289. And after winter folweth grene May*.

22nd July. We came here to Ostalapia (below) the other evening with R and C, friends from the Gers ('ere be dragons!) who were visiting the Côte Basque for a few days. Not sure where exactly the Gers is? Try looking one département to the right and one up from our own Pyrénées-Atlantiques (technical term). I have to admit that it's not an area that I'm that familiar with. I think it would be fair to say that if you were looking for la France profonde, then this would probably be a good starting point. No criticism of the Gers is implied in this - in fact, quite the opposite. This is where the quintessential charm of French rural life can still be found, lived as it always has been - plus a tractor or two. 

They had P with them, an amusing friend of theirs from London and we sat out on the terrace at Ostalapia on a warm evening with a perfect view of the brooding outline of La Rhune - the emblematic mountain that dominates the skyline of this part of the Pays Basque. For a Monday, there wasn't a single empty table. It was a memorable evening and our thanks are due to the three of them for their generosity..  

Ostalapia has a definite 'retro' look to it - it's almost like a film set - and it's all too easy to feel instantly at home (that wooden Kelvinator fridge on the left is almost certainly 1920s or 30s). 

17th July. Here's an unsettling image of Saint-Jean-de-Luz filmed in drone-a-rama in 2020 during the confinement that is strangely reminiscent of Stanley Kramer's movie "On the Beach" (1959) about a US submarine arriving off a deserted Melbourne in a post-apocalyptic world in the aftermath of a nuclear war (full movie here). 

Anyway, here's that video of Saint-Jean-de-Luz - see what you think..

 

15th July. President Macron outlined his new policy on TV the other evening in a clever move designed to increase the numbers of those here who have been vaccinated. He told care workers that they will have until 15th September to get vaccinated. After that date, checks will be made and sanctions applied. As well as being asked for vaccination passes on long distance planes, coaches and restaurants, anyone going out to eat or drink will need one from 1st August. He said from the beginning of August, the health pass would apply to cafés, restaurants, hospitals, retirement homes, and long-distance transport: planes, trains and coaches for long journeys. 

If the State tried to introduce a compulsory vaccination policy, the squeals of faux-outrage and cries of "Fascist!" from the ranks of the easily-offended would be heard across the Channel. Doing it this way puts the onus of vaccination on the individual.     

Macron's announced measures buck the trend in most other European countries, where Governments have generally shied away from vaccine requirements and instead made it a voluntary measure.  He's not forcing anyone to get vaccinated - but he's simply saying that if people want to visit restaurants, bars, cafés and/or use long distance transport, visit hospitals and retirement homes - then they'll have to be vaccinated. Well done President Macron. In what can only be a coincidence (!), over 2½ million people applied for vaccination appointments in the days following the President's speech on 12th July. Boris - take note!

For those of you 'out there' who like me have become frustrated with the standard of BBC radio journalism, a friend has just given me a tip - try Times Radio.. I'm not making any promises but it can only be better. Let me know what you think!

It looks like we could be set for some sunshine in the next few days after the recent spell of grey skies and rain. If so, this is how the beaches at Anglet (just to the north of Biarritz) will look:

   

6th July. Yesterday at 7pm the thermometer on the terrace read 37°C.. The dog and I were inside while Madame continued to fry on a low light in her deckchair - but even she came in shortly afterwards saying it was too hot. It's hard to imagine what temps in the high 40s must have been like in the north west of the US and Canada recently. 

After a routine eye check the other day, I emerged with a prescription for a pair of specs with progressive lenses (one trade name is Varilux). I went to an opticians in town this morning to order a pair and I was amazed at the hi-tech aids that the optician used.. I ordered a pair and then what really impressed me was the offer of a pair of sunglasses with progressive lenses for just an additional 40 euros.. A no-brainer!😀 I'd been using a pair of sunglasses with prescription bi-focal lenses as issued to me in the military 25 years ago but the gap between their performance and my eyes had widened to the point where a replacement pair was called for.            

28th June. I went out on my bike this morning upstream along the Nive which was lined by fields of corn (maïs) growing while-U-watch.. The young plants were all about 3 feet high but with the Basque climate supplying sunshine and rain, it won't be long before the fields are a rustling mass of corn 8 feet high. Very few corn cobs appear in the shops as it's largely seen here as animal feed. I stopped off at Villefranque to say hello to the couple whose gîte we stayed at for 5 months when we arrived here in 2007 (more here). It was a real pleasure to see them again. We'll never forget their kindness to us during that stressful period when we were searching for a house.       

25th June. Here's a fascinating glimpse of la vie Parisienne in the 1920s:

 

20th June. As I'm now a fully signed-up French citizen (while still retaining my British nationality), for the first time I was able to vote in the departmental and regional elections being held today. 

However, as things currently stand, I'm no longer eligible to vote in the UK - as it had been decreed for reasons known only to politicians and legislators that expats should lose the right to vote after living outside the UK for 15 years. What's the magic significance behind the 15 years? If it was right for me to be able to vote after being an expat for 14 years, why should I be permanently disenfranchised by denying me the right to vote a year later? I have to pay UK tax on my occupational pension so surely I should have the right to vote on how my tax is spent? Remember "no taxation without representation"? Wars have been fought for less!

16th June. I've started looking at photos we took in Brittany.. This is what the hotel offered us on our last night. (OK, who else thought, "Where are the chips?") (or was I the only one!😁)

Of course, while we were away, there were temperatures of 33° here - so the garden put on a growing spurt. I had to get the ladders out this morning while it was cool to cut back a few bushes - this afternoon or evening there are more storms forecast - it's uncomfortably hot and humid.     

15th June. Arrived back home last night after a loong (10 hour) drive from Ploumanac'h in Brittany. "Ploum", as it's known by locals, was voted France's favourite village in 2015.. We stayed at an hotel that overlooked the beach at Saint-Guirec.. and the view from our room was, as the French say, époustouflante.. (click to enlarge)

The hotel shows up at 5.02 in the video below - it's the pinkish granite building in the centre of the image. The massive granite rocks that decorate the coastline are what remains of 300 million year old magma - some of the rocks have been weathered into almost organic forms.

