266. Hello Spring!

30th April. We had a quick raid in Spain yesterday - I topped up my whisky stocks with a 2 litre bottle (think Football Manager of the Month size!) of Sir Edward's at 18.95€* - a price I couldn't ignore! I defy anyone to categorise it as a rotgut product.. We've all been programmed to believe that high price = good and low price = bad.. I'd be interested to see how people would score this whisky in a blind tasting. 

* = £8.17/litre. 

Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen (right) is a Dane who came to the UK and worked as an NHS dentist for 20 years. His story refutes the tired old prejudiced stereotype of the Brexiteer as portrayed by the pro-Remain UK media and the Establishment. Playing to the gallery, Owen Smith, Labour MP for Pontypridd predictably falls back on a spot of name-calling - labelling Brexit a "racist, xenophobic, right-wing reactionary project". I'd be interested to find what evidence he has for that statement.

Here's an extract from a statement made by Henrik after the Referendum: "I am far from being one of the 17.4 million xenophobes whom Chuka Umunna has claimed are among his fellow citizens. Support for Brexit is not only to be found on the right of the political spectrum, it is across the board, and the Brexit Party is a perfect example of that. Far-right parties do not speak for me, nor do they speak for the majority of this country. Having come here as a European immigrant over twenty years ago, I can safely say that the rhetoric which comes from those on the far right does not represent what I have experienced; Britain has been open and welcoming to me."

"The Brexit Party brings together people from all backgrounds and challenges the dangerous stereotype which media outlets like the BBC push. We Brexiteers are not a monolithic group of ignorant and uneducated voters who blindly supported Brexit because they liked Boris Johnson. How will they marry up the idea of me – a socialist, NHS dentist and trade union representative, who used to live in a commune – with being a Brexiteer?"

Denmark seldom gets a mention here - so mange tak to Henrik - here's some Danish party music..

In something of a 'first' for me, I registered as a supporter of the Brexit Party a few days ago. (Edited to add in 2023: The Brexit Party is no longer the force it was since the departure of Nigel Farage.) 

Bleu Café

28th April. To Biarritz this morning with the pooch to have a walk along the sea front - and to watch the breakers rolling in with a crash at high tide. We stopped off first at the Bleu Café (right) for a coffee, ideally situated on the Grande Plage for a grandstand view of the Sunday morning crowd (photos).

We then headed into town only to find that a braderie was in progress - ie, a sale where the shops set out all their marked-down merchandise on racks in the street. Best avoided unless you have the shopping gene! There was a "start of season" feel to life this morning with quite a few foreigners (ie, people from outside the Pays Basque!) out and about.

27th April. Most visitors to the Pays Basque don't stray too far from the coast - and, for many reasons, that's completely understandable. However, the interior boasts some fine mountain scenery with stunning views that seem to go on for ever. I'd recommend that visitors spend at least a day or two in the Pyrenees National Park.

Here's a charming short video (below) that captures much that is admirable about Bayonne. And - unsurprisingly - I wouldn't argue with any of it! When we first came down to the Pays Basque, we were immediately seduced by the undoubted Basque charms of Saint-Jean-de-Luz and, to a lesser extent, Biarritz. However, forced by the reality of property prices to look elsewhere, we backed into Bayonne in a manner of speaking - and now not a day goes by that I don't thank our lucky stars!
It's a town for living in - as opposed to visiting. That's not to say that it's not set up for tourism - far from it - but that its appeal is not as immediately apparent as the other two towns, which are largely given over to meeting the needs of tourists. We still pinch ourselves when we visit Saint-Jean-de-Luz and walk along the spectacular sea front there - and we always get a buzz when visiting Biarritz, with its dazzling light and its fantastically eclectic range of properties dating back to its Belle Epoque days - but Bayonne exerts an undeniable pull on us - and I can't imagine a day when we'd ever want to move from here. Even now, when we leave to drive north towards Bordeaux or further afield, we still ask ourselves why on earth are we leaving?  

Here's another that focuses on some of the products that Bayonne is justifiably famous for:

25th April. I took the dawg down to the coast this morning for a good run - and after rain had swept through overnight, there was unlimited visibility (as in "gin clear") and I could clearly see hills on the far side of San Sebastian - and I suspect as far as Bilbao on the northern Spanish coast. An off-shore breeze was ripping the tops of waves off in continuous arcs of spindrift (right). A beautiful morning..

24th April. The British Embassy, Paris, has been publishing a series of newsletters for British expats resident in France. The latest newsletter (dated April 2019) starts:

"The British Government continues to seek a way in which the UK can leave the EU in an orderly manner and without undue delay. In the meantime, the French Government is publishing more information about what a no-deal would mean for British nationals in France. We want to share this information with you, so we will be emailing updates to you as and when we can. This update covers the French Ministry of Interior's decree about entry, residence, social rights and professional activity in France for British nationals in the event of a no-deal departure from the EU. The second part of this newsletter covers the recognition of UK driving licences in France in the event of no-deal."
Click here to continue reading. (To sign up to receive the Embassy's Newsletters, click here).

There has been much talk here in France lately of the marked increase in suicides by the nation's gendarmes and police. As if this wasn't bad enough, there have been some shocking scenes at demonstrations by the gilets jaunes (and/or aided by anarchists and others who have infiltrated their ranks) when masked or hooded demonstrators have chanted "Suicidez-vous" ("Kill yourselves") at the forces of law and order. There are some very sick people out there. This same message has been spray painted on several police stations throughout the country. Another piece of graffiti that I've noticed both here and across the border in Spain is a charming one imported from the UK - ACAB (All Coppers Are Bastards).

It's difficult to comment on the level of hatred that makes people chant slogans like these at the police. They don't know how lucky they are to live here. Yes, life can be difficult - but when has it not been? Poverty is relative.. just the other day I saw a young man sitting on the pavement in town begging - while at the same time talking on a smart phone. The generation who grew up with leather sofas and big screen TVs took them for granted - but now they are finding out the hard way just how difficult the acquisition of these consumer products can be. For many, taking part in a 'manif' (demo) is a rite of passage - and then there are those who like to see how far they can provoke the police. Finally, there are those (above right) who simply wish to take advantage of the opportunity to attack the police. Sadly, there's no shortage of provocateurs at these demos.

