tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41304636934300897372024-03-19T01:48:40.046-07:00A corner of FranceRandom musings on running a private hotel / gîte in Northern FranceMark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.comBlogger1285125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-68871228104931541882024-02-28T02:26:00.000-08:002024-02-28T02:42:35.659-08:00Plastic wine bottles<p>I was in Noz, buying wine for my sister, and came across these plastic, screw-top bottles of californian wine. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQcG64oXhbzENJWinweklSXHTDlf7_rHxfzIXh3PcP4AAyCZ5XibwzevAS4W8DMfodDOI5KWS734G7joyJ2sPBgL4dw8tk5xEWqJfRtVR_4ECNod_cTcxbuZwJh9gAE82iHM1gwtM10ZazgXh_gF6EeYooFIWwEpMn0lasnoBK_NUqSMsq4HrEjuXGWdN/s4032/20240228_103647.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQcG64oXhbzENJWinweklSXHTDlf7_rHxfzIXh3PcP4AAyCZ5XibwzevAS4W8DMfodDOI5KWS734G7joyJ2sPBgL4dw8tk5xEWqJfRtVR_4ECNod_cTcxbuZwJh9gAE82iHM1gwtM10ZazgXh_gF6EeYooFIWwEpMn0lasnoBK_NUqSMsq4HrEjuXGWdN/s320/20240228_103647.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I've got to hand it to the americans. If something can be made less classy.....</p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-68454489802664685002024-02-21T07:26:00.000-08:002024-02-21T07:26:07.347-08:00Grubby mitts<p>Our local Lidl sells baked goods that you can eat for lunch or a snack - croissants, bits of pizza, focaccia bread with things on, and so on. They have this neat system that means you can serve yourself but can't get your grubby mitts on the product until you have fished it out of its container onto an accessible platform. Neat, eh?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQz3VSdZOFmsDAN1Johc6j0wyA5519UUSUAV1qOC1Zh5jX14H2mOKwHr-AZ2lGol1Aky5-65KTtTrrBflx-2hT7n8Y67NTDFwym7_xPe2yVj1y0yIpN7vsFvWugo2Qqryxj6F6VnOfEGwzoIdgzbe1obpdDGOJvlQxnvKl-_qfJSmAeIlAvkIYDCsa6of/s4032/20240206_122532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQz3VSdZOFmsDAN1Johc6j0wyA5519UUSUAV1qOC1Zh5jX14H2mOKwHr-AZ2lGol1Aky5-65KTtTrrBflx-2hT7n8Y67NTDFwym7_xPe2yVj1y0yIpN7vsFvWugo2Qqryxj6F6VnOfEGwzoIdgzbe1obpdDGOJvlQxnvKl-_qfJSmAeIlAvkIYDCsa6of/s320/20240206_122532.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-91676521634380117422024-02-08T01:29:00.000-08:002024-02-08T03:41:46.496-08:00Beer<p><i>La Bierre</i> is a song by Jaques Brel, that I am trying to learn on the accordion. It's not easy. By happy coincidence, I am also trying to brew some beer, that will likely lead to more satisfactory results, and quicker too.</p><p>I'm using a beer kit that I bought in England. For a modest outlay in hardware you can get all the equipment, and the ingredients you can buy in a tin. The quality of the result is entirley down to how well one follows the instructions.</p><p>I have to admit that mine took a bit longer to finish fermenting than the instructions led me to believe, but that might have something to do with the fact that I didn't actually open the tin until a couple of weeks past its "best by" date. <i>Mea culpa</i>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohWGRS7oyN3qtcWC6N77Qmju153Ua-DpsEaauVjf98P_uH8ptSlJjgT9W12qCgiLaAgETJbKdFhV7dbD-5F9INFI-ZvUIoLmH9o8uezgDCKUw9xCfeH-zX2nr543TKPuIquX7YGOX8JEel4RKJqEXHJ7hWjcWlCznHz7filkZ12YwCLYETdv_Ab-rEGh8/s4032/20240207_160502.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohWGRS7oyN3qtcWC6N77Qmju153Ua-DpsEaauVjf98P_uH8ptSlJjgT9W12qCgiLaAgETJbKdFhV7dbD-5F9INFI-ZvUIoLmH9o8uezgDCKUw9xCfeH-zX2nr543TKPuIquX7YGOX8JEel4RKJqEXHJ7hWjcWlCznHz7filkZ12YwCLYETdv_Ab-rEGh8/s320/20240207_160502.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ESGfHX9T8yIfR2aIurLGZ6s01-772ZHOSph2VqDW5EodNmZUIaw5Z81azfrKw0KbrjyDvDdtG-GxLE-X0s-BgKJbWUki1OK__hwAGm34AD9ec8xayBLHt2HTE9KVVEyQUXDz3azevWXc9H6UDfcgf4rO7liOr6I4RK0rHwOmIU9I-fPhmtw-ooNMCm3P/s4032/20240207_160513.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ESGfHX9T8yIfR2aIurLGZ6s01-772ZHOSph2VqDW5EodNmZUIaw5Z81azfrKw0KbrjyDvDdtG-GxLE-X0s-BgKJbWUki1OK__hwAGm34AD9ec8xayBLHt2HTE9KVVEyQUXDz3azevWXc9H6UDfcgf4rO7liOr6I4RK0rHwOmIU9I-fPhmtw-ooNMCm3P/s320/20240207_160513.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Given that the resulting beer doesn't cost much as these things go, (Pie and a pint for 15 quid??) I'm sure it won't be long before the government starts taxing the ingredients on health or some other grounds.</p><p>And talking of governments, I see the first chipping away at the use of burning wood for heating has started. Strictly controlled in some areas of France, plus a news item on TF1 explaining how wood smoke increases risks of cancer. Can't have the plebs getting cheap energy now, can we? And did you know that growing your vegetables contributes to global warming, according to the Wonderfully Egotistical F**kers?</p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-20343500227338009912024-02-03T04:58:00.000-08:002024-02-03T05:01:01.910-08:00Art forms<p>They call them BDs in France, it stands for <i>bandes déssinées. </i> In English they're called comic books, which seems a bit derogatory to me. Graphic novels is probably better.</p><p>Browsing in a bookshop the other day, I happened upon a BD on the subject of Led Zeppelin, a group I have admired since I was young, that is to say, for a long time. So I bought it, and am enjoying reading it.</p><p>It works on the well-tried presentation principle: "tell 'em what you're going to tell 'em; then tell 'em, then tell 'em what you've told 'em". Each chapter starts with a short text explaining the theme of the chapter. This is followed by several pages of BD, and the chapter ends with two pages of fuller, textual explanantion of what has been shown. Different artists are used for the BD sections of each chapter.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBgg099XIcMKENMg_x_4e04RkgG4BB0vHVNkbIUSqVeTXVRCO4J-jDHD1ngkF3f79_EzspYeAeSu4pLgx7L0pzWAuboztPvhwO6a-mp6rRXorr2oHlGP44ZPnnS6RVFMa8s-dFt_q3Z28ZqaWhMTz0d_ikf1CgDP9BWHA7otRurc-lqmCXTxDkxOD2MrL/s4032/20240203_122340.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBgg099XIcMKENMg_x_4e04RkgG4BB0vHVNkbIUSqVeTXVRCO4J-jDHD1ngkF3f79_EzspYeAeSu4pLgx7L0pzWAuboztPvhwO6a-mp6rRXorr2oHlGP44ZPnnS6RVFMa8s-dFt_q3Z28ZqaWhMTz0d_ikf1CgDP9BWHA7otRurc-lqmCXTxDkxOD2MrL/s320/20240203_122340.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AMEfwsjp0ffF_sTPrdGPv8DNpZk8zkWAUdd-H-O2Je_XwXAc6TKbQZwcV5G6Rw1W9jdu7tp48HoKM2Wby3x5NaCe3ppFD4CROuacXsGbLbj42yygdinPtK0v-9Q1o0J_2B2jDGNQhltGcBTI2a6_0K48GOwQNlYkC_B8Ln1YoT1Asove8ySzGhygFwtC/s4032/20240203_122352.