The New Italian Connection?

Last Sunday, late afternoon, Wolfie and I went outside so I could teach him to ride a bike. He is getting better, although he needs to build his confidence. But I digress. Outside the house in the corner, there were our neighbours, with some friends. These neighbours, I didn't know much about them, except that they are having their house extended. They are a couple in their thirties. So anyway, they had visitors, another couple and their child, a little boy of two or thereabout. When he saw Wolfie, he was drawn to him, as if he found a new friend. I asked Wolfie to say hello. I could tell they were speaking another language, but it didn't struck me it was Italian. Then the mum told me her little boy didn't speak English yet. And then I could hear they were Italian. So I introduced myself and Wolfie to them, and to the little boy, in Italian. We had a quick chat, mixing English and Italian, Wolfie spoke a few words of French because well, why the heck not. I didn't spend much time chatting, mind you, it was all an impromptu talk due to circumstances. I didn't even properly introduce myself to my neighbours. But I do hope to find time speaking to them and learn to know them better. They seem quite friendly. Being a foreigner, it is nice to see people in the same boat as you, so to speak. And I also hope to improve my Italian.

Pain au fromage

 Mon frère PJ a fait un pain au fromage. Je n'ai pas la patience pour faire du pain, encore moins du pain au fromage, mais enfant, j'adorais ce rituel familial. C'était une tradition chez nous. J'ai blogué sur le sujet en 2022. PJ m'a rappelé qu'on faisait des soupers de pain au fromage, une fois qu'il était sorti du four et frais. On invitait ma grand-mère et ça faisait des célébrations impromptues à la bonne franquette. Il m'arrivait aussi d'acheter du pain au fromage à Montréal et d'en faire un souper le vendredi soir. Mais enfin bref, tout ça pour dire que j'aimerais vraiment être capable de pétrir du pain.

October, October

No, no, I am not thinking of autumn just yet. Okay, yes, I am. I always am, when autumn is still a long way ahead. I long for it. No, I am blogging today about a novel I found at random in a garden centre, of all places. Titled October, October. An autumnal novel seemingly not about Halloween, albeit it must show up at some point in the story. It is, from what I understand, a coming of age story about a girl named October who rescues a baby owl. I did not buy it, mostly because from August until, well, Halloween, I read horror stories non stop. But I might buy it next time I see it and add to my TBR list for summertime, just so it can help me get through the hot days of summertime. Just a thought.

Mafalda et le bonheur

J'ai (re)trouvé ce gag sur la page Facebook officielle de Mafalda. Comme bien des gags de Mafalda, la page officielle m'aide à les redécouvrir, et dans en espagnol en plus (parfois en italien). J'arrive à comprendre. Mais enfin bref, ce que j'aime dans ce gag, c'est qu'il fait sourire plutôt que rire et que c'est ça a une portée un peu philosophique.

The Boys' Night In

 Yesterday evening, my wife went out with some friends. She rarely does that and I think she needed it. But that means Wolfie and I spend the evening in. We had, in effect, a boys' night in, the first proper one in months, I believe. I think our last one was in March. It went as it always does: we have pizza dinner, we watch a movie on Netflix. That's about it. We are very lazy, but we enjoy it tremendously. That's the advantage of being a father of a cheeky little boy: he allows you to live a second childhood. I know I said it time and again, but it's still true. So Yes, I am looking forward to the next night in, whenever that may be.

Olives aux atocas

Mon père m'a envoyé cette photo d'olives farcies aux atocas. Bon, c'est une première. J'adore les olives, j'aime les atocas, quoique je les mange plus en hiver. Je ne suis pas certain que ce soit un mariage inspiré, mais j'essaierais bien quand même.

The Godfather, the Game

 Oh the things one finds in the local toy shop. As many people into crime fiction, whether they are books or films, I am a fan of The Godfather. Well, it turns out that there is a board game (at least I think it can count as a board game, I mean it was in the board games section) called The Godfather: Last Family Standing. I own already too many board games, we have too little time to play them, we don't really invite enough people often enough to have party games anyway, but I must confess, I am curious. Anyone played this game? Is it worth 20 quid?