There are many retired people who joined the gilet jaunes movement in the hope that the Government would cave in to their demands. In my view, they have a legitimate case - as pensions have been frozen here for a number of years while at the same time utilities (electricty and gas) have announced price hikes in excess of inflation. For those in receipt of pensions, this is a particularly cruel outcome as they have no means of topping up their income.

I believe that there's an internationalist element to these nihilistic anarchists, enabled by the internet, mobile phones and social media, that allows them to coordinate their shameful actions and to act in numbers. 

There's long been a habit here for opportunist thieves or vandals (known as "casseurs" - literally 'breakers' - but 'wreckers' is closer) to join otherwise peaceful demonstrations to cause mayhem - like the one (right) who just happened to find a hammer in his pocket - and it seems that the coordination of these acts has ramped up. There are also those who come with weapons prepared to commit violent acts, like the 'peaceful' demonstrator (above left) armed with a powerful catapult that could really cause serious injury to someone. The real challenge to the government is how to respond to these disturbing urban events in ways that will not be interpreted by the ever-present media (who are invariably embedded with the demonstrators) as the use of excessive force by the State. Of course, the rolling news channels pay for and feed off shocking imagery (provided by phone videos etc) and so the whole thing becomes self-sustaining.

We're not immune to the effects of the gilets jaunes in this part of the world - there have been small encampments of them on the approaches to the Pont Henri Grenet over the Adour and elsewhere for some months now. In former times, French governments invariably acceded, at least in part, to the demands of street protesters - but this time I think that President Macron has very little room to manoeuvre so I anticipate a long drawn-out stand-off. In my view, the actions by the extremists mentioned above were designed to inflame matters and provoke a reaction in the hope that it will work to their advantage. We have a long way to go yet before this will be resolved. 

Meanwhile, across the Channel, MPs have returned to Westminster after their 12 day break. Nigel Farage's newly formed Brexit Party has recruited an interesting candidate from the ranks of the Conservative Party - Annunziata Rees-Mogg (yes, Jacob's sister).

According to the media, the stage is being set for the centre ground of UK politics to be abandoned and of course, this would be an unwelcome turn of events - if it were to happen. Certainly, the Labour Party (backed by Momentum) has taken steps away from the centre ground.

However, as much as political pundits (including those of the BBC) will attempt to smear the Brexit Party by calling it a Far Right party, I don't believe that those involved at the heart of it would ever allow it to drift off to the fringes. Mr Farage has also been accused by the media of wanting a "hard" Brexit. To me, the UK is either in or out - there's no such thing as a hard or soft Brexit except in the minds of those who are scheming for the UK to remain.

Brexit was always a cross party issue - something that the media has consistently ignored since the UK electorate voted to leave the EU in June 2016 as it doesn't fit their narrative. I've said this before but we have too much media, too many talking heads, everyone's talking and no-one's listening. Now that the genie's out of the bottle, it's probably asking too much of MPs to STFU and put their country first - but that's what's needed..

23rd April. I haven't been able to bring myself to watch any of the news coverage about the fire at Notre-Dame, Paris. This painting of Notre-Dame looming dark and heavy against the evening sky says it all to me:

Just back from lunch outside at a trattoria on the banks of the Adour. We had to ask for an umbrella as the sun was so hot - the car registered 24½°C (76°F) on the way home.

Bryan Gould, a former Labour minister, now returned to his native New Zealand has written: The Remainers' constant theme is the admonition of those who voted for Brexit and who are, as they see it, foolish enough to think that we can extricate ourselves painlessly from our entanglement with the European Union. What is remarkable about this stance is that there is no hint of any apology from them, or acceptance of any responsibility on their part, for this dilemma. It was after all today’s Remainers who urged us on in the first place and led to our being embroiled in an arrangement which, as I and others warned at the time, was contrary to our interests and from which it is proving so difficult to free ourselves. 

22nd April. Here's the late George Harrison (former mop-top!) with his catchy interpretation of Cab Calloway's 1931 hit - The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea..

19th April. The crush of people here continues.. The Foire au Jambon runs through until Sunday, so there's a crowd attached to that - then there are those in town who have come down for the Easter weekend.. then fold in the road works that have been going on for months now and you have all the ingredients in place for fun and games on the roads - not forgetting the entries for the creative parking competition (Pays Basque section). After all that talk of whisky, I think I might interview Dr Glenmorangie this evening. Here's something to put you in the mood.. 

I've recently become aware (subliminal marketing perhaps?) of "Monkey Shoulder" - a blended malt whisky. It's not a blended whisky but an 'undisclosed' combination of ‘different’ Speyside single malts.. and I've clearly taken my eye off the ball as I've yet to try one! Full list of blended malt whiskies here. It sounds interesting and I've seen it across the border in Spain. Thinking about it though, part of the pleasure of drinking a single malt for me comes from associating the taste with its place of origin in Speyside or the Highlands. With malt whisky, I like to know what I'm drinking - and by masking off that knowledge from us, I think William Grant and Sons are doing their product a disservice. I suspect they wish to make their product more "accessible" to a younger and, dare I say it, trendier demographic who couldn't care less where the whisky was distilled and matured. I detect a strong whiff of marketing here.

Want to know more about whisky? Look here. And then go out and buy one of these! Aka the gift that keeps on giving..

I remember once trying to buy a leg of lamb from the butcher's department in a UK supermarket. I asked the assistant where the lamb came from - to which she replied, "The fridge..". 

18th April. Road space and parking was at a premium here in Bayonne today due to the ongoing road works in preparation for the introduction of the Tram'bus service (presented here by Laurent Irazusta - former president of my old rowing club). Perhaps more importantly, today was also the opening of the Foire au Jambon 2019.. This is a major annual event that celebrates the Jambon de Bayonne and it attracts visitors from far and wide to meet friends, have lunch together, share a bottle of wine - and yes, sample some Jambon de Bayonne! And with this being France, any time that gastronomy raises its head, it can be guaranteed that a Confrérie (only in France!) will make an appearance - and so (with a roll of drums) enter the Confrérie du Jambon de Bayonne! (by the way, that's Basque you can hear being spoken)
16th April. Here's some music to stare out of the window by: it's the second movement of Beethoven's Sonata "Pathetique" Op 13, played beautifully here by Matthew McAllister:

I'm not sure that this is quite what Beethoven had in mind for this wonderful piece of music. If you would prefer to listen to it played on a piano, here's Li Yundi with his equally beautiful  interpretation.

