31st December. Another unseasonably warm day for forecast for today. I think it calls for a good walk along the coastal path down to Biarritz with the pooch.
What a world we are living in - we seem to be beset on all sides by many more problems than usual - with few solutions evident - and even fewer statesmen around to steady the ship.
Best wishes to you all for a happy New Year - and good health. We'll be keeping clear of large gatherings in enclosed spaces and hoping for the best.
28th December. 19°C today. Lunchtime bliss.. we each had a couple of Montauzer'sboudins blancs with trufflestoday - served with sauté'd apple. For some unknown reason, they only appear for a month or two around Christmas. When I'd finished mine, I found myself wishing I could rewind the previous 10-15 minutes - and enjoy them all over again..!
24th December. Wishing all those who find their way here, whether by accident or by design, a very Happy Christmas and, above all, a healthy New Year in 2023. Let's hope that those in power who affect our daily lives will try working together for once, for the common good - instead of the endless sniping we've heard so much of lately. One can but dream..
19th December. We paid a visit to one of our favourite restaurants at lunchtime yesterday. They'd just re-opened after the annual end-of-season break.. and it was good to be back there. I shared a beautifully-made omelette aux cèpeswith Madame. I'd like to watch how the chef makes these.. totally non-greasy and delicious. We followed that up with a sole belle meunièrefor Madame and canard à l'orange for me. I could easily make that a weekly visit..
17th December. This is a 25 minute video about the Pays Basque.. yes, it's in French but if your French isn't up to following the narrator, try clicking on the Settings button.. (it looks like a gear wheel) - then click on sub-titles, then 'French (auto-generated)', then 'Auto-translate' - and then scroll down to click on the language you want.
15th December. This is anothergreat old song that lends itself to the jazz manouche guitar treatment.. It featured in Woody Allen's excellent 1999 film "Sweet and Lowdown"..
14th December. I'll have to whisper this - this morning the thermometer on the terrace was reading 17°C (62°F) - in the shade. I promise I won't mention it again.
I finally finished my Christmas shopping this morning.. <sigh of relief>.
13th December. Here's a version of one of my favourite old Russian songs - Les yeux noirs - or Dark Eyes..
Stan Getz and Dizzy Gillespie in company with some other jazz greats recorded 'Dark Eyes' in LA on 16th Oct 1956..
And here's Gypsy Moon with something close to the original intention.
11th December. There were very few people out and about down at the beach this morning.. one or two hardy runners, a couple of dog walkers and that was about it. On the way home after a bitterly cold* walk, I turned on RFM just in time to catch the start of this song - one I'd always liked the sound of without knowing who it was by (The Korgis) or what it was about.
* I should have added: for here. (calm down in Winnipeg!☺)
Yesterday evening, it was time for the annual release of thousands of Japanese (or are they Chinese?) lanterns from the centre of town - and already by 5pm cars were nose-to-tail as they prowled around looking desperately for parking spaces. The first time we attended one (in 2018 I think) it drew an estimated crowd of 50,000. It was a cold still night for it. By the way, does anyone know the title of the duet being sung at the beginning of the video? (Please let me know if you do - thanks)
4th December. It struck me last night that with my recent acquisition of an iPhone, I now have 3 devices each with a different operating system: PC - Windows 10; my Samsung tablet - Android and now my iPhone - iOS. Is that a bad thing?
2nd December. Madame's face could be described as Color by Technicolor this morning - she took a real bang to her head and her face.
I've been entrusted with going to the indoor market this morning.. (Promotion!☺)
Here's something to brighten up a cold, misty morning:
1st December. In the pursuance of my newly acquired domestic duties*, I found myself at Le Comptoir Irlandaisthis morning to pick up some mince pies that Madame had ordered for Christmas. (Explanation: Mince pies don't contain mince and they're not pies - but your mileage may vary!). After collecting them, I stood back to admire the mouth-watering display of Scotch whiskies.. (each to their own but as far as I'm concerned there's no other kind) After a few moments lost in thoughtful contemplation, a charming assistant came over and asked me if I'd like to taste some. What a question - but I had to decline her offer as it was only 9.30am.. (what was I thinking?!)
* Madame had a fall on Monday evening just outside our dentists a few steps away from home and in so doing she broke a bone in her wrist - and her face tells its own story. The strange thing is that just a few days previously we'd talked about the need for her to take extra care with all the wet leaves around.
People from our dentists came to look after her - one brought a chair out for her - and a passer-by phoned for an ambulance while Madame called me on her phone. I wasted no time in driving down there asap.. I arrived there at the same time as the ambulance arrived - it belonged to the Sapeurs-Pompiers (firemen) based 3 km away. (hats off to the pompiers for the speed of reaction) The pompiers took her blood pressure while she was still at the scene and I can't praise them enough - calm, reassuring and professional - exactly as it should be.