Les hippopotames roses

Photo prise par mon père à Montréal. L'art urbain. Des hippopotames roses. Ou, comme on les appelle parfois dans cette famille, des "popotames". C'est mignon.

Say it with Champagne

 I mentioned two days ago that I was celebrating my work anniversary: I have been three years in my job. My bosses are very happy with me, or so it seems: they thanked me by sending me this bottle of Veuve Clicquot. A genuine, authentic Champagne, not just a fizzy wine. I must be doing something right. I was expecting something, but not this. So I was overjoyed when the delivery man knocked at my doorto hand me this bottle. It's not only to celebrate my three years, it is also because the project I am on has been extended and even expanded. I was profusely thanked for my hard work this week and they told me how thankful they were with the work I have done for them. Well, it is sweet in itself, but it is made all the sweeter as more than four years ago, I was in a different job, which I hated. I put the Veuve Clicquot in the fridge and drinking it this weekend to celebrate will be oh so sweet!

Murale sur Saint-Laurent

Mon père m'a envoyé cette photo prise sur le Boulevard Saint-Laurent. Montréal change et je ne le vois pas: je ne me rapelle pas avoir vu ce genre de murale lors de mes derniers séjours. C'est joli, je dois dire, même si un peu criard.

Pound Puppies

We went to the local toy shop last weekend. We did not stay long, just long enough to buy a birthday present for a friend of Wolfie. And enough time to see the stocks they have this time of year, thus giving me inspiration for future birthday presents. I was happy to see that they have a good selection of Pound Puppies. I knew they had them since last year. I was even tempted to buy one (the bottom right) for Wolfie, but decided to wait a bit. What is nice about Pound Puppies, is that each is unique. So it is almost like adopting a real dog, except without all the troubles.

Mai ici (et ailleurs)

 De tous les mois du printemps, le mois de mai est d'habitude le plus estival. Il y fait beau et chaud. Enfin, d'habitude. Ce fût le cas la fin de semaine dernière, un peu la semaine d'avant. Mais ça a soudainement changé dès lundi, avec des températures et de la météo qui donne au mois de mai des airs d'octobre. Pas que je ne m'en plaigne, remarquez. Je n'aime pas les températures trop chaudes et le samedi, alors qu'il faisait un soleil splendide... je trouvais ça suant par moments. Heureusement que nous étions à l'ombre. Mais c'était peut-être une aberration: j'ai vu les prévisions météo et il risque de faire frais, sinon froid, pendant une semaine de plus. Quant à moi, c'est tant mieux.

Work Anniversary

I forgot to mention it when it happened, but thought I better say it here: last Monday was my work anniversary. I have been three years in the same job. I hadn't expected it when I started. I had been temping for about nine months and before that temp job I hated my previous job, my then employer and everything about it. To say I am much happier in my current position is an understatement. It's not perfect, but it is the best employer I had in years, maybe since I am on the job market. So although I did not make a big celebration of it (or indeed any at all), I think it is important to mention it here and mark the anniversary.

Mille-feuilles érable et pacanes

Mon père m'a envoyé cette photo d'un mille-feuilles (ou mille-feuille, ou mille feuilles, enfin voir ce billet) à l'érable et aux pacanes. Il l'a acheté Ô Petit Paris. Ce sera un arrêt obligé lors de mon prochain séjour à Montréal.

Early (or late?) Jack O'Lantern

 We went to the local toy shop this weekend, to buy a gift for a friend of Wolfie. I love to go there and I try not to buy anything for myself, or for him, when we are on a mission like it was the case then. But I found this kind of plush toy (not sure of the name). A Jack O'Lantern. With a witch hat. I wonder if it is an early sign of Halloween, or just some old stock from last year. It is probably the latter, but all the same. I will take it as a sign of Halloween to come. Less than six months now.

Miguelito et les feuilles d'automne

Il m'est venu à l'esprit, en regardant la page Facebook officielle de Mafalda, que c'est l'automne en Amérique du Sud. Et en Argentine, donc. Je ne me rappelais pas de ce gag. Je ne sais pas s'il y en a d'autres sur ma saison préférée, mais ça m'a fait plaisir (et rire) de revoir celui-là.