13th April. Have you been mystified by some/all of the rugby videos I've posted here? Have you asked yourself why this or that happened? Here's a short animation that outlines the main rules of the game and it should dispel some of the fog..

10th April. There was a flash of light early this morning - followed a second or two later by an explosive crack and rumble of nearby thunder (very nearby!) and since then the gutters have been running with water.

8th April. By the way, I must thank Heather (a friend's daughter) again for sending us this very accomplished watercolour - an extremely lifelike rendition of our English cocker spaniel.

 

We were delighted to receive this last Christmas - out of the blue - and we were both amazed at how she'd really managed to capture the little rascal as he is (sometimes!). I don't know how she did it. Many thanks! He was still a pup in the photograph - but since then he's morphed into a 17kg (if not more) adult dog..

Someone sent me a link to a video of a 'ground-up' restoration of a 1973 Porsche 911S. It would have been waay out of my league when new back in the early 1970s - and looking at the amount of effort and skill that has gone into this painstaking "back-to-bare-metal" restoration, it still is! (I shudder to think what the labour costs would have been) However, one can but dream.

My other dream car - a Bentley Mk VI (but minus the whitewall tyres) - is at the opposite end of the spectrum to the Porsche. Where the Porsche is minimalist - spartan even - the Bentley is like a Gentlemen's Club on wheels - all leather armchairs, Wilton carpeting, burr walnut dash and door cappings. I would hate to be put in the position of having to choose between one or the other (not that it will ever happen). An impossible choice - but I think I'd finally come down on the side of the Bentley - with that effortless straight six engine and the plush interior, it's got character and style in spades. I could see myself sitting in it in my pyjamas at 6am with a coffee. Sadly, I think the real reason would be that getting in and out of a Bentley Mk VI would be easier. More on Bentley Mk VIs here. The ultimate Bentley is surely this R-R Meteor-powered monster - yes, a development of the same engine that powered the immortal Spitfire and the Mustang - built by this company in Devon, UK. Ah well, back to the real world!

It's good to have a dream or two though - I think we need our dreams for life to be fully savoured. As you may have noticed, I'm more than happy with the life I have! Human nature being what it is though, we always want just that little bit more. (OK, in the case of a Porsche or a Bentley, it would be a lot more!)

7th April. Just watched the 2019 University Boat Race rowed under grey skies on the Thames - and Cambridge Ladies took a well-deserved win, driven on all the way by the inspirational Lily Lindsay, their dynamic stroke. I've always supported Oxford but it was clear from the start that it was going to be Cambridge's race. They looked as if they meant business whereas Oxford looked as if they were out on a Saturday morning club row. I just couldn't see how they thought they might win, rowing like that. The Ladies race starts at 13:50 in the video below..

The Mens boat race was far closer and there was only a length in it at the finish. Cambridge had a lightning quick start - and sat on their lead despite a praiseworthy attempt by the Dark Blue boat to get back on terms. The Mens race starts at 1:11:27:

 

I was disappointed to hear foul language from two of the four coxes in the races. I hope the clubs concerned take steps to ensure that this doesn't happen again.

April showers

Another soaking for me this morning! I'd taken the pooch for his Sunday morning gallop through the woods and fortunately I'd remembered to take an umbrella with me as the weather looked a bit iffy. We'd only got about 100 yards or so from the car when someone upstairs turned the rain on..

This was monsoon-style rain - and the closest I can get to describing it is to say it sounded like someone pouring dried peas on the umbrella from a great height! It wasn't merely drumming - it was deafening - as I squelched through the empty woods - squelch squelch squelch - under my oversized umbrella. If the dog had looked only bedraggled, it would have been an improvement! He was soaked - and needed wringing out! He's still slightly damp even now in the late afternoon.

It's been uncharacteristically dry here these last few months so this morning's rainfall will benefit my "corner of a foreign field - that is for ever England". Couldn't resist that one!

4th April. The weather's a bit disturbed here at the moment - the horizon is black with squally showers blowing through now and again. I took the pooch for a run through the woods near the beach this morning and the hollows in the undergrowth were filled with hail..

Yesterday evening I parked my car in Saint-Jean-de-Luz (above) in good time for a meeting at the Town Hall - the skies were clear - when I suddenly had to dash back to the car to pick up something I'd forgotten. Returning to the Town Hall minutes later, the skies blackened ominously, the wind picked up and then I was hammered by hail.. Just what I needed before the meeting!

Here's a song that reminds me of a happy time in my life. (full details supplied on request - if accompanied by a cheque!☺) 

3rd April. I had a meeting at the Town Hall of Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the late afternoon - and when we emerged afterwards at about 6.30pm, the pavements were shiny following a recent shower. The sun was low in the south west over the distant mountains and the slanting evening light gilded the gleaming rooftops of Ciboure across the inner harbour, the surface of which dazzled and rippled like liquid gold. If ever there was a real Kodak moment, this was it! I pointed it out to a companion (a native of Ciboure) who was busy reviewing the key points of the meeting and it stopped him dead in his tracks too. Why didn't I have a camera with me..?!

  

The Nive with the cathedral
in the background

2nd April. I forgot to mention that on Saturday morning I went out on my ebike through the centre of town and out along the towpath along banks of the beautiful Nive. With it being a Saturday morning, there were quite a few boats out on the river - and it reminded me of those happy mornings when I used to row there with the section Loisir (leisure). We'd try and set ourselves into a long, sustainable, almost hypnotic rhythm and before long the outside world would cease to exist. I remember that sometimes I'd suddenly realise that I hadn't seen the last few kilometres pass by due to my being so absorbed in trying to perfect all of the elements of my stroke.

On the way back, I stopped off at the club and was pleased to see some old faces among the new ones who had joined since I'd left. As much as I'd like to go back there, I very much regret that I won't be. The problem was that, due to my creaky knees, I could no longer get out of the boat unaided after a sortie - instead, I needed to be pulled out! This for me runs counter to everything I believe about rowing. For me, the essence of rowing is that the crew should act together - on and off the water - and they should all do the same things at the same time. For example, when the cox gives the order to get out, all oarsmen should get out as one.. I couldn't come to terms with being the odd one out who needed assistance - so that was the end of that. I started rowing at 14 and I'd always hoped that it was a sport I could practice all my life. It's quite frustrating because from the strictly rowing point of view, I believe I could hold my own - it was just the business of getting out of the boat that was the issue. 

