136. Summer's here (maybe)

31st March 2011. At last, we've reached the end of March and we can say finally goodbye to winter. No more endless days of dripping rain.. or squalls that blow in from the Bay of Biscay. Now the windows are open wide, the heating is off and the padded jackets are back in storage.. I've just given the table and chairs for the terrace their first wipe down with teak oil.. Next up? The plancha.. Its creaking journey from the dusty corner of the garage and up the steps to the terrace has all the mystery of the construction of Stonehenge. How did he manage to shift it without using a crane or block and tackle..? And without giving himself a hernia!

What is it about France that appeals to some of us Anglo-Saxons? If you're reading this, I'm presuming that you would count yourself as a Francophile. There remains, however, a sizeable wodge of people in England who are highly suspicious of all things Gallic; who are paranoid about any trace of Frenchness entering their lifestyle. Garlic studded into a roast leg of lamb? Sacrilege! A French car..? Fuhgeddaboutit.! Poncey French wine? No chance, mate - Jacob's Sheep Dip for me!

Being smitten with our neighbours across the Channel works both ways though. Last night I went to the Spanish cultural centre over the river to pick up Madame after her Spanish class and on my way in to the building I helped an elderly lady (OK, she was just a few years older than me) who had difficulty walking. She was taking a Spanish class as well but in the one after Madame's. It turned out that this lady was a former teacher of English and when she realised I was English she was soon waxing nostalgic about Penzance where she'd spent many happy holidays. She gave me her card and insisted that we come round one day for an apéro..

1st April 2011. We went up to Arès today (just to the north of Arcachon) today to see Madame's brother O and his wife F. See how many names of famous wines* you can spot on the map above.. (I'll give you a clue - don't waste any time looking for Jacob's Creek or Tesco's "Great with Chicken"!!) They're renting a place there for a few weeks while they house hunt around and about. They want to move away from the Paris region down to the warmer south west and it didn't disappoint today - it was 29°C! We had lunch outside and afterwards went for a walk down to the bay. It was still 27°C here when we returned home at 8.15pm.

* In a quick 10 second squint I counted 13 - there are probably a few more.

2nd April 2011. 14km on the river this morning - running total: 548km.

3rd April 2011. I discovered Mandion this morning.. Our neighbour mentioned the name to us the other day so this morning I thought I'd take a peek. The shop is set back off the RN10 in Anglet and it's fairly easy to miss. To call it a mere cake shop would be doing it an injustice. This establishment is nothing less than a temple dedicated to the art of the pâtissier and the cakes and chocolate on display are the ne plus ultra in the area.  The experience was reminiscent of going to look at puppies - it was impossible to leave without one. Up until now, Madame has bought her cakes at the excellent L Raux pâtisserie in the centre of Bayonne - but I suspect that might be about to change.

135. Monopoly money at Saint Jean de Luz

29th March 2011. We drove down to the bank at Saint-Jean-de-Luz this afternoon for a quick chat with our new account manager. After running through all the details of our account (didn't take long!) we then talked about the cost of living down here. One of the major problems here for young people is that there's a mismatch between the salaries they earn and the ever-increasing cost of property. And renting is an expensive proposition here too. If that southern extension (from Tours to the Spanish border) of the special TGV track is finished as planned by 2020, it will open up the Pays Basque to a whole new group of people who could live here and commute daily to Bordeaux and beyond. And just as the locals have scraped together enough for a house, the prices will take another hike up and away from them. It's a hard world. Young Basques are forced to look further and further inland as the price of property on the coast soars out of reach. From a brief look at a few estate agents today, I would say that houses on the coast below 600,000€ are still few and far between. You can find them for less but, as always, there's a reason.

Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Afterwards, we walked through town and looked in at a couple of galleries. One, on the Boulevard Thiers, usually has a good selection of paintings of the region by Ramiro Arrue and today was no exception. There was one we both liked very much by another Basque artist whose name escapes us both..      

Fed up with the daily grind..? Tired of the "same old same old" at work..? Life lost its sparkle..? Ready for a new challenge..? Want to escape permanently from mindless "Go Compare" ads..? Are you all 'Royal Weddinged' out..? I think this could be just what you're looking for - stay with it right to the end:

31st March 2011. Looked at the £/€ exchange rate lately? Ouch! The pound is lurking down at around 1.13€ this morning - but remember, this is the inter-bank rate - I'll be lucky to exchange at 1.11€. Not to worry though - as soon as I'm up, I'll be moving amongst you all jangling the loose change in my pocket, with an impoverished yet curiously expectant look on my face. Don't feel embarrassed - just give generously! Sounds like we're going to be back on the gruel diet!

134. Where's my pith helmet?

26th March 2011. We're getting there..! For the first time this year, yesterday evening we sat outside on the terrace - around 7pm - for a few hands of rummy with an apéro! And it's lunch outside today as well.. However, my Google weather forecast for Bayonne insists we're in for rain for the next 4 days..

I was surprised to see a good turnout at the club this morning.. I thought there might have been a mass exodus over the border to watch the derby game.. (Bayonne v Biarritz) Down at the river, I stroked a coxed quad sculler and we did 12km. (Running total: 534km)

Here's the 2011 University Boat Race - it starts at 16:07..

After being written off by the pundits, commentators, the press and Uncle Tom Cobleigh and all, the dark blues of Oxford had a great row to win the University Boat Race by more than 4 lengths with a compelling display of power, determination and sheer will to win after last year's defeat. Well done!

Just checked the French rugby scores and it's all bad news from San Sebastian. Biarritz hammered Bayonne 40-10. They won't be dancing in the streets of Bayonne tonight..

So - in the interests of cheering up the Bayonne supporters - here's a George Dubya quote for you..

There.. now that feels better already doesn't it..?

133. Plancha time again!

26th March 2011. Watching the news over the last few days reminded me of my previous life. When long-simmering tensions in the Balkans finally erupted into what turned out to be a very nasty little civil war in the 90s, various governments around the world decided that enough was enough and your correspondent was despatched to foreign climes to convert jet fuel into noise - come rain or shine, night & day, 7 days a week, month after excruciating month and year upon year. Watching a similar scenario unfolding today, I ask myself - do I miss it? (I might have given you a clue there!) 

Once again, we seem to be heading for another full-blown 37 carat tangled mess. Having started the No Fly Zone, I ask myself what event(s) will cause the politicians to decide that an "end state" has been reached. What is the end state? If it's hoped that operating a No Fly Zone will cause Col. Gaddafi to up sticks and head for foreign parts without there being any need for boots on the ground, then I think that those who decide such weighty matters are sadly mistaken. Let's hope I'm to be proved wrong.

Back to happier thoughts - the temperatures are on the upward march.. it's forecast to be around 20°C this weekend. The plancha is sitting there in the garage winking at me each time I walk past it..

Here's an idea..

Now for all those out there who swear by their BBQs... let's see you try this!

Or even this bijou snackette.. (a far cry from burnt sausages!)

Bon app!

With the death of Elizabeth Taylor, I wonder how many real stars are left?