  

After a prolonged siesta this afternoon, we finished a previously opened bottle of ice cold rosé in the garden in the early evening - and it really hit the spot. It was Listel Grain de Gris (and only 12° BV as well) which we used to find from time to time in England. It comes from Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer and it doesn't get much further south than this. This image just caught my eye.. it seemed almost a pity to empty the glass!

7th June. I've often said here that shops that sell greetings cards (especially funny ones) are thin on the ground in Bayonne - but that hasn't been true since 2018 with the advent of La Karneterie at 7 Rue Thiers.. Run by Éric and Fiona, a friendly Franco-Scottish couple, they've finally put an end to the dearth of humorous cards available here. Before their arrival on the scene here, it had reached the point where each November we'd order Christmas cards off the internet from the UK - only to send them back again once written. 

3rd June. This is Jonathan Scott at the keyboard of the organ of Chester Cathedral.. with Richard Wagner's Overture to Tannhäuser (arr. EH Lemare).. This never fails to stir the spirit..

 

As you might have expected, there's a tenuous link between Wagner's organ music and the Pays Basque.. This Baron Espée sounds like a character from fiction - but surprisingly it's all true.  

1st June. Late last night a powerful storm rolled in from the Bay of Biscay with lightning flashing followed quickly by the explosive crack and boom of thunder that made the house shiver. Prior to this, there had been some light rain but suddenly there was a shriek of wind followed by a deluge of rain drumming on our heavy wooden shutters. Nutty was oblivious to it all and slept through it undisturbed.. On opening the shutters this morning, there was no sign of last night's fun and games at all. 

Need a currency trader to change your funds from your currency to euros and send them to your French bank account? I'd been using World First since 2007 until recently when they decided to abandon private customers - they recommended Xe to their former customers. I've been using Xe for several months now and their service is excellent. 

28th May. We went to Saint-Jean-de-Luz at midday for the first time since I don't know when - it must be at least 6 months ago? Here's a walking tour of the town that never fails to charm us.. 

NB.. If you want to cut to the chase, fast forward to 8:45 which is when Véro starts her walkabout: 

 

What a pleasure it was to reconnect with one of our favourite places..

We stopped for lunch at a new spot (all of our usual haunts were fully booked) but the number of restaurants with space for outside seating is not as great as you might imagine. (At the time of writing, restaurants here can only open if outside seating is available.) Suffice to say, next time we'll book somewhere we know.  

I've been looking for a video of a walking tour of Bayonne - and this seems to fit the bill:

 

27th May. I was out in the garden most of the afternoon up various ladders cutting back bushes that, with all the recent rain and sunshine, had started to grow visibly. While I wobbled on high, I heard the dog getting excited about something - so I distracted him with a biscuit and found half a dead lizard in the middle of the lawn. The garden lizards are his current obsession and he's forever poking his nose in the borders in the hope of scaring one into making a dash for it.       

19th May. Nutty (our English cocker spaniel) thought all his Christmasses had come at once because he spotted a lizard in his kitchen.. By the time I arrived there, he was head-down, all-a-frenzy and not listening.. I took him by the collar and put him in the dining room - meanwhile back in the kitchen there was a small lizard minus its tail. I put it out in the garden and it scurried off. 

Meanwhile Nutty started dodging around the dining table and he had something in his mouth. The only way I could attract his attention was to fill his bowl with his biscuits.. while his attention was elsewhere, I found the lizard's tail under the dining table. I think he'll chalk this up as a victory!    

10th May. I took my ebike out for an hour's ride this morning to give my knee something to think about and when I arrived at the Plage des Cavaliers, (scroll down here for its webcam) this was the scene that faced me as I looked south towards Biarritz - with Spain in the background. In case you're wondering, it's a composite image of 3 photos - click for full size:

I made it using Microsoft Image Composite Editor (ICE) which no longer seems to be available from MS - but I'm sure Google could turn up a free download somewhere for you. 

Voilà - I've found a free MS 64 bit download of ICE.. It couldn't be simpler to use. 

While you're here, take a look at la Grande Plage webcam at Biarritz  (it takes a few seconds to load).. a favourite of ours for a Sunday morning stroll.

 

9th May. I took Nutty (our cocker spaniel) out for a walk in the late afternoon yesterday and I saw that the thermometer (in the shade) on our terrace was registering 33°. I'd forgotten what this level of heat felt like.

 

The restrictions on restaurants here will be lifted in early June - so with that in mind, we've booked a few days away on the coast up in Brittany - for some sun, sand, seafood - and snoring!    

8th May. A beautiful summer-like morning here so I put on a pair of WWII shorts and a matching 'Che Morecambe' t-shirt, wheeled my ebike out of the garage and with a hey nonny no we were off. I rode up the Nive which, in retrospect, was not a great idea as everyone else was out there too. Still, it was fun to be out on my bike!    

7th May. The forecast for the weekend here is a cheery one: 31° on Saturday and 28° on Sunday. I'd better dubbin my legs in preparation! 😁 

5th May 2021. History buffs will have noted that it's 200 years to the day that Napoléon died in exile at Saint Helena - six years after his defeat at Waterloo. I suspect there will be a ceremony at Les Invalides today to mark the occasion. In his speech (English translation - by Google - here) at the Institut de France, President Macron trod a fine line between fulsome praise for Napoléon's achievements while mentioning his darker sides.     

He (Napoléon of course..!) was a remarkable man - a true visionary and a moderniser who changed the face of France in many ways: a man of prodigious talent and energy who rose like a rocket through the ranks in the Army and who was a General by the age of 24. As First Consul of the Republic, he introduced the administrative system of the prefects, the Napoleonic Code, the judicial system, the Banque de France and the country’s financial organization, the centralised university, and the military academies - and more. Despite these undoubtedly great achievements, he remains a divisive figure for he was also a tyrannical dictator who led his feared Grande Armée to engage in what became known as the Napoleonic Wars around Europe. It is estimated that up to 5 million people died in the course of these military adventures. I think the jury will remain out on him.  

