Well, here it is: another Saint Patrick's Day is done and dusted. I am missing it already. After a special day, I always feel a bit of melancholy. For the usual reasons: it was too short, I feel like I did not celebrate it as fully as I should have had, or as I once did. Also, more specifically, on the 18th of March, I often have the Irish flu. But not so much these last few years, being a father. But I feel generally less bluesy the day after Saint Paddy's in comparison to other holidays, mainly because Easter is often round the corner. And this year, Easter comes particularly early. All the same, I wish I had celebrated it a bit more.
Monday 18 March 2024
Post Saint Paddy's Blues?
Deux questions existentielles 374
Bon, petit billet meta ici: je viens de me rendre compte que j'ai écrit deux questions existentielles 374: une le 25 octobre 2021 et une autre le 23 novembre 2021. La question technique qui me vient en tête: que faire? À part abandonner les questions existentielles entièrement, puisqu'elles ne sont que très rarement commentées. Plus sérieusement (ou pas), je n'aime guère quand je commets des impairs comme celui-là.
Sunday 17 March 2024
Irish Red Ale
La Saint-Patrick à Montréal
Saint Paddy's Day
Gâteau aux Oreos
Saturday 16 March 2024
Living in a Rovos Rail train?
Ixe-13: des questions
Friday 15 March 2024
The Irish Pub
It is Saint Paddy's Day in less than two days and I have barely done anything about it on this blog, shame on me. So I decided that it was about time to share Irish music. Something from The High Kings. I know fairly little about them. But if there is something I love, it's an Irish pub. This song is not profound, but it's great fun anyway.
Mafalda et Susanita
Beware the Ides of March (always)
Today is the 15th of March, day of the Ides of March. It is also and therefore the anniversary of the assassination of Julius Caesar.When you love history like me, you ought to remember it. So I try to commemorate it every year on this blog. The line "Beware the Ides of March" comes from Julius Caesar by Shakespeare. Anyway, we beware the Ides of March and not only on the 15th of March. I mentioned why back in 2022. I will sum up again the lessons we must learn from Caesar's murder: 1)even the most powerful man in the world is vulnerable, especially when he made himself enemies, however subservient they may appear to be. 2)we must be wary of the power vacuum created after a coup d'état. Or whenever a tyrant, or a dictator dies or fall from power. I am well aware that these are not cheerful thoughts, but the lessons of history seldom are.
Acheter du vin
Petite nouvelle locale: une nouvelle boutique (ou un nouveau magasin?) vendant des vins, de la bière et des spiritueux, mais surtout des vins, vient d'ouvrir dans notre petite ville. Je suis curieux d'y aller, même si mes sentiments sont partagés. D'abord, je vais déjà dans une petite épicerie fine pour acheter du vin. je ne voudrais pas qu'elle ferme parce que le nouveau concurrent, qui fait partie d'une chaîne, le batte avec ses prix et sa variété. Surtout que les magasins d'alcool qui ont fermé, il y en a eu treize à la douzaine depuis mon arrivée ici il y a quinze ans. J'en compte au moins trois qui ont dû fermer boutique. Cela dit, je me permettrai peut-être une petite visite en fin de semaine.
Thursday 14 March 2024
Beer Pong?
La Saint-Patrick au...Café Cambio
Wednesday 13 March 2024
NOT Dracula's Castle
I know we are a long way from Halloween, but what the heck. I'm also a fan of Dracula, my all-time favourite horror novel. I saw this meme recently on my Facebook feed. I think I recognised Bran Castle. My answer: yes I would but no, this is not Dracula's Castle. Read Elizabeth Miller's work to understand why, but grosso modo, Bram Stoker knew diddly squat about Bran Castle, or indeed any Romanian castle. He invented one for his vampire and that was that. Okay, rant over. Or are you guys otherwise?
St-Ambroise à l'érable
Tuesday 12 March 2024
Night Trains
I recently read this article (thank you Google feed) about night trains making a comeback in Europe. And that is, well, very cool. Great news, in fact, as the more railway travel, the better. Those who have been following this blog for a while know that I love train travel and trains in general. I rarely if ever get bored by train travels, except a few commuting days when the railway service was sub-par for one reason or another. Otherwise, I just love being on a train. On holidays, it is often my favourite part of it. The journey, not the destination. However, if I often traveled by night, I have yet to take an overnight train, with a cabin and berth and so on. it would be a dream, although I'm not sure I can sleep in the same room as some strangers. Otherwise, if time and money were of no concern, it would be my dream holiday.
Mafalda (et sa maman) siempre!
Monday 11 March 2024
Fixing a runway in Antarctica
I recently read this article, which for some reason came on my feed on Google. I found it quite interesting. It's about people working in Antarctica, grosso modo. I am not nearly technical enough to do this job, let alone liking extreme weather. Even tidying this house is a bit of a challenge to me and I struggle to keep myself motivated enough. So I admire these people and I also envy their skills and resilience. And when things get difficult at work (not very often in my current job, thankfully), I might take a moment and spare a thought for these people fixing runways in the most unforgiving place on Earth, in the worst weather conditions ever.