Coolcation

Sometimes I discover new concepts, thanks to internet algorithms. A few days, I stumbled upon an article about the best coolcation destinationsin Europe. The term coolcation is self-explanatory, but I think it's the first time I ever came across it. According to AI, a coolcation is "vacation taken in a cooler climate to escape the summer heat". Which is exactly what I need right now. It is exactly what I need every summer, come to think of it. Anyway, be that as it may, it is a nice concept and the word of the day. I might come back to this article in the future. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions for coolcation destinations, please tell me in the comments. I need them.

Festival des vins de Saguenay

J'apprends au hasard qu'il y a un Festival des vins de Saguenay. Et que c'est commencé aujourd'hui. Alors, voilà, annonce d'intérêt public: c'est du 10 au 12 juillet.

Where is Café2U?

Some of my very long time readers might remember that a decade ago or so, I sometimes used to blog about Café2U. It was, it is, a franchise of coffee vans delivery coffee and other hot drinks at offices. We used to receive the visit of the van every few days, back in my old, old job. I mean the job I had between 2010 and 2017, so four employers' ago. I loved their very decadent hot chocolates and sometimes I treated myself with one cup of them (as I loathe coffee). Now that I work from home, I don't buy myself treats from coffee vans, but I see them sometimes around in the neighbourhood, going to the various business estates in our little town, while we are on the school run. But I haven't seen a Café2U van in a decade or so. I checked their website, and the company still exists. So where are the vans? If you know the business, if you once drank their coffee, or their chocolate, tell me in the comments.

Fraises en dessert

 Mon père a fait ce dessert il y a quelques temps. Enfin, je dis "faire"... Il a mélangé des fraises, de la crème, du sirop d'érable et du sucre d'érable. C'est simple, c'est bon.

New Scotland Yard, New Mr X

A few days ago, my wife said that we should play board games more often with Wolfie. We have a few, but we seldom take them out. And there are a lot which I would love to own. Among them, there is of course Scotland Yard, my all-time childhood favourite. I recently discovered that they have updated the look of the game, or at least the box, with a more modern take. It's a very contemporary London and Mr X looks far darker and more menacing, even though he sitll wears the rather anachronistic hat. He looks like he belongs to a spy thriller, which I guess Scotland Yard could be, as much as a crime adventure. Anyway, while I love the old fashioned look, I must say, I think the game's antagonist gives a proper sinister vibe.What do you think?

Du nouveau sur le Salon du livre

C'est encore tôt, peut-être, mais j'aime être prévoyant et faire de la publicité pour l'évènement d'avance. Alors donc, j'ai quelques nouvelles sur le Salon du Livre du Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean, parce que je regarde de temps en temps leur page Facebook. La 61e édition sera du 25 au 28 septembre (jusqu'ici, tout est normal), mais dans un nouvel emplacement: au Place Centre-Ville de Jonquière. Oulà, pas certain... Il me semble que l'ancien Roussillon, c'était mieux. ais je suis un incorrigible nostalgique. Enfin bref, j'aimerais y être cette année, comme à chaque année. C'est un pèlerinage qui me manque.

The Chess Player's Bible

When I go to the local bookshop, I often find treasures. Actually, that's not true: I always find treasures. In fact, I find so many treasures that I cannot buy them all. So yeah, I stumbled upon The Chess Player's Bible in the children section, of all places. I blogged about chess recently, it's one game I used to be quite into as a child, but I stopped a while ago. I suggested to buy it to Wolfie, but he was not interested. A shame: one of his best friends loves chess and I know they've played a few times together. But anyway, I just thought it was nice to have it in the children books section.

Orchidées

Autre photo des orchidées de mon père, une photo que je n'ai pas partagée jusqu'ici. Enfin je ne crois pas.

Camping Night (and an autumnal promise)

Last Saturday, we went to Wolfie's school special camping night. We did not spend the night there, we just went so he could play with his friends, to have a few drinks and enjoy a barbecue. It's always a pleasant event. But this year, I enjoyed it for another reason. As you know, I long for the autumn to come and I have been waiting for its signs. After the heatwave we've had recently (and thre is another one coming), it felt like my favourite season was so far away. But last Saturday evening, the atmosphere was autumnal: the air had cooled down and there was a pleasant breeze that cooled things down a bit more. As if suddenly, we were in early September. It felt like it anyway. Even Wolfie said it felt autumnal. Now it means nothing about what's it going to be in two month's time, but I had a foretaste of what this year's auutmn could be, and it should help me get through the hot days ahead.

