269. Summer afternoon *

31st July. We've just had a few days away in the mountains in order to escape the massed crowds attending the Fêtes de Bayonne - and also to breathe some fresh mountain air after the weeks of heat and humidity we've had on the coast here. We'd planned to drive up and across to the Jura to visit my wife's aunt who is 92 - but given the canicule (heat wave) we thought better of it - we'll go there in October instead. In the end, we went to Montory, a small village in the foothills of the Pyrenees about 10km from the border. This (above) is the former stable - now the rustic dining room of the country hotel that we stayed in. We spent our few days there exploring local villages via some spectacular roads and stunning scenery. We enjoyed largely empty roads during our stay in this beautiful area - even in the high season as most tourists are content to remain in the beach resorts.

Approaching Sainte-Engrâce one day, we turned a corner to see 3 or 4 people looking at a very large bird (a good three feet high) standing in the road nearby. It may have been hit by a car - but it suddenly took fright when it saw our car approaching and it started running awkwardly towards us, with its scrawny neck jutting forward and beating its great wings before taking off over our heads. It was a griffon vulture (vautour fauve). Not one of Nature's triumphs - at least from an aesthetic point of view!

This area has featured regularly in the Tour de France due to its many hills and mountain passes - and there were groups of cyclists out there grinding up the hills - and they all seemed to have that same cyclists' physique - lean with skinny arms and legs. I can never understand where the power comes from (quiet in the cheap seats!).

Returning on Monday, we decided to route home via a tangle of small lanes that brought us through numerous sleepy hamlets and villages. We made a coffee stop at La Bastide-Clairence (founded in 1314) - and one of France's most beautiful villages - on the way home. It certainly merits its inclusion in that group. This is somewhere that, in almost 30 years, for some unknown reason we've only visited twice! (photos here) (AirBnB listings here)
This view (looking south towards the Pyrenees) was close to Ainharp - and this was rural Pays Basque at its best with its white-painted farmhouses dotting the rolling wooded landscape.

24th July. When all the fireworks went off to mark the start of the Fêtes de Bayonne a few moments ago, it sounded like the start of "Saving Private Ryan".. they do like their fireworks to be noisy.  No finesse, no carefully timed displays in time with classical music - no, just a constant bombardment of chest-rattling explosions until the box is empty. Here's how it looked - and sounded!
Two places of natural interest lie just to the south of our intended destination this weekend: the Gorges de Kakuetta and the Passerelle d'Holzarte. It's one of those inexplicable quirks that, despite it being almost 30 years since we first visited the Pays Basque, we've only visited the Gorges of Kakuetta once - and we've never been to the 180m high suspension bridge at Holzarte.. You'll find them here:
So - Boris Johnson is to be the next Prime Minister. His time in office may be long or it may be short - but one thing's for certain: it won't be dull! Here are some examples of the wit and wisdom of Boris Johnson. Fasten your seat belts!

23rd July. Tomorrow sees the opening of the Fêtes de Bayonne.. and I can see that the influx of people has already started. To escape the hordes, we'll be having a few days away in a sleepy no-horse village in la France profonde - about 2 hours away to the south east of here - in the foothills of the Pyrenees. What is la France profonde? There's a paragraph in this link that almost gets it - although I think the author is a bit harsh on his native America:

"As an American, to visit a French provincial town or city is to see a way of life that is deeply enviable. Small shops, cafes, town squares, churches — the hustle and bustle of pedestrian life that one has not seen in the United States in decades, if one has seen it at all. It is vivacious, but it is also gentle. It is human, in a way that our built landscapes in America no longer are, and in most places never were".

For me, la France profonde is a place or an area where life continues to be lived as it always has been - with its customs, traditions and values more or less intact. Down here in the far south west, it's still possible to find places that qualify - and for that, I'm extremely grateful.

The forecast is for 39° in the shade today - so I can see us spending the day largely indoors - except for periodic visits outside for the dog! I took him out early this morning and it was already 25°.

At around 8pm this evening, we had a mad scramble as the wind suddenly got up and trees in the garden were bending this way and that. The howling wind threatened to blow the solid inch-thick shutters upstairs at the back into matchwood.  We'd just had them loosely latched to try and keep the house cool but on seeing the sky suddenly darken, it looked like a good time to put umbrellas and chairs safely away. The minute I stepped out in the garden and had an armful of umbrellas, all hell broke loose upstairs as all four of our heavy shutters broke loose and started banging to and fro from stop to stop. We managed to fasten them shut securely before any damage was done. When I'd finished, I looked up and saw thin low cloud was scudding over at 500ft.. There is a localised meteorological phenomenon here known as a Brouillarta.. a sudden sustained gust of wind (akin to a line squall but without the rain). I suspect I saw the tail end of it passing overhead.

