Sunday 31 March 2024

Praise Judas!

Found this online. No idea who Tim Ward is, but this made me laugh. And it's funny because it's true. Judas Iscariot never receives enough praises. So thank you Judas.

Licorne de Pâques?

Cette licorne en chocolat vient de Lidl. Un chocolat pour ma femme, qui aime les affaires cute. J'avoue que je ne suis pas un fan. Les animaux de la basse-cour et dela forêt, oui, ça fait sens pour Pâques, enfin tous ceux qui de près ou de loin peuvent représenter la fertilité. J'imagine que la licorne représente parfois le Christ (dans l'imagerie médiévale notamment), mais ça fait quand même un peu bizarre à Pâques. C'est moins pire qu'un tracteur, j'imagine.

Mozart's Agnus Dei for Easter

Happy Easter everyone! I always add Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to my Easter and this year is no exception. I shared this very video before, but it is worth sharing it again.

Le gâteau de Pâques

Joyeuses Pâques tout le monde! C'est devenu une tradition ici, je ne sais pas trop pourquoi ("parce que vous êtes excessifs" dirait ma mère) de faire un gâteau pour l'occasion. En plus du reste, je veux dire. Mais je ne le fais pas seul: Wolfie gère les opérations. Il a aussi cassé les oeufs (enfin, un oeuf) et a fait pas mal de brassage. C'est un peu "son" gâteau. Alors il en est très fier.

Saturday 30 March 2024

Easter Lamb Cake Season?

I have seen this meme all around social media these last few days and I had to share it. I never knew Easter lamb cake was a thing, apparently it is, somewhere, somehow, but this made me laugh a lot. "Behold the Cake of God!" It cannot be unseen.

Écureuil de Pâques

J'ai acheté cet écureuil en chocolat l'an dernier à Lidl. Une petite bête comme une autre, parmi toute l'animalerie et le reste des chocolats de Pâques. L'écureuil est l'une des figurines que j'aime le plus à Pâques, quand il est de bonne taille, ce qui n'est pas vraiment le cas de celui-ci. En fait,quand j'étais jeune, c'est un écureuil Lulu que je demandais à mes parents à Pâques, quand je me suis rendu compte que sa queue touffue faisait de lui l'animal avec le plus de chocolat, après le lapin géant.

Friday 29 March 2024

Fish & Chips for Good Friday

I took this picture at Billy Winters in Dorset. Iam sharing the picture today because it is Good Friday and as it is tradition for me and many others I had fish and chips tonight. Not as nice as these ones, sadly, as I bought them in the supermarket. That said, the fish and chips at Billy Winters did not impress me all that much. They tasted all right, but knd of gentrified, if that makes sense. The chips were more like French fries. The local chip shop make better ones. Cheaper too. I should have bought it from there tonight. Oh well, at least I had fish and chips.

Où sont les chocolats de Pâques?

L'horreur, l'horreur. J'aime être excessif à Pâques. Genre beaucoup. Mais cette année, peut-être que parce que tard arrive trop tôt, ou que je m'y prends trop tard, mais je ne trouve pas grand-chose dans les magasins. Cette photo date de Pâques 2022, et ce n'était pas le gros char. Cette année, c'est pathétique. J'ai même entendu quelqu'un du personnel d'une épicerie dire à ne collègue qu'ils étaient à court. Vraiment, je n'ai trouvé qu'un seul lapin de taille honorable jusqu'ici. L'horreur, je vous dis.

Mozart for Good Friday

It is becoming a tradition for Good Friday (and also Easter) on this blog to put something of Mozart. His music makes most of my Easter playlist. I have shared the Kyrie from his Great Mass in C Minor time and again, but it fits this day so well, I have to do it again. Here it is sung by French soprano Julie Fuchs, who makes her débuts on Vraie Fiction (ha, ha!). She is also really cool as a person, check her on social media, she reallly is fun. Anywya, now onto more solemn matters, enjoy this great piece of music.

Question existentielle (387)

Cette question existentielle pascale est un peu le contraire de la question existentielle 44, posée en 2011. Alors la voici:

-Quelle est la figurine de Pâques en chocolat la plus incongrue et la moins pascale?

Thursday 28 March 2024

Preparing for Easter

We are Maundy Thursday, which for the religious among you (although I doubt many if any read this blog), means an important celebration in the time right before Easter. For the Godless heathen that I am, it is... well, it is the last working day before the Easter holidays and the moment when I start panicking before I haven't prepared enough for Easter. No, just kidding, I think we will be all right, albeit I do find that Easter comes a tad too early for my liking this year. Anyway, I will take it easy this evening after work and maybe even tomorrow, but I will also make time to get things ready with Wolfie. When you are a parent, Easter is all about the children.