Mafalda siempre

Photo prise sur la page Facebook officielle de Mafalda. Enfant, je lisais Mafalda quand je sentais les vacances se terminer, ça me guérissait de ma mélancolie. Un peu. Adulte, je lis Mafalda pour me guérir de ma mélancolie quotidienne. Les vacances ne sont pas là encore, ni pour moi, ni pour Wolfie, ni pour ma femme, les jours se ressemblent. Mais heureusement, il y a Mafalda.

River & Rowing Museum (RIP)

My wife and I learned some very sad news recently: the River & Rowing Museum in Henley is closing down. We used to go there occasionally, before and after we became parents. The last time was in... January 2020. I had bought a yearly pass, having calculated that with only three visits, not only I would make up my investment, but save money on top of that. And as we don't live very far, it would be an excuse to visit the lovely town of Henley more often. Obviously, it was a gross miscalculation. The sad thing is, we never went back to the museum, even after the pandemic, even though we visited Henley a few times. And now, well, it is too late, or almost. The las day to visit it is the 21st of September, but visiting it might feel a tad too depressing.I guess I didn't like the place enough to go there again, but it is always heartbreaking when a museum closes down.

Les promenades au Parc Urbain

Photo prise par mon père au Parc de la Rivière-du-Moulin,communément appelé le Parc Urbain. À regarder les photos qu'il m'a envoyées, je me suis rappelé les nombreuses fois où j'y allais en famille. C'était vraiment comme avoir une forêt en ville et ça nourissait mon imagination fertile. Mais j'écrirai plus en détials sur le sujet un jour sans doute.

Lincoln Green

I recently learned something new recently, reading about Robin Hood. I think it does not come as something to your average Englishman, but hey, as anglophile as I have always been, I was not aware of this, or if I have been in the past, I had forgotten it. So yeah, anyway, the sort of green that wears Robin Hood and his Merry men is called Lincoln green. Please tell me you didn't know that, so I won't be too embarrassed. It is actually an authentic medieval colour, created in the Middle Ages, originating from Lincoln. Because yes, they had discovered colours back then and and they dyed their clothes when they could. It has always irritated me when Robin Hood doesn't wear green in some adaptations. You probably now the ones I'm referring to. Anyway, so Lincoln green is the word of the day.

Le phoque (près) de Montréal

Voici une nouvelle animalière et cute récente, que je n'ai pas eu le temps de mentionner jusqu'ici. Mais je voulais depuis un bout. Enfin bref, un jeune phoque a été aperçu près de Montréal, sur la plage d'Oka. Le Journal de Montréal a une vidéo et des photos ici, si vous voulez en voir plus. Bon, je n'ai pas grand chose à dire, à part que c'est inusité et mignon. J'espère que ça vous fera sourire. Et j'espère que le petit phoque va bien.

Shinkansen (Bullet Train)

I took this picture on our last visit at the National Railway Museum in York. It is a Shinkansen, also known as Bullet Train. An old version of it of course, the new ones look much leaner. When you enter this one, you can see a video about it and you can have a Shinkansen experience, as if you were traveling there in the 60s. I love old fashhion European luxury trainsand old steamies, but I have also developed inr ecent a fascination for this marvel of Japanese technology. It's just really gorgeous and impressive. If we ever visit Japan, I want to use the Shinkansen.

Plus sur la Divine à la cerise

Je blogue un peu plus sur la Divine à la cerise,le chocolat de ma région qui a un peu remplacé le défunt Cherry Blossom, et sur lequel j'ai blogué il y a quelques jours. Mon père a pris une photo de la Divine hors de sa boîte et on voit que ça a la forme d'une bête, un oiseau je crois. Mais je ne suis pas certain. Des fois je vois plus un poisson(?). Quant à savoir quel oiseau (ou quel poisson), c'est encore plus dur à dire. Mon père voit un canard. Vous? Bon, ce qui importe, c'est que ça remplace le Cherry Blossom.

Giant Chessboard

During our last trip to London, we went to a park. I can't remember the name now. But anyway, it had a few interesting things there, such as a giant chessboard, with its pieces. A grandfather and his granddaughter were playing it, but they allowed me to take a picture. Not the best shot, but it gives you an idea. I used to love playing chess as a child, but stopped playing when I reached teenage. I hope I can find another giant chessboard one day and it's free. So I can maybe play a game with it. I don't think I would be very good (I never was), but it would be thrilling.

Cadran solaire

Lors de notre dernier passage à Londres, nous avons visité un parc, dont le nom m'échappe au moment où j'écris ces lignes. Mais bref, il y avait un cadran solaire. Que j'ai décidé de prendre en photo, rien que parce que. Et en passant, quelqu'un sait comment lire un cadran solaire? Et est-ce que c'est fiable pour lire l'heure, ou c'est très imprécis? Ou alors maintenant on les place dans un lieu public juste pour faire joli?