Et voilà - I just found a warning about it in today's Sud-Ouest.. that's exactly what it was - and they got the timing spot on too!

Here's a speeded-up video that shows a Brouillarta hitting the coast south of Biarritz in 2016.. 
Take some time out to relax with this great old tune - beautifully played here by Kimiyoshi Akiyama:

Here's another very creditable version of that same song. 

22nd July. Yet another 'make or break' moment in this mission. If for whatever reason, this manoeuvre had been unsuccessful, and in the absence of any other means of transferring the two astronauts into "Columbia", that was game over for them. Every one of these technologies had to work perfectly first time and the astronauts had to get join-ups like this right first time too. The "Eagle" spacecraft re-appears at 2:07 (top right in the video)..

(by the way, 36,000 feet per second = 24,500mph or Mach 33). Here's a video that really gives an impression of the work load during Eagle's lunar descent - the profile was astonishingly complex with a computer alarm thrown in for good measure as the mission approached a peak of intensity.

21st July. This video shows a later mission - Apollo 17 - lifting off from the moon - but it's identical to the Apollo 11 mission. I can't begin to imagine what that countdown must have been like:

The exceptionally hot weather we've been having these last few weeks seems to have awoken the normally dormant mosquito population - and as I'm a well-known mosquito magnet, the end result is that I've been scratching myself like a juiced-up chimp. Then I remembered the many trips to Virginia I used to make, especially those in the summer heat.. I'd sometimes stay with friends and they had a deck in their yard with a bug zapper. It contained a small UV light to attract mosquitoes and other bugs - and surrounding the light was an electrified grid that constantly despatched the pests with a satisfying (to me at least) buzz-zap! Job done. Here's one in action - music to my ears!

The question is: can anyone recommend an electric bug zapper for outdoor use - preferably with an LED light - that really works and is available in France? I've read of a US product - the Flowtron BK-40D - that is highly recommended (see above) but with the shipping cost, it works out at a hefty US$90. There would be additional import duties to pay on it too. (Electricity supply in France is 240v and I've just learned that the Flowtron is rated for 120v. Ah well..)  

20th July. These incredible live pictures from Man's first steps on the lunar surface 50 years ago showed us Earthlings exactly what we - the human race - are capable of. Where we go from here is another question though. 

19th July. I started painting the shutters at the back of the house at 7am this morning while it was still cool - and by mid-morning I'd finished. By late afternoon, they were bone dry and I managed to hang them without breaking any toes! The temperature on our west-facing terrace at 7.20pm was 36°!

50 years ago tomorrow - less than 25 years after the end of WWII - Man landed on the Moon in the form of two astronauts - Neil Armstrong and "Buzz" Aldrin. This staggering achievement was enabled by pushing the technology of the time to the very limit. JFK had set the bar high 8 years previously - and America delivered in spades. Did it ever! Hats off to all those who were involved.. all 400,000 of them. I remember watching these fuzzy pictures as they came in in the wee small hours:

17th July. We were in San Sebastian this morning to do some minor shopping and at lunchtime we went for a stroll along the promenade overlooking La Concha - when we found La-Perla - a relaxed café/restaurant with an uninterrupted view of the bay. Considering its position, it was very reasonably priced. Recommended!

16th July. Fifty years ago today we watched in awe and amazement as Apollo 11 launched into the heavens with a crackling roar atop 7.5 million pounds of thrust on an epic journey that captured the hearts and minds of the entire world. I count myself privileged to have been alive to witness Man's greatest ever achievement. It was a truly miraculous feat, and we even had live imagery from space in glorious black and white - plus live TV pictures of the astronauts' first steps on the Moon! It was only a few years previously that we'd been able to see live transatlantic TV broadcasts from the US via Telstar.

What went through the astronauts' minds as they said their goodbyes to their families and their loved ones? We'll never know what the risks were - but I'm sure NASA had contingency plans in place for as many of them as possible. They were the bravest of the brave. (Engine start at 2:00)

In the 80s, I had the opportunity to visit the Apollo/Saturn V exhibit at the Kennedy Space Centre. At the time, a Saturn V rocket was lying on its side in a ground display compound and I was dwarfed by the giant nozzles of the five F-1 rocket engines in the Saturn V's first stage - that produced a staggering 7.5 million pounds (3.4 million kilograms) of thrust and was used during launch for about 2 minutes. In the process, they gobbled up 20 tons (40,000 pounds) of fuel per second.

15th July. I nearly crippled myself yesterday evening taking down the heavy wooden shutters downstairs to give them a fresh coat of paint. These are 8ft 4inches (2m54) tall and solidly made out of wood (no venetian-type slats). My grip on one of them slipped at just the wrong moment and it landed squarely across my toes.. Ouch! (I almost said!) Nothing broken though. After a few minor repairs to the shutter, I applied a coat of Rouge Basque - but this morning it was still tacky..