Canard de Pâques

 Comme je le bloguais hier, mes parents sont à Montréal et ils ont acheté des chocolats de Pâques pour leurs petits-enfants, les cousin de Wolfie. Parmi ces chocolats, un canard. Le canard est moins associé à Pâques que la poule ou le lapin, mais ça fait sens qu'il soit utilisé dans l'imagerie pascale de fertilité et tout le reste. Mais je ne me rappelle pas en avoir acheté un étant enfant, ou à petit loup. Tout de même: c'est un joli petit canard. Qui ne durera pas longtemps, je le soupçonne.

Wednesday 27 March 2024

Writing in the train?

I have been wanting to blog about this for a while. A few weeks ago, I read this article on the Guardian, from author Benjamin Dean: My unlikely cure for writer's block: I catch a train to Cambridge. I don't know Dean, never read any of his books, but he seems to be a nice guy. Writer's block or not, I never read in the train. I do however read more and a lot when I travel by train. Call it my cure for reader's block, which has somewhat increased in recent years, maybe because I don't commute or travel by train anymore. I do think also that my mind wanders more in a train, I mean even more than it usually does. So I can easily believe that train travels are more inductive to creativity. Maybe we should have a writing workshop in a train. That would be nice, if nothing else.

Encore Joe Bine

Photo prise de la page Facebook de la Binerie Mont-Royal. Les produits dérivés de leur mascotte, Joe Bine. Je l'aime de plus en plus, moi, Joe Bine.

Goldfinger for Spy Wednesday


 Today is Holy Wednesday, also called, more dramatically... Spy Wednesday. I prefer to call it the latter. It has nothing to do with real spies or spy fiction, however I take this opportunity to mention that a few days ago, last Saturday, was the 65th anniversary of the publication of Goldfinger. I learned about it on the official Facebook page of Ian Fleming. To celebrate its publication, they are selling a couple of cool fancy stuff, go check it out. I just thought the novel is a fitting read for Spy Wednesday. The film would make a great watch too, come to think of it, especially if you are not into Biblical things or fluffy bunny stuff. Butgive the novel a try.

Un autre lapin de Pâques

Mes parents sont à Montréal pour voir la famille et ils ont acheté des chocolats de Pâques pour leurs deux-petits fils, les fils demon frère Andrew. En voici un. Je crois que le cousin de Wolfie va aimer. Pour moi, je préfère les lapins de Pâques plus réalistes, qui ont l'air de vrais lapins, pas de personnages de dessins animés. Mais bon, c'est juste moi qui parle, je crois que pour un jeune enfant ça n'a guère d'importance. Dans tous les cas, petit loup a envie de passer Pâques au Québec.

Tuesday 26 March 2024

Greek Mythology for Easter

 Looking for something to read this Easter? How about some Greek myths? I don't know why, but I often associate Easter with Greek mythology. Maybe because of the true Pagan origins of the celebration and its imagery, maybe because I find Springtime celebrations more fitting a Meditterranean setting. Be that as it may, I have started this book from Roger Lancelyn Green. I bought it for Wolfie, but truly it is for me. And it has a great Medusa on its cover. I know all the stories, but I don't care: it's just fun to rediscover them on a new perspective.

Un gâteau de Pâques cette année?

J'ai fait un gâteau au chocolat de Pâques l'an dernier. Vous le voyez ici. Je ne sais pas trop pourquoi, c'est pas comme si on n'avait pasassez de chocolats (voir l'arrière-plan de cette photo). Peut-être que je suis excessif, comme le disent ma mèr et ma femme. Cela dit, petit loup veut un autre gâteau de Pâques cette année, alors je vais devoir m'y mettre. Surtout que nous avons beaucoup d'oeufs à passer, autant faire du gâteau. Avec des oeufs en chocolat dessus et un lapin de Pâques au sommet, mais je crois que je vais faire une ganache plutôt qu'un glaçage.

Monday 25 March 2024

Easter (chocolate) Bunny

 I bought this bunny last year at the nearest Lidl. One of the many, many, many Easter chocolates I bought last year. That is pretty much how I prepare for Easter: I buy chocolates, enough to be "Easter rich" as Wolfie puts it. My wife finds me excessive, but it only comes once a year and I just love hoarding chocolates. It's also a family tradition to be excessive on holidays. There are all sorts of chocolates for Easter, but at least one of them must be a bunny. Don't ask me why, it just has. A big one, preferably. And, while I got loads of eggs and a hen, I haven't bought a chocolate bunny yet. And Easter is in less than a week. Time for another trip to the shops.

