Morning all. Sunshine and showers forecast here for today, and not that warm, although that is expected to change by midweek. Seeing pictures of the pitch at the Vic, reminded me of what it was like in the 1950/60's. You would say goodbye to a brown pitch, just green down by the corner flags at the end of April, and if the groundsman was lucky with enough rain, by the start of September it was green all over. No modern underground watering systems, or lights to keep the grass growing when it should be dark. Just a couple of men with rollers and rakes, and a very large sack of grass seed. Have a good day everyone.
Morning all. It feels a bit warmer today in the sunshine, and they say it will stay dry. There have been plenty of charities paying for the poorest families to have a holiday in France. Now the government is looking into providing help to those where the family income is less than €4,000 a month. So often children will go back to school in the autumn and be asked to write about their summer holiday, which is difficult if they have spent it in a suburban tower block. In some cases it might even help to keep them out of trouble. Have a good day everyone.
My son the Madrid Musicmaker would gulp at that figure - he is notoriously tight-lipped about how much he earns from music, but seems able to exist quite well on the €1400 a month he gets as a teaching assistant. His French girl friend recently returned to Paris because she missed her family - he followed for a while in the hope that he could find work and move there with her, but couldn't and they have now split up. He did say that he could probably never afford to live there, at least not in the style to which he has apparently become accustomed in Madrid.
Morning all. Bright and warmer, so the jumper is discarded again. We had a visit from Fritz this morning. I was watching the football, when I noticed there was some movement in the dining room. Fritz is a cat, who came to the village with the Dutch couple about ten years ago. He found out that life was better with my French neighbours, so moved in with them. This morning he decided to investigate our house, wandering in through the open door. Despite his best efforts to be friendly by taking dead rodents home, he is not welcome here, and was escorted out. He gave me a filthy stare. Have a good day everyone.
Morning all. Been to the garage for the third time to hopefully to get my aircon finally fixed. The parting shot was that they are going on holiday for two weeks Friday, so if they haven't fixed it this time I will have an even longer wait. On my way back I went to collect some bread from the machine, and there was a large notice on it telling you not to touch it as it has an electrical fault. No idea when that will be fixed, but it saves a trip to the baker in town. Have a good day everyone.
Morning all. It has warmed up again, and the fan at the bottom of the bed was welcome last night. It would appear that many French tourists have given the beaches a miss this year and have headed to the mountains instead. This has created overcrowding, with campsites totally full, leaving people to seek off site parking or a place to erect a tent overnight. Nature reserves, where camping is forbidden, have wardens out to collect €68 fines from those who ignore the regulations. A similar fine can also be collected for flying drones over these wildlife areas. Have a good day everyone.
Morning all. Warm and sunny, with a top temperature of 31°C expected. The single cucumber plant that we have in the greenhouse is producing fruit faster than we can eat them. Normally we grow them from seed but left it too late, so bought a plant from the garden centre. Mme was dubious as it really is an outdoor variety, but I thought it was worth giving it a go. It is actually better than the normal one, although as many fall off without developing as turn into full size ones. Locally grown ones in the supermarket are currently €0.79, but my plant only cost €1.50, so it has already paid for itself. Have a good day everyone.
Try making some cucumber wine? A couple of good recipes here - I can recommend the cucumber & lime one, which I made quite frequently in Oz. https://winerify.com/cucumber-wine-recipes-a-refreshing-twist-on-homemade-wine/
Afternoon all. Not a good day with news that my sister-in-law who had a stroke nearly two years ago is in the hospital refusing to eat or drink. It looks as though my possible trip to the UK in the autumn might have to be brought forward. It is a good job that I have a daughter here who will relish looking after the cucumbers in the greenhouse. Have a good day everyone.
Morning all. 31°C is forecast for this afternoon, with thunderstorms, but no rain. Our usual post lady has not been seen for a couple of weeks, so we have a younger one doing the rounds. Our "pas de pub" sticker on the post box has been bleached by the sun, so now we are getting loads of advertising material from the supermarkets etc. I must get out there and ink it back in to stop this waste of paper. Have a good day everyone.
Morning all. A big storm about 4.00 a.m. with heavy rain woke even me up. It has dried up, but is still overcast. It is the day of our commune's fête, and there will be a show tonight with a performer I have never heard of. Searched for him on YouTube, and when found came to the conclusion I will not bother. No doubt he will a following that will draw the crowds in. Have a good day everyone. Hope you have the car sorted yorkie.
Morning all. A clear blue sky and it is going to be a hot one today. As I have to take Mme to her physio session, I am pleased to say that after numerous trips to the garage, the aircon in the car is still working after the last fix a week ago. Two days was the best it could manage before it stopped after previous attempts, so fingers crossed the tiny pin prick found in a pipe was the cause of the failure. Have a good day everyone.
Morning all. A brief shower first thing, but the sun has broken through the clouds, and the temperature is forecast to hit 36°C this afternoon. According to the records, this is 9°C higher than the average for this day in August. It is expected to stay hot, with it reaching 39°C Monday. Looking at what is happening across the rest of the planet, with extremes of heat and rain, it is difficult to argue it has nothing to do with us, and we can carry on as if nothing is amiss. Have a good day everyone.
Hot hot hot here ... ...going higher today so the temperature is more bearable for little ones. Also anyone recommend how we can watchthe world Cup final online in Central France..no TV here...?
The other option is to use a VPN and stream it from ITV/iPlayer. Probably the most reliable solution tbh.