May Fayre's Scarecrows

Last Saturday, our family went to the local May Fayre,one of my favourite yearly events. They had a few stands, selling lots of things, some useful, some just cute, including these scarecrows. I love scarecrows. They are for me some of the creatures of autumn, reminding me of the coming harvests. Even in May, they are a sign that my favourite season will eventually arrive. It helps me to stay patient. Sadly, as we were rushing, I didn't buy one this year. But I took this picture.

La Boréale (une observation)

Parmi mes lecteurs du Québec, vous connaissez tous sans doute les Brasseurs du Nord et leur bière Boréale, avec leur emblématique ours polaire sur l'étiquette. Elle est partout au Québec: dans les restaurants, les bars... Je crois que c'est l'ours polaire, facilement identifiable, qui leur a donné de la notoriété. Ce n'est pas une bière que je n'aime pas, mais c'est une bière que j'aime moins. De toutes ses variétés, je préfère la rousse.

Rosemary's Baby on Mother's Day

 Quick post to wish happy Mother's Day to every mother reading this. And sharing a funny meme that made me laugh a lot today. You might remember the horror film Rosemary's Baby, a masterpiece of the genre, perfect for the Halloween season, but also for today, if you might want to find a good film to celebrate. If you are worried about how your children will turn out, just remember that there's always worse offsprings somewhere.

Mafalda et la Fête des Mères

 Non, je n'ai pas oublié: bonne Fêtes des mères à toutes. Pour leur rendre hommage, je partage ce gag de Mafalda. Comme quoi tout n'est pas rose pour les enfants, même avec une excellente mère.

Classic Train Journeys

Oh the things we sometimes get in the post, when we pay attention. I generally cannot stand whatever physical, concrete junk mail we getthrough the post. And then last week, we received this. A leaflet from Saphos Trains (first time I heard of them) advertising a luxury train journey in a steam train. If time and money were no concern, I would have already booked the tickets. Quite expensive, by the way: £165 per person for a standard class ticket, and it is a one day thing. But oh how I wish that modern train journeys could be as comfortable and luxurious as this one. I have to say, it does make me dream.

Le jardin du mois de mai

Mon père m'a envoyé des photos il y a quelques jours. Le jardin en plein mois de mai, on dirait presque le mois de mars. Le printemps semble assez tardif. Ici, c'est presque l'été, mais ça ne durera pas (et j'en suis fort aise, d'ailleurs).

Northern Lights

I was thinking of blogging about another topic today, but something came up which I thought was too good not to mention here. Anyway, I took this picture last night. You can identify an aurora, more commonly known here as northern lights. They were very visible last night. I remember seeing them as a child, one night, I remember it vividly, my father had showed them to me. I don't remember seeing them afterwards. Anyway, these were not so easily seen, the camera really brought the contrast, even though I'm a lousy photographer.

St-Ambroise à la framboise

 Nouveau signe de l'été qui sera bientôt ici, gracieuseté de la Brasserie McAuslan. J'apprends donc sur leur page Facebook que leur St-Ambroise à la framboise est de retour. Je vais tout de suite faire un aveu: je ne suis pas le plus grand fan, en général, des bières au goût de fruit, surtout de baies. Cela dit, c'est assez rafraîchissant quand il fait chaud l'été. Une des meilleures bières dans une catégorie que j'aime moins.

Wolfie's Excalibur

 Well, it had to happen: Wolfie got his own Excalibur. Made of wood and not steel, but still. I will explain how he came into possession with it. Last week, we went to a "medieval festival", just for him (and me too, I am actually a medievalist). It was a rather simple affair, nothing too fancy or immersive, with jousting (more like professional wrestling disguised as jousting), falconry, archery and, well, nobody disguised but the entertainers. We had fun in any case. There were a few kiosks, among them one that sold wooden shields and swords from Tymeagain. And among the wooden toys, well, there was Excalibur. Other swords were cheaper, but neither Wolfie nor I could resist. In any case, it is an educational toy, allowing me to teach him a thing or two about the Arthurian legend. The sword will be central to our games in the next months, I am sure of it. I will keep you posted.

