150. River bank tales 2

11th June 2011. We went to Biarritz this evening to see a new film just out - "Midnight in Paris", written and directed by Woody Allen. Regular readers of this blog (yes, both of you!) might remember I'm a Woody fan and although he doesn't appear in the film you can hear his unmistakeable views of life, death, love, sex and marriage through one of the actors. Something of a fairy tale - without giving the plot away - it's a charming film set in one of the world's most photogenic cities. Carla Bruni (or Madame Sarkozy - take your pick!) does well in her cameo role. I think it's his best film for a good few years. Well worth putting your knitting down for one night and getting your fancy duds on for a night at the cinema!

13th June 2011.  I went down to the club late yesterday morning to lend a hand with the organisation of the "3 Rivières" event. We were going to drive the rowers (well over a hundred of them) up the Adour to Peyrehorade (try saying that while eating a Cornish pasty!) where the boats lay after Saturday's epic row on the Gave. But before that, however, there was the small question of lunch. We were all to have lunch in the brasserie (on the first floor above the club - more here). 

I squeezed into a gap on a very convivial table and I had to remind myself that once they'd finished their 3 course lunch everyone (apart from your correspondent) would soon be facing a 35km row (almost 22 miles). I think it's fair to say that, in the UK, sandwiches would have been the order of the day. Things are done differently in France however. Come what may, whatever else happens, France stops three times a day for meals. Lunch is sacrosanct. Sandwiches? Ah beh non! The main course was a delicious tagliatelle with chicken and mushrooms. Naturally, wine was served and so I, as a non-rower, had a couple of glasses. Towards the end of lunch, the word went around that a girl in one of the crews was suffering badly with blisters and I was surprised to see some idiot put his hand up to offer to take her place. Unfortunately that idiot turned out to be me! Yet again, I missed another golden opportunity to keep my mouth shut! I shot off home and quickly changed into my rowing kit before dashing back in time to leave for Peyrehorade. All the way there I was asking myself why I hadn't chosen to remain silent.. aaargghh! As it happened, once we arrived at the start, the girl in question had decided to carry on - so I was let off the hook. Phew! 

There was just the one smallish pontoon and somehow we had to get about 30 IVs down the narrow sloping ramp one at a time and into the water and away. I was there to see the last couple of IVs in the water before jumping in a small speedboat to act as security in case of problems.

Bec du Gave

Once we left the relatively narrow waters of the Gave, we joined the mighty Adour at the Bec du Gave (left). I would think that the Adour is not so well known back home, but, believe me, it makes any river in the UK look like a mere stream. The sky had been covered to start with and the air was heavy - not good rowing weather. The sun burnt off the haze and soon we were frying in that small boat as we slowly chuntered along behind the last two IVs. It was around 7.30pm when they finally arrived at the club in Bayonne. For those carrying on into the evening, there was just time for a quick shower and change before going on to a Cidrerie in Petit Bayonne. These evenings can get very lively and the whole weekend becomes a test of endurance - both in and out of the boats! 

For some reason I've been humming this tune (to myself!) for the last few hours without knowing what it was - I do this all the time! Finally, I went downstairs where Madame was slaving away in the front garden now that it's cool. Earlier I'd cut down a vast overgrown nondescript bush that the previous occupant had allowed to run wild and some of the branches had died. Extracting the roots with the aid of a sledge hammer, a pick and a spade in the mid-afternoon heat had just about finished me off so I was indoors cooling off with this tune playing over & over in my head. Once I'd hummed it to her she told me it was "Parlez-moi d'amour" and that it had been in the soundtrack of Woody Allen film we saw the other night (which is where I must have got it from). Anyway, to cut a long story short, and to implant it in your brain, here it is:

14th June 2011. Saw a story on the BBC News page this morning.. is this a blow for the few remaining beret makers in the Pays Basque? A quote from a soldier in the US Army was that it was like wearing a "wet sock" on his head. (we'll just have to take his word for that!) US Army spokesman Colonel Tom Collins told Agence France-Presse: "The beret does not have a visor and doesn't shield the sun, doesn't absorb sweat well." Well, I think the problem is that the military-style beret has lost its roots..

The Basque beret has clearly taken a styling cue from Basque houses as they both sport overhanging roofs to shield those beneath from the worst of the weather. Rain comes in only one size here - a downpour! - and the Basque beret provides a good measure of protection against the rain to the wearer. The Basque beret with its generous overhang also does a good job of providing shade for the eyes. And from what I can see as well, it doesn't appear to fit like a wet sock either! The military beret reflects the military mind - they have to look soldierly and providing the ordinary soldier with a Basque beret would be to invite even more opportunities for the ever-inventive soldiers to mould their berets into shapes that even the manufacturers could not imagine.