Once again, the French health service came up trumps - her subsequent treatment at Bayonne hospital was excellent (arm and wrist x-rayed and concussion check) and it served to remind me of how far the sainted NHS in the UK has slipped. Hats off to all those in and around Bayonne who helped. If it had to happen anywhere, it was best that it happened here.
I never cease to be surprised at the way that memory works. Nutty, our oversized English cocker spaniel, woke up early this morning and decided that it was high time I woke up too. He raced down the stairs like a runaway train - and click - without me being aware of it, an old memory came to mind and next minute, I was humming along to a song (that I'd completely forgotten about for decades) that had kept us all entertained in the car when I was a child..
I turned on our radio in the kitchen (tuned to a '60s Gold station) and they were playing a song I'd always liked. Meanwhile, we in the UK were producing cringe-worthy songs like this (it was played at a thousand naff weddings with index fingers in the air..).
Someone sent me this the other day - it rang many bells with me! (It's in French so you might need to run it by Google Translate).
29th November. Who would have thought thatPaul McCartney of all people would haverecorded songs that could truthfully be described as little-known - but here's one that I came across earlier by chance that was new to me. Two of the Beatles have already gone - the day we lose Sir Paul will truly mark the end of an era as, for those of us of a certain vintage, their music really was the soundtrack of our lives.
28th November. We were down at Saint-Jean-de-Luz on Saturday for some (Christmas) shopping - and it was so pleasant to stroll around the uncrowded streets in the late November sunshine.
Afterwards we drove around to Socoa and studied the menus at the seafood restaurants there. We decided to go to Chez Pantxua even though we haven't been there for a couple of years due to Covid and other reasons. We had a table outside and we had a freshly made paëlla (the best we've ever had there) - and at the end, our waitress offered us coffee on the house.. before we waddled away.
25th November. We were invited to attend a citizenship ceremony at the Town Hall, Bayonne, yesterday evening. There were around 200 of us altogether and Mr Philippe Le Moing-Surzur, the sous Préfet of Bayonne, spoke in a warm and moving manner in his address of what is entailed in French citizenship.
22nd November. I forgot to mention that yesterday when we were cruising around the town centre looking for a parking space, we happened upon Bayonne's Christmas tree.. Words can't describe it - instead of a tall pine brought down from the mountains and covered in lights - we have a garish plastic tree that a child could have designed - festooned with a few oversized football-sized globes. I haven't seen an uglier Christmas tree in my life. I'll have to go back and take a photo of it for you..
Those of us of a certain age will never forget the moment 59 years ago today when gunshots rang out in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas - gunshots that echoed and resounded around the world.
For those who weren't around at the time, JFK's inaugural address on 20th January 1961 set the bar very high indeed. I doubt if it has ever been equalled - let alone surpassed.
I finally took the plunge yesterday and consigned my clunky old Android phone to the back of my desk drawer from where it will gather dust together with a few other relics of redundant technology (mainly cameras - six at the last count) - because Madame persuaded me to make the switch to an iPhone.
While we were splashing around outside in gusting rain that threatened to turn our umbrellas inside out, we went for our 5th Covid jab..
After all that excitement, when we came home I closed the shutters, lit the woodburner, and then we had something Scottish and warming (no prizes for guessing!).
18th November. Yesterday evening there was a flash of lightning followed seconds later by an ominous rumble. Then, as if someone was opening up all the valves that control rain, a drizzle morphed into a noisy downpour that intensified into a deluge. Just as well we weren't caught outside. Then this morning at 5am I woke up to the sound of rain drumming on the roof and water running in the gutters. It looks like we're in for a wet few days.
17th November. The Beaujolais Nouveau is in the shops. I always thought (in the UK) that it was highly over-rated - but not here. If you see any by Georges Duboeuf, it would be worth trying. Fresh, fruity and v drinkable.
16th November. This record by Kim Carnes provided the ever-present (albeit scratchy!) soundtrack to my first visit to the US in 1981.. (Was this a one-hit-wonder for her?) She looks like one scary lady..
This was another song that blasted out continuously from many US radio stations at the time.
15th November. DIY Rules: A few new ones for you..
Rule No 26. Nothing is more permanent than a temporary fix.
Rule No 27. Keep the receipt.
Rule No 28. If all else fails, read the instructions.
(You can download the complete Rules by clicking here)
8th November. Another annoying word has crept into general usage recently in the sovereign independent coastal state* (or the United Kingdom as we prefer to call it). Apparently we no longer have debates, discussions or oral exchanges of sentiments, observations, opinions, or ideas - but conversations. To me, an ageing out-of-touch dinosaur, a conversation is something you might have at a bus stop, in the pub, or over the garden fence. A conversation has no starting or finishing point - they are simply characterised by the noise our lips make as they flap together. The use of this word legitimises a pointless speech exercise where there's no imperative to reach a conclusion. What are we doing to our great language? Winston Churchill (who else?) said it best when he declared that "short words are best and the old words when short are best of all."