The box of obsolete cables

I found this meme/cartoon on the internet a few months ago and I thought it was really funny, so I decided to share it. Do you have a box of obsolete cables? I do, well, not a box per se, but I do have a lot of obsolete cables. It comes with working with a computer, then another, then another, then a printer, then another... If there is ever a rise of the machines against mankind, I suspect it will start with a box of obsolete cables gaining consciousness.

Divine à la cerise (substitut du Cherry Blossom)

Le Cherry Blossom est mort, vive le... ben, heu, ce qui est un substitut du Cherry Blossom. Enfin bref, mon père a acheté cette Divine à la cerise, pendant régional du défunt Cherry Blossom. Je ne sais pas si ça goûte exactement la même chose, mais c'est quand même très proche, en plus gentrifié sans doute. Parce qu'on ne fait pas dans le cheap et dans le facile de par chez nous. Mais enfin bref, Hershey peut ben aller se faire f**tr*. On ira acheter nos friandises ailleurs.

Holy Cow Tea

As you may know, I am always on the lookout for new tea companies. I have also been trying to increase my intake of loose leaf tea, because it tastes better and I think is healthier. Not to mention fancier. So I recently discovered at a local fayre a new tea company, Holy Cow Tea. The very nice staff were giving samples to try, so I promised to stop by their stand and I did. Their range is a bit pricey, but I indulged myself because I needed something of quality and I love to support small local businesses. I use their Emporium Breakfast when I need a solid brew to start the day, which is always at the moment. So that's my new breakfast tea for now.

Jour du Déménagement (le mien, le vôtre)

 Nous sommes le 1er juillet aujourd'hui, ce qui, bien entendu, veut dire... le Jour du Déménagement. C'est le cas au Québec en tout cas. Incidemment, c'est le 1er juillet 2016, il y a quasiment dix ans, que nous sommes devenus propriétaires, quelques mois avant la naissance de petit loup. Nous avons emménagé dans la maison le lendemain, mais on a livré quelques boîtes la journée même. Je ne fais pas de grandes célébrations comme je le faisais lorsque l'on fêtait l'anniversaire de notre arrivée dans notre ancien appart. Surtout qu'aujourd'hui, l'anniversaire tombe en pleine semaine. Mais je trouve ça assez amusant que, même en Angleterre, j'ai "déménagé" à la même date qu'au Québec on déménage.

June Heatwave

 Sorry for the commonplace, but I wanted to mention something: this the last day of June. One month of the summer season to be done and dusted. I'm glad, because frankly, it's been godawful: we've been going from one heatwave to another. The last few days have been really difficult: I just cannot stand the heat. Apparently, we only have to go through tomorrow, then it will cool down a bit, in the lower 20s. Nevertheless, I am seriously done with summertime. And there's two third of it left! If you know of a survival guide, please tell me in the comments. In fact, any advices are welcome.

"Invasion de toutous"

 Mes parents ont de la visite ces temps-ci: mon frère Andrew, sa femme et leurs deux enfants (donc les cousins de petit loup). Et puis bon, ils jouent avec les toutous de notre enfance. Ici sur le plancher le solarium. Mon père appelle ça une invasion de toutous.

The TBR Pile

I found this meme recently and I had to share it. Because yes, I bought new books this weekend and yes, my TBR pile just grew a lot. Not to the point of being a safety hazard, mind you, but pretty big. So yeah...

La rivière au Parc Urbain

 Je partage une autre fois une photo du Parc de la Rivière-du-Moulin, en fait de la rivière du Parc Urbain, donnons-lui le nom que je lui donne depuis l'enfance. Détails ici  sur les circonstances où elle a été prise par mon père.

A Springboks supporter

We went downtown yesterday, to run some errands (among them getting Wolfie a haircut, he looked like a darn hippy) and just as we were getting in the high street I saw a man crossing our path, wearing the   a Springbok jersey. I didn't say a word, but I regret it. I wish I had said hello. I know very little, if anything about rugby. But my father-in-law is South African, a rugby fan, and more importantly a die hard Bokke supporter. Therefore I have decided a few years ago that the Sprinboks were my rugby team too. I didn't stop the guy to strike up a conversation and tell him that, but I wish I had. Although if I had done he might have thought I'm such a weirdo, especially since I know diddly squat about rugby. But hey, I understand South Africans are friendly and chatty people, so maybe I missed an opportunity to make an acquaintance.