149. Phew...!

10th June 2011. Finally finished sorting out my PC after it was totally fried last Monday by a virus (a trojan really). It's now back to normal and I've followed advice to switch to Firefox, NoScript and WOT (Web of Trust) as well.

Had a pleasant sortie last night on the river with Y in a double sculler.. Came across a fishing rod floating in mid-stream with a live fish at one end of the line but curiously no-one at the other end. Did 12km (Running total 752km). The club was a hive of activity as preparations were well in hand for the "3 Rivières" this weekend.. when rowers from all over France converge at Bayonne to take part in a blisterfest™ - rowing 72km over the Gave, the Adour and the Nive during the course of 3 days.. Should be fun!

Someone sent me the news of the passing of one of America's great heroes.. Here's the message in full:

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A real hero - God bless him.

Shifty died June 17th, 2009..........Rest In Peace.

"Shifty" By Chuck Yeager *

Shifty Powers volunteered for the Airborne in WWII and served with Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Infantry. If you've seen Band of Brothers on TV, you know Shifty. His character appears in all 10 episodes, and Shifty himself is interviewed in several of them.

I met Shifty in the Philadelphia airport several years ago. I didn't know who he was at the time. I just saw an elderly gentleman having trouble reading his ticket. I offered to help, assured him that he was at the right gate, and noticed the "Screaming Eagle," the symbol of The 101st Airborne, on his hat.

Making conversation, I asked him if he'd been in the 101st Airborne. Or if his son was serving. He said quietly that he had been in the 101st. I thanked him for his service, then asked him when he served, and how many jumps he made. Quietly and humbly, he said "Well, I guess I signed up in 1941 or so, and was in until sometime in 1945..." at which point my heart skipped.

At that point, again, very humbly, he said, "I made the 5 training Jumps at Toccoa, and then jumped into Normandy.. Do you know where Normandy is?"

At this point my heart stopped. I told him "Yes, I know exactly where Normandy is, and I know what D-Day was."

At that point he said, "I also made a second jump into Holland, into Arnhem.."

I was standing with a genuine war hero.. And then I realized that it was June, just after the anniversary of D-Day. I asked Shifty if he was on his way back from France, and he said "Yes... And it's real sad because, these days, so few of the guys are left, and those that are, lots of them can't make the trip." My heart was in my throat and I didn't know what to say.

I helped Shifty get onto the plane and then realized he was back in Coach while I was in First Class. I sent the flight attendant back to get him and said that I wanted to switch seats. When Shifty came forward, I got up out of the seat and told him I wanted him to have it, that I'd take his in coach.

He said, "No, son, you enjoy that seat. Just knowing that there are still some who remember what we did and who still care is enough to make an old man very happy." His eyes were filling up as he said it. And mine are brimming up now as I write this.

Shifty died on 17th January 2009 after fighting cancer.

There was no parade. No big event in Staples Center. No wall to wall back to back 24/7 news coverage. No weeping fans on television. And that's not right!!

Let's give Shifty his own Memorial Service, online, in our own quiet way.

Please forward this email to everyone you know. Especially to the veterans.

Rest in peace, Shifty.

Chuck Yeager, Maj. Gen. [ret.]

P.S. I think that it is amazing how the "media" chooses our "heroes" these days... Michael Jackson & the like!

We owe no less to our REAL HEROES......

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* The story that Chuck Yeager wrote this tribute unfortunately appears to be an urban legend - nevertheless, the sentiment behind it still holds true.

148. Sunday morning in Biarritz

5th June 2011. We went for a walk in Biarritz this sunny morning and decided to have lunch at Casa Juan Pedro, one of the outdoor cafés (the one in the centre below) that border the old harbour in the Vieux Port. 

We arrived there before midday as these places fill up very quickly on a good day and luckily we found a table next to the harbour wall. Looking down at the sea, we watched patrols of good-sized grey mullet quartering the inlet above looking for scraps of food. There was an occasional flash of silver as one rolled over to take a choice morsel.

Biarritz was full of people (it was a long weekend) - we're only a few weeks away now from the start of the main holiday months of July, August & September.

The warm weather brought out some bizarre people too. Two strange-looking blokes (with something of the Gilbert & George about them) appeared in black business suits with their heads inside what looked like goldfish bowls. They were wearing goggles, nose clips and breathed via an external tube.. the goldfish bowls were full of water and indeed they had fish swimming around inside. Straight into the Seriously Weird category. Are these what are known as performance artists? Who cares! 

