290. Summertime

30th October. As the number of visitors to the blog approaches the 100,000 mark, I'd like to say a big thank you to all those of you who have visited over the years.

24th October. There's a well-written descriptive 'primer' about the Pays Basque in the "Independent" for those who wish to know more (in one article) about this endlessly fascinating corner of Europe that straddles the border country of France and Spain. My regular reader(s) may remember that Madame and I made our first visit here 30 years ago and that we were instantly smitten by its unique identity as expressed by the warmth and generosity of the people, the impenetrable Basque language, the Basque culture, the gastronomy, the style of the houses, its distinctive landscape - it goes on. 

It didn't take long for us to decide that here was where we were going to live one day. The area combines everything we love in our lives with very few of the factors that combine to make life disagreeable elsewhere. And there aren't many places in the world where I can say that.

The "Independent" article (above) about the Pays Basque compresses neatly into a column what I've been trying to do for years. I've been writing about the Pays Basque here since 2009 - trying to capture the essential spirit of life here - if I'm honest, as much for my own benefit as anyone else's. Top tip? Start at the beginning! 

22nd October. I've come across a copy of Orson Wells' film (in English but with French subtitles) made in 1955 about the Pays Basque..

   

19th October. Woke up today to a beautiful morning here in the Pays basque where the temperatures were heading for the high twenties with a soft warm wind from Africa (according to the forecast). We decided to take a walk along the coastal footpath at Anglet hoping to make a stop at L'Arrantza, a quaint-looking café overlooking the sea and set up with grass-fronded parasols and comfortable chairs.. You'll find it at the Plage de la Madrague..

Unlike similar establishments at its glitzier neighbour (Biarritz), a couple of coffees here were only 2.20 euros. And its comfy chairs made leaving difficult! This is somewhere we'll return to before the weather changes.

As you can see from this short video, there's no shortage of beachside bars and cafés along this stretch of coast. The 'in' drink appears to be a Mojito.. (I prefer the ones I make.. they're teeth-crackingly cold - and they really do hit the spot on a hot day..) 

   

16th October. I spent the whole of yesterday translating the quarterly newsletter of the association I'm involved with from French to English. The dog woke me up at 4.45am (bless him!) and half an hour later I found myself in front of my PC making a start on it. Apart from meal breaks, I worked through until 9.30pm when I finally called it a day* after finding myself staring at the screen for 5 mins. I've almost finished. 

* It was 32 pages long - before any wags here are tempted to suggest that that's not bad for a one page document! 😁

14th October. Earlier this week, we went to the local hospital where a vaccination point had been set up. The appointment for my third vaccination was timed to the minute and there was only a negligible delay as I was fed into the well-organised system. A doctor asked me a few yes/no questions - and then despite the fact that we were both wearing masks, she said that she recognised me. She lives in an impasse (cul-de-sac) behind our house and a couple of years ago, she and her husband organised a highly enjoyable apéro-dinatoire for all their immediate neighbours. 

Having a Britannique in line (albeit one with dual nationality) was clearly a novelty and so I received the full attention of the nurses - with lots of good-humoured comments. The nurse actually giving me the vaccination didn't take a run at me in the manner of someone throwing a javelin - but after asking me if I had a preference for left or right arm, she just wiped the target area with alcohol - and then seconds later she rolled my sleeve back down again. That was it - done - and I hadn't felt a thing. The most painless injection ever. I thought she'd had second thoughts and decided not to give me the vaccination.   

We finally decided to address one of the very last of the jobs remaining with the house and that is to carpet the staircase and the upstairs landing. We've chosen sisal carpeting and we've had the measurer and fitting team around to plan how they're going to fit it - as there are some complications. I've just downloaded pages and pages of documents from the carpet company all written in legalese - 5 out of 6 of which need signing and dating. It's a lawyers world that we live in.  

  

13th October. There are a couple of small wooden balconies at the front of the house - one upstairs and one downstairs - both are painted Basque rouge as is the norm here. The upper surfaces of both were looking the worse for wear with the paint all cracked and blistered as they attract the full force of the sun. After giving them a good rubbing down with sandpaper, I filled all the cracks with wood filler and after rubbing down a second time and refilling - and re-sanding - they were looking much better. (In case you're wondering, there is a point to this story!) I applied a coat of undercoat and today was the day when they were going to receive a fresh top coat of Basque Rouge. (interesting article here on Basque houses)

I brought an extending ladder out from the garage to make the job of doing the upper one that little bit easier and so with an open litre can of paint in one hand - and a paint brush stuck in my back pocket, I set off up the ladder. I hadn't bargained for my right leg (due to my new knee) being less flexible than my left - so I had to shuffle slowly up the ladder one step at a time. 

When I'd finished, I started back down the ladder again (with the open can of paint in my left hand) but when I was about 4 steps from the bottom, my shuffle turned into a plummet as I lost my balance - aaarrgghh - and fell the rest of the way, landing flat on my back, still clutching the can of paint - but being a Northerner, I hardly spilled a drop..! 😀     

Job done..  Next time though I think I might just pay someone to do it.     

4th October. This song by Gilbert Bécaud describes an (imaginary?) encounter with Nathalie, a female Intourist guide in Moscow.. It made the 18 year old me want to visit the Café Pushkin.. (lyrics here - click on version #2)

      

1st October. I could listen to a lot of this:

30th September. We set off early this morning for Andernos-les-Bains (about 2 hours to the north) to take a friend for lunch at Le F des Fontaines, a restaurant with its feet in the water at nearby Taussat. It had a extended deck outside that overlooked the bay of Arcachon.. and I can't think of anywhere we've ever been that's had such a panoramic close-up view of the sea. Fortunately the cooking was up to it as well. This is highly recommended for anyone finding themselves in the Bordeaux region. Here's the restaurant under a big sky - just as it was today. More photos here and here.       

