? (quote from a newspaper) We've just lived through 5 years of a do-nothing, lack-lustre president - in my view we need 5 years of a Macron Magical Mystery Tour like a hole in the head..

Summer's on its way! This morning, I spotted a couple of camping cars (camper vans in English) with number plates from northern Europe making their way through town, each towing a small trailer with a motorbike. I wonder how many retirees are in motion on the roads in Europe? Plus those who wander the Mediterranean footloose and fancy free in their yachts? Very tempting!

Further to the ongoing Fillon story, we were watching the news last night and I said to Madame that now Juppé declared his intention not to be considered a presidential candidate, it won't surely be long before someone digs up some more dirt on Fillon. I had less than a minute to wait..! The next news item was a story that, according to Le Canard Enchaîné, Fillon had received a loan of 50,000€ from someone. And so it continues..

7th March. Another short film for you that shows a slice of life in the Pays Basque:

Plus this week's special offer:

6th March. In yet another twist in the panier des crabes (the literal translation makes it clear: a basket of crabs) that's French politics, Alain Juppé has decided that he should not be considered a candidate for the Right in the event that François Fillon were to step down. I don't think Juppé has the stomach for what would inevitably be a bruising campaign for him - the media would dig deep into his personal life and, if he lost the election (which would be likely), he would have to suffer months of media speculation, intrusion and attacks for nothing. His decision eases the "do I stay or do I go" dilemma for Fillon as the Right now has no alternative candidate to fall back on. I think there will be more twists to come in this story.   

The main candidates are now (from Left to Right): Benoît Hamon, Emmanuel Macron, François Fillon and Marine Le Pen.

5th March. Having decided that my PC was long overdue its spring clean, I started deleting all the rubbish that I've allowed to accumulate on my desktop.. In doing so, I came across this (right). I apologise if I've posted it before - but it caused a wry smile to appear briefly on my wizened features! (click to enlarge it)

I was driving along the Adour this blowy morning while out to buy a baguette, and I noticed the river was very high (it's tidal here) so I carried on down to the coast to take a look at the sea. Getting out of the car at the Plage des Cavaliers, I was struck by the deafening roar coming up from the beach.. What a sight..! The sea was breaking high up the beach and the first 50-100 yards was all seething white foam, with a confused mass of waves breaking in different directions. Rain-laden grey clouds were scudding low overhead and so I didn't stay there long as there were intermittent showers. (photos here) My old dog would not have been tempted to stay a while either - he'd have stood there with his ears horizontal.. sniffing the air.. before trotting back to the warm car and home. He liked his comfort..

4th March. A blustery start to the day with sudden, quick showers blowing through from the sea - it's known in French as a giboulée.. (another word to let loose when it all goes quiet in the snug!)

Here's a film I found that focuses on the Basque coast - orientated towards the 'beautiful people'! For me, the interior of the Pays Basque is equally attractive, especially up in the foothills of the Pyrenees. It's in French - but there are some nice images here:

We have a few palm trees down the bottom of the garden. My knowledge of things horticultural is exhausted once I've called them 'palm trees'. A quick google tells me that ours have fan-shaped leaves or foliage (take your pick). There's also a much bigger one in the front garden that must be between 40-50 feet high. Every so often we have to call in someone to cut back the dead fronds - he scrambles up the swaying tree (with no safety net) like a rat up a drainpipe - as the saying goes. I tried it myself once and got halfway up before deciding discretion was the better part of the Accident & Emergency Unit. The ones in the back garden are only about 15-18 feet high.. and I spent some time yesterday cutting back the leaves there. They're attached to the tree by a sturdy stalk (known as a petiole) about 4-6 feet long. Rather than give you a thousand words, here's a picture. I think Trachycarpus Fortunei - or Chinese Windmill Palm - is its correct name:

3rd March. The French media has seized upon the Fillon story with great relish as it involves a politician from the Right - something that always guarantees a feeding frenzy by the Left-dominated media. Politologues (what a word) are heavily and endlessly involved on TV with the décryptage (another mot du jour) of the story as it unfolds. The focus on Fillon means that the other candidates for the presidency are left untouched, while the major player in French politics - ScooterMan - remains in the Elysee doing President impressions.

1st March. This was always a favourite for a late night stumble around the dance floor:

The attempted political assassination of François Fillon is coming to the boil. The carefully orchestrated timing of this murky attempt to discredit a political opponent reveals the depths to which some will go to win an election. Whoever is behind it, this action is completely unworthy of a modern Western European democracy in 2017. Remember: Cui bono.  

I'm starting to fear for the UK in the negotiating process with the EU that will start once Article 50 has been triggered. One of the issues that could affect me directly is the question of UK citizens living in the EU. I was astonished to read this morning that a cross-party amendment in the House of Lords (where the government does not have a majority) to guarantee - in advance of negotiations - the position of EU citizens living in the UK is expected to secure the backing of most peers. However, it is expected that the Commons will reject this amendment. Ye gods. This is surely one of the key negotiating cards and it makes me question the sanity of those gentle, well-meaning, but hardly worldly-wise folk in the House of Lords. If this amendment was to be accepted in the Commons, the offer would be swallowed in one quick gulp by EU negotiators with no quid pro quo. Why on earth would anyone turn a valuable negotiating card face up on the table before the talks have even started? More here. And according to this report, the negotiations won't start until the UK has paid a 60bn€ exit bill. Time to start investigating dual nationality I think. (Procedure here in English for others who may be thinking of doing likewise. Here's the official French site).

The title of this post* is a fragment recalled from Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind" - those long hours spent in dusty English classrooms were not, as I thought at the time, entirely wasted.

* I'd originally called this post "Can Spring be far behind?" - but I changed it to something banal.