The Compleat Anglo in the Pays Basque

204. Prague Spring

2013-05-11T17:27:00.000+02:00

10th May 2013. We're back home in the Pays Basque after a week in Prague and southern Bohemia. As it was a French holiday, the final leg of our journey - the drive from Paris to Bayonne - took us 10½hrs with long queues on the roads leaving the capital.

Unlike rivers in some other cities, the Vltava is the core element of Prague.

Prague was a revelation to me - it was Old Europe set in aspic. A Europe that had developed in isolation from us in the west and, as it had been largely untouched during WWII, there were innumerable examples of ornate baroque architecture - overlaid with some monstrous examples of Mother Russia's brutal buildings erected during its 40 year tenure of Czechoslovakia.

The city centre was awash with groups of craggy-faced tourists mainly from middle and eastern Europe roving to and fro, all trying to follow their own guide through the masses. Each guide was holding up easily seen symbols such as umbrellas, inflatable lips and other imaginative markers. Throughout all this, smaller groups were gliding through silently on Segways..

Here are some photos we took.. (I found the images for the first 01:22 from the internet as the weather was grey and shadowless for the most part - but we're to blame for the rest!). That's Smetana's "Ma Vlast" in the background.

While the cobbled streets of Prague were admittedly hard on the feet, I'm not sure I could have submitted my feet to this Thai foot treatment I saw in several shop windows there:

Some sections of the Czech population appeared to be doing well since independence: the streets were alive with the sound of large 4x4s pattering over the cobbles - Range Rovers, Mercs, BMWs, Audis and there were more than several Porsche Panameras and Aston Martins (Nature's way of telling you that you have too much money!). I spotted one sole surviving Trabant (below) - that stuttering 4 wheeled anachronism that, in case you needed reminding, tells you all you need to know about socialism in practice.

On one memorable evening, we had a cruise on the fabled Vltava..

The programme noted that there was a "John Lennon" wall - and I was curious to see what that was all about. Apparently, during the Communist régime, a student had painted a stylised image of John's head on a wall opposite the French Embassy - much to the annoyance of Gustav Husak - and it became a focus for expressing youth opposition to the Communist régime as can be seen here:

John would have been delighted!

We also saw the place in Wenceslas Square where that modern day martyr Jan Palach doused himself in petrol and set himself on fire on 16th January 1969 in protest against the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia 5 months earlier. He succumbed to his 85% burns 3 days later. Was it really 44 years ago..? Did he choose that method of protest to draw a parallel with Jan Hus?

We encountered a group of Asian tourists one day - and I'm afraid I find it just as impossible to tell where they were from (Japan, China, Korea, Viet Nam?) as any group of Caucasians. Anyway, I was having a coffee outside a café near to lunchtime and a family of four sat at the next table. The waitress came and handed them each a menu which they looked at blankly. The menu was written in Czech, German and Russian and there were no photographs of the food to give them a hint. I often wonder what they ended up having for lunch. I found the Czech language completely unpenetrable - and knowledge of any other European languages is of no help whatsoever in trying to decipher it.

We visited Marienbad one day. If you're of a certain age the name will trigger a distant memory of a 60s cult film - "Last Year in Marienbad". I remember watching this at a film society back then and being totally confused and unsure what it was all about. I don't think I was the only one! It's a far cry from this to "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids"!

There was one drink that seemed to be omnipresent and that was Becherovka.. After seeing it all over the country I bought a bottle and I think I'll be saving it for those winter nights.

So "Na zdravi!"..

While we're talking about drinks, I tried Pilsner Urquell - the beer that the Czech Republic is rightly famous for.. I seldom drink beer but this was one that would hit the spot on a warm day.

Changing the subject a tad, doesn't this look like an exhilarating way of going home from the office after a long day..? I'd love to try that.☺ Stay with it right to the end..

Sunday, 19th May 2013. A couple of days ago we went across the border for a spot of shopping at Dantxarinea in Spain. On the way there I noticed several vultures circling about in lazy circles. The supermarket we visit there - Venta Peio - has had its interior re-modelled and the drinks section has been significantly expanded - it now offers a staggering range (no pun intended) of various alcoholic drinks. I usually browse there while Madame prowls the aisles of the food hall. The whisky section alone is must be 15 yards long and 3-4 shelves high.. They even stock Yamazaki whisky from Japan.. Then there are all sorts of exotic apéritifs from across Europe plus some real rocket fuels. One such is Ströh 80°.. This is a spiced rum from Austria that's 80% alcohol by volume.. One glass would be sufficient to zero-ise your memory banks - a second would be enough to put you into a low earth orbit. Needless to say, I leave things like this well alone.

Before returning home, we stopped at nearby Zugarramurdi (still in Spain) where we had a spot of lunch.

Zugarramurdi

Zugarramurdi is a sleepy town of around 225 people, where little has happened in the last 400 years. Prior to that it was an entirely different story. The village was home to a coven of witches and warlocks who carried out pagan rituals in the nearby caves. Then, in 1610, the Spanish Inquisition arrived (unexpectedly!☺) to arrest many villagers - 11 were burned at the stake for crimes ranging from casting spells on crops, people and animals, to shape-shifting and worshipping Satan.

It's easy to see why they chose to hold their rituals in the Witch Caves of Zugarramurdi. They are truly awe-inspiring, the largest being 12m high and 120m across. Now, every year, a festival takes place on the Saturday before San Juan and the summer solstice to mark this history - it's a day known as El Día de la Bruja or "The Day of the Witch".

During the festival, the entire town is transformed to resemble a set from a Harry Potter movie, with local women in tight bodices (steady!☺); medieval games set up in the streets for kids; and a purple tent filled with messenger owls sitting on scraggly perches. Psychics sit at folding tables, ready to sell the future, while naturopaths prepare herbs to cure coughs or break spells. Thousands of people turn up for the festival, mainly from France and Spain, eager to learn about Zugarramurdi's dark past at the Witch Caves and the Witch Museum. The town's centre square hosts presentations on natural remedies and the history of witchcraft, honouring the wisdom of the "witches" - or healers - of yesterday.

The highlight of the event takes place in the main cave at night, when a ceremony depicting the village's diabolical past is presented around a crackling bonfire with 1,000 or so onlookers. It lasts about 30 minutes and might be followed by a live concert - a real treat, due to the cave's acoustics.

There's something going on with the weather here that's started me thinking that perhaps I should be considering building an ark..! I woke up yesterday morning around 7am to find it was raining large as they say - so no rowing. It didn't stop until 12-13 hours later. Through the day we had several surges in intensity of downpour coupled with violent gusts of wind - one of which was sufficient to bring down a tree in the garden. It's raining again now.. and it's not a gentle downpour either - it's the full "car wash" treatment. This is unprecedented - normally, we've been having lunch outside on the terrace for at least a month by now. I think we've eaten outside twice so far this year.

203. Ne'er cast a clout etc

2013-04-05T15:00:00.004+02:00

5th April 2013. In common with the rest of western Europe, Spring down here in the Pays Basque has been late in coming this year. We've had many false dawns but here we are again with yet another chilly day in early April - a bracing 7° - enlivened only by an occasional shower whipping in from the depths of the Bay of Biscay.

Yes, in March we were lucky enough able to set the table out on the terrace for lunch a couple of times but then the rot set in again - with more wind and rain! As for rowing - I don't mind too much if it starts to rain while out on the river but setting off in a downpour ain't my idea of fun. I think I've only rowed 3-4 times this year.

(Unsure what the title of this post means? Try here)

What's new? A few weeks ago we went to a chorale concert by a local choir that the wife of one of the Comète group here was singing in. I've always had a hankering to sing in a choir so a couple of weeks ago I took the plunge. The director (choir master) asked me if I was a tenor, baritone or bass and I had to tell him that the last time I sang in a choir I was a soprano..! I found a place among the basses and after some lightning introductions we started some vocal exercises. Then some sheet music was handed out and off we went. The first time the whole choir sang as one I was surprised and impressed by the sheer volume of sound that 50-60 voices could produce. What kind of music do we sing I hear you ask? This is the piece we're currently learning.

202. Coming up for air..

2013-02-28T15:17:00.004+01:00

18th February 2013. I'm probably going to tempt fate here but.. I think we're just about done with winter - down here at least! After a very wet January and early February that left the garden totally sodden, we've had our first few dry days and over the weekend the temperature took a decided hike upwards from around the 10-12° mark where it's been lurking for a while. We went to Saint-Jean-de-Luz yesterday afternoon and we weren't the only ones to have had the idea..

It was a warm, if breezy, 18°.. and after walking through the throng we had a coffee in the sunshine at the Place Louis XIV..

Place Louis XIV, Saint-Jean-de-Luz

After 5 years here, we still relish the sights, smells and sounds of this blessèd corner of France. The white-painted Basque houses dazzled as they reflected the sunlight, and a silver mist hung lightly on the distant mountains - there's nowhere else that does it for us quite like the Pays Basque.

I don't think it will be too long before we'll be ordering some of these - at which point I'll have to ask you to either join us or take a turn along the beach for half an hour or so while we do the necessary!

Sardines

So what's it to be..?

28th February 2013. I spoke too soon! Yes, we've had blue cloudless skies and sunshine but in the mornings the temperatures have been hanging around low single digit values, warming up in the afternoons.

Went to see "Lincoln" the other day and I think that the Oscar given to Daniel Day-Lewis for the starring role as Lincoln was richly deserved. He is Lincoln.. Worth a look.

Last weekend was Le Big Crunch between England and France in the annual 6 Nations Rugby. This was a match where the result was always going to be more important than the manner in which it was achieved. Wesley Fofana of France scored a wonder try but it wasn't enough to hold out England who, in the end, looked good value for their win. I think the substitutions made before the last quarter decided the outcome. Anyway, see for yourself..

3rd March 2013. Into March now but we still have these low temps.. This morning it's still only 3°.. (at 1030am) having said that, the TF1 weather forecast last night said that we're going to be the warmest in France today at 17°! Think we're slowly creeping into Spring here. Can't come soon enough for me..

Meanwhile, there's a new film out here called "Boule et Bill" - the central character is an English Cocker Spaniel - golden of course (what else!). He's the spitting image of our pooch and so - being cocker daft - I think we might just invest in a couple of cinema tickets.

Here's a reminder of ours:

17th March 2013. On Friday night the rowing club had another soirée in an old vaulted cellar built in the ancient ramparts that surround Bayonne. Great fun - good company, lots of wine, charcuterie and cheese..

Yesterday saw only my third sortie on the river since the New Year.. It took me till mid-January to shake off the flu and then we had more or less constant rain for a month. I'm always glad to see the back of the first three months of the year and this year will be no exception. I went out in an VIII - and it turned out to be a seriously vigorous sortie. We did ~20km and we were all fairly beat up at the end.

Saturday afternoon saw the concluding round of matches in the 2013 RBS 6 Nations rugby tournament. The stage was set for a monster game at Cardiff between the hosts - a resurgent Welsh XV - and an England XV that was attempting to win their first Grand Slam for 10 years, having won all their 4 previous matches. In a depressing spectacle (if you're an England fan) it soon became clear that Wales would triumph as they played their ferociously competitive brand of rugby.

I think England's problem was that, unlike the Welsh, they played without passion. I'm convinced that the English coaching staff had told the lads prior to the game to just go through their well-practised drills and the result would come. Played with passion, rugby can be a thing of beauty.. Without it, it just becomes a series of rituals.

We English have been brought up to be emotionally continent - unlike the French, the Welsh, the Scots, the Italians and the Irish - all of whom use passion to add that added sparkle, that extra dimension, the unexpected, the extra gear that helps them in extremis to raise their game. Very few English sides have had that ability - they just work harder and harder..

There were one or two moments yesterday when England played with some fluidity and pace and without sticking to the script.. Alas, they didn't last long before they were sucked in by a mighty Welsh side whose collective will-to-win was irresistible on the day.

When England trotted out on the field, they didn't looked hyped up to me- they looked calm. And I'm sure that comes from Stuart Lancaster - who is calmness personified. It's a great quality to have but there are times when passion and warrior spirit is called for. Yesterday was one of those occasions. That win will warm Welsh hearts for a generation!

It hurts me to say it - but well played Wales!

Here's a short clip of the highlights - fortunately it was the only one I could find!

201. Réseau Comète on the map..

2013-01-24T14:56:00.003+01:00

24th January 2013. As both my regular readers will be aware, since living in this region, I've taken a great interest in the Comet Line - a network that was set up in WWII by a 24 year old Belgian woman - Andrée de Jongh. Her noble aim was to assist evading Allied aircrew shot down over the Low countries to return to the UK via the Pays Basque and on to Gibraltar and home.

If this subject is new to you, then scroll down and look in the left hand column to where it says Shortcuts.. Click on Comet Line. A few minutes reading there should bring you up to speed. For quite some time I've been of the opinion that the activities of Comet during the war deserved a large scale map and so I've been busy the last few days populating an interactive map with sites of special significance to those interested in the Comet story. The map coverage extends from Spain, up through France to Belgium and a few sites in Germany.

Holding your cursor over any of the locations should bring up its brief description - and clicking on the location should bring up an image after a second or two's delay. Just underneath where it says Terrain (in the top right hand corner of the map) there's a button that will bring the map up in full screen and use the +/- signs at the top left to zoom into and out of the map. The locations are accurate in 99% of cases down to house level so it is worthwhile zooming in.
Please let me know if you spot any major omissions or inaccuracies. The images are a mix of my own plus those I've trawled from various places on the net. If I happen to have used one of your images and you'd rather I hadn't, let me know and I'll remove it.

31st January 2013. I've been busy lately working on things related to the Comet Line.. so I haven't had much time to scribble here. Just thought I'd mention that we had lunch outside today in Bayonne.. It's still January and it was 17-18°. There's a good little Italian on the banks of the Nive - we've been there before and it's worth a look if you find yourself in Bayonne. Tick VG!

2nd February 2013. It was a great afternoon for some serious armchair sport today - it was the first day of the annual 6 Nations rugby.. There were two matches yesterday - the first turned out to be a thriller in Cardiff between Wales (last year's Grand Slam winners) and Ireland. The lads in green held out to win 30-22:
The other match was England vs Scotland for the Calcutta Cup. This is always a fiercely competed fixture as this is the one that the Scots hate to lose. Yesterday's match saw a hard-fought win for England by 38-18. Some commentators have suggested that the 20 point margin of victory was not a true reflection of the game but that's how it finished. As always it was hard to watch - my legs were twitching constantly! Here are the highlights:

4th February 2013. Yesterday saw Italy squaring up to France in Rome - the final match of the first weekend's 6 Nations action. And what a game it turned out to be..! For the second time in 2 years, the Azzurri of Italy beat les Bleus of France in a - at times - ragged encounter. I have to say that there were times in the second half that France appeared to have lost all cohesion and they looked like a dispirited rabble. I think it was the worst display by a French team that I can remember. I don't think the sole answer lies in changing the manager either. England faced a similar situation after the last RWC and they appointed a new manager who rebuilt the team with many new faces who play a different game to the sideways crabbing tactics that they showed under Martin Johnson. I wonder if Guy Novès (manager of Stade Toulousain) will be offered the post?

I don't think it will be too long before Italy move up the pecking order in the international rankings table. Here they are winning 23-18.

9th February 2013. It's been a wet week here in the Pays Basque - too wet for outings on the river - with only the 6 Nations rugby this weekend to add some sparkle. Today sees Scotland play Italy in what I expect to be a bruising encounter at 1430 UK time then France play Wales at 1700 UK time - with both sides there looking for their first 6 Nations win of the 2013 series. What could be better after a good Sunday lunch than Ireland vs England in Dublin. (at 1500). This promises to be a cracker of a match by two sides that are widely tipped to be the best this year. Too close to call in my opinion. All matches are being shown on BBC1. Watch it live via this!

10th February 2013. I mentioned earlier that I've been busy with the Comet Line lately. Here's a video I put together of some of the many courageous people who chose to involve themselves in what turned out to be an extremely dangerous occupation. If you click on the YouTube logo and watch it there instead of here, then look underneath the viewing screen and click on "Show More", I've written brief notes and in most cases included a link about each of the men and women.

200. Let them eat cake..

2013-01-14T09:18:00.004+01:00

11th January 2012. As we seemed to have shaken off the worst of the flu bug we'd had over the Christmas period we decided to go out this afternoon for our first walk of the New Year around Biarritz. As usual, the intensity of the light seemed to crank itself up a notch or two as we drove through Biarritz's winding streets towards the sea. A few minutes later we were walking along the sea front and we did what pensioners do best - we found a seat in the sun!☺

Place Bellevue

We couldn't take our eyes off the compelling display of towering waves that were rearing up and crashing in thundering explosions of dazzling white foam against the rocks. It was difficult to estimate the size of the breakers but I'd put the highest of them up around 4-5 metres high. There were a few hardy surfers out there mixing it with the choppy waves, but the conditions didn't look ideal for surfing to my untutored eye.

After a while the dog became impatient for some action and so he led us along the front to the Place Saint-Eugénie before we turned back to walk up through town via the Rue Mazagran to the Place Bellevue where we stopped at the newly opened extension of the temple to the art of the pâtissier and legendary tea room (salon de thé sounds better!) - the Miremont (above) - that faces the sea.

If you're going to stop somewhere in Biarritz in the late afternoon for a cup of tea or coffee, there isn't anywhere better. Then there are the cakes.. I'm not normally a great cake eater but I have to admit that these are pretty special:

A favourite watering hole for us in the centre of Biarritz is the well-situated Royalty in the Place Clémenceau - ideal for people-watching.

Another is the 1930s Art Deco Hôtel Plaza - which is ideally situated to watch the to-ing and fro-ing of daily life outside - or, in the case of adverse weather, there's a very comfortable bar and lounge inside. There's often a cool jazz trio/quartet who play here too. Madame gives the Plaza top marks for its hot chocolate by the way!