6th June 2011. Spare a thought today for the thousands of young men who, 67 years ago, lost their lives during the D-Day invasion of France. Of the 175,000 Allied soldiers who fought that day, some 9,100 died. If the European Union does nothing else, it will ensure that the destructive pattern of wars and conflicts that plagued the continent for hundreds of years are, and will remain, a thing of the past. I think that's a price well worth paying. 

Lucky Dip Dept: The internet is the most amazing resource for leading you off on a wild goose chase.. this morning I found myself listening to the sound of the BRM V16 racing car whilst 'googling' for something completely different. Designed during the immediate post war years, it first raced in 1950 under the formula that allowed unsupercharged engines of 4.5 litres or, in the case of the BRM, supercharged engines of 1½ litres (91 cu in). This beast produced a staggering 600hp at 12,000rpm.. petrolheads click here, here, here, here and here for a reminder of what was arguably the most spine-tingling sound ever heard on a post-war racetrack.. Probably best to wait until the Fun Police has gone to the shops before cranking the volume to max! (They just don't understand do they..)

8th June 2011. I've been plagued with a v clever virus on my PC since Monday.. I've managed to restore the basic functionality but 95% of the programs show as 'empty' and strange things are happening.. I'm getting there but it's been a long slow process. I was asleep this morning when I suddenly woke up at 1.30am with a fix for one of the problems so I nipped next door to the study and fired the thing up and managed to get somewhere with resolving the mess it's in. Back to bed at 4.15am. I can't understand the mentality of people who write these viruses. Make sure you have a good malware program running. Speaking of which, bookmark this site and be sure to read it. Full of good advice on how to keep your PC free from problems.

147. Living in the Pays Basque

2nd June 2011. If you've made it this far, you must surely be aware by now that living in the Pays Basque is to be highly recommended. And if, for whatever reason, you can't live here, then you should at least try and visit it. If you're unable to visit it, then read about it, soak up all the nuances of everyday life in the Pays Basque. Where can I do that I hear you wail..? Right here..! All this is by way of saying that when you stumbled across this blog, you landed on your feet!



Yesterday morning we set off for Irun, just across the border in Spain, for a spot of shopping. Well, 50% of us went shopping while the other 50% (the part that writes this) went for a long walk around Irun with the dog instead. After the shopping bug had been temporarily sated, we met up again and headed back towards home on the N10.

The sheltered harbour of St-Jean-de-Luz as seen from Ciboure 

Recently I've been exchanging emails with a London-based couple who are in the throes of deciding whether or not to buy a property that needs restoring in Ciboure. This is the small community that lies along the southern edge of the bay of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. They've found a house up on the hill that rises up behind the riverfront. As we were passing by on the way home, I decided to take a look at it. I thought I knew approximately where it was but once we'd entered the rabbit warren of narrow lanes - some not much wider than the car - it wasn't long before my sense of direction let me down.

Fortunately, I'd remembered a key word in the address and I entered this in the GPS - bingo! It turned out that we were only a couple of minutes away - and suddenly there it was.. just as in the photos. In all the time we'd been visiting the Pays Basque, this was one part of the coastal settlements that we hadn't visited. From what I've been told, the house seems to have been neglected and hence there seems to be a daunting amount of work to be done. And "daunting" is not a word I ever want to hear in connection with house renovations.. as it's usually accompanied by this sound..

Ciboure

I liked the area very much - the steep hills, the smell of the sea, the tangled narrow streets, the views of the mighty La Rhune, the dazzling white-painted houses.. and all within a few minutes walk of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. My advice to the couple is to listen to the inner voice.. If it says this is for you, then go with it. If they ignore that voice, it will gnaw away at them for evermore.

2nd June 2011. We went to see "The Tree of Life" this evening which was showing in town in VO (= version originale). If you are intent on seeing it, don't read the reviews first - go and see it with an open mind - no preconceived ideas as to what it's all about.

I didn't offer a judgement on it when we came out - I thought I'd wait - I didn't want to colour Madame's opinion with mine. She said the exact word that I was thinking, "Pretentious..!" Some of it could have been clipped from a number of shampoo commercials.

I've just read the NY Times review and I start to wonder.. Quote: It is like Wordsworth's "Intimations of Immortality" transported into the world of "Leave it to Beaver", an inadequate and perhaps absurd formulation but one that I hope conveys the full measure of my astonishment and admiration.

The Daily Telegraph is less convinced. I still think pretentious. The Movieline summed up how we felt about it: "The “Tree of Life” is a gargantuan work of pretension". 

This is a spectacular shot from the beach at Anglet looking south towards the Trois Couronnes..

4th June 2011. Hot sortie in an octuple/VIII sculler (take your pick!) this morning. Virtually no current on the river.. did 16km (Running total: 740km).