Joe Bine

J'apprends via leur page Facebook que la Binerie Mont-Royal a maintenant une mascotte: Joe Bine. Il y a déjà des sacs et des tuques à son effigie disponibles. Les tuques sont disponibles en beige(!), taupe(?) et mangenta(!?). J'en acheterais bien une (la taupe sans doute). Non mais quand même, Joe Bine, quel brillant nom pour une mascotte de Binerie.

Sunday 24 March 2024

Psalm Sunday

It is Palm Sunday today, which for the ex-Catholic turned Godless heathen that I am means diddly squat, except that Easter is coming. Like very soon: in a week. This year, Easter comes far too early, as it is always the case when it comes in March. I prefer in April, but I digress. The date on the religious calendar reminds me that I have to prepare for Easter, ans get on with it, as I have barely done anything. It will be a blitz this week. I say this, and it is easier to prepare for Easter than maybe any other holiday in the year. Anyway, what does Psalm Sunday mean to you? If it means anything.

La tasse du chevreuil

 Nous sommes allés dans un centre de jardinage hier. Je ne sais pas trop pourquoi, ça a comme été une décision de dernière minute. En plus de toutes les patentes de Pâques, il y avait une section sur le camping, qui avait quelque chose de bien automnal (et de bien masculin aussi, enfin c'est mon impression, surtout que ça n'a fait ni chaud ni froid à ma femme). J'y ai vu de belles tasses en métal, dont celle-ci, avec un chevreuil. Nous avons trop de tasses dans la maison, sinon je l'aurais achetée. Elle fait vraiment très automne, vous ne trouvez pas?

Saturday 23 March 2024

NIMH (a childhood classic)

 Oh the treasures you find in charity shops! This is what I found last time I went to one: the novel which inspired The Secret of NIMH, a chilchood classic which fascinated me when I was a kid. It was surprisingly dark for a children movie. I first watched it in English, when I could not understand a word of it, but the imagery and the aesthetic kept me interested. Then I saw it dubbed in French a couple of times. I haven't watched it in years. I understand the source material considerably differs from its adaptation. The name Brisby was switched to Frisby, for instance. I'm not certain to read it with Wolfie, as I fear it might be a tad dark for his taste. But I'm looking forward to it all the same.

Un thé l'après-midi

Photo prise en... 2022. Un après-midi dans un hôtel pas trop loin de chez nous où petit loup, en bon petit Anglais, avait voulu qu'on s'arrête pour prendre le thé. Ce que l'on appelle un "afternoon tea" et qui est un peu un cliché quand on pense à l'Angleterre. Je dis ça, mais en fait, il n'a pas bu de thé, étant trop petit. Ma femme non plus, car elle n'aime pas le thé. Alors elle a bu du café, j'ai bu le thé et nous avons tous mangé des scones. Tout était trop cher pour ce que ça valait, mais c'était une expérience fort plaisante et je me suis dit qu'il serait le temps que l'on reprenne le thé comme ça.

Friday 22 March 2024

ATJ as James Bond?

 I am late commenting on it and, as I am typing this the night before this post will be published, I am also share some views that will be proven innaccurate when you will read it. But anyway, as you probably heard, actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been rumoured to be the next James Bond. According to some sources, it is a done deal, or almost. I, like many Bond fans, am skeptical about the news. For a number of reasons: as far as we know, there is, as far as we know, no script and no director. The casting of the main actor would start once this has been sorted, not before. So I think it is a rumour that has been blown out of proportions, although it is very likely that ATJ is among the potential candidates for the role, should there be auditions in the near future. As for the actor himself, I don't know him much to give a full appreciation of his skills. I think if nothing else, he has the right look and age. However, I find his voice too high. But a proper audition would determine that. And of course, whatever happens and whoever is cast, I will be watching the next Bond movie. And you, what do you think of this rumour?

Du thé chez Couche-Tard

 Excellente nouvelle: j'apprends, via la page Facebook de David's Tea, que Couche-Tard offre maintenant leurs produits. C'est une très bonne chose: faut bien servir autre chose que du café comme breuvage chaud, taboire. Et puis on a beau dire ce qu'on veut de David's Tea, c'est quand même cool d'avoir une sélection de thés à servir dans un dépanneur. Même ici en Angleterre, je n'ai jamais vu ça. Et puis je vais ajouter une chose: j'ai toujours aimé Couche-Tard. Je l'aime encore plus depuis que j'ai appris la nouvelle. Et ça me donnera donc une autre raison de faire un arrêt obligé lors de notre prochain séjour au Québec.

