Archive for the 'Travel' Category
Some things come along and lift the lid on life’s works and reveal to you how things are. Ever since I used an ironic blog post title (“Australia is in Europe Now“) to discuss the pokey house-building policies of the UK, I’ve had a daily inundation of link- or trackback spam from travel-related web sites. [...]
Filed under: Time-Wasters, Travel, weasels | 1 Comment
Blast from the Past: Avignon
Download link: Avignon
I wanted to write a road song, but without it becoming “2 4 6 8 Motorway” or some kind of truckers’ lament. This was inspired by a drive to the South of France a few years ago, which did indeed involve a stop at a hotel near Dijon for an overnight rest.
I’ve recorded [...]
Filed under: Entertainment, France, Music, Nostalgia, Travel, countryside, happiness, motoring, summer | Leave a Comment
Smug
I hate to seem bitter, but one thing that’s been bugging me over the past few snowy/icy days has been the smug little faces of the 4WD owners as they thunder along through the snow and ice, as if immune to the laws of physics. You could see it in their eyes: they thought they’d [...]
Filed under: Climate, Commuting, Travel, being chippy, happiness, motoring | 1 Comment
3 days of the condor
If it’s Thursday it must be a snow day, the third this week. I’m not keen on snow (not keen on much of anything), but since becoming a teacher I’ve learned to take it as a blessing. An extra day off work in the dark half of the year is not to be sniffed at, [...]
Filed under: Climate, Commuting, Conspiracy Theories, Education, Family, Time-Wasters, Travel, anxiety, being chippy, teaching and learning, weasels | 1 Comment
Tags: snow days
Christmas Telly
I don’t watch telly much when I’m in France. It’s not just because it’s all in French, but also because French TV just doesn’t seem to evolve quickly enough. They’re still doing the same peak time quiz shows they were doing 10 years ago, and those interminable panel programmes in which minor French celebrities make [...]
Filed under: BBC, Entertainment, France, Nostalgia, SF, TV, Television, Travel, arts, media studies, sci-fi, science fiction | Leave a Comment
Tags: steampunk
F*cking Big Tent
Having escaped the tense and frustrating atmosphere of the in-law’s house this summer for a 6-day camping expedition in a borrowed tent, I allowed my wife to convince me that it would be a good idea to start camping more regularly.
I’m divided in my opinion about camping. On the one hand, I truly admire some [...]
Filed under: Arrested Development, Family, France, Travel, anxiety | 2 Comments
Tags: camping, equipment, gear, outdoor, tents
Great Bakes
Foodies like to rave about artisan bakers, which is all very well if you happen to have one round the corner – but what about the rest of us?
Last year in France, my brother-in-law informed me that the local bakery in the village near where we were staying (it happened to be in the Dordogne) [...]
Filed under: France, Recipes, Travel, food | Leave a Comment
Tags: baking, banette, bread, France
Artist’s Impression
I’ll be getting my new car tomorrow, my year-old Golf. Artist’s impression above, done by my daughter on a flea market French etch-a-sketch thingy. Quite clever really – she was inspired by the Mini Clubman ads, which I suspect weren’t really done on an etch-a-sketch or indeed a Telecran.
Today I had to mow the lawn, [...]
Filed under: France, Travel, beer, happiness, motoring | Leave a Comment
Tags: alcohol-free, Alsace, beer, France, lager, low-alcohol, Meteor, non-alcoholic
super, originally uploaded by mcmrbt.
Just got back from a week on the island of Noirmoutier, off the Atlantic coast of France. Last night, because we’d been avoiding French-style seafood for a week (huitres, moules-frites, fruits de la mer etc.), we decided to have a proper fish supper. Two large cod, two medium, three large chippy-chips. [...]
Filed under: Culture, Family, Flickr, France, Travel, anxiety, being chippy, food, omens and portents, summer | Leave a Comment
Tags: economy, fish, fishermen, fuel crisis, fuel prices, seafood, Supermarkets
Dunked
I’m taking a break for a week. While I’m gone, remember this: the Eurovision Song Contest voting isn’t about countries voting for other countries, but about immigrants to countries voting for their homelands.
Meanwhile, I bet there are loads of entries over at my photo blog that you haven’t read.
Filed under: Family, Travel | Leave a Comment