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AMEfwsjp0ffF_sTPrdGPv8DNpZk8zkWAUdd-H-O2Je_XwXAc6TKbQZwcV5G6Rw1W9jdu7tp48HoKM2Wby3x5NaCe3ppFD4CROuacXsGbLbj42yygdinPtK0v-9Q1o0J_2B2jDGNQhltGcBTI2a6_0K48GOwQNlYkC_B8Ln1YoT1Asove8ySzGhygFwtC/s320/20240203_122352.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I like the format, and note with pleasure that the series includes books on several other well-loved artists: David Bowie, Pink Floyd, and others. I will buy more. I see that Amazon UK sell what I presume to be English versions; the one I have is in French.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-61036895583824291182024-01-22T04:23:00.000-08:002024-01-22T04:23:20.682-08:00Wet walk<p>We have all had some exceptional rain recently. I went for a walk along one of my usual paths. It was more difficult than usual, as parts of the route were flooded.</p><p>The river down the road was much higher than usual, but still below the level of the arches of the road bridge, and not yet overflowing the pedestrian bridge.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OlOSr1K_Km9km96O4Cq-c5PFRWYlC59o6njH7uJcR-D29XrvNi9QFn68MUY4SRui0_9Grm4jlTIHYZ6qDVGpnv8mL6IrSzBElrufS7IKaapPf_4CLG-i0Nbtp6f5ejl1MRpOfIjVGy78xpRPUMDQfItrpfB0CJLrAjdi107tfaghR2hQMeyLNPFrXnGU/s4032/20240118_100710.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OlOSr1K_Km9km96O4Cq-c5PFRWYlC59o6njH7uJcR-D29XrvNi9QFn68MUY4SRui0_9Grm4jlTIHYZ6qDVGpnv8mL6IrSzBElrufS7IKaapPf_4CLG-i0Nbtp6f5ejl1MRpOfIjVGy78xpRPUMDQfItrpfB0CJLrAjdi107tfaghR2hQMeyLNPFrXnGU/s320/20240118_100710.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyGWEWYuUmF2brEfvXT6x4xv06zuwHlbeVk2Otxrz-eNish1ZOTEmO9-kM__-N712d-8UpNN7EqAPglDWzEuAIN3LbTHOkrWAvllzYicw6LlxdYayBmFHmO1-XKIae7KN9Hv2a_RRK-J6QbDcC03-troB-d5flMIwZSi-Fo6TY9PVeuV4B0RT-yRjqL7t/s4032/20240118_100718.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyGWEWYuUmF2brEfvXT6x4xv06zuwHlbeVk2Otxrz-eNish1ZOTEmO9-kM__-N712d-8UpNN7EqAPglDWzEuAIN3LbTHOkrWAvllzYicw6LlxdYayBmFHmO1-XKIae7KN9Hv2a_RRK-J6QbDcC03-troB-d5flMIwZSi-Fo6TY9PVeuV4B0RT-yRjqL7t/s320/20240118_100718.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A bit farther along, the water works by the mills were united into a single lake rather than separate streams.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-n_oo3k1G8jUXCJ24zMPMOcIelNj8YcdRqsFfENYRKK1a0Wb0mg9qrprZHdHngjNv4YBGXVjIBQx7WwmkO7DJyPWk_Hujn7ptTAMsbq7a8ERvxqe7MKc45JbjJ2kllwzQ7vHTT_LmysNabMxCDDMd7aLrruUkJLk7giSy1uxK9a7HEJKxM-G8F_nzwYl1/s4032/20240118_105239.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-n_oo3k1G8jUXCJ24zMPMOcIelNj8YcdRqsFfENYRKK1a0Wb0mg9qrprZHdHngjNv4YBGXVjIBQx7WwmkO7DJyPWk_Hujn7ptTAMsbq7a8ERvxqe7MKc45JbjJ2kllwzQ7vHTT_LmysNabMxCDDMd7aLrruUkJLk7giSy1uxK9a7HEJKxM-G8F_nzwYl1/s320/20240118_105239.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjohvg17BlfMaX5q8cW-RRQX83KxffvphzjgUxFUnyPmh0xRP63iCR95fh87e27BNf-ckvFggZLubzr8_atmJ64kTCr8aE5H4TfT_ZyWwrHfGlr0j0UAihMcHe-oa_i1Jo1KTygsZ7sWjhLd2vCYlT7ESfd4GHQZGXdGYLptTQjZxW3KvZ8n1b-DM9DfPZ/s4032/20240118_111258.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjohvg17BlfMaX5q8cW-RRQX83KxffvphzjgUxFUnyPmh0xRP63iCR95fh87e27BNf-ckvFggZLubzr8_atmJ64kTCr8aE5H4TfT_ZyWwrHfGlr0j0UAihMcHe-oa_i1Jo1KTygsZ7sWjhLd2vCYlT7ESfd4GHQZGXdGYLptTQjZxW3KvZ8n1b-DM9DfPZ/s320/20240118_111258.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>And on the way back, a dip in the field next to the path, turned into a river and poured itself onto the path.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5skk4sOchFiRDgj_r9B3unV-J0-agOObfJBdyj5alLEcW8gr_BUlLqM_e8IlVm188c2N8Q7XrNLWaILlt02Dc30dJSPqh3XXqGc0BqhhgI_192Osbv4dJMbpEMvKFacAFFtldbjZhp440GK65gdWZANxniFsDgMFfJyWH1JPhDmYa8fYhIZ1jiIGz42u/s4032/20240118_113219.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5skk4sOchFiRDgj_r9B3unV-J0-agOObfJBdyj5alLEcW8gr_BUlLqM_e8IlVm188c2N8Q7XrNLWaILlt02Dc30dJSPqh3XXqGc0BqhhgI_192Osbv4dJMbpEMvKFacAFFtldbjZhp440GK65gdWZANxniFsDgMFfJyWH1JPhDmYa8fYhIZ1jiIGz42u/s320/20240118_113219.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpq5yPn_mCuCy5oa5dPvmM1_DCeNCuP-mBPHAguNgr2OW_5SnZFJH_aQcy3BWCqZFMJeSJlVc_XL4KdKnRdOCco9CoSGcM0be7zGW8B2J-9ww-todRTbUlk6coFErUotzy5sLHX-RHxiLkscnOS3uRsQsQN-YCP14jJgsxTOzSSdSAGwo8Kq4oqOpioDO/s4032/20240118_113345.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpq5yPn_mCuCy5oa5dPvmM1_DCeNCuP-mBPHAguNgr2OW_5SnZFJH_aQcy3BWCqZFMJeSJlVc_XL4KdKnRdOCco9CoSGcM0be7zGW8B2J-9ww-todRTbUlk6coFErUotzy5sLHX-RHxiLkscnOS3uRsQsQN-YCP14jJgsxTOzSSdSAGwo8Kq4oqOpioDO/s320/20240118_113345.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>At this point I had to turn back at get home by a different route.<br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-17308305476626206132023-12-20T02:30:00.000-08:002023-12-20T02:30:52.376-08:00Mince Pies<p>It's mince pie time. Not a tradition in France. We make these delicacies every year, and one time we took a batch to our french guests in the gîte who were staying over Christmas. We collected most of the pies back once they had left; not a mistake we will repeat.</p><p>We do share them with friends - we don't know if they really like them, or are just being polite, but it's nice to share anyway.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4qhkWoMoCaXJXW25_Egv39L8oiRfOoepTSDPBxA9qIAfeo_p4RunW6EFPNbAEj8KroGwgoCBYPD-88AOtmxmF8O0JNU6NoTTAIg5CAtFzYzXZdL-GYRTgPn9BYTTqmPycCK5jAjB__cFcbzxiEU1a1XfDevp9ziuRP6wQ2-hz-xpSf1W6Qjnc3ifeT4cW/s4032/20231218_160727.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4qhkWoMoCaXJXW25_Egv39L8oiRfOoepTSDPBxA9qIAfeo_p4RunW6EFPNbAEj8KroGwgoCBYPD-88AOtmxmF8O0JNU6NoTTAIg5CAtFzYzXZdL-GYRTgPn9BYTTqmPycCK5jAjB__cFcbzxiEU1a1XfDevp9ziuRP6wQ2-hz-xpSf1W6Qjnc3ifeT4cW/s320/20231218_160727.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7Zamo0bBRffGqHRUYOktDr3N0amfnkHuRsV_oPZiDhl_wGSEvCN4Ft3W5P3i3vLu1LRnSaHs-sGuEr2VFmSDulMchS4GNEgvobDM9SOGFvLKWC2iiHOM75lNSbjo1WNnNdtfke07n2azHOFNGMtdPrk7S65LA-sS4OWhP8ws7_fJ1lA7VNEEqxv79k66/s4032/20231220_101952.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7Zamo0bBRffGqHRUYOktDr3N0amfnkHuRsV_oPZiDhl_wGSEvCN4Ft3W5P3i3vLu1LRnSaHs-sGuEr2VFmSDulMchS4GNEgvobDM9SOGFvLKWC2iiHOM75lNSbjo1WNnNdtfke07n2azHOFNGMtdPrk7S65LA-sS4OWhP8ws7_fJ1lA7VNEEqxv79k66/s320/20231220_101952.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0gOcpI8XCpceCc0ftGDdrQREJIi7WEQ_r7P4NFAFaS8kn3R6z1irF2ZLQvvgIztbRzuXA0qJJWePI9Gps5f83W3PYfCXe30aYBbQ4Eqioka89-Rz7_s_rKDhdw_ALLDYzAHqBq3yYpFy_eWHA9ifUhgjA1Lj8HVIxAE6m5bogkkTd-HTfm2psSXc2R6Vs/s4032/20231220_105841.