27th September. We watched a concert (Julian Rachlin & Denis Matsuev with Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1) on the box the other evening and we were transfixed by the power and the passion of Denis Matsuev's playing. Here he is with Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No.3 - a Russian playing real Russian music.. Stand by for fireworks!

        

Here's another look at my 'dream'.. a 50+ year old Porsche 912 that still looks the business in a very understated way - no aerofoil wings, no untoward lumps and bumps - just timeless styling: 

21st September. I was out for a ride on my bike along the banks of the Adour this morning  when I came across 'Hermione" in dry dock. She's a replica of an 18th century three-masted French frigate of the same name. I was surprised to read somewhere that back in the 18th C she had a crew of 300.. 

She's here in dry dock in Bayonne for 6 months - having some damage below the waterline put right - so I'm hoping to have a look around her. With our long maritime history, I think this is something the UK could and should emulate. (Looks like someone has already had this idea - Google has just turned up the Lenox project) 

18th September. Back home after a few days away at Bielle in the Vallée d'Ossau.. with its stunning mountain scenery, towering peaks and alpine-style roads with vertiginous drop-offs. The big plus for us though was that we could breathe at last after the heat and humidity of the recent weather on the coast. 

Every field seem to be devoted to the growing of corn or maize (maïs in French) - the stalks of which were a good 7-8 feet high. It's rarely seen on menus in France though as it's only considered suitable for animal feed here..

   

The owner of the hotel where we stayed had an immaculate Lancia Montecarlo* in rally trim in red - what else!

* It may have been the legendary supercharged 037 model - it had 4 pipes sticking out of the back - my knowledge of Lancias is not that great. 

During one prolonged day of rain, we decided to revisit a favourite restaurant of ours - Les Bains de Secours at Sévignac-Meyracq - for lunch. It's situated in la France profonde. Once again, we enjoyed a wonderfully inventive lunch there - full of surprises - all of them good! I don't think we've ever had better anywhere. Highly recommended - and well worth making that special journey to visit it - you won't be sorry.  

For our last night in the Vallée d'Ossau, we decided to treat ourselves at a restaurant in nearby Laruns that featured garbure.. To an ear attuned to the sound of the English language, garbure doesn't sound that appetising but, when made well, it is a very special dish indeed. See what you think:

Unfortunately, our garbure was nothing like the one shown above!

After driving through a more or less constant downpour we arrived back in the Pays Basque and after picking up the pooch from the kennels we took him down to the beach for a good run.. As much as I like being up in the mountains, there's something indefinable about the sea that has always drawn me - is it the distant horizon with its constant reminder of a world beyond? Or is it that salty tang? Or the eternally restless sound of the waves? Or all of the above?  

9th September. Here's Jean Paul Belmondo making his final appearance at Les Invalides this afternoon. I'm sure he's still smiling in there.. 

   

7th September. Sad to hear yesterday of the demise of that great French actor - Jean-Paul Belmondo - who for many epitomised the charm of the Frenchman with his confident swagger, sheer likeability and easy charisma. With his distinctive features, there was only ever going to be one job for him and he found it early on. He was one of a dwindling number of film stars who could, without any exaggeration at all, be said to be irreplaceable. He was to generations of French filmgoers what Sean Connery (and Kirk Douglas before him) had been to the Anglophone world - a larger-than-life character who, by some strange magic or alchemy, was able to dominate every scene of his films. To many French men, he typified the French man they'd like to have been. Ask yourself: who's left?  

    

Over the weekend, we had 3 days of bullfights at Les Arènes nearby.. The bullring is on my early morning dog-walking route and I think it was on Sunday morning that I saw a "suit of lights" hanging up on a garment rail inside the grounds of the bullring as vans were unloaded. It struck me that the spectacle of the bullfighters and the whole carefully calibrated charade of the presentation is designed to divert and distract the viewing public from the essential cruelty of bullfighting. 

Hemingway fell hook, line and sinker for the spectacle in the 1920s and wrote "Death in the Afternoon" - what many have subsequently described as the 'bible' of bullfighting - where he wrote of: “the emotional and spiritual intensity and pure classic beauty that can be produced by a man, an animal, and a piece of scarlet serge draped on a stick.” (conveniently forgetting the sword) I'm not sure that the bull would agree with him. There's no mention of the cruelty in Hemingway's world. As an activity, it is abhorrent, medieval, cruel and decadent and it has no place in Europe, let alone in France.

I remember reading "Death in the Afternoon" as an impressionable 20 year old and I have to confess that Hemingway's persuasive prose had me nodding along with him. This is the problem when you confuse a description of bullfighting when written by an author at the peak of his powers with the sordid reality of it. I remember once trying to convince a girlfriend at the time that bullfighting was a noble art - having read his book but never having seen a bullfight. How wrong I was.  

If I were to go into a field and start stabbing at a bull or a cow with a sword, I'd fully expect - and deserve - to be arrested for cruelty to animals. However, in a bullring, matadors are applauded.   

