Monday, July 8, 2019

Start ot week


The judges for the Floral Village competition are due today. The mayor and the members of the Beautiful Bye Ways Committee are out and about at first light making sure the recent plantings are well watered. The man with anger management issues informs us that three large pike have died from heat exhaustion. Led by the mayor we trot of to see what has happened. The pike float forlornly on top of the water in the fish pond. The mayor heads off to find a net to scoop them out before they start to smell.


In the other pond ( the one near The Rickety Old Farmhouse ) Sophie stops to glare at the Coots and Moorhens. This has become her purpose in life. Angus watches carefully to make sure she doesn't decide to leap in after them.


Off in the car with the windows down to the little market town. We pick up a copy of Le Monde and then head off to the greengrocers for some  local melons. The first of the season. We find a parking spot behind a man in a red beret who is coming out of a little Citroen adorned with stickers. The PONs look at him warily.


The little cafe that was written up in the New York Times as being the best in France ( they clearly never tried the coffee ) has been redecorated. All the rugby paraphernalia has been taken down and a new ( relatively ) minimalist style imposed. The walls have been painted a practical if unstylish matt brown. Angus notices that the yellow ceiling paper, stained by generations of Gitanes, has not been touched. It peels quietly away. Perhaps their redecorating budget ran out ? We find a cool table at the back where Angus can read and the PONs can savour their croissant ends together with a bowl of fresh water. The locals, mortified by the change in decor, are boycotting the cafe. The waiter gives them until Wednesday before they're back. '' It's not as if there's another cafe they can go to " he says cheerily.


So starts what is undoubtedly going to be the very best day ever.



Well I never ! Renting a car for a quick nap : https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/5/20683406/japan-car-sharing-renting-not-driving-private-space-orix-times24


7 comments:

Poppy Q said...

Not many people in the best cafe in France - one wonders how they got such an accolade if the coffee is poor. The food must be phenomenal.

Sounds like another hot week for you. Cold melons will help you feel cooler.

Have a lovely day.

Coppa's girl said...

Oh dear, is that the best café that France has to offer? Surely not. Perhaps the New York Times critic didn't actually go anywhere else. The comment by the waiter says it all.
Enjoy the Pon's best day ever.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Perhaps the **** brown wall colour was chosen precisely because of the state of the ceiling? If you can't reach it, find a blending tone??? At least croissant ends and water bowls are still on offer. That surely does make it the best little cafe around! YAM xx

WFT Nobby said...

I trust that Jesus is upright and the dead pike out of sight, and Bob and Sophie are on best behaviour for the Floral Village judges.

Emm said...

At least the pike didn't die right in front of the judges.
Lots of parachute journalism ongoing these days, and reviews by fancy mastheads not always reliable, or accurate.
Am wondering what the men in dark suits think of the Greek election results.

Angus said...

Fancy mastheads are finding it difficult to adjust to the speed and fundamental enormity of the change that's going on.

Bella Roxy & Macdui said...

We had massive fish kills awhile back. The entire surface area covered in dead fish. There is now an inquiry into the woeful water-management plan.