At choir practice last night, we continued working on another Mozart piece (Laudate Dominum from "Vesperae solennes de Confessore" KV 330 Nr 5) that we're including in our forthcoming concert in June. (and no, this isn't us below!) The "heavy mob" makes its entrance at 2:37..!

1st April. Always glad to see the first three months of the year behind me. Unlike previous years when we've been subjected to more or less continuous rain, we've enjoyed a fairly dry Spring. So, no complaints from me!  

265. Fun and games at San Sebastian..

31st March. We opened a bottle of Egiategia Dena Dela white wine - a present from a friend - at lunchtime.. What's so special about it, I hear you ask? Well, it's aged under the sea at Ciboure, across the bay from Saint-Jean-de-Luz. More here.

It was OK, though quite acidic (he said, damning it with faint praise) but I must admit that I'm struggling trying to imagine what the benefit of underwater ageing could be.
Nutty, our ever-hungry cocker spaniel, was delighted by the arrival of Summer time - as it meant that he didn't have to wait so long for his breakfast. As he only eats twice a day, this was a major, and very welcome, change to his daily routine.

30th March. We've just started rehearsing Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus for our upcoming concert in June. It's a sublime piece and some of the harmonies make me shiver. Enjoy the Choir of King's College, Cambridge.

 

Meanwhile, back in the world of politics, here's Dr Alice Weidel - the leader of Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) party) - making much sense in the Bundestag the other day:

I should add that while I agree with Dr Weidel's remarks in this context, that shouldn't be taken as my blanket approval of AfD's other policies. The media is labelling AfD as a far right/extreme right party and that's enough to ring alarm bells everywhere - but especially in Germany.

Railing against architect Peter Eisenman’s Holocaust memorial next to Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, the AfD delegate Björn Höcke last year said that “we Germans are the only people in the world that have planted a monument of shame in the heart of their capital”. My reply to that would be that Germany is one of the very few countries in the world that needed one.

Moving on.

If Brexit had gone to plan, this morning we would have woken up as citizens of a free and independent country - content to stroll on the "broad sunlit uplands" while our MPs scratched their heads, trying to remember how to govern it. After all, it's been 43 years since they last had the opportunity! It's impossible to make any sensible predictions about what the future holds until Parliament finds a way out of the convoluted mess that we are in.

I think the EU must share part of the blame though - its negotiating team had clearly been directed to make things as difficult as possible for the UK. I, for one, would like to see an itemised statement of our account that could possibly justify the swingeing £39bn divorce bill the EU is intent on imposing on the UK.

To give you an indication of the size of this sum, it's enough to buy 481 brand new Boeing 737-800 airliners (similar to these right) at US $106m or £81m each. Yes, that's right - four hundred and eighty one of them. Is the EU including a figure for "hurt feelings" in this bill? What on earth has the UK been agreeing to fund?

In March 2017, the House of Lords’ European Union committee reported that generous payments might be “impossible” to avoid, for example to ensure future access to the single market. But it went on to say: “We conclude that if agreement is not reached, all EU law — including provisions concerning ongoing financial contributions . . . will cease to apply and the UK would be subject to no enforceable obligation to make any financial contribution at all.”

It should be borne in mind that the UK entered this organisation freely and of its own will following a democratic referendum. Throughout our membership we have been a net contributor. We now wish to leave following another democratic referendum (only the third national referendum in the UK's history). So - my question is: why do our EU "Friends and Partners" feel the need for a punitive settlement? What exactly are we being punished for?

28th March. While I was fighting my way just now through the snarled-up traffic in Bayonne due to the road works (necessary for the introduction of the all-electric Tram'bus in September), I was contemplating (as you do) the current state of European politics. 

I'm no Little Englander - I enjoy very much living in this blessed corner of France and I love the diversity and cultural riches that Europe has to offer - but that's as far as it goes. While I'm at ease with feeling "European" (whatever that means), I abhor the European Union that the EEC morphed into while we weren't looking. 

Where to start? There's the democratic deficit and the vaulting ambition (the "ever-closer union" mantra) to become the United States of Europe - conveniently forgetting that one of the key founding principles of the USA was, and still is, defined by Abraham Lincoln as "Government of the people, by the people and for the people". I love Europe but not this particular expression of Europe (the EU) - where its leaders are appointed, instead of being elected by the electorate; where policy emerges fully-formed from Franco-German summits or from behind closed doors in the unelected Commission; a Europe where Germany is making hay (a 48bn€ surplus in the first six months of 2018) thanks to their membership of the eurozone - and where the European Parliament is simply a sad joke - a shop window designed to foster the impression that the EU is democratic. It could just as easily be replaced by a rubber stamp. 

Stuck in traffic, my mind drifted on to the Eurozone and it occurred to me that at one end of the economic spectrum sits Germany, getting richer by the second - a country whose currency should, in all truth, be revalued - while at the other end of the spectrum lie the PIGS - aka Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain - whose economies would benefit greatly from a currency devaluation. And therein lies the problem with the euro.. there won't be any revaluation or devaluation.. so that means Germany will get richer and richer - while the PIGS get poorer and poorer. This cannot continue. These are the pie-in-the-sky (one joint too many) economics of the eurozone - a single currency artificially applied - unasked for - to a group of countries with dissimilar economies for purely political reasons - driven by an insanely irrational desire to emulate and overtake the United States of America. Taken in isolation, this is a highly laudable goal - but given that there's no common language, plus the lack of shared values and history of political culture, the lack of oversight and accountability, the absence of the democratic principle that is fundamental to the United States of America, it is doomed to failure. The sooner the wheels fall off the EU wagon the better as far as I'm concerned. I feel better for that!

The problem is that as long as Germany is awash with euros, I don't see that the impetus for structural reform of the EU will come from them. Why would it? It certainly won't come from France - as the EU is France's love child and it appeals to their mindset - with its centralised control and run by technocrats (graduates of their Grandes Ecoles) - it is France writ large. Who else, apart from these two countries, has the clout to call a halt to this experiment in social engineering? I think "events" will cause the EU house of cards to come tumbling down one day - I don't see reform coming from within.   

Beautiful, cloudless morning down at the Plage des Cavaliers beach earlier.. sunny but still with that early season freshness. Very few people about. The beach has been cleared of all the detritus washed up during the winter. That's the lighthouse at Biarritz just left of centre - click to enlarge:

UK expats in France concerned about the continued provision of health care post-Brexit should take note of this written statement made in the House of Commons by Stephen Hammond (the Minister of Health), dated 19th March 2019. More here. I've just written to my MP.