Later on in the day, during the mid-afternoon dog walk, I crossed paths with 4 elegantly dressed, coiffed and perfumed ladies who were en route to witness 6 bulls being put to death for their evening entertainment. I would have liked to have thrown the contents of a full dustbin over the lot of them (and more). 

   

2nd September. The sky has suddenly gone black - as in black - here - and a few minutes ago a lady from a flat behind us called to say our garage door was open and that there was a storm coming.. Moments later, the sky was full of lightning and now the rain is now falling in sheets like a monsoon. There are some kind people around. Merci beaucoup! 

I should have taken a photo of the western sky - a dense black wedge of mammatus cloud - black as night - was driving in from the sea and it split the sky - with clear blue sky showing on either side. I've seen mammatus cloud before but this was an extreme example of it (the cloud was denser and blacker than any of the photos shown in these two links). There were multiple soundless flashes of lightning within this mass and then suddenly the skies opened with a torrential downpour accompanied by lightning flashes and violent crashes of thunder.

One good thing to come out of the Covid 19 global pandemic has been the eruption of virtual choirs.. here's one with Judy Collins' "Amazing Grace":

Apparently there's a shortage of Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) drivers in the UK..

Yesterday marked our 14th year since arriving in the Pays basque in September 2007. I meant to post on the subject yesterday but I ended up in a stressful online electronic tangle with a Forex trading company that we'd been using since February. In the middle of a routine monthly online transaction to change our £ sterling to euros, they suddenly demanded to know my employment status, then they asked for a photograph - not a scan or a photocopy - but a photograph of my passport - and finally to surrender control of my mobile phone to them so that they could take a "selfie" of me. 

I wasn't sure if their site had been hacked or not but I thought the security measures they were taking were out of all proportion to the risk. And under the pressure to complete the transaction I started responding to their demands before I suddenly realised that they were excessive and potentially damaging to me. Why hadn't they emailed all their clients to brief them on their new security policy so that we could read through it in slow time and prepare the necessary info for them? To launch into these bizarre requests in the middle of a transaction caused other sites I was using to time out - amid great frustration.   

I pulled the plug on that nonsense and started googling for an alternative Forex dealer. Finally, after starting the abortive transfer process at around 11am - I finally completed the monthly currency exchange with a new Forex dealer at 9.30pm.. Phew! In between all of that, I called my UK bank* to brief them on what had happened and to ask them to block any requests from the offending company to transfer money from our account.  

* This involved an inordinately long time waiting on their "Customer Service Department" (ahem!) to pick up the phone.. I gave up the first time after waiting 18 minutes stuck in a queueing system. Aaaarrgghh! Breathe deeply - and now r e l a x.

29th August. This is the weekend of le Grand Retour (the big return) when those holidaymakers with children will be making the great trek back home. Not a day to be out and about on France's autoroutes, especially those heading towards Paris. 

25th August. Earlier I was half-listening to someone on the radio prattling on (and on) about the joys of WFH as he called it.. (it's known as working from home to the rest of us). It struck me that one of the reasons why we've enjoyed the last 14 years so much is because we too have been 'working from home' - if you can call work taking the dog for a run on the beach; exploring mountain passes in the Pyrenees; having lunch out in Basque villages where life stops at lunchtime; wondering which pair of shorts to wear or any one of a thousand other things. If this is WFH, then long may it continue. 

23rd August. I really don't understand anti-vaxxers - I remember thinking right at the start of it all, that the only way that we'll be able to defeat Covid would be via mass vaccination. Yet the anti-vaxxers have all kinds of fanciful theories - ranging from the bizarre - Bill Gates wants to inject us with tracking devices - to the nonsensical - such as Boris Johnson is "behind" it - whatever that means. Then there are those benighted anti-vaxxers here in France who shout "Liberté" when they are really making an anti-Government protest. If ever I met an anti-vaxxer, I'd be tempted to show him/her this.  

We paid a visit to Biarritz yesterday morning and found a table at the Bleu Café on the Grande Plage - but someone has had the bright idea of installing some OTT monster parasols.. so now there's just a letterbox view of the sea. There's still nowhere else we'd like to be on a Sunday morning though!

21st August. Out in the car this morning for some minor shopping, and at a set of lights there was a young man standing in front of three lanes of stationary traffic juggling 3 Indian clubs before darting among the cars looking for tips.. The summer always brings more than a few of these 'hopefuls' down here - I once saw a lady in town waving a 6 foot ribbon around in the hope of capturing spare change from passers-by. Her 'act' couldn't have been more minimalistic..  

There are no words sufficient to describe the human tragedy that is unfolding in Afghanistan in the wake of the decision to pull out. Without wishing to point fingers at any individuals, it's clear that, in the West, we have too many politicians and not enough statesmen. In fact, no statesmen. It seems to have escaped our politicians' attention that there's an unbridgeable gulf between our Occidental concepts of democracy, law, education for all - and the type of society that the Taliban seem to want to impose - backed by Sharia law - where medieval punishments such as stonings for adultery and hand amputation for theft are de rigueur. 