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0gOcpI8XCpceCc0ftGDdrQREJIi7WEQ_r7P4NFAFaS8kn3R6z1irF2ZLQvvgIztbRzuXA0qJJWePI9Gps5f83W3PYfCXe30aYBbQ4Eqioka89-Rz7_s_rKDhdw_ALLDYzAHqBq3yYpFy_eWHA9ifUhgjA1Lj8HVIxAE6m5bogkkTd-HTfm2psSXc2R6Vs/s320/20231220_105841.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkLJS-lWDqnmETCSigV7HysfgL8W1wlbp5IoR9tJrMy7JNUATjk94NyK_OhrdaN67tEPo18WhT03nmcScj0lUz8avd47glrAzaByyGtgbwcfgMErmenSQSgVXpNrQJPHmDctzbtWpgjRzWNkWZgaZpGg5teox-9sexeVlgnWNgpsxzVBhIsEdnSrBDoPe/s4032/20231220_111030.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkLJS-lWDqnmETCSigV7HysfgL8W1wlbp5IoR9tJrMy7JNUATjk94NyK_OhrdaN67tEPo18WhT03nmcScj0lUz8avd47glrAzaByyGtgbwcfgMErmenSQSgVXpNrQJPHmDctzbtWpgjRzWNkWZgaZpGg5teox-9sexeVlgnWNgpsxzVBhIsEdnSrBDoPe/s320/20231220_111030.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-25711711288141654752023-12-17T12:33:00.000-08:002023-12-17T12:33:30.326-08:00The Christmas spirit.....<p> ....hits St Pierre sur Erve.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWS2zy5sSqtKTrMFBQ-bHY5yw7yGbrp-qIZ3lHiNTp_4FTacPyO5jInaAtHMkgCvuaaa-nbMSq-ja1QF9UgNStopG8zr7zFoSc4m_WpJYjSjqFWdSf9g4HnKgFjyGSp8NWTY-ShEcIQjLDA-VXtopfCPcx1hDm0RPx4zRaq7pJzbx2oGXK-cvEmS7fs6X4/s4032/20231217_153051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWS2zy5sSqtKTrMFBQ-bHY5yw7yGbrp-qIZ3lHiNTp_4FTacPyO5jInaAtHMkgCvuaaa-nbMSq-ja1QF9UgNStopG8zr7zFoSc4m_WpJYjSjqFWdSf9g4HnKgFjyGSp8NWTY-ShEcIQjLDA-VXtopfCPcx1hDm0RPx4zRaq7pJzbx2oGXK-cvEmS7fs6X4/s320/20231217_153051.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-67073576699217772132023-11-29T06:57:00.000-08:002023-11-29T06:57:09.006-08:00Like for like<p>I have been thinking that to help me keep my seed potatoes from sprouting over winter, a fridge might offer a good solution. So, finding myself at a loose end in a supermarket recently, I was wandering around looking at the fridges.</p><p>I was intrigued the other day by a poor energy rating (F) given to a highly efficient light bulb (an LED), so I paid attention to the energy labels on the fridges. I saw two apparently equal-sized fridges, one rated F, the other rated E. According to the label, the E one consumed 141 KWh per year, that is more than the F one that consumed only 112. They both appeared to be the same size. What is going on? </p><p>Aha! The E one has a freezer compartment inside at the top, the F one does not. The fridge compartment is therefore a bit smaller than the F one. So, apparently, fridges with a freezer bit are assessed differently: they are allowed to consume more electricity and still get a better rating. Not comparing like with like.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLXSQilMNfOF2yuue5UfDx_tRFwrQUn07B-p4rIoY_RX1zW65ig4qu4dxsuwEy_juyvNVX7x1ks55Ghn4X4XHJCW74qzMoX7kkF-Db-rI-Aib5waibRJ8rceEpx3aNUKseYaFCaBfPUZsXbfqkW7W0Y87T17LF3uswnJQtN4ZHAMh_zDAP5u1W2I1234K/s4032/20231123_140010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLXSQilMNfOF2yuue5UfDx_tRFwrQUn07B-p4rIoY_RX1zW65ig4qu4dxsuwEy_juyvNVX7x1ks55Ghn4X4XHJCW74qzMoX7kkF-Db-rI-Aib5waibRJ8rceEpx3aNUKseYaFCaBfPUZsXbfqkW7W0Y87T17LF3uswnJQtN4ZHAMh_zDAP5u1W2I1234K/s320/20231123_140010.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzD77BYRxLMFqM47FPiy_UxM9hxaeNTKmPIg6PEKNu3UErFG96AZrnjU8yB_TL_zlS5BURyEXNgoOceW1A_ZzlxBjCM1oKM8mVpJZgZCFHHtGjYGzwz9CNH6AhaQeBARkeIYGOqKC3ug6sYa2sWn4LsWVmpYy0rTGGjQSoVAfSgNuAYAkxKzzzMLCoNaa/s4032/20231123_140019.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzD77BYRxLMFqM47FPiy_UxM9hxaeNTKmPIg6PEKNu3UErFG96AZrnjU8yB_TL_zlS5BURyEXNgoOceW1A_ZzlxBjCM1oKM8mVpJZgZCFHHtGjYGzwz9CNH6AhaQeBARkeIYGOqKC3ug6sYa2sWn4LsWVmpYy0rTGGjQSoVAfSgNuAYAkxKzzzMLCoNaa/s320/20231123_140019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Wandering on, I found a tall fridge with no freezer compartment but a bigger capacity (263 litres instead of 127 litres - twice as much as the F one above. It consumes 133KWh per year vs 112, that is 18% more. Energy rating also F.</p><p>So a fridge with twice the capacity for only 18% more electricity consumption doesn't appear to be more efficient? <i>On marche sur la tête</i>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1JZ3nz3z4Iv30lnPpyCs-RdOlq_Ndv5AHBb9sgtoOqvlXabvbNg1ol9njcrmFQHLBeKXOzDILL5w1HmYNn7RtEmNPAuYe895w-Ip1xfDE1o8IaABbQ0iZUsJJRpzSxMIageW1Gq2u6BcpCG54i5Rvkxm2JyBo-2ObXYb8YH0omTEMXlpHy6mvhG64BRg/s4032/20231123_140205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1JZ3nz3z4Iv30lnPpyCs-RdOlq_Ndv5AHBb9sgtoOqvlXabvbNg1ol9njcrmFQHLBeKXOzDILL5w1HmYNn7RtEmNPAuYe895w-Ip1xfDE1o8IaABbQ0iZUsJJRpzSxMIageW1Gq2u6BcpCG54i5Rvkxm2JyBo-2ObXYb8YH0omTEMXlpHy6mvhG64BRg/s320/20231123_140205.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Beware simple labels. I ignore "nutri-score" labels for much the same reason.<br /><p><br /></p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-2260874999172145802023-11-28T11:47:00.000-08:002023-11-28T11:57:20.670-08:00Walking on your head<p>In France, the phrase "on marche sur la tête" is used to indicate that something crazy or idiotic is going on. The idea is currently being used by farmers to protest the increasing difficulty of growing or producing food, due to growing constraints and regulation by the state. The method? Turning village road signs on their heads. Simple, non-destructive, easy to do, and it gets the point across.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2sN2xCl8qcvVQpNQkLrLSbDU4qvPG6JluA74SELuePHC93KZEiUZQ_dGseaqXiCR0_R4LFLVmu0nHLXU0JoaqbzI7G3fhlk_-LQXK0dS35x8qnpQ3UGG08H3DFWiB4HuG9FzQy_0gNWOoJAe2SRh4_Nl6yMmM-Mfc4ATx2sIlgnKHBICjSNdyoo1dyqNL/s4032/20231128_155212.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2sN2xCl8qcvVQpNQkLrLSbDU4qvPG6JluA74SELuePHC93KZEiUZQ_dGseaqXiCR0_R4LFLVmu0nHLXU0JoaqbzI7G3fhlk_-LQXK0dS35x8qnpQ3UGG08H3DFWiB4HuG9FzQy_0gNWOoJAe2SRh4_Nl6yMmM-Mfc4ATx2sIlgnKHBICjSNdyoo1dyqNL/s320/20231128_155212.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-15054876309302537142023-11-20T05:52:00.000-08:002023-11-20T05:52:22.049-08:00High energy<p>It so happened that I needed to replace a light bulb in one of the gîte toilets. The old one had failed after about 15 years, so it was time.