One advantage that leaders of that era had over today's major politicians is that they weren't subjected to 24/7 scrutiny by an army of reporters and paparazzi as is the case today. Today, every utterance and action by our leaders is picked over and - in a favourite word here in France - "decrypted".. with the result that we - the poor electorate - are faced with journalists and reporters telling us what this or that politician should have said and/or done to the point where I suspect many of us simply glaze over and lose the will to live. And, to cap it all, when the politicians themselves can't decide on a course of action despite being briefed in minute detail by legions of civil servants, special advisers and other interested parties, they throw the question back at the people and expect us to be able to make the decision for them in a yes/no referendum. Fortunately, the question we were asked in June 2016 was a straightforward one and, given the way we'd sleep-walked from the EEC into what became the EU without a mandate from the country, I think that it was entirely legitimate for the electorate to have a vote via a referendum on our continued membership of the EU - or not. I'll leave it there.      

I've mentioned Ramiro Arrue several times before here. Born in Spain, he spent most of his life in the Pays Basque where his distinctive style captured the Basque spirit. Here's a feature in two parts from TVPI (our local TV station) that includes some superb imagery of the Pays Basque and really captures the strength of the bond that Arrue had with his adopted homeland:

* Geoffrey Chaucer 

288. Back in the saddle..

29th April. French idioms are often full of references to fruit and veg.. Here are a few for you to try and work into your next conversation with someone of Latin extraction! 

Avoir la banane - 

Literal translation: To have the banana. English equivalent: To be on top form

En rang d’oignon - 

Literal translation: In a line of onions. English equivalent: To be lined up like toy soldiers

La cerise sur le gâteau - 

Literal translation: The cherry on the cake. English equivalent: The icing/cherry on the cake

C’est la fin des haricots - 

Literal translation: It’s the end of the beans. English equivalent: Game over!

Tomber dans les pommes -

Literal translation: To fall in the apples. English equivalent: To faint or pass out

Avoir un cœur d’artichaut -

Literal translation: To have an artichoke heart. English equivalent: To fall in love easily

Couper la poire en deux -

Literal translation: To cut the pear in two. English equivalent: To compromise or to meet someone halfway

Appuyer sur le champignon - 

Literal translation: To press on the mushroom. English equivalent: To put your foot down (when driving), step on the gas

Ramener sa fraise - 

Literal translation: Bring one’s strawberry. English equivalent: Come here

Compter pour des prunes - 

Literal translation: To count for plums. English equivalent: To count for nothing

Avoir la patate - 

Literal translation: To have the potato. English equivalent: To be full of beans

This is more my kind of music..

   

26th April. I've been playing some tracks by the late Cesária Évora - one of the Cape Verde islands greatest exports - this is one of hers that should set your foot tapping. She and her friends seem at ease with the complex musical rhythms and they have little difficulty in clapping along in time with it. Try it for yourself.. it's not a simple as you might think. 

 

The enforced 'staying at home' regime has had me exploring my banjo again - and in doing so, I came across this interesting piece - Indifférence - played by Lluis Gómez (5 string banjo) & Valentí Moya (manouche guitar) with Oriol Gonzàlez (mandolin) and Maribel Rivero (double bass) - at the L'Ànima del Vi, a wine bar in Barcelona. 

    

23rd April. The last few days have seen us both tackling the latest Spring growth in the garden before things got out of hand. I had the extending ladder out to enable me to reach the tops of three palm trees to cut back old fronds - not my favourite job. We'd also had a small problem with the new garage door - so there was a build-up of garden waste (I counted at least 20 sacks) to be taken to the recycling centre once the door was fixed.

I'm sorry for the outbreak of domestic trivia above - but our options are a bit limited at the moment by the Covid restrictions: no travel beyond 10km from home (unless the journey is one that falls into an approved category listed on the attestation - scroll down the link for the English version), all restaurants, cafés & bars & many 'non-essential' shops are closed - plus there's a 7pm-6am curfew. Fortunately, the garden is there to distract us.

The forest at Pignada - before the fire

Earlier, I'd  been out on my ebike for an hour or so - out along the Adour to the coast before turning south towards Biarritz, a route that took me past the charred remnants of the forest at Pignada. The council has been busy cutting down trees there that had been damaged irretrievably by a blaze started by a disaffected youth in July last year. There are now great open spaces where once towering maritime pines had provided the perfect woodland environment for walking the dog in tranquillity.

   

It was an airless 26° this afternoon so we sat outside in the early evening and played a few hands of rummy with - what else - the first of my rhum specials this year. (I can feel it now too!) We were kept amused by the antics of the newly-arrived swallows as they darted at speed around the roofs.

This just in from a friend in England: 

I've been keeping an eye open for swallows over the last few days - and the first pair I've spotted this year just darted overhead in that familiar swooping flight of theirs..

21st April. This is exactly the kind of sax playing that I could listen to for hours.. Here's Paul Desmond with his interpretation of "A Taste of Honey":

 

19th April. Balsamic vinegar has slowly been making inroads into our collective consciousness over the last few decades - but how many of us know where it comes from (apart from Sainsburys!) and/or how it's made? Sadly I never thought to bring some back with me when I worked in northern Italy in the 1990s. What I do know is that it is delicious on a piece of fresh crusty bread.. 

 

18th April. Down to the beach this morning with the dog to see a completely flat sea.. Not a surfer in sight.

There's a police drama that's breaking records on French TV - one in which we're expected to believe that Capitaine Marleau - a completely ludicrous character as played by Corinne Masiero - is apparently an 'eccentric' Range Rover-driving captain (the headgear..) of the National Gendarmerie. While I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds it unwatchable, there are clearly many more who are glued to their TV sets. So far, UK networks have resisted signing up for it. If you live in the UK, I think you dodged a bullet there! 