La piscine familiale

 Mon père m'a envoyé cette photo de la piscine familiale. Il l'a nettoyée pour l'été qui s'en vient et qui n'est pas arrivé. Ils ne pourront donc pas en profiter dans l'immédiat. La piscine, c'est à peu près la seule chose des étés de mon enfance qui me rend vraiment nostalgique. Tout part de là, en tout cas, des jeux que nous avons joués dans la piscine. Wolfie veut en profiter cette année, mais il n'est pas certain qu'on ira au Saguenay cet été. Cela dit, j'espère un jour créer des souvenirs avec lui das cette piscine.

Titanic Games

There are a lot of things I learned on Titanic Belfast, a museum we visited with great interest. Wolfie most of all, as he is fascinated by the Titanic.In the last section of the experience, we discovered that there are games based on the ill-fated ship. Among them a puzzle and some board games. The puzzle looks very nice, so I will try to find it. But the board game is what truly caught my attention. We have too many board games already and too little time to play them, but all the same, I want to find this one, or another. What I find interesting about using the Titanic as a setting is that it adds a dramatic element to the game play. I think Wolfie and I might enjoy it a lot.

Kanuk à la conquête du monde

Ma mère m'a envoyé un article de la grosse Presse, titré Kanuk part à la conquête du monde. On y parle bien entendu de l'entreprise Kanuk, qui a été rachetée par Bertrand Cesvet. Je ne savais pas. Kanuk, c'est maintenant et depuis bientôt 20 ans ma marque de manteaux. J'en ai un pour toutes les saisons. Je ne crois pas qu'on puisse en trouver ici en Angleterre, mais j'espère que la situation changera un jour. Par fierté québécoise et montréalaise (je dis ça même si je ne suis que Montréalais d'adoption). Et aussi parce que j'espère pouvoir équiper mon fils en manteaux Kanuk un jour prochain. Ce serait pratique s'ils en vendaient ici, mettons. Surtout qu'ils n'ont rien à envier aux autres marques plus connues. Donc, qu'ils se vendent ailleurs, je me dis qu'il était temps.

Holidays in Antarctica?

 I recently watched Where'd You Go, Bernadette? Because it stars Cate Blanchett. Well, of course. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, which I had wanted to watch since its release five years ago, but that's not what I wanted to blog about today. I discovered, thanks to it, that you can travel as a tourist in Antarctica. Call me silly or uneducated, but I had no idea. You can a bit of info in this Wikipedia entry, but a quick Google search online should show you many companies offering trips to the continent. In the film, it was a ship, but I understand there are other means of transport. I don't think I would dare to go, I am far too much of a wuss, and I love far too much my comfort. Beside, a certain graphic novel scared me of Antarctica for good. That said, I find the concept of traveling to the most remote and cold part of our planet, just for the pleasure of being there, fascinating. It must be quite an experience. And you, would you consider it? Tell me in the comments.

Les breuvages froids du Café Cambio

J'ai trouvé cette image sur la page Facebook du Café Cambio. Ils font un appel à tous à l'arrivée de l'été. Arrivée hypothétique au Saguenay, on s'entend. Non, je plaisante: l'été de là d'où je viens peut être aussi chaud et étouffant que partout ailleurs. Dans tous les cas, ils se demandent quoi servir comme breuvage froid à leurs clients. Je vais poser la question à ma femme, qui depuis son premier séjour à Chicoutimi adore le Cambio. Mais sinon, c'est quoi, votre breuvage froid préféré? À part les alcools, on s'entend.

Irish Whiskey (on the Titanic)

I took this picture on Titanic Belfast, the fancy museum about the Titanic. We went to Belfast because of the museum, as Wolfie has developed a keen interest about the Titanic, which borders on obsession. I have to say, I loved it too, I found it very fascinating. You might not be surprised to know that they served Irish whiskey on board. Well, of course. I was actually happily surprised to discover that Dunville's still exists. So I could drink the same whiskey they served on the Titanic. Kinda cool to think about it. I don't drink much whiskey of any kind, but I do like it with a beer from time to time. So I might try Dunville's one day.

Les truites (et un souvenir)

Comme je le bloguais hier, mon père est allé sur le lot de ses frères pour pêcher la truite. Je n'ai pas la patience pour la pêche, mais j'aime la truite comme repas. J'aime les poissons en général, en fait. Mais enfin bref, mon père m'envoie des photos de ses prises de temps à autre, rien que pour le fun, un peu par fierté aussi j'imagine, quand il fait une pêche respectable, comme c'est le cas. Enfant, j'ai pêché la truite deux ou trois fois, mais la dernière fois, c'était dans un paivllon chasse et pêche. La chair des truites était beige et c'était dégueulasse. Je fus dégoûté des truites pour quelques années à cause de cela.

