290. Summertime

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

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

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

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

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

   

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

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

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

   

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

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

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

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

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

  

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

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

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

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

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

      

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

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

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

        

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

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

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

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

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

   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

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

    

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

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

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

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

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

   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This was playing on the radio earlier..

 

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

     

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

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

   

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

 

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

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

     

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

     

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

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

 

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

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

  

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

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

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

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

Meanwhile - where's summer?

289. And after winter folweth grene May*.

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

   

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

  

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* Geoffrey Chaucer 

288. Back in the saddle..

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

Avoir la banane - 

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

En rang d’oignon - 

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

La cerise sur le gâteau - 

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

C’est la fin des haricots - 

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

Tomber dans les pommes -

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

Avoir un cœur d’artichaut -

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

Couper la poire en deux -

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

Appuyer sur le champignon - 

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

Ramener sa fraise - 

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

Compter pour des prunes - 

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

Avoir la patate - 

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

This is more my kind of music..

   

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

 

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

    

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

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

The forest at Pignada - before the fire

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

   

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

This just in from a friend in England: 

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

         

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

* I just thought I'd get that in!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

         

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

       

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

    

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

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

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

  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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