Galettes à la mélasse

Ceci est un nouveau billet nostalgique. Je suis fort de ça. Il y a quelques jours, mes parents ont fait des galettes à la mélasse. Ou des galettes à m'lasse, comme nos grand-parents disaient. Ou des galettes au sirop(?), comme parfois je l'entendais aussi étant enfant, ce qui m'agaçait toujours un peu, parce que pour moi de la mélasse, c'est pas comme du sirop. Enfin bref, il fait un peu chaud pour manger des galettes à m'lasse ici, mais j'en mangerais bien quand il fera plus frais. C'est l'un des plaisirs de mon enfance et je crois savoir que c'est un dessert plus santé que bien d'autres. C'est aussi un dessert qui est un peu une madeleine de Proust pour moi.

Helicopters and summertime

I don't know if it's because it is summertime, but recently I have become more aware of helicopters flying around, like big mosquitos in the sky. I mean we have them all year round, but they seem to fly more often during summer, or at least they are more visible in a clear blue sky. I blogged about it back in 2016, and probably before that as well. Be that as it may, I see them more. I like helicopters, they are the sort of flying engines I find the most exotic (for lack of a better word). I also have fond memories of helicopters flying above during summertime when I was a child. Anyway, next time I see one, I will try to take a few pictures, if it flies low enough.

Un paon dans un parc

Photo prise samedi dernier dans un parc de Londres (dont le nom ne me revient pas en ce moment). Vous voyez le paon? Sans dire que c'est un oiseau que l'on voit souvent ici, j'ai vu plus de paons en Angleterre que partout ailleurs. Mais je crois que c'est la première fois que j,en vois un dans un parc londonien. C'est toujours impressionnant d'en voir, dans une ville comme Londres, ça fait changement des pigeons. Et j'en suis heureux.

Signal Box (musing)

I took this picture at the National Railway Museum in York. One of the many objects that caught my attention. I think it is a signal box. I love signal boxes, I love what role they played in the old days of railway travel. Being a signalman was a lonely and demanding job, you had to be skilled, but someone who liked solitude, it might not have been so bad. And from what I understand, they had lots of free time. In a quaint little box like this, bright yellow, it beats office work.

Le Parc Urbain après la pluie

Mon père a pris cette photo au Parc Urbain (ou Parc de la Rivière-du-Moulin qui est son nom officiel) à Chicoutimi. Il a plu des cordes récemment, quasiment un déluge(et je sais de quoi je parle). Je m'ennuie des moments passés au Parc Urbain d'ailleurs. Je ne l'ai pas vu depuis des années. À Chicoutimi, c'est peut-être mon parc préféré pour marcher.

Denis Villeneuve for Bond 26!

 Oh what great news for the proud Québec nationalist and the die hard James Bond fan that I am: Québec director Denis Villeneuve will direct the next James Bond movie. At last, some genuine good (not to mention reassuring) news about the production of Bond 26. Apparently he is also a die hard fan. In any case, Villeneuve is a serious, competent director with enough authority and discipline to keep control of such a massive production, and hopefully resisting the pressure from Amazon. Also, it means that now the script can be developed and in due time the casting can get started. So things will finally get in motion for my favourite movie franchise. And hey, let's not forget: a Quebecker will be at the helm of a Bond movie.

Le fromage qui fait "Skouik!" de Boivin

Mes parents ont, pour tout repas de Saint-Jean, mangé du fromage en grains de la Fromagerie Boivin. Enfin, c'est ce que j'ai compris, ils ont souligné avec du fromage qui fait skouik de chez Boivin, LA fromagerie qui fait l'affaire. C'est bon pas rien qu'un peu. J'aimerais pouvoir en manger ici, pas forcément du Boivin, mais de ça. Je sais qu'il y en a quelque part, enfin j'en ai mangé récemment même, mais je ne sais pas où le trouver. Je cherche, je cherche.

"Summer Heat"

I hope this will end. I mean, I really, really, really, want it to end. I am talking of course of the current heat, this summer heat that won't quit. All right, so it might not be a heatwave every day, but it is still painfully too hot. It might cool down (and rain!) soon. Now that I'm a grownup, I only ever enjoy summer in books. I took this image in the Ladybird Book What to Look for in Summer. It tells you a good deal about the heat.

Un musicien parmi tant d'autres (RIP Serge Fiori)

Triste nouvelle lors de notre Fête nationale avant-hier: Serge Fiori est mort le matin de la Saint-Jean. Parfois le malheur frappe comme la foudre.Et parfois les pleurs doivent se mêler aux réjouissances. Enfin bref, le père fondateur d'Harmonium n'est plus. je lui rends hommage avec l'une de ses chansons cultes.