* in Brussels-speak
Our plumber arrived yesterday with a huge package containing our new 200 litre water heater to replace the one that gave up the ghost the other day after only 10 years. This seems to be the design life of white goods these days. After removing all the packaging, I took one look at the contents - and it struck me immediately that while it was shorter than its predecessor - crucially, it was wider. We must have measured its width and the narrowest part of the dog-legged staircase down to the cellar several times but both measurements remained obstinately within 1mm of the other. It was also very heavy. There was no way we could try to manoeuvre it down the stairs with the severely limited clearance available without damaging it.. which would have made it impossible to return it to the supplier. It was the same brand as the one before - but it seems that the manufacturer had chosen to re-size the thing without stating the dimensions on the packaging. Ultra frustrating - and it proved Rule No 1 of the immutable Rules of Home DIY yet again.. namely, that there’s no such thing as a simple job. (I've included the complete list below)
This morning, the plumber was back here at 8am - with a new, slightly smaller one and we managed to get that down the stairs without any bother. This time it has a 150 litre capacity.
The absence of instantly available hot water over the last few days put me in mind of those poor souls from not that long ago who had to wash in cold water. We're spoilt these days.
Rules of Home DIY
1. There’s no such thing as a simple job.
2. If it isn’t broken, fix it until it is. (This replaces the old rule: if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it)
3. If the screw isn’t going in, use a bigger hammer.
4. The drill bit you want is the one that’s missing from the box.
5. Never be tempted to change the drill bit in your electric drill with the power still on. (I'll tell you the story one day!)
6. Measure twice. Cut once. (This rule can be applied to many areas in Life)
7. The best tool is a mug of coffee. Look at the job often - thinking time is never wasted.
8. Anything thrown away will be required within the week.
9. If you drop an Allen key, nut, bolt or screw it will always end up in the most inaccessible place.
10. As soon as you get your hands greasy you will need to scratch your nose or use the lavatory.
11. If you are in desperate need of one item to finish a job, the shops will be closed.
12. When the shop is finally open, the one item you want comes in a pack of six.
13. If it's your lucky day, and the shop sells the item you need in a single pack, they will have it in two
sizes: too large and too small.
14. You've been saving something for 20 years knowing that one day you'll need it. When that day finally arrives, you can't remember where you left it. (happened to me yesterday!)
15. Never start a job on a Sunday afternoon.
16. You'll never find the thing you need until the day you don't need it.
17. Someone will have used the last bandage/band aid the day before you do involuntary finger surgery.
18. The only known supplier of the part you need closed down last weekend.
19. The most useless tool in your tool box is the wrong size Allen Key!
20. Superglue is a must for many DIY tasks - it is guaranteed to rapidly and permanently stick objects to things other than that intended.
21. Despite tidying up after a job and putting everything back in place on the right hook, in the right box, on the right shelf - things disappear.
22. If you have to remove twelve rusty nuts/screws/nails that have been untouched since the Spanish Civil War, eleven of them will unscrew/come out easily.
23. You have a couple of partitioned boxes neatly filled with every type and size of nail, screw and bolt known to mankind - except for the one you want.
24. You discover that the new lamp that you bought just before closing time on Saturday afternoon doesn't come with a light bulb (and this fact isn't mentioned on the box it came in). You then discover that it will only accept a new type of bulb - and none of your spares will fit.
25. Screwing up today's "small job" turns it into tomorrow's "big job". (Hands up all those who haven't done that!)
I'd welcome any additions to the above list.
6th November. Perfect weather this morning for a walk along the beach at Anglet (just 10 mins away) - a calm blue sea with dazzlingly white rollers breaking under blue skies, a light breeze somewhere between warm and crisp, and the northern coast of Spain standing sharp as though cut out with scissors.
A minor "pinch me" moment.
4th November. The plumber's just been and gone - and the upshot is that we need a new 200 litre cumulus eau chaude(Google trans: storage water heater) - I couldn't remember the English term - would it be immersion heater? Should have a new one in on Monday afternoon.
Mopping up operations in progress down below..
3rd November. Just when I thought that all the domestic jobs were done and dusted and that there's nothing left on the 'to do' list, I went down to the cellar a few minutes ago only to see a pool of water spreading out from underneath our 200 litre hot water boiler. Our Basque plumber installed it almost 10 years ago to the day - I remember manoeuvring it down the stairs with him - anyway, he's just texted a message to say that he'll be here this afternoon. Phew..
2nd November. Watching ARTEtoday, my eye was caught by a glimpse of graphic art (right) that had T shirt written all over it. I think it had been inspired by that slick and highly memorable logo for New York (it comprised just 3 characters and one symbol) from the late 1970s. The true test of great design is that, fifty years on, it still looks timeless in its simplicity.
We had our flu jabs yesterday.. and Madame is feeling her shoulder today. A number of our friends have tested positive for Covid recently - which is a timely reminder to wash our hands regularly and to wear masks when appropriate. Fingers crossed.
The seasons and the weather now appear to be in sync for the first time in months.. October was unseasonably warm but finally normal service seems to have been resumed with Mother Nature. I can't help wondering what treats she has in store for us in the months to come.
