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Ramblings of a retiree in France
Month: August 2017
Postcard from the Vuelta
Unusually, this year’s edition of the Vuelta a Espana kicked off in Nimes. It’s only three hours down the motorway from us and it’s a place we’ve only ever driven past, never visited. We drove down on Thursday afternoon after an expensive lunch in Antibes. I rarely park… Continue Reading “Postcard from the Vuelta”
Finally back in the saddle
My cycling has been more off than on of late. I felt I was getting back into my stride when my beloved fell off his bike and broke his leg. Consequently, I’ve waited on him hand and foot for the past four – five months.… Continue Reading “Finally back in the saddle”
Things my beloved does: leaves everything until the very last moment
My beloved is a great fan of “just in time” management. By which I mean he leaves everything until the last minute. Invariably this lack of planning and preparation means he’ll forget something or leave something behind. He travels most weeks and by now… Continue Reading “Things my beloved does: leaves everything until the very last moment”
Date Nights: Football and Fireworks
Not long after we purchased our holiday flat in Nice, its football team OGCN were promoted to the first division – total coincidence. They used to play at a small and rather tatty stadium in the north of the city and, for their first… Continue Reading “Date Nights: Football and Fireworks”
Postcard from San Sebastian
We first visited the fabulous town of San Sebastian in 2010 to watch the Clasica San Sebastian and have been visiting regularly ever since. Sometimes it’s hard to articulate why I like the place so much. But, in short, it’s all about the city’s… Continue Reading “Postcard from San Sebastian”
Nightmare scenario: my beloved retires!
One of my biggest fears has always been what will happen when my beloved retires? Despite being happily married for more years than I like to own up to, he’s travelled a lot on business throughout our marriage. This has meant we’ve spent limited… Continue Reading “Nightmare scenario: my beloved retires!”
The Musette: my riff on Panzanella and Insalata con l’acqua
Frankly, it’s way too hot at the moment to do much cooking, even for someone who loves it as much as I do. Yesterday evening, I surveyed my bounty: stale bread, sun-ripe organic tomatoes, a wilted bunch of basil and some salad stuff. Initially,… Continue Reading “The Musette: my riff on Panzanella and Insalata con l’acqua”
Dolce far niente
It’s official, we’re enduring a heat wave similar to that of 2003, La Grande Canicule, which this time is appropriately called Lucifer. The problem with heatwaves is that it’s too hot to do much of anything, particularly housework. Iron a few garments and you’ve worked… Continue Reading “Dolce far niente”
The Musette: Coffee and walnut cake
I’m a sucker for anything coffee-flavoured, so this is one of my favourite cake combinations. I wouldn’t necessarily cover it with frosting if I were serving it at a cycling club event, but it’s a staple at my afternoon tea parties. The French are… Continue Reading “The Musette: Coffee and walnut cake”
Orange bliss
After our recent successful trip to Orange in Cap 3000, we now have a fully functioning LiveBox with service restored to its former glory, new iPhones and a smaller monthly bill. I call that a result. Or I would, if it were not for… Continue Reading “Orange bliss”
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