Honey for the bears

 I took the title of this post from one of Anthony Burgess' lesser known novels (but incidentally one of my favourite). That said, it is not a blog post about the book. But the title is so perfectly fitting for some news I read about recently: two bears escaped a wildlife park in Devon, near Exeter (which I have passed through, but never properly visited). And they ate week's worth of honey. That is both funny and cute. I know bears can be dangerous, even vicious animals, but that's still cute. Anyway, Mish and Lucy are both back in custody after their expedition in the outside world. I hope they had a nice escapade and they enjoyed the sweet treat.

Comme un million de gens

J'apprends tristement que le spectacle de la Saint-Jean a été annulé hier à Québec, à cause du mauvais temps. Comme Claude Dubois devait y chanter, je partage une de ses chansons ici.

The Garden Bar, London

As you probably know if , today is Saint John the Baptist's Day, also known as the Nationale Day, or Fête nationale of Quebeckers. You will forgive me if I do not spend much time blogging in English today, but I wanted to plug one London pub, which has been very welcoming to Québec expats like me: the Garden Bar. Every year, the DGQL organises a celebration for Québécois living in the UK and their families and it is the Garden bar that has been hosting it. It has been the case these last two years in any case. They even serve poutine for the occasion and it is a pretty decent one. I blogged about it last year and again this year. Don't think you'll find this item on their menu on a normal day. Nevertheless, as they have been welcoming to us on an important day, I thought I would say a good word about the Garden Bar here.

50 ans de Gens du pays

C'est aujourd'hui la Saint-Jean-Baptiste, notre Fête nationale, à nous les Québécois, ceux du Québec comme les expatriés comme moi. Comme à chaque année, j'écoute et je partage Gens du pays. Lequel fête ses cinquante ans cette année. C'est donc un anniversaire particulièrement émouvant pour moi et je l'espère pour nous tous. Vous pouvez en apprendre plus sur sa création ici et là. Et ailleurs aussi. Malheureusement, au moment où j'écris ces lignes, je ne vois nulle part la vidéo du moment historique où Gilles Vigneault la présenta pour la première fois. Mais bon, j'ai pensé qu'une chorale d'enfants ferait l'affaire. D'ailleurs, j'enseigne notre hymne national ainsi que d'autres chansons québécoises. À tous mes compatriotes, encore une fois, bonne Saint-Jean!

About Midsummer's Day

Tomorrow is Midsummer's Day, or so a quick search on Google told me. And even though the Summer solstice was on the 21st, last Saturday. Apparently, it is very celebrated, but not by me. For two reasons: 1)I don't like summer and 2)for me, the 24th is Québec's National Day, which is the special day that I celebrate. Anyway, you can learn all you need to know about Midsummer's Day in the Ladybird Book What to Look for in Summer. I am sharing the pages here. It has a nice picture too, as you can see, with swallows, a tractor and Stonehenge in the background. Because everything looks better with Stonehenge. There is one thing I love about Midsummer's Day and the solstice: it means summer is slowly slowly declining. It is a promise that one day, the heat and the long days will end.

Une réflexion sur la Saint-Jean en expatrié

Comme vous le savez, j'ai passé samedi dernier à Londres, afin de  la Fête nationale en avance avec des expatriés et des amoureux du Québec. La Délégation générale du Québec à Londres organise ça à chaque année. Et ça m'a amené à une réflexion. Je l'ai peut-être déjà partagée, alors excusez-moi si je me répète. mais quand je fêtais au Québec, je me mêlais un peu à la foule et ne parlais à personne, sauf mes amis. Mais fêter en expatrié, ça nous rend plus sociables, parce qu'on partage tous une situation. Tout est prétexte à une jasette. Je me sens plus intensément québécois depuis que je suis expatrié et que je rencontre mes semblables.

Daunt Books

Yesterday, duringour trip to London (more on that in another post), I saw many people with bags from Daunt Books. As if they were all the rage. I have heard about Daunt Books before, it's a small but apparently very successful chain of "independent" bookshops. Judging by the number of people holding these bags, it seems that the chain it indeed thriving. I think I entered one or two of them, although I am not sure if I bought anything from Daunt Books. Be that as it may there are two things I take back from seeing these bags: 1)It's good to know that reading is still popular, especially in a metropolis like London 2)I am going to start collecting fancy bookshop bags. This is my new personal quest and my new personal hobby.

