French Escape

 Menton  is buzzing and very very busy.  The 90th Fête du Citron has begun. And once again  I have left, just as it is starting.   For the past week massive deliveries have been arriving at restaurants and at the shops that sell local goods and gifts, staff have been unpacking and arranging everything ready for the influx of visitors. Final touches were added to the citrus sculptures—t he theme this year is, for obvious reasons, the Olympics The inauguration ceremony was attended by many, I’m sure the parade on Sunday was spectacular but instead of attending, I went for a walk in the mountains, in Italy.   The people that I spend time with, have experienced 30+ years of these fêtes, so they only see the disruption: the impossibility of parking, the difficulty of getting about even on foot, the packed trains, the queues in supermarkets, the unlikelihood of being able to make a restaurant reservation for the duration of the celebrations.   But it is grea...

   I must be the only person in France who doesn’t go out every morning, to buy a baguette—the queues first thing, at the boulangeries and my local supermarket, attest to this. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love baguettes and all the other delicious fresh bread but I prefer a sliced wholemeal for my sandwiches and I like to vary my carbohydrate intake... While I'm on the subject, I also adore French (and Italian) cheese, it is so indulgent somehow. But in my opinion there's nothing to beat a good mature cheddar, especially with a pickled onion—now that is something they don't get right here, onions should not be pickled in balsamic. However, like many French people, I do shop for food every day. In my case, part of the reason for this, is that I don’t have a car and therefore am limited by what I can carry. Well, I do have a car but it is currently not working. It has been difficult to find a garage that will repair a 1997 XK8 and we have been waiting rather long time. ...

 My apologies for leaving it so long since the last post.  I have been working hard to complete the manuscript for my new novel and there didn't seem to be enough words left in my head for the blog. The garden had been busy while I've been neglecting it and at some point I'm going to have to work out when to harvest kumquats (and what to do with them). The lemon tree has a few fruits but not as many as the one next door. I'm hoping someone will give me some advice on its care. Have you ever seen a frog this green? I decided to walk from Menton to Monaco one day, to clear my head. I had woken to the sound of the sea which is unusual, I can see the sea from all the windows of the apartment but it is normally so calm, that you don't hear it. The waves were indeed big enough for surfing, as two brave souls were proving. As I walked along the front, workmen were busy moving the beach from where it had been abandoned, following a previous storm. A fairground had arrived t...

This is just a brief update to wish everyone a  Happy New Year. A trip to Monte Carlo on the 22nd December was arranged by the British Association of Menton (a lovely group of English speaking people, from all over the world).  After seeing the areas of the casino reserved only for the richest gamblers, we had  lunch in the Salon Rose followed by Phantom of the Opera in the Opera house. What an experience! Opéra de Monte Carlo Christmas day was spent with friends, a happy relaxing day.  Back to normal the next day, no Boxing Day in France... A visit to Bordighera market in the sunshine. Time with friends New Year’s Eve and a mountain walk New Year’s day to blow away the cobwebs. I hope that anyone who is reading this, was able to spend the holidays in way that made you happy. My next book is coming on a pace, The plan is to send it to the editor at the beginning of February, so I must get back to work.  I am enjoying getting to know my new characters, d...