31st October. This painting of a winding street in Ciboure - attributed to Pierre Labrouche - caught my eye.. I liked his treatment of light and shade.
25th October. Films/Movies: there may be better opening scenes out there but I can't think of one. Here's Woody Allen's "Manhattan":
A friend in England reminded me of this opening scene (best in full screen) from "Out of Africa" - one of our all-time favourite films - as a contender with the one above. As I've mentioned before here, the movers had inadvertently packed all our books except one during our move in 2007 - and that book was Isak Dinesen's "Out of Africa". Reading it, it was hard to believe that English wasn't the author's mother tongue. I think I read it three times while we spent 5 months in the gîte at Villefranque. Highly recommended if you haven't read it - and even if you have.
24th October. I read somewhere today that among the many and varied accomplishments of the new British Prime Minister-in-waiting is the fact that he'd been Head Boy at Winchester College, his alma mater. My Maths teacher at school was also an Old Wykehamist and his standard punishment was to have boys write out (in multiples of 50 according to the offence) his school motto: "Manners makyth Man" - three small words that lose nothing in repetition. I wish our new PM well.
23rd October. While we've been enjoying a warm week or so down here with temps in the range 23 - 31°C, it can't be long before Autumn morphs into Winter. The clocks go back next weekend and then it can only be a matter of time before a storm rises up out of the Bay of Biscay and comes roaring in. A few days of wintry gales will set the shutters a-rattling and strip the trees of their leaves - and the period that follows always puts me in mind of this next piece:
This live version by the Georgian pianist Khatia Buniatishvili is arguably the definitive rendition of Debussy's "Clair de Lune" - but I selected the one above simply because of the moon..
17th October. A few internal bulkheads were creaking andgroaning last night after our copious lunch yesterday at our "banker" restaurant when we sampled their Autumn menu. Neither of us felt the need to eat a single thing in the evening - and even today, I could give lunch a miss..
We'd arrived early at Ascain yesterday and so we took a slow drive around the same leafy lanes where 30 years ago we used to go for a run before breakfast.. (was that really me?) It's still my favourite village in the Pays Basque and it was at its best yesterday under the October sunshine with few tourists about. A Basque brass band was creating a lot of noise (playing as though their trousers were on fire..) in the square but as we'd reserved a table outside in the secluded rear garden (right) of the restaurant we were well out of earshot. I hope it's not the last time that we'll be able to do that this year.
16th October. When we left the restaurant this afternoon, we were both - in Bill McLaren's memorable phrase - riding very low in the water.. after enjoying an omelette aux cèpes, followed by sanglier (wild boar) in a saucegrand veneur (a red wine reduction), then a couple of Basque cheeses - all eased down with a velvety Irouléguy Gorri d'Ansa (more here) - then dessert and coffee. It was also 31°C..
15th October. One of our favourite restaurants is offering its long-awaited Autumn menu - featuring such things as wild boar, venison and wood pigeon (and no, it doesn't all taste like chicken!☺). We're off there tomorrow for lunch..
14th October. Just back from the hairdressers after a shearing.. and after contemplating the stranger in the mirror in front of me, the title of one of Hemingway's short stories sprang to mind - "The Snows of Kilimanjaro".. Can't imagine what made me think of that!
Meanwhile, walking back from town I couldn't help noticing this display of pink umbrellas overhead in support of something called 'October Rose'.. (I believe it's a breast cancer campaign..)
I'll be watching England take on France tomorrow morning at 0800 GMT .. in the Women's Rugby World Cup.. Think there might be some skin and hair flying!
11th October.. (already!) There are some great songs tucked away in here.. I don't think I've ever bought an album, a CD or - what have I forgotten - a cassette tape by any of these artistes (apart from a few Billie Holiday CDs) but still - these songs will be played loong after I've gone..
29th September. If you enjoy the sound of someone at the very top of his game playing those old standards on a guitar, this is for you. I've mentioned Joe Pass before here - but his 'Virtuoso' album (1973) is really worth listening to from start to finish:
"Night and Day" (Cole Porter) 00:00; "Stella by Starlight" (Ned Washington, Victor Young) 03:38; "Here's That Rainy Day" (Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen) 08:47; "My Old Flame" (Sam Coslow, Arthur Johnston) 12:20; "How High the Moon" (Nancy Hamilton, Morgan Lewis) 17:37; "Cherokee" (Ray Noble) 22:37; "Sweet Lorraine" (Cliff Burwell, Mitchell Parish) 26:13; "Have You Met Miss Jones?" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) 30:20; "'Round Midnight" (Bernie Hanighen, Thelonious Monk, Cootie Williams) 35:02; "All the Things You Are" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern) 38:38; "Blues for Alican" (Joe Pass) 42:32; "The Song Is You" (Hammerstein, Kern) 48:04.
If the video is taken down again, you should be able to listen to it all here.