         

17th April. I was ironing a few shirts* a moment or two ago, half-listening to the Classic FM presenter's background prattle as he announced the dedication for the next record - someone's wife had written in asking for a certain track as a reward for all the wonderful work her husband had done on - at this point I thought that perhaps he'd developed a new Covid vaccine, or that he'd supplied clean drinking water to African villages or maybe he'd helped to build the next lunar lander - but no, it was as a reward for all the wonderful work he'd done on his vegetable plot.. (collapse of stout party!)  

* I just thought I'd get that in!

9th April. Another job ticked off..😊 We have 4 or 5 bushes (up to 12-14 ft high) at the side of the garden that, as a result of our warm and wet spring, have been sprouting in all directions - and I could no longer put off the job of exercising my topiary skills, such as they are. I was a bit watchful due to my new knee and a slightly unstable stepladder, but, standing on the top platform, and ignoring the wobble as I leaned out into space, I was able to trim virtually all of them. I  think this is a job that might well be delegated in future! 

I've now had my two Pfizer vaccinations with no apparent side effects, unless you count barking at buses or howling at the moon.  

8th April. We watched "Woman in Gold" (2015) the other evening - the story of a painting by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt, completed between 1903 and 1907 - a portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer. 

The portrait was commissioned by the sitter's husband, Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, a Jewish banker and sugar producer. The painting was stolen by the Nazis in 1941 and displayed at the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere. It's impossible to catch the full impact of this gleaming work in a still image either on a screen or on paper as Klimt made copious use of gold leaf.

Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds are both excellent in the film - that's all I'm saying! Well worth searching it out.        

4th April. Happy Easter to all of you out there (yes, you!) from us here at Pipérade Towers. It's a dazzlingly bright Sunday morning in the Pays basque, with wall-to-wall blue skies but still only 9°C in the shade. I'll be taking Nutty down to the beach in a few minutes.

On Thursday morning, I'm booked in for my second Covid jab, precisely timed for 11h48.   

Here's a reminder of those innocent days in post-war America when everything seemed possible:

   

1st April. I've just decided I'm going to squeeze in 3 months into each post from now on.. I remembered this blog only gives me 300 posts.. (OK, who said, "That many?!") So, by my reckoning, by doing so it will give me almost 3 years-worth of posts before I hit my limit. I just couldn't face having to set up another blog from scratch.

After President Macron's broadcast yesterday and the new lockdown programmed to start on the weekend, I thought I'd better have a mercy dash across the border to Dancharia (there are a number of different spellings) to pick up some essential supplies (no prizes for guessing what!). In the past few months, I've been forced (during lockdown travel restrictions) into topping up my diminishing stock of vital fluids by buying the odd bottle of Highland tincture from supermarkets in France - where it retails for about 16 euros/litre. Across the border, this morning I was charged a wallet-busting 18 euros for a 2 litre bottle (£15.65 in Ye Olde Poundes Sterling) of the same brand.        

31st March. Just checked the outside temperature - it's 29°.. not bad for March!

30th March. Here's the coast from Bayonne to Saint-Jean-de-Luz filmed from a drone at times of the day when the light is at its best. The film jumps about a bit - it starts at Biarritz (from 0:00 to 4:22), then goes to the beach at Ilbarritz just to the south; then back up north to the optimistically-named Chambre d'Amour at 5:34; then at 6:22, it's further north to Bayonne before finally disappearing south to finish up at Saint-Jean-de-Luz at 8:52.   

 

I know it's tempting fate somewhat but there are signs that life is slowly returning to normal here. Before anyone points to the third wave of Covid infections that has parts of northern and eastern France in its grip, I should add that I'm referring to life within the 'bubble' of Pipérade Towers.. The grass is growing and plants, bushes and trees are sprouting tender new green shoots, my ebike has been wheeled out a few times and we've had one or two lunches outside on the terrace. All we're waiting for now is <roll of drums> the first appearance of your newly-scarred correspondent in a pair of shorts. It does feel good though to have put the first three months of the year - never my favourite period - behind us. And the forecast for this afternoon is 27°..  

I've just realised that I haven't congratulated the Scottish rugby team for the magnificent result that they achieved in Paris.. even if it did allow Wales to win the overall championship. What a match by those Scottish warriors who took the battle to France from the outset.

   

26th March. Not much to report at the moment - yes, we can go out during the day but there's little point because all the restaurants, cafés and bars are closed. We normally like to visit somewhere - either on the coast or inland high up in the hills, before stopping off at a restaurant for lunch or a café for a seat outside to enjoy the early season sunshine. I took the dog to one of his former stamping grounds - and I realised that I hadn't taken him there since the start of the year. There's a great expanse of grass there for him to charge about at will. 

Apart from walking the dog, there isn't that much to do - yesterday I was in the garage checking the tyre pressures of our new car and our ebikes - and charging their batteries as well - (well, you did ask!) all made a bit trickier by my new knee.. (Surprisingly, I have more leg room in the new car than ever before) 

For those interested in our current Covid status, we have a 7pm to 6am curfew at the moment. However, even though our département (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) is currently one of the least affected areas of France, I hope that the Govt can resist calls to allow holidays (with public opinion on the matter being whipped up by the media with its own agenda) as that would surely lead to the spread of the UK variant of Covid that appears to be building up a head of steam in Paris and the départements to its north. There is an interactive map here (second one down) that shows the national situation as of 3 days ago.       

For those interested in rugby, there's an impossible-to-call match this evening between France and Scotland in Paris that will decide the outcome of this year's 6 Nations tournament. France need to win by at least 21 points to take the championship - whereas any other result will see Wales as champions. Me? It's many years since I've last been a fan of Welsh rugby (the 70s) - but I don't think Wales would be worthy champions (IMHO - your mileage may vary). I've greatly enjoyed watching the progress of this hugely talented French team - so I have to say that - sadly - I find myself hoping that France can pull off a win against a resurgent Scottish side that has entertained us with some sparkling rugby this year. Unfortunately, there must be winners and losers in sports.