14th January 2013. Across the border into Spain for a quick shopping raid at Venta Peio, Dancharia. As we climbed the mountains on the way there, one or two of the peaks were dusted with snow, like icing sugar. Arriving at the almost empty car park, in contrast to the hectic crowd scenes witnessed there in the build-up to Christmas, we virtually had the place to ourselves - and standing in the Spirits section, I was close to being hypnotised by four long shelves groaning with many of the finest available Scotch whiskies, including more than a few gems such as Talisker and a cask-strength Glenfarclas. I've said it before but there's a lifetime's study waiting here!

Here's the late George Harrison with a little known version of an old song (c1931) originally recorded by Cab Calloway..

Guaranteed to have you humming it all day!

199. Ready for another one?

2013-01-03T09:32:00.001+01:00

1st January 2013. Happy New Year folks..!!

I've had this clip sitting in my camera since we were in Nantes - it's of the huge - and I mean huge - mechanical elephant at Les Machines de l'île that we took a ride on:

As usual, the Christmas and New Year festivities have flashed by as if on Fast Forward.. Despite not being at our best due to the flu-like lurgy that gripped us we nevertheless had some memorable moments.

One evening we went out in the car to take a look at Biarritz and its annual light show. Town was full of rubber-neckers all doing the same thing.. wandering around entranced by the laser lights. Some of the lighting was really magical - for me, the first prize went to the thousands of small LEDs that festooned the palm trees in front of the Galeries Lafayette department store in the Place Clémenceau. This is the best image I could find and it doesn't do it justice I'm afraid. Many of the landmark buildings in Biarritz had these changing scenes (above) projected on to them.

Changing the subject a little: One of my New Year resolutions is to finally make the breakthrough with my 5 string banjo. I didn't manage to play it much last year - what with all the translation work I was doing - so this year I'm determined to move up a level with it.

This rare image (pass your cursor over it to start it off) shows the little-known first attempt by der Führer at creating a mass movement. Despite playing his heart out in the quarter finals of "Germany's Got Talent", the country wasn't quite ready for Adolf's brand of torch-lit Bluegrass Line Dancing mit lederhosen and so, after this crushing disappointment, he put his banjo away for good on top of his wardrobe and he joined his local Parish Council. The rest is history..

Now if you're feeling some post-Christmas blues, and you need a lift, take a look at this!

And finally, on the subject of the New Year, here's how it looked down on the river Thames - as always, best in full screen, HD and sound cranked up!

198. Post card from the Pays Basque

2012-11-21T15:39:00.000+01:00

21st November 2012. Another wodge of work has arrived in my intray - 27,000 words-worth of technical French to English translation - ouch! With a bit of luck I should finish it by Christmas. (this year!)

In the meantime, as winter approaches, I'm starting to get fixated on Stone's Original Green Ginger Wine which, so far, appears to be completely unobtainium down here in deepest south west France. It's an absolutely essential ingredient for one of our all-time favourite drinks. Mixed 50/50 with whisky it makes a Whisky Mac - the perfect winter's drink on a dark night.

What kind of whisky I hear you ask? A quick google search reveals that some people advocate using a Single Malt.. <sharp intake of breath!> I'm afraid that here at Piperade Towers that would be classed as Class 1 heresy. Also some people are recommending ginger wine to whisky ratios of 5:1.. More heresy! The right way (ie, my way!☺) to mix a Whisky Mac is to pour a finger or two of your blended Scotch whisky of choice, along with an equal measure of Stone's Ginger Wine, into your favourite whisky glass. Note: no ice, repeat, no ice. And that's all there is to it. No slice of lemon, maraschino cherry, salt or sugar around the rim, & definitely no cracked/shaved ice or ice cubes. The only drink better than a Whisky Mac is a second one.☺ If anyone knows of a supplier of Stone's Ginger Wine in the Pays Basque, I'd love to hear from you.

On one of our recent shopping trips to Spain I spotted a bottle of Drambuie. Substituting this for Ginger Wine and mixed with blended whisky in the same proportions as described above, it becomes a Rusty Nail.. One of these should be enough to convince you that you're enjoying life too much. Here's the 'official' recipe from the International Bartenders Association for a Rusty Nail that, to me, makes the mistake of over-cooling the drink to the point where most of the taste is lost. Here it is:

First fill a 16oz glass with crushed ice until it is overflowing. Pour in 5 parts Drambuie and 9 parts Scotch. Stir gently, as to not bruise the ice. Keep stirring until a thick frost develops on the side of the glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. Serve.

This must make for a teeth-crackingly cold drink. Why? Take my advice and junk the ice. It's up to you though. I'm still trying to figure out what "bruising the ice" means?

Right - pin back your ears - here's a programme about the Pays Basque that was broadcast a few weeks ago. If your French isn't up to following it, just tune him out and enjoy the images:

The programme lasts for 1½hours so pour yourself a Whisky Mac and relax! Again, best in full screen. Watch out for the giant Belharra wave at 0.31:10..

24th November 2012. Went down to the river this morning and had an outing in a mixed IV. We'd been going for about 3-4km and we'd stopped to take off our warm-up tops when someone in the boat drew our attention to a deer that was calmly swimming across the river (that was around 30m wide at this point) about 10m in front of us. It disappeared into a small tributary and about a minute later a once-golden cocker spaniel - now very muddy - appeared on the bank, clearly hot on the trail of the deer. Barking for all his worth - all teeth and trousers - he sniffed his way down to the waterline before deciding not to follow the deer across the river. I didn't know that deer could swim. 10 out of 10 to the deer!

25th November 2012. I took Chibby, our 11 year old English cocker spaniel, down to the beach at Anglet this morning and I was stopped by a family who had a lively 6 year cocker spaniel bitch with them. They wanted to know if I'd be interested in the two of them breeding.

Why is it only the dog that gets these offers?!☺

I've mentioned previously that my father was a pianist - and so we all grew up in a house full of music. Every now and again I come across a piece that he used to play. This is one of those:

And this is another:

On ARTE (a Franco-German TV channel) at lunchtime today there was a well made documentary about the Bruichladdich distillery on the Isle of Islay (west coast of Scotland). The film captured the essence of life on a remote island and the whisky making process.. to the extent that we both felt like making an immediate visit there (well, I did at any rate!). Sit back and enjoy the programme with its wonderful images of Scotland:

Here's a look at breathtakingly beautiful Islay as seen through the lens of a French film crew..

28th November 2012. It's been hosing down with rain here for the last couple of days and so the dog has been confined to the garden. Tonight, however, there was a break in the rain so I took him out for a proper walk and I noticed that the Christmas lights have been put up. (that means that Tesco in the UK will have Easter Eggs on display!)

1st December 2012. Last night it was the rowing club's bash at Tipi-Tapa, a bar in an old casemate (former cannon emplacement) set into the historic ramparts that surround Bayonne. As it was only a ten minute walk we decided to go on foot - taking a short cut through a large parking area where a circus has been running for the last few days. We picked our way in the dark around the Big Top and through a parking area for some of the circus vehicles. As we were walking past a long articulated trailer, I felt as if someone/something was looking at us in the gloom. Looking left, the trailer housed 4 large cages and I saw 4 pairs of black eyes watching us intently. There were 4 lions, each in its own cage.. only 4-5 yards away. There didn't seem to any evidence of security and I couldn't help but wonder how easy/difficult it would have been to have slipped the bolts on the cage doors..

This morning it was around -3°C but despite that I wended my way down to the clubhouse for a bracing sortie in the cold. The river was flowing swiftly seawards accompanied by what looked like steam that was rising off the surface. In the sea, this is known as sea smoke. The bridge down to the pontoon was sloping steeply on an outgoing tide and it was extremely slippy with ice. About ten stalwarts appeared but it soon became obvious that a sortie was not going to happen.

For the past few weeks we've been entertained by the Autumn Internationals (Rugby!). Today, England were playing New Zealand - aka the All Blacks - the current World Champions. What a game..! I believe New Zealand were unbeaten in their last 20 Test matches - an astonishing record. This was the final game of the Autumn series and I imagine both teams were eager to end on a winning streak. For once, it all gelled for England and they ran out worthy 38-21 winners..

Here's this week's special offer - the whole of the England v New Zealand match with, for once, a totally unexpected - but very welcome - win for the boys in white:

By the way, hats off to the Kiwi broadcasters (Tony Johnson & former AB skipper Justin Marshall) for their even-handed and knowledgeable commentary in the Bill McLaren mould - in stark contrast to their closest neighbours who are unashamedly boss-eyed whenever the Wallabies are playing.

6th December 2012. I've been out of Greek coffee for some time now - the last consignment I bought tasted muddy and, while it filled a gap, it didn't have that special taste I enjoy. The other day I managed to find an online supplier in Marseille who stocked a brand I was unfamiliar with: Bravo. I ordered some and it's just arrived. I've made myself a cup and - slurp - now that is not bad at all. If I can't ever manage to find a stockist of my own favourite Greek-Cypriot coffee nirvana - Charalambous Golden Mocca (right) - well, then I guess Bravo will do v nicely.

7th December 2012. The last few days have seen heavy showers sweeping in from the Bay of Biscay - the shutters rattle a warning as the wind gusts and then the heavens open. Sometimes it's just a downpour, sometimes it's hail, occasionally there's thunder mixed up in it all. Tomorrow evening I'm off to watch the Bayonne - Wasps game. It's an evening kick-off - 9pm - fingers crossed the weather holds off.

The Christmas market is now in full swing here.. lots of white painted chalets have suddenly appeared all over town.

.. and where there's a Christmas market, you can guarantee that a flash mob won't be far behind!

8th December 2012. Down to the river this morning under threatening grey skies with the sky to the west looking particularly ominous. While we were all sorting ourselves out into crews, the rain started a steady downpour. A few minutes later it had stopped so we quickly put a IV out on the water and headed off upriver - each of us armed with a K-Way. Sure enough, it wasn't long before the rain started again so after a quick stop to don our waterproofs we carried on. It was very, very wet out there but I kept telling myself it's only water. It became just a question of ignoring it and getting on with the outing. Needless to say we were all glad to return to the pontoon and put the boat back on its rack. We were all wet through so an offer of a drink at a new wine bar - the stylish Au Bouchon Basque - across the road was a no-brainer!

I'd not been in this place before and it was a new take on the old style zinc bar. I was really starting to feel the cold now so I ordered an armagnac. I've had a few armagnacs before and they can be quite fiery. This was the opposite - round on the tongue and with no sharp edges. I asked the chap behind the bar about it and he ended up by saying he'd let me have a bottle at cost price! He left shortly afterwards and as he went out he said no charge for the coffees that the other two had. It turned out that there was no charge for the armagnac either!! Definitely a place to return to! A review from the Sud Ouest here.☺

Off to see the Bayonne-Wasps game tonight..! Let's hope the rain keeps off.

9th December 2012. We went out for lunch in Ascain today and driving there was a real pleasure - it was cold outside but with a dazzlingly blue sky, bright sunshine and as we neared the mountains, most of the trees still had their leaves in all shades from green, yellow, russet and copper.. The whitewashed Basque houses reflected the sunlight and it was another of those moments when we couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

Arriving at Ascain at midday, we stopped first at the Hotel du Parc to book a table for 12.30 while we walked the pooch around the village we know so well. We settled for the menu saveur de l'automne - which started with an omelette aux cepes, followed by the salmis de palombes sauce grand veneur. This was eased on its way with the aid of a bottle of Irouléguy Gorri d'Ansa. After coffee, we bumbled the few kilometres into St Jean de Luz for a walk and a sit in the sunshine. Ah, la vie est belle!

19th December 2012. Been slaving away (more than 12 hrs a day) at this latest piece of translation work and I finished the first pass through it over the weekend. What a relief that was! I'm now going through it a second time to pick up stray typos etc..

I walked into town at lunchtime yesterday to post one or two cards and on the way back it was so warm we could have had lunch outside.. think it was ~17°C. With this weather it's hard to believe Christmas is less than a week away!

Greetings to all from a snow-free Bayonne in the Pays Basque - I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with family and friends.

20th December 2012. We're holding an impromptu regatta down at the club on Saturday.. The calling notice for it only came out at the start of the week and I found myself signing up for it. It's open to clubs from Aquitaine and it's for IVs and VIIIs over a 1000m course. The club is putting out three VIIIs - two octuples (VIII scullers) and one VIII set up for rowing (ie, one oar instead of two sculls). I found my name down to row in the "serious" VIII. Hopefully, 1000 metres isn't long enough to inflict any lasting damage! I haven't rowed for months.. it's all been sculling. Should be interesting! Apparently the temp is going to be up around 20°C at the weekend..☺

Here we are heading up river to the start:

And here are a couple of shots taken during the races (I'm in the leading VIII somewhere!):

23rd December 2012. It's hard to believe but it's 24° here as we speak.. Phew!

24th December 2012. While I prepare to do serious battle with Madame's cooking over the next few days, you could do a lot worse than watching these stunningly beautiful images of the lush countryside of the Pays Basque (from Michel Neuwels' brilliant photo-reportage blog Voyage au Pays Basque). Best enjoyed in the highest definition your PC will support and full screen:

The Chambre d'Hôte that's featured above from 00:49 to 01:26 is here.

25th December 2012. The motto for today is:

Liberté, Egalité, Poulet!

Happy Christmas to all, wherever you are..!

30th December 2012. Biarritz has been staging its annual light show - Biarritz s'habille de lumières - over the Christmas period. Unfortunately we both picked a flu-type bug just prior to Christmas so we haven't been able to get out much. What do you think?

And here are a few of the viral videos that kept us "entertained" in 2012:

Well, that's all for 2012 folks.. see you next year!

197. Days of wine and roses

2012-11-12T19:28:00.003+01:00

8th November 2012. We decided to have lunch out in Bayonne yesterday and we had in mind a place on the banks of the Nive. It was so warm we found a table outside and sat out there in the dazzling sunshine - I had to take my jacket off. We'd had pizzas here before and they were comparable to ones we'd enjoyed in Italy - so we ordered and leaned back, savouring the November day with the help of a carafe of red wine. Looking down, fat grey mullet were holding station easily against the gentle current with lazy flicks of their tails as they waited for any stray offerings from above. After the pizzas, we had pain perdu with ice cream.. followed by coffee. Occasionally we contemplate living up in the mountains in the Jura but then we'd never have days like these. Ernest Dowson said it best:

They are not long, the days of wine and roses:

Out of a misty dream

Our path emerges for a while, then closes

Within a dream.

Slowly, the approach of Christmas is felt. It does seem strange to be thinking of setting one's mind in seasonal mode amid sunny blue skies but we've already ordered Christmas cards from the UK. Sending Christmas cards in France - or indeed greetings cards of most kinds - is not as widespread a practice as it is across the Channel. Here, people are accustomed to send each other New Year cards instead - usually in the first few weeks of January - so the few card shops there are here stock a limited choice of Christmas cards.

Yesterday I noticed a small group of army officers in combat clothing from the Special Forces barracks across the river standing in front of the War Memorial in Bayonne finalising the detailed planning for the Armistice parade on Sunday. I always try and attend this if I'm able. There's something about the Marseillaise when it's played by trumpets accompanied by the dry rattle of sidedrums that stands my hair on end and raises goose bumps.

12th November 2012. Went down to the river this morning - apparently there's a Monday morning group who go out then. There were a whole lot of new faces there - ones who don't do Saturday mornings. Went out in a coxless IV - I was stroke - and we took it up the river in brilliant sunshine. Apart from the blazing yellows and reds of the trees, it was hard to believe that it was November. Coming back, our wake was gilded by the low sun - absolutely perfect. We did about 11km.

My Banjo for Dummies book arrived this morning - I've been struggling with the 5 string banjo for a while and I think this book might just hold the answer. Fingers crossed! (Hey - maybe that's what I've been doing wrong!)

Banjo players appear to be the butt of jokes - see here for details.

What have I started..??!!

18th November 2012. Hard to believe that Christmas is next month. We've been incredibly fortunate with the weather in November - it was 24°C on Friday. One November a couple of years ago, we had rain every day for a month so Nature's largesse this time around is very welcome. Had a memorable outing on the river yesterday - with the mild autumn weather there was a large turnout and we were able to put 2 VIIIs and 3 IVs out on the water. In addition, I was paired with a very fit 'regular' (half my age!) in a double sculler and despite all the confusion of boats and people we managed to slip away without getting caught up and delayed in all the hurly-burly - which is not always easy. There was a strong seawards current running as we headed off up-river. I was 'stroke' and right from the start the boat was balanced and it felt good. It wasn't long before all the other boats disappeared from sight as we found a good rhythm. We had a quick stop to remove our warm-up tops and then we set to the task. The boat ran straight and it was soon singing with the stern buried in our bubbling wake. We reached the turn around point and had a drink of water with no sign of any of the other boats. Heading back downstream again, the boat really flew and it wasn't long before we passed the others who were still labouring up-river. We finished with a sprint and all too soon we were back at the 'garage' (clubhouse) after a non-stop row feeling very pleased with ourselves. A very enjoyable 14kms.

Here's an atmospheric shot of a sculler enjoying an evening out on the upper reaches of the Nive:

At the end of the month, the Loisirs Section of the club is planning another apéro evening at Tipi-Tapa - a peña (bar) in a casemate set into Vauban's ramparts that encircle Bayonne. We had one here earlier in the year and it was v enjoyable.. once we'd found it! It wasn't just drinks - this being France, there were tables laden with charcuterie, cheeses, bread and other bits and pieces.

I don't know if peñas are allowed elsewhere in France but here it seems that just about anyone can open up a temporary bar. This relaxed attitude towards the serving of alcohol is in stark contrast with the highly regulated apparatus of obtaining and keeping a drinks licence in the UK. I'm sure the UK Home Office would throw a major wobbly if they were to witness the number of bars that proliferate during the Fêtes de Bayonne for example. And yet, in 5 years here, I've yet to see anyone staggering and/or lurching through the streets here. It's not well-considered to be seen to be "off your head" here, unlike the UK where getting "completely relaxed" is a regular weekly occurrence for an increasing number. As I've said before, northern Europeans have a different attitude to alcohol compared to those in the south, where a natural joie de vivre lies close to the surface. Unlike us more buttoned up northerners, here in the south they need little in the way of artificial encouragement for it to emerge. As the sole representative of northern Europe at the club, I will be doing my best to consume avec modération!