There's one ray of sunshine as far as I'm conerned (you may think it trivial - and you're probably right) but perhaps the day is fast approaching when I'll no longer have to endure listening to the BBC 'journalists' talking about Afghanistarn, Karble and the Talibarn. It might be a small thing but these languid Home Counties pronunciations have had me gritting my teeth for 20 years. The last time I looked, the diminutive of Stanley isn't Starn - it's Stan; and Karble should be Ka-bull (Ka to rhyme with cat) and Talibarn should of course be Talibann.. I think I'm fighting a losing bartle though! 😀     

20th August. Blue skies this morning.. At last! 😎

Here's Scotland looking at its best.. (music from the soundtrack of the cult film "Local Hero")

  

19th August. For all dog owners 'out there' who think they know their dogs, here's a cautionary tale.. I went out in the garden this afternoon to see Nutty (our cocker spaniel) standing astride a fluttering fledgling. When he saw me coming, he grabbed it and disappeared with it like a flash into the 'jungle' - some big bushes that are his preserve. We managed to catch him in a pincer movement - but too late.. he'd eaten it.  First lizards and now fledglings.. he's a serial killer. He's the fourth cocker we've had but he's the first (that we know of) to eat other species. Not good.

I had a good ride (on my ebike) early this cool morning along the banks of the olive green Nive - and, to my surprise, for such a beautiful river, I was disappointed that there wasn't a single boat out on the water. 

However, there was quite a few holiday makers with loose toddlers on the towpath, along with roller-bladers plus a couple of anti-social lycra-clad cyclists riding two abreast - so I had to keep a watchful eye out when passing them. I rode as far as the footbridge at Villefranque - I think I did about 30km in total. I know, it's hardly Tour de France territory but it's better than not doing it.  

17th August. I've just spotted an account in an English newspaper of a bizarre construction that's appeared adjacent to London's Marble Arch.. a 25m (82 feet) high artificial hill (or mound) that's cost £6m (so far). It's designed to attract people to come and shop in Oxford Street.. How threadbare must your imagination be to think that something as ill-conceived as this could possibly bring people back into central London and not only that, but people would pay to climb up it? In failing miserably to touch the human spirit, this project is akin to the loosely-named Millennium Dome.. that was anything but and could easily have been charged with an offence under the Trade Descriptions Act. What to say except that somewhere in London the lunatics are running the asylum..  

And in other news, from the roof of London's Dorchester Hotel nearby, read this review of their 'Polo Lounge' and weep.. (The bread basket is £16. The salads start at £28. A bowl of pasta is £38. A steak is £135. Proof that I'm not making this up!) 

Far from encouraging me to visit the self-proclaimed "world-class city", stories like these have the opposite effect on me. I'm more than happy to leave them to it.

This is Silbury Hill - and it was built around 4,500 years ago.. without fanfare. More photos here and more info here.

12th August. Just cooling down after driving back home through the massed holiday traffic from Ascain where we had lunch at Restaurant Larralde with a friend who's going through a rocky patch in her personal life. There were a few long tables set out under the trees for family parties of Basques - very traditional. 

It was warm and heavy until, with a sudden rolling crash of thunder up in the mountains behind us, the spattering of drops turned into an instant downpour - forcing groups from unprotected tables to scurry indoors clutching their glasses of wine.. while the waitresses quickly stripped the tables that were bearing the brunt. We were dry under a big umbrella.. Minutes later, it was all over and the garden dried out quickly under a hot sun. 

It normally takes us ½ hour to drive there - today, it took 1 hour 20 mins.. I don't think I've seen holiday traffic as bad as this for a loong time. It was a tad grey so I think people had decided to give the beaches a miss - so the roads were full - as were the restaurants. Fortunately, we'd booked.   

This was playing on the radio earlier..

 

11th August. I wouldn't have thought this was possible - but - never say never. Here's the Joscho Stephan Trio in a dazzling display of technical virtuosity as they present their acoustic version of Jimi Hendrix's epic sixties single "Hey Joe" as you've never heard it before.. (the few bars from 2.49 to 3.05 do it for me)  Caution - do not try this at home!

     

9th August. Just back from a trip to the coast to give the pooch a leg stretch.. On the way back, on a two lane road, a young lad on a scooter filtered down the middle of the road with inches to spare on either side.. The problem was, he had a full size long board attached loosely to a support on his scooter. Another one for the Darwin Awards.   

Make yourself a cup of tea/coffee/whatever or pour yourself a cold one and relax with this video (no music or commentary - just the sound of the sea) of the endless motion of the Atlantic as it surges up against the beaches and rocks at Biarritz:

   

5th August. No prizes for guessing the title of this next piece - it's catching!

 

("Dark Eyes" - it starts at 0.50 if you want to cut to the chase!)

Just back from a trip to Grand Frais (just by the airport at Biarritz) - a supermarket chain that specialises in f-r-e-s-h produce. I seldom make reference here to food shopping in supermarkets but to anyone planning on visiting France I'd say make sure you pay Grand Frais a visit.. they have stores all over France. They're unlike any other food shop that I know of and it makes shopping a pleasure.. rather than the stress of hunting down what you want in France's crowded giant-sized supermarkets. Their fruit and veg is incredibly fresh, with some of it gleaming as clouds of water vapour drift across the spotlit displays. It's also human-sized.. If I wander off to look, say, at the cheese - then unlike at the ultra large supermarkets that straddle a few post codes, finding Madame again was a simple matter. Needless to say, I have no connection with Grand Frais other than as a satisfied customer..

     

4th August. Stuck at home but feel like an early evening stroll around Biarritz? Try this (I suggest you ignore the first 55 seconds) and see what you think.. it's best in full screen (with something cold!). Our favourite place for wave-watching (and people watching) is the Bleu Café - it shows up at 9.20:

     

What would be your first reaction to an admittedly innovative carbon fibre ¾ scale acoustic guitar (that contains no wood) that was made in China (where else..?). Before you heard it play, I suspect your initial impression might be less than favourable - but it appears to have received an overwhelmingly positive reaction from the guitar community.. The oddly-named Lava Me 2* comes with some slick built-in electronics that allow volume, reverb, delay and other effects (like chorus).. More here. Given the choice between this though and a traditional wooden guitar, for me the aesthetics win every time. Yes, the Lava Me 2 might sound good but, in comparison, it looks like a child's toy.  