14th July. Today will be a first for me - my first 14th July as a French citizen. I received an official email the other day informing me that as they couldn't dig up any 'cause or just impediment' to my application, they had no option but to tell me that I had acquired French citizenship. I paraphrased that a bit!☺ I now have to go and apply for a carte nationale d'identité.. and a passport. It makes sense - we'll have been here 12 years in September, and I'd like to stay - plus, I'd like to be able to vote here too. Phew, it was worth the effort! (I still retain my UK citizenship)

In celebration of France's Bastille Day, here's a video of the entire glittering military parade down the "world's most beautiful avenue" (and who could possibly argue with that description?). If you want to cut straight to the fly past (and SuperHomme), start at 37:04...

Here's an element of it that took all of us by surprise.. Forget flying bicycles, I want one of these!

This (below) looks like fun.. although I'm not sure that the bike (and those wheels) would be sufficiently sturdy and resilient to stand up to a few heavy landings. Some suspension wouldn't go amiss either!

13th July. We went for a evening stroll with the dog around Bayonne yesterday evening and all the restaurants along the Nive were full.. with lots of tourists in evidence.

place Jacques Portes

On the way back we walked through the newly re-surfaced place Jacques Portes (in front of the Galeries Lafayette) where a large wind orchestra (brass and woodwind) was playing La Peña Baiona (aka Vino Greigo) - which is Bayonne's unofficial national anthem!

(Health warning: A music critic has written 25 pages to analyse the bejasus out of this song - if you wish to find out what she thinks it's all about, read on. You've been warned..)

The band turned out to be l'Harmonie Bayonnaise - and very enjoyable they were too! They went on to play some demanding music (in my untrained opinion!) - such as Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody among others.. A neighbour of mine was singing along - complete with actions - in her own private rhapsody to much amusement all around.. We enjoyed many of their renditions until the dog decided that he'd had enough..

12th July. I don't think there's a better interpretation of "Somewhere over the Rainbow" than this - by the highly acclaimed Polish guitarist Marcin Dylla. See what you think:                             (more here)

11th July. Just had some pasta - followed by a slice of water melon straight from the fridge.. Mmm-mmm!

8th July. The annual madness that is the Fiesta of San Fermin kicked off yesterday morning with the first encierro (bull running) of the week-long fiesta.. (Hemingway has much to answer for in my view)

Meanwhile, on our side of the Pyrenees, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is a charming small town in the foothills of the Pyrenees about 40 minutes away by car and, during our first visit there, we noticed the scallop shell motif was everywhere. It appeared that this is the symbol of the famous long distance pilgrimage known as the Camino de Santiago, the roots of which go back at least a thousand years.

Many people choose to start from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port - one of the most popular starting points for the pilgrims' walk - as from there, it's but a 500 mile hop, step and a jump to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia (NW Spain).

This walk has been on my back burner for several years now and I think it's something that I'll find myself doing sooner rather than later! Have a listen to these two podcasts that I stumbled upon by accident earlier - Part One & Part Two.

4th July. This is a piece by Mozart that I was unfamiliar with until recently: it's the third movement from his Serenade # 10 for winds 'Gran Partita' in B-flat major, K. 361/370a..

Meanwhile - Happy birthday USA!

This video clip of Stromboli erupting yesterday popped up as a 'recommend' for me.. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that..

1st July. My favourite dog-walking field behind the beach at Anglet was invaded the other day by a hundred or so white vans and caravans - belonging to a so-called "evangelical group". We had a visitation from them in the same place last year and it took some time for the local council to evict them. I sympathise with the council as it doesn't have the practical means at its disposal to forcibly evict encampments like this. 

Over the winter, the council had positioned massive concrete blocks across the access points to the field - but they hadn't done their homework properly - apparently this well-organised group gained access to it via an unblocked route further up the coast. The council will have to ensure that access to the field is fully watertight in future. When I spotted the 'evangelical group' in situ last week, I saw that they'd also opened up an electrical power supply box and had hooked up the entire convoy to the mains supply. Who pays for the power used? And then there's hygiene. I wonder. By law, councils do have to make provision for gens du voyage ("travelling people"). I see this same group are now ensconced at Ascain (below) - our former holiday village.

* According to Henry James: the two most beautiful words in the English language.

268. The longest day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Flat peaches

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Istanbul 2005

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

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

267. Nutty in May

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

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

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

Nathalie and Gilles Salha

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pompeii

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

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

Chile's Cabulco Volcano
erupting in April 2015

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

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

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

Capri

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

Villa San Michele

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

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

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

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

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

granita al limone

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

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

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

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

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

The Nile Mosaic from the House of the Faun, Pompeii

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This interpretation is still the benchmark for me.

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

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

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