The crocodile of Cholesbury

A little bit of creepy local news which caught my attention today: the police was asked to capture a crocodile that had been sighted in the village of Cholesbury. Fortunately, or disappointingly, the crocodile turned out to be a plastic toy. So it was an hoax. All the same, this is the stuff that urban legend are made of. Or village legends. I did not dare to hope that someone had brought illegally a crocodile in this country (it happens), kept it as a pet, then released him. Oh well. I think I might come off with some interesting story out of it. On a side note, my remembers might remember that I blogged about Cholesbury before, in August 2023. It's the second time this village catches my attention. I think fate is telling me to visit it.

3 et 4

Nous sommes aujourd'hui un jour férié ici en Angleterre. L'un des deux jours fériés du mois de mai. Je ne bouderai pas mon plaisir, mais j'aimerais en avoir un autre en été: le prochain sera le dernier lundi du mois d'août. Nous sommes un lundi férié, donc, et ça veut dire que nous avons eu une fin de semaine de trois jours. ce qui veut dire aussi que nous aurons une semaine de travail de quatre jours seulement. Je ne m'en plaindrai pas non plus. Quand mardi est notre lundi, c'est comme plus endurable.

The Wombat of Happiness

The silly things one finds over the internet. What do you know about wombats? I know very little, except that it is an Australian animal. Wolfie has a book about wombats, he was quite fond of it, otherwise I know diddly squat. But I found this meme, which I thought was hilarious. And very cute too. And furthermore, I think there is a nice ring to it. So I am sharing it here today for you. The Wombat of Happiness.

Truite au filet

 Mon père est allé pêcher la truite hier. Il a envoyé des photos pour son petit-fils, dont celle-ci. Ma femme, végétarienne, risque de trouver ça cruel. Moi je trouve l'image impressionnante.

Jaguar Versus Caiman

 Oh the excitement one can find when one watches animal documentaries. Wolfie and I are really into the Netflix docu series Our Living World, narrated by Cate Blanchett. My favourite actress. I blogged about it already, see this post. Well, in one episode, we saw a jaguar (the animal, not the car) trying to hunt a caiman (the reptile, not the islands), on the caiman's own environment. I don't want to spoil it for those who have not seen the episode, but it was one epic fight. A short but gripping action scene. Hollywood has nothing on mother nature. I mean, you have in the South American jungle a young jaguar going after another apex predator, earth and water colliding, an unstoppable force against and immovable object, blood in water, the lot. Oh, and Cate Blanchett telling the tale, like she did when she was Galadriel. The series is worth watching just for that brief encounter. On a side note, the animal Wolfie and I were rooting for won. So we were very happy.

Le cidre en Normandie (et en Ulster!)

 Photo prise à l'Ulster Museum lors de nos vacances à Belfast. Un tableau de William John Hennesy, il s'intitule Fête Day in a Cider Orchard, Normandy. J'ai reconnu le cidre immédiatement, sans vouloir me vanter. Je n'ai jamais mis les pieds en Normandie (faudra corriger ça un jour), mais j'ai vu ce genre de méthode traditionnelle pour faire du cidre à bien des fêtes bretonnes.

True Irish Ghost Stories

I always buy at least one book when I go somewhere on holiday. It's just something I do, to give myself a feel of the place, if I have time to read some of it, or as souvenir, if I don't. Our last trip in Belfast was no exception. I bought True Irish Ghost Stories. Not sure how genuinely true they are, you know I am a sceptic, but this will come in handy during my countdown to Halloween. I find it important to have something Irish during the countdown, as Halloween is originally an Irish holiday. I also hope it will inspire my own spooky writing. Which is one of the reasons why I love to read these "real" accounts of the paranormal.

