Let's be more careful out there

Where have all the children gone?

I love giving children treats, but only four children visted the house last night for 'trick or treat'. Four young children with mums in tow. Usually, I over supply with chocolate because I know whatever is left over I get to eat. This year Jan bought a much more sensible volume and, call it female intution, but very few kids showed up. Still there was plenty left for me!

Smoooooth

Because she has to leave for her return journey to the UK first thing tomorrow morning and because Ryanair wouldn't let her onto the plane without proper ID, after a few phone calls, Gill went off to the British Consulate in Montpellier to collect her emergency passport. She had to take along about 90 euros and two photographs and, after about 30 minutes, she was issued with a passport. The passport was a very official looking A4 sized piece of paper valid for one journey only and which would be taken from her when she landed in the UK. Obviously some checking had been going on behind the scenes because it contained bits of information that had not been supplied by Gill. All very efficient and not too stressful. With that piece of paper and her police report she went to her local bank branch and they helped her withdraw some cash. Quite impressive!

Test yourself

Take a look here. It's a quick download and a bit of fun. I scored 35, how about you?

A mutual appreciation event

Anticipating a long wait this afternoon, Jan went to run a few errands whilst I headed for the dentist. I reckon that I'm at that time of life when all my ancient metal fillings are starting to crumble and pop. Such is the popularity of our dentist I've had to wait 30 days or so to have a huge hole filled, and when I say huge there was more hole than tooth and I've no idea how the remaining bit of tooth survived. Anyway, I arrived a couple of minutes early and was shown right in. Yes, you read that right, I was in the chair BEFORE the allotted time. I like Dr B, he's a nice chap and we always have a bit of a chat before I grab his nuts. I find that he's always much more gentle whilst I can inflict a lot of pain on him. I've even learnt the French for, "And we're not going to hurt each other are we?"

Now, it's a while since I've had any work done at the dentist and I half expected him to have to use a cauldron of molten lead to fill the tooth but no. He uses a resin, the same colour as the tooth, which sets so fast that he has to use the drill to finish it off. (Is there a point to this story? - Ed) Look, this may be boring for you but this was a significant event for me and I pass on the experience in the event that you may have to have dental work done in Quissac!

"Let's be careful out there"

We were just about to set off for Nimes when I got an urgent message to contact Glyn in the UK. His wife, who is visiting their holiday home next door at the moment, had just been 'mugged' at Truffaut in Nimes. It was the old scam of a man telling her that she had a problem with her tyre (it had been fully deflated) and, whilst the tyre was being changed, a male accomplice stealing her handbag which she had left on the front seat.

Her handbag contained everything. Keys, addresses, credit cards, passport, phone, everything. Anyway, one call to alex'll-fix-it and within two hours all the house locks were changed.

Poor Gill, she was quite upset but with help from very kind French bystanders she got to the bank quickly and cancelled her cards. The British Consulate in Montpellier were also very helpful and will provide her with an emergency passport when she visits them tomorrow.

When I was searching for an appropriate picture to go with the quote "Lets be careful out there", from Hill Street Blues, I came across this picture of Veronica Hamel who starred in the series. I remember that as a young man I had the hots for her. Just thought you might like to know.

Cheer up

Days like this

It's on days like this that I remember why I'm in France. The sky is bright blue, it's the end of October and it's warm and, more importantly, there's nobody around to piss me off. Wonderful!

I can remember buying it, but not when. It was probably sometime last year, or even the year before. Anyway, the other night we opened a couple (three actually) of Chateau L'Euziere, Les Escarboucles 2003, from 34270, Fontanes, in the Pic Saint Loup area. Wow, was it nice. So, with a dinner party tonight for some special friends, who were an enormous help at James' wedding last month, we headed off to buy some more.

Madame was really helpful but was quite surprised that we wanted some 2003. There was none available on her price list but, she said 'she could offer a 2005 which needed laying down for a few years.' A quick tasting proved that she was right but, I pointed out, 'we need something for now.' 'OK,' she said, 'we do have a bit of 2003, which we're keeping (to sell later at a huge price), and I can let you have one box.' 'Sold' we said and, with a couple of boxes of some other stuff we headed over to Sommieres! Life just doesn't get better than this - until, that is, we pop some corks tonight

Do you really want to know?

This you have to handle with care. Do you think your partner is cheating on you? Do you trust him/her? Well now you can track their whereabouts using a mobile phone tracker. It's great, it uses satellite map tracking with any connected mobile phone. Coverage anywhere in the world accurate to one metre!

Log on to http://www.sat-gps-locate.com the results are amazing.

It's pissing down!

Chris W, who runs this excellent site, popped round yesterday for a slap up meal, on his birthday, at auntie Jan's pie shop and to check out a venue for his wedding next year. As I'm now the resident wedding expert that bit was easy.

A little later in the day we popped over to Domaine Costeplane for a couple of boxes of red. As we were sitting outside, under the nèfle tree, tasting their various wines with Clare and David, Cecille put the corks back into each bottle. Hoping that we could finish them, I asked her the rather stupid question as to why she was putting the corks back in the bottles and she said, 'to stop anything falling inside the bottle.' At this point, the farm cat shot up the tree scrabbled about a bit and then pissed on us. I kid you not.

Try this

DavidCopperfield1....

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This you've got to see

Thanks, Wendy

Having thanked her personally, I have to publicly thank Wendy, a woman of exquisite taste, for nominating this blog, here. If you also have excellent taste (even if a bit weird) then please feel free to add your voice. Stand up and be counted, show the world your true colours (colors for Rosemary) and join with that ever growing band of reprobates who happily put up with substandard stuff. If I can afford it, which is extremely doubtful, you will get your reward!

Roquefort

And there I was thinking that we'd come home for a rest. Last night, we and about 38 others gathered for what turned out to be a very good meal at Chez Vero to watch the rugby. The result is history, but suffice to say the boys dun good and you felt proud of them.

This morning we had visitors coming in at 09.00 into Montpellier (on a 06.00 Ryanair flight from Stansted - what an unsociable hour) so, despite going to bed shattered, we had to get up early for the pick up. As it happens, we were on our way to the Millau Bridge for a look see and then after a good hearty lunch at Le Combalou in Lauras it was off for an escorted tour of the cheese ripening caves at Roquefort. Now Roquefort is Jan's favourite blue cheese so it was of particular interest to her but, even having got up at an unearthly hour, our visitors Claire and David enjoyed it too. I thought about a cup of tea at Jacquis cafe (it turns out she was out running anyway) but as it happens I had other things on my mind.

We got back to catch most of the exciting Grand Prix from Brasil (what a good weekend of sport - and good effort Lewis) and, after a 'light' meal of soup, quiche and salad, and fruit, went to bed a tired but happy bunny.