Here's Joe Dassin with an old favourite:

Galerie Vivienne

Passage du
Grand-Cerf

The clip above reminded me that I mentioned Paris a few posts ago - remember? (Post 188) Well, if you ever do decide to go there, after you've seen all the sights, here's a little-known suggestion for you to tuck away in your hip pocket. Paris has a number of covered shopping arcades that are home to an eclectic range of small shops. There's a guide to them here and they are a perfect way of spending a rainy afternoon. (quiet in the cheap seats!☺) These arcades are home to some genuinely interesting shops - and it's not often you'll hear me say that! Specialist bookshops, antique maps, prints, old clock shops, intimate cafés, musical instruments, restorers, curios, objets d'art, the list is endless. (NB: Best in full screen and 1080p HD!)

By the way, if you would like to add a comment about how reading this blog has been a life-changing experience for you (dream on!☺) then click here, scroll down and give vent to your views (all in a good cause!) Phrases such as "Laugh? I almost did.." and "Be still my aching sides" won't get used I'm afraid..☺

196. Spanish slippers of Spanish leather *

2012-11-02T12:03:00.002+01:00

* with apologies to Bob Dylan for the song he almost wrote!

Avenida de la Libertad, San Sebastian

1st November 2012. A few days ago we staged a lightning raid on a shoe shop at San Sebastian. I've been wearing a pair of Lands End slippers for the last few years and I've comprehensively worn them out. Although Lands End offer an unconditional lifetime guarantee on all their products I decided to call the vet in to have them humanely put down. The problem is my feet are generously dimensioned and here in the Pays Basque - as elsewhere in France - shoe sizes generally top out at 44-45 - which isn't much use to your correspondent. Without going into embarrassing detail, I need slightly more than that. Luckily, we'd previously found a shop in San Sebastian that caters for amply configured feet such as mine and so off we scooted. We told the lady what I wanted and she disappeared for a minute or two before returning with a pair of leather slippers (made in Bilbao - not, for once, in China) that fitted like a - I almost wrote like a glove - but they fitted as though made to measure. Perfick!

Last week we discovered that Miremont, the legendary patisserie in Biarritz, had another outlet at the back of its building tucked away in the corner of the Place Bellevue facing the sea. What's more, it had tables outside. The significance of this for us is we've seldom been able to use the Miremont as we invariably have the dog with us and, unusually for France, he's not allowed in the café. Having discovered this new terrace by accident the day before, it seemed a good idea to give it a test drive while the weather was still suitable for sitting outside. All I can say is that cakes in the Miremont are pretty special. Highly recommended.

Richard Anthony enjoyed some success in the UK in the sixties. Here's one of his I haven't heard in years..

Here's another great French singer from the 60s..

Aah.. nostalgia ain't what it used to be..!

Last weekend we were up in Nantes. More to come on this.

5th November 2012. The last time we drove up to Nantes we had the old car without GPS and finding our way around the busy ring road and maze of avenues wasn't easy. Last weekend, we could relax and just follow the instructions - and this took the stress out of arriving in the dense, fast flowing rush hour traffic. I remembered the Pont de Cheviré from our last visit - there's something about crossing this immense high level bridge over the Loire with no visible means of support that makes me glad to get off it. Looking sideways while at its highest point always induces vertigo in me..

One thing we noticed immediately was the change in temperature. Two days earlier, we'd experienced temperatures of 26° at St Jean de Luz and people were still sunbathing and swimming. At Nantes, the skies were grey and a cold wind cut through us softies from the south west! Brrr-rrr!

Our thoughtful friends had put together a fascinating programme for the whole weekend and so it was that on Friday evening we started out at O Deck, a restaurant boat moored on the Loire - and, coincidentally, just across the river was the floodlit "Belem" - the 3 masted barque that had visited Bayonne in June.

My enduring memory of that evening however will be the chilly blast that greeted us as we emerged from the boat into the wide open spaces of the now disused shipyards - the Chantiers Navales - that sent us hurrying back to the car.

We were to return to the former shipyards during the course of the weekend as the city has brought life back into this heartland area in the most imaginative fashion.

Saturday morning saw us exploring the Marché aux Puces (Flea market) where 1001 artefacts, objets d'art, useless curios, posters, musical instruments and other assorted detritus of the previous century were being picked over by some hardy souls. I noted that Beatles LPs now qualify as antiques - I can't tell you how aging that made me feel!

We were invited in the evening to a large function where we danced for the first time in a loong time.. Danced? Well, I did my patented shuffle around the dance floor. We wound it all up sometime after 2am. A great night! I'd spent part of the evening behind the bar serving drinks - never a good move as Sunday saw me paying heavily for it - ouch!

Sunday morning we were back at the former shipyard to experience Les Machines.. These are a collection of wildly phantasmagorical creations that are made up from some extremely clever hydraulics, electronics and articulations. A whole group of us went for a trip on the Elephant.. this video explains it far better than I can:

It wheezed and groaned and trumpeted its way slowly around the old shipyard, giving us time to appreciate all the real quirkiness of its construction - its huge flapping leather ears, the steam and water squirted out of its trunk, the curlicued metal interior of the beast that owed much to Jules Verne (who happened to be born in Nantes).

After this amazing ride, we walked through town - which I have to say was far more extensive than I'd remembered from a previous visit - to the castle of the Dukes of Brittany (NB. not Britney!) where we had a splendid private lunch of galettes eased down with some local cider in an awe-inspiring massively beamed chamber with 9ft thick walls. I could get used to that! However, back to Nantes - I was surprised to find that the inhabitants of metropolitan Nantes number some 800,000..! This makes it the 6th largest city in France. Time magazine has described it as "the most liveable city in Europe". Personally, I think that's stretching the point a little but nonetheless it is a very pleasant city indeed. Here's another writer who's equally complimentary about Nantes. We walked through the Passage Pommeraye - an elegant 19th century arcade - that, unfortunately, was full of Saturday afternoon shoppers so it became a flying visit. (sigh of relief heard from my back pocket!)

Here's a panoramic image of the former shipyards in Nantes (if you click on the image to enlarge it, you'll spot the "Belem" moored on the left):

We walked by La Cigale in the centre - a grand old brasserie that was established in 1895 and which has been on my "must visit" list for some time - but that will have to wait for another day. I'm not a paid-up member of the Jane Birkin fan club by any means but she does do a good job here of describing La Cigale - her favourite restaurant.

We climbed aboard a sightseeing boat for a trip up the river Erdre - a tributary of the Loire with which I must admit I was completely unfamiliar.

The river turned out to be quite broad and I counted three rowing clubs as we headed upstream escorted by twenty or so cormorants who seemed curiously attracted by our boat. The banks were dotted with châteaux of varying shapes and sizes - any of which I would have been happy to hang my hat in.

Château de la Gascherie

It was a most enjoyable trip that lasted near enough 2 hours. We all decided to walk to the Tour de Bretagne - an office tower in the centre of Nantes almost 500ft high - for a farewell drink at the top while watching the sunset.

And finally..

We set off for home on Monday mid-morning and, to save cooking when we arrived home, we thought we'd stop off somewhere for lunch. We settled on Fontenay-le-Comte as it wouldn't involve too much of a diversion.

There we found a Logis hotel with three "spoilt for choice" menus - we opted for the 23.90€ menu. Luckily we arrived there just after 12 and as we sat down, the restaurant quickly filled up with a more or less constant stream of new arrivals behind us. All this on a Monday lunchtime too!

For starters, Madame had Crème de Céleri aux Noix de Saint Jacques et sa pointe de muscade (a sturdy cream of celery soup garnished with scallops while I went for the Vendée côté Mer (huîtres, crevettes et mini brochette de St-Jacques) (oyster, prawns and a mini-brochette of scallops). As we'd been eating fish all weekend we both had the Pavé de cœur de rumsteak poélé, réduction de Marie du Fou et galette comtoise. This turned out to be a tender rump steak served with a reduced wine sauce. We both gave it top marks. A glass of a velvety Côte de Blaye each rounded everything off. The only downside was the décor - a bit too cold and modern for us (lime green, belovèd of French interior decorators, was everywhere) Still, you can't eat the wallpaper! Definitely worth a detour for if you ever find yourself in the Vendée.

In looking for video clips about the Passage Pommeraye, I came across this one of Prague and Bohemia - which is where we're off to next spring. Looking forward to that!

195. September blues

2012-09-20T08:36:00.003+02:00

15th September 2012. This morning we were reminded to be back from our outing on the river by 11am as the club's very own Olympic medal winner, Perle Bouge, was going to be present at the clubhouse. Longtime readers (aka sufferers) of this blog will remember that Perle had been training hard for the London Paralympics where she and Stéphane Tardieu would be representing France in the Mixed Sculls. In the event, they performed brilliantly, being bested only by a strong Chinese entry and they returned home with a Silver medal each for their efforts.

Sure enough, at 11am this morning, her car pulled up and there she was. This was the first time I've ever seen an Olympic medal of any kind, let alone held one. It was surprisingly hefty and it did make me wonder what it was made of. Checking with Google, it appears that the silver medals are made up of 92.5% silver with the remainder copper. Here she is - medal in hand! Well done Perle!

17th September 2012. Speaking of Perle, she was on national TV news today as she and all the other Olympic medal winners were invited to the Elysée Palace to meet the current incumbent - about whom someone memorably said that he has the posture of a president - but not the stature.

At the start of each rowing season we need a medical certificate to show that we are healthy enough to continue for another year so this afternoon I shuffled down to the doc's. After being poked and prodded for a few minutes, I was adjudged to be fit enough - BP 130/80 and a 64 bpm heart rate which, if I've understood the doc correctly, should allow me to extend my toehold in the land of the living - if only for another year! I didn't tell the doc that sometimes I need assistance in getting out of the boat! If you want to have a sleepless night, have a look at the Blood Pressure Chart to see what yours should be. George Duffee's* quote on the subject is that at his age he no longer buys green bananas!☺
* see previous post

While you're digesting that, here's John Williams at his very best:

Here he is again with his stunning interpretation of Rodrigo's very well known Aranjuez Concerto:
After a confused summer - meteorologically speaking - here in the Pays Basque we seem to be heading straight for autumn. In summer, we had temps nudging 40°C, often with stifling humidity, interspersed with days when the temp would drop to 20.. Now there's a definite coolness in the air in the mornings and yesterday saw me pull out a sweater for the first time in months. We're going up to Nantes in late October and they're already experiencing single digit morning temps. Think we're in for a cooold winter. Strange thing is that today we're forecast to be the warmest place in France with 27°C.. We replaced all the radiators in the house this summer and some of them are very high tech - I'll need to decode the instruction books soon to work out how to set them up.

Here's a Mark Knopfler classic played on his National steel guitar:

22nd September 2012. Had a blokes-only outing in an octuple (VIII sculler) this morning - and right from the 'off' it went well.. (I'm not suggesting that there's a link there - I wouldn't dare!) Beautiful hot morning too under blue skies. It wasn't long before a few rivulets of sweat were dripping off my earlobes and the end of my nose but the boat was running well and all minor discomforts were forgotten. When we turned the boat around about 8km out, I noticed that there were more than a few large chestnut leaves floating around. Even with days like these, there's no denying that autumn is on its way. Returning to the "garage" (clubhouse in English) instead of stopping we continued on under the bridges and through the centre of Bayonne (below) until we stopped out on the mighty Adour before turning around and retracing ours steps back to the pontoon. This link shows you the Nive as it winds its way down from Ustaritz to Bayonne.

I found this atmospheric shot of Biarritz at dusk - try clicking on it to get the full impression:

© Jérôme Cousin

24th September 2012. We lolloped into Biarritz yesterday morning as the sun was shining and after finding a space for the car somewhere in the vicinity of Pluto's orbit, we walked into the centre to find the reason for all the cars in town was that there was a Braderie in progress. This is one of those words that you don't learn at school but it means a clearance sale.. most of the shops had moved out into the street and there were lots of 50% off signs in evidence. All the centre was closed off to traffic and a seething crowd of people (ie, women!) were riffling through all the racks of 'bargains'.. Slideshow here!

Best with the quality set to 1080p and full screen..

Meanwhile here's another of those songs that will embed itself in your head for a few days!

29th September 2012. It's just been announced Mike Phillips, the Welsh international scrum half who's been playing for Bayonne, has been dropped indefinitely by the club president and major sponsor. More here (French) and here (English).. Reason? Conduct involving alcohol and wives. How stupid do you have to be not to have noticed that the game has moved on from the boozy excesses of the 60s, 70s and 80s. Us Brits have always had an uneasy relationship with alcohol but I would have thought that an athlete in the prime of his career like him could ill-afford - in every sense - to involve himself in the kind of mindless activities that were commonplace not so long ago. Here's one drinking game (below) - drinking a shot of burning rum without putting the flames out first - going very wrong.. You might have to run your cursor over the image to trigger the action.

I thought he was more intelligent than that. Other, far more talented and better paid, players like Jonny Wilkinson have come to France and have managed not to disgrace themselves, their club or their country. Phillips should take a long hard look at himself.

30th September 2012. We went to Zugarramurdi (spell it correctly and win a prize!) and nearby Urdax in Spain this afternoon. Here's a taster..

There's a restaurant at Urdax that caught our eye.. It's been filed away for a visit one day. The dining room was resplendent in dark wood and white table cloths.. I like the formality of Spain. We sat outside a café and had some gateau Basque made with almonds (instead of cherries) with a coffee while the dog made friends with all and sundry..

New

Old

I've just discovered - courtesy of Wikipedia - that my all-time favourite single malt whisky - Glenmorangie - was sold to the Auld Enemy - ie, France* - who else! - in the shape of LVMH in 2004. The tragic news is all here - and if, it may please the Court, the link will now be referred to as "Exhibit A".. I had wondered if something was amiss because when I bought a bottle a few years ago, instead of the traditional upright bottle (left) that I've known all my adult life, the amber nectar was now enclosed in a curvaceous bottle (right) of the type that you normally find under the kitchen sink - like those that fabric conditioner is usually sold in. I guess some sharp-suited marketing type in a black shirt (who clearly has never tasted a drop of Glenmorangie) thought this might attract the ladies.. Ye Gods.. what's wrong with these people..? To me it is akin to some edgy design clown straightening up the label on a bottle of Johnny Walker.. or putting Dimple Haig in a squeezy plastic bottle. I always liked the traditional look of the Glenmorangie bottle. To me, the soulless shape of the new one is totally at odds with its contents - it implies that its contents are bland, smooth and non-threatening - which is way off the mark. If, by some random coincidence, anyone from Glenmorangie reads this, try surveying your customers via the web site to see what we think. I'd be extremely surprised if the new shape bottle achieved more than 10% support. Now breathe deeply, think happy thoughts and r e l a x..!
*Joke!☺

If you've not tried Glenmorangie before, I suggest you volunteer to do the shopping this week and treat yourself to a bottle. You'll thank me for this. If this ploy is rumbled by 'higher authority', when you're asked what you'd like for Christmas, instead of mumbling a few pairs of socks or a sweater - just come on right out with it - "I'd like a litre (go for it!) of Glenmorangie Original 10 year old." Works for me! I have to say that the Speyside single malt Balvenie Doublewood 12 year old runs Glenmorangie extremely close..

Finally, here's a very clever Heath Robinsonesque animation that shows how Glenmorangie is made..

11th October 2012. Last Saturday I had a rewarding outing in a mixed VIII - we did 18km and last night I went out in a IV and did a quick 12km before It got dark. I'm snowed under with work at the moment - 17,000 words of technical aviation French (ouch!) to put into la langue de Shakespeare as they call it here..

On Sunday we went to Biarritz to have a look at the exhibition of local artists - known as the Brouillarta - that was being held just above the Grande Plage. Photos here.

We're still enjoying a prolonged summer down here in the Pays Basque.. We've just had lunch outside on the terrace in a comfortable 21°..

I came across a quote the other day that made me smile: When I was young, I wanted to be somebody when I grew up. I now realise I should have been more specific.

194. The best of company in the Pays Basque

2012-09-11T23:13:00.003+02:00

Bar Basque

11th September 2012. Down to earth again this morning after a memorable Comète Commemorative weekend in the Pays Basque. Every year at this time there is a gathering here - to celebrate and commemorate in equal measure those who were involved with Comète, the famous WW2 escape line. Many of us met up on Thursday evening at the Bar Basque at St Jean de Luz.. To my mind this is by far the most pleasant and stylish bar in St Jean, ideally situated in Boulevard Thiers for watching the evening to-ing and fro-ing. To all our delight, the Duffee family appeared and tables were dragged together and the evening had all the makings.. I could have stayed there much longer and followed the few quiet sangrias with a few noisy ones!

We had all been expecting another veteran (in name only) to make an appearance but Andrée Dumont, better known as "Nadine" had taken a tumble in the week leading up to the weekend and so with great regret she had to cancel. Needless to say all our best wishes go to her for a speedy recovery. Et joyeux anniversaire!!

We were honoured to have George and Janet Duffee with us again - a truly remarkable and devoted couple who'd travelled with their family all the way from West Wales down to the Pays Basque. George is described in many places as a veteran but he and Janet are anything but! He was shot down while returning from his first bombing raid in his Halifax bomber (left) in June '43 and after an eventful saga he finally found his way down to the Pays Basque, courtesy of "Franco" and Comète. He and a small party of other evaders were led over the Pyrenees via the St Jean de Luz route (below right) by the legendary Basque guide Florentino Goicoechea on a night march in the rain that lasted 14 hours. He can laugh about it now! (I think) Here's George's file from the Comète Kinship site. On his return to Britain, he went back to operational flying and went on to fly 39 more operational sorties. He was honoured with the award of a well-deserved DFC. After the war, he flew some 236 sorties during the Berlin Airlift after which he became a civil airline pilot for British Airways where he had a distinguished career. A charismatic gentleman with a permanent twinkle in his eye, he exudes the indefatigable spirit that saw him through all that life could throw at him. George and Janet inspire respect and great affection from all who meet them and may I be allowed to add here on this special day for them - happy wedding anniversary.. 66 years!

