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Loiseau, wishing you a safe journey home tomorrow. It's been raining practically non-stop also chez nous. The flat lands around are under water as we saw last week when we ventured out and I will need to go through them tomorrow to get to the dentist's. Our village is on a hill top and so is never likely to flood. Strangely enough for the commemorative service at the monument aus morts yesterday morning, the sun shone fiercely and it was only after everyone had gone home that the rain returned. The forecasts say that it will rain well into next week and beyond.

I think it might depend on whether you are speaking to an Italian or a French audience. After all, Corsica was Italian once. If Italian, then a hard c is correct.

Lehaut, given the choice, I'd always go for Haute Savoie, and then you have a choice of lakes or mountains or both or even right up to Mount Blanc. Everything as pretty as a picture plus good food and wine if you like drinking.

It's not about autumn and I don't find it sad, rather comforting in fact. But a friend found it incredibly sad. It was during a time when we were both ill. You'd recognise this one only too well, Norman. I think it's a very good translation. Sur la souffrance, ils ne se trompaient jamais, Les vieux Maîtres : comme ils comprenaient bien Sa place dans la vie humaine, et qu’elle se produit Pendant que quelqu’un d’autre est en train de manger ou d’ouvrir une fenêtre ou bien de passer avec indifférence ; Et tandis que les vieux attendent pieusement, passionnément, La naissance miraculeuse, qu’il faut toujours qu’il se trouve Des enfants qui ne souhaitaient pas spécialement qu’elle arrive, en train de patiner Sur un étang au bord de la forêt. Ils n’oubliaient jamais Que même l’horrible martyre doit suivre son cours N’importe comment, dans un coin, quelque lieu en désordre où les chiens continuent à mener leur vie de chiens, et le cheval du tortionnaire Frotte son innocent derrière contre un arbre. Dans l’Icare de Bruegel, par exemple : comme tout se détourne De la catastrophe sans se presser ; le laboureur a pu entendre Le floc dans l’eau, le cri de désespoir, Mais pour lui ce n’est pas un échec important, le soleil brillait Comme il devait sur la blancheur des jambes disparaissant dans l’eau verte, Et le coûteux, le délicat navire qui avait dû voir Quelque chose de stupéfiant, un garçon précipité du ciel, Avait quelque part où aller et poursuivait tranquillement sa course.

Always that tinge of sadness and loss. Must be the times he lived in. He'd have been a contemporary of Proust, wouldn't he? Though his poem has a modern feel about it and his reading sounds like that of a "slammer". Thank you for the introduction.

It's a good job you are there, Loiseau. Being waterlogged like that must be literally and figuratively an isolating experience. Never seems as bad when you have someone to be with you and share it all. Good Luck, you two! Anyone else with similar flooding problems?

Well done, Wooly. You have kept up your resistance and courage! I watched the news closely and Darmanin said the rain had been a lot more and prolonged than forecast. The weather bods said your forecast is for an improvement but that they await Monday to decide on reopening of schools, etc. Phew! I had a dream last night of you floating around in one of your grandchildren's rubber rings and paddling in doggie fashion. BTW, are the doggies OK and keeping calm?

I switched on the tv in view of your post and sure enough, several minutes spent talking about the crues in the Pas de Calais. Poor you....thinking of you and hoping for all the best.

What was that catchline they used after "Crime Watch"? Was it something like Sleep Well and Don't Have Nightmares?

What's the forecast, Wools? Has the rain stopped?

I created mine at the time of the first covid jabs but I haven't looked at it since but I know that my latest and 5th jab has been recorded on it. If it means my having to keep it mis à jour myself, I don't think I have either the energy or inclination.

Obviously, a cat that can see in the dark?

Oh well, you can't please them all? Could be his hearing aid? Take heart and carry on translating😁

Lehaut, I saw pictures of la Rochelle and reports of the storm in the Loire Atlantique. Like you, we seem to have remained little affected. Electricity clicked off and on yesterday evening but no cuts lasting more than a few seconds. Also calm and placido domingo here, even some weak sunshine. Wools, how's things your way?

Betise, thank you. I found your link and filled in all the details but when I pressed the "envoyer" button, it remains orange coloured and so I don't think it got sent. I shall next try the email option. Thanks again, you have been so helpful.