</p><p>LEDs are the technology of choice these days, since they are many times more efficient at converting electricity to light than the old incandescent bulbs. So I was surprised to find that the LED bulbs that I had selected had an energy rating of F, that is the second-worst of all possibles. </p><p>I checked, and yes, the LEDs had a power consuption of just 7.8 Watts, a bit more than 7 times more efficient than a 60W incandescent bulb. 7.8W hardly registers on the electricity meter. Curious, I looked around, and the best energy rating I could find for a similar light bulb was C, on a 60W bulb that consumed only 5.9 W, and that, incidentally, cost twice as much. A quick calculation tells me that perhaps, over the 15 year life of the bulb, the more expensive one would pay for itself, just about. But hey, I'll take the saving now, thanks; I might not be around in 15 years.</p><p>You can still get incandescent halogen bulbs that are slightly more efficient (about 5% more) than the old standard incandescents. They get an energy rating of G, presumably because the scale stops at G and doesn't go on to Z. People could take that to mean that the halogens are only a bit worse than LEDs when in fact they consume <i>7 times as much</i> electricity. On the other hand, the change from energy rating D to F in this case indicates an increase in energy consumption of about one third. Nuts.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAKBiYh0rsgP4gNqDcKXP3rLbav6AoBDNf73cKhPWXSx9VlR7HqcC1BhOEeF3fWSON3CrYF6bTIz27Cw22gE0q1OihJzcjHYvVMQXo7Fu2VtMFuDlVr4OJUisE2iIVWNvMs4t5M6QCOHjTFRMVLXi4_n1msTpgslcEcLbCiWMnH5zBpvj-pXP-xXYU5vt/s4032/20231118_132707.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAKBiYh0rsgP4gNqDcKXP3rLbav6AoBDNf73cKhPWXSx9VlR7HqcC1BhOEeF3fWSON3CrYF6bTIz27Cw22gE0q1OihJzcjHYvVMQXo7Fu2VtMFuDlVr4OJUisE2iIVWNvMs4t5M6QCOHjTFRMVLXi4_n1msTpgslcEcLbCiWMnH5zBpvj-pXP-xXYU5vt/s320/20231118_132707.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDu_HJfaX_mpd1U0JXHFKPA9oVS6pj2RLTnHENnwBS8k5VS6_ooisH4zeCm9zQfvyYifnKRWF0QH7n3QeHMs-2BD9idsY1uWkc6cYPfN_czjdGatyGst1muuCNLu0duv5jK4nKFRrzeVIshmsKEUsyVW4KOalswGtn5Dxjn6bMHKJ9fZLiL-NQNtX-Z1Js/s4032/20231118_132937.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDu_HJfaX_mpd1U0JXHFKPA9oVS6pj2RLTnHENnwBS8k5VS6_ooisH4zeCm9zQfvyYifnKRWF0QH7n3QeHMs-2BD9idsY1uWkc6cYPfN_czjdGatyGst1muuCNLu0duv5jK4nKFRrzeVIshmsKEUsyVW4KOalswGtn5Dxjn6bMHKJ9fZLiL-NQNtX-Z1Js/s320/20231118_132937.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>(There are three bulbs in the €9.49 pack, one in the €6.59 pack)</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-82008833511272776182023-11-19T00:17:00.000-08:002023-11-19T00:17:05.537-08:00Entr'aide<p>There's a strong community spirit at St Pierre sur Erve, and one of the manifestations is the existance of a Whatsapp group for entraide. Need help? Got anything to offer? Make it known on the group, and you have a good chance of getting or giving help.</p><p>My neighbour needed some work done on the gable ends of his roof. A short message on Whatsapp, and 4 extras came on site to help. The jobs were: breaking rocks, mixing the mortar, getting the stuff up onto the scaffolding, and finally putting it all into place. Done in half a day.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwECnEmfpCxxMwVmMiLSgt32-rBlJH-JaFoc_KSIXnPQf1krASOX_3ICFBDg2z_NbvfbzPsgr0jlhtxKHcHzHbNFH6xeWknYiCT03SI-r2fxFn3eDBHyLKXiiZqCd_EhA97hwhiIB35zOSGDOT8QavPCUbhYV7qRepaWbjKSrjaVrlX8135TjA0jf5XXon/s4032/20231031_092620.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwECnEmfpCxxMwVmMiLSgt32-rBlJH-JaFoc_KSIXnPQf1krASOX_3ICFBDg2z_NbvfbzPsgr0jlhtxKHcHzHbNFH6xeWknYiCT03SI-r2fxFn3eDBHyLKXiiZqCd_EhA97hwhiIB35zOSGDOT8QavPCUbhYV7qRepaWbjKSrjaVrlX8135TjA0jf5XXon/s320/20231031_092620.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbX6NFSopLDG1_kemYUBOlH1ETxH2cpI-VLxItafhYUToAs-msar_S8ZjxRHWfKkaNqvFYLvPLtH65LNbIlCUxNZ7xpjB5oOuVNZZgwusDmFq1uL3KA1ucTdPTg0cucDhiGZBNyJ49l3Ec2dbYuikd_Jl4GRqHRvxvBXW7-XnxYzUqteU2NiAmh4gboncF/s4032/20231031_095100.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbX6NFSopLDG1_kemYUBOlH1ETxH2cpI-VLxItafhYUToAs-msar_S8ZjxRHWfKkaNqvFYLvPLtH65LNbIlCUxNZ7xpjB5oOuVNZZgwusDmFq1uL3KA1ucTdPTg0cucDhiGZBNyJ49l3Ec2dbYuikd_Jl4GRqHRvxvBXW7-XnxYzUqteU2NiAmh4gboncF/s320/20231031_095100.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELz5pvxVpSz7or-7IuROLqxQ1I5qoGhp4JXB6p4LE974BD_dHPkBQ_cH6yF-Lhept4OGzeMeYMadOpygiYESqulaB3KyYnJ_2DQbxci5uQ_lwYaVNNbqpIzEUhGi3MgDPpELM3k83_pDngzYTVUhuCRebyyquKM9SfhEgXHq-2yNlc5aW8HrNjRR6FvPL/s4032/20231031_095052.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELz5pvxVpSz7or-7IuROLqxQ1I5qoGhp4JXB6p4LE974BD_dHPkBQ_cH6yF-Lhept4OGzeMeYMadOpygiYESqulaB3KyYnJ_2DQbxci5uQ_lwYaVNNbqpIzEUhGi3MgDPpELM3k83_pDngzYTVUhuCRebyyquKM9SfhEgXHq-2yNlc5aW8HrNjRR6FvPL/s320/20231031_095052.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9oQ9KM-vVRWXtJhIozGdu5SAwskAG2jWtXGp065ywFBu_ymJG2c6fYnPvQ93hSMiHkSuqIUyNLX9XZALXQHwHZ0Pq7fyANjVErTweihTidVn24yAicIjUJlk99MPvSL3ob232mSgGrOx-p80Tv09_hXlIrKsnfNflJcvY-1fEz_bSG3vC6mAxiSkGBdG/s4032/20231031_105405.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9oQ9KM-vVRWXtJhIozGdu5SAwskAG2jWtXGp065ywFBu_ymJG2c6fYnPvQ93hSMiHkSuqIUyNLX9XZALXQHwHZ0Pq7fyANjVErTweihTidVn24yAicIjUJlk99MPvSL3ob232mSgGrOx-p80Tv09_hXlIrKsnfNflJcvY-1fEz_bSG3vC6mAxiSkGBdG/s320/20231031_105405.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Come the crash, St Pierre sur Erve is better placed than many.<br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-67488421710195418742023-11-05T11:58:00.002-08:002023-11-06T01:13:53.472-08:00Value<p>I suppose that value, in the general sense, is a subjective thing. I don't mean price, I mean the worth, the benefit that something offers, and what that represents to the individual.</p><p>My sister uses a lot of wine for cooking, and since we will be seeing her in England shortly, she asked us to bring from France all the wine that we are permitted, at no more than €2 a bottle. It's getting harder to find drinkable wine at that price in France, but it can be done.</p><p>As it happened, we found ourselves in Laval recently, where there is a Noz, what the French would call a "hard discount" supermarket, that is, a cross between a low-end supermarket and a rummage sale. We went in on a wine hunt.</p><p>One of the things about the French is that when it comes to wine, they tend not to drink "foreign rubbish". This means that if you can find it, good quality non-french wine can be had at low prices. So it turned out to be in our Noz, and we stocked up with 20 bottles of wine, portugese, italian, spanish, and some french, for about €37.50 in total. There's a risk of some duds, of course, but it's good odds.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPyTyODgO1XixMXNmUM6fuR8KzLxv8NVCYMcfasBQE3UNBqR-tugasbI_rrVwxbO0zMbjBu_C-qToCBjKlniBKPz4fV1VUsgkwWOfmI2MOlfJwHkGJ8VFWpYCwYKWkI7jirB192Xj0A-ahp6ICwS4iqi6UM76s9TUaBmcqrwoE9YAibOVRrPaLIB7i1Bg/s3840/IMG-20231103-WA0000.