Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Nordic


Bitterly cold. Thank heavens we filled up the heating oil in August when the price was low. There is a constant light drizzle which you could mistake for snow. Sophie, of course, loves this weather. Something deep in her DNA kicks into action when the temperature nears zero.


Angus and his shaggy companion have a forty five minute walk by the river then return home for a cup of coffee followed by a quick tour of the village ( Sophie's cold weather energy levels are amazing ) before heading off to the good bakers. 

Since yesterday the bakers Christmas decorations have appeared. These are last years, recycled. 'Do you like them ?' asks the woman behind the counter. 'They're wonderful' I reply, untruthfully. She takes this answer at face value and seems happy.


Our timing is spot on this morning. Todays croissant fresh out of the oven. Baked to perfection, the crust golden, the dough soft.  Angus gives it a 9.2/10. Sophie thinks there's far too little of it but what she gets scores 15/10. Her tail goes into syncopated paroxysms of delight. We pick up a 'Nordic' loaf for 'The Font'. What goes into a Nordic loaf apart from rye, barley and flocons d'avoine is a mystery. Once again that strange man who talks to his shaggy dog is the only one brave enough to sit outside on the terrace. The locals remain inside, unmasked, in the warmth and glance at us with a mixture of alarm and pity.

A hint of Hammer House of Horrors about this video. Naked flames, Christmas trees, a wild organist and red Gothic stage lighting. What's not to like ?  The good folks of Jarvso seem intent on having a good time. The fiddle music at the end is fun :https://youtu.be/pbxFmOIF4uI?t=2397

Best language school add ever ? :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxxAwDHgQhE


9 comments:

WFT Nobby said...

Thanks for answering my earlier question. I now know what it takes for Angus to score a croissant at more than 9/10!
Enjoyed both videos today. The language one had me wondering if there really was such a thing as an iRabbit. And also feeling there was perhaps some point after all to those elocution lessons which, age nine or ten, I was reluctantly forced to attend by a mother and grandmother fearful I might otherwise develop a Nottingham accent!

Taste of France said...

The language video struck a raw nerve. I cannot get past the voice-recognition software on Orange's help desk. Something about how I say "service technique" doesn't work. My kid says I say it fine (and my kid doesn't hesitate to grimace or roll eyes when I botch pronunciation). There's no option to press 1 or 2. Sometimes I go for the other option, "service commercial," and then ask them to transfer me.
With a clear blue sky after a week of rain, I intend to go have a coffee en terrasse when it warms up a little. Enjoy it while we can.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Woohoo, my sister and I thoroughly enjoyed the carol and in particular the folk music finish. Proper cheerful that was!!! YAM xx

Coppa's girl said...

No walk for us, even though we have a cloudless deep blue sky, the temperature is a balmy 16ยบ, and that's before the sun is on the house!
Already this morning we've paid our second visit to the vet - yesterday confirmed that Inca had indeed found something exceptionally obnoxious to feast on at the weekend. Something that required three injections.
An excellent result for the croissant today! I still feel that eccentric is a much better description Angus, rather than mad and being pitied. After all eccentric is what we Brits do so well - especially on foreign soil.

Angus said...

3 injections ! That must have really been something. Let's hope it passes soon.

Angus said...

I leave call centres to 'The Font'. My success rate with voice recognition software would be a negative number ... if that was possible. There again my luck with Occitane accented humans is also pretty low.

Travel said...

Sounds like a glorious morning, and a good croissant

Lisa in France said...

I have been on the phone with Charles Schwab's automated system this evening. English to English, but still we ran into trouble when I could not produce a 5-digit US zip code. This required a phone call with a human named "Tom" that wasted at least a half an hour and required me to produce my mother's maiden name no less than three times. I did enjoy the ad, however, as well as several others that followed. It's always nice to know that we are not alone in our suffering!

Stephanie said...

Oh my, a 9.2/10 croissant! This is a banner day. Thank you all for the kind comments about our Millie; she possessed a brave spirit to the very end.