Joe Pass - of whom it was said that "he looks like somebody's uncle and plays the guitar like nobody's business.."
18th September. I won't add (much) to theNiagara of words that have been and will be written about HM the Queen - but for me, there's one thing that has jarred.. and that is the sight of the extended Royal family standing in 'vigil' around the Queen's coffin. This seems one step too far to me. The acid test is could you ever imagine her doing this for her father? I'm afraid the UK media is in danger of going over the top with the 24/7 coverage, analysis and adulation of the late Queen. Of course, I respect her for how she conducted herself over her long years on the throne - but we're in danger of beatifying her.. and I think she's the last person who would have wanted that.
We've definitely turned a corner into Autumn. I was out buying logs yesterday - and this morning I reached for my dressing gown!
28th August. I was just looking back at an earlier post - and I noticed that quite a few of the videos and links in older posts don't work anymore. I've been putting off this job for some time - as it is a long, fiddly process but I can no longer put off the painful job of blog maintenance. So, if you don't mind talking amongst yourselves for a while, I'll be off with my bag of hammers. Just ignore any bangs and thuds from your PC. Back in a while.
25th August. I don't think mosquitoes and midgies know the meaning of the expression, "Once bitten, twice shy.." as they've been consistently nibbling at my extremities for the past few weeks. We've both been scratching ourselves like demented chimps.
A new colour for cars has hit the streets - it's a non-metallic mid-grey colour.. the kind of ultra boring colour you would paint a car if you were ashamed of owning one. Perhaps that's the message.
I mentioned the Citroën Ami a while back - a car the former East Germans would have been proud to produce. How big are they? Imagine 4 tea chests pushed together to make a 2 x 2 square - then imagine another 4 placed on top - and bar a little bit here and there, you've got it. This is a real anti-car.. if only they came in mid-grey!
13th August. The forecast is for 26° today - that's more like it after the temps in the mid-thirties we've had this week. The high temps gave the local mosquito population a boost and I've been the target of these whining pests.
I was down at Biriatou this week checking on the state of a memorial we put up there on the banks of the Bidassoa and the surroundings were like a tinder box. A fire swept through the valley a year or two ago from Spain and a strong southerly wind carried sparks and embers across the river and the blaze roared up the slopes and continued almost as far as Ascain..
Fires are wreaking havoc in areas we know to the north of here (above). As for the Pays Basque, it's green for a reason - but in the current drought its forests and woodland have surely become vulnerable to fires. The cause of these is unknown for the moment but while some are undoubtedly caused by accident, barbeques or thoughtless discarding of cigarettes, pyromania is a known condition. (the cause of the fire that ravaged Notre-Dame in Paris has never been found)
11th August. I was using the Kärcher pressure washer a few days ago to clean the tiles on the terrace when I noticed that I needed to renew some of the grouting (a real Anglo-Saxon word that!). I managed to find the right material - Portland cement - at our local Castorama (a DIY store) - but I thought I'd check with an assistant that I had the right product for the job in hand. A few years ago, this kind of conversation would have been way beyond me so it felt like a minor victory when the assistant and I understood each other the first time around. Another plus was that it came in a handy 2½kg pack - I didn't have to buy enough to re-grout Trafalgar Square! The job was soon done with the aid of one of Madame's rubber spatulas discreetly borrowed from the kitchen. I thought it best not to ask prior permission! She is very happy with the result. What she doesn't know etc..
This T shirt (right) made me smile! We're in for more heat today.. Yesterday it was 34° in the shade - today's forecast is for 36°..
9th August. After days of relentless heat and humidity, I've become accustomed to waking early, going downstairs and opening the windows front and back to let some early morning 'coolth' waft through the house. This morning I did so and was sitting in the half light reading by the light of my Kindle when I heard what sounded like someone moving a piano upstairs.. Fine, except we haven't a piano! It was the discreet rumbling of thunder. I went over to the French windows that open out on to our terrace to see the garden lit by a strange orange light.. and I could see leaves quivering on a number of plants and bushes as large drops of rain spattered down. Slowly, as if someone was cranking open the tap, the spattering turned into a downpour.. I put on my Crocs and went out to make sure that the tap from the main down spout to fill our 350 litre récupérateur d'eau de pluie (rain water barrel) was open (it was) and stood there for a while taking in the sight and sound of rain again.. and savouring the smell of the parched earth and plants as they were revitalised. I can't remember the last time it rained. Unfortunately this downpour didn't last very long - maybe 10-15 minutes - but it was very welcome. I suspect rain water barrels will be selling well these days.
We managed to escape the crush of the Fêtes de Bayonne - we headed for the hills and stayed for a few days at Vielle-Aure (near Saint-Lary-Soulan). We were up in the Hautes-Pyrénées - very close to the Spanish border - and we were surrounded by some seriously steep mountains.. with roads to match. Wherever we drove, cyclists like racing snakes in neon coloured outfits were grinding up the endless hills - you have to admire them. One day, we visited the tiny village of Ens (pop'n: 21) - situated on a valley floor surrounded by soaring mountains.