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPyTyODgO1XixMXNmUM6fuR8KzLxv8NVCYMcfasBQE3UNBqR-tugasbI_rrVwxbO0zMbjBu_C-qToCBjKlniBKPz4fV1VUsgkwWOfmI2MOlfJwHkGJ8VFWpYCwYKWkI7jirB192Xj0A-ahp6ICwS4iqi6UM76s9TUaBmcqrwoE9YAibOVRrPaLIB7i1Bg/s320/IMG-20231103-WA0000.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p>There was coincidentally, a wine tasting in our local bistrot the other day. An independent producer, growing his own grapes (grenache) and making his own wine. He told us about the different <i>terroirs </i>that he managed, and presented a bottle from each of three different areas, all growing the same grape variety. The first we thought was a bit rough but as described; fruity with strong cherry notes. The second was very pleasant, round and smooth, and the third was somewhere between the two.</p><p>Now any event in the bistrot tends to be a social affair, and after the first bottle was tasted, one of our locals decided that he wanted to buy a bottle and share it around. Our vigneron refused to sell until he had finished his spiel and had everyone taste all three. A small rebellion ensued and a bottle of supermarket bordeaux was opened and shared, stage left, while the tasting continued centre stage. As you can imagine, there was an "atmosphere".</p><p>I have done some selling in a previous life, and I know that giving a spiel is easy, and closing a sale is difficult. So when someone says, in effect, "shut up and take my money", that is exactly what you do. Spieling can always continue later.</p><p>Anyway, the rougher wine turned out to be available at around €17 the bottle, while the stuff we liked was over €40. I like to support the little guy and am prepared to pay a bit over the odds to help him along. But there are limits, and I'm sure that the subtleties of a €44 bottle vs say, a €10 bottle are lost on me. We didn't buy any. And I'm sure my sister will get more pleasure out of 20 bottles from Noz that she would have from one bottle of grenache.</p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-65241663701206788512023-10-22T08:05:00.001-07:002023-10-22T08:05:31.016-07:00L'île Rousse, CorsicaOur second stop on the Club Med 2 cruise was on Ile Rousse in the North of Corsica. Corsica is mountainous, and travel from valley to valley was difficult in the past, so villages in the same valley tended to form their own cultures. Our tour guide told us (a few times) that she was from the micro-region of La Balagne, one of several throughout the island.<div><br /></div><div>Politically, Corsica has been a football between France and Italy. It had a short period of independence before France definitively took control of the island in 1793 and made it a Département 3 years later.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was impressed by the little village of Pigna, where the locals have developed an annual music <a href="https://www.voce.corsica" target="_blank">festival</a> based around their own small auditorium. I bought a couple of CDs that were on sale in the musical instrument museum; I figure I'm unlikely to get another opportunity to hear traditional corsican music. Though maybe I could go to their festival when it comes around again.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtq_EaQ7I8h0uRMGYbWovFZQmjhOK1tmQCJZ8xKMDRklV2Goh1JYmoS4hweKA4-TnD_tzUJZ-e5Y1iMP2u7iJjQwWUQkWb5TbkfhcpN5CrOXmj5HlBD6mGsiqvfKxeyj_2gnvl2FL1YpYSqRflKBy81tdA0KdhRdS49Eg4-PUysd0mUn436bN9kukd7fl/s4608/DSCN3590.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtq_EaQ7I8h0uRMGYbWovFZQmjhOK1tmQCJZ8xKMDRklV2Goh1JYmoS4hweKA4-TnD_tzUJZ-e5Y1iMP2u7iJjQwWUQkWb5TbkfhcpN5CrOXmj5HlBD6mGsiqvfKxeyj_2gnvl2FL1YpYSqRflKBy81tdA0KdhRdS49Eg4-PUysd0mUn436bN9kukd7fl/s320/DSCN3590.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipS9d2lBtVXGzhY_SqFscYs5uXONqH-Vaf1mi5e1lnZtMvLf4btc7CSFcdXKUFbiV4gmrdEHjAXWxST0XIhRL4sNJlg41vSKtpfJgUSA-c0m85O_7R7-c3vaQzqtgiFPm5BZEZm42y3aOzbSyBKlksDmLG2DPv0b37DdraynazPGj7jsqo4mWUoT3xZjbI/s4608/DSCN3598.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipS9d2lBtVXGzhY_SqFscYs5uXONqH-Vaf1mi5e1lnZtMvLf4btc7CSFcdXKUFbiV4gmrdEHjAXWxST0XIhRL4sNJlg41vSKtpfJgUSA-c0m85O_7R7-c3vaQzqtgiFPm5BZEZm42y3aOzbSyBKlksDmLG2DPv0b37DdraynazPGj7jsqo4mWUoT3xZjbI/s320/DSCN3598.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A couple of other irrelevant observations. Pigna is apprently free of carbon dioxide, so I'm not sure what the residents are breathing. And their cats were cute.<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-52233428251853389712023-10-18T09:20:00.005-07:002023-10-18T09:28:12.507-07:00My WISE account update<p>Following the difficulties in getting Wise's AI software to recognise my perfectly good proof of ID, (see <a href="https://acorneroffrance.blogspot.com/2023/09/my-wise-bank-account.html" target="_blank">here</a>) I sent them good copies with a mugshot via their website contact page. I told them that they could accept this proof of ID or close my account; their call, and I drained my account.</p><p>Since then, the red flashes demanding proof of ID that appeared on my smartphone Wise app and on my Wise website login page have disappeared and I can still log in to my account. I'm not sure what this means.</p><p>I haven't tried to use it (no need yet) and the deadline for my using their AI software for proof of ID isn't until a week or so, so I will see what happens.</p><p>As an aside, I have good anecdotal evidence that French banks are rejecting 94% of mortgage applications. Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a doozy.</p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-24289881090606325902023-10-18T03:07:00.002-07:002023-10-18T09:28:58.113-07:00Portofino<p>Trips from the boat to shore were made using a little tender. The sea was calm throughout the whole cruise, and our first stop was at Portofino in Italy. A prettly little fishing village in the past, now a tourist destination, with a row of quayside cafés and restaurants, and a castle and lighthouse to visit. It's known for its colourful houses fronting the harbour. No shortage of money there, either.</p><p>We sat outside enjoying a quiet cup of coffee, then I went up the long, steep and narrow stairs to the castle that's also a museum, at the top of the hill. Fabulous views. I came back down through the pretty museum gardens that offer different views over the countryside and town.