Thursday 21 March 2024

Battleship

I took this picture at the local toy shop. First thing that came to my mind: the boxes for Battleship look way cooler than in my youth, way more dramatic too. Although at nearly £25.00, it is a bit much. All the same, I showed it to Wolfie and he seems interested about it. I think his daddad gave him a rudiment of the game when he went to visit his grandparents a few months ago. But, while I know you can play Battle ship using pen and papers, I would rather use the real thing. I played a fair deal of it when I was young, I was not too bad, but not great. I just like the idea of playing war, in effect. Games like Battleship almost have elements of role-play. In any case, I am considering asking for a set for my birthday.

Des infos sur IXE-13

 Je reviens sur IXE-13, car j'ai plus d'information sur le sujet. Tout d'abord, mon père m'a envoyé ce texte de Guy Fournier à propos de l'oeuvre originale. Ensuite, comme je m'y attendais (et l'espérais), la nouvelle adaptation a entraîné une réédition des romans originaux. Ce qui veut dire que je pourrai me le/les procurer lors de mon retour au Québec. La couverture est celle de la série, pas les vieux pulps des années 40 et 50, mais quand même, je ne bouderai pas mon plaisir. Je me mordais assez les doigts de ne pas en avoir acheté dans les librairies usagées du temps de la jeunesse, je suis heureux d'avoir la possibilité de m'en procurer.

Wednesday 20 March 2024

Four years later

 I know, today is the equinox, but it is to me a very special anniversary. A similar one to many people living in the UK, but slightly different in my case. So four years ago, it was leaving the office of my old job for the last time, as the government had ordered total lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I was going to work from home for a while. I naively thought it might only be two weeks. Unlike others, I was really looking for it: I hated my job and I hated spending time in the office. Until I found something better, working from home, with no boss breathing down my neck, no petty colleagues, close to my family, it felt like a borderline extended holiday. And it did, until I got furloughed in May 2020, then lost my job in June... To find another one soon after. Four years later, I am happy in my job, I still work (mostly) from home and well, things are much better. So the 20th of March 2020 marks the day I started feeling good again, work-wise.

Vivaldi: Le printemps (Petit Ménestrel)

Je sais, j'ai déjà utilisé cette vidéo en 2022. Ainsi que l'illustration plus haut. Mais je le réutilise aujourd'hui, parce que c'est l'équinoxe. Voici donc un extrait d'un conte allégorique inspiré des Quatre Saisons de Vivaldi. Le conte est bien entendu tiré d'un livre-disque du du Petit Ménestrel. Petits souvenirs de mon enfance.

Tuesday 19 March 2024

A box for afternoon tea

 Because I performed very well at work recently, I won a freebie from my employers. I had the choice of many things, I chose this box from SweetiePost. I barely hesitated. It has everything for the whole family: tea biscuits of all sorts, chocolate, even a flapjack. Oh, and tea of course. And a 15% discount on a future purchase, which I may or may not use. But all the same, I'm set for my next afternoon tea.

Les Pères trappistes changent de main


Photo trouvée sur la page Facebook des Pères trappistes hier. Tout ça pour dire qu'ils ont de nouveaux propriétaires et qu'ils ont une manière sympathique de nous le dire.Ah oui et c'est Pâques dans moins de deux semaines...

Monday 18 March 2024

Post Saint Paddy's Blues?

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.

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

 Well, not all Irish beers have to be Guinness or stout. So today, we went to out Henley-on-Thames and we sort of celebrated Saint Patrick's Day at the The Catherine Wheel, a Wetherspoon pub. I say sort of, because I was the only one truly celebrating. There was actually a beer festival, ending today, and as I have plenty of Guinness at home, I went for Lough Gill Brewery's Irish Red Ale. Which is Irish enough, surely. More suitable, in any case, than the green coloured lagers too many people drink on Saint Paddy's nowadays. Anyway, enjoy the rest of the day everyone.

La Saint-Patrick à Montréal

Petit rappel pour ceux qui y sont: la Saint-Patrick est fêtée en grand à Montréal. J'ai pris cette photo de l'article de la grosse Presse. Je l'ai célébrée souvent à Montréal, mais je n'ai jamais vu le défilé, ce qui est assez honteux, je l'avoue. Je m'ennuie de l'ampleur des célébrations là-bas, puisqu'ici, dans notre coin de l'Angleterre très anglais, c'était plutôt tranquille. Je m'ennuie du pub irlandais local, qui malheureusement n,existe plus depuis des années. Ah oui et une mascotte en forme de trèfle (à six feuilles?), c'est cool.

Saint Paddy's Day

Let's start with, well, how we must start today: happy Saint Patrick's Day everyone! To my Irish readers, if there are any, and to any reader among you who may have some Irish blood. Which I may or may not have, my family history is kind of muddled up. But in any case, I looove Ireland. I will celebrate listening to Irish music and drinking (well of course) Guinness. I had this one last night, in preparation to today's celebrations. I usually drink it this time of year, but it used to be my poison of choice in my youth.