This next clip - Smetana's Ma Vlast - was one of my father's favourite pieces, and it featured in the soundtrack of "The Tree of Life":

146. Feel the need for speed?

26th May 2011. This made me laugh this morning - I read on an aviation web site that "..the hump on the 747 was designed so that the Captain could sit on his wallet." And while we're thinking about that, have a look at this:

It looks spectacular but there's at least 2,000ft separation between the two aircraft.. (that is, provided that both pilots don't cough at the same time!)   

Another milestone date is approaching.. don't ask! My motto is fast becoming Old people live longer.. I worked out in an idle moment that during the course of my 65 orbits around the sun I will have clocked up about 38 billion miles or 60 billion kilometers. Puts my rowing distance into perspective! 

Chocolate lovers.. this one's for you! Coming up is the Bayonne fête son chocolat, Break out those pants with the elasticated waist and get down here!

12 happy km this evening in a mixed VIII sculler.. very nice outing on a breezy river. (Running total: 712km)

There's a storm in an espresso cup going on in France at the moment. In the wake of the latest figures showing that road deaths are on the increase despite the year-on-year pattern of a continual decrease, the government felt compelled to take remedial action to reverse the upward kink in the trend. Fixed radar speed cameras (left) were widely installed across France over the past few years as excess speed has been identified as a major contributory factor to accidents. Motorists were warned of the presence of these cameras by a warning panel (right) approx ½km before the radar camera. The government has decided that the panels are to be removed and this caused a predictable and very vocal outcry. Speaking as one who has been caught speeding via these cameras, I can only say that it's a good thing.. Drivers must change their habits.. We don't need warning signs reminding us not to commit murder so why should speeding be any different? A speed limit is not an invitation to drive at that speed. People used to slow down when they saw the warning sign only to speed up once past the camera. There's also a proliferation in the number of unmarked mobile radar traps.. and of course there are no warning signs for these.  

The latest device to hit the French roadsides are the "radars pédagogiques" (left). The sign warns if your speed is over the limit, and if so, what the penalties are*. In accordance with their fondness for linguistic precision, only France could christen this type of radar a radar pédagogique. Reportedly, over a thousand of these are going to be installed across France. The intention is clear - to warn offending drivers (or automobilistes as they're known in French!) that, one, they are speeding and two, of the penalty they would face were they to be stopped. Knowing the mindset here, I would anticipate that the vast majority of French automobilistes will disregard these warnings once they realise there's no financial penalty or points on licence.

*Sharp-eyed readers will have noted yet another difference between the UK and France. In the UK, you start off with 0 points on your driving licence and points are added up to a maximum of 12 - at which point you take up walking/cycling/Lib Dem politics (topical jokette there!). In France, it's the other way around - you start with 12 points and watch them slowly disappear. Wouldn't it be handy to be able to manage your points total by alternately committing offences in the UK and France to maintain your running total somewhere between the two extremes!  

France has discovered radar speed cameras with a vengeance and so the days of driving at 160kph and more are a thing of the past. The gendarmes are now armed with hand-held radar or laser cameras.. which are impossible to spot. Even if you were to spot one in advance, the chances are that the operator will already have spotted you. The moral is quite clear - don't speed.

I believe the current prolonged outcry in the Left-dominated media over this issue - where the benefits are self-evident - is nothing more than a maskirovka operation designed purely to attack the government and thus avoid the DSK affair from hitting the headlines. If the government didn't take any action, there'd be just as many howls of criticism. 

Thought for the day: There is no pleasure worth foregoing just for an extra three years in the geriatric ward. 

John Mortimer.

Another UK/France difference (this could build into a series!): English book with their titles printed on their spines standing on bookshelves can be read by tilting one's head to the right - whereas in France - yes, you've guessed it - you have to tilt your head to the left. We have several bookcases full of English and French books, so scanning along is a nightmare..

28th May 2011. Went out in a quad sculler this morning on a warm cloudless sunny morning.. Did 12km (Running total 724km). I forgot to mention that I moved the plancha out of the garage and up the steps to the terrace where it will now stay until November probably. I cleaned all the spiders webs and other assorted crud off it, oiled the wood and it looks like new again. I have an idea that Madame is planning to use it today..!

This evening we were out on our sunlit terrace (me still in my shorts and t shirt), with a glass of sangria each and some olives and nuts, playing a game of cards while the dog snoozed on his back with his paws in the air.. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Now, I ask you, what more do you want?

The answer to that, of course, is that great 3-1 win by a classy Barçelona side against an uninspiring Man Utd in the UEFA Champions League Final. Class vs hype? Only one outcome..

