Counting fulmars.

Another sunny morning. Even though we are now 'dog less' we're sticking with the PON era routine of rising early and enjoying a brisk morning walk down to the beach. On the road leading to the car park the really good electrician is already at work. This is a surprise as it's only ten to seven. He and his team look up from unloading their van to say 'Good Morning'. They sensibly try to get as much of their work done in the summer while the days are long and the weather warm. Yesterday he was up doing a job in the far North. Next week he'll be down in Newcastle. This must mean that he's either very good or there's a chronic shortage of electricians.  A woman with a small dog with a squiffy face and an over bite is standing by the old church on the cliff edge. She's counting pug nosed fulmars. 'Fewer of them than last year ' she says as we pass before adding ' They live until they're forty '. 

We then have the town and the shore to ourselves. The light is gentle and the old ruins of the cathedral and castle cling to the cliffs with nothing but sea and sky for company. Health and safety still have barriers preventing people from getting close to the cathedral . I'd have thought that the occasional piece of masonry might be expected to fall from 800 year old ruins. 

The seagull chicks have still not had their maiden flight. This morning they are again, noisily, demonstrating to their parents the miraculous discovery that they have wings. Yesterday, after dinner, the Beverly Hills golfer returned to the rental house, opened his bedroom window and bade them a less than charming good night. Surprisingly, they remained quiet until just after six.

A local shop has a DIY  trash collection service. I'm surprised no one has stolen the 'picker'.

Some wine arrives from London. Ordered yesterday and delivered within 24 hours at no additional cost. The packaging is made from recycled paper and is extremely robust.  All our wine now arrives in recycled material - Styrofoam packaging seems to have been outlawed. Wine is much more expensive in the UK than France where it's not taxed at all. Some careful shopping has unearthed the fact that our favourite rose (£45 a bottle here - less than half that price in Toulouse ) is sold under the name of an upmarket London store for £20 a bottle. We are having a small birthday party tonight so it will be tried out on some guests.

A top Icelandic tourist attraction :https://icelandiclavashow.com/

I'll never check on a bag again :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcP6NeoQCHg