Gâteau aux Oreos

Je suis tombé par hasard sur une vieille photo lors d'une fête d'un ami de mon fils. Elle date de moins d'un an, de juin 2023 en fait. J'ai partagé assez souvent des photos de gâteaux aux Oreos, un peu pour la food porn, beaucoup parce que c'est un truc vraiment cochon. Aussi, sans doute un peu parce que c'est la Saint-Patrick aujourd'hui, sans doute, mais une chose m'a frappé en regardant cette photo: le Oreo a la même couleur que la Guinness.

Saturday 16 March 2024

Living in a Rovos Rail train?

I got this picture from the Facebook page of Rovos Rail, the South African luxury train company. If time and money were no objections, spending time there would be my dream holiday. Wolfie's too. He saw this picture and gave me another Wolfism: "I want to live there, even if it's just a train!" A train, but not just a train. Living in a train, especially a Rovos Rail train, now that's an idea. This view is way better than what we have in our living room, in any case.

Ixe-13: des questions

Je reviens sur IXE-13, ainsi que sur la nouvelle adaptation en série. J'ai quelques questions sur le sujet. D'abord, est-ce qu'on peut/pourra voir la série ailleurs qu'au Québec et si oui, où et quand? Et est-ce que l'on revend des bouquins IXE-13, neufs ou usagés, quelque part au Québec? Quand j'y serai, ils risquent d'avoir disparu.

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

Image trouvée sur a page Facebook officielle de Mafalda . J'ai voulu partager. De tous les personnages de la bédé, Susanita est celle que j'aime détester.

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?

I found this game in a local charity shop. I was intrigued, because it was a drinking game and more precisely a beer drinking game. But I did not buy it. I've never been a fan of ping pong. I never had the patience for it. I had a friend of mine who had a table and liked to play, but it was more for the pleasure of humiliating me, as I was pretty bad at it. But that is not why. I love beer, for one and this game seems to involve a lot of spilling. And I hate to waste beer, even cheap, tasteless lagers. I find it morally wrong. So yeah, this game seems to be a terrible idea.

La Saint-Patrick au...Café Cambio

Bon, nouvelle rérionale qui m'a à la fois étonné et réjoui: j'apprends sur la page Facebook du Café Cambio qu'ils organisent un brunch pour la Saint-Patrick, avec musique puis tout le kit. Les détails sur cette affiche promotionnelle. Je ne me rappelle pas avoir vu des célébrations de la Saint Paddy's au Saguenay du temps où j'y vivais. J'ai commencé à m'y intéresser à Montréal, pas avant, surtout parce que justement, je n'ai jamais vu qui que ce soit souligner la Saint-Patrick à  Chicoutimi. Mais bon, les temps changent, parfois pour le mieux. Je ne sais pas si la musique sera authentique, mais au moins, on peut fêter l'Irlande à Chicoutimi.

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

 J'ai pris cette photo sur la page Facebook de McAuslan, rien que parce que. Signe du printemps qui s'en vient, qui est peut-être même déjà ici: leur Saint-Ambroise à l'érable est disponible. Je ne l'ai jamais essayée. C'est bon?

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!

La page Facebook officielle de Mafalda a partagé cette image lors de la Journée internationale des femmes. Je suis en retard sur les nouvelles et les commémorations, mais j'ai cru bon de partager. En un seul gag, Quino fait un commentaire à la fois drôle et percutant.

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.

Cymbidium

 Mon père m'a envoyé des photos de ses orchidées. Un cymbidium.

Sunday 10 March 2024

Early Mother's Day

 It is Mother's Day today. Or rather it was, as it is late and well, pretty much over. Mother's Day in the UK comes in March, usually the third Sunday of the month. Or so I thought until now. That shows how little I still understand about the traditions of my country of adoption. For me, Mother's Dayhas always been a May thing. But anyway, this year it came earlier, because it's the fourth Sunday of Lent, apparently. So yeah, it came earlier and, to be honest, far too early for my taste. We didn't celebrate much, because we wanted to do house work. But as Wolfie was sick yesterday, we did not prepare anything at all, or indeed did much housework. Yet it might be fitting: being a parent is all about, well, being a parent, so taking care of our children when they are not well. So it was a fitting way to remind my wife that she is a mother.

Un mirador dans Charlevoix

 J'ai lu en diagonale cet article dans la grosse Presse, à propos d'une maison avec mirador dans Charlevoix. Mais la photo, oh la photo m'a fait grosse impression. Une énorme cabane, on pourrait dire un manoir, avec mirador en plus. Je veux cette piaule. Je ne peux pas me la payer et je vis loin, mais c'est be en tab...