It featured a charming simple 12th century church - L'église de l'Invention-de-Saint-Étienne (Eng translation here) - situated on what could be described as a small elevated headland (Wiki describes it more accurately as a glacial plateau). The above photo doesn't do it justice. We missed the church going into the village - but spotted it only on our departure. I stopped the car and tried the door to the church but it was locked with a note saying that the keys could be found at a nearby address. What struck me though was the cemetery.. If we have to be buried - and sooner or later we all do - I doubt if there's a better place in the world to be laid than here in this graveyard with open skies and stunning views on all sides. I don't think it's a morbid thought.. is it?
By the way, it's one 'n' in Pyrenees.. not two! (even in French: Pyrénées)
28th July. At the conclusion of the opening ceremony of the Fêtes de Bayonne shortly after 10pm yesterday, it sounded as though 'Saving Private Ryan' was being filmed in the centre of town as the night air echoed to what sounded like a belt-fed mortar company firing off a year's allocation of ammunition! The Basques like their fireworks chest-poundingly noisy - and I imagine that no-one present was disappointed!
27th July. Just back from taking the pooch for a quick walk around the Bull Ring and return before the neighbourhood is swamped with people off to the Fêtes in town. I saw a note stuck to a mail box that a few years ago would have puzzled me. It read like a message to an errant or a bibulous husband - "Stop à la Pub". It doesn't mean "Stay at the Pub" - although perhaps it should. All it means is "No advertising material". Advertising material in French is publicité - and thus, knowing the French penchant for shortening words, it becomes Pub.
I was half listening to a discussion on French TV yesterday and someone came out with barbeq - no prizes for guessing what this refers to.
Here's another one that may catch you out the first time you hear it on leaving a shop. If you thank the shop assistant, you will often hear back, "Non, c'est moi.." ("No, it's me..")which is the short form of "Non, c'est moi qui dois vous remercier." ("No, it's I who should thank you..") Contrary to what you might read in the papers, la politesse is alive and well and living in France.
26th July. This magazine is telling us something that both of my regular readers here (yes, you Madame - and you, Sir!) will have been aware of for some time. Only No 3 though? *
* This refers to a survey that placed Bayonne 3rd on the list of the 50 best French towns & cities (of more than 2,000 inhabitants).
22nd July. Many of you will have seen images of the forest fires that have beset France recently. One of the tools that Sécurité Civile has at its disposal is the Canadair - and here are three of them dropping in to scoop up water from the Garonne near Tabanac:
19th July. Here's a view of the paintings of Van Gogh as you've never seen them before..
18th July. I feel slightly guilty for not including England's series win in Australia - so allow me to correct that right now. Watch out for Marcus Smith's 50 metre dash to the try line. He's a special talent and provides England with that touch of unpredictability and verve that they so need. Other plusses? The formidable Ellis Genge has developed into a world class prop and ball carrier. Michael Hooper - no slouch he - attempted to tackle Genge head-on and bounced backwards off him as if he'd run into a tree. (video here) To be fair, Hooper was caught off balance by 250lbs of Bristolian beef on the hoof. There's more footage of England's one-man wrecking ball here. Let's hope that Genge's medical condition does not worsen.
The clock's ticking.. the Fêtes de Bayonne starts on 27th July.. when upwards of a million people will converge on Bayonne (pop'n: 50,000) over the 5 days.
Downstairs at 3.30am to let a restless dog out (he wasn't the only one!) and I noticed that the thermometer outside showed 26°C (79°F). The forecast is for 39° here today. Up at 6am to open all the windows to let the cool morning breeze waft through the house. I'll try and catch up on lost sleep with a siesta during the afternoon heat.
16th July. I've been a fan of Irish rugby (second to England) for as long as I can remember - but today, in the All Blacks back yard in Wellington, they achieved a mighty first, namely, to win a Test series against the most formidable of rugby nations for the first time since matches between the two began in 1905. Enjoy:
We're steaming in the heat here in the Pays Basque - the shade temperature in the garden is 35°C (95°F°) at 5.30pm. It's too hot for your correspondent. Madame has just returned from a trip into town and she'd like some ice cream. Always happy to oblige!
8th July. I was in town early this morning and the appearance of two girls near the coach departure point dressed in white with red sashes and a red bandana each reminded me that the festival of San Fermín had just started at Pamplona across the other side of the Pyrenees. Hemingway has much to answer for. I've mentioned before here that this is one festival I will never attend but for those of you who'd like to experience vicariously the dubious thrill of running down a narrow crowded street echoing with the sound of drumming hooves behind you, this (below) was the opening encierro (bull run) of the festival. As always, my money's on the bulls as this is the one and only chance they get to fight on a level playing field with their tormenters. This goes on every day until next Thursday 14th July..
4th July. This is going to be one long post! (I'm allowed 300 posts with my Blogger account) so each post from now on will cover 6 months of ramblings from the Pays Basque.
