Monday, October 10, 2022

Universal boon.


Sophie discovers the village has a pig. She looks at it. The pig squeals. Sophie retreats.

Sophie returns to the safety of the kitchen. Nothing in life had prepared the family diva for the sound of a squealing pig.


Yesterdays Camembert was not good but excellent. Rich and creamy with a superb texture. How Camembert can be made in Hampshire without triggering some sort of trademark dispute is a question best left for another day. I'm not complaining.


The collapse in the pound against the US dollar has extended the tourist season. Usually, the pavement cafes are all closed in readiness for the fast approaching winter. This year al fresco dining is alive and well. There has been an  influx of 'canny' American and German tourists who have discovered that a 5 star hotel room that would cost £800 a night in August is less than £200 a night now. Add to that a near 30% increase in what the $ will buy and you have an extended and vibrant tourist season. 'The Font' observes that many of the tourists are actually parents who have taken the opportunity to fly over for a few days to check up on their offspring.  From the glum faces worn by some of the students it can be assumed that the arrival of parents is not seen as a universal boon.


Angus goes to look at the hare in the art gallery. He is less keen on it. This morning there is something bad tempered to the eyes .



14 comments:

WFT Nobby said...

Right, that's one cheese that's definitely going on my shopping list. We had a Mellis cheesemonger in Aberdeen. Unfortunately the shop changed ownership a couple of years ago and now sells a slightly inferior range of cheeses, but I live in hope!
I still like the hare.
Cheers, Gail.

Taste of France said...

Among the visitors are members of my family, over for a destination wedding. They were surprised when I gifted them plug adapters and warned them that charging phones was OK but plugging in US curling irons would be a bad idea--they thought the world operated the same as the US. However, they are fully confident in their ability to drive in a foreign country, and on the opposite side of the road. Luckily for you, they are on the west coast.

Coppa's girl said...

Perhaps the Camembert is one of the few good things to come out of Brexit - produced in the UK to fill a gap? At that price, even given the increasing cost of food, it should be good.
A squealing pig. Poor Sophie, a not so enjoyable new experience, but if it happens again, she should just bark back!

Angus said...

Coppa G - I don't think Sophie ever again intends to walk by that corner of the village

Taste of France - I hope they brought their rain wear !

WFT - Guess Aberdeen is just that wee bit too far from Edinburgh to make restocking a cheese shop a practical option.

WFT Nobby said...

Taste of France might be relieved to know that one the west coast of Scotland there are plenty of road signs, in multiple languages, reminding driver to 'conduisez à gauche'.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Well, I could say that cheese won't be hitting my table due to it being one-third of my 10-day grocery budget... but beyond that, even as a Christmas treat, it's a no from this vegetarian...

The Hare, though, would still be a good choice as a garden guardian. And anyone thinking they could recreate Highlander or Outlander for their dream wedding this past weekend would have had big, big regrets. Washing machine conditions. Industrial strength. YAM xx

Lisa in France said...

The hare is very well done, but I wonder whether I would want to encounter him while walking through a darkened house at night.

Travel said...

The bunny looks unsure, uncomfortable. I love traveling in the kind of off season, fall, early spring, when school is in. Spain in early December this year.

Anonymous said...

They still have Mellis’s cheese. And sometimes, so does Hammerton

Anonymous said...

I looked it up. The AOP is “Camembert de Normandie”. They don’t have PDO status

Sharon said...

I thought the hare looked like he had been caught in the act, perhaps about to eat something in your garden. This has happened to me but with cotton tails.

Poppy Q said...

You've been pondering the purchase of the hare for some weeks, I think he should go home with you.

Jake of Florida said...

When I googled British camembert yesterday, up popped the brand you just purchased with the message "so good it makes a Frenchman weep."

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

That's definitely a bunny side-eye. x