The pattern for the long weekend has been set for some years now - Friday is reserved for honouring the memory of those who fell or did not return from deportation. Wreaths are laid at war memorials and cemeteries at St Jean de Luz, Ciboure, Bayonne and Anglet, followed by civic receptions at St Jean de Luz and Anglet.

The group then splits into two parties - one composed of walkers who, over the weekend, retrace the actual paths taken by the wartime guides and the escaping airmen over the mountains and into Spain and a second group of those who wish to follow by coach over the Saturday and Sunday. The "traditional" route used by the walkers is shown on the right here. (click to enlarge).

The Comète organisation was shaken to its foundations by a wave of arrests in Brussels as a result of the Abwehr's successful penetration in late 1942 and this was followed by arrests at a Comète safe house - Bidegain Berri farm (left) - at Urrugne in the Pays Basque in January 1943 where Andrée de Jongh - the founder of Comète - was among those arrested. This was a major blow to the organisation and one which might have proved to be fatal.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us .."

"A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens

However, as the saying has it, "Cometh the hour, cometh the man.."

"Larressore" route

"Franco"

Comète's new leader Jean-François Nothomb (aka "Franco") pioneered a number of new inland routes to avoid the increased surveillance on the coast and it was one of these - known as the "Larressore" route - that we were to walk over as a group this year for the first time. In brief, it starts from Marthe Mendiara's Auberge Larre, a Comète safe house at Anglet quartier Sutar, where she offered a safe haven to over 150 airmen before they continued on their way on bicycles. The route is marked in purple on the map (right). Again, click to enlarge. A major debt of thanks is owed to Dominique Aguerre for all the work he and his relatives did in re-tracing what was essentially a completely undocumented route - made more difficult by the passage of almost 70 years.

So it was that Friday morning we gathered by the War Memorial at St Jean de Luz where George Duffee laid a wreath on behalf of ELMS (right) - a UK-based society. Marie-Christine (left), the grand daughter of Kattalin Aguirre, also laid flowers as did Brigitte d'Oultremont, president of Comète Kinship in Belgium. Afterwards we were warmly received at the nearby Town Hall of St Jean de Luz with a welcoming speech to which Mr Jean Dassié replied, as President of "Les Amis du Réseau Comète". This was followed by a vin d'honneur kindly offered by the Town Hall. After lunch, we reconvened up at the St Léon cemetery at Bayonne to honour the memory of Mr Dassié's parents, both of whom were active in Comète and who were both deported to Germany (to Buchenwald and Ravensbruck respectively) along with their 16 year old daughter Lucienne ("Lulu") in the wake of the earlier arrests at Bidegain Berri farm. Mr Dassié's father died in May 1945, the day he was returned to Paris while his mother died in 1948 as a result of her treatment in the camps. Thankfully, Lulu survived and was able to be present for this weekend.

George & Janet Duffee outside the "Villa Voisin"

No visit to the Pays Basque for a Comète weekend would be complete without visiting the legendary "Villa Voisin" - the headquarters and nerve centre of Comète South in the Pays Basque. Situated in a narrow lane in Anglet, this small villa that now looks so innocent was home to the de Greefs, a Belgian family who fled the German blitzkreig in the Low Countries in 1940. Fernand and especially Elvire de Greef ("Tante Go") were to prove to be more than a match for the hardened professionals of the Abwehr, the Feldgendarmerie and all the grisly apparatus of the Gestapo using no more than their wits and quick thinking. Andrée de Jongh would warn prospective helpers of Comète that, if they joined, they could expect no more than 6 months of operating before being arrested. The de Greefs ran Comète South from start to finish and remained free throughout - apart from once when Tante Go was briefly arrested along with "B" Johnson..

We now moved to the War Memorial at Anglet where wreathes were laid in a colourful ceremony attended by many French veterans complete with their standards. In addition, our own Comète standard was carried this year by John Clinch, and the British Legion standard for the south west France branch was represented by their standard bearer (ex Royal Marines!). Representatives of the local civil and military authorities were also present. A most moving ceremony especially when a Basque choir sang the Partisans Song.

We then moved across to the Town hall where Mr Espilondo, the mayor of Anglet, warmly welcomed us. One of our committee members spoke movingly of Jules Mendiburu who was present and who had helped Comète as a young man during the war. Mr Dassié spoke for all of us with his warm words of thanks and again, this was followed by a vin d'honneur.

All too soon the official part of the day was over and we left to return to St Jean de Luz. For those of you who are unfamiliar with St Jean de Luz, here's a short video that lets you know what you've missed (turn the volume up!):

We were headed for the Sardinerie, situated no more than 5 metres from the waters edge, where the sardines come straight off the boats and into the kitchen. Fortunately, tables had been reserved for us. By now, my Cold Beer low level warning light was showing steady red and the first one hit every spot on the way down.. The place was full and bustling with the sound of people enjoying themselves. A great evening among friends and it's a pity that we must wait for another year to renew our friendship.

Saturday morning saw us waiting in the car park of the school at Sutar where Pierre Elhorga had lived. A retired customs official, his knowledge of clandestine cross border activities (we'd call it smuggling!) was put to good use in signing up passeurs to help the cause. An influx of walkers from across the border swelled our numbers to somewhere in the region of the mid forties.

Here are Miren and Iurre (outside the former auberge "Larre"), a couple of irrepressible and talented Basque girls from "the other side" who are two of the leading lights behind Moztu Films. They recently made the film "The Last Passage" that documents the events that led up to the fateful arrests at Bidegain Berri farm. It's well worth seeing.

The new route winds its way along the banks of the Nive before taking to a maze of unmarked tracks and little-used lanes and, it has to be said, some unavoidable stretches of tarmac that eventually led us to the Pont du Diable, just outside the very Basque village of Larressore.

Rest stop at Pont du Diable

Here we were met by Sauveur Aguirre, (right) the son of Baptiste, the wartime passeur. I was pleased to see that he didn't have his axe with him this time! (See Post # 192) The evaders would abandon their bicycles here to be recovered by Mattin Garat, a baker from nearby Larressore. From here on in, they would continue on foot all the way to Spain and freedom.

We had a short break at the Pont du Diable - just long enough to force an energy bar and some dried fruit down - before we continued on up the trail previously known only to the contrebandiers (smugglers) up to a disused farm building known as Mandochineko Borda (below) where the evaders would lie up ready for the crossing.

We found our way to Mandochineko Borda, the safe shelter that lies deep in the verdant Basque countryside, far from prying eyes. It was still covered in brambles and creepers as it always has been and it remains just as it was all those years ago - with its floor of beaten earth with no heating, electricity or water. Here, the airmen would lie up and try to rest for as long as it took for the Comète planners to decide on a suitable night for the mountain crossing.

Mandochineko Borda

The business end of a makhila!

Sauveur showed us his ancient but still very effective makhila which had been handed down to him by his father (and his father before him).

The sun had climbed high in the sky by now and the temperature must have been more than 30C with humidity to match. The midday heat lay very heavily on us here and the air was thick with dust raised by our feet. People sought out any shade they could find and shirts were wet with sweat. As we continued our way, Sauveur led us past his fields of piment d'Espelette which flourish here.

One of several vultures that were keeping their beady eyes on some of us!

Soon we entered the piment-festooned picture postcard village of Espelette where a méchoui and a cold beer (or 2) awaited us.. We all found our way to the Accoceberry building where we were to eat. After a quick splash of cold water and a clean T-shirt I was ready!

The tiredness was quickly forgotten as we sat down among friends.. while wine appeared and disappeared as if by magic and quantities of lamb in all its forms arrived..! Guitars, harmonicas and tin whistles were brought out and the singing began.. Basques love to sing and they all seem to have been born with the ability to sing in harmony:

After the méchoui we left to go to the War Memorial near the church at Espelette to lay a wreath honouring those of Espelette who did not return. We then walked the short distance to a function room where Gracianne Florence, Madame le Maire of Espelette, spoke very poignantly and movingly of Espelette's involvement in the Comète story. Merci Madame. This was followed by a vin d'honneur that the village had very kindly offered us .

Gracianne Florence, Madame le Maire d'Espelette

The next day saw us taking the bus with the non-walkers - partly for logistical reasons and partly due to your correspondent's knees. Having done the mountain route a couple of times in practice in the last few weeks, I didn't feel too bad about it!

Watching the walkers arrive at the finish:

Protection Civile volunteers

All weekend, we'd been accompanied by volunteers from Protection Civile who were there to provide medical and other security. A big thank you to you both! Here they are at the end of the trail having a well-deserved cold beer. One by one the walkers arrived and took their seats in the dining room that had been made available for us at "Esteben Borda", which lies either 10 metres over the border in Spain or 10 metres inside the border and still in France. Waitresses brought out steaming tureens full of beans and platters of lamb.. Wine disappeared yet again and was just as quickly replenished.

The safe house on the Spanish side was called Jauriko Borda and here it is seen through a mid-afternoon heat haze:

Jauriko Borda

Our lunch stop - Esteben Borda

John from Dublin was coaxed to his feet to give his word-perfect rendition of the Peña Baiona to a very appreciate and impressed audience - apart from one lone supporter of Biarritz Olympique! (There's always one isn't there!)

Each year, an honorary boïna or Txapela* is awarded to the person who has made a significant contribution to Comète and this year it was awarded - to his great surprise - to none other than the very deserving John Clinch! (the Duffees are seated under the Comète standard) I wish I could have caught on film the expression of total surprise as I said his name! Well done John!

* a boïna is an outsize Basque beret.

Suddenly, the weekend was all over and goodbyes for another year were said in the car park. We drove home feeling the warmth from all the people we'd met. The warmth lingers on as I write this and look at the photographs. Thank you to all those who came and who made it so memorable.

I had several people come up to me and tell me that they thought this new route was tougher than the more traditional route - especially the second day. If you missed it this year for whatever reason, the pattern for future annual Comète commemorations in the Pays Basque will be that the routes will alternate between the new "Larressore" route and the usual St Jean de Luz one - so the next time we do the "Larressore" route will be in 2014, with perhaps with one or two tweaks. Thanks to all of you again for making this last weekend so special.

A couple of very aptly-named Mark Knopfler tracks here for you - and coincidentally, both were filmed in the Basque country too. The first is called "The long road":

The second is called "Going home":

Finally, remind yourself of the charm of St Jean de Luz here:

Haste ye back!

193. A walk on the wild side of the Pays Basque

2012-08-20T08:40:00.003+02:00

18th August 2012. Things I see in the Pays Basque. (this could become a series!) I've been meaning to post this for a while - our local butcher, a stalwart of the community, has been advertising roast 'bif' sandwiches - as he spells it - on a placard outside his shop.. His topical big seller while the London Olympics were on was the Big-Beñat..☺ It always made me smile.

Also this morning I saw something I would rarely, if ever, expect to see in the UK - a lady of a certain age.. and then some (I'd say 70+) zipping by on a moped - complete with helmet - bringing her shopping home from the Saturday market! "Hell's Grannies.."

Then there are these voitures sans permis - or light cars as we'd call them. No license required.. All is explained here. About the size of a large domestic appliance, they often sound as if they're powered by, at best, a small motorcycle engine or, at worst, an outboard motor.. They're driven by under-18s, grannies and grandads and by people who've lost their driving licences. In our more conventional eyes, they're under-powered anachronisms and their limited performance damns them.

One of the many manufacturers of them here is Ligier - yes, the same company who used to race F1 cars. Aixam is another make I see often too. They could be described as a variable noise/constant speed car! They bumble around town at sub-orbital speed (max 45km/h) and, logically, have much to commend them. (There - I've said it!) We've all been brain-washed into thinking we need a car that will cruise at 160km/h in air-conditioned comfort with all the bells and whistles - whereas what we really need is a low cost and sustainable mode of transport.

Manufacturers know us all too well though and each year they tickle our senses with increasingly sophisticated gadgets - central locking, electric windows (ask yourself how long ago was it you owned a car with wind-up windows?), parking assistance, air con, 6 speaker (or more) in car entertainment, 4x4, cruise control, leather seats, stop/start, alloy wheels, metallic paint, tinted windows etc etc - the list is endless. Trouble is, how many of us are prepared to abandon the more conventional cars we've become accustomed to in favour of something as small as these cars with their embarrassingly low levels of performance and equipment? I suspect very very few of us. I know I'm not - but perhaps we should be.

19th August 2012. 6h30. Just about to set off on the mountain walk - I turned on the small kitchen TV a few minutes ago in time to catch the last minute of a programme on France 5 about the 4 masted barque Krusenshtern. This is the former German ship Padua (seized by Russia as war reparations and now used as a sail training ship) that Eric Newby would have known from his voyage aboard Moshulu, a similarly-sized barque in the S Australian wheat trade.

20th August 2012. A few creaks and groans from my knees this morning after yesterday's 15km in the mountains. The Météo forecast was for temperatures only in the mid 20s but the humidity was off the clock. We were all drenched in sweat after ½hr or so - even our Basque guide.

He’s the son of one of the wartime Comet guides, of which there were around 30 during WWII, and they each had their own routes leading to the frontier crossing points. As security was stepped up, the guides had to stay one step ahead of the Germans and this meant using paths/tracks that offered more & more concealment. We were walking on tracks that, if they were any narrower, wouldn't be tracks! I think some of them were made by pottoks (wild horses) but the majority were made by rabbits. Yesterday’s track was probably too demanding for the group in September and I doubt if we’ll be using it again.

It started off with a long steady climb from just outside Espelette - first on a single track road, then onto paths littered with loose rocks, before finally switching to tracks that were practically invisible. We didn’t ridge walk (pity – we missed the views) but we skirted around the shoulders of the hills on these rabbit tracks surrounded by high ferns. Very hard going.

I wore shorts and those of us who did so all ended up covered in scratches – that attracted endless persistent flies. I had a good sized walking stick with a spike in the end – either that or a pair of ski poles is essential. I had 1½ litres of water and that was just enough for yesterday but on a hot day, it wouldn't have been. Had to sit down 2-3 times – my head was spinning. Don't think I had enough for breakfast. We were up and down hill a lot.. the uphills were killers in the humidity. Sometimes the ferns were shoulder high - a good tip from the guide - grab hold of them during descents. I did and they're surprisingly tough and good for stopping an out-of-control rush. I can't begin to imagine how they managed night crossings during the war.

When we finished, I was exhausted after our 5 hour trek but I think much of that came from the humidity and the fact that I hadn't had much in the way of breakfast. I’d intended to take a hat but I managed to leave it behind - mistake. Oh yes, we all took a spare t-shirt or similar so we could change before the restaurant – the one I’d been wearing was soaking wet. The first cold San Miguel at the Venta Burkaitz in Spain hardly touched the sides! We were offered trout in garlic butter or piperade (my choice) to start - followed by lamb chops on the plancha or magret de canard (my choice).. Here's some more info on the area.

192. Escaping the heat..

2012-08-15T09:12:00.000+02:00

12th August 2012. At the end of July, we took our now-customary break from the madding crowds of the Fêtes de Bayonne to escape to the cooler, saner heights of the Haute-Pyrénées. This year the weather in the run-up to the Fêtes had been hot (mid-30s) and sultry - not our favourite combination. The freshness that usually prevails here was absent this year and it was hard to avoid the sticky, oppressive heat that held the town in its stifling grip. In anticipation of the thousands of cars that were about to invade the town, the Town Hall had caused metal barriers to spring up all over the centre, protecting the most unlikely places from creative parkers - circling roundabouts, fencing off the central reservations of dual carriageways - in fact anywhere someone who'd learned to drive in Naples could park. In parallel, there were several creative campers who pitched their tents on pavements - nowhere's sacred!

So it was just as the big crowds surged in, we thankfully packed the car and headed off on the short (2 hour) journey to the mountains. In the still of an early afternoon on a hot summer's day in the Béarn, we made a stop to give the dog a leg stretch at Salies-de-Béarn, a sleepy country town, and spotting a convenient café/bar - the Bar Saleys - we fancied something cold. As we took a seat at an outside table, I noticed something strangely familiar about the menu board outside: it advertised beer-battered fish and chips! (in English).

When the waiter appeared, Madame asked him for a citron-pressé - which made him do something of a double-take - and he shot back inside. A minute later, the owner came out and, in halting French, she conveyed the information that this staple summer drink was unavailable. In the background I'd detected the dulcet tones of my compatriots and yes, we'd blundered into an English-run French café. I can't think of many other institutions that so typify France as the village café. A brave move then to take on running a café which, in France, is expected to be the epicentre of village life in the same way that the village pub is in England. To run a café with only the flimsiest grasp of the language and offering fish and chips - and not the customary staples - is even braver. I wish them luck.

Chef Jean-Pierre Paroix

We'd booked at a delightful country hotel that we'd stayed at 2 years ago at Sévignacq-Meyracq and it was just as we'd remembered it. Buried in the depths of the countryside at the end of a single track lane, the three sides of the building enclosed a courtyard. The difference in the air was amazing.. we could breathe again after the clammy heat of the coast.

Over the next few days we explored the wide open spaces of the high Pyrenees. Even though it was the height of the summer tourist season, the mountains were refreshingly free of the crowds. We drove up several of the classic climbs that feature regularly in the Tour de France and near each summit loyal fans had painted the names of their particular heroes in large white letters across the roads. We went up the Col d'Aubisque with its vertiginous drop-offs, the Col de Pourtalet and saw at close hand the impressive Pic du Midi d'Ossau (which is 2884m / 9462ft high.)