To save me confusing you all with an explanation of what France needs to do tonight, it's like this: to be crowned champions, France require a bonus point, which is of course obtained by scoring four or more tries. Again, even this may not be enough, however, as in obtaining the bonus point, the title will then go down to points difference. France's points difference of +41 is 20 below that of Wales' +61, meaning they need a four-try win of 21 points or more to be crowned champions.           

21st March. We were privileged to witness yesterday evening one of the greatest ever rugby matches of all time. I realise in writing that that some might think I'm guilty of exaggeration but I'm including the full match here as no compilation of highlights could do it justice. 

This was a very experienced Welsh side in Paris to face a relatively inexperienced French team. If Wales were to win, they'd claim the Grand Slam (that would mean wins over the 5 other teams: England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland). If France were to win - and they go on to beat Scotland next Friday evening by a 21 point margin, they could claim the Championship. Sit back and enjoy a fiercely contested match - the match starts at 10:15: 

 

13th March. I'm going to tag March onto February's post as I seem to remember I'm only allowed a maximum of 300 posts with this blog. One of the side-effects of my recent 'op' is that I find it hard work to concentrate on writing - but I'll give it a shot. 

I had my vaccination this afternoon at a gym in town that had been re-purposed as a centre capable of handling a large throughput of people. The organisation left nothing to be desired - my appointment was set for 3.36pm precisely - and I received my Pfizer jab, then confirmation of the date of the second one then I was free to watch the Italy - Ireland match on a TV that had been set up in the recovery area. I suffered no side-effects at all.

I had my last session of physio at the clinic last Wednesday - an hour of work in the sea water pool (34°C) followed by another hour of leg presses, walking on the treadmill and finally 20 minutes of "hot leg". Imagine pulling on a single trouser leg (including a foot) in flexible plastic - that's divided into about 5 sections, each of which is connected by a pipe to a machine that pumps hot water under pressure sequentially into each section  - and you've got it. Rather like a pilot's g-suit - but using hot water instead of air as the medium. The sensation is that the leg is being progressively compressed from bottom to top and then relaxed - before starting again. 

Impossible to predict the outcome of the "Crunch" this afternoon at Twickenham (the England-France Six Nations rugby match). The England players are going to have to raise their game if they are to have any hope of winning against a young French team that play an attractive brand of free-flowing rugby. Eddie Jones has picked Max Malins for his first start - and he'll be under pressure to make an impact. France's speedy winger Teddy Thomas will take some catching if he gets the ball - but Malins is a quick boy too. Maro Itoje and Tom Curry will be on Antoine Dupont like a flash - and both England players will be aware of the need to stay on the right side of the referee. Luke Cowan-Dickie will start in place of Jamie George - and L C-D is a dangerous player with his hands on the ball and more often than not he manages to be there or thereabouts when it comes to try time. I hope substitute scrum half Dan Robson manages to make more than a cameo appearance as he seems to bring his own electricity with him when he plays. 

Wales travel to Rome to play an Italian side that has leaked tries so far. I have to say that I admire the Italians for their sportsmanship and courage - they've never stopped playing and they've never reverted to foul play to disrupt the opposition. 

Tomorrow, Scotland line up against Ireland in a match that's impossible to call. Scotland play some great attacking rugby - often involving Stuart Hogg - but Ireland? Who knows.          

28th February. Ireland got a much-needed win in Rome yesterday to put some points on the board. Meanwhile in Cardiff, Wales benefitted from some truly bizarre refereeing decisions by France's Pascal Gaüzère for a significant 40-24 win over England.    

27th February. Every now and again I find a piece on YouTube that stands head and shoulders above all other interpretations. I make no apologies for featuring (again) the University of Redlands Choir with J S Bach's "Sheep May Safely Graze".. recorded in 1957. Even though over 60 years have passed, I've yet to hear a better performance than this: 

         

It's the 3rd round of the Guinness 6 Nations rugby this afternoon. The France-Scotland match scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed (due to Covid) so this afternoon will see Ireland (Lost 2) visit Rome in search of their first win against an Italy XV (Lost 2) in the same boat. Looks like being a blood and thunder encounter. Meanwhile England (Won 1, Lost 1) will visit a silent Principality Stadium in Cardiff to meet Wales (Won 2). This is a 'must win' for England - and also for Wales who could top the table with a win or a draw.    

Predictions? Ireland to win in Rome and England to beat Wales narrowly in Cardiff.. 

26th February. I've been given dates for my first and second vaccinations - with the first in March and the second in April.

25th February. Yesterday we found that a warm southerly wind had brought with it temperatures of 22°C. I removed the all-weather cover from the table out on the terrace and took out a couple of chairs from the garage, dusted them off and we were in business - our first lunch outside this year. Later on in the afternoon, I sat out in a deckchair and took advantage of the sunshine - and did that feel good!  

23rd February. I had a follow-up appointment at the hospital yesterday with the surgeon who performed my recent knee replacement 'op'. He declared himself pleased with the outcome and assured me that my recovery was well on track and that I was making good progress. He made a further appointment to see me in a year's time. 

I must say that my treatment from start to finish has been exceptional. Last year, it started with 15 sessions of physio to build up the musculature in my knee prior to the operation as the view here is that this speeds up the recovery. After the 'op', I stayed at the hospital for 6 days - starting physio on the penultimate day - before being transferred to the 're-education' clinic at Bidart (on the coast south of Biarritz). There I started a daily routine of an hour's physio in the morning and another in afternoon. After three weeks, my stitches were removed and I was released back into society (ie, home). 