* it sounds like an Italian DJ attempting to pronounce the title of the Beatles first record..😎

 

1st August. Here are images of a migrant encampment set up in the Place des Vosges - one of the most glorious locations in all of Paris - filmed just before the French authorities moved them on. 

The EU seemingly does not have a policy for dealing with the issue of uncontrolled migration. We've seen the people-trafficking gangs exploiting those who wish to move to the EU - and those who wish to move from the EU to the UK. This is one of the major human tragedies that affects us in Europe and yet the EU seems unwilling or unable to address it. Despite it being a Europe-wide issue, there's a deafening silence from Brussels.  

  

Unfortunately for those in Brussels who are studiously looking the other way, this problem isn't going to disappear. In my view, the migrant crisis owes much to the Schengen Agreement - which, as you know, led to the abolishment of the signatories national borders, to build a Europe without borders known as the “Schengen Area”. In an ideal world, this was all very laudable but in reality it was and still is an impractical policy that ignored the darker side of human nature. It was obviously dreamed up after one too many exotic cigarettes.. but the EU being the EU, it will continue with Schengen as to do otherwise would be an admission that one of its key policies is not fit for purpose.

According to this, the EU is the largest donor of development aid in the world. It is committed to increasing its contribution, and to donating at least 0.7% of its gross national income a year. But financial aid alone is not enough to sustainably reduce poverty.

Political action is needed to overcome challenges in governance, trade regimes and geography, and to make best use of the opportunities arising from globalisation.

So - what is the EU doing to bring a halt to the number of migrants who are mobile in Europe? What is the EU doing to ensure that its development aid reaches those for whom it is intended?

Meanwhile - where's summer?

270. Maximus Augustus Temperaturae

31st August. From the "How Times Flies" Dept.. Tomorrow, it will be 12 years to the day since we arrived here in the Pays Basque - thus fulfilling a long-held dream. There's always an element of risk in taking the decision to live out a dream - as dreams can sometimes turn out to be fantasies - but, prior to making our decision, we tried to think of all the likely (and unlikely) possibilities that could arise and assessed the likelihood of any of them happening. We tried to have a plan for each one. Our biggest risk was moving to the eurozone with our sterling pensions (but that's another story). In the end, it came down to a yes/no decision - and we took the plunge and it worked out very well for us.

A few years ago, we encountered someone who was clearly something of a fantasist. One hot summer's day, we stopped for a drink in a traditional café in the heart of an ancient market town a few miles inland from here. On trying to order a citron pressé from the waiter - and getting the blankest of looks in return - our suspicions that the café was owned by a "subject of her gracious Majesty" (as they say here) were confirmed when we spotted beer-battered fish & chips chalked up on the menu board. Again, nothing wrong with that - but here, in a traditional village in la France profonde? 

The waiter went back inside and a few seconds later, a lady - clearly the owner - came out to help.

Even I could hear that she had attended the "Edward Heath School of French" (for readers with long memories!) and she was as English as could be. Again, nothing wrong with that of course, but a café plays such a central rôle in the life of a village community here that her rudimentary language skills and inability to be able to serve standard menu items doomed the project to failure from the start. I admired her pluck in trying it but the odds were heavily stacked against her making a go of it. Sure enough, a few weeks ago, we passed through the village and sadly her café was no more. 

29th August. In 1975, the UK held a referendum that addressed its continued membership of the EEC. The question as asked was: "The Government has announced the results of the renegotiation of the United Kingdom's terms of membership of the European Community. Do you think the United Kingdom should stay in the European Community (the Common Market)?" In a 64% turnout of the electorate, the country voted to stay by 67% to 33% (figures rounded up/down to nearest whole number).

In June 2016, the UK held another referendum to ask the electorate a simple yes/no question: "Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?" In a 72% turnout, the country voted 52% to 48% to leave. 

It should have been a straightforward process for the UK to leave an international organisation it had joined freely and of its own volition some 40+ years ago. After all, it's not as though the EU is the Warsaw Pact. However, the EU has treated the democratic result of the UK referendum with outright hostility from the outset. France's erstwhile president Hollande threatened darkly that "there would be consequences". Perhaps the reason why UK should be subject to the EU's punitive and frankly hostile stance may emerge in the fullness of time. 

Amid a storm of protest, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has acted with characteristic decisiveness to suspend Parliament for just over a month. As I see it, this was to forestall those in Parliament who have been working furiously to derail any moves to leave the EU without a deal. The protesters claim that Parliament is being denied its voice. To that, I would say that we have endured 3+years of listening non-stop to parliamentarians and endless media speculation and we are still no nearer now to implementing the referendum result than we were in 2016. As long as our efforts to leave the EU remain stalled, the worse it is for Britain and the EU at large across the board. We need closure on Brexit and we need to move on. So - well done Boris. At last, we have a prime minister worthy of the name.      

27th August. Here's a recent shameful quote from Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator: "My mission will have been a success when the terms are so brutal for the British that they prefer to stay in the union.” This comment merely serves to confirm my belief that, for all its fine words, the EU remains a deeply politicised club that we are well out of.