Pic du Midi d'Ossau

It's hard to imagine cycling up these mighty hills and yet there was no shortage of cyclists doing just that.

Near the summit of the Col d'Aubisque

The descent from the Col d'Aubisque can be seen incised into the rock wall..!

Here's someone on a Honda Goldwing climbing the Col de Pourtalet.. something I'd love to do one day!

We discovered the Lac d'Estaing and again, we were pleased to find that we had it more or less to ourselves. We spread out a rug and had a picnic in the most idyllic of settings.. while Chibby attempted to lower the level of water in the lake by an inch!

He wasted no time in in doing what cocker spaniels do best - getting his feet wet! In fact, he couldn't keep out of the lake and he'd just stand chest-deep in the water staring into the middle distance.. savouring the moment.

Lac d'Estaing

After checking the sky around for vultures (!) we had a short snooze - after which we took a walk around the lake. Somewhere to visit again.

Here's another on-bike video of someone enjoying the lyrical swooping descent of the Col d'Aubisque. If, like me, you were brought up in a safety-conscious country, the more-or-less complete absence of crash barriers caused me to focus 100% on the road - as there was nothing but oblivion lurking just a few feet away!

In a Tourist Office in the Parc National des Pyrénées a kind soul gave us a recommendation for a lunch stop that turned out to be an inspired choice - the Hotel/Restaurant Vignau at Gabas, a hamlet at the extreme east of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques close to the border with the Haute-Pyrénées.

To be honest, it didn't look at all promising from the outside - a low building set against the roadside and there were no choices on the lunchtime menu outside. The set menu featured garbure, one of the specialities of the South West, as a starter, with lamb cutlets followed by tarte aux myrtilles (blueberry tart). However, I reminded myself that where there's a multi-choice menu, bought-in re-heated meals aren't far behind..

We stepped inside and found a table. The friendly owner came to tell us that we could have a sauté of rabbit as an alternative main course. Perfect! We ordered the set menu with the rabbit, with a 50cl pichet of vin rouge at a wallet-busting 3.70€!

The garbure was served in a huge pot and, as is proper, was rich with joints of duck. I admit to having seconds..

Garbure

Here's how it's made.. (PS. That's some knife he's using!)

When the main course arrived, the serving of rabbit was copieux - as they say here - or generous as we'd say. The rabbit had been boned & it was served with a reduced red wine sauce and assorted vegetables, plus, as an extra, a side dish of tagliatelli covered in cheese!

Finally, a home-made blueberry tart poked its nose over the horizon.. ("Must I ..?") Finally, after a coffee, we were done. I didn't eat again until breakfast the next morning!

How much I hear you ask? The addition was la cerise sur le gâteau.. 35.10€..(£27.50 or ~US$43)

If ever you find yourself in the high Pyrenees in the vicinity of Lourdes or Pau - and you have a taste for real French country cooking at its best (and, as luck would have it, you're wearing a pair of elasticated waist pants as well), then no hesitation allowed, make the detour south to Gabas (from Pau it's only 50km) Unsurprisingly, there wasn't an empty table in the house..

Here's a very apt song for the moment - it was played to death during the Olympics and it also fits in well with the Comet story:

Last weekend (6th) a small group of us from the local Comet association had another practice walk over one of the newly-discovered WW11 escape routes for the Comet commemoration in September. It involved around 5½-6hrs of walking..

Marthe Mendiara

If these walls could speak..

We started at Anglet quartier Sutar just after 9am and walked down to the house (left) that had been Marthe Mendiara’s Restaurant Larre during WWII - a famous hiding place for some 150 Allied airmen and one of their last stops before they undertook the crossing of the Pyrenees. From there it was a level walk down to the Nive. After a steady walk along the tarmac’d river bank we arrived at the outskirts of Ustaritz where we took to an overgrown grassy track. After emerging onto the main road from Bayonne to Cambo, to avoid walking on main roads we drove the short distance to a side road near Souraïde where we started walking again and it wasn’t long before we arrived at Le Pont du Diable.

The old Roman bridge, Le Pont du Diable, Larressore

There, we enjoyed a picnic lunch sat around at a stone table at midday in the dappled shade of some old oak trees. All was quiet except for the splashing of a nearby stream. In former times, the bikes of the evaders would be left against the old bridge here to be recovered later by the baker Mattin Garat in nearby Larressore.

Finally, we set off again along an old contrebandiers (smugglers) grassy track.. After a while, this led to a steep field where we climbed uphill to find the owner of the field waiting for us - holding a large axe! (something of a "Deliverance" moment!) I was relieved to find that he was expecting us and was smiling! He recognised our guide Dominique Aguirre (they're cousins). This was Sauveur Aguerre – the son of the passeur Baptiste. He pointed out the position of the Mandochineko borda which was where the airmen were sheltered.

Mandochineko borda

From 20m away, it was completely invisible, overgrown with creepers. This location would have been perfect for concealing strange faces in an area where everyone was known. I'd somehow managed to leave my camera in the car so the three photos above are courtesy of here.

All morning, I'd heard the others (all French) mentioning 'la pizza' and so I'd understood that one might be on the lunchtime menu.. However, when we arrived at Sauveur's farm I noticed its name on the wall "Lapitza" - mystery solved! Sauveur's wife kindly provided us with some very welcome refreshment.

We then set off back to Le Pont du Diable where we had a car waiting and returned to Bayonne.

Undeniably this itinerary is not as demanding as the more traditional Saturday route - but it is equally as legitimate and as valid. In former times the route passed through what would have been a strongly rural landscape. Inevitably, some modern development has taken place – with some new highways, residential properties and, in places, light industry. Nevertheless, I found it fascinating to re-trace the footsteps of these once-secret routes through the verdant Basque countryside.

It will make a perfect contrast to the new Sunday route which is as demanding as anything the more usual route offers.

We have a final practice over the mountain route next Sunday. I see the long range Met forecast is saying 35°C for Sunday! Could be interesting..

I should mention the Olympics - if only to have an excuse for putting a picture of Katherine Grainger up! It's not often that I'll admit publicly to shouting at the TV - but I must be honest - as Katherine and Anna sculled home for a well-deserved gold medal I was offering vocal encouragement.. OK, you win, I was shouting "Come on, girl! COME ON!!" at the telly! Great to see someone achieve their dreams. Well done the two of you!☺

17th August 2012. Just heard that the walk in the mountains planned for Sunday has been called off due to the heat wave that we're experiencing. Pity - as I was really looking forward to doing it but it's probably a wise decision in view of the forecast temps. The forecast for here today is 40° (104°F if you still work in °F) - with temps in the mid-thirties over the weekend.

Sunday is back on again..!☺ Someone spoke too soon..

18th August 2012. Further to what I've written in this post and in previous ones about the creeping influence of pre-cooked meals appearing in restaurants here, while out with the dog this morning I spotted a lorry marked "Relais d'Or". This is another company (like Brakes) that specialises in supplying the restaurant trade and all it means is that we're going to have to be increasingly selective about where we eat - on those rare occasions we eat out. Remember, avoid restaurants with menu that feature a squillion choices. Search out the ones that have little or no choice and you'll be eating somewhere that has a kitchen - with a chef (novel concept!) - that actually prepares their own food - as opposed to some low paid clown just banging a chilled or frozen meal into an oven or microwave. The moral is - if you see a lorry marked Relais d'Or or Brakes outside a restaurant you were thinking of visiting, think again and vote with your feet.

191. In the footsteps of heroes

2012-07-20T15:41:00.001+02:00

17th July 2012. What retirees get up to in the Pays Basque! (part of a series). I'm involved with an association concerned with Comet, the WWII escape network for Allied aircrew that was very active in these parts. Each September there's a long commemorative weekend in the Pays Basque attended by people from all over.. (there's even one lady who comes all the way from Australia..) We re-trace the route the escapees/evaders took in crossing the mountains to Spain. This year, we are going to walk an inland route that we've not done before that was used from 1943 onwards.. It started from Anglet quartier Sutar and ran along the Nive before heading for Ustaritz, Larressore, Espelette where it crossed the border in the vicinity of Dantcharia in Spain. For the commemorative weekend in September, this will be walked over two days. Last Monday, a small group of us did a "dry run" of the mountain element of the second day's route with the aim of finalising the route details. Three of us from the committee & two wives were to be guided by the son of one of the wartime passeurs

In a slightly ironic twist, Madame and I often do our shopping at Dantcharia - now a major shopping centre - and to get there we follow the exact same route as outlined above - except we use roads. What was then a hazardous and physically demanding journey conducted at great risk to all concerned is now a simple 30 minute car trip with no passport control at the unmanned frontier. How times have changed.. I never drive this route without thinking of former days.

We started at 9-ish near Itxassou and headed up a grassy track that quickly turned into a stony one that went up and up and up. We had to cross marshy ground and fight off pesky flies (what wouldn’t I have given for a rolled-up newspaper!) before we eventually struggled up the eastern side of what felt like a 1 in 1 slope (but probably wasn’t) to the very top of the mountain ridge and suddenly the whole of the Basque coast was revealed before us in the sunshine.. We were presented with a stunning and unforgettable view of the western end of the Pyrenees seen through the blue mountain air and it revived our spirits. From our vantage point on high, we watched heavily-winged vultures describing lazy circles in up-draughts of warm air as they scanned the slopes for morsels of food.. (aka hill-walking pensioners!)

From the summit of Artzamendi

There were pottoks (wild horses) with foals and even some wild cattle and calves on the lower slopes.

To the south, the Pyrenees unfolded and faded away to the east in a distant blue haze. The temperature was around 25-27° with a soft breeze to keep us cool. We walked along the ridge until we hit the very milestone (#76) that the wartime escapers aimed for that indicated we were on the border. To focus on why we were there, one of our number read a few words and then his wife sang Hegoak in her lovely Barbara Dickson-esque voice.

True to the spirit of Comet, this was followed by the opening of a bottle of rum punch.. Florentino Goicoechea, the legendary Basque guide, used to fortify his groups of evaders in a similar fashion so we were in good company! I just had enough to rinse my teeth - as they say.

Someone pointed out the farm far below where lunch had been arranged for us. We set off again and we arrived there at 2pm. First, some hearty bean soup then the waitress brought out a serving dish with a mighty omelette made with at least a dozen farm eggs covered with slices of mountain ham.. served with salad. Did that hit the spot or what! A carafe of red wine sat largely untouched - at least initially! - as we had to make the return journey back to the cars.. After some Basque cheese and black cherry jam (traditional here) and coffee we set off for the return via a different route.

We got back to the cars at 6.45pm and once home after a shower and change, a long pastis and something to eat, I started shivering so I went to bed early. I was tired physically but not mentally and I couldn't sleep.. Getting out of bed the next morning was a real struggle!

Overall though, a great day and despite being at the height of the tourist season we saw but a handful of other people all day. Incredible views up there and I can understand the euphoria the WWII escapees must have felt after their long dangerous journey from N France, Belgium or Holland. They had to do the crossing at night though which became increasingly tricky as, according to our Basque guide, the Germans deployed some of their crack Alpine troops in these frontier regions in an attempt to combat unauthorised cross border activity such as this. The result was that the passeurs took their charges down from the high ground to the valley bottoms and ravines which offered more cover against prying eyes. Many of the tracks we used were clearly formed by rushing water in the rainy season and the going was difficult at times both going up and descending with loose and broken rocks, fissures and occasionally treacherous swampy ground - as one of our number found!

25th July 2012. Heard this morning that another couple of 'yomps' over the mountains are planned in August to finalise and mark the routes prior to the September gathering here. Looking forward to this!

The Fêtes de Bayonne kicks off tonight with the tradition firework display at the Pont St Esprit in front of the Town Hall. These displays are usually right up there - in terms of noise - with the first 20 mins of "Saving Private Ryan"..

Meanwhile, the town is starting to fill up with white-clad hordes each with a red neckerchief and red sash around the waist.

Watch the start of it tonight live (pictures only) on this link at 10pm French time.. Sound here.

190. Back to normal..

2012-07-11T15:27:00.002+02:00

11th July 2012. Since the beginning of March, our usually leafy avenue has resembled a Beirut film set as, amid clouds of dust, various teams of workmen have re-laid mains electricity supplies to houses, replaced water mains, telephone connections, the curb stones and more besides. Previously, most of these vital services had been strung up on various poles and the road was festooned with sagging cables and wires - all these have now gone underground and swish new street lighting has appeared. Today appears to be the end-game as a monstrous tracked machine made its slow way up and down the road excavating the road surface down to a depth of ~9" or so, spewing out a torrent of muck forward into a waiting lorry. With the road newly re-surfaced, new pavements can't be far behind. Phew.. it's been a long time. I have to say though that, where they've finished, the work has been to an impressively high standard.

I spent the morning loading programs and tweaking my new PC making sure everything is where I want it..

Meanwhile for those of you anxious for another report of the continuing craziness at Pamplona, here's yesterday's encierro..

and this morning's..

Needless to say, this isn't a recommended tactic!

Not a good idea to find yourself in this position..

Or this.. At least this Scotsman was correctly dressed!

Another "how not to do it"...
Moral: Never argue with someone who has a 48" neck!

12th July 2012. More wince-making images from Pamplona..

These next pics fall into the "Too Close For Comfort" Department..

Not a good time to try the old "It's behind you" trick..!

Avoid eye contact!

It's a nice sunny afternoon so I'm off out on my bike..

Alain Afflelou

Les Arènes

Best news of the day? Alain Afflelou, president of Aviron Bayonnais Rugby, has declared that he has withdrawn his sponsorship (English translation here) worth 500,000€ of the Fêtes de Bayonne because to continue to do so would, in effect, mean sponsoring the bullfights that take place during the Fêtes. I wish I could offer my congratulations to him in person on taking a principled stance against this most cruel, degrading and barbaric of activities - I wouldn't dignify it by calling it a sport. Well done Monsieur Afflelou! We live only a few hundred metres from Les Arènes and I see whole families (incl. children) going there to watch the fights. Bullfighting has no place in France - and what grips me is that the Town Hall here uses our local taxes to subsidise activities, including the corridas, at Les Arènes. (Factoid: Bob Dylan is playing at Les Arènes on July 20th)

I've mentioned before here my interest in the Comet Escape Line that was very active in these parts guiding escaping and evading Allied aircrew to safety during WWII. A couple of years ago I walked part of the original route from St Jean de Luz - Ciboure - Urrugne - over the mountains - wading across the River Bidassoa into Spain and on to Sarobe Farm, Renteria and safety. In 1943, this route was fatally compromised by the capture of Andrée de Jongh, Comet's inspirational founder, and others at Bidegain Berri farm, Urrugne. Under new leadership, it was decided to abandon the coastal routes as border security had been stepped up considerably and so several inland routes were developed - none of which were documented at the time for obvious reasons. Jean Dassié, the president and guiding light of the present day local organisation here has painstakingly reconstructed what is considered to be the actual inland route used. Next Monday a few of us will be stepping out on a dry run retracing that same route. It's planned to take about 6 hours after which we will retire to a local restaurant.. ("What else!")

Many years ago we were down here in the Pays Basque for our holiday and the owners of the small hotel where we always stayed gave us some complimentary tickets for an event at St Jean de Luz known as Toro Piscine.. It sounded unpromising - the ingredients were a lively young bullock, a sandy arena with a small pool in the centre and some local youths itching to strut their stuff. Unlike the despised corridas, this was more or less a level playing field and no-one was hurt, no blood was spilled. It turned out to be quite hilarious as the makers of this short clip also found:

189. Coming up for air..

2012-07-04T21:42:00.002+02:00

25th June 2012. On Sunday morning I went out in the car to take the dog for a run on the beach at Anglet and I noticed that the Adour was unusually active with traffic. A tug was sending up two powerful jets of water high up in the air and I could hear ships sirens and hooters being sounded. I continued along the banks of the Adour to a point where the river narrowed to the port entrance channel to the open sea just in time to see a small flotilla of pleasure craft (and a traînière - seen briefly at 02:11 on the video below) escorting two coastal working sailing boats that were gliding down river on the tide. I later found out that the event was the Escales Marines de Bayonne (another video here)

Looking up river, I was surprised to see the majestic sight of a 3 masted barque, the "Belem", that was also making its way out to sea. A few minutes later it slid silently past right in front of me and it dawned on me that this was the first time I'd ever seen a full rigged ship under sail. I've always been interested in pioneering technology of the kind that produced steam locomotives, cars & motorcycles from the twenties and thirties, early clocks, biplanes and much else. I found the close proximity of "Belem" to be an unexpectedly moving sight and it started me thinking about how our world had been discovered using small ships like these. I have to say I was completely transfixed and spellbound by the "Belem" and it made me realise that yes, today's ships may well be faster, more efficient & reliable, independent of the winds and all the rest of it but, like so many other advances in today's world, I think we've lost something indefinable in the process - perhaps that sense of continuity with our history.

Once we've discovered something that makes previous technology redundant, we are usually quick to junk the old. What struck me so forcibly about the "Belem" was that there are so few visible traces remaining of the age of sail. Sailing ships were very labour-intensive and many crafts and trades were necessary to build and support them. When the ships disappeared so largely did the associated small industries. All of which makes the re-birth of the "Hermione"(mentioned further below) even more remarkable.

By the way, if, like me, you too are fascinated by windjammers and barques, then I would unreservedly recommend that you read Eric Newby's "The Last Grain Race". In 1938, 18 year old Eric signed up as an apprentice on "Moshulu" - a Finnish 4 masted steel barque - and sailed out to Australia to pick up 5000 tons of wheat, returning to the UK via that southernmost tip of South America - feared by generations of sailors - Cape Horn. The only Englishman on board in an otherwise largely Scandinavian crew, he had a wonderful ear for dialogue and he painted an unforgettable picture of life at sea under sail. (now sadly out of print, you can buy a used copy for £0.01 here!) Arriving on the main deck of the "Moshulu" berthed at Belfast, after reporting to the First Mate, without further ado he was told "op the rigging" to the top of the main mast - all 185 feet of it.

