We thought, and hoped, that TV news had stopped showing interminable pictures of people having swabs poked up their noses and substituted ones of needles being thrust into bare arms. But no. It was a bad mistake eating supper in front of the TV at 8pm tonight. No less than eight shots were shown ofContinue reading “20. An end in sight?”
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19. Flying high
We were sitting on the terrace with a glass of wine (what else?) our first October here when there was a honking and squawking high above us. That, our neighbour told us, was the start of the autumn migration of the cranes (les grues) on their way from Scandinavia to Spain or north Africa. EvenContinue reading “19. Flying high”
18. Black Friday 13th.
While Friday 13th is considered unlucky in the UK it’s the reverse here in France. Many people will put off buying their lottery tickets until that day, hoping luck will be on their side. It didn’t work out that way for us. We were about to climb out of bed when Madame received a textContinue reading “18. Black Friday 13th.”
17. Phallus impudicus
Some mushrooms appeared on our lawn. Well, that’s too grandiose; weedy grass would be more accurate. They looked like those you can buy in the shops, white on top, pink underneath and they peeled easily. Living in foreign parts we decided on caution and took them to the local pharmacie. The chemist looked at oneContinue reading “17. Phallus impudicus”
16. Toad’s tool
Forget playground jokes about how the fairy became pregnant. This is a serious post. Toad’s Tool is the first, and only, graphically oriented Super Mario 64 level editor. Does that mean anything to you? Me neither. An acclaimed scientific journal claims that ‘mankind has hankered after a tool that can detect impending seismic activity’. ItContinue reading “16. Toad’s tool”
15. Pigeon pie
Well, here we are, again, back at square one; maybe square two as the schools are open this time. It makes the title of this blog, freefromlockdown.com, look increasingly jaded. Not that many people actually read these posts, although there is one stalwart from China who rarely misses a day, but never comments. We areContinue reading “15. Pigeon pie”
14. Oh deer………
We were having breakfast on the terrace when we heard the hounds baying among the trees up on the hill in front of us. We have nothing against hunting per se because we can see the damage that farmers have to tolerate. The main culprits around here are the sangliers or wild boar and itContinue reading “14. Oh deer………”
13. Murder hornets
We were lingering over a long Sunday lunch when there were two loud bangs which shook the windows. The military don’t fly over us at weekends so they weren’t the culprits. Beside the house is the orchard and opposite, on the other side of the country road, is a converted barn – the home ofContinue reading “13. Murder hornets”
12. The fastest game in the world?
If you’ve driven through towns or villages in this south west corner of France you must have passed a fronton, like this one adjoining the church in the captivating village of Ainhoa. Look for a church and you’ll probably find a fronton, maybe sharing one of its walls. This is the playground of pelote (pelotaContinue reading “12. The fastest game in the world?”
11. Knobs………and nobs
Multi-coloured and vibrant, but what are they? Just decorative baubles at an Eco Fair?Perhaps we all need some colour in our lives these days. The title of this blog freefromlockdown.com now seems dated. No sooner do we think the corner has been turned than we’re told it hasn’t been. We’re not free yet and noContinue reading “11. Knobs………and nobs”
Down Under diary 