First of all, happy birthday America..
I don't want to pass comment on a great Nation that has never seemed so divided - perhaps since the Viet-Nam war - but I'm hoping that one day a politician and statesman will emerge from somewhere in that vast country who will pick up the torch and lead the American people back to the values that its founding fathers so wisely laid down almost 250 years ago.
A friend in the US kindly sent me a link to the story of Walter Anderson - an American artist whom I suspect very few, myself included, have heard of. Once you see his work, you will be astonished that someone of his creativity is not more widely known. Like all great artists, he had a unique 'eye' through which he viewed the world. His talent - his genius - was, in my view, unlike anything that preceded it or followed it. He possessed the single-minded spirit of a true artist who was determined to express himself above all else.. regardless of what people thought of him (reminiscent of van Gogh).
29th November. We've been sampling the Beaujolais Nouveau (right) over the last few days.. (a tough job but.. etc etc) My recommendation - for what it's worth - would be to try Georges Duboeuf's offering..
28th November. Prior to the arrival of the Covid 19 pandemic, the choir I used to sing with had been rehearsing this sublime piece by Mozart - Laudate Dominum (KV339) - but sadly Covid 19 shut everything down and we were never able to perform it in a concert*. The Laudate was a really satisfying piece to sing - the choir comes in at 2:45 in the recording below (needless to say this wasn't my choir!). Here's Barbara Hendricks first with the Laudate followed by Handel's Hallelujah Chorus:
* My memory's going! I bumped into one of the ladies from the choir yesterday and she said that we had performed the Laudate at the last concert that preceded the lockdown.. My memory's like a Swiss cheese!
27th November. In a broadcast to the nation on Tuesday evening, President Macron loosened the grip of the current lockdown, which will be replaced by a curfew from 15 December. He announced that the easing of restrictions would not take place overnight but in three phases until January 20th. He warned that its implementation will depend on the evolution of the epidemic.
Phase 1: The easing will begin on Saturday, November 28: the lockdown will remain in place, but the certificate that people currently use when they leave home, will allow people to travel 20 km from home instead of one, and for three hours instead of one*. He also lifted the constraints on Christmas shopping by reopening all so-called "non-essential" shops such as bookshops and clothing shops until 9 pm. Restaurants and bars, however, will remain closed.
* Nutty, our cocker spaniel, will be happy with this news as it means we can give him a good run on the beach!
Phase 2: The second stage is set for December 15th, the day on which "the confinement can be lifted" if health conditions permit. It will be replaced by a curfew from 9pm to 7am throughout the country, with an exception for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, when people will be free to travel. A 'truce' at the end of the year has also been agreed upon by several neighbouring countries, such as the United Kingdom, which on Tuesday authorised family reunions from 23 to 27 December, while Germany plans to limit the number of participants in family celebrations to ten people.
From December 15th, cinemas, theatres, and museums will be allowed to reopen, but gatherings and festive events will continue to be banned.
Phase 3: The third phase will begin on 20 January with the potential reopening of restaurants and sports halls. However, no date has been set for the bars and discotheques.
Vaccines: The vaccination, which will not be compulsory, will be able to start "in late December-early January" for "the most vulnerable people". France, together with the European Union, has "secured the number of doses" needed to secure the population, he said.
After the first vaccines became available at the end of December, a second generation of vaccine is expected in the spring.
25th November. Hard to believe but Chr****as is but a month away.. Normally, by this time, I'm just about all shopped-out - but with all the shops having been closed, the secret hiding place for presents on top of an old armoire has yet to be used.
Here's Joe Pass with his jazz guitar version of "Autumn Leaves" - New York magazine wrote of him that: "Joe Pass looks like somebody's uncle and plays guitar like nobody's business." (You can listen to more of his beautiful playing here)
21st November. We're definitely heading into winter down here. Yesterday, I put the all-weather cover over the table that stays out on the terrace and I raked up another pile of leaves from the red maple down the bottom of the garden. The plancha has already been greased and put away and the hortensia (hydrangea) shrubs / bushes (which is the right description?) have been pruned. The lawn is looking healthy and it's still growing.
I think we're just about ready for winter and the westerly gale-force winds that will soon be blowing in from the Bay of Biscay (known as the Golfe de Gascogne here). It will be interesting to see how the new west-facing garage door will stand up to the pounding. We'd replaced the original doors with a new set of wooden sliding doors about 10 years ago - but as they too were starting to fall apart, we replaced them a few weeks ago with a roller-type system (with another remote control to lose!).
Lit the wood-burner last night - and its comforting warm glow was very welcome. It's another indicator that winter's on its way. We seldom get snow here or even frost - but we do get storms in from the sea and they blow really hard. Over the years, we've gradually sealed off all the possible entry points so now, even when it blows, we're toasty warm.