Organic Black Tea

A week ago, we went to a family gathering and my mother-in-law, who knows me so very well, made tea for me. A special organic black tea that from what I understand wasn't too high on caffein, so it was not going to keep me awake at night. It was the loose leaf tea, so I was truly spoiled rotten. But I made the mistake to not let it infuse for long enough, so it ended up too pale. I often make the opposite mistake and have a tea that is too bitter. All the same, I love when my mother-in-law serves tea, she does it so perfectly. It's like a ceremony in itself.

Les motos

 Photo prise lors d'une foire agricole l'an dernier, en août. C'était assez bien comme évènement, mais pas assez génial pour qu'on y retourne. Je préfère les foires locales de notre petite ville, mais passons. Celle-ci avait quelques exhibitions qui ont quand même impressionné petit loup, dont un spectacle de motos. À son âge, j'avais une fascination pour les motos, allez savoir pourquoi. Le bruit je crois, plus que la vitesse, ça me donnait l'impression d'avoir affaire à des machines sauvages. Ca m'a vite passé, mais je trouve quand même ce genre de cascades assez cool.

Saturday 9 March 2024

Burger Pizza?

Friday last week, Wolfie and I had a boy's night in, his mummy having decided to go on a meal out with friends. When it happens, we make it a special night: I order pizza and we stuff ourselves watching telly. It's a sort of family tradition we started last year. Well, a tradition, I say this and it only happened twice so far, but we might do it more often. So Wolfie always goes for pepperoni, it's his go-to pizza, but I try to be adventurous for mine. So last week, I ordered from Domino's and got myself a Cheeseburger Pizza. It has mince meat, pickles and burger sauce. Does it taste weird? Yes it does. Is it wrong, maybe even blasphemous and philistine, to mix two fast food classics into one? Probably. All the same, I really enjoyed it.

"Faque"

 Voici une petite nouvelle qui a fasciné le linguiste en moi. Enfin, je dis linguiste, je ne suis pas linguiste de profession, mais j'ai quand même certaines notions de linguistique et je l'ai même enseignée un peu. Enfin bref, j'apprends dans la grosse Presse que l'expresison "faque" (entre autres) est empruntée par les Français qui s'installent au Québec. Il remplace le "du coup", qui m'a par ailleurs toujours irrité (je ne sais pas trop pourquoi). Faqu'il remplace le "du coup", donc. Par conséquent, "faque" mérite de devenir notre mot du jour. Pour ceux qui ne le savent pas, c'est une contraction de de "cela fait que". Ce n'est pas très sophistiqué, mais ça dit ce que ça veut dire.

Friday 8 March 2024

MI6: facts from fiction

 I recently stumbled on this BBC article, which is an interview of a real employee of SIS, also known as MI6. It remains very vague, but it is quite interesting all the same. Of course, the real spies live in the shadow of James Bond and it seems that people still use the fiction as staple for their perception of MI6. As much as I love James Bond movies, I still think there is room for more realistic spy thrillers out there. I have watched and read a few, which I blogged about in the past. I hope this article and others like this one will inspire writers to write different kind of stories featuring SIS. Oh but for the record, I will still eagerly watch the next Bond movie.

Concours de Pâques (Pères trappistes)

Photo trouvée sur la page Facebook des Pères trappistes il y a quelques jours. Tout ça pour dire qu'ils font un concours et vous trouverez le formulaire ici. Pour ceux qui peuvent participer, bien entendu. Dans un autre ordre d'idées, suis-je le seul à trouver que Pâques arrive trop vite cette année? Je préfère quand elle arrive an avril. J'ai l'impression qu'on a à peine le temps de se préparer cette année.

Thursday 7 March 2024

World Book Day

 It is World Book Day today, which I try to celebrate every year. I Wolfie celebrates it at school by dressing up, it's a special tradition they have in this country (and elsewhere?). I hope he gets back home with a book token to be spent in the local bookshop, like last year. That would be great. Wolfie is going to school dressed up as a king. Maybe King Arthur, maybe not, don't ask me why, but I do suspect the Arthurian legend sort of influenced him, as I did tell him about it recently and he got quite curious. We have a few books about which I intend to read them with him.

La Relâche au Québec (souvenirs)

 C'est la Relâche au Québec cette semaine, ce que j'avais oublié de souligner jusqu'ici. Ca ne veut plus rien dire pour moi: il y a une semaine de relâche ici, mais c'est à un autre moment dans l'année et je ne la prends plus vraiment comme vacances. La Relâche dont je me rappelle le plus, c'est celle de notre séjour dans les Cantons de l'Est, sur leuel j'ai blogué en 2011. C'est l'un de mes plus beaux souvenirs de Relâche et de vacances au Québec en général. J'ai souvent revu l'Estrie par la suite, mais je n'ai jamais autant aimé que durant ces vacances. 

