Jan 7th 2017
Hi Alex, nice to hear from you,
I'm replying from my old steam computer which always did anything that one desired (except sex) - Lucie says she has already replied to you on her Ipad ( or woz it her Iphone?) but now doesn't know which or how. Delighted that you are coming up to Brittany to see us sometime "en route" with er...Sue? She must be lovely - but essentially potty of course!
I'm glad still more that you have been reading my blog - especially about life aboard B&S through the eyes of Coco, who is now fatter than she should be and lording it over us as ever. Rosie will be happy to know that we have acquired, since last Monday - a moggy/ Burmese cat; another abondonned kitten (about 4/5 months), pathetically meowing, obviously starving; with temperatures at - 5*C - even you would have taken her in! Already, she has found our bed and is making friends with Coco ....slowly and carefully, realising that for the moment she (Minky!) is the new girl on the block - the ships "undercat". Of course we immediately gave her some of Coco's food which she gobbled up but soon sicked it up along with something horribly like a piece of bright blue christmas balloon; she's now stable on kitten food and the prospect of another dose of vet's fees to look forward to. Very affectionate!...or is that "fussing around us" just gratitude? Why should I ask you of all people, anyway?
We are in fine health although Lucie's diverticulitis has its moments and she has to be particularly careful with what she eats. That is cruel for a passionate cook!
I am on the 7th day (+ 15 hrs) of my usual January disciplined life and pennance - not a drop has passed my lips. In a way, this is role reversal - I'm making all the drive-home decisions of course whilst she can enjoy herself. (It's not quite like that really; but makes a good story).
Lucie in her usual way has acquired a very good group of friends both English and French (spread all over the place in Brittany) whose husbands are now our/my friends and we are in almost daily contact it seems - in and out of all sorts of social occasions including with all their relations etc etc. Christmas, New year's eve and last night, for instance, I was playing the piano at the local pub (one of several nearbye establishments, very good one too) - just another gig but no booze! ; pub woz full, I promise - the team all came (table for ten). This is the second time mark you- maybe the last - I don't get paid, just dinner for me and Lucie.
Our Corsar car (Runner Bean), which we loved, failed its MOT rather badly in the UK in December; so we had to buy another car through a friend in the UK - a Peugeot 406 - W reg 150,000 miles on clock . This one has powered steering, electric windows and central locking! Gosh! But so far for the price (490 gbp + Mot - no advisory notes and + new cam belt thrown in = 750 gbp total - really good condition) it's a luxury compared with the 2CV as you can imagine but well beyond our meager means.
Are yes, have you heard that I have started brewing - big time? - in another friend's pigstye (Converted into a brewery/pub called "Justapub"). We already have an informal club of mainly French beer drinkers. Much to my surprise, me and my mate (the owner of the pigstye who I'm teaching to brew beer) won first prize at the local beer festival "amateur beer makers section" with our Yorkshire Bitter. (10 entrants and ten professional brewers as judges (all French and who were unanimous in their decision) The other half of the converted Pigstye is for cider making and I have learnt that skill from him and his neighbour who supplies most of the cider apples. An eye-opener indeed - but the real artisanal Brittany rough cider, unsusally dry too.
Our next brewing session will include a new recipe for 60 litres of "Hede-Bazouge Best Bitter (HBBB - perhaps Hogwash? what do you think?) which I'm hoping will be good enough to be ready by the England - France game at Twickers Feb 4th. Didn't they do well, our blokes? Lovely to beat the Oz.
Roll on brexit, lovely to have our country back isn't it. I expect lots more economic turbulence though.
Lovely to hear from you and see you soon
Malc and Lucie