Sunday 30 June 2024
Chocolate Jack O'Lantern
La Bête du Gévaudan: un anniversaire
Saturday 29 June 2024
An autumnal vibe
So we had a bit of a heatwave, or almost. A few days ago was the hottest day in the year. I found it very difficult: I was too hot, uncomfortable, I felt miserable. Then the temperature dramatically dropped, in the lower 20s, and it should remain like this for a week or so. Maximums might even go slightly below 20. And, probably it is wishful thinking from my part and I know this is very early still in summertime, but all the same: sometimes it feels like autumn is waiting at the door. Particularly when the wind is blowing. There is a smell in the air, a certain feel, that is simply not the one you would expect during summertime. There is something autumnal in the air. I know it will not last, but I don't care, I will enjoy it for all it's worth. I am in an autumnal mood.
Montréal...
Bon, une bonne nouvelle côté familial: c'est officiel, nous irons à Montréal d'ici à la fin de l'année. Nous n'avons pas vu le Québec depuis janvier 2020, donc ça date d'avant la pandémie. Wolfie est impatient de rencontrer ses cousins en chair et en os pour la première fois. Donc, par conséquent, nous allons avoir des vacances à Montréal. Pour les détails du séjour, on verra, mais il est certain que l'on va passer du temps en famille.
Friday 28 June 2024
An observation on homemade haircuts
As you may remember, I was, back in the days of the pandemic, the family barber. I cut my wife's hair, my son's hair and I performed haircuts on myself. I did a fairly good job too. Since then, while Wolfie and my wife went back to hairdressers and barber shops, I still do my own haircuts. But recently, my wife needed one and did not want to pay a fortune and spend a lot of time on it, so she asked me to do it. I did, it was a quick ane easy job. Then a few days later, she told me: "You know, this harcut, it's growing on me." I could not help it, I replied: "Of course it does, that's pretty much what hair does, it grows." I know I should not sing my own praise, but I thought it was a good joke and a new great unknown line.
Camerise et chocolat
Thursday 27 June 2024
Midsummer Ghost Stories (read by the Librarian)
Limonade à la rhubarbe
Wednesday 26 June 2024
Knowing places in books
I am currently reading A Spy Alone, which I am enjoying quite a lot. I started it not expecting much, just a half decent thriller, but it really caught my attention. Anyway, in the very first pages, it mentions and features two cities, Oxford and Reading. The former is more prominent than the latter, and the latter is truly a large town, not a city, but I digress. I have been to both is what I wanted to say. And it is one of the little bit of literary joys I have when I read: that first-hand knowledge of a place you are reading about. Am I the only one who feels like this? What about you?
Peser sur le piton
Une solution trouvée sur les internets, si jamais vous avez un appareil électronique qui est jammé ou s'il est toujours éteint: pesez sur le piton pendant très longtemps. Il va finir par revenir à la vie. Je le sais, ça marche à tous les coups. Un iPad, un cellulaire, un portable... Ne me remerciez pas.
The Railway Children on stage
Les Bouquinistes en juin
Tuesday 25 June 2024
Bracing Myself
Well, I guess it could not stay like this forever. Up until this point, summer had been fairly cool, or at least reasonably warm. Nothing to cry home about, everything very bearble. Well, not anymore. Yesterday was hot, today will be hotter, in fact, they are forecasting a heatwave. I checked on the BBC and the region we are in will not be spared. Thankfully, there is no amber warning... for now. We should stay just below 30 degrees. Then if we are lucky, it will go a few degrees down and be tolerable again this weekend. I hope so... Until then I am bracing myself for the next few days and the heat from the pit of hell we will have to live through.
Monday 24 June 2024
Hymne à Québec
A poutine in London
C'est notre tour...
Sunday 23 June 2024
The Notting Hill Bookmark
Le Québec à Londres
J'avais blogué sur le sujet il y a quelques jours. Mais il y a longtemps que je voulais le faire. Enfin bref, grâce à la page Facebook de la Délégation générale du Québec à Londres , j'ai célébré la Fête nationale hier. Le 24 est tombé le 22... C'était un peu surréaliste de voir des Québécois en si grand nombre à Londres, de pouvoir parler français et d'entendre l'accent. J'ai piqué quelques jasettes, pas assez à mon goût, mais petit loup a pu avoir une idée du peuple d'où il vient. Il a aussi pu brandir le fleurdelisé, ce qui m'a ému. Morale de l'histoire: on est une belle gang d'expatriés.