J'ai un autre souvenir des semaines de relâche de mon enfance: à chaque année, ma mère nous achetait un livre, parfois deux, à mes frères et moi, pour célébrer. C'était la plupart du temps au début, mais parfois plus tard aussi. On les lisait durant les vacances. C'est vrai que chaque occasion était bonne pour ma mère. Je pensais peut-être en faire une tradition ici avec petit loup.

Wednesday 6 March 2024

Heart of the Hunter soon

You know I love crime fiction, you know I love crime fiction set in South Africa, having a wife who is half South African. As I mentioned last month, Deon Meyer's Heart of the Hunter has been adapted into a movie. It will be released on Netflix this month. I can hardly wait. I watched the teaser trailer and it seemd solid. I suspect it will be a fairly lose adaptation, as a lot of the original novel, published about 20 years ago, needed modernising to make sense in this day and age. But I don't mind: they do the same for James Bond. And as I said, it seems solid. I suggest you watch it too, or read the novel. I might take my copy out of the bookshelves and refer to it as I watch, just for fun.

Herminette (mot et santon du jour)

Photo prise sur la page Facebook sur les Santons de Charlevoix. C'est un charpentier utilisant une herminette. Je ne connaissais pas le terme, je l'ai appris grâce à la boutique des Santons et l'explication venant avec cette image. On en apprend tous les jours. J'imagine qu'on ne les utilise plus guère, mais je peux me tromper. Dans tous les cas, j'ai pensé que c'était une bonne idée de partager cette photo et vous faire découvrir l'herminette, si vous ne connaissiez pas déjà. C'est notre mot du jour.

Tuesday 5 March 2024

About Karate

 We recently received a freebie school magazine when Wolfie got back from school. Parents get it from time to time. In the freebie magazine, there is an advert for karate classes not too far from here. Near(ish) my old working place from seven years ago. Anyway, a few things struck me in this advert. The first is that self defence is barely mentioned. It' there, but not the primary benefit, apparently. I thought it was strange. Maybe my few years of in Krav Maga rubbed on to me. I think this should be the main reason why you would try any martial art. True that Krav Maga is not a martial art per se, because it is solely focused on self defence and not rituals or codes. Every time I see an advert somewhere for martial art classes, of any kind, it reminds me that I should really, but seriously, go back to do Krav Maga. The other thing it reminded me of is that karate was the first and only martial art I ever did, once at school, because we had special classes for it, and once in cégep, because I needed it for my credit. I guess I wasn't very good at it, or it was just not for me, because I never went further than that. It felt too formal and not nearly as impressive as what I could see in movies. Truly, I only felt comfortable doing Krav Maga, although again I was not very good at it. It just felt more natural.

Retour sur le Cinéma de 17 Heures

 Je reviens sur un billet que j'ai écrit il y a cinq ans, le 8 mars 2019. Je me demandais à l'époque ce qui était advenu du Cinéma de 17 heures et si quelqu'un à part moi s'en rappelait. En fait si, bien des gens s'en rappellent, mais on ne trouve rien sur le sujet dans les itnernets. Enfin, on ne trouvait rien à l'époque. Il faudrait vérifier maintenant, mais je doute que ce soit bien différent. Alors je refais un appel à tous sur le sujet, j'en ferai peut-être même une question existentielle. Qui s'en souvient, de quoi vous souvenez-vous, surtout, quels films vous souvenez-vous avoir vus au Cinéma de 17 heures? Je crois que je peux comtper ceux dont je me rappelle sur les doigts de la main, même si j'ai une bonne mémoire. Mais j'aimerais me faire une petite filmographie, rien que pour le plaisir nostalgique de la chose. Faites-moi part de vos souvenirs dans les commentaires.

Monday 4 March 2024

Army Green Water Bottle

As you know, I love buying things at the Mountain Warehouse. Don't ask how it happened, but it's now my favourite shop in town, after the local bookshop. Anyway, a few days ago, I discovered that Wolfie's water bottle, one with Minecraft motifs on, which I bought on Amazon, had started leaking big time. It had lasted a few months. So we went to the local Mountain Warehouse to buy a new one. They don't last that long either, but they are generally cheaper, because discounted (half price this weekend). So behold Wolfie's new water bottle. It is army green asi if I had bought it at an army surplus shop. Wolfie, for some reason, is starting to be fascinated by all things army and in any case he loves the colour green. So yes, Mountain Warehouse has been a life saver once again.