Orignaux suédois

 Petite nouvelle suédoise animalière et bien sympathique: ils ont une émission de télévision sur ma migration des orignaux. Parce que pourquoi pas? Vous pouvez en voir un extrait dans l'article de la grosse presse. Ce n'est pas de la télé enlevante, mais c'est encore mieux, parce que c'est immersif. J'aime bien regarder des émissions sur la nature et j'aime les trucs relaxants comme ça. Je crois comprendre que ce n'est pas un concept facile à importer, notamment au Québec (question de densité et de proximité avec les orignaux), mais quand même, je crois qu'il faudrait y avoir plus de télévision comme celle-là.

More on the new Amadeus

 I blogged last month about a new adaptation of Amadeus by Peter Shaffer, this time as a TV series. For someone like me who is a fan of the film, the play and, well, of Mozart as well, that's great news. I am cautiously optimistic about the project. Casting seems to be going well and they found their Constanze Mozart. Or Stanzie, as she is often called in the play. Welsh actress Gabrielle Creevy will play the part. I don't know her, at least I don't remember seeing her in anything, but I think she looks the part. I really cannot wait to watch it. Patience, patience.

Ixe-13 (encore)

Tiens, ça faisait un bail que je n'avais pas blogué sur IXE-13 et j'y reviens aujourd'hui. Parce que je veux vraiment regarder la série et je me demande quand (et si, surtout si) elle sera disponible ici en Angleterre. J'espère que Netflix ou un autre service la saisira pour les expatriés comme je suis. Je ne désespère pas: j'ai pu trouver le film Mafia Inc sur une plateforme un an après sa sortie au cinéma. C'était le fruit d'un pur hasard, mais quand même, je sais que je peux avoir la main heureuse. Mais si vous avez des conseils pour la trouver. donnez-les moi. Quant aux romans, je devrai sans doute attendre mon retour au Québec.

Navaja

I thoughtI would write a post about a new word of the day, which for this occasion is navaja. The navaja is a Spanish knife that can be used both as a utility knife and a fighting knife. I first discovered it years ago through Carmen and I have been fascinated by it ever since. It's a nasty, sinister sort of tool, yet it has been romanticised in fiction (and in music, no less) and in one of the most famous operas in the world. It is not as widely popular as it used to be, from what I understand (thankfully, I may add), that said, I think it needs to reappear in more modern fiction. A month ago, I mentioned signature weapons for certain characters in crime fiction, I think the navaja should reappear as such. Not for a hero, but for a villain. Maybe it is the case, if you know of any character in a crime book using a navaja, let me know. Otherwise, I just might invent one.

Sandwich poulet, mangue, curry

 Mes parents ont fait des sandwiches il y a quelques jours. Poulet au curry avec mangue. Un joli mélange d'exotique et de familier. Le sandwich m'a fait un peu penser au club des îles que j'ai mangé il y a des années au défunt Cornichon. Je pense que je vais l'essayer quand je serai de retour à la maison, ou alors je le ferai ici. L'ennui, c'est que je suis le seul dans cette maison qui mange du poulet.

Never too much cheese

I found this meme recently and I wanted to share it. It's funny because it's true. And it is also wise: there's never too much cheese in a recipe. And yes, I always do this and again yes, it is always the right call. I don't know much about cooking, but that I know.

Silhouette d'escoufle

Hier matin, j'ai pris la photo d'un escoufle qui était perché dans un arbre pas loin du jardin. Je dis escoufle, c'est son nom ancien, bien entendu, le vrai nom c'est "milan royal". Mais je préfère escoufle. Je les vois au quotidien ici, mais je ne m'en lasse jamais. Je ne suis pas un très bon photographe, cela dit je crois que ce n'est pas si mal comme cliché, avec le clair obscur et l'escoufle vu en silhouette. Et puis je voulais le partager aujourd'hui.

May Day

 We are the first of May today, so this is May Day. And to celebrate and kickstart the month, I am sharing the page on this topic in What to Look For in Spring, one of the four from this Ladybird collection. One of our seasonal go-to books, to Wolfie and I. I hope you can read the text, otherwise, you have the image.

Marie-Claire (merci, monsieur Ferland)

Je suis en retard dans les commémorations et les hommages, mais Jean-Pierre Ferland étant décédé, je partage une chanson de lui aujourd'hui. Je connais assez peu son oeuvre, je compte me rattraper. Un peu tard sans doute.