Arts
A View From The Farmhouse, Part Two
Tons of soil (h/t Dr Spooner) The farm was bought by my English friend for an amount about the same as the cost of a reasonable terraced house in an English Northern town. In all, [more…]
France
21st Century
Colonialist Le Grand Fromage, Part One
Le Grand Fromage Lands Although elected under the banner of the Socialist Party (which obviously holds pro “European” views), Hollande attempted to govern in the interest of the “Colonial Party known as French Colonial Union”. [more…]
Arts
A View From The Farmhouse, Part One
This is the first of an occasional series looking at life in Northern France in general and plotting progress with the farm. Setting the scene: Here in rural Lower Normandy things move at a slow [more…]
21st Century
Cocaine Importation Agency and Qatari bagman Agent Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy, American agent1 (The Frog on the Seine is all mine all mine) On 2nd September 2005 Jacques Chirac suffered a serious stroke and ceased to govern. He was no longer able to execute [more…]
Biography
That’s Life, Part 2
My first time in France was in 1963 on an army ‘Adventure Training Expedition,’ aka ‘Think up a jolly which has a ‘ military slant ‘ and have most expenses funded. We were to canoe [more…]
Arts
WG’s 21st Cruise, Part Four
Sunday June 18th – La Spezia – Italy I think dawn breaking must have woken me this morning. It was about 06:15 and we were entering La Spezia harbour. This is a first visit here [more…]
Literature
The Anglo French Culture Divide
The Sexes No clearer cultural Anglo French divide is quite so evident than demonstrated in the womenfolk of both countries. At the end of the second Napoleonic war Brit women descended on Paris to search [more…]
20th Century
Through The Mountains To Piedmont
Essentially hill and lake people, and having traversed the French and Italian Rivieras during their 1958 Ford Prefect continental road trip, my grandparents headed inland in search of inclines and hairpin bends. Col de Tende [more…]
20th Century
Along The Cote d’Azur
Cannes Having pestered the French Air Force at Istres last time, this time we’re striking out from there along the Cote d’Azur in diréction Cannes. Above we see the fishing port side of the town [more…]