Saturday 22 June 2024
Three Assassins in the Bookshop
I blogged here and there about Japanese crime writer Kotaro Isaka, who wrote the novel that inspired Bullet Train, a wacky film which I enjoyed thoroughly. I enjoyed it enough to want to buy the source novel and, while I wasat it, the first novel of what is a trilogy. So I ordered Three Assassins from... the bookshop. I could have gone through Amazon, but I wanted to support my favourite local business. So... yeah. I received a phone call from the bookshop two days ago, saying the book had arrived. I don't know when I will be able to go there and get my hands on it, but I'm am happily surprised it arrived so quickly, in less than a week.
Olives farcies
Friday 21 June 2024
About the Notting Hill Bookshop
We were discussing, my wife and I, about future trips to London. We live fairly close to the city and we seldom go there. Anyway,during our conversation, checking at all the places in London we have never been to, she mentioned the Notting Hill Bookshop. Made famous by a certain romcom movie, which I have never seen or cared to see. But she got me at the word bookshop. My wife asked, enthusiastically: "Oh, wouldn't you like to go there? Imagine how much fun you would have." I said: "Are you sure you want to let me roam free in a bookshop?" She said: "Oh you're right, that could be dangerous." So, yeah, I don't know if we are going to visit the famous (legendary?) bookshop any time soon, but my wife's reply deserves to be a new great unknown line.
À propos de la Saint-Jean...
Bon, je vais faire mon petit laïus à props de notre Fête nationale qui est imminente et que je fête en expatrié depuis une quinzaine d'années. Cette année, je vais faire participer ma famille. Ma femme et surtout mon fils. Je vais vous donner plus de détails dans les jours qui viennent, mais surveillez Vraie Fiction.
Summer Books 2024
Mafalda: Esprit de famille
Thursday 20 June 2024
A Solstice Wolfism
Okay, so we are not the 21st of June, but apparently from what I read today is the summer solstice. The first day of summer, officially, although for me it starts with the month. Moreimportantly, it is the longest day of the year and one I usually dislike. Because yes, a day that never seems to end is kind of the stuff of nightmare for me. But I see the silver lining and the glass one quarter full: it means days are getting shorter, although we will not see it (or feel it) until a long time. Last year, Wolfie gave us his own take on the solstice, which I thought was brilliant. It is worth mentioning it here as a new Wolfism: "I like it because it means school days are getting shorter." That may not be strictly accurate, it is nevertheless quite sweet and the right attitude to have.
Vague de chaleur au Québec
Oh, il y a parfois des moments comme celui-ci où je suis content d'être expatrié. J'apprends dans la grosse Presse qu'il y a une vague de chaleur au Québec. Une sans précédent en juin. Ici, il fait chaud, mais ce n'est pas encore insoutenable: en fait, le mercure ne monte pas beaucoup au dessus de 20. Et c'est le solstice aujourd'hui, même si on n'est pas encore le 21... J'espère que les températures vont baisser d'ici à ce que juin finisse. Au Québec comme ailleurs.
Wednesday 19 June 2024
Spy Thriller in the Bookshop
Des Santons pour la Saint-Jean?
Tuesday 18 June 2024
I saw a Rolls-Royce
The topic of this post is pretty much what it says on the tin: I saw a Rolls-Royce recently. We were walking back from downtown, crossing the street, and I saw the Rolls-Royce in question, waiting for us the get through the zebra crossing. I have seen plenty of BMWs round here, a few Alpha Romeos, a few Jaguars, and a couple of other luxury cars too, but this was the first Rolls-Royce I spotted in this town since I came here. As a child, growing up on the other side of the Atlantic and being ridiculously anglophile for some reason, I always loved that brand. For me, it was the quintessential, Britishest of all British cars. Rolls-Royce looked and sounded elegant, strong, fancy, gentlemanly. I remember the very first time I saw one in the flesh (metal?), during my first trip to England. It got me so excited. So yes, I recognised it right away. And I sitll got a shiver of excitement seeing one so close.
Porte blessante
Petite anecdote douloureuse datant d'hier: je sortais les vêtements du sac de linge sale pour faire une brassée de lavage. Le sac de linge sale se situe juste à côté d'une porte, laquelle était ouverte. Un faux mouvement trop proche du loquet et je me suis fait une vilaine égratignure le long du bras gauche, dans le coin du coude. Comme si quelqu'un m'avait faitune estafilade avec un couteau. Ouch. Ayoye, je dirais même. Blessé par une porte. "Tire la chevillette..." Tu parles. Morale de l'histoire: faire la lessive est une corvée dangereuse.
Monday 17 June 2024
Tea for Father's Day
Un gâteau bleu et blanc pour la St-Jean?
Sunday 16 June 2024
Looking for Three Assassins
Marine marchande
C'est la Saint-Jean bientôt, alors autant mettre de la musique québécoise sur ce blogue d'ici au 24. En voici une des Cowboys Fringants, une découverte récente pour moi.