Londres vue de haut

J 'ai pris cette photo à Sky Garden, à Londres, il y a environ un an, alors que nous l'avions visitée en famille. Petit loup est fasciné par Londres, une fascination semblable à la mienne à son âge. Mais je n'ai pas vu la ville depuis un an, depuis cette visite en mars. En fait, si, mais pas tout à fait: j'ai passé à travers Londres, dans le métro, dans le cadre de mon travail, afin de me rendre au bureau. La dernière fois date d'octobre 2023. Mais la voir sous le ras du sol et de haut, ce sont deux choses. Il faudrait bien y retourner en touriste, quoique je n'aime guère jouer les touristes en Angleterre, vu que j'y suis depuis plus de vingt ans. dans tous les cas, j'ai pensé partager cette photo, rien que pour le plaisir.

Sunday 3 March 2024

The Age of Steam (puzzles)

 We went downtown yesterday and we stopped in a charity shop. We don't always buy things there, but I must say we often do. My wife found this jigsaw puzzle box, four jigsaw puzzles in one, each one about a team train. With a CD in it, for some reason, becuse if you are going to build a puzzle with a train on it, you might as well have some sound to it. So we had a conversation that went like this:

Veggie Carrie: "Maybe we should buy this, it's only three pounds." 
Me: "It would make the two men in this household very happy, but it comes with a CD. I mean we don't have a CD player anymore." 
Veggie Carrie: "Well... there's the car." 
Me: "You want us to listen to steam train sounds in the car instead of music? I mean, I won't mind, Wolfie won't mind either but... wouldn't that be your worst nightmare coming true?
Veggie Carrie (suddenly horrified): "Oh... no!"
 
 So there you have it. I think what I said about listening to the CD in the car deserves to be a great unknown line. It made us laugh and I got some sharp looks from other customers for that reason. And wee still bought the box in the end.

Dangereuses dindes

 Photo de dindes prise dans une ferme pour enfants locale. La photo a été prise en 2021, je l'utilise ici afin d'illustrer mon propos. Et parce que je n'ai pas de photos de dindes noires, celles qui depuis peu sont devenues agressives à Gatineau. Voir cet article, notamment. Il y a cet autre article aussi. J'avoue que ça sonne surréaliste de lire ce qui s'y passe, entre Hitchcock et La Guerre des mondes. Mon frère PJ a déjà vécu à Gatineau et des dindes noires se sont déjà promenées sur son terrain. J'ai même partagé cette photo qu'il avait prise d'une dinde noire. À l'époque, je n'aurais pas cru que les dindes pouvaient aussi sinistres, ou du moins inquiétantes. De dangereuses dindes.

Saturday 2 March 2024

Cool (if early) Halloween Picture

 Sometimes, chance looks predetermined. Case in point, this anecdote from a few days ago. My wife bought a costume for Wolfie on Amazon, for World Book Day. I will not tell you which one yet. About one of his new fancies. Let's just say for now that the costume is not remotely spooky. It's one of these cheap(ish) costumes you can find on Amazon. So it got deliveredrecently, and it had this very label on it. At first, my wife thought we received the wrong package and we got a Grim Reaper. But no, it was is not scary at all costume. They just packaged it in a Halloween, well, package. And what a cool picture it is. With a scary shadowy Reaper, Jack O'Lanterns, ghosts, bats and what have you. It is so deliciously spooky, I might keep it as a sort of decoration for Halloween itself. I could not throw it in the recycling. I'm a sucker, I know.

Détox vert (ou vert détox?)

Nous sommes allés dans un café la fin de semaine dernière, un jour où, à la maison, nous étions à court de fruits et légumes. J'ai donc décidé, au lieu du thé, de prendre un smoothie. Je ne sais plus trop ce qu'il y avait dedans, mais je sais qu'il y avait du kale et du concombre. Deux choses que je ne peux pas blairer d'ordinaire et sous leur forme normale, mais en smoothie, je peux les boire et le reste tue le goût. Le smoothie s'appelait bien entendu "Green Detox". Quand c'est vert, c'est toujours détox.

Friday 1 March 2024

Saint David's Day

As you may know, today is the first of March, the the Feast of Saint David, patron saint of Wales.Iam not Welsh, do not have Welsh blood, but I have some Welsh friends and try to sort of celebrate Saint David's Day every year. Read in this post from 2011 of my history with Saint David's Day. This year, I will eat Welsh cakes with Wolfie. For some reason, my son loves them. Not sure why he got so fond of them, I should ask him. He does not have Welsh blood, as far as I know, but maybe he has a bit of a Welsh soul.