As we edge closer to actually leaving the EU (maybe!), here's a site that's been set up by HM Govt specifically to address concerns that UK expats in France may have. You can choose to be notified by email as and when changes occur via this link. The French Govt has also kindly set up a Brexit web site aimed at British expats in France - that should go some way towards allaying concerns people may have. Of course, some key actions may only be put in place if both parties sign up to bilateral agreement on health care.

27th March. David Davis, the former Brexit Secretary, cuts through all the House of Commons flim-flam here with his assessment of the Brexit process and how the Commons is out of step with the very people they are elected to represent. 

22nd March. The slow motion train crash that is Brexit shuffled forward an inch yesterday - only to take a step 2.54 centimetres backwards.

Brexit: On Time, Delayed or Cancelled?

In June, it will be 3 years since the Referendum - we were reminded just the other day that a thousand days have passed since that vote. WWII only lasted 6 years. The country is riven down the middle by the question - with strong opinions held by supporters of both Leave and Remain camps. Furthermore, within a highly factionalised Parliament, as well as the usual tribal conflicts between the main parties, there's a complete spectrum of opinion within each of them. This even extends to Mrs May's Cabinet. It must also be borne in mind that Mrs May was herself a Remainer when she took on the challenge of one of the most toxic Prime Ministerial in-trays in living memory.

When all this is put in the context of a minority government, it's hardly surprising that the solution - if there is one - has been lost somewhere in the noise. I don't think it will be possible for her to achieve a consensus with this dog's breakfast of a "deal". The EU's negotiating stance has, rightly or wrongly, been uncompromising, showing little willingness to accommodate a country that voted democratically (that word again) to leave the Union. Unraveling the myriad number of political, economic, commercial and social developments that have taken place in the past 46 years, with all the associated legislation, and steering the good ship UK safely through the uncharted waters to ensure that the UK could separate cleanly from the EU was always going to be a challenge - and so it has proved. Unfortunately, our "Great Helmsman" was a Remainer and my view is that she went to Brussels as a supplicant - asking for favours. I think she and her team should have been more hard-nosed from the outset - but that's simply not her style.

"Cometh the hour" has been followed many times in our history by "Cometh the Man". Unfortunately this appears to be one of those times when statesmen riding to the rescue are in short supply - on both sides of the House. I think Mrs May has gone as far as she can go and the time is fast approaching when we should be casting around for a suitable replacement - but this is where I draw a blank.

I'm sure all those who are still interested in the outcome are rapidly losing the will to live. I'm fast approaching a terminal condition known as all "Brexited-out"! I want to hear news on the radio - not the endless speculation that we've had to endure for so long. Melanie Phillips' views are always worth listening to - and Matthew Eason has written a good piece here on how the UK's Brexit strategy imploded - if the UK's appalling mishandling of the negotiations from Day 1 could be described as 'strategy'. Sigh..

21st March. We were out at our neighbours late yesterday afternoon and as "l'heure bleue" approached, a bottle of 12 year old Glenkinchie was produced. I have to say it's a long time since I enjoyed a single malt as much as I did this one. I'll have to see if I can find a bottle of it across the border in the whisky quarries! How come it's taken me so long to discover Glenkinchie? If it's a rainy day where you are and you're stuck for something to do, google "Glenkinchie" and read the reviews.. The opinions of the internet's whisky gurus appears to be divided on the subject. I would say: try it for yourself. In reading some of the salty comments, I don't recognise their descriptions of Glenkinchie 12 year old as the same dram that I tried yesterday.

First day of Spring today.. (at last!). Does anyone remember this one?

17th March. It was the final day of the Guinness 6 Nations rugby tournament yesterday and true to form, there were shocks in store. 

First, we started at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome, for a nervy contest between Italy and France to see who'd be propping up the table. I was rather hoping for a win for la squadra azzurra to give them some hope that they were closing the gap between them and the rest - but it wasn't to be. The Italians went very close in the final minutes when a try was disallowed. France won 25-14.  

Wales took the Grand Slam in front of their 80,000-odd adoring fans in Cardiff - with many more left outside - by beating Ireland, last year's champions, who were strangely ineffective. Ireland scored at the death ('saving the furniture' as the French have it) to make the final score 25-7. Over the tournament, Wales shared the unenviable tag of being, with Wooden Spoon winners Italy, the joint lowest try scorers with a modest 10 tries, conceding 7. 

Congratulations to the Welsh team on pulling off the Grand Slam - but at the risk of sounding less than magnanimous, it's worth examining the final points table. Yes, Wales were unbeaten but to me they played an unattractive brand of what I call 'alehouse' rugby - ferocious tackling, with bodies flying in and the minimum of tries to fire the imagination. They have a mean defence (coached by ex rugby league star Shaun Edwards) but it makes for a dour scrappy game. Personally, I find it unwatchable - an opinion that will see me accused of all manner of bad things. I've always applauded good rugby - regardless of who's playing it - but being absolutely honest, I don't see that the current Welsh squad are anywhere near being worthy successors to those great Welsh teams of the 60s and 70s. Workmanlike yes. Memorable? Not at all. I know at moments like this we're supposed to put our national affiliations to one side and praise the Welsh - but sadly, with their style of rugby, I don't feel able to.  

Then we come to Twickenham and the final match in this year's tournament between England and Scotland. I realise that I've left myself wide-open with my less-than-flattering comments about Wales - but England somehow contrived to draw a pulsating match with Scotland 38-38. England started off scoring at the rate of a point per minute and they went in at half time leading 31-7. Somehow, Scotland brought the score back to parity and then at one point in the closing minutes, they were leading 31-38 - until England levelled the scores in extra time. This was a match that Scotland fully deserved to win and I'm sure they'll be disappointed that they didn't. However, it's worth noting that England won the first half 31-7 - and Scotland won the second half by the exact same score.. Fantastic never-say-die spirit from Scotland ably led by Finn Russell. This result means that they deservedly retain the Calcutta Cup.. rugby's oldest sporting trophy.   