The physio continued and a taxi ambulance collects me from home 3 times/week to take me to the clinic for an hour's physio. When my scar had fully healed in early February, I was allowed an additional hour to use the physio pool at the clinic. This was an eye-opening experience: the water temp was 34°C and the air temp was 28°C - so it was a real pleasure. The pool was about the size of a tennis court and there were never more than five of us in there - plus the physiotherapist who made sure that we each had exercises appropriate for us. This post-op physio will continue until 10th March.      

 

20th February. I've been remiss in not covering the 2021 Guinness 6 Nations rugby tournament so far. I had France down to run away with it this year - but last week it was announced that their inspirational manager Fabien Galthié has tested positive for Covid - and I've just read that their playmaker Antoine Dupont, a pocket battleship of a scrum half if ever I saw one, has also tested positive, along with Gabin Villière (wing) and Mohamed Haouas (prop) and assistant coach William Servat. What a pity.. Still, they could still do it as they, perhaps more than any other team, have about 2 complete teams-worth of talented reserves to call upon. Here are les Bleus in winning form against Ireland in Dublin last week:

       

To see just how much the game has changed in less than 20 years, take a look at England's visit to Dublin in 2003. It bears no comparison to what we are offered today. No endless pick and go's, no defensive lines stretched from one touchline to another, plus we get to see the backs play. It gets my vote. Today's rugby is more like a 15 man version of rugby league (ouch!) and players risk serious injury in contact with the present generation of pumped-up forwards and even some of the backs. I think we're nearing the time when, in the best interests of player safety, World Rugby must consider imposing a max weight limit on squads. If not that, then other measures designed to reduce the crunching impact of collisions and associated concussions. I don't think that doing nothing is an option.   

    

19th February. I was returning from the clinic at Bidart this morning when I spotted an uber-cool new surf shop (right).. I don't know about you but the name conjures up all sorts of connotations - none of which are especially inviting. 

14th February. It's been a while since I last put stubby finger to keyboard.. but today seems like a good day to kick off again with some random reflections. 

First of all, here's another chance to enjoy Gautier Capuçon's virtuosity.. When we saw him last year in concert, I was amazed at the richness of the sound that he was able to produce from his 300 year old cello.. and this recording only begins to hint at its sonority and tone..

  

I mentioned earlier that I was booked into hospital for a replacement knee 'op' on 6th January. It was my first ever prolonged stay in a hospital (apart from an 'overnighter' I had here about 13 years ago) and it came as something of a shock to me when I realised that whatever dignity I thought I possessed rapidly dwindled away to next to nothing in the first few minutes. 

For the first couple of days I only had on one of those hospital gowns that open at the back and after some initial shyness (well, maybe two days-worth!) I decided resistance was useless and so I just let the nurses get on with whatever they wanted to do. 

I soon understood that I was no longer an individual human being but rather I was now a "patient" occupying a bed space and as such I was available to have all my vital measurements recorded 24/7 by nurses and student nurses. I got used to having blood samples taken at daybreak, my temperature recorded at 1am and seemingly at random times thereafter, blood pressure and heart beat measured as the shifts changed, and soon I was dotted with sticking plasters where I'd been stuck repeatedly with needles. I felt like a human dart board.. I remember waking up early one morning with my room in darkness to find a nurse's hand roaming around inside my pyjama jacket. She claimed to be looking for my armpit to take my temperature!😉 A friend of mine had warned me that a favourite tactic of the nurses was to wake you in the dead of night and then to ask you if you needed anything to help you sleep! 

A major challenge was the process of getting out of bed to answer a call of nature in the wee small hours. Even though I'd had 70+ years of practice, I soon found I was in danger of embarrassing myself. I had a stiff nylon sleeve velcro'd tightly around my right knee that effectively stopped me from bending it. I also had an on-demand pain relief system connected by a tube to a catheter at the top of my leg. 

So - picture this - I'd wake up in the dark feeling the need for relief only to find it almost impossible to extricate my right leg from a tangle of bed sheets. Finally, I found that with the aid of a crutch I could lift the bedding off my leg and then, with an increased sense of urgency, I could start heading towards the bathroom on two crutches - only to be brought up short by the tube - now taut as a bowstring - connecting the pain relief machine (clipped to the side of my bed and about the size of a heavy duty paperback) to the catheter implanted in the top of my leg.. Aaarrgghh! I'd make a quick U-turn and then shuffle back to the bed to detach the pain relief box from its mounting before making a panicky whimpering dash for the bathroom again with my hands full (two crutches plus the box and all the tubing).. while trying to ignore the danger signals from below! 

Now, the question of the day is - how many times do you think I did that before I remembered I was connected to the pain relief machine? Answer A: Just the once; B: two or three times or C: four or more (no-one could be that stupid surely?). 

I did have the means of summoning a nurse in the middle of the night via a red call button - but that went against the grain with me. (I know, I know..) Those first couple of days and nights at the hospital seemed interminable. This was serious Man Pain!😁

287. New Year strikes again..

27th January. I spoke with the doctor here yesterday and he confirmed that the stitches in my knee will be removed today - and, best news of all, that I'll be going home on Tuesday 2nd February. It's been a long four weeks.

26th January, I had my knee replacement surgery almost 3 weeks ago at the hospital at Bayonne and it appears that the surgeon did a good job. Since arriving here at the Re-education clinic, Bidart, from hospital 2 weeks ago my twice-daily sessions of physio have been targeted at reducing post-op swelling and restoring the usual flexibility. I was released onto some of the more dynamic apparatus in the well-equipped physio room here yesterday afternoon and none of it posed any insurmountable problems. I should be having my stitches out on Thursday - and after that? Who knows.

5th January. I'm off later on this afternoon to the hospital to have a new knee installed.. I've painted a blue ring around the affected limb so there shouldn't be any doubt as to which leg the surgeon should attack with his angle grinder. I hope to be back here in Pipérade Towers towards the end of the month - so you'll have to talk among yourselves for a few weeks. 