Harnser, I have said nothing about pre-heated dishes, dishes prepared hundreds of kilometres away, no trained chef in the kitchen etc etc. I don't dispute any of that. There is a resto in my own village, changed hands several times since I have lived here, and I wouldn't dream of darkening its doors. All I did was challenge ALBF's assertion that food in Scotland was "far better than anything you would get in France". That clearly makes no sense whatsoever. To say that, ALBF would have to eat in every single resto, food-outlet in Scotland and do the same in France and then compare the food in the two countries. That is of course clearly impossible. Let's suppose he spends the rest of his life doing exactly that and at the end of spending all his money and totally ruining his innards. After all that, he still could not make a categorical statement like the one he has made. At most, he could only say that, in HIS opinion, that was the case. But sloppy thinking now seems permissible and even acceptable....more's the pity.

Far better than ANYTHING you would get in France? Really? ALBF, when are you going to learn not to make sweeping statements and, if you do have a contrary point to make, to do it in a sensible, logical manner? So ALL food in Scotland is "far better" than ALL food in France? Well, that is what your statement is saying. Do you stand by it? Can you give any actual examples, any credible research, any statistics to back you up? Or are you just being utterly ridiculous and not for the first time?

Firstly thank you to those who have contacted me to say that my email has once again been interfered with. OK, I thought, been here before so I'll just change my password and 4-digit code. Rang Orange, both French and English lines and seem to get directed to the website with not even buttons to "taper" to indicate what is amiss. Still, I suppose it's Saturday and there is a storm. Can't change either email or phone code because the devils have blocked my mobile. The last time this happened, they blocked our fixed line from incoming calls. I see that their nefarious purpose is to stop me contacting anyone to warn them. Could you please put your thinking caps on and give me some advice, svp? Thanks

Our news here in the sud ouest is that we can expect a big storm this evening. It is called Domingos. I have a friend called Domingo and I have written to ask "tu't'es multiplié?" Saw the news today and wondered if is is THE Flood as in Noah's?

Moffers, you need to make up your own mind. Can you come for say 3 months, rent a place and try it out? Come with an open mind and lots and lots of questions. The answers you get do depend on the questions you ask! As you have been thinking of this project for so long, you will have a good idea of what it is that attracts you here. As with all else in life, there are no guarantees, whatever you decide. Therefore it will be just a matter both of thought, instinct, feeling, etc. For a start, balance out the information you get. Check out as far as possible the accuracy of what is told you and that includes the replies you get here, including mine! If I were you, I'd feel this is worth a lot more thought and investigation.

Lehaut, I thought of you when I saw the news this morning and wondered how you were in Nantes. It seems that Brittany and in particular Finistère was badly hit. Also all that northern Brittany Cote d'Amor coast. I thought of lovely Dinan and Cancale where we had so many delightful meals and enjoyable stays. Wooly please report back pdq else we'd think you had submerged under those giant waves and are waiting for Norman to bring his barrel to rescue you.

But that's the point, isn't it betise? A cat is never "yours", they only belong to themselves😏

Thank you, Cajal, the rain stopped long enough this morning to enable us to dig a hole to put him in. We have horrible ground full of calcaire and builders' debris but the recent rain had softened it somewhat so we both set to and had a good work out. I said goodbye to Omar Louis Williams and told him all his suffering was over. I know I shall remember him for a long time to come.

Once you get through to them and have a dialogue, you could also ask to pay by prélèvement. This is what I do, I ask them to take the amount when the tax is due. I also get a statement beforehand to say how much and on what date. I always keep money in my account for bills and other expenses but were I to be short of funds, I'd know what time I had in which to get the money into the bank.

Thank you, everyone. He wasn't our cat as such, he was a big, mangy stray when he appeared, several years ago now, half starved and very smelly. But he'd appear now and again and we'd feed him and showed him he was under no threat from us. Eventually, he realised that a plastic bag, laundry basket, whatever I was carrying wasn't some sort of weapon to attack him with. He'd had his ups and downs like all strays. A couple of years ago, we thought he'd lost one eye but, after a few months, the eye sort of gradually appeared again and was green and beautiful like the other one. Then there were deep scratches, half his lower lip hanging off and so on. But, he survived and became quite beautiful and would allow himself to be stroked though you had to be careful at all times and be aware that at any moment he could decide to claw at you. So it wasn't a pain like the loss of an animal we had and cherished since its childhood but still we are sad. And thank you for all your kindly comments. I was in a bit of a panic seeing him in such a sorry state yesterday and didn't know what I could do to ease his suffering.