Here's something for all those people in Ireland and elsewhere who are feeling a bit 'down in the gob' after the rugby this weekend. Pour yourself a drop of the cratur and listen to this:               

Bob Frost

14th March. I've just heard that Bob Frost (96) died this morning. He was one of the very last surviving WWII evaders who made it home back to England with the help of the Comet Line. He'd been a 19 year old tail gunner in a Vickers Wellington Mk III of 150 Squadron when his aircraft was hit by flak during an operation to bomb the sprawling Krupps foundries at Essen in the Ruhr (known as Happy Valley) on 16/17th September 1942. Against all odds, he survived the immediate effects and was able to parachute out from his crippled bomber. Landing in fields near Kapellen in Flemish-speaking Brabant, he was fortunate to be picked up quickly by Comet Line helpers. He crossed the Pyrenees on 9th October before leaving Gibraltar on 24th October, arriving at Portreath in Cornwall, England the following morning.

Sadly, there are fewer and fewer of these wartime evaders left - and Bob was one of the very last. Some 55,573 aircrew of RAF's Bomber Command were killed during WWII and now Bob has left us to rejoin his old crew mates. RIP Bob. It was a real privilege to know you.

13th March. Melanie Phillips' blog can always be relied upon for a thoughtful view of the current B****t negotiations between the UK and the EU. Here's what she writes towards the end of her piece:

"Meanwhile, remember those dire forecasts of lorry paralysis across the Channel caused by the sudden imposition of no-deal border controls? Well guess what – French Customs has designed “an innovative technological solution – the ‘smart border’”. It says: 

“In the frame of the re-establishment of the border between the United Kingdom and the European Union, French Customs has developed an information system allowing businesses to automate the border crossing by HGV. This innovative solution will be applicable at all points of entry/exit to/from Calais region and more broadly of Channel-North Sea. It is based on 3 principles: 

• The early completion of customs procedures before arriving at the border by giving the bar code of the customs declaration to the driver. 
• The identification of the mean of transport and the bar code of customs declaration of transported goods. 
• The automatic sending of the crossing notifications to the customs declarant to avoid stopping the HGV”. 

Hang on: weren’t we all told the Irish border issue was insoluble because the idea of a smart technological border was impossible? If there can be a smart technological border at Calais, why can’t there be one at the Irish border? And if there can be a smart technological Irish border, then what in heaven’s name was the Irish backstop issue all about?"

12th March. As I was walking back from town this morning, it occurred to me  that the French language, as taught in the UK in the sixties, was not much use (I'm being generous) for everyday living. For example, I well remember the first time I went for a haircut here - and I hardly understood a word the coiffeuse said to me when I sat down in the chair. I got the drift though.. but then I realised I had no idea how to phrase my reply - "Can you thin out the top and leave the sides fairly long please?" I didn't know the French for a 'parting' either. (Maybe I should have paid more attention at school instead of staring out of the window!) If you're waiting to move to France, now's the time to improve your French. I left it until we arrived here and, given the love affair that France has with its own language, I was surprised to find that there weren't more French language courses aimed at foreigners.

11th March. I discovered Nostalgie Best of 60s radio (Anglo-French pop) on our internet radio the other day. It's easy listening and ideal for those who (like, er, me!) had their musical tastes formed in those far-off days.

We were out in the outback just to the north east of Peyrehorade (right) yesterday for lunch with friends D & L. They bought their relatively isolated farmhouse about 3-4 years ago and since then they've carried out a lot of work in bringing it all up to date. L used to have an interior design business in northern France and now that, for all intents and purposes, the house is finished, it's a testament to her discerning eye.

Tastefully furnished with an eclectic mix of French country furniture, a few Art Deco pieces and a couple of very comfortable couches, its beams painted a pale grey and a grey stone floor, the relaxed open plan living area would not have looked out of place in any of those French country living magazines. There was a display case in an alcove containing what appeared to be Fabergé eggs but I was assured that they were lookalikes! If genuine, just one would have been more than enough to guarantee a (very) comfortable retirement!

The log fire was crackling in their massive open hearth and we sat around it while the dogs did what dogs do (aka the eternal battle for dominance). To take our minds off the yapping, she served us a wonderful and novel apéro - known as "soupe au champagne" (champagne, a dash/splash of Cointreau, some lime juice and cane sugar syrup) that was very more-ish - it really hit the spot. (how to make it here) We enjoyed this while trying to hold back from eating all the tasty nibbles she'd made - before we moved to the table. Once there, it just got better and better.

Afterwards, we moved back in front of the fire and I taught them a card game (Clag) that I'd learnt in the military. Great fun! I think we'll be playing more of this highly addictive game with them. 

Tête de veau

Apparently, there's a really good traditional market every Wednesday at Peyrehorade, with produce from three departments, lying as it does at the intersection of Les Landes, the Béarn and the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. We must get out there again one day - it's only 40 minutes away. There's also a restaurant there that gets good reviews - "Au Bon Coin Les Pieds de Cochon". It features authentic country cooking from the region and it appears to be the kind of restaurant that we like. You'll find it here. While it's true that the à la carte menu features a few dishes I'm not crazy about - such as pied de cochon (pig's trotter) and tripes - and one that gives me nightmares: tête de veau (calf's head) - there are also some of my favourites: omelette à la morue (salt cod omelette), the terrine of foie gras - or the hero-sized 1.2kg (42oz) côte de boeuf (bone in prime rib) for two. Here's a review from Sud-Ouest. I've added it to our "must visit" list.

Ireland duly dispatched France 26-14 in Dublin scoring 4 good tries against a porous French defence before les Bleus finally replied with two late tries at the death. (I haven't had time to watch it yet): 

10th March. No surprises thus far from this weekend's 6 Nations rugby - Wales were expected to win at Murrayfield and duly did so (11-18) - but watch for Finn Russell's astonishing sleight of hand as he makes a lightning quick reverse pass at 1:26 that led to a Scottish try.. That would have had Bill McLaren purring! And rightly so. I've watched the ½ speed replay (click on the "Settings" button at the bottom right of the YouTube window) of that pass several times and I'm still not exactly sure how he managed to do what he did. Players with that speed of thought plus the ability to execute are rare these days. 

Meanwhile at Twickenham, England took on Italy and ran in 8 tries to win 57-14 - a result that, according to the French TV summariser, owed much to English 'pragmatism' - whatever the heck that meant in this context. (Phlegmatic and pragmatic - I( can be guaranteed that any French commentator will come out with these two words within the opening minutes of any match featuring England.) 
OK, I hear the critics say yes, but it was only Italy - but look at the results against the Azzurri's earlier opponents: Italy lost away to Scotland 33-20, then lost at home to Wales 15-26 before losing again at home to Ireland (last year's champions) 16-26. Look at the margins they lost by: 13pts, 11pts and 10pts - nothing to be ashamed of there.