La poutine à Londres

Hier, nous sommes allés célébrer la Fête nationale d'avance dans la capitale britannique. C'est une initiative annuelle de la Délégation générale du Québec à Londres: elle invite les Québécois expatriés à célébrer. Nous l'avions fait l'an dernier et c'était vraiment bien. Bien entendu, ils offraient de la poutine au menu. C'était un incontournable. Sans dire qu'elle était géniale, elle était décente avec une bonne portion, assez pour me remplir pendant quelques heures. Et ça faisait du bien de voir mes compatriotes communier ainsi avec les Anglais qui étaient là, à travers notre met national.

Fizzy Fest

 I blogged about a month ago about the Fizzy Fest, a of prosecco festival that will be held in the very English town of Marlow in mid-July And not just any prosecco festival, but "the prosecco superior festival". Sunds very posh and a bit snobby, but I'm all for it. Anyway, it has a cool promotional poster, it looks more like a gathering of educated English ladies of good families, but hey, they might let me in if I go there with my wife. And if not this year (we may have other engagements), then the next, because I suspect it will be a success.

"Au moins il neige pas"

Une amie a partagé ce meme sur Facebook. J'ai décidé de le partager, parce que c'est pas mal comme ça qu'on se sent ces temps-ci ici: c'est plein de bibittes, c'est chaud, c'est collant, c'est franchement dégeueulasse. Et j'en ai plein mon *st** de calvaire. Mais ce qui m'agace le plus, c'est l'attitude béate et franchement masochiste de ceux qui aiment l'été. C'est pas mal comme ça que le les vois. Ah oui, et c'est le solstice aujourd'hui. Calvaire.

007 First Light

You know I'm a  James Bond fan, from the movies as well as the original books by Ian Fleming. With (shudder) Amazon taking over the Bond franchise and taking creative control, I often despair, doubting I will ever see my favourite hero any time soon on film, and very skeptical they can do him justice. That said, I got cautiously optimistic when I saw the teaser for the videogame 007 First Light. I generally don't play videogames, but this one seems to be getting at least a few things right: Bond's past and the death of his parents, for instance, as well as his scar, a signature in the novels. Sure, they may seem superficial, but it seems that the creators have done their homework. Now I don't own a PlayStation and I may never play the game, but it's nice to know it is being made. You can see the teaser below, in any case. Tell me what you think.

Mafalda et le monde

Photo prise sur la page Facebook officielle de Mafalda,publiée récemment parce que, la situation internationale... Enfin, bien entendu. Et comme d'habitude, Mafalda est mon remède contre la mélancolie ainsi que l'angoisse existentielle.

"Summer Books"

I took this picture during our visit to The Little Bookshop in Cookham. I really like the retro display. Anyway, as you know, I loathe summertime. I try to survive it, through various means. Among them, of course, is reading. I loathe summertime, but I do read seasonally, because I enjoy summer books, paradoxically. So I always eagerly pick up this free seasonal leaflet from Books Are My Bag. It always has something in there that is worth reading, or at least buying. So yeah, I picked one leaflet, checked it, and bought a book listed in it. Because for me, summer can only be tolerable if I lose myself in a book.

Moules et frites

Des fois mon père m'envoie des photos de ce qu'il a cuisiné. Et il y a quelques jours, il a fait des moules et des frites. Lesmoules et frites, c'est pas mal mon idée du bonheur, la mer et la terre qui se rejoingnent dans une assiette. Ah oui, et avec de la mayonnaise pour les frites, bien entendu. Je crois que la prochaine fois où je mettrai les pieds dans un restaurant français, c'est ce que je vais commander. Ils ont souvent des moules et frites au menu et ça fait environ mille ans que j'en ai pas mangé.

The New C of SIS/MI6

There is a bit of news, not already getting old news, which I have been wanting to blog on. As you know, I like a good bit of spy fiction, albeit I don't read as much spy fiction as crime fiction. But yeah, I do enjoy it. Anyway, I learned recently that SIS, also known as MI6, has a new C. Which is the real life equivalent of M in James Bond movies (and books! Never forget that they were books before). And for the first time in its history, it is a woman, Blaise Metreweli. The Bond films had already started the trend in 1995. But what really struck me reading about her is her age: she is only a few months younger than me! Ouch! Moral of the story: some people just get cool careers, even if they are civil servants.

J't'aime comme un fou

La Saint-Jean approche,alors je mets plus de musique québécoise ici. Je n'ai pas partagé de chanson de Robert Charlebois depuis 2023, ce qui est quand même aberrant, alors voici J't'aime comme un fou. Ce n'est pas ma préférée, mais je me rappelle qu'il l'a interprétée lors du spectacle de 1994 avec énergie. Et l'année d'après, en août 1995, au Vieux-Port de Chicoutimi. J'y étais, ce fût une belle soirée.