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmsPcCrpF-eLK0TCmgPw5JMPq-gVrDLV8_cYTwcDmbZSsmIncRmTVRIhuOd_yfXU6yhQSuZd1eIVNEYiqVQEQu4iV1xvH97L9Bd78-ney9v9vfeaGgGa6mz7cZFvc9D-LUj43F54eHTKj0cdCUiKkiIaNoFbMHVJfw8rd5GhSK_qm_ZnJpPW6b1oVIChw/s4608/DSCN3532.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmsPcCrpF-eLK0TCmgPw5JMPq-gVrDLV8_cYTwcDmbZSsmIncRmTVRIhuOd_yfXU6yhQSuZd1eIVNEYiqVQEQu4iV1xvH97L9Bd78-ney9v9vfeaGgGa6mz7cZFvc9D-LUj43F54eHTKj0cdCUiKkiIaNoFbMHVJfw8rd5GhSK_qm_ZnJpPW6b1oVIChw/s320/DSCN3532.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrIF9ithvYNwFhUGTwu6fGYCGYaVDQ1vUIlnJokJ9I8ixOL3N-6SMsVsCrg7TWXqGsLNofmlRud9mGub1pv4uYBrkoWeke2bsrWSSDUHlp0a8F_x5fTKguVn8iZEfzD7Icyx5EbjhSrDzEKzo0viimsIpCNf5yvJ0Yeku5oKAJQ3DMCMRz7NvExP5DYTB/s4032/20231010_110244.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrIF9ithvYNwFhUGTwu6fGYCGYaVDQ1vUIlnJokJ9I8ixOL3N-6SMsVsCrg7TWXqGsLNofmlRud9mGub1pv4uYBrkoWeke2bsrWSSDUHlp0a8F_x5fTKguVn8iZEfzD7Icyx5EbjhSrDzEKzo0viimsIpCNf5yvJ0Yeku5oKAJQ3DMCMRz7NvExP5DYTB/s320/20231010_110244.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-45MS0Pq5WRopQlq0nQp5SjKSBn2voq5De7XeFxfbtBkNiiyglDkqTJK-vmDIaHaiKjfQZifvLfHohWiNgC6kgHhr6sao_q8W_rEuuV3PTcSOTnHC0q2k00Ef2NgzvJkm4XZiBD5YfVCcxXd_yzBQD_g4yEN7CcIlOo-iaEwyQ_OpHtkp8KPm66eDJAT/s4608/DSCN3536.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-45MS0Pq5WRopQlq0nQp5SjKSBn2voq5De7XeFxfbtBkNiiyglDkqTJK-vmDIaHaiKjfQZifvLfHohWiNgC6kgHhr6sao_q8W_rEuuV3PTcSOTnHC0q2k00Ef2NgzvJkm4XZiBD5YfVCcxXd_yzBQD_g4yEN7CcIlOo-iaEwyQ_OpHtkp8KPm66eDJAT/s320/DSCN3536.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJwYMAKTtqLHgUmL2E-KsiFu5YaIJVhq2NloAI1ws0ZLRE14fVZfrCD0LG9xZyOIaOPbY4CR21i7r9dSLvYLkUbk1tHatDfFAgA02VAlQnUnMMmbQkpc4JYkB7X7Ric3yWmmYElx5sfElCAwX9I0eZiWpW9ndh29jXnqzcSR6nQY6lEGOezBJywoD4OfPr/s4608/DSCN3543.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJwYMAKTtqLHgUmL2E-KsiFu5YaIJVhq2NloAI1ws0ZLRE14fVZfrCD0LG9xZyOIaOPbY4CR21i7r9dSLvYLkUbk1tHatDfFAgA02VAlQnUnMMmbQkpc4JYkB7X7Ric3yWmmYElx5sfElCAwX9I0eZiWpW9ndh29jXnqzcSR6nQY6lEGOezBJywoD4OfPr/s320/DSCN3543.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-73977564774657695262023-10-14T06:11:00.002-07:002023-10-14T06:15:55.202-07:00The good ship Club Med 2<p>We're just back from a short cruise on the sailing/motor cruiser Club Med 2. A great experience, we can recommend. The ship itself has 5 masts, and if I understood the captain correctly, has both electric and diesel engines. And sails. I am told that the sails, averaged over a year's cruising, save about 20% to 25% on the fuel. Made in France.</p><p>The onboard facilities are excellent. The cabin was spacious and comfortable. The drinks are all included, even the very acceptable Champage that was served every evening after 6PM. The food was as good as you might find in a very posh onshore restaurant, and available either as a buffet, or in the waiter-served restaurant. Apéros were served from 7:30 PM.</p><p>The crew were efficient and friendly, and the systems and procedures onboard seemed to work like a charm. Or clockwork.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSMwTAlAQIm_LLKMR8RMjitwA97bbq1lu6bB-rzyq7xXT9jHTEiyho9dHD2JFRz2KKlcICQ33ooFWD0Fde9RXhY9H8FA6MwF6SPmOKMfTokSN7hDqDlPZnIjirUA13n0j_rg3mRUfNuxYBmCcF1Z3IeH-NhGrJGLDuPWmT29OVlrUqT7zx9Ig4AamT958p/s4032/20231010_113048.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSMwTAlAQIm_LLKMR8RMjitwA97bbq1lu6bB-rzyq7xXT9jHTEiyho9dHD2JFRz2KKlcICQ33ooFWD0Fde9RXhY9H8FA6MwF6SPmOKMfTokSN7hDqDlPZnIjirUA13n0j_rg3mRUfNuxYBmCcF1Z3IeH-NhGrJGLDuPWmT29OVlrUqT7zx9Ig4AamT958p/s320/20231010_113048.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkMn4F2uBGnfgb11fadFwp-nYe21pINP0Ma35pKFZGBDHx_h0hCz-3QWPei0dB7Mfz42exp8xg5wA3zmJR5Unau_-G1-UKZSMT149wJBgj2FgxJRU-D1cd3xZuneob191E2rJwURBVK99L3i4UYCBQ2lM76GtMPe9jUZAL5yob8d_Ti97vUlWSq7j9luN/s4032/20231010_184432.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkMn4F2uBGnfgb11fadFwp-nYe21pINP0Ma35pKFZGBDHx_h0hCz-3QWPei0dB7Mfz42exp8xg5wA3zmJR5Unau_-G1-UKZSMT149wJBgj2FgxJRU-D1cd3xZuneob191E2rJwURBVK99L3i4UYCBQ2lM76GtMPe9jUZAL5yob8d_Ti97vUlWSq7j9luN/s320/20231010_184432.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>We set off from Nice, stopped at Portofino in Italy, Ile Rousse in Corsica, and Saint-Tropez. More later.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHAFSg5LwuP1ipICFpWEzAoyfGO4KtAETP9W6TTmeH25a4SvkZXL1WUbLXCeBiqTeSSrqfNmBDFZJz_2Vlq_BZguocSbY-iSUU_4RzYZIVq5CWP-NlWkOoyx5fqCdiv2pryL1wjulOQZTyyUvZGzP2Gyhqsle8YExJMwdkfgTWuUu4PgbGgFm6_X5Vc7L/s4608/DSCN3635.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHAFSg5LwuP1ipICFpWEzAoyfGO4KtAETP9W6TTmeH25a4SvkZXL1WUbLXCeBiqTeSSrqfNmBDFZJz_2Vlq_BZguocSbY-iSUU_4RzYZIVq5CWP-NlWkOoyx5fqCdiv2pryL1wjulOQZTyyUvZGzP2Gyhqsle8YExJMwdkfgTWuUu4PgbGgFm6_X5Vc7L/s320/DSCN3635.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-91973678439636958852023-10-03T02:23:00.002-07:002023-10-03T02:24:17.364-07:00Blight<p>My Box hedge is in a bad way. Apparently, I'm not the only one with this problem; box hedges are dying across western Europe. The attack comes in two waves. There's a moth whose caterpillar eats the leaves, and there's a fungus that attacks the leaves but not the roots. I sprayed with a biological weapon (bacillus thuringiensis) against the caterpillars, and I thought I'd done what was necessary, but no, the blight is coming for the second wave and this one I might not win.</p><p>I understand that there's a fungicide that can cure this, but it's hard to eradicate once established, and I think it can be said to be established in my hedge. Anita and I have spent the last couple of days cutting the hedge back and taking the cuttings to the dump. Fungicide is on order. But I'm not hopeful.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzxnMzSY0elUBejrr7NhcqjSpN66cx8qa_4kxEueyVKXxlY9tRJsodqkXPoopIJu-na0glycpnYNNqR9xP-XfZHEJ73AkfK-fsXbxt_KVUr2HVHKWWRlbF1n3gtCAKCRHBSNui2F7gY3prF08vari0FLIipcJJWYWVYpL4fv-X8zkcnw3PBeupVxR1NLX/s4608/DSCN3522.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzxnMzSY0elUBejrr7NhcqjSpN66cx8qa_4kxEueyVKXxlY9tRJsodqkXPoopIJu-na0glycpnYNNqR9xP-XfZHEJ73AkfK-fsXbxt_KVUr2HVHKWWRlbF1n3gtCAKCRHBSNui2F7gY3prF08vari0FLIipcJJWYWVYpL4fv-X8zkcnw3PBeupVxR1NLX/s320/DSCN3522.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCD5T1wMaRYaki3F1hkK1F_SlsAY6PX-_pDjFqKm4hyXfE61dBKdc9peRzoVOiDrshd2K0llJ4HoOQkGUa7p3BRhFrIA7pDj0A7eaqPcV0eoZ-Bk-SKfQcjtwaEv-PZT9Gzjc-PkQ0lineN2GALFU-_Apns1U8VEjvnNwMJMJUfQzx5qt7UMLaO8U7Vi3s/s4608/DSCN3523.