Saturday 15 June 2024
Krav Maga in a nutshell
As I blogged back in April, I am reading Fight Write, by Carla Hoch, to help me work on the violent scenes of my crime fiction stories. I am learning a lot of useful stuff, but I digress. At some point, she makes a list and description of martial arts and fighting techniques. This is what she says about Krav Maga: "Basically if you could put all the martial arts and fighting styles in the world into a blender and pour out a bit into a camo print coffee cup with the word peace on it, what you'd be sipping is Krav Maga." I love it. It is Krav Maga in a nutshell. On a side note, I really need to get back into training. I need to get back into shape, being far too sedentary, but alsoI think it is such a useful technique to know and to learn to master.
Fêter le Québec à Londres?
Je pense finalement avoir trouvé où fêter notre Fête nationale. Ce sera le 22 juin, donc le samedi d'avant, mais qu'importe. Car j'apprends sur la page Facebook de la Délégation générale du Québec à Londres qu'ils organisent quelque chose dans un bar/pub. L'évènement est gratuit et semble être à la bonne franquette. Ils font tirer des cadeaux, alors c'est ma façon de convaincre petit loup et ma femme d'y être. Je veux depuis longtemps développer le côté québécois de petit loup, c'est sans doute l'occasion où jamais. Ca fait un bout de temps que je songe à fêter proprement avec d'autres expatriés, je crois que cette année, c'est la bonne. Morale de l'histoire: les réseaux sociaux ont du bon.
Friday 14 June 2024
Regatta, accursed regatta
There is a regatta in our quiet English tow this weekend, along the River Thames.. Sounds high class and sophisticated, right? Wrong! It's a pandemonium of drunken people, from teenagers to the elderly. Our uiet little town often end up into a pandemonium. I call it Sodom and Regatta. Sometimes things get nasty. Thankfully, there is generally a heavy police presence, which always feel surreal. When we lived near the town centre, we used to spend the whole Saturday in. Sunday is more family friendly, I guess because everybody is hungover. All the same, I still don't like it much.
Domino et Amy
Thursday 13 June 2024
Simplified puttanesca
L'histoire de deux drapeaux
Wednesday 12 June 2024
A railway in the garden
Here is a bit of anecdotal news which I have been wanting to comment on. My wife recently found this article about a home in Oxfordshire that has a railway in its garden. It is up for sale. The railway has been built by a railway enthusiast, obviously, in a country that is full of them and thankfully full of engineers (professional or amateurs) too. The tracks were built in 2007. Anyway, you read the article. Sadly, while we are not far from Oxfordshire, we are not nearby either and at more than a million of course we cannot afford it, but doesn't that sound like a dream house? Well, dream garden, more like. That garden is a proper playground. If I had the house, it would encourage me to tend its garden, even though I am lousy at gardening. Anyway, I know it won't happen, but one can dream.
Les fraises de l'Ile
Tuesday 11 June 2024
Skull Island
Oh the many things we enjoy as family (well, as father and son) on Netflix. You might remember that I blogged last year about an animated series freely based on King Kong.Since then, Wolfie has developed a fascination for big apes in general and King Kong in particular. We were happily surprised to find out this year a new animated series called Skull Island, apparently based on Kong: Skull Island, which I haven't seen. As Wolfie and I are always in need of monkey action, especially with giant apes (gorillas?), we watched it and pretty much binged it in a week or so. We enjoyed it a lot. I was hesitant at first, because some of it is surprisingly gory for a kids show, but Wolfie didn't get scared and wanted to see it all. And we did. Sadly, the first season ends on a cliffhanger with lots of loose ends. And there is no second season in sight for now. Apparently the second season has been scripted, but I have no idea what will be the release date, if there is one. Still, we have enough to keep us busy: I have yet to show Wolfie the original movie.
Les truites dans le lac
Monday 10 June 2024
Camo Green Water Bottle
Les desserts d'Ô Petit Paris
Sunday 9 June 2024
Sharing Mozart and chocolates
Microdistilleries
Saturday 8 June 2024
An afternoon at the fayre
Today was the school fayre. My wife was volunteering. I could not go there from the beginning, as I had my writing workshop. Which went well. But Wolfie waited for me to have lunch as he wanted to have some father and son time with me. We love all fayres, don't know why. I enjoyed this one a lot, even though I did not stay as long, coming in late and all.Mainly because it was not scorching hot. In any case, I can't wait for the next one.
Titanic on the bookshelves
Guimauve au chocolat
Friday 7 June 2024
Whatever happened to the Flying Bean Café?