The Summer of our Discontent

"Now is the summer of our discontent..." I am paraphrasing Shakespeare, but here it is: our first heatwave is on its way. It's pretty much here, as far as I am concerned: I get uncomfortable when it goes up to 25 degrees. And it will go above it. At least now, thanks to social media, I know that I am not the only one to suffer: there is a whole community of people who hate summertime. I'm glad, because I literally cannot stand the noise, the blissful sun worshipping of people who seem so eager to get burned. So I found a support group, I try to cope with the heat and well, if everything goes well, summer will be over soon enough.

York vu de haut

 Photo prise à York, du haut de la Clifford's Tower. On peut voir York Minster au loin. Je n'ai pas assez partagé des photos de notre dernier voyage à York, l'une de mes grandes villes préférées dans celles que j'ai visitées. J'ai tendance à souffrir parfois d'un léger vertige, surtout lorsque je suis en hauteur à l'extérieur, sur un balcon ou une plateforme quelconque. Paradoxalement, j'aime vraiment voir une ville de haut. Et le médiéviste de formation que je suis aime bien entendu visiter les constructions médiévales, alors j'étais servi.

Weaponry for the Arsenal

 You may remember that I blog from time to time about the "War Game", a make-belief game Wolfie invented a few years ago. It's a mix of spy and crime adventures and it is really fun, like the game I played as a child. We haven't played it for a while, but this should change soon. Because we went at a local fête recently and in one of the game stands Wolfie won a price and he choosed this toy. We have plenty of weapons and equipment in the artillery drawer, but Wolfie loves the novelty (and the variety). So I'm expecting to receive a new mission orders soon.

Canard blanc (une pensée et une question)

Il y avait une fête locale en fin de semaine, nous y sommes allés. Parmi les attractions, il y avait des animaux de ferme dans les enclos, dont des canards. Dont ce canard blanc, que Wolfie a semblé bien aimer )parce qu'il était distinct des autres). Une question comme ça: y a-t-il des canards blancs à l'état sauvage? À part les albinos, je veux dire. Je ne me rappelle pas en avoir vu. Si j'associe les canards sauvages à l'automne, les canards blancs, je les associe à la domesticité et à la ferme. Il est cute quand même.

Cuba Libre VS Rum&Coke

I discovered something recently and I feel really silly. I used to think that the Cuba Libre cocktail was just a Rum and Coke with a fancier name. They even have the same Wikipedia entry. Well, not quite. There is a difference: the Cuba Libre has to have lime in it, from what I understand either a slice or a bit of its juice. So a Rum and Coke is not a full on Cuba Libre, in fact it is the Coba Libre's poorer brother. I feel like such a Philistine. I seldom order cocktails, last time I ordered a Rum and Coke was in 2018. Probably because there was no beer I liked at the pub. So anyway, next time I will make sure I order the right thing and say a Cuba Libre.

Le Gars d'la Compagnie

Parce que c'est la Saint-Jean bientôt, voici une des Cowboys Fringants. La première que j'ai entendue, il y a de cela des années, dans un bar de Chicoutimi. Une chanson engagée en plus, et une des meilleures du genre, à la fois amère et festive.

The Little Bookshop

I have been wanting to visit it since 2020. Yesterday, I finally got my wish granted: we went to The Little Bookshop in Cookham. I think I'm in love, it's like the perfect quaint village bookshop. As it was also the first day of Independent Bookshop Week, I decided not to behave, I spent like a drunken sailor and I bought myself five books. I would have bought more, but Wolfie didn't find anything he liked and my wife did not dare, fearing rightly I might go on a hoarding spree. Then again, I thought I would spoil myself as it is today Father's Day. Which the bookshop advertised quite a lot, so it's all fair. Anyway, we will not go back to Cookham any time soon, so I think it's okay to make the best of our short visit. Until next time.

Pâté chinois

Autre photo du dernier pâté chinois que j'ai fait il y a une semaine environ. Le maïs n'était pas en crème, ce qui m'a fait beaucoup de peine, c'est un peu sec à mon goût avec du blé d'Inde "ordinaire". Mais je me suis rattrapé avec beaucoup, beaucoup de beurre et de lait dans les patates. L'expérience a été concluante (lire: Wolfie a aimé) et je devrais en cuisiner un autre dans quelques jours. Avec des betteraves, cette fois-ci,parce que vraiment sans les bettes, il manquait quelque chose.

Independent Bookshop week

 Quick announcement for those living in the UK and who love books: today is the beginning of Independent Bookshop Week. I will of course make time to go to the local bookshop, where I might not behave.