"Moshulu"

Here, he describes a storm in the Southern Ocean:

"We were cold and wet, and yet too excited to sleep.. watching the seas rearing up astern as high as a three-storeyed house. It was not only their height that was impressive but their length. Between the greatest of them there was a distance that could only be estimated in relation to the ship, as much as four times her entire length, or nearly a quarter of a mile."

Newby goes aloft into the fore rigging:

"At this height, 130 feet up, in a wind blowing 70 miles an hour, the noise was an unearthly scream. Above me was the naked topgallant yard and above that again the royal to which I presently climbed ... the high whistle of the wind through the halliards sheaf, and above all the pale blue illimitable sky, cold and serene, made me deeply afraid and conscious of my insignificance."

This photo gives an idea of the size of "Moshulu". Imagine climbing up there on a dark and stormy night..!

Unlike many other big sailing ships, "Moshulu" escaped being lost at sea and also she also managed to avoid the breakers yard. She is now a "fine dining" restaurant (ie, expensive) in Philadelphia - which is pretty ironic, given how poorly the crew of "Moshulu" were fed in Eric Newby's time.

Here's a romanticised view perhaps of those vanished days of sail:

And some footage I've found that shows it as it was - cold, wet, highly dangerous, physically demanding and definitely not an enterprise for the faint-hearted to take on lightly!

Finally, a modern day replica of "L'Hermione", a famous XVIIIth century 12 pounder Concorde class frigate of the French Navy has just been launched at Rochefort.. (slideshow here)

Here's how this immense labour of love was realised:

4th July 2012. For the last few days I've been sweating until all hours over the latest batch of work and I finished the first run through of it early this evening. As it was a warm sunny evening - and as it was that time of day - I went downstairs to the cellar to see if I could find an old bottle of gin as I suddenly had a craving for a long G&T. Yes, there it was, gathering dust next to a 5 year old bottle of tonic water. Aah, that hit the spot even though the tonic was a bit flat.

I must mention last week's weather - we had temperatures of 37C with high humidity. It was too hot to be outside so we battened down the hatches to keep the house cool.

7th July 2012. A steamy morning on the river today.. had an outing in a mixed VIII. Did 16km but to be honest it wasn't an entirely satisfying sortie. It felt as though there were a number of people in the boat who were moving to a different tempo to the rest of us. Which leads us to one of the oldest rules in rowing - it's always someone else's fault! Next week, a group of us are going to a rowing club in Les Landes for a day of single seat sculling on a large shallow lake (above). The reason we use this lake is that it is highly likely that some will take the opportunity for an early bath.. but as the lake is only a metre or so deep, it's quite safe - in comparison to our own river - the Nive - which can flow very quickly depending on the state of the tides. With this being France, an email has gone out to all those attending regarding the all-important provision of lunch.. Some of the girls are bringing foie gras and the men are asked to bring wine.. No egg & cress sandwiches here!

Zugarramurdi

After a quick shower and change at home, we headed out to Zugarramurdi (in Spain) for lunch. This beautiful Basque village has a macabre history involving witchcraft, the Spanish Inquisition and auto-da-fé. However, luckily for us, none of these were present today and so we enjoyed a superb paella in some hot afternoon sunshine with a welcome breeze. In fact, it was all-you-can-eat but after one plate I could eat no more. The car registered 32C on the way home.

8th July 2012. The annual fiesta of San Fermin at Pamplona started yesterday - and here's a clip of the running of the bulls through the streets this morning.

Question du jour: You have two choices - it's either the three minute dash through the streets of Pamplona hotly pursued by 600kgs of snorting prime Spanish beef that has dibs on your backside - or it's up the rigging of a four masted barque and out on to a steel yard high up above a lonely dark ocean. What's it to be?

10th July 2012. Here's yesterday's encierro (bull run) and a few selected images that may help you make up your mind:

Seen enough? Right - "op the rigging!"

I've had a stressful few days with my PC - it was taking increasingly longer & longer to boot up, plus there were innumerable system lock-ups, repeat instances of the dreaded "Blue Screen of Death", disappearing mouse pointers, mail program crashes, go slows, you name it. Today was the last straw though. After spring-cleaning my hard disk, defragmenting it, scanning the hard drive for malware and/or viruses (none found) and generally getting it all gussied up, this morning I experienced yet more disappearing data, mouse pointers and a final Blue Screen etc.. and I thought enough's enough. I've felt at times as though I was being nibbled to death by ducks.. I couldn't risk losing all my work. Numerous problems - if each one taken was singly they weren't too difficult to solve but coming all at once - well, I'd had enough and so I went down to our local computer store and picked myself up a real bargain of a PC - plus 100€ cashback..! The only problem is that it came with an AZERTY keyboard. Nothing is where I'd expect it and I'm having to re-learn all my painfully acquired typing skills.

188. Haute-Provence, Jura and home again.

2012-06-13T16:30:00.003+02:00

10th June 2012. Back home last night after a much-needed break in the Alpes de Haute-Provence followed by a few days up in the Jura. We'd booked at one of those charming country hotels at Xxxxxxxx - set in its own beautifully maintained grounds - that France seems to specialise in. It was a slightly old-fashioned, traditional hotel but it was none the worse for that. It was a welcome reminder that we were in la France profonde. After a hot (34C) 9 hour drive from Bayonne we were more than ready for dinner in the cool dining room.

Sadly, this is where I have to say we were disappointed. Not by the friendly welcome, the personal service, the impeccable table setting or the comfort - no - of all things it was the food. There's been a creeping malaise in French restaurants over the last few years and that is the ever-more prevalent practice of buying-in pre-prepared meals. Running a restaurant in France today has become increasingly expensive - taxes, staff costs, cost of produce - such that many restaurateurs are having to cut corners wherever they can to maintain their prices at a reasonable level. We've noticed that where an affordably-priced restaurant features a comprehensive multi-choice menu, it's almost a given that they are using pre-prepared meals bought in from a company like Brake (a British company). Every meal we had at the hotel had that familiar reheated appearance and taste of institutional food. So, if you see a Brake's delivery vans parked outside a restaurant that you were planning to visit, you now know what steps to take.. (Whoever said, "Bloody great big ones!" would be right!)

Traditionally, one of the great pleasures of travelling within France has always been the opportunity to sample the different regional specialities - which was why we were disappointed to be offered these anonymous products from a food factory kitchen. A depressing subject. I'm reluctant to name the hotel because we gave the hotel top marks in every other respect.

Moustiers

Over the next few days we explored the local area - starting with Moustiers (right) which is rightly famous for its faïence pottery. It would be fair to say that I don't usually wax lyrical about pottery shops but the Bondil shop caught our eye with its range of stunningly original hand-painted designs that featured, among others, 18th century hot air balloons (Montgolfières) - & no two designs were alike. However, all this came at prices that would make even a banker wince.. (3 figures for a plate for example).

The lady in the Bondil shop had spent some time in Sheffield (UK) and was very chatty. She was only too pleased to provide us with the full fascinating history of faïence pottery but despite this and the undeniable temptations of the shop we left empty handed. (Definitely somewhere to visit following a major Lottery win). After this, we wandered around Moustiers' picturesque streets, where the dog was happy to discover the pleasure of quenching his thirst in one of the many preserved traditional lavoires we found in the region.

The jewel in the crown of the region is unquestionably the Gorges du Verdon.. (apologies for this jerky link). The Gorges du Verdon is a spectacular natural phenomenon that, if I'm anything to go by, few people have heard of. Second in size only to the Grand Canyon, the Gorges du Verdon is over 20 kilometres long and, at its widest, is 1.5 kilometres across. In some places the canyon is 700 metres deep. It was only in 1905 that a French caver led an expedition through the gorge for the first time. The trip took a little less than four days and the expedition concluded that the area was definitely inaccessible to humans.

Gorge du Verdon

However, the situation has changed somewhat since those days. Today, there are two roads along the top of the gorge with numerous lookouts - such as Point Sublime, La Palud sur Verdon and Pont de Lártuby - for visitors to gaze at the wonderful rock formations and glittering emerald green waters far down below. There are several footpaths that take you to the banks of the rivers. The sheer scale of it all took our breath away.

A propos of nothing, I noticed that the black ants in this area were a good ¾" long. That's all!

One day, we stopped at Saint-Laurent-du-Verdon and walked east in blissful solitude until we reached the lakes and waters of the Verdon. We saw only a couple of other walkers as we walked through the unspoilt countryside, with its profusion of wild flowers, the unfamiliar sight (nowadays) of butterflies, fields of red poppies and rocky outcrops with the smell of wild thyme in the hot dry air. Dragonflies hummed about our feet. In places we were up at around 1,000m (~3,000ft) close to the tree line. Many of the stunted trees (oaks, juniper, pines) had been formed into wind-blasted shapes by the Mistral - the northerly wind that funnels down the valleys that reportedly has the power to unhinge people. This was wild country.

The cliffs were pockmarked by ancient caves where troglodytes had once lived. If living in a cave is ever on the menu again, then I can't imagine a better place for it. It looked to my unexpert eye that the limpid green waters below should be well stocked with fish.

We reached a lake and the dog explored the full range of possibilities open to him. Living by the sea-side, it was a novelty for him to be able to drink the water. He stood up to his shoulders in it with a happy expression.

The trail had been marked with a very occasional stripe of yellow paint on a rock or a tree - far less intrusive than enamel signs and pathways bordered by fencing. We could have got lost if we'd tried hard enough - which really gave the impression of being out in Nature, as opposed to being corralled.

After a few hours we were back in the village and the dog was dry again. We headed off back to the hotel past fields that were planted with row upon hypnotic row of lavender for the perfume industry - the classic postcard image of Provence.

At the hotel, we changed into swimming things and headed down to the swimming pool. It was here that the pooch learnt a valuable lesson in life. He's always been used to entering water - ie, the sea - via the shallow end.. Taking one look at the inviting waters of the pool, he suddenly threw himself in it with a wild frenzied leap - only to to discover that it was about 4 feet deep! After a depth charge-like entry splash, he erupted from the depths with eyes like dinner plates! Not all dogs can swim instinctively it appears. He was vertical in the water flailing at it with his front paws and making no headway. Madame grabbed hold of him and dragged him out.. Luckily no-one else was about.

Another day we headed south to Cotignac, a village with a market. It turned out to be an impossibly attractive archetypal Provençal village and it was, perhaps predictably, full of northern Europeans. We walked by market stalls laden with the local produce - cheeses, wines, charcuterie, countless varieties of honey, bread, fruit and veg of course and then the olives, nuts, tapenades etc etc. It was like a cornucopia of everything we like..

All too soon it was time to leave Provence and head north to the Jura. We set off and came across the delightful small town of Gréoux-les-Bains. Unfortunately we didn't have time to stop and explore - that will have to wait for another time - but it's in the book!

This song by Françoise Hardy came up on the radio as we were leaving the Haute Provence via winding hill roads - this ever-so-French 60s record seemed to capture the mood of the Provençal landscape perfectly.. Some nostalgic pictures of sixties Paris there!

As the sun rose high in the sky, we started casting around for somewhere to stop for lunch. After days of eating reheated dinners, we wanted some real food. South of Grenoble, we spotted a roadside restaurant with a few ubiquitous white vans parked outside: Chez Robert et Maguy at Chauffayer (Haute-Alpes). A mother and son operation, she looked after the tables while the son cooked. The restaurant was minimally decorated - all their effort clearly went into the food.. The choice was either soup or soup - followed by filet mignon or faux filet with gratin-dauphinois & green salad.. We ordered 2 faux filets. The steaks were saignant and tender and the gratin was deliciously home-made.. some cheese was eased down with a small carafe of red. Coffee. This was the kind of food we'd been looking for.. How much? Think there was a few euros change out of 30€. Aah.. that was more like it.

Baume-les-Messieurs

We arrived in the Jura where we were staying with family. We took our hostess out to the 9th century Benedictine Abbey at Baume-les-Messieurs - one of the most beautiful villages of France acording to this. Situated in what could be called an idyllic location (with no fear of exaggeration) in a secret gorge with 600ft high limestone cliffs all around, the ancient Abbey reminded me of the breadth and depth of France's rich cultural and historical heritage - perhaps only equalled, if not surpassed, by Italy.

Again, Lady Luck smiled on us at lunchtime. While looking around the Abbey, I'd noticed a doorway intriguingly marked "Gothique Restaurant".. We stepped inside to find ourselves in what had once been the former medieval Abbey kitchens. It was like passing through a time warp.. The charming serveuse showed us to a table while we gazed all around. Strange music played in the background - it sounded like some modern standards being sung in the manner of Gregorian chants ("Yesterday" was one I remember)

The 18.50€ menu was as follows:

Terrine maison à l’aspérule odorante et figues, brioche maison aux cèpes, crudités de saison à l’huile de noisettes

Quenelles de carpe maison à la reine des prés

Gateau tiède au chocolat, sauce caramel, glace vanille artisanale et craquelin au pralin

As it was a treat, we had a bottle of Vin d'Arbois red.. which was excellent too. In fact, we brought some home with us.

I've had quenelles de brochet before but never carp.. One of the best lunches we've had.. and if you're ever in the vicinity, treat yourself. It's one of those memorable experiences that come around all too seldom.

We also visited nearby Château-Chalon (officially one of the most beautiful villages in France) - a splendid hilltop village perched up on the cliffs overlooking the vineyards that produce the very special Vin Jaune (yellow wine) that this region is famous for. According to this web site, it's illegal in the US..

Here's a short piece about Vin Jaune;

Tête de veau

Finally, together with some relatives who lived locally, we went out for lunch at a nearby restaurant. I spotted tête de veau (calf's head) on the menu. This is one of those legendary French dishes that could easily be used as a nationality test.. (eat it - and you're in.) I read somewhere that it's Jacques Chirac's favourite. I decided the time had come to take the plunge so I ordered it as my starter. I have a rule that I don't normally eat food that moves or wobbles. When the waitress brought the first courses out I fixed my plate with a beady eye as it seemed to be wobbling - in fact, it was wobbling. Tête de veau is normally served with a sauce gribiche. My dish seemed to be composed largely of square chunks of a nameless gelatinous substance that were each a good ½ inch thick with a few strands of meat attached. I ate the meat and was unable to proceed any further - despite much vocal encouragement! The waitress very kindly let me off the hook and offered me a replacement starter instead. No prizes for guessing how I answered that one. In self-defence, mine didn't have anything like the amount of meat as shown in the photo above. As I said to someone, this dish would be OK in wartime.. and best eaten during a blackout!

Here, you can see how the dish is prepared - the kitchen sequence starts at 00:34:

Saturday, 16th June 2012. Down to the river this morning for a hot & sweaty outing in a mixed VIII. Not having rowed for a few weeks, for a variety of reasons, my hands quickly blistered up, but a few more outings should harden them off again.. It was so humid out on the river that my ears were dripping! I got up at 6am to paint a new door for the cellar before the temp started climbing. Just finished fitting the door with new handles before putting it back in place. I have to say that French door hinges (above right) are brilliant.. To remove a door, all you do is take hold of it and lift straight up.. and off she comes. Re-fitting it is simplicity itself.. a 5 second job. Just locate the upper part of the hinge over the lower and jiggle the door around until all three hinges are lined up and bingo! Door hinges in the UK are still the prehistoric variety (above left) - at least they are to my knowledge. Removing a door in the UK was always a fiddle.

Can't remember if I've featured this clip before - it will give your French a good work-out.. Jean-Luc Petitrenaud (TV foodie) goes to Biarritz.. (some good footage of the indoor market there)

21st June 2012. The weather hasn't settled yet for the summer - on Tuesday it was only 15 or so. We went to Irun in Spain yesterday - it's no more than 20-30 mins from here - and the town was clearly readying itself for the Fêtes de la Saint Marcial (which takes place from 27th June - 1st July) as most of the shop windows were full of red and white. The car said it was 32½C as we headed back into France around lunchtime. At that point we decided to turn off and stop at the Buvette de la Halle at Saint-Jean-de-Luz for a spot of lunch. We managed to find a table in the shade - phew - it was hot there.

Today's all set to be another hot one!

By the way, British TV broadcaster John Inverdale has just discovered San Sebastian - read his report. As I've noted here on several occasions, it's one of the great European cities in my view.

23rd June 2012. Another hot morning on the river today - I had an outing in a mixed coxless IV and we made progress after a shaky start. For some reason, the boat wanted to turn to the left all the time - but despite that we had an enjoyable sortie. Did a sweaty 16km and when we returned, the 'responsable' decided it would be a good day for an apéro.. (never knowingly refused!)

If you've never been to Paris, here's a reminder of the greatest city in the world. There's nowhere else quite like it - so if you haven't been - what are you waiting for? If you're married with kids - park them with the in-laws and go - just the two of you. It's one of the very few cities that, even if you visited it every year for the rest of your life, has the power to remain endlessly fascinating. You'll thank me for this!

Find a little restaurant somewhere.. and then who knows what might happen..

(You'll have to brush up your Italian between courses!)

187. Bayonne and the plancha both sizzle..

2012-05-25T13:37:00.004+02:00

25th May 2012. Summer's here! Yee-haar! Forecast is for ~28 today. Shorts and t-shirt weather. Other signs of summer? Bayonne's resident busker - I call him SaxMan™ - is back after a long winter absence! He's taken up his customary spot opposite the Monument aux Morts and he's playing the very same 10 second riff over and over again that he played last year. He must be driving the poor people in the shop behind him crazy.. Also, I dragged the plancha out of the garage, up the steps and it's now installed on the terrace and ready for action after a wipe down and general cleaning off of assorted crud & spiders etc. Here's a clip from TVPI (our local TV station) which gives some tips about cooking with a plancha (adjust the picture quality to 480p using one of the buttons at the bottom of the screen):

Here's another recipe for a plancha - chicken with sweetcorn - again, set the quality to 480p. (more plancha recipes here):

We've just had sardines and mackerel fillets on our plancha.. eased down with some cold sangria. Mmmm.. I usually avoid mackerel as I always found it oily in England. I'd say that the ones we've just had were the best fish of any kind that we've had for a very long time, and even better with some Basque hot sauce. This Basque sauce is so tasty and piquant - Madame always adds a dash or two when sauté-ing veg and it really gives them a lift. Well worth trying and available online from the link above. If you do order some, don't be tempted to go for the mild one - the 'Forte' one as in the picture is perfect. The only thing I missed was a cup of Greek coffee - I'm completely out of it at the moment so I'm doing cold turkey. When I've asked around for it in town, all I get is blank looks.. even in the delis in Biarritz. There's an element of "This is the Pays Basque - we don't do foreign food here!" Fortunately, I found a stockist on the French ebay site so there's a package on its way.