Barnier's appalling statement was followed by one in similar spirit from Donald Tusk - the president of the EU Council - who declared just before the G7 that "the one thing I will not cooperate on is no deal."

Barnier contrived to lock the UK into a 'brutal' deal - one that no freedom-loving country could accept - and so the only alternative now is to leave on No Deal terms - and in this Tusk says he will refuse to cooperate. With "Friends and Partners" like these, who needs enemies? 

I can't imagine for one second that Winston Churchill, Britain's greatest-ever Englishman, Prime Minister and statesman, would have ever uttered either of the statements quoted above.

He had it right: “Never Give In, Never, Never, Never, Never Give In – In nothing great or small, large or petty – Never Give In, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force, never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” There's an excellent overview of Churchill here. To get a sense of this true giant of the 20th century, I can unreservedly recommend taking the time to visit his home - Chartwell, in Kent. 

25th August. I was out with the dog this evening - it was warm and sultry - when I saw that a substantial metal barrier (about 3 metres high) had been erected from wall-to-wall across the road at the top of our avenue, thus securing access to the Law Courts (which have been fenced in and guarded by armed gendarmes). I noticed that four armed gendarmes - all in full heavy tactical kit - were watching me closely and so I thought I'd go across and congratulate them on providing a safe and secure environment for the G7 - and in doing so, show them that no, we don't all hate the police.. Their surprise turned to pleasure when they realised I was on their side and, amid smiles all around, we had a friendly chat (one or two even tried out their English on me!) and we shook hands. For those who think the gendarmes have it easy, I'd say try standing out in the heat and the humidity all day wearing all that heavy kit - being provoked and abused by elements of the public. Given that Biarritz was selected (rightly or wrongly) as the venue for the G7, I think the forces of order (as they're known here) did a superb job in providing a secure environment for it. Well done!

A bit of action in town last night - an entirely predictable protest by the usual suspects that turned into a "let's confront the police" situation. Surveillance helicopters chuntering overhead all day. Protesters and people with cameras in equal measure looking for saleable photos or videos with protesters only too willing to oblige. Protesters shouting "We all hate the police". I wonder how many of them could explain what capitalism is? And what viable economic system they would propose to replace it with? All very sad.

24th August. While I love Irish rugby - I love English rugby just that little bit more. The two sides met today in a Rugby World Cup warm-up game - and this was the first time that coach Eddie Jones showed his hand. There were plenty of fast, powerful and mobile players out on display from both teams today - but I'll leave it to you to decide who deserved the most plaudits. Pity there's no full length video of the match - but despite that, these highlights should give an idea of which way the wind was blowing.. I wish commentators would refrain from using words like 'humiliation'. It was a heavy defeat - nothing more.

 Meanwhile, north of the border at Murrayfield, Scotland recovered from being 3-14 down to France - only to show remarkable spirit in fighting back to win 17-14..

22nd August. You're getting some real musical treats this afternoon - and all at no extra charge! With jazz, I always think less is more.. (you're entitled to differ of course) but this track by Chet Baker is very close to perfection (in my opinion). Guess who wrote it? (answer at the foot of the page):

I never tire of listening to this piece by Beethoven - his Sonata Pathetique, Op. 13: II. Adagio - and it was one of my father's favourites that he used to enjoy playing (only I had no idea at the time). A few months ago, I posted Matthew McAllister's version on the classical guitar - remind yourself of it here. Now listen to Daniel Barenboim's sublime interpretation of it on the piano (it starts at 9:46).

Here's the great Ry Cooder with his slide guitar and his "Feelin' Bad Blues" on the soundtrack of the cult film "Crossroads" (1986) - the guitarist in the clip below is played by actor Ralph Macchio: 

21st August. I came across this poster (right) for the Train Bleu earlier and it was a timely reminder that we are far from being in a Golden Age for travel. There was once the old-fashioned notion that the actual travelling was part of the pleasure of a holiday; this, however, has long been overtaken by the grim reality of travel in the era of mass tourism. 

Nowadays, we have to park - with our luggage - in windswept lots that have different post codes than the airport; with check-in two hours before take-off; then there's the mandatory queueing; the printing of our own boarding passes & tickets and now self check-in (this happened to us on our recent trip to Naples); the searching of personal belongings (shoes off/shoes on etc); walking down interminable corridors looking for the departure gate, plus the sheer numbers of fellow travellers - not all of whom make for ideal travelling companions.

The Train Bleu dining car

This photo of the dining car of the fabled Train Bleu puts me in mind of the age when the "getting there" could be just as enjoyable and memorable as the holiday itself - for the lucky few. 

For them, the overnight train journey south on the Train Bleu must have been a highly pleasurable method of launching a holiday on the Côte d'Azur between the wars. Those well-heeled travellers maybe would have kick-started their holiday at the magnificent Le Train Bleu restaurant (below) at the Gare du Lyon, Paris (more here) before descending to the platform to join their train for the delights of the south. (Thinks: "Now where did I put that cheese sandwich..?")

(Here's a little known factoid for when it goes quiet in the snug: In most countries, the “rule of the road” for trains is the same as for road traffic. For example, in England, where cars drive on the left of the road, trains run on the left hand of a pair of rail tracks, while in Germany, where cars drive on the right, trains use the right hand track of the pair. France is an exception to this rule. Cars drive on the right, but trains run on the left. This is because the early railways were mainly built using British expertise and standard equipment “out of the box”.) 

