L’année de vie dangereuse

18-25 October 2026 Life has quietened down as the weather gets cooler and sunup is now not until 8.30 am. The builders, despite assurances that they will be here and more than a couple of days of good weather, are absent. So, we amuse ourselves with reading and admin stuff, cooking confit de canard and roast pork. The pork here is excellent and reasonably priced. Not so the lamb which I noticed was 25 € a kg. Our previously bustling and crowded local market, is now noticeably quieter as the winter approaches. Well, the weather is a bit like the French students – volatile to say the least. Massive storms and floods to the north and south at the moment. 75kph wind gusts blowing down our paddock too, but the rain is intermittent and our ‘little rivers’ are still not flowing. We haven’t been at LPR as late in the year as this before and the late autumn weather is not so pleasant. It’s also hunting season here and Sunday is the day when the locals wander along the road verges with ...

  15-18 October 2026 A 4.30 am Uber to Victoria Station; the Gatwick Express and An Easy Jet departure with only about 20 pax on board, was a seamless departure from London. However, La Rochelle was under low cloud and we did a ‘go-round’ at about 1000’ then circled over the airport at 4,000’ for 90 minutes and just before the fuel would dictate a diversion to Bordeaux, the cloud lifted 80’ and the pilot could see the runway and she put it down nicely. Very preliminary immigration clearance and we picked up the car from the inexpensive, secure parking and headed back to LPR. The weather is changing again with cold mornings and sunny high teens in the afternoon. Some frantic running around for two days, meetings with carpenter and painter and much finishing jobs are due to happen next week. Unfortunately, that’s when Emma Lou won’t be here, as we drive her down to Bordeaux Friday night for her return to the UK. The weekend brought more sunny afternoon weather and we moved out ...

Tue 6 October – 14 October 2026 Still nice weather in Stockbridge but that won’t last. And it didn’t. Cold and wet by Wednesday. Thursday was another cold and wet day. This required a warm up indoors and Flashy chose the Three Cups Pub at the top end of Stockbridge High St, for a mid day red wine. It was Australian! Time for a pub feed and dinner at the ‘Peat Spade’ was excellent. Beef pie and fish and chips, a couple of drinks and $200 later we were finished. The pound remains strong. You just double it for an Australian dollar, but even so, 100 quid for a pub feed is expensive. Maybe not in Sorrento? Sunday and Monday we are with Alyssa in London and a good old roast lamb dinner cooked by Flashy was a lot better than the very ordinary Sunday roast at the Albion Hotel with Mykala, Alyssa and friends. Not cheap either. Monday night Alyssa, Flashy and Lady P went to see ‘Hay Fever’ a Noel Coward comedy at the Wyndham theatre, with Christine Baranski & Richard E. Grant play...

28 September – 5 October 2026 Sunday in Paris was another glorious day with our local restaurant street, Rue Daguerre absolutely bustling as it was the monthly Vide Greniere - flea market, probably more like an upper class garage sale in Australia. After a quick look around, we headed north to Parc Montsouris. The park was a hive of activity with different groups of fitness activities. Having skipped dinner last night, we had a delicious burger and chips at the local café and walked back to our apartment. Home on the TGV and an early night back at LPR. The rest of the week was getting ready for our trip to the UK to dog sit for Laura Jane in Stockbridge and then to London to see Alyssa. The Sunday flight from La Rochelle on Easy Jet was an easy 1.20 hr flight. However, in passing through French passport control at La Rochelle, Lady P was fingerprinted and photographed, much like the rest of the Brits heading home. She was asked when she last arrived in France (as if that mattere...