This next comment will probably cause outrage in the Valleys but I have to agree with Italy's head coach, Conor O’Shea, who after the match yesterday praised the resilience of his side on an afternoon when they lost three centres and finished with a prop in the back row. He said, “They could have thrown in the towel but kept getting stuck in against a powerful side who, in my opinion, are the best in the Six Nations”. Yes, the Welsh boys sit at the top of the table and the Grand Slam is theirs to lose, but next weekend, they entertain Ireland at Cardiff - then we'll see.   

5th March. Here's one of those cinematic scenes where the images and the soundtrack merge into a coherent whole. The late Jeanne Moreau in Louis Malle's 1958 New Wave film "Lift to the Scaffold" (Ascenseur pour l'échafaud) wanders the night-time streets of Paris (always best in black and white)  looking for her lover as the Miles Davis Quintet picks up her mood perfectly:                                 

3rd March. The Spanish authorities gave their blessing to this bizarre high risk strategy a day or two ago when a fire fighting Canadair amphibian dropped in over the rooftops at San Sebastian and landed in La Concha to pick up water:

I believe many of us have dreams that mostly stay on the back burner - there's no harm in that. For many years, mine was to sell up in the UK and move down to the Pay Basque where we could enjoy on a daily basis what we'd previously only known for 2 weeks every year. Realising that particular dream was (and still is!) every bit as enjoyable as I'd hoped.

However, that's not the end of it. I've another long-standing dream - namely, of owning a sixties Porsche 912 - like the one (below) - and this dream has been parked on the back burner for years as well - but, unlike my other dream, I think that's where it will stay. Has there ever been a better body shape than this - clean, sober, functional, no wings or stripes, no "attitude"? It's just a beautifully balanced and timeless shape. It would be perfect for exploring the lanes that criss-cross the back country of the Pays Basque and the mountain passes of the Pyrenees - sigh! (all donations gratefully accepted!☺) How many other cars that are 50+ years old look this good?

Here's another one.

264. Into February with a bang!

26th February. For some odd reason Bert Jansch's name sprung to mind earlier and for the life of me I couldn't remember the record that made his name (with me at least) in 1965. Thanks to the power of Google, here he is with Davy Graham's "Angie":

25th February. We went for a walk this afternoon around the lake at Hossegor.. It was hard to believe we were still in February..! We were tempted by the ice creams (minus the chantilly) at Tante Jeanne and so we stopped there and enjoyed one out on their terrace (in the shade!).

23rd February. There's going to be a major seismic event emanating from here later on this afternoon. This will be preceded by the hors-d'œuvre from here. 

22nd February. I had Nutty down to the beach at Anglet on this sunny morning and we encountered a great-looking dog (right) - an 11 month old Griffon Fauve de Bretagne - a rough-coated French hunting dog from Brittany. The two of them got on well and after running around like a mad thing, I think Nutty will be taking a load off this afternoon. The owner said that he'd been given the dog by a hunting friend as it shied away from gunfire and it was afraid of wild boars.. Despite all this, he was a larger-than-life character - full of beans - and he had me wishing we could have one.

Looking at a wild boar without a wire fence getting in the way would certainly focus my mind!

We met a lady up in the mountains in the Jura a couple of years ago with a smaller version of this breed - a Basset Fauve de Bretagne - he was equally characterful and he had the same effect on us as well.

15th February. Just back from a trip out to Ascain.. it was 24°.. This is more like it!

Just for Lesley!

I've mentioned before the forthcoming introduction of the Tram'bus here (due in service this year) - the service is being given a dedicated lane.. and so this has caused widespread disruption on the roads locally. Fortunately, everyone's fairly patient.. 

I know I could be tempting fate but I think we might just have seen the last of the endless rain that plagued us throughout January. Yesterday the TV météo showed us as being the warmest in France again.. with highs of 18° forecast for nearby Biarritz. In the afternoon,  I mowed the lawn for the first time this year, after which I dusted off the last of the Christmas puddings sent to us by friends in the UK. While it was heating up, I stepped outside and it was warm - the thermometer in the shade said 16° - but in the sunshine it felt like 20°. I set up a couple of chairs and a small table - Madame made some tea - and then we enjoyed some Christmas pudding (with some crème Anglaise she had made) sitting out in the sunshine. The simplest pleasures are often the best.

You'll be pleased to hear that there's no 6 Nations rugby this weekend!

13th February. The sun was shining today and we were the warmest in France with temperatures up in the high teens (the car said 17.5°C - 63°F).

Sorry for the heavy rugby content this month - I'll try to keep it down to a minimum.

I've been kept busy lately preparing a PowerPoint presentation on the Comet Line for a local school.. Despite trying to keep the number of slides down to a reasonable number, the total is just shy of a hundred. Two of us from our association will be presenting - and I think we'll have to give the kids a break or two. We're booked into the school for most of the day and I'll be presenting - in English - to the "European" class. We did this a couple of years ago and I think it was well-received.

11th February. Yesterday saw England continuing their excellent current form by beating France 44-8 at Twickenham in their biggest win over their closest rivals since 1911. Words like 'humiliation' are floating around in the media - but I don't subscribe to the use of this word in a sporting context. Outplayed is enough for me.

The lightning-quick Jonny May scored his hat-trick inside 30 minutes (look at his electric pace as he raced past the French defenders for that first try). England preceded this with a convincing 31-19 win over France in the 6 Nations U20 championship - and to round off a satisfying weekend for English rugby, England's women beat their French counterparts yesterday 41-26 (unfortunately no video available yet) in Doncaster of all places!

A very short comment on the ongoing Brexit saga: I would remind those who support the EU's long term aim to become the United States of Europe that one of the fundamental principles of America's great democracy was stated unequivocally by Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address when he spoke of government "of the people, by the people, for the people".

Here's a link to a think-piece written by an anonymous British civil servant who suggests that the forthcoming choice between accepting Theresa May’s deal (or a version of it) or leaving the EU without a deal is a “stark binary choice” that can be summarised as one “between democracy and permanent second-class statehood”. Well worth a read. Here are two excerpts from it:

 

"So the choice is clear: a Brexit that restores supreme law-making powers to the UK, or the triumph of technocracy and the enforcement by a foreign court of perpetual protectionist mediocrity, to ensure that no member state of the EU is ever independent enough to question the power exercised by an unelected Politburo in Brussels, whose mission is to create the United States of Europe, by fair means or foul". 