18th August. With less than a week to run before the 45th G7 Summit takes place (24th-26th August) at the hyper-luxurious Hotel du Palais at nearby Biarritz, security in the area is getting tighter than a tight thing. Biarritz itself has been divided into two zones (only accessible by those who are accredited) with pedestrian access only in the immediate seaside area. Those not attending the G7 are being advised not to try to access the town and/or its beaches. The frontier with Spain is being closed and commercial flights into Biarritz are prohibited.

Looking at the attendees, I'm asking myself why the EU is there - represented by messrs Tusk and Juncker - neither of whom have been elected. It begs the question why on earth are two of them needed?

The declared theme of this G7 is - and I quote - "the fight against inequalities" which explains why the attendees and their entourages will be roughing it at the 5 star Hotel du Palais (above and below). You couldn't make it up.

I've just heard that counter-demos by the usual suspects (aka G7EZ) are likely to be mounted as of tomorrow and it seems that Hendaye and possibly Bayonne will be likely locations (gulp!). The heightened security profile was evident during our return from the Ossau valley last Friday. At the final péage on the A64 autoroute from Pau, gendarmes (and possibly CRS) were pulling cars over for a document check if the occupants fitted the profile. As we've now come to expect, we were waved through! 

"Aaarrgh! You don't have to reply
when a biker thanks you..!"

Changing the subject, I don't think I've ever mentioned a ridiculous gesture employed by French bikers (motards). If you move over to the right slightly to enable them to overtake (as they inevitably must), you will often be thanked - motard-style. That's to say - he will stick out his right leg as a thank you. As gestures go, I must say that this is one of the weirdest. Where else in the world does an extended leg mean thank you? Apparently they are unable to raise their right hand in a thank you gesture that lasts maybe ½ second - as presumably in their eyes, the right hand belongs on the throttle. As a former rider I think I could bear to raise my right hand for that long without being a danger to myself or others. This extended stiff leg looks anything but cool (which I think is the effect that they're looking for).

17th August. We're just back home after a few days away in the Vallée d'Ossau.. a spectacular valley in the Pyrenees that made me think I was in a different country. And it's only 1 hour 40 mins away from home. Here's a stunning view of Bielle:

Vallée d'Ossau

We stayed at a hotel buried deep in the countryside just outside Sévignacq-Meyracq - it's not somewhere that you would be likely to stumble upon by accident. (It's part of Logis Hotels group) It was our third visit there and as ever it was a delightful experience. (Edited in 2023 to add: The owner J-P Paroix has left - unsure what the current situation is?)

The owner and chef Jean-Pierre Paroix is clearly doing something right as every table was occupied! The restaurant features a fairly limited* spoilt-for-choice menu and the cooking is of an exceptionally high standard - and in fact, our whole stay there was perfect.

We're now seeking excuses to make another visit!

* always a good sign.

Hotel-Restaurant Les Bains de Secours, Sévignacq-Meyracq 

This video (shot by someone else) shows the drive we took yesterday morning from the lake at Fabrèges down to Laruns.. via Gabas (where one of our favourite restaurants was - now closed). In what some consider to be an ill-advised move, wild bears from Slovenia were re-introduced into the Ossau valley. Start at 6:00.. (it gets 'interesting' from 29:00)

The houses there were of a completely different style to those on the Côte Basque. Look at these sensational properties that are on the market - I would be prepared to sacrifice several body parts for the opportunity to live in some of them!

13th August. I was recently offered a "waiter's friend" corkscrew ostensibly made by Laguiole - the ne plus ultra of such things from that quintessentially French brand. These corkscrews are hand-made and they are incredibly tactile objects. French craftsmen seem to have a real affinity, a craft tradition and a great gift for designing and making small metal objects that are seldom equalled elsewhere. More here on Laguiole. These same skills are apparent in northern Italy as well and it's no accident that some of the world's greatest cars originate from there. Back to corkscrews!

In handling it out of its box, I was astonished to find a small sticker on it to the effect that it was made in - wait for it - the PRC! I've said this before elsewhere in the blog that we in Western Europe are dooming our native manufacturing capability to extinction by exporting our ideas, design, tradition, craftsmanship and know-how to China and elsewhere. Laguiole built up its reputation for top quality French craftsmanship over the years and now - what? What will we be making a few decades from now? Will we have any craftsmen left? 

The security operation that will be mounted while the G7 conference is taking at Biarritz is remarkable. Major security measures are being implemented to ensure that our leaders will be able to carry out their business unmolested by the ranks of the seriously disgruntled. This (below) is how protests used to be conducted in the UK! (if only..!)

For those of you who have tried, and failed, recently to access my interactive map of restaurants in France that still serve meals that are cooked in the traditional way - ie, from scratch, using fresh ingredients, without resorting to the use of microwaving 'bought-in' meals* - you will have noticed that the map could no longer be accessed as it had been blocked by the provider. I'm pleased to be able to tell you that thanks to the generosity of the map provider (Zeemaps) I can continue to offer it as a free service. There are some nice people 'out there'. Thank you, Zeemaps!

* Sadly, the use of bought-in meals and microwaves in restaurant in France, as elsewhere, is becoming increasingly prevalent as restaurateurs seek ways to cut their costs - and one of the major suppliers of these meals is Brake - a formerly British company that's been owned since 2016 by Sysco, a US corporation.  

Here's how the map works:

- to access the entry for a restaurant named in the list below, simply click on its entry -  & click on the photos to enlarge them.

- to slew the map to a particular area of interest, use drag and drop.