29th May 2011. Since thinning out an overgrown corner of the garden the other afternoon, I've uncovered 2 palm trees (each about 8-9 feet tall) that were being stifled. I've been cutting back old fronds and pulling creepers off the hairy trunks - they're certainly very different to the trees we had in our garden as a kid! Now that they can see the light, I'm hoping that they'll put on a growth spurt. I'm glad we put in a 350 litre (77 gall) rain barrel over the winter - it's come in v handy during the prolonged dry spell we've had here.

In case you've forgotten, Vino Griego is the anthem of Bayonne that we hear each time Aviron Bayonnais (the local rugby team) play at home. And of course, during the Fêtes de Bayonne, it's heard constantly..! And during rugby internationals in Paris, you'll often hear the Basque travelling choir bien arrosé  "giving it large"! By the way, that's the rowing club at 00:14 into the clip..

Heard this today for the first time I think - pity they didn't keep the instrumental part and junk the rest..

145. Saint Pée and Hondarribia

21st May 2011. Had an outing this morning in an VIII - usually we take an VIII sculler out (with 2 sculls each), however this time we had an VIII set up for rowing.. ie, with one long oar each. Rowing, as opposed to sculling, is more technical and demands more in the way of precision from everyone if the boat is to be well balanced and pleasant to row in.. We had our moments! 14km today (Running total 700km).

Another difference between rowing in France and rowing in the UK - and I've been meaning to mention it for months - is that here in France the seats in an VIII are numbered from bow to stern from 8 to 1. In the UK (can't speak for the rest of the world) it's the other way around - thus, from bow to stern it runs from 1 to 8 - except that 1 & 8 are known as "Bow" and "Stroke" respectively. The habits of a lifetime die hard in the heat of the moment.. that's all I'm saying!

And - for any oarsmen reading this - here, they start from back stops which generally means the balance of the boat is compromised right from the start. It's much more difficult to balance a boat that's static when people start moving around. When I learnt to row we always started from front stops.. Non-rowers here might think - what's all the fuss about?

According to this guide to rowing from Trinity College, Cambridge, octuples (an VIII sculler) and coxed quads are used only by children!

Sitting out on the terrace this evening with a pastis, there was the distant sound of the natives getting restless; yes, you've guessed it - the drums were back.. That haunting, hollow, slow rattle of drums which can set the hair on the back of your neck on end. A local band must be practising in advance of the Fêtes de Bayonne (there's an HD web cam running already). I was taking no chances though so I slipped silently off to the rifle rack - and took out my Westley Richards double-barreled .577-calibre Nitro Express elephant rifle and slid a few of the long brass cartridges into my shirt pocket before tiptoeing back to the terrace. I gently eased a cartridge into both breeches before closing the gun with a well-oiled click. My thumb rested on the safety catch and I slowed my breathing down as I waited in the shadows. After a few minutes there was a tell-tale crack of a twig.. and then.. I woke up! (Phew, that pastis must have been strong!)

23rd May 2011. Back home after a great day out yesterday with Y (our metronomic oarswoman!)(that's a compliment by the way!) and her friend M (un vrai Basque) at his house on the lake at Saint Pée. They'd invited us over for a barbeque lunch (I'd forgotten to take the camera.) They had 2 huge côtes de boeuf (ribs of beef) waiting to go on the barbeque. 

No nook, cranny or crevice was left unstuffed as a continuous production line of food appeared briefly in front of us before it all vanished! We were supplied with enough vittles to suggest we were anticipating a long sea voyage in an open boat! A platter of Spanish jamon cut paper-thin with scoops of cantaloupe melon, roast veggies, the côtes de boeuf, Basque cheese, a cherry clafouti and a coffee.. If you're not sure how to make a clafouti, it's all here:

All this accompanied by a very nice Bourgueil.. If you're going to drink red at lunchtime, there's none better. The more powerful reds of the South West would have your head nodding by 3pm..! A most memorable and delicious Sunday lunch..

Hondarribia

Later in the afternoon, we drove down to Hendaye and took the little navette (ferry boat) across to Hondarribia in Spain. Y & M had wanted to show us the Parador (which dates from AD 980 - yes, 980 anno domini!) at Hondarribia but unfortunately there was a no dogs sign.. a great pity.. so we sat in the square and had a drink. All in all, it was a lovely day out in good company. Needless to say, neither of us were hungry in the evening!

I've mentioned before here that one day I'd like to sit down to a meal composed entirely of different French cheeses - starting with mild ones before progressing through to the varieties that the smell of which are capable of stunning a medium-sized wart hog at 10 paces (such as a Livarot or a Munster) or that cheesy weapon of mass destruction - an Époisses de Bourgogne* - all served with wines to match. Well, I understand a similar experience is now possible at a cheese restaurant called Androuët. 