The condemned man ate a hearty lunch - two of Mr Montauzer's finest boudins blancs with truffles accompanied by sauté'd apple were eased down together with a glass of Saint-Pourçain rouge. Any crevices that remained unfilled were filled with a slice of galette des rois (right). Complete the following phrase in four words: "It's a tough job but someone...................".        

2nd January. I hope you all had a happy New Year in spite of the restrictions wherever you might be. It's probably a sign of age but I was glad to pull the plug at 00h15.. and subside gently into a coma.      

This was the scene at the dog-walking beach at around 11am this morning at Anglet.. the air temperature was 2°C and there were quite a few surfers out there in the waves. (rather them than me..!)

 

286. 'Twas the season to be jolly..

31st December. As we stumble wearily towards the midnight hour and a brand New Year, who would have thought just 12 short months ago that tonight we'd all be masked up and isolated. Plus, the long drawn-out saga of Brexit has finally been concluded to the satisfaction of both parties.. sign of a good deal (or maybe that we just haven't read the small print!) So, to all the readers of this blog - whoever and wherever you are - let's make 2021 the year when we restore our way of life back to the way it was. Happy New Year one and all!      

30th December. I grew up to the sound of my father playing the piano - and endlessly practising pieces like Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" - played beautifully with great passion here by Claudio Arrau. I don't think I've ever heard a better interpretation: 

        

We saw Gautier Capuçon, one of France's greatest cellists, here in Anglet a few months ago.. Here he is with Édith Piaf & Marguerite Monnot's "Hymne à l'Amour". Think this is one for full screen: 

     

I'm having my final session of physio this morning prior to the knee 'op' in a week's time. I'll be spending most of January behind bars - 4-5 days in hospital then 2-3 weeks in a sinister-sounding 're-education centre'.. so you'll have to talk among yourselves for a while!

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish both of my long-suffering oops -standing readers my best wishes for 2021.. Let's hope these new vaccines are effective (now there's a New Year's wish you don't often hear..). 

28th December. I woke up early (5.40am) this morning to the sound of a deluge of rain running in the gutters - and winds howling around the house. Fortunately we have these solid wooden shutters at the west-facing back of the house that keep the winter storms at a distance. Grey skies, lashing rain and gusting winds.. it's still blowing hard now. Probably not what you might imagine our lot to be here.. Fortunately we seldom get any snow - and if we do, it's usually gone by lunchtime. 

It's now 8.30pm as I write this and it's still blowing a gale and raining as hard as it was this morning.  

27th December. I was just returning from walking Nutty along the beach this morning when I put on the car radio - France Musique - and it was an interview with someone talking about their childhood musical influences and she happened to mention Louis Armstrong's "When it's sleepy time down south" and - whoooosh - that took me straight back 60+ years.. My father had an old 78 record of that very tune - and of all the music he played, I'd say it was right up there in his top three. I must have heard it a few hundred times! It's strange - I haven't heard that song or thought of it for decades - and yet - boom - the memory of it brought him back instantly.. so here's the same version (on a 45) of that great old song that my father loved so much:

25th December. A picture's worth a thousand words - so here's the lad himself getting into the Christmas spirit.. (a friend gave him the tie..)

I hope that you all have a happy Christmas - even if your friends and family are at the end of a Zoom call..  

22nd December. Time for a Christmas Carol - here's the choir of King's College, Cambridge with "The Angel Gabriel".. (sometimes known as the Old Basque Carol):

 

It was unseasonably warm here yesterday with 17°C.. and today the forecast is for 19°.. It's definitely not woodburner weather. However, with the current Covid restrictions in place - restaurants, cafés and bars all closed - means that some of the usual pleasures of going out for the day - a seat outside somewhere or a little lunch - are unavailable. I'm not looking for sympathy! (just as well because... fill in the rest yourselves!)    

I've been having 3 sessions of physio a week on my right knee in preparation for the forthcoming 'op' in January. My usual physio has taken a week's leave over the festive season and so it was her replacement that I saw yesterday. She gave my knee an intensive work-out and it would be fair to say that your correspondent is presently at the 'ouch' end of the pain spectrum. I have further sessions with her today and tomorrow. (gulp!)

18th December. If only Life was like this.. 😉:

16th December. The house is looking very Christmassy now - Madame has been busy and she has worked her customary magic - and finally Christmas seems real again. If I stood still for long enough I'm sure I'd end up with holly and ivy wound around my extremities!☺

I was in town yesterday evening to collect Nutty (our cocker) from Allo Toutou (the dog groomers). As he wasn't quite ready, I walked down to the Comptoir Irlandais to look at the mouth-watering display of Scotch single malt whiskies. Talking to one of the assistants, she suddenly darted off to the desk and poured me a wee dram of Glenrothes 12 year old.. And a very impressive drop o' the cratur it was too - and very different from Glenmorangie, my preferred single malt. I must have a look in the Spanish shops on the border to see what they charge..  

15th December. I picked up an early Christmas present from our local pharmacy the other day.. Yes, a racy pair of aluminium crutches.. although it would no longer surprise me if they had a fancy new name these days - such as "personalised augmented stability system". They'll come in handy when I'm released back into society at the end of January after my replacement knee has been fitted and I've negotiated my way through the 2-3 weeks of post 'op' physiotherapy. (Thinks: there's never a parrot when you want one is there?)    

By the way, for the benefit of any Brits in France, here's a helpful newsletter from the British Embassy in Paris. 

I'm late with my Christmas shopping this year and I'm struggling for inspiration - especially for those small stocking fillers. Normally, I'm done and dusted by the end of November but for obvious reasons, this wasn't possible this year.  

13th December. There was a short feature on TVPI, our local TV station, this morning about the paramotor club at nearby Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle. I watched the short film in a kind of suspended fascination and fear all at the same time.. I've previously experienced flying viewed from within a metal structure - and so I must admit to feelings of vertigo while watching the video below and, as I don't bounce well, I found myself wondering just how strong the equipment was.. Sitting up at 2-3,000 feet is not the place to be having thoughts like these..

