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06/25/2007

I've just seen a blue sky

The last weeks weather has been atrocious throughout France I don't think there will be any water restrictions this year even in the south. Paulien has taken the boys to England for 5 days to sea her mum and they have taken their boards to do some surfing at Bude. The ferry was quite a reasonable price for Brittany ferries £210 for 4 people in a minibus ( that's with the reduction we get using the magic ref number ) but the price would have been at least another £100 for the first week in July. We have our Irish friends staying and they gave me an Irish rugby shirt which I have to wear while they are here and even worse a dvd of the Coke park match!
We had our last gig of the summer with the jazz fanfare it was the "fete de petite couchon " at Vieux Marche about 20 minutes from Plestin. It was fun the Saturday night it didn't rain so we played in the square after a local band played red neck american country music and then the inevitable breton music. The Sunday was all indoor as it tipped down with rain, there was a very interesting ensemble of bizarre folk instruments and then a total mad workshop/fanfare where some French guys have about 50 old brass band instruments and gives a quick initiation to the beginners and then they perform. It was hilarious I tried an old trombone which I have played before but then I wore short trousers so it was a long time ago.
My optimism is unfounded as since I started writing the blue sky has disappeared and we have just had a quick shower but the forecast is to get better this week the pool cover has been brilliant this year hardly anyone would have used the pool without it whereas it keeps the water at a constant temperature and stops you getting wet from the rain when swimming!

08:30 Posted in Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: brittany, gite, holiday, coat aillis, france

06/18/2007

The weather is "pas terrible"

Its been quite wet recently but nothing like the floods they have had up north in fact the best days start grey then by lunch have cleared up and its blue sky and sunny in the afternoon ( a bit like the Bretons hungover in the morning and cheerful later in the day ) The older boys have been on holiday nearly since the beginning of June and Xav school breaks up about 4th of July , Max should be starting his summer job at Super U shortly he passed his end of term exams OK so can progress to the next year. In France its very easy to get to university but they use the end of year exams to cull the students which seems a waste. For his course of law the failure rate is 60% at year one which is easy compared with a friend who is doing pharmacy where only 20% make it through.
Its a busy week for the music as this week is "fete de musique" started in 1982 by Jack Lang a minster in Mitterrands government on the day of 21st of June every town/village has music of all description in the streets.I'm playing with "l'harmonie" (the staid old town band) in Lannion we have new smart uniforms which the town of Lannion has bought for us. They cost 230€ each still it doesn't improve the music I have 2 débutante sax players next to me. One is a young woman who will hopefully improve but the other person whom I call Mr Echo is hopeless he has no sense of rhythm or tonality and has musical drag ( he starts a phrase after me and finishes by himself ) I'm working on how I could sabotage his sax with chewing gum to quieten him down
On the election front Sarko didn't get his landslide I think rumours of imminent VAT rises and tax reductions for the rich are starting to give the French cold feet but the fun (protests ) will not start until the autumn as holidays are sacrosanct

08:45 Posted in Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: brittany, gite, holiday

06/12/2007

Bureaucracy is a French word

Had a bad week with officials last week first Paulien was booked to go to the UK by Flybe ( Brest to Exeter ) but her passport had expired so as most French people just use their ID cards to go the UK we assumed ( foolishly ) the "Carte de Sejour " would have the same status as it has the same info ( domicile details and Prefecture stamp ) but no they turned her away so we had to spend a day in Brest at the Consulate renewing her passport which only last 5 years. I enquired about getting a British one as they are for 10yrs but she was rejected as latest regs are you have to be living in the UK for 3yrs currently to get a passport. She has lived in the UK 16yrs , 5 married to me but that doesn't count it wasn't a big deal just more convenient to have a 10yr one.
Max has been in the process of becoming French we started Sept 05 nearly finished the paper work June 06 then the cival servant had an accident so telephoned in Sept 06 , they had lost the file but by last Easter he just needed to have an interview so he explained he was at uni and wouldn't be able to go to St Brieuc until June. Which was accepted then they wrote in May that because he hadn't made the interview the case had defaulted and he must start again, and when we telephoned the person responsible she just lied on the phone saying she hadn't received various pieces of information. Its a case of job preservation moving paper around the desk to justify their job I'll have to volunteer her name to Sarko for early redundancy.
The week finished even better a pump on one of the septic tanks packed up so I ( no one else volunteers ) had to take the cover and put a new pump in. Its amazing nobody wants to shake your hand after doing that job.The Friday evening was good as we had gig at the Pixie (the bar at the local youth hostel in Lannion ) with the jazz fanfare and they even gave me a solo in one number !!!

13:05 Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this | Tags: brittany, gite, holiday

06/04/2007

First splash of the year

On Sunday we took the kayaks out for the first paddle of the year the boys took their surf boards it was a sunny/cloudy day and we arrived at the beach "Moulin de Reves " ( about 10 minutes from us ) just with the tide on the turn initially there was no waves so I paddled along the coast but there was a reasonable swell and with the tide coming in and the rocks narrowing the swell some reasonable waves were occurring occasionally a 4-5ft one which tipped me out and in the process lost my ( cheap ) glasses. The boys were having fun and Xav had at least half a dozen waves he stood up on the board and went all the way. Bas is still refining his technique but in general an exhilarating day.The most surprising thing was there was just the 3 of us in the water otherwise the beach was deserted unthinkable in Cornwall where there would have been at least a dozen surfers in the water.
The parliament elections are approaching, the town band I play in does a gig twice a year for the retired people in Lannion they have a free meal (I'm sure its a pure coincidence that its just before the elections and was much better than normal and the mayor of Lannion was a deputy) for that they have to endure an hour of our playing but afterwards they get their revenge between the courses by "singing" ( well I assume its that ).After the meal there is a dance band the French really look after there elderly population I always say France is a great place to retire to unfortunately its a long way ahead for me.

08:35 Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this