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCD5T1wMaRYaki3F1hkK1F_SlsAY6PX-_pDjFqKm4hyXfE61dBKdc9peRzoVOiDrshd2K0llJ4HoOQkGUa7p3BRhFrIA7pDj0A7eaqPcV0eoZ-Bk-SKfQcjtwaEv-PZT9Gzjc-PkQ0lineN2GALFU-_Apns1U8VEjvnNwMJMJUfQzx5qt7UMLaO8U7Vi3s/s320/DSCN3523.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>I wouldn't mind so much, but the Box plants were about 6 inches high when planted some 17 years ago, and they have reached the height required just about now.</p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-35049114806575144892023-10-01T00:06:00.004-07:002023-10-01T00:06:39.936-07:00Harvest process<p>The fig tree has produced prolifically this year, so a fig pie is in order. Fig slices on an almod paste base. What's not to like?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK78N22KrQsdRfMd9x_ai1ixzXjlb0FyDhAPfvn1XNdYTHL-876usPU3xIx-V2Jnjh6_vYZK-viS4YmzfSBCVYZlTvvdOYR44X75-OZ8W9W5tv5c_56ONzK-5G9hRQGhBQ3VUiljqkxGnD/s4608/DSCN3519.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK78N22KrQsdRfMd9x_ai1ixzXjlb0FyDhAPfvn1XNdYTHL-876usPU3xIx-V2Jnjh6_vYZK-viS4YmzfSBCVYZlTvvdOYR44X75-OZ8W9W5tv5c_56ONzK-5G9hRQGhBQ3VUiljqkxGnD/s320/DSCN3519.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>And if there's nowhere to store the squash other than a kitchen shelf, might as make an artwork out of it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-yituUCzUroDdhvDO1O0_aKzb7rErUNL6ifViMsta148xXLxu_1Hy6gJH4-KexlTulkOlEI4cD6tR024eXAyru70yUNNkP2Yue740IDTteWp7detMMmyCdsuh8uMUHZreYyGp5InGt1JMPxPLs3AaAg1Gi3tiYTqksPR9VUL2Wyx0dX2YLkd4hyphenhyphenUuc3V1/s4608/DSCN3521.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-yituUCzUroDdhvDO1O0_aKzb7rErUNL6ifViMsta148xXLxu_1Hy6gJH4-KexlTulkOlEI4cD6tR024eXAyru70yUNNkP2Yue740IDTteWp7detMMmyCdsuh8uMUHZreYyGp5InGt1JMPxPLs3AaAg1Gi3tiYTqksPR9VUL2Wyx0dX2YLkd4hyphenhyphenUuc3V1/s320/DSCN3521.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-28410951205410812552023-09-29T04:18:00.013-07:002023-09-29T10:28:56.002-07:00My WISE bank account<p>Well, this is interesting</p><p>My WISE bank account providers have asked me to prove my identity within a month. Fair enough; after all, we do have to confine money laundering to the élite, don't we? After uploading my ID three times using my phone, and crashing out at the photo stage (I must have tried 10 times to upload an acceptable photo), I tried using the PC webcam instead. The site told me at the time that this had worked, but today it tells me that, in fact, it didn't really. Perhaps it was just having a little joke. It told me that I have to try again <i>and succeed</i> within two days or they'll send me my money back.</p><p>Well, there ain't no-one going to give me a one month deadline and then change it to 2 days when I try to comply. I'm not doing anything more until I hear from them about how they're going to solve this problem; we'll see what happens. As an alternative, I could easily scan the necessary documents and mail them, and they can get a human to verify that I really do look like an older version of my ID photo.</p>This is a <i>service </i>industry?<div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><p>I have communicated my thoughts to Wise via their website. I will keep you updated.</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Update: 29/09 19h24 Email from Wise: "The photos are too blurry." Response: Yes I know but I have tried enough times, so tell me where to send scanned documents and a selfie (by email)</span></p><p>Also email from Wise "We have detected unusual activity on your account and logged you out of all devices" Response: Probably fair enough, I don't usually make 3 separate attempts to upload a <i>carte d'identité</i> and crash out on attempting to upload a selfie. No email sent in response.</p></div>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-53854117229025276252023-09-13T02:19:00.000-07:002023-09-13T02:19:01.066-07:00Winter squash<p>The hot dry spell has ended, and it's raining. I have mature winter squash in the garden, and they risk splitting if the plant absorbs too much water, so I have to harvest them, at least the ripe ones.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJcSjLaWTak19eSOTW0RWnnUovUei2D94-i1nokL7nZTzahYGjmDjgOy-i7IUKDBYTSvhdmUPLJq4VWBOfJ4IZUOzA7nkLFnjrwVf6UvHb64XHM9DP0sTAu-DqLylVWqyed3ZY8LnVQ8fiPDvMSdnB_3K7_MwxI5Xi65IK05aGo-36l1wFgBSBEDucgf3/s4608/DSCN3518.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJcSjLaWTak19eSOTW0RWnnUovUei2D94-i1nokL7nZTzahYGjmDjgOy-i7IUKDBYTSvhdmUPLJq4VWBOfJ4IZUOzA7nkLFnjrwVf6UvHb64XHM9DP0sTAu-DqLylVWqyed3ZY8LnVQ8fiPDvMSdnB_3K7_MwxI5Xi65IK05aGo-36l1wFgBSBEDucgf3/s320/DSCN3518.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>I had quite given up on the possibility of getting any Butternut squash this year. I thought that the mice had eaten all of the seeds I had planted. But I stumbled across this enormous one today, and a couple more not yet ripe. The orange Kuri squash plants are always very vigorous and productive, and I have left several more fruits in the garden to ripen. The green and yellow striped ones are called "Honeyboat" and are quite sweet to eat.</p><p>I also have ripening some Musqé de Provence squash. I never quite know how to look after those. I have two enormous fruits ripening, (14 inches diameter) and some smaller unripe ones growing. I find that the ripening fruits can wither and die, even when they are 6 inches across or bigger. I am hoping that the big fruits have gone past that stage.</p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-21014384165687154222023-09-11T02:54:00.002-07:002023-09-11T03:07:51.372-07:00La fête du four<p>We have a communal bread oven in the village. It used to be used by all the villagers for baking bread, but now, even if the people wanted to bake their own bread, everyone has their own oven, so it has fallen into disuse.</p><p>But it still works, and it offers a good excuse for a shindig, and once a year it is fired up and is the focal point of a bring-and-share party for the locals. People bring their domestic speciality dishes, wine, pizzas, wine, potatoes, wine, salads, wine, fruit and wine in an extravaganza of bonhomie and gourmandise.</p><p>I didn't realise, but there is no fire in the oven while it is doing the actual cooking. It is heated by burning wood inside it, starting the day before, and on the day itself the burning wood is shuffled around the interior to heat it all evenly. The burning wood and embers are then scraped out, and the cooking is done using the heat retained by the brick walls. You can see the smoke coming out of the chmney from the fire the day before the fête.