20th November. As the dog-grooming service in town that we normally use is closed due to the current Covid restrictions, we took Nutty to Jardiland (a ginormous garden centre at Bassussarry) where a self-service dog washing facility has recently been installed inside the mammoth store. I'd like to say that he enjoyed the experience but while it was very convenient and practical for us, he made it clear that once was enough for him..
16th November. Here's something for late night listening - perhaps with a glass of something Scottish - John Coltrane with his "My Favorite Things" recorded in 1961:
And if we're talking about the wee small hours, if sleep is hard to find, when the mind insists on running through endless replays, when it seems your watch has stopped - there's nothing better than Chet Baker and his instrumental version of "My Funny Valentine". By the way, my patented late night shuffle around the dance floor was made for music like this!
15th November. With so many retail outlets being shut down, it's going to be harder than ever to find original Christmas presents this year - but if you love this part of south western France (and if not, why not?!) then you can't do much better than to browse Perry Taylor's site. He's a talented cartoonist living in the Gers - and the rural way of life there clearly inspires him. He has something for everyone on his site - all of which are related to life (and ducks!) in la France profonde. I'd be extremely surprised if you can't find that special something for your special someone from his well-observed and very funny collection.
13th November. Jean Castex, the French Prime Minister, gave a briefing on the Covid 19 situation yesterday evening. He said there were early signs of a tapering in the Covid-19 figures in France but that current lockdown measures, set to last until December 1, would remain in place.
Any loosening of restrictions after that date would be "strictly limited" to certain businesses and would exclude bars, restaurants and sports halls, Castex said. One in four deaths in France were now due to Covid-19. The number of people in hospital care for Covid-19 in France is now higher than during a previous peak in April. Castex told the news briefing that there were now more than 32,000 Covid patients in hospitals, adding that a new Covid-19 case was admitted to hospital every 30 seconds and one into intensive care every three minutes.
The government will impose further restrictions if the coronavirus outbreak worsens in the coming days but could also decide to loosen restrictions over the holidays if the situation warrants it.
France is two weeks into a new national lockdown that has hit the economy but some politicians are hoping that if the country's Covid-19 figures improve the country may be able to re-open major shops and businesses for Christmas.
Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said earlier Thursday that the economic boost provided by the crucial Christmas shopping season could be salvaged — provided people abide by the health restrictions until then.
"What I wish is that we can save December for retailers ... What will dictate the decision of the prime minister and of the president is the protection of the safety of the French population," Le Maire told BFM Business radio. "We could have a dynamic December" if the population sticks to current guidelines, he added.
(If hospitals down here in the South West are accepting patients in intensive care from elsewhere, I doubt now that my knee replacement surgery will go ahead as scheduled for early January.)
10th November. Day 13 - the 'confinement' continues..
Meanwhile, here are some views of Bayonne taken during summer here..
The video below really gives a good idea of the town behind those quirky riverside properties:
7th November. Yesterday we went to our local pharmacy for our annual flu jab.. In something of a "first" for me, I didn't feel a thing as the needle went in and I have no after-effects - no lump, no soreness, nada. It was one of the girls behind the counter who did it - and talking to her a few months ago, she told me that her pharmacist's training in France took 6 years.
Later in the day, we walked to the local hospital for an MRI scan of my right knee.. It was to ensure that the prosthetic replacement will be exactly the right size - and shouldn't need too much percussion adjustment with a ball peen hammer. I suspect though that my op planned for early January might well be postponed due to the second Covid wave..
En route to the hospital, we saw three more formations of cranes heading south - all more or less in vee formations - with their distinctive squawking.
5th November. About a year ago, I was outside in the garden with the dog at around 3am (when you've gotta go, you've gotta go) (him, not me) when I heard the flapping of hundreds (if not more) of wings as a ghostly formation of cranes flew overhead in the moonlight on their way to sunnier climes..
Last night I heard some raucous squawking from on high - and sure enough it was a mighty vee formation of cranes on their way south..
2nd November. This atmospheric piece is another favourite of mine: it's the 2nd Movement from Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 - close your eyes and let your mind soar..
We (finally) had a warm weekend here.. with temps in the low to mid twenties. So - leaves were raked up, the grass was mown, trees and bushes were pruned - after which all the garden detritus was whipped off to the nearby décheterie (waste/recycling centre) - having first remembered to complete and sign the latest form, duly timed and dated, required for excursions outwith the home - and to pick up a mask. I don't have a problem with these latest measures if they'll reduce the Covid infection rate. No-one knows how long this latest confinement will last.
I must say I have the utmost sympathy with the hundreds and thousands of small business owners who are constantly on the back foot - how can they plan for the future against a moving target.. do they order stocks for the festive season - and beyond - or not..? Bookshops have been closed yet wine shops are open. I think many small businesses will go to the wall - never to return - leaving us only with the online retail giants.
I've finally cracked - I've just ordered a tablet..
1st November. In another media feeding frenzy, legions of European chatterati are in the US right now waiting to tell us what the 'mood' of the American people is before, during and after Tuesday's Presidential election. It's worth bearing this advice in mind: "People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people."