"That the second largest financial contributor and the oldest democracy in the EU voted to leave is a damning indictment of the political failure that has marked the European Project in the last twenty years".

8th February. As the England - France 6 Nations match is being played at Twickenham this year, that means it's our turn to entertain A and V on Sunday. He's a retired French Air Force Jaguar pilot and a keen follower of the oval ball game - and, after the outstanding performance of England in Dublin last weekend, the match has all the makings of a classic encounter. Despite losing at home to Wales (after leading a 16-0 at half time), I don't believe that Les Bleus will be as generous with les Angliches as they were with the Welsh. England, on the other hand, played as well as I've seen them play for a decade or two. To give you an idea of the grip England exerted on Ireland, I read somewhere this week that Ireland only set foot in England's 22 on 3 occasions last Saturday.     

7th February. Having just been caught out by the latest sudden downpour, it set me to thinking about the umbrellas (le parapluie de berger) habitually carried by shepherds up in the Pyrenees. Looking at the price (around 200€), you could be excused for that sharp intake of breath - but as well as their general robustness, they have a hidden quality in that they're made largely from wood with the minimum of metal components to avoid the risk of a lightning strike. I noticed one of my Basque friends with one in the mountains and his featured double ribs for extra strength in gusty conditions and a really sturdy fabric covering. They are the Rolls-Royce of umbrellas. Think of one as a lifetime buy!
6th February. This is a rare film of Paris in the late 1890s before the advent of the motor car. Crossing the road in Paris on foot then was clearly just as hazardous as it is today - perhaps more so given the number of horses! Sounds have been added, the film speed has been corrected and the image cleaned up.

4th February. I came across these sample UK Citizenship tests this morning. It struck me that when we went to the Préfecture in Bordeaux before Christmas that I hadn't had to sit down and take a formal test like this - I was interviewed (in French) and asked a number of personal questions, followed by some general questions about France. If you're a Brit, try the above test and see how you rate! (I'm ashamed to say that I got two wrong)

For would-be applicants for French citizenship, I'd recommend reviewing the document shown on this French government site. My application for French citizenship shouldn't imply any transfer of my loyalties - the acid test of that will come next Saturday oops, Sunday when England play France at Twickenham in the second round of this year's Guinness 6 Nations tournament. To set a few minds at rest, let me just say that I can never envisage that a day might come when I could welcome a win by France (or any other country for that matter) over England. I applaud good rugby - regardless of who plays it - but the final result is all important.

3rd February. England (ranked #4 in the world) took on Ireland (ranked #2 and last year's Grand Slam winners) in Dublin yesterday in a match that some of the game's elder statesmen were saying was England's to win. I wasn't convinced as I thought Ireland's all-action game would be too much for the English lads. What do I know?! Apparently just about as much as former Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan who claimed in the Times earlier this week that only Billy Vunipola and Maro Itoje would get in the home team!

It turned out to be one of the best games of rugby I've seen in recent years - bearing in mind I'm an England supporter! (your mileage may vary). This match was a perfect demonstration of why, for me at least, the 6 Nations is the greatest sporting competition in the world - bar none. Superbly fit athletes, no simulation, high intensity, high skill levels, remarkably few instances of foul play, no arguing with the ref - what other sport could lay claim to all of that? It was full of talking points from start to finish as well. Here's a balanced match report from the Irish Times and this one from the NZ Herald! So, break out your Sunday best whisky, pour yourself a dram and sit back to enjoy this week's special offer - the highlights - brought to you at no extra charge!

In the interests of balance (as the BBC would say) here are the highlights of the Scotland v Italy match - the result of which hoisted Scotland to the top of the table (albeit by one point in points difference). Match report here.
2nd February. What a thundering start to the 2019 Guinness 6 Nations Rugby tournament as France hosted Wales in Paris in very wet conditions! France raced to a 16-0 half time lead that looked unassailable - courtesy of two well-worked tries by Louis Picamoles and Yoann Huget - followed by an opportunist drop goal by Camille Lopez just on half time. At this point I imagine that many watching would have thought "Game over" but Wales hadn't read the script. They dug deep and showed great character to fight back - in Paris of all places - to reply with three second half tries and a Dan Biggar penalty to clinch the match 24-19.
The match was full of talking points - the failure of Morgan Parra's kicking game, the chalking off of what seemed to be a perfectly good try by Liam Williams until the replay showed he'd lost control of the ball just when he needed not to. There was a moment of magic when Wales abandoned the bish bash bosh "pick and goes" as Adams cut through a static French defence before passing to Tomos Williams for a wonderful score. France had a nightmare second half in which they gifted Wales two tries - the first following a gross handling error by Huget (that should give him sleepless nights for years) and capitalised on by George North - and then a hapless long pass by Vahaamahina that George North intercepted to give Wales the lead and clinch the win in the closing minutes.. (Match report here)

1st February. We went to Irun in Spain this morning for some minor shopping and so I was let loose with the dog while Madame enjoyed some retail therapy. It was a sunny morning but with a cold wind and as I wandered the streets, I was amazed to see how many shops had closed down or were empty - I'd say maybe one in four.. and of the ones that were still open, I'd say that 80% had sales on. Sad to see and definitely not healthy. Reasons why? I have my own ideas - but I'd be interested to hear yours. Send me your thoughts via the email link - in the left hand column.

After Irun, we drove to Ascain to try our former favourite restaurant that we heard is now "under new management" - a phrase that when associated with a restaurant is often the kiss of death - but hopefully in this case, it might just be the kiss of life. Unfortunately it was still closed for their winter holiday, but there was a note on the door that said it would be open for lunch on Sunday. We're tied up then so I expect we'll be giving them a visit sometime very soon. More to follow.

Château-Vieux, Bayonne

Yesterday, I was privileged to be invited to the 11th century Château-Vieux, Bayonne - a medieval castle in the heart of Bayonne where it has played a central role in the history of the town for hundreds of years. It was actually constructed on the site of a 4th century Roman castrum (a fortified military camp). However, today, it serves as the proud home of the Officer Commanding the 1st RPIMA, as well as being their Mess, and the occasion to which I had been invited was the serving of the galette des rois & drinks. There were some impressive-looking characters there. (More here)