* Allegedly a cheese so smelly it is banned from being taken on public transport in France.

24th May 2011. Watched Something's Gotta Give last night - Jack Nicolson on top form!

25th May 2011. Heard this on the radio yesterday.. it's a piece my father could play beautifully:

Spent the afternoon cutting down 4 trees at the bottom of the garden that had grown wild and were crowding out the others.. then sawing up the branches before taking it all to the déchetterie (the tip). Hot work..

It's now 30° (86°F) on our west-facing terrace at 6.30pm.. and the dog is spread-eagled on the tiles in the house keeping cool. I'm thinking about joining him..! 

144. Add James Salter to your Must Read list

16th May 2011. I've been reading James Salter lately, an American author whose prose is capable of stopping you dead in your tracks. He's a former F-86 Sabre pilot who flew combat in the Korean War and this was the subject of his first book - "The Hunters". The book I've currently got on the go is his autobiographical "Burning the Days". I read it far too quickly the first time around but I'm taking my time with it now. I was pulled up short by one sentence in particular - he was describing a friend who'd died during WWII and he wrote, "His death was one of many and sped away quickly, like an oar swirl."  The image of that oar swirl receding in the wake of life was one that struck me forcibly. I found it such a powerful simile* and I struggle to imagine how he came up with it. His books repay slow careful reading - I can't read them in my usual headlong rush. Here's an interview with the great man (from 1992). His books are well worth searching out.

* just realised it's not a metaphor.

Here's something you don't see every day.. It was the 100th anniversary last year of the birth of Django Reinhardt, the legendary gypsy guitarist. If three guitars are good - then surely a hundred would be fantastic.. non? Just as well Django didn't play the banjo then! Make your own mind up - listen here if the YouTube clip below doesn't work.

17th May 2011. Another perfect evening out on the river. This time it was an outing in an VIII sculler. Good outing in a well-balanced boat. Going up-river we had a warm breeze behind us that matched our speed so with the temperature at 26° (79°F), it was warm work. Coming back, it turned into a welcome headwind but despite that we romped home at a fine pace. Did 12km (Running total: 686km) Think I'll be just shy of the 1,000km mark (which is 621 miles - it sounds better in kilometres!) for the year which ends on 5th August.

18th May 2011. Quick trip over the border this morning to stock up the cellar with sangria et al ready for the summer. I passed through Ainhoa and already the first tourists to this honeypot Basque village were in evidence.

I haven't provided an update to the Chibby situation. If you've just joined us, Chibby is our cocker spaniel. Some friends here have a cocker spaniel bitch that's en chaleur at the moment and for the past 3 days Chibby has been extremely active in attempting to extend his lineage. So far he's had at least 50 attempts by my reckoning..! What do they say about a picture being worth a thousand words..?

20th May 2011. Pleased to see P & M yesterday - some friends who came down from Lacanau for the day. Madame excelled herself for lunch and so it was afterwards that we thought we'd add to the number of confused pensioners ambling around Biarritz in the late afternoon. We finished up at the Bleu Café, which is ideally situated on the sea front overlooking the Grande Plage. It must have been 28° at least and it was very pleasant watching and listening to the crash of the surf close by - think it was high tide. Here's a web cam view of the Grande Plage that may or may not work. 

Well spotted.. no rowing for me yesterday! Oh yes - and Chibby had a day off too!

Now that the warmer weather's here, the lizards are back! Walking around the neighbourhood you'll often hear the scurry and the rustle of quick little feet as you pass a sunlit garden wall. Lizards lie on warm stones soaking up the warmth of the morning sunshine and they disappear as quick as a flash when they sense someone approaching.

I was in the garden a few minutes ago when I heard a deep rumbling sound in the sky to the south. Not the usual Ryanair 737 or an Air France twin jet taking off from Biarritz airport.. No, this was an Airbus A380 - the new behemoth of the skies. I spotted it in the distance heading out to sea - and with the illusion of moving incredibly slowly. 

Very impressive.. first time I've seen one of these puppies.. I have to say that Boeing's mighty 747 is the runaway winner as far as looks are concerned. But looks aren't everything - especially if you're running an international airline and you're looking to squeeze those last fractions of a per cent out into the 'profit' column.

Update on Chibby - Day 4. I think we have a result! In contrast to his previous 60 or so attempts over the last 4 days, this happened this afternoon. I'd not seen this before ever and the two dogs just stood there looking a bit bemused during what apparently is called a 'tie'. If all goes well, the litter should appear towards the end of July. Then the fun will really start!

