80 km/h winds racing down from the mountains batter The Rickety Old Farmhouse. Another of the cypress trees along the drive has blown down. I phone the gardeners who promise to come out tomorrow to stake it up .... again. Sophie models her windswept look. This is the same as her roll in the mud look. We wave at the mayor who is opening up the church for the electricians. The bell ringing system has gone wrong and been doing its 13 chimes on the hour every hour routine.
We head off to the bakers. On the motorway the overhead electronic messaging signs are now telling drivers to tune into a Coronavirus alert channel on the radio. There is something in the air that hints of more restrictions to come. At this time of the morning Sophie and her master share the cafe with two delivery men who play video games on their mobile phones in a far corner.
Cheddar in the cheesemongers. Small, wax coated blocks, that are displayed as if Cheddar is something weird and exotic. In deepest France profonde all foreign cheeses are weird and exotic. This takes some getting used to.
The beautifully sweet pineapples from La Reunion are now out of season. We opt for the unusually shaped bread fruit pineapples from Benin with their peachy taste.
Sophie heads upstairs to find a cosy spot by the fire in the snug. She pauses long enough to make sure I'm following on behind.
If I lived in town I'd be tempted to get one of these at a leasing cost of E20 a month:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74VfCw1FE2s&feature=youtu.be
14 comments:
We found heart-shaped English cheddar in Tokyo recently, at the exotic imported foods supermarket. It was a Valentine's Day special, so naturally the wax was red - outrageously expensive, but I bought one as we can't usually find really good sharp cheddar in Japan. Anything French is still the thing here. As to the link, I'm not entirely sure about the vehicle itself, but the ad was very clever.
After watching that video, I'm now slightly worried by the thought of city streets full of these little Citroens in the hands of people without driving licences...
Those winds! We got sleet,hail that arrived horizontally. It was so hard that I could barely drive the car straight and I had to turn off my podcast because I couldn't hear it over the drumming of the hail.
I have long thought Citroën should bring back the 2CV as an all-electric. It would be a hit. The Ami looks more comfortable/less low to the ground than the Renault Twizy. Still, the range wouldn't get me from here to Toulouse, much less home again. The whole future of EVs is fascinating. The battery packs are made of multiple batteries, which in turn are made of many cells. If a cell goes bad, it's no big deal, but if several go bad, your battery doesn't work well. You can have cells replaced, but not with new ones--they need to be in about the same state/age as the others. So the idea is to have libraries of batteries from, say, wrecked cars, to pull out the right cells (oh, and there are 3 kinds of cells, so it's even more complicated). A battery weighs a ton and stretches across the bottom of the car, so it's not like popping out a cellphone battery to replace with a new one.
Hari OM
Oh yes, I'd be into one of the jelly beans too. In a city. Provided licences were indeed required...
Father and I are enjoying a brie made up in Tain, Scottish Highlands. Delicious it is too! YAM xx
If I was living in the middle of Paris I'd definitely go for one. We have a neighbour who is o the management board of SEAT. He makes the point that Tesla, despite awful build quality, is the only manufacturer which makes real electric cars. 5 years ahead of anyone else. Still doens't help those of us who live 60 miles from an airport.
Tain should be bracing at this time of the year
It will be popular with teenagers - they can drive one in France after the age of 14.
Reminds me that Cracker Barrel is considered a luxury by some Londoners.
A plentiful supply of "real" cheddar here, all straight from the UK, and selling at most of the local supermarkets. We are in a popular tourist area, so are spoiled for choice with many cheeses (and other food) available from different countries. I bought some Vintage Cheddar and some smooth Gorgonzola from Lidl yesterday, and have found two or three enjoyable German cheeses at Aldi. Ten kilometres inland and it's another story!
The little Citroën is worth considering as an extra car - a little run-about. Absolutely ideal for popping into town, and it's only five minutes or so straight downhill to the sea, so no problem with recharging after every journey. Would there be room for at least one Labrador, as a passenger, though?
The tartes look nice and bright today. We have never seen a pineapple shaped like that - we only get the standard dole ones.
The little Citroen is a bit ugly, but we understand the necessity for little economical electric cars to be the way of the future. But 14 year olds with no licence? In theory that works if they were the only ones on the road, but with other drivers around it seems somewhat risky.
The first and last pictures of Sophie tell the day’s story!
Angus, seriously consider leasing one of the new cars for the fun of it! For E20 a month, as you and Sophie could do your morning croissant and shopping run with Sophie sitting beside you. She could wear a dog harness attached to the seatbelt and have the best view ever! I'll bet there is no clause in the agreement PON's are not allowed inside their cars. Your diva would love the extra attention while you drove around, and you could save your dog car and petrol for other trips. Also gusesing, but may be wrong, the seats are lower to the ground so might make it easier for her to get into the vehicle.
Sophie got a cute look after the windswept her through yea looks small as if she had played in the mud. I believe the bell system will be restored by the electrician. O !!! those bakers display looks yummy and delicious. Love the cute staring look of Sophie, she just needs to be cozy and warm. Good Day 😊
Sophie's windswept pose it just too adorable. Oh yes, she is making sure you are following close behind! Those tarts look really scrumptious. Makes me long for the fruit tarts I buy at the cafe. I must make the most of this quarantine and learn to bake tarts.
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