    

9th December. I guess there's no putting it off any longer - I'll have to start writing my Christmas cards very soon. I've just brought our Made in China Christmas tree* up from the cellar where it's been skulking since January. It just doesn't seem like Christmas..

* I never thought I'd succumb to an artificial tree but they're more manageable than the real variety.    

8th December. We've had rain and lots of it over the last few days. Yesterday though, the weather gods decided to crank the dial round into the red zone and what had merely been heavy rain blown by strong gusty winds turned into rain the like of which I've never seen before. From the study window upstairs, the noise was deafening and the intensity of the downpour significantly reduced the visibility across the avenue outside. The poor dog would go outside and come straight back in again. I did manage to take him out at one point when the rain slackened off a touch.. The sky is still heavy with grey storm clouds. My Barbour jacket has rarely been used so much here!      

4th December. For many of us, this year's Christmas will be very different - due to Covid - to ones we have known previously. For me, one of the elements that used to 'make' Christmas was the Christmas Carol Service in the centuries-old country church in the Herefordshire village where we used to live. The annual Carol Service was always a special evening in the life of our village as people came together to sing the old carols - and afterwards to enjoy a hot mince pie and a glass of mulled wine with friends and neighbours before heading off home in the dark. 

The magic of Christmas is all wrapped up with childhood memories - and yes, they are unique to a time and a place. This is now our home - but even though we are content here, inevitably there will be one or two of the old Christmas rituals that can't be replicated here. Hemingway once observed that "you don't know what Christmas is until you lose it in some foreign land.." - but our experience of Christmas is that it changes as we get older - and so it's no good harking back to days of old - because those Christmasses of yesteryear live on only in our memories - and are unrepeatable.  

3rd December. We enjoyed an unexpectedly moving evening here in town a year or two ago - a riverside Chinese lantern festival. Watch this in wonder - like the many goggle-eyed small children who were present that night. It was later reported that around 50,000 people were present in Bayonne's narrow streets - and its very success means that it is likely to fall victim to the confinement this year. (Edited to add: yes, it's official - sadly, no mass release of Chinese lanterns this year..)  This video is from 2018.. it was an incredibly moving event.. 

285. A timely reminder..

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.

More here.  

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."

284. Especially when the October wind

25th October. Here's Yuja Wang (a favourite of mine) with her interpretation of Rachmaninov's Prelude in G Minor, Op. 23, No. 5:

 

Here are some other great performances by her. I don't think I've ever heard a more beautiful interpretation of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus18 than hers (the second piece on the above link). 

21st October. This evening, President Macron delivered a moving homage to Samuel Paty in the courtyard of the Sorbonne. Samuel Paty was the teacher who was foully murdered outside his school a few days ago. The President's words are worth reading. 

14th October. We can usually still eat outside during October and sometimes on into November - but not this year. Threatening skies, intense showers that blow through, low temperatures - October feels more like mid-winter. On the plus side, The "vitrification"* work we had done on the stairs and the cellar has dried off - so we can sleep upstairs again. 

* I think this means something different in French.

11th October. I like the originality of Glen Baxter's quirky old style cartoons:

7th October. The diary is filling up quickly with dates for various events.. The wooden stairs and the joists in the cellar have both needed treatment against woodworm - the stairs needed sanding first before they and the joists were treated with a toxic-smelling product. One of the outcomes was that we had to sleep downstairs as the product was still soaking into the stairs. Then next Monday, the stairs will be treated to what they call here a vitrification process.. so another restless night sleeping on the floor downstairs looms! 

We're also looking at changing the car - and trying to find our way through the mass of information presented by the concessionaires. We have a few test drives awaiting us - the main aim being to assess whether there's enough leg room for me - and also to check on the compliance of the suspension over the sometimes bumpy roads here. Our current car seems to bump and jolt its way over the slightest deformations of the road surface. We're looking at a petrol-engined car as we don't do much driving. I'm more than happy to stay in this corner of France with only the occasional trip elsewhere!  

Then after 10 years or so of various treatments to my knees, the scope for further treatment has reduced to zero and so I'm booked in for a replacement right knee in early January. First, I have to have 15 sessions of physio (3 per week for 5 weeks) to prepare my muscles for the surgery (to improve my recovery time) - then the "op" - after which I'll spend 4-5 days in hospital - before going to a centre for "re-education" (ie, more physio!) for 2-3 weeks. Madame seems to think I'll need a tablet of some kind to keep on top of my emails (and a couple of my blogs) - French daytime TV being just as dire as that in the UK.

Something to look forward to then!

3rd October. Driving rain and thunderstorms this morning.. I went out briefly to buy some logs - and returned soaked. Meanwhile, Nutty is waiting patiently for a gap in the rain for his morning walk. He's checked the garden over a few times but it's not the same. 

2nd October. Never has Dylan Thomas' poem about October seemed more relevant.. Over the space of a handful of days, we moved from a "shorts and t-shirt" summer straight into mid-Autumn (and worse) without the respite usually offered by those golden days of September. 

Before September was out, I seriously thought about lighting our wood burner but I was talked out of it. Great leathery leaves (a foot across) from platanes have been swirling and drifting down the avenue for days now - and burnished conkers abound under the chestnut trees and beech nuts are all over the pavements (sidewalks).  

The wonderfully resonant sound of Gautier Capuçon's 300 year old cello that we heard during the concert at the Château de Baroja in August has been on my mind of late too. It was the first time I'd ever heard a solo cello live (so much more alive than a CD) and the clarity of that sound cut straight through all my mental baggage and registered directly with my emotions. It was something I'd not experienced before and I lost myself in the performance.  

Max Bruch's Kol Nidre is arguably the finest piece ever written for a cello - and it's played here by arguably the cello's greatest virtuoso - Jacqueline du Pré, who contracted MS (of all things) and from which she died tragically young at the age of 42.