- use the +/- buttons to zoom in or out.

- to see the map full size in the blog without the accompanying key text, click on the >> arrow at the top right of the map.

- click here to see the map in full screen. (useful if the text entry for a particular restaurant appears compressed and unreadable)

- the position of each pointer is accurate so if you select 'Satellite' at top left and zoom right in down to house level, you can see exactly where the restaurant is.

My only caveat about any of the restaurants mentioned above is that it's a fact of life that the restaurant business is fluid and that some of the owners and staff running restaurants inevitably move on. My comments relate to the situation that prevailed at the time of the visit. Enjoy exploring the restaurants on the list. Bon appetit! 

12th August. It's been a while since I've featured the great Django Reinhardt - here he is wiz Stéphane Grapelli:

10th August. We've decided to have a few days away next week as the peak of the high season draws near on the coast here. We're going to return to a small country hotel near Laruns (south of Pau) in the foothills of the Pyrenees. We've been there twice before - and there's good food, empty roads, good walks.. and the mountain air is like wine. This time we're taking the pooch! He came out of the kennels a few weeks ago with a spectacular dose of 'Montezuma's revenge' - plus I don't think he'd slept for the 3 days he'd spent in there.

9th August. We drove down to Saint-Jean-de-Luz last night for a few attitude-adjusters in the place Louis XIV where we found a band was setting up.

We found a table at the Bar de la Baleine.. and, over a couple of long glasses of sangria, watched the square fill up with August visitors.

If you happened to see that funny, quirky and highly entertaining Irish film "The Commitments" (1991), you'll know what I mean if I tell you that the group last night started playing that same brand of 60s Soul music.. and they weren't bad either - the square was jumpin'! One elder statesman (not me) caused some amusement by dancing along to the music - alone! If I had to choose one song from the film, it would be this.

If you haven't seen the film  it's well worth searching out (I believe it turned into something of a cult classic). The story? A young would-be promoter/ entrepreneur gathers together a group of dysfunctional musicians in Dublin to form a soul band (the film is worth watching for the audition scenes alone!). After grinding through rehearsal after painful rehearsal, and just as they appear to be within touching distance of "making it", they self-destruct spectacularly. (Warning: If you watch the film, you'll need to set your "Bad Language Filter" to max!)

7th August. Words You'll Never Read Here Dept: these are some of my current favourites: 'nuanced'.. 'conversation'.. and 'narrative' (might have had this one previously).

5th August. I saw the first graffiti today about the G7 meeting at Biarritz later this month - all it said was G7EZ.. It's the acronym for the usual rentamob (aka eurotrash from all over Europe) to turn up, protest - oh yes, and while they're at it, break a few shop windows, loot shops, throw stones at the police, steal someone else's property or set fire to people's cars. Very democratic..(!)

I have no objection whatsoever to people protesting - but I totally fail to see the connection with all the associated vandalism, violence, thievery and destruction of someone else's property and/or livelihood. Then there are those who come equipped with powerful catapults and other weapons. I have zero sympathy for any of them should they get hurt. This is not a fashionable statement but I hope the CRS give as good as they get - plus a bit of interest. 

4th August. I was idly watching someone smoking (if that's the right word) an e-cigarette earlier today. As they walked along and exhaled, they emitted a prolonged cloud of vapour reminiscent of an old steam train. It looked like they were boiling a kettle! Instead of faffing around with these ridiculous e-cigarettes (which are cigarettes in name only), why don't they just give up? It ain't that hard.

Years ago, long before we moved here, when Winter would slowly morph into Spring each year, I'd start getting restless thinking of the possibilities for summer. Just to set foot in France at one of the Channel ports already involved a considerable expense as the cross channel ferry companies would jack up their prices in time for the holiday season - or the airlines would find an excuse to ramp up the cost of their tickets (no low cost airlines back then). It occurred to me the other day that my feet no longer start their seasonal tapping as we're now in the fortunate position of being able to travel any time at all - subject to the dreaded finances of course..

Hotel du Palais

We got up early this morning, took the short 10 minute drive to Biarritz and "installed ourselves" (as the French say) at the Bleu Café at Biarritz's Grande Plage. Perfect way to start the day, watching people and the ever-changing sea. In a few weeks this won't be possible as the "Great and the Good" will be ensconced at the palatial and hyper-glitzy Hotel du Palais, Biarritz, for a meeting of the G7. Security will be tighter than a tight thing - I'm not even sure if the tide will be allowed to come in while they are here. As Biarritz will be in full "lock down" mode, I've heard it suggested that Bayonne could well receive a visitation from the Black Bloc. The Romans understood the benefits of guard dogs. (Cave Canem = Beware of the Dog) I have an 18kg attack spaniel with a hair trigger tongue!☺

2nd August. I went out on my ebike this afternoon for a short ride up the Nive as far as Villefranque (at the bottom of the map) and return. My right knee is still talking to me so no harm done!

1st August. I had the third and final session of treatment on my right knee this evening - using a Swiss-made device that delivers a pneumatic drill-style hammering at the location where I'd previously told the doctor the pain was at its maximum. If I understood him (a rhumatologue) correctly, the idea behind the process is to create scar tissue around the knee ligaments. I tried to maintain a Zen-like calmness throughout but I was reduced to reflex squirming on several occasions. As a fun activity, it's one that's hard to beat on a summer's evening!  

(The post title is just a bit of meaningless cod-Latin!)

Answer to the who wrote "Almost Blue" question: Elvis Costello..