Feedback #1 from last week. Some advice from my Irish Australian French expert - UHT is popular in France due to small fridges, a perception of it being a more processed and safer product, longer shelf life and due to cost (more UHT makes it cheaper than fresh milk).
Good to know, but literally and figuratively, it remains a bit hard to stomach.
go raibh maith agat, mon ami.
Lesson for the week
You have to be brave or foolish to get a haircut when you and your hairdresser speak don't the same language.
And here's the thing.
In Australia you can ask that a number 3 comb be put on the trimmer to deliver the hair cut you want. In Australia a number 3 comb cuts to about 9 to 10 mm of hair.
In France a number 3 comb leaves about 3 millimeters of hair.....
So, not wanting to hasten to a future state where Tony effectively has no hair, the difference was spotted and with a combination of poor French, mime and fortunately without needing to resort to interpretive dance, the message was conveyed and a moderately normal haircut was received.
Spring has mostly taken hold, and Provence is waking up gloriously. Coffee and roses from the garden at Breakfast...
The title of the blog refers to our ride on Thursday.
We do brutal cool changes in Melbourne, don't we? Nup.
Fayence has the high hills going to the alps to the north and the spectacular hills to the sea to the south.
Forecast was for a change (we do those...) coming in from the mountains, so we set off for Draguignan mid-morning in sunshine and 19 degrees and some moderate wind jackets.
Arrived in Draguignan 35km later at 14 degrees and foreboding skies.
Copped some drizzle and 12 degrees by half way back (this was ok, moderate jackets working moderately well), then up into the (now not seeming spectacular) hills when it started bucketing down and the temperature dropped to 5. Needless to say we were underprepared, but with the help of a taxi and some guttural complaining noises, managed to make it back to Fayence where it was snow down to 400 meters (we are at 350 meters) and was about 3.5 degrees.
No photos taken, due to poor visibility and precisely no fine motor coordination function.
Lesson learned, respect the mountain and take notice of the weather forecasts.
Then, next day, glorious weather!!
A couple of rides in the sun to regain our mojo,
https://www.relive.cc/view/vWqBmXomyQ6
on long dry roads:
on high dry roads:
and on picturesque dry roads
and we happen to be staying about 15 km from the French winter rowing base at Lake Saint Cassien. In the technique of rowing, it is important to be on your feet - Tony seems to have landed on his here
Second piece of feedback from last week, Michael gets an honourable mention for his musings on whether the electrician, M Andre Coulomb's charges are still current. Michael is showing potential (again, largely for the engineers...)