143. Grey Saturday

14th May 2011. It was a dreich day out on the river this morning.. grey, cold and with a constant fine drizzle.. We went out in a coxless quad sculler but there was some kind of problem with the steering because we seemed to have a magnetic attraction to one of the banks! In the end, I suggested disconnecting the steering as I suspected it wasn't set up correctly and once we'd done that there was a marked improvement. Arriving back at the clubhouse, we were pretty much all wet through and cold and G (le responsable) suggested an impromptu apéro - he was going to get no argument from me! If the difference a little whisky makes to the world surprises you, then how much more surprised would you be at the difference a large one would make! Did 12km (Running total: 674km)

The pooch - unhappy at being told to sit still!

This afternoon should see Chibby, our cocker spaniel, in action for the first time. Some friends of ours have a black cocker spaniel bitch - Cerise - and yesterday they phoned us to say that she's come into heat.. Between us, we decided some time ago that the next time she came into heat, Chibby would be given the opportunity to do his best (lie back and think of England) to spread his genes. We'll be getting one of the pups if everything works out fine. Poor lad - he has no idea what's in store for him!

And just in case you were wondering:

I heard this 60s song on the radio earlier today and it brought back lots of memories.. it's full of that Phil Spector "Wall of Sound" excess - it has every instrument you can think of in it - including the kitchen sink - and a few you can't. I looked it up on Wiki and there it was in black and white - it was released in shhhh -  1963. This goes back to an earlier comment I made that we're scarred by the music that was popular when we were 17. It's still a classic though after all those years (especially after an hour or so wasted watching the latest Eurovision Song Contest this evening - don't ask!!) Crank up the volume, listen to it and then tell me that's not a great pop song.. 

I mentioned the Eurovision Song Contest - this is the entry from Moldova - complete with girl on unicycle - that drove me to despair:

15th May 2011. Went for a windy walk along the sea front at Biarritz this morning. Ended up in Dodin's café having one of their hot chocolates and watching the surfers. Chibby is still on alert in case the doorbell rings with his date..! He's not yet showing any signs of big match tension.. 

Today's special offer: there are various sites that play non-stop music for all tastes.. for example, there are links that play non-stop ABBA hits. Or non-stop 60s hits. But maybe you'd prefer to browse the blog with some classic French hits in the background.. Zut alors! In that case, look no further! Or if it's that time of day, here are the non-stop smoochy ones.. (what have I started!!?) Think you need Google Chrome set as your browser to access these links.. 

You'll find that links on the blog will open in a new window from now on - I found the code that allows that to happen - so you can click on the music channels above and carry on reading - that is, if there's no paint drying in the vicinity that needs watching!

16th May 2011. I must admit to being puzzled by the allegations levelled against Dominique Strauss-Kahn (or DSK as he's known here in France), the managing director of the IMF. He'd been positioning himself as a strong Socialist candidate for the 2012 Presidential campaign here in France - and, according to many political commentators here, he would have been very electable versus the unpopular incumbent. He had a lot to lose. I'm not alone in finding the situation that unravelled over the weekend in New York a little bizarre. Without going into details, the claim is that a man staying at a major New York hotel allegedly forced his attentions on a chambermaid - in his hotel room! He's hardly an anonymous figure and hence he stood no chance of the incident passing unnoticed or that he could escape identification.

I started wondering if it might have been a case of entrapment.. Perhaps the chambermaid thought, "This guy's loaded.. I could squeeze him for a few bucks or I'll tell the cops he assaulted me." It wouldn't be the first time. I'm never a great believer in conspiracy theories such as Elvis is alive and living in Essex, or Hitler's U-boat was found on the dark side of the moon, etc etc but DSK is/was probably the only credible candidate the Left could have fielded with a chance of beating Sarko.. (Martine Aubry? No chance. Ségolène Royale? Likewise..) By the time these allegations have been proved/disproved, months will have passed and even if DSK is found to be innocent, the smear will linger. And, in case you're wondering, I don't share DSK's political views.

The Telegraph has more on this unhappy saga. It appears that DSK has an Achilles d--k. (fill in the blanks yourself!) Maybe he was so jaded by everyday life that he needed the rush that an adventure like this could provide.  

In the context of DSK's trousers, I'm reminded of Spike Milligan's alternative version of the traditional nursery rhyme about the Grand Old Duke of York : 

Oh, the grand old Duke of York,

He had ten thousand men;

He marched them up to the top of the hill,
And he marched them down again.
And when they were up, they were up,
And when they were down, they were down,
And when they were only half way up,
He was arrested.

Anyway, that's enough of that.. here's a web site to browse when you have a spare moment. It looks suitably dull, as befits a product of the EU (sponsors of the world's dullest looking currency below). I hadn't thought it possible to reduce half a millennia of European cultural heritage to something akin to base metal but with this site they've managed the impossible - and in spades (I'm not mentioning that mindless disco beat..). I'm not a euro-sceptic by the way. This clip may throw some light on what they're about:

On the other hand..