I went for a ride along the Nive this afternoon - and like a dummy I forgot my bottle of water.. I went as far as Ustaritz which is 25+km. I was gagging for a cold drink when I returned home! It's 29 in the shade in the garden.

This weekend sees 160 rowers from all over France converging on Bayonne to take part in the annual "Trois Rivières" event. This is an arduous event - especially if the temperatures are up as high as they are today. They'll row 72 km in 3 days on the Gave, the Adour and the Nive. I did it 2-3 years ago and I was doing John Wayne impressions for a few days afterwards. In the evening there's much jollity and conviviality so, all in all, it's a great weekend.

The Fêtes de Bayonne is only a couple of months away. This is, by any standard, madness writ large. Bayonne has some 40,000 inhabitants but over the 5 days (& nights) of the Fêtes, some 1.3 million people flood in.. The rowing club organise a regatta during the Fêtes and here's a clip from last year's event to give you a flavour of what it's all about:

As you can see, rowing here is quite informal and you won't see stripey blazers, bow ties etc as you might elsewhere. But make no mistake - there are some extremely dedicated oarsmen and women here. We usually disappear over the days of the Fêtes and head for the mountains as town becomes unbearable.

30th May 2012. We're having a few days away now - we're taking a long lazy swing through Provence before heading up to the Jura region..

Should be back in mid June..

Meanwhile, here's a London 'Bobby' showing that failing a Riverdance audition needn't be an end to your dreams of stardom..!

Here's how it should be done:

186. Wet and windy Pays Basque

2012-05-20T23:11:00.001+02:00

19th May 2012. Thunder and lightning overnight here, followed by the welcome hiss of rain. Of course, the dog was quick to take advantage of the situation by jumping up on the bed and shivering in time with each rumble of thunder..

I found this video this morning.. it's Manfred Radius, a glider pilot in the US, who carries out spectacular displays at night trailing sparks from fireworks mounted on his wingtips - all accompanied by classical music. Stirring stuff! (I couldn't place the beautiful music at first - but to put you out of your misery it's the Intermezzo from Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana)

20th May 2012. I was walking the pooch this morning along the beach at Anglet when there was the sudden unmistakable roar of military jet engines. Looking south towards Biarritz, I spotted seven Alpha Jets of the Patrouille de France arrowing across the coast in a relaxed 'gaggle' out into the bay at low level (~200') before heading north under threatening grey skies - looking for all the world like predatory sharks as they returned to their base after taking part in a weekend airshow at St Jean de Luz..

This is a clip I found from the national lunchtime news on TF1 showing St Jean de Luz sizzling in the heat just a few days ago. By contrast, it was cold, grey and wet today!

Rugby is the sport down here in the South West. The fact that it was successfully implanted here owes much to one Harry Owen Roe, a Welshman who came here to Bayonne on a rugby tour over 100 years ago and liked it. (Think he might have met someone!) There's a lot more about Harry Owen Roe here. He was clearly held in such high regard that the town even named the street that runs down the side of the Aviron 'garage' Rue Harry Owen Roe after him!

Football is definitely a minority sport here and driving through the countryside it's surprising just how many rugby goal posts you see. Here's a clip from TVPI, the local TV channel, that gives an idea of the passion and enthusiasm for the game in the south west and the Pays Basque in particular:

Finally, in case you've been wondering what Pipérade is all about, it's a classic Basque dish and it has to be one of the world's tastiest. Sparing no expense, here are the two Roux brothers, owners of the legendary Waterside Inn (3* Michelin) on the banks of the Thames at Bray, to show you how it's made. This is a really simple dish to prepare and as I said before, it's delicious. So, no excuses for not trying it out!

NB: Try to use the freshest of eggs and Bayonne ham sliced as thinly as possible.

24th May 2012. Today it's a perfect day for a sea trip. Let's go fishing from the Vieux Port in Biarritz.. (where we usually eat sardines):

185. The Big Makhila

2012-05-08T18:07:00.003+02:00

8th May 2012. Much of France is closed down today as it's VE day. I stopped at the Monument aux Morts (right) on my way to buy a baguette as there was a ceremony imminent. A contingent of élite 1er RPIMa soldiers (Special Forces) from their citadelle across the Adour were present as well as anciens soldats with their standards from former times and conflicts. At previous ceremonies like this that I've seen here, the music was presented via a CD player or a very small number of musicians. Today was different - a military band did the honours and, as usual, the dry rattle of the sidedrums and the blaring trumpets during the Marseillaise sent a shiver through me..

More stirring stuff from the Biarritz-based Basque choir Oldarra:

This clip originates from across the border in the Spanish Basque country..

I think you have to be Basque to appreciate some aspects of Basque culture..

I've mentioned 'Makhilas' before here but without really going on to explain what they're all about. A Makhila is a traditional Basque walking stick - but with a difference..! They're made of medlar (néflier in French) - a highly resistant, dense and durable hardwood that is often engraved. The lower part is finished with a decorative ferrule while the top part is fitted with a hand grip - often of tightly woven leather - topped by an ornamental pommel. A quick twist of the handgrip removes it to expose a short spike - thus converting the walking stick into an instant weapon. They are hand-made and made-to-measure - the craftsman taking into account the owner's height and weight.

No two are the same. They are highly prized and often offered as presentation pieces to mark a special occasion.

The wood of the slow growing Medlar tree is hard, even, fine grained and polishes well and is reported to be practically unbreakable. The wood has practically no commercial value as the tree stays relatively small and its branches aren't necessarily straight. Because the wood is hard, it has been used for spear points, hunting and warfare clubs, fighting sticks and making windmill parts - especially some of the turning wheels. The process of making a Makhila starts in the spring with carving lines on a living branch of a tree that's at least 15 years old before harvesting the branch in the winter. Over the summer, the design of the carving expands with the growth of the tree.

The bark is removed and the branch straightened with the aid of the heat of a kiln - this operation requires a great deal of skill. The wood is then allowed to dry naturally for several years after which the wood is stained using family techniques handed down for generations.

The stick is finished with made-to-measure decorative fittings which are cut, carved, braced and decorated pieces of brass, silver, German silver or gold.. The handle is either metal or tightly bound with leather strips and finished with a horn or worked metal pommel. The handle can be easily removed to reveal a forged steel spike. Traditional Makhilas are inscribed with a short verse of the owner's own symbolism in Basque. The making of a Makhila is a tradition passed down from father to son and there are very few Makhila makers left. I know of two - one here in the centre of Bayonne and another at Larressore.

Scroll forward to 10:44 on this next clip to see Makhilas being made at nearby Larressore:

I noticed with a start this morning that the Caisse d'Epargne building (that I mentioned in post # 182) in the historic centre of Bayonne is being demolished! The mayor must obviously be an avid reader of the blog!

Changing the subject just a little, I noticed the other day that McDonalds here are now selling a McBaguette!

(NB: McDonalds is known as McDo here - pronounced McDough) All of this reminded me of that memorable dialogue in "Pulp Fiction" between Vincent and Jules on the cultural differences between the US and Europe:

It's 28 in the shade here this afternoon - where did that come from..?☺

This week's special offer is a free trip over the Pays Basque in a hot air balloon (or un vol en montgolfière as it's known here). It's best in full screen:

10th May 2012. Forecast to be 32 this afternoon - the temp's soaring past 29 in the shade at the time of writing (1pm)..

Thirty minutes ago at 5pm it was 33½ in the shade in the garden.. phew! The dog's re-discovered the pleasure of lying spread-eagled in all his favourite cool places in the house.

12th May 2012. We had the house double glazed 2-3 years ago by the charming couple who run a company based at St Jean de Luz. (highly recommended) They came and measured up before returning a few weeks later to fit the new windows. They finished in 1½ days and left the house spotless. A couple of weeks ago we received an invitation from them to an apéro-dinatoire to mark their 1st year of business at their second shop they've opened at nearby Anglet. As they know we don't require any more windows it was just a nice friendly goodwill gesture. We went there yesterday evening - there must have been 20 or so other happy customers - and we had a very pleasant evening.. There was a beautifully presented selection of food - plus various drinks - soft drinks, wine, rhum-based punch, whisky, pastis etc etc. When we left, they gave us a complimentary umbrella and a sports cap.

This morning I was all set for an outing in a beautiful Swiss-built wooden shell coxed IV.. we'd got as far as putting the boat on the water and we were sitting in it when someone had a technical problem which meant we had to change boats. The only boat remaining was a glass fibre yolette (left). Wider and heavier than our more usual boats, these are what beginners here usually start in. I have to say I wasn't looking forward to the sortie but once we'd heaved it off its rack, put it on the water and set off I was pleasantly surprised. We were a mixed ability crew - which I approve of - two of the guys had only taken up rowing last October. I was at 'stroke' and as we headed off up-river - the last boat to leave the pontoon by some margin - I was immediately impressed by how solid the boat felt and soon the boat was running free in the water between strokes with that distinctive sound.

(l to r) Cheryl, Philippe & Geoff

I forgot to mention that the previous Saturday I'd been invited to attend the annual meeting of an association concerned with the Comet WWII escape line that operated successfully in this area. The meeting was held in Hendaye - situated right on the border with Spain - as a gesture to those travelling from San Sebastian. I'm now a committee member. Planning for this year's commemoration is virtually complete with just a few minor tweaks resulting from suggestions raised at the meeting. This year, instead re-tracing the original mountain crossing route (as in previous years) that ran from Ciboure-Urrugne-Bidegain Berri-Bidassoa-Sarobe farm-Renteria used by Comet up to early 1943, an inland route from Sutar-Ustaritz-Larressore-Espelette-Dantxaria adopted after the arrests at Bidegain Berri farm in January '43 will be used. This has been thoroughly researched with the families involved and I believe it keeps as close as possible to the one of the original routes. In a separate initiative, Philippe Connart, Cheryl Padgham and Geoff Warren conducted their own research (here) and it will be interesting to see how congruent the routes turn out to be. Here's a map they produced showing the various inland routes.

In conjunction with the descendants of those courageous wartime passeurs, the committee has arranged a splendid long weekend that I'm sure all attendees will enjoy. Apparently, the final day sees a climb steeper than anything experienced on the more traditional route. This should put to rest any lingering fears 'out there' that this year's commemorative march will be but a pale shadow of the traditional Ciboure route.

184. Après moi, le déluge

2012-05-02T20:02:00.003+02:00

2nd May 2012. It looks like the weather has finally turned warm and dry again here.. In common with much of the rest of western Europe we've been deluged with water here for the last hundred years / well, since Christmas anyway / last month (delete as applicable) and, with the sun up and running, the garden has started a belated frenzy of growth. The graphic on the right shows the different amounts of rainfall experienced between March and April across major cities in France. Look who's #1..!

I have to mention the lawn here - I know I'm going to regret saying this but at last it's starting to look reasonable with no bare patches. We've tried a number of different types of grass seed before landing on the one that seems to be working best - Gazon Rustique Sud. This is a coarser bladed grass of the type that seems to flourish in the US - hopefully it will resist the baking summer heat better than its predecessors.. And if anyone else out there has been plagued with birds pecking the life out of their garden then I can highly recommend dangling some old CDs in strategic places. I was slightly sceptical about this old trick but since I hung about half a dozen up a week or two ago, the garden has been bird-free - which is a pity as I like having birds around - but, for some unknown reason, they'd been pecking the bejasus out of the lawn.. Tip: Des O'Connor CDs seems to work best!

This cartoon reminded me of the frustration I felt 6 months ago after my PC had a major meltdown due to a virus that I inadvertently let in.. PCs have become such a necessary part of our daily lives as we turn to them more and more - accessing news from all parts of the globe, managing our finances online, linking up with friends via a webcam on Skype and a thousand other things we never dreamed of. Consequently when our PCs have a hiccough, the impact is felt immediately and across a whole range of our activities. This cartoon sums up the feelings I had the last time it happened.

It's a long time since I've featured a slide guitar here so here goes - it's from that underrated little film "Crossroads":

6th May 2012. Yesterday evening at ~5pm the new SNCF bridge being built to replace the 152 year old structure in the background - built by Gustave Eiffel (yes, him!) - collapsed into the Adour. Full story here. (English translation here) (Slideshow here)

Bridge in the troubled water

The Sous-Préfet of Bayonne has been quick to act - for safety reasons, he has closed the river to traffic. That means, for the immediate future, that my former club - Société Nautique de Bayonne - will not be able to row upstream from their position just a few metres downstream of the two bridges and, secondly, rail traffic has been forbidden to cross the old Eiffel bridge just a few metres away.

The two rowing clubs in Bayonne (Société Nautique de Bayonne and Aviron Bayonnais) have co-existed in an uncomfortable relationship since Aviron Bayonnais (my club) was formed in 1904 by a breakaway faction of Société Nautique members following the expulsion of an individual for irregular activities (ahem!), perhaps more befitting the former head of the IMF! As the more turbulent waters of the Adour downstream from the Société Nautique don't consistently lend themselves to rowing, the Société Nautique might elect instead to row on 'our' river, the Nive. Who knows, it could even lead to a thawing of the relationship and perhaps a rapprochement.

183. Spare me the analysis - where do I vote?

2012-04-23T20:29:00.000+02:00

23rd April 2012. "Our" old village in the Pays Basque featured on lunchtime national TV news (TF1) today.. yes, it was time for Ascain (right) to hit the national consciousness. TF1 ran a piece that showed how the election voting process was handled in a far distant corner of France - and Ascain is about as far and as distant from Paris as it gets. There, it's the age-old tradition that voters first go to church to refresh their souls (Lord, give me strength!) - after which they repair to the bar of "our" small hotel to refresh their throats (Lord, give me another!) via a pastis or similar (& there's nothing quite so similar as another one!). Having fortified the major relevant elements of the inner man, they then feel up to stepping across the road to attend to the small business of electing a president.

Election time in France is a curiously low key affair as, unlike in the UK, political posters don't appear in gardens or front windows of private houses, there are no witty bumper stickers and we haven't had a single leaflet stuffed into our mailbox - not a single one! We also haven't had to endure a single doorstep conversation with a political worker. No, here it's all left to the broadcast and print media. The degree of media cynicism is remarkable though - a local newspaper shop displays advertising placards outside for national magazines and under a picture of the leading presidential candidates one magazine front cover asked "The biggest lies of the campaign - Who lies the most? Who lies the best?"

This was where we used to stay each summer - there's a very quick view of it at 01:23 - blink and you'll miss it. (NB. the video is slow to load for some reason)

Link to TF1 news

You'll be pleased to hear that there'll be no more election coverage here as I'm sure - if you're anything like your correspondent - you've had it up to here with politologues (political journalists) speculating over the minutiae of the political news. Suffice to say, win or lose, the talking, forecasting, denying, analysis, accusing, speculation, interviewing, extrapolating and prognosticating will carry on for a few more months yet until we're all brain dead with electrocephalagrams that look like a drive across the prairies - because that's just the way politicians like us..!

France and Germany share a joint TV station known as ARTE and the following video is one of their productions. It features Aquitaine - which is the region of France where the Pays Basque is found. Unfortunately for the majority of readers of this blog, it's in German.. but it's beautifully filmed. The film's starting point is the Pays Basque - and it covers pottoks (the wild ponies of the Pays Basque); Sare - where there's a piece on Pelote basque; the famous restaurant Chez Margot at Socoa (just across the bay from St Jean de Luz); Larressore - where they still make makhilas (I must get around to explaining these one day) and then it's up to Les Landes and an inside look at Course Landaise.. There's more but I haven't watched it right through myself yet.

182. Rain - fuelled rant!

2012-04-19T12:01:00.001+02:00

18th April 2012. I came across this old map (below) the other day in a document someone sent me. I would say it must date back to pre-war times. What I find interesting about it is the amount of green space that lies between the towns to the west of the RN10 (highlighted in red).

Today, much of that has been built up and driving around the area, I'm constantly reminded of this as developers are steadily building on every available plot. Where vacant plots don't exist, existing buildings and often houses are torn down so that revenue-earning apartment blocks can be erected in their place. Nowadays, the three towns of Biarritz, Anglet and Bayonne that, pre-war, were completely separate are now effectively one and it's now known as the Agglomération Côte Basque-Adour. Try saying that with a mouthful of Gâteau Basque! This is one area of France where there are more buyers than sellers and my guess is that the nationwide drop in house prices that was reported yesterday won't apply here.

We spotted the new Cité de l'Océan (below) the other day when we were down on the sea front at Ilbarritz.. I've always thought that architects here in France are capable of creating the most stunning buildings or structures. They are equally capable of erecting the most monumental eyesores - like the one below.. (is that a building or the box it came in?)

In the first category I would place buildings such as the dazzling Louvre Pyramid - conceived by I. M. Pei - that has more than a touch of genius to it. In my humble opinion it sits perfectly in front of the Louvre - and it looks as though it's always been there.

Then there's the breathtakingly hypnotic viaduct at Millau - designed by Norman Foster. This most elegant of structures defies the imagination in its extreme simplicity and, on seeing it for the first time, most people are reduced to an awed silence as they goggle at the bridge stepping out across the void with seemingly little to support it. To lend some scale to the picture, some of the support towers are higher than the Eiffel Tower.. Truly stunning.