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bGp33ePHDco_Gr7k2oe2GJZc27_4K_cP9Bkx2sBm9T_WQrryAAzMFCUE_B-qprjjrnVflNRQvQn97AbZDFbLF8MDWxXgaSMCzjQoXfJ0YFozp7N-mK0EgSOka45ehE6rmGoGO7j1uZ6lFhjlKbtv0zzcSRumJkSZQC2TSLadz4dNIsCFZkUMNn4MJZvM/s4032/20230908_194220.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bGp33ePHDco_Gr7k2oe2GJZc27_4K_cP9Bkx2sBm9T_WQrryAAzMFCUE_B-qprjjrnVflNRQvQn97AbZDFbLF8MDWxXgaSMCzjQoXfJ0YFozp7N-mK0EgSOka45ehE6rmGoGO7j1uZ6lFhjlKbtv0zzcSRumJkSZQC2TSLadz4dNIsCFZkUMNn4MJZvM/s320/20230908_194220.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>To add to the fun, some coloured lights were hung up over the eating area, and since we were in the middle of a heat wave, all the tables and chairs were outside under the sky. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWPMSyH-Kumv8B4TpTJQk3bKMZttqDNuIoQJiC7uVu_6WdWmXa8rKe1JfnjLkuBjy15Q8JRRv7U_q1fhuuhE1vRNrPVKaGXVhcN4a19LDusJaYgdgw6miyydiHTilPMaPinEmHI9ndCxQmFZa8J-L604oKsWud887ATHV_UPvwoOWm5FV-QhJebOUFG9h/s4032/20230909_213408.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWPMSyH-Kumv8B4TpTJQk3bKMZttqDNuIoQJiC7uVu_6WdWmXa8rKe1JfnjLkuBjy15Q8JRRv7U_q1fhuuhE1vRNrPVKaGXVhcN4a19LDusJaYgdgw6miyydiHTilPMaPinEmHI9ndCxQmFZa8J-L604oKsWud887ATHV_UPvwoOWm5FV-QhJebOUFG9h/s320/20230909_213408.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-70033015661739155892023-09-09T04:26:00.000-07:002023-09-09T04:26:19.536-07:00I could give a fig<p>I'm proud of my fig tree. After many attempts and failures, I got a cutting to root, kept it indoors for its first Winter, then planted it out by a wall in a sheltered place. It has given a few figs before, but this year promises a bumper crop.</p><p>We have a "bring and share" meal in the village this evening, (more on this later) and these figs will be offered as a dessert for some lucky people.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEWpryi09Wg6YcG87RVWU5_5Fe7W_2X987w3X5zI7aM30T3SE5oJI7uUqT6vSbsaymulBA_MbaU_DgJgC6tQipBb-PVDcJHWKYjvT-w6ketwGzFQSdApDyVkLA3GYS-sK-xyWxo4_rE1quO79aj4zKqRMM_RUBY5skAe_aZ3oEx1xSRDqBXYOVP79ZoC5/s4032/20230909_130531.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEWpryi09Wg6YcG87RVWU5_5Fe7W_2X987w3X5zI7aM30T3SE5oJI7uUqT6vSbsaymulBA_MbaU_DgJgC6tQipBb-PVDcJHWKYjvT-w6ketwGzFQSdApDyVkLA3GYS-sK-xyWxo4_rE1quO79aj4zKqRMM_RUBY5skAe_aZ3oEx1xSRDqBXYOVP79ZoC5/s320/20230909_130531.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-59283503879879556632023-08-23T09:35:00.000-07:002023-08-23T09:35:15.376-07:00Special offer<p>I got a seed/plant catalogue in the post today. It features, amongst other things, a variety of onions. As you can see from this page, you can buy a package of 250 grams each of red, white and brown onion sets for just under €15. Or, for €20, you can get twice as much of each, exactly the same, if you buy them individually.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6Zh2L6xmtQffE43jSPuvg9jkiem_pC8QnKHFmPgjIZxYbkZOABq0BllZ5WfMbCvJngRi_AjRNOzfF8pKpNjdyHzhviXXr0VBAcWY6-eUCV-SbQ1AbzgohLa_U_fSwwMxhTdpkQx9Cy19pWSAt8BLS3c9wEP-YFMDYrq7Sj88uGFN11_p9_aAbO7EqClW/s5882/Onions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5882" data-original-width="4464" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6Zh2L6xmtQffE43jSPuvg9jkiem_pC8QnKHFmPgjIZxYbkZOABq0BllZ5WfMbCvJngRi_AjRNOzfF8pKpNjdyHzhviXXr0VBAcWY6-eUCV-SbQ1AbzgohLa_U_fSwwMxhTdpkQx9Cy19pWSAt8BLS3c9wEP-YFMDYrq7Sj88uGFN11_p9_aAbO7EqClW/s320/Onions.jpg" width="243" /></a></div><p>To be fair, they're not describing it as a special offer. But I reckon it's pretty special, myself.</p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-77199889570503714792023-08-23T05:15:00.004-07:002023-08-23T09:37:04.379-07:00Fairy talesI bought this book for next to nothing <i>(troi fois rien</i>) at a car boot sale recently. I like books that have proper illustrations, and this one features reproductions of artwork that was published in different story books in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVFs4f29gbwEjiqJ4GuYISYHXLA8MjWmkWMMb8E_nM0rz3s6eVi3GEIk1u_Ca-bL7ntc6QcCEWH6cxqp1paruYjqomKSSdyXs_GZ74PbjL8YycH-vzfCVjItyWHoyokTB66MSYDbXzQ3QPHdPkmJdg8imPySPoyNikZPPWOf-crFhvnnIADFQ_KbuyNVG/s6598/Tales.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6598" data-original-width="5100" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVFs4f29gbwEjiqJ4GuYISYHXLA8MjWmkWMMb8E_nM0rz3s6eVi3GEIk1u_Ca-bL7ntc6QcCEWH6cxqp1paruYjqomKSSdyXs_GZ74PbjL8YycH-vzfCVjItyWHoyokTB66MSYDbXzQ3QPHdPkmJdg8imPySPoyNikZPPWOf-crFhvnnIADFQ_KbuyNVG/s320/Tales.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><div><div>I was reading the Cinderella story, it is well told in the book. In english, Cinderella loses a slipper made of glass, a material not well suited for this purpose, it has always seemed to me. In the french book, the slippers are described as being made of <i>vair</i>, which is pronounced the same as <i>verre </i>(glass) but is what was probably a highly luxurious leather made from squiirrel fur. Makes sense.</div></div><div><br /></div>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130463693430089737.post-66486829996008400212023-08-19T07:32:00.001-07:002023-08-19T07:41:37.573-07:00Spiced plums in Armagnac<p>First picture is the plum tree heavy with plums. The second is the spiced plums in Armagnac, a direct consequence of the first. Good year for plums, 2023.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_ZC3Tb-ypQdBNvYK7KIl1EKLQ8__OBJjuYFia7IGIZNbt7UQ4G9l7NVKqod83W4h8b2XZ3A3v_XmQphqBNRMR8SX1hMKS_bOrQNWt1x3kaQs0cSTbWLo0qkaH6rqyrMBL7Hix0nErITYmgVJVqXH19KPTLIsefKGb3TZXZs26sEQcCEPPZxuZbvsLliT/s4608/DSCN3512.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_ZC3Tb-ypQdBNvYK7KIl1EKLQ8__OBJjuYFia7IGIZNbt7UQ4G9l7NVKqod83W4h8b2XZ3A3v_XmQphqBNRMR8SX1hMKS_bOrQNWt1x3kaQs0cSTbWLo0qkaH6rqyrMBL7Hix0nErITYmgVJVqXH19KPTLIsefKGb3TZXZs26sEQcCEPPZxuZbvsLliT/s320/DSCN3512.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0S4TgOdn0_UCu-sEwfrGy6OTibxB5NJcYj9VAJhVDx6GfQyhWQiBIHG0jZOhOALtGgCmbsl511fRWtC1RFD6hdM2i-KBUhHUCgq32Diwp0ITTVT1MxBHjkfsdfheDBhS78MBPcv5V4DXxW5NbNnsBDKDX3tLtjMnT-PFZxWo_6Nl5zCBmW0aVjMaTTNrM/s4608/DSCN3514.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0S4TgOdn0_UCu-sEwfrGy6OTibxB5NJcYj9VAJhVDx6GfQyhWQiBIHG0jZOhOALtGgCmbsl511fRWtC1RFD6hdM2i-KBUhHUCgq32Diwp0ITTVT1MxBHjkfsdfheDBhS78MBPcv5V4DXxW5NbNnsBDKDX3tLtjMnT-PFZxWo_6Nl5zCBmW0aVjMaTTNrM/s320/DSCN3514.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Mark In Mayennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.com3