You may remember that I blogged from time to time about the Flying Bean Café. It's the coffee company with coffee shops and more importantly coffee vans. I used to go buy treats from these vans visiting the business estate where I worked when I had a office job I hated. Spending a few minutes there also allowed me to briefly escape my toxic work environment. it was borderline therapeutic. I haven't been to one for years, however I used to spot one of its vans during the morning school run. Well, it struck me recently that I had not seen the van since 2022 or so. Their website is still online, so I assume (I hope I am right) that they are still in business. I promise, if I ever see one parked somewhere, I will make a stop and buy a few things. I really feel like I owe them one.
Nouvelle information sur le Manoir
Je blogue parfois sur Manoir du Saguenay. Parce que c'est un lieu d'une certaine importance dans ma région, mais aussi parce que j'y ai eu d'excellents (quoique vagues) souvenirs. Et petit loup étant obsédé par les manoirs (j'étais pareil à son âge), il veut voir celui-ci un jour. J'ai appris récemment que le Manoir du Saguenay fait un peu partie de l'histoire familiale: c'est là que mes parents ont fêté leurs noces. Apprenant ça, Wolfie a décuplé d'enthousiasme: il veut visiter le Manoir. Si ça continue, il va vouloir y célébrer ses propres noces.
Thursday 6 June 2024
New Water Bottles?
Remember Wolfie's army green water bottle? I bought it for him last March at the Mountain Warehouse. Well, he forgot it at his grandparents' place during his last stay there a week ago. We found out on Sunday. Thankfully, we have spare bottles, but they are not as practical. So a new visit to the local Mountain Warehouse is in order to buy a new water bottle. It might be army green coloured, it might not. As silly as it sounds, I really love the design of the water bottles at the Mountain Warehouse. And they are always discounted. I think I will also buy an extra one for me: we never have enough. I also love to spend a few minutes at the Mountain Warehouse, they always have something useful for us on sale.
Lire autochtone
Wednesday 5 June 2024
News about Amadeus
I blogged before and again about a new adaptation of Amadeus by Peter Shaffer. I keep my ears to the ground for any development and casting updates. Anyway, I read this article a few days ago and thought I would mention it here. New actors have been added to the cast, among them Rory Kinnear. It is the one I know the most, having played Bill Tanner in the latest Bond movies. He will be playing the role of the Emperor, which I think is very fitting. So far I am quite happy about how the project is shaping up.
De quoi me plaignais-je?
Je relisais ce billet datant de juin 2013. Oui, je sais, il m'arrive de me relire, ce blogue étant aussi un peu un journal. Et je trouve que je me plaignais pas mal d'un été frais, misérable et pluvieux. Or, maintenant, je préfère qu'il fasse frais et pluvieux l'été. Le mois de juin 2024 semble être du même acabit que le mois de juin 2013: beaucoup plus frais que ce à quoi on devrait s'attendre. Il est vrai que c'est encore tôt pour se prononcer. Mais quand même: je me lève chaque matin en poussant un soupir de soulagement. Ce qui me fait me questionner: de quoi je me plaignais il y a onze ans? J'ai l'impression de lire les propos d'une autre personne.
Midsummer Ghost Stories
Mafalda et le tabagisme
Tuesday 4 June 2024
About Liverpool and Ireland
I recently reread Tremor of Intent by Anthony Burgess, my favourite writer. Subtitled An Eschatological Spy Novel, it goes beyond the spy thriller genre or the satire of spy thrillers to become a Cold War philosophical tale about guilt, Catholicism, good and evil, identity, well, a lot of things making our human condition. When I first read it, I hadn't lived in England yet, so this it gave me a new appreciation of the novel. And there is a quite I wanted to share today:
"The best Catholic schools are in the North, since the English Reformation, like blood from the feet when the arteries harden, could not be push so far so easily. And, of course, you have Catholic Liverpool, a kind of debased Dublin."
Now, I lived a year in Liverpool, before I got married. It was a long time ago, almost twenty years. Obviously, I don't know how the city is now. But at its core, when I was there, it sure was exactly that: a Catholic Irish city lost in England. Debased Dublin sounds right, although Liverpool does not look as nice. Then again, I haven't been to Dublin in nearly twenty-five years and I never lived there, so who knows. Anyway, I love that quote.
Mettez vot' parka
Parce que ce sera la Saint-R'ean (je sais, je l'écris comme on le prononce) bientôt, je mets un peu de musique québécoise sur le blogue. J'ai pensé à cette chanson de Gilles Vigneault, que je connaissais peu. Chanté avec les Charbonniers de l'Enfer, que je ne connais que de nom. Dans tous les cas, Mettez vot' parka est mon coup de coeur musical cette année.