In the second category are those that (in my view) miss the target completely. Examples? Well, close to home, there's the branch of the Caisse d'Epargne (savings bank) at Bayonne that, if only it was nearer the sea, could be offered to the Navy in times of national need to serve as a submarine pen. Built in the historic quarter of Bayonne, a few paces from the ancient cathedral, it's a deliberate slap in the face of history and without any redeeming qualities at all. Well, maybe one - the roof keeps the employees dry.

Then there's that monument to industrial quantities of reinforced concrete - the Ministry of Finance, Bercy in Paris. Again, brutal, squat and with a brooding mass, it straddles the riverside boulevard and juts out into the river Seine. It could well be George Orwell's Ministry of Truth (from his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four) No question - this has a top 3 place in my list of buildings that would be improved by demolition.

Then we come to the Pompidou Centre - or, as I like think of it, the Emperor's new clothes writ large in 15,000 tons of steel and 50,000 cubic metres of reinforced concrete. What were they thinking of? There's a kind of intellectual arrogance at work here that says if you dislike the building/structure/oil rig (call it what you will) then you must be a reactionary old f**t.

Then there's the Opera at Bastille.. It looks like nothing less than the headquarters of an insurance company or a nuclear power station. Enough said.

By way of contrast, here's the magnificent Opéra Garnier and I don't think I need to add a single word:

When I look at Paris I see one of the most beautiful cities in the world. We have a duty to pass it on to succeeding generations intact - we don't have the right to vandalise it. What will these excrescences say about us to future generations? Enough said.

19th April 2012. I've been re-seeding 'this blessèd plot' (aka the lawn) and so far so good.. green shoots have appeared in all the right places. Fortunately April has brought with it many gentle showers - rather than the torrential downpours that we've often been at the receiving end of. The grass is looking green and hopefully this period of wet weather should ensure (ha-ha!) that the lawn has a fighting chance this year!

Just the other side of the Pyrenees lies the small town of Burguete in Navarre, Spain. It's known mainly for one thing: it's where Ernest Hemingway lodged in 1924 & '25 en route to the running of the bulls at Pamplona. (more here and here)

The Basque country (on both sides of the border) would have been vastly different in those days with few concessions to tourism and it must have been a real pleasure to travel around it. While the coast has changed beyond all recognition, the inland regions remain more or less intact as they were - even in the height of summer few of the legions of tourists that throng the coastal resorts explore the hinterland. There, it's not difficult to understand the attraction the country had for the author. Here's an extract from "The Sun Also Rises" that describes the moment Hemingway and his friend arrived in Bayonne.

In the morning it was bright, and they were sprinkling the streets of the town, and we all had breakfast in a café. Bayonne is a nice town. It is like a very clean Spanish town and it is on a big river. Already, so early in the morning, it was very hot on the bridge across the river. We walked out on the bridge and then took a walk through the town.

I was not at all sure Mike's rods would come from Scotland in time, so we hunted a tackle store and finally bought a rod for Bill up-stairs over a drygoods store. The man who sold the tackle was out, and we had to wait for him to come back. Finally he came in, and we bought a pretty good rod cheap, and two landing-nets.

We went out into the street again and took a look at the cathedral. Cohn made some remark about it being a very good example of something or other, I forget what. It seemed like a nice cathedral, nice and dim, like Spanish churches. Then we went up past the old fort and out to the local Syndicat d'Initiative office, where the bus was supposed to start from. There they told us the bus service did not start until the 1st of July. We found out at the tourist office what we ought to pay for a motor-car to Pamplona and hired one at a big garage just around the corner from the Municipal Theatre for four hundred francs. The car was to pick us up at the hotel in forty minutes, and we stopped at the café on the square where we had eaten breakfast, and had a beer. It was hot, but the town had a cool, fresh, early-morning smell and it was pleasant sitting in the café. A breeze started to blow, and you could feel that the air came from the sea. There were pigeons out in the square, and the houses were a yellow, sun-baked color, and I did not want to leave the café. But we had to go to the hotel to get our bags packed and pay the bill. We paid for the beers, we matched and I think Cohn paid, and went up to the hotel. It was only sixteen francs apiece for Bill and me, with ten per cent added for the service, and we had the bags sent down and waited for Robert Cohn. While we were waiting I saw a cockroach on the parquet floor that must have been at least three inches long. I pointed him out to Bill and then put my shoe on him. We agreed he must have just come in from the garden. It was really an awfully clean hotel.

Cohn came down, finally, and we all went out to the car. It was a big, closed car, with a driver in a white duster with blue collar and cuffs, and we had him put the back of the car down. He piled in the bags and we started off up the street and out of the town. We passed some lovely gardens and had a good look back at the town, and then we were out in the country, green and rolling, and the road climbing all the time. We passed lots of Basques with oxen, or cattle, hauling carts along the road, and nice farmhouses, low roofs, and all white-plastered. In the Basque country the land all looks very rich and green and the houses and villages look well-off and clean. Every village had a pelota court and on some of them kids were playing in the hot sun. There were signs on the walls of the churches saying it was forbidden to play pelota against them, and the houses in the villages had red tiled roofs, and then the road turned off and commenced to climb and we were going way up close along a hillside, with a valley below and hills stretched off back toward the sea. You couldn't see the sea. It was too far away. You could see only hills and more hills, and you knew where the sea was.

20th April 2012. I remember reading an old saying amongst carpenters, "Measure twice, cut once.." and for some reason I woke up this morning with it in my head. It struck me that that philosophy could be applied to many areas of life.

Before making the decision to move here from England, for example, I remember making a list of the pros & cons for making the move and another list of all the risks. The first list proved pretty conclusive in terms of whether or not a move was the correct decision. As for the second list, all the risks I identified could be managed - except one: the currency exchange rate. As most of our income was in £ sterling, and we were moving to the euro-zone, this had my full attention. I thought the worst that could happen would be that the £ would gradually decline in value against the euro over the years. We were prepared for that eventuality and so we moved across.

Soon after we moved however, the exchange rate turned out to be the very risk that bit us and it bit us hard. In Britain, Gordon Brown (an unelected nobody who was doing Prime Minister impressions at the time) let the pound slump in value - an unprecedented 30% drop - against the euro in a few short months. He didn't declare it a devaluation - he simply didn't call it anything. He just carried on sleepwalking as though nothing had happened. Fortunately, we'd done our planning and we had sufficient flex to be able to live through it - but the importance of planning wasn't lost on us.

If anyone reading this is thinking of making a similar move, I'd say the hardest part is not the move itself, but taking the decision to move. Once you've decided, the rest should happen according to your plan.

Meanwhile:

22nd April 2012. We've been having a fair share of rain lately and the garden is thankfully sprouting in all directions! I took the dog down to the beach at Anglet this morning - there was a fresh westerly wind blowing in a few showers from the Bay of Biscay, the slate green sea was rearing up in choppy waves and there were a fair number of surfers out there. All very bracing! Needless to say, the dog's ears were horizontal!

181. April showers in the Pays Basque

2012-04-08T12:32:00.000+02:00

6th April 2012. Forecast for the morning is for rain, but as they often get it wrong for this corner of Aquitaine, I'll take a peek out of the windows in the morning to see if rowing is on the cards. As it's the first Saturday of the month, it's also the day for an apéro..

Haven't played any Chet Baker in a while so - to put that right - here he is with Almost blue:

And another - Around Midnight - the classic late night jazz track that Thelonious Monk made all his own - but played here by Chet:

7th April 2012. A good row this morning - had an outing in a mixed VIII and we did 14km.. Stayed on a bit longer afterwards as it was that time of the month (1st Saturday) for an attitude adjuster! Still haven't got used to drinking whisky at midday though.. Had a quick word with Perle Bouge who was there having a vigorous work-out on a rowing machine. She said she'll be going to the Olympics in July. In case you haven't read previous posts about her, she was involved in a road accident I believe when she was 19 and is now confined to a wheelchair. Despite that, she took up rowing a couple of years ago and won a Silver medal at the recent World Championships in New Zealand. She has a fierce determination to succeed and I hope her efforts will be rewarded this summer.

I know I included this track by Amy Winehouse fairly recently but I make no apologies for putting it in again. She had one of the best female jazz/blues voices of my memory. Such a tragedy that her personal life spiralled out of control the way it did.

Jardin Public, Biarritz (in 2006)

10th April 2012. Situated opposite the magnificent old station (now the theatre) in Biarritz, the Jardin Public used to be a haven of 'coolth' and shade even on the hottest of wind-free summer days when the heat can sometimes wrap the Côte Basque in a clammy embrace like a warm damp blanket. The square was a leafy green enclave shaded by some mightily tall old trees and it was the perfect place to pause on a bench after lunch in the tranquil shade offered by the canopy high above. The dog enjoyed the respite from the hot pavements too and it wouldn't take him long before he'd be 'paws-up' on the grass having a snooze. There were some ancient cedars that spread their limbs out high and wide and others (chestnuts perhaps?) that I couldn't name to save my life. Here it is (left) as it was in 2006.

Unfortunately, a great storm screamed in out of the Bay of Biscay in January 2009 and it devastated the coast from the Pays Basque up as far as Bordeaux - flattening 60% of the endless pine forests of Les Landes. It wreaked havoc with these majestic old trees in the Jardin Public as can be seen here:

Here's a tree going down in that great storm..

Now, the Jardin Public has totally lost its former oasis-like quality, as the removal of the trees has exposed it completely to the relentless heat of the sun. While it's no longer possible to sit there in summer and unwind in the shade, it remains a favourite place at other times of the year. If we could afford a house (haha!) or, more realistically, an apartment in the centre of Biarritz, something around here would figure high on our wish list.

12th April 2012. It's been a while since I've featured a Basque choir and one of the very best is Gogotik.. Here they are with some wonderful images of the Pays Basque:

This particular one by Gogotik sends a shiver through me:

I've been meaning to mention the Musée Basque (English site here) in Bayonne for some time.. It is a remarkable collection - I believe the largest collection of Basque artefacts anywhere - and no visit to Bayonne should overlook it. It starts off with simple displays of the pastoral life of the Basques and as you penetrate through to the upper floors the scope gradually widens until the full glories of the museum's contents are revealed. (By the way, admission is free on the first Sunday of the month).

I've previously mentioned here the emblematic painter Spanish Basque Ramiro Arrue who captured the stylised essence of Basqueness in his work to such an extent that his vision of the Pays Basque is still shared by many and it endures here to this day. Here's a two-part video about him:

This next clip features some of the distinctive headstones that may be found in the cemeteries here. They're not sad places, lying forgotten under a few dripping yew trees with weeds rampant - they're kept spotless (like the rest of the Pays Basque) and provide another insight into Basque culture.

180. First siesta of the year

2012-03-25T10:09:00.004+02:00

22nd March 2012. After the shocking events in Montauban and Toulouse were resolved this morning, I think it's time for a reminder that Man is capable of producing works of great beauty as well as the most horrific of crimes. As you listen to Daniel Barenboim conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with the Adagietto from Gustav Mahler's Symphony No 5, spare a thought for the families who are mourning the loss of loved ones:

24th March 2012. It was a lovely warm morning down by the river and there was a good turn-out. I went out in a mixed ability VIII sculler and it's always sorties like these that are the most tiring. I was at 2 (which corresponds to 7 in the UK/US) and the upriver leg was fine. We stopped after 10 minutes to take our warm-up tops off as they were clearly redundant. At the turn-around point, the cox and the stroke changed over and the return leg was - how to say it - less rewarding. We did 14km.

We had lunch outside on the terrace again today.. and I finished up with a Greek coffee and a contemplative cigarillo.. I was still getting over the morning sortie and the heat coupled with a glass or two of wine had me ready for a siesta.

At the end of the afternoon, we went for a drink on the terrace of the bar/restaurant La Plancha (above), on the beach at Bidart, just below the Château d'Ilbarritz (mentioned a couple of posts ago). It must have been 22-24C out there on the terrace. Definitely a new addition to my list.

Here's something that sounds as fresh today as the day it was recorded - in 1959!

In case you've ever wondered who the great undiscovered literary talent behind this blog is - pause while the guffaws die down - I've decided to respond to several requests and break cover at last.

Here's a fairly recent photograph of me hard at it at the editorial desk! This must have been taken on a 'dress down Friday' and it looks like the pressures of getting the latest post out and the long working days are slowly getting to me..

26th March 2012. We ate outside on the terrace this evening for the first time this year.. Now where did I put my Eric Morecambe shorts?

27th March 2012. A perfect evening's row up the river on a warm, still evening - shorts and t shirt in the boat for the first time this year. 14km. Once back home, after a quick shower and change, it was straight out to our west-facing terrace for a roast farm chicken eased down with a glass or two of Burgundy. Afterwards, I sat there feeling pleasantly tired in the evening sunlight listening to the sound of birds twittering and the distant hum of traffic as I watched the pale contrails of jets as they sped silently northwards. It was with great reluctance that I replaced the cork in the bottle! As my uncle used to say: you've got to know when to hold, know when to fold and know when to walk away.

29th March 2012. We decided to go to San Sebastian this morning to try and achieve terminal meltdown of my credit card. Don't get any big ideas though - two packets of peanuts would be enough to do that! The first strange thing was that we were waved through the first motorway toll that we came to in Spain.. and then on arrival at our favourite underground parking garage in downtown San Sebastian, it was suspiciously easy to find a space.

D'Ayuntamiento San Sebastian - or Council buildings

Then when we emerged into the daylight we noticed that every shop was closed. Not only every shop, but also there was not a single kiosk, bar, café or restaurant open. The streets were curiously busy and there were flyers scattered everywhere on the pavements in Spanish and Basque proclaiming that today was a General Strike. Sure enough, we spotted some red flags in the distance as groups of strikers started gathering. Walking through town we half expected to find at least one little dissident café open for business but no - the Basque solidarity was impressive. It was a beautiful day too for bumbling around shops pensioner-style but after a while we realised that nice though San Sebastian is to wander around, there's not much point if everything, as in everything, is closed.

Maria Christina bridge

So it was back to the car and we headed off back towards France again. I think we got away just in time as a massive demonstration was forming up across the river to march into town - and that would cause traffic chaos. The column was at least 20 people wide and it stretched back for ½ mile probably.

By this stage, stomachs were threatening wild cat strike action if food wasn't taken pronto so we swung off the motorway at St Jean de Luz and a few minutes later we were installed on the terrace of Chez Pantxua at Socoa. Just look away for the next few minutes while I recall what we had - mmmm-mmmmm - OK, it's safe to come back now! Suffice to say, it's the best place for seafood by 1.6km. (that's a mile to you!) Almost forgot - two hungry strike-breaking Spanish couples sat down at the next table and in a touching display of solidarity with the strikers they started by ordering a bottle of Bollinger* - the ladies had foie gras to start with while the men had oysters..

* It was Madame Bollinger (right) who famously said of champagne - “I drink it when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and I drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it, unless I’m thirsty”.

It was such a beautiful late afternoon that I raised myself from my post-lunch snooze stretched out on the terrace (in swimming trunks no less!) to get changed for an evening row. It turned out that I was the only bloke-type person there and so we put an VIII out on the water. I must say it went very well, apart from a congenital need to stop for a chat at suitable intervals..!! Joking aside, it was a very worthwhile sortie and it felt like a crew that had rowed together for some time. So Tick VG from me! Think we did 12km.

31st March 2012. Down to the river again this morning (four times in a week!) and had an outing in a mixed VIII. We rowed as far as Villefranque before turning where another VIII caught up with us. G, our always-cheerful responsable, coach and all-round good guy, who was with us in a speedboat, thought it would be a good idea if the two VIIIs raced each other back to the clubhouse (known curiously in French as the 'garage'). If I was sitting comfortably in a speedboat on a sunny morning that's just the kind of idea that I might have had too! We gave the other crew a head start and then we were off.. It wasn't long before we could hear the splashing of the other crew as we drew closer plus the various incomprehensible shouted exhortations which seemed to consist mainly of "Ensemble!".. (ie, together) - which gave me heart as it indicated that they weren't.. Gradually the stern of their boat came into view and we steadily overhauled them before building a nice lead of 2-3 lengths. About 2km from home, we both stopped for another go. This time we started level and after ten strokes we were up on them and going away. All good fun! Did 18km all in all.

Blew the dust off my shorts and I took them and the dog for a walk after a quick shower.. 31st March too!

I was taking an inventory of the fridge contents after lunch (OK, aka casual thieving!) and I noticed a packet of Ossau-Iraty cheese in the cheese box. If you've been paying attention (Post #179 refers) you'll remember that this is the cheese that's been adjudged to be the Best Cheese in the World.. I might just try some this evening.

1st April 2012. The two local rugby clubs in the Pays Basque aren't having their finest season. Aviron Bayonnais are firmly in the drop zone of the Top 14 and after yesterday's dire performance against fellow strugglers Perpignan (final score 47-9) the only possible conclusion to be drawn is that Bayonne are going to go down. Meanwhile, Biarritz (also down amongst the pond life of the Top 14) played out of their skins yesterday to squeeze a much-needed victory by a 1 point margin against Clermont (who are 2nd in the Top 14). Now where's the logic in that?

4th April 2012. I'm afraid I've been neglecting the broad sunlit uplands of Blogistan lately but, as always, I have a convincing explanation. I've been knee-deep in reviewing, correcting and occasionally re-writing just shy of 1,000 PowerPoint slides on aircraft flight deck instruments of every flavour - some of which hadn't even been thought of when I was last directly involved in aviation.. As you might expect, a thorough understanding of flight deck instrumentation in minute detail takes centre stage in any Commercial Pilots course and so it is that I've been burning the midnight oil lately, wearing a flat spot on my backside, armed with a couple of hefty technical Anglo-French dictionaries, trying to make sense of some of the slides and put them in Angliche.

"So whyja wanna be an airline pilot, son?"

Young man's dream (or fantasy!)