142. Remembering

9th May 2011. As I walked into town early yesterday morning to the bakers I noticed activity around the huge War Memorial that's set into one of the old ramparts that encircle Bayonne.

There was someone setting up loudspeakers and microphones - I asked him what was happening and he reminded me that it was 8th May - ".. la fin de la guerre." - I'm ashamed to say I'd forgotten. Waiting in the shade across the road, there were a few old soldiers in their kepis and berets in their be-medalled blazers proudly holding their old standards. Those old links and bonds with the tragic history of Europe are still evident - 66 years on. 

Long time (or long suffering) readers of this blog may recall I once wrote a post about the sound of the cimbalom.. Well, it started off as a post about the cimbalom but it ended up as a homage to Le Grand Mayeur, a fabled and unique institution in Brussels that's sadly now closed (more details at the above link). I was browsing on YouTube earlier and I came across this great interpretation of Vivaldi´s Concerto in C for cimbalom, 1st movement - I hadn't realised up until now that anyone had tried to play the cimbalom with more traditional instruments. I think it shows that the cimbalom can stand comparison with classical instruments as it's accompanied here by a harpsichord, double bass, cello and violins (all being played pizzicato):

Here's the 2nd movement - apparently, this concerto was originally written for mandolin, strings & continuo. I've read the link for continuo ( a new word to me) and I'm none the wiser..! The absence of a non-musical education shines through yet again!

10th May 2011. Just back from letting the dog take me for a walk around town. Looks as though the summer season has started. There was a group of Spanish pensioners receiving a guided tour of the old ramparts; couples with street maps, back packs and cameras; obvious tourists wandering slowly looking all around them and, of course, the street people. There was one this morning who caught my eye - she was standing on a street corner in the centre twirling a long scarf as if she was trying to shake a knot out of it. Then I saw the bowl on the ground with a few coins in. A bit of a minimalist act I thought.. 

The walk took us through the well-maintained gardens that have been laid out in the spaces between the ramparts.  

Here's a view of Grande Bayonne that shows how compressed all the building in the old town centre had to be due to the surrounding ramparts. The confluence of the Adour and the Nive can be seen at the top:

Much remains of the old fortifications - here's one of the entrances into the town, still in daily use:

Bayonne is justifiably proud of its "green" credentials and the town operates a free transport system known as the Navette (shuttle) - these electrically-powered buses circulate continuously at 10 minute intervals in and around town and are a great boon to elderly shoppers - and for tourists (stay aboard for the circular tour). 

Another free mode of transport provided by the town are these bikes - known as Vélibs (the French love abbreviating words!) and this comes from Vélo Libre (free bike):

There are a great many cycle lanes around town and it's possible to ride along the banks of the Adour and the Nive - which is something we like to do.

Another lovely warm sunny evening out on the river tonight. Had an outing in a beautiful Swiss-built coxed quad sculler and the slanting sunshine made the most of its honey-coloured varnished wood. I derive more pleasure of rowing in a boat like this compared to a carbon fibre boat - OK, a carbon boat is lighter, stiffer etc etc but next to a fine shell four like the one we were in tonight, a carbon boat looks like something for holidaymakers.. Did 11km (Running total: 662km).    

11th May 2011. Most mornings when I walk into town I pass the same café that has a few tables on the pavement. More often than not, there are 3 well-upholstered gents of retirement age sitting outside wearing leather jackets covered in badges, each with a small cup of coffee (in the French style - small, strong and guaranteed to inhibit the blinking reflex for up to 3 days).

Their motorsickles are parked on the pavement opposite - or perhaps moored would be the better word - as all three are monster-sized, lavishly chromed and highly polished Harley-Davidsons. No biting the heads off chickens or general purpose hell raising for the owners - nope, they just sit there talking quietly with their coffees until it's time to be respectable again and go home for lunch. It must be hard being a head-bangin', hard drinkin' rebel-without-your-teeth when you've just picked up your pension and your wife wants you to take her to the supermarket in the afternoon.

A column in today's Telegraph claims that three years is all it takes before expats start to tire of life abroad. Yawn..! (was that me?) We'll have been here 4 years in September and neither Madame nor I have yet to experience a "tiring of life here" moment. Ye gods..! I'll keep an eye open for one though and if one comes along you'll be the first to know. Expect they all come in threes.

14th May 2011. Noticed this morning that a few recent comments that were posted to the blog have disappeared - for example, 'Lesley' commented on the above paragraph. In case you're wondering, I've not been tidying up - there must have been a problem with the server somewhere. Feel free to keep 'em coming..!