I hate missing appointments

Call me neurotic but I hate being late for an appointment. What I dislike even more is missing an appointment altogether. I'm really quite anal, inasmuch as I always allow plenty of time to get anywhere, and through my foolproof diary system, I remember everything. Wrong. This morning I made two mistakes (you have no idea how hard it was to write that). The first was not looking at my diary until 10.00 am, and the second was Jan not reminding me. Now I know that the second is not strictly my fault but I will share some of Jan's blame. I had been waiting three months for this optician's appointment and will now have to wait another two and a half months before I can get there because, as usual, nothing happens in France during the month of August.

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The storm last night produced a clap of thunder so loud that I swear it lifted me clean off the bed. This is not a good way to wake up. It took ages to get the plaster from the ceiling out of my nails. I put the thunder and lightning down to the gods hearing about the verdict in the Michael Jackson case and being really pissed off.

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I'm into fish at the moment. Not the mermaid variety (but there's a thought) but the eating type. Last night I had Dorade (Sea Bream) which is fast becoming my favourite, and this afternoon we set off to find a recommended fish restaurant in Grau du Roi. Le Saint Pierre,1 quai Gozioso, 0466 53 20 90, is well worth a visit but is not outstanding. The menus varied between 11.50 euros and 50.00 euros and the wine list was a little on the heavy side. What I want from a fish restaurant, is the opportunity to eat a choice of fresh fish, cooked to my liking and not necessarily bound up with sauces and other accoutrements. Good quality fare, simply cooked, without costing an arm and a leg and no pretentions to grandeur. The restaurants are out there, but as always, the question is where?