Les fraises du Québec

C'est juin, c'est donc le temps des fraises au Québec. Mon père me l'a rappelé en m'envoyant des photos de... ben... de fraises, bien entendu. Je vais passer pour chauvin, encore une fois, mais il n'y a pas de fraises belles comme ça ici. Je peux en témoigner. Même quand elles sont rouges de l'intérieur, elles ne sont pas rouges comme ça. Je ne peux pas exagérer à quel point les fraises du Québec sont bonnes, surtout si on les compare.

Friday the 13th of June

Let's just state the obvious: today is Friday the 13th. The very first this year and the only one too. Not that it matters: I am not superstitious, for one, and second, I know from experience that sometimes every Friday is Friday the 13th, in a way, when things go bad. I used to call Friday "the day out at the madhouse". But I digress. Yesterday was truly more Friday the thirteenesque: we lost the internet connection in the neighbourhood for a few hours. I am not saying things cannot go bad today, of course not (I am not jixing anything), but let's face it: a bad day is a bad day is a bad day, whatever the date. Worrying about what may happen is pointless. If a bad day happens, you need to cope with it then and there. So anyway, to all of you, I hope you have a good day today.

Question existentielle (396)

Nous sommes vendredi 13, alors je me pose une question existentielle:

-Est-ce que le treize du mois, surtout un vendredi treize, fait le mois? 

The owls of London

 I read some really cool news recently on The Guardian: there's been an increase of owls sightings in London. That's really nice. I love owls. I know there are closer to us than we think: being nocturnal, wary of men and easily camouflaged, we just don't seem them. I think there is one in the neighbourhood, because I heard its cry at night. I should really try to identify it, next time I hear the owl cry at night. Now that London has suddenly become far more atmospheric, I will keep my eyes open next time I go there. I don't think I will visit London by night any time soon, but hey, you never know.

Tirelire (mot du jour)

Mon fils a une tirelire. Rien de bizarre ou d'inhabituel à cela. Il l'a reçue en cadeau lors de la fête d'un ami, c'est une tirelire que l'on peut peinturer, en forme d'un paresseux. Il ne l'a jamais peinturée, alors elle est blanche. Wolfie aime la remplir, pas tant parce qu'il aime accumuler de l'argent que pour le geste lui même. Et sa tirelire m'a fait penser à toutes les tirelires que j'ai eues enfant. Il y en avait une en plastique en forme d'oeuf, toute jaune, reçue à Pâques, qui a scrappé assez vite, une autre en forme de guichet automatique, avec différents silos, un pour chaque pièce, d'une cent à un dollars. C'était ma préférée, je crois, que l'avais gagnée pour avoir participé à un concours de la Banque nationale (ou une autre banque). Il y en a eu d'autres, bien sûr. Mais les tirelires, elles ont comme un une certaine importance dans l'enfance, c'est comme un coffre au trésor, les sous qu'on y dépose deviennent soudainement précieux. Mais enfin bref, tirelire est donc notre mot du jour.

Bakery 79

 A few days ago, I was sad about the loss of our local l Greggs, which was standing in one of the petrol stations. Nothing too fancy, but the I always loved Greggs and it's one of my favourite treats for lunch. And also, because I have a sort of love history with Greggs. So I was sad about its closure. Well, I needed have worried: instead they opened a Bakery 79. And it's the exact same staff, the exact same menu, the exact same sandiwches even. Only the label has changed. So yes, I can't complain. I guess I will have to get used to the branding, otherwise, I am happy.

Domino sous les pivoines

Cela faisait longtemps que je n'avais pas blogué sur notre chat Domino. Nous l'avons toujours, depuis maintenant dix ans en fait. Il passe le beau temps à drmir, à l'intérieur ou à l'extérieur, mais surtout dans le jardin, où il a trouvé un nouveau coin pour faire la sieste: sous le plan de pivoines, lequel est là depuis que l'on a acheté la maison. Le plan a d'ailleurs pris des proportions quasiment sauvage, mais je l'aime bien, alors je le laisse pousser en sauvage. La morale de l'histoire: il n'y a vraiment rien de trop beau pour la classe féline.

Shark Time

 I blogged not very long ago that I sometimes get fascinated by sharks. Especially, I must say, round this time of year, when people start thinking about seaside holidays and trips to the beach. For some, a beach holiday means fun, sun and sand, for me it means danger and let's stay clear of the water. I love swimming, but in a pool, not in the sea. So I have decided to have a bit of fun and enjoy some shark documentaries. Basically, I just checked on every streaming service we have and looked for available programs about sharks, I saved them in my viewing list and I will watch them in the coming weeks. if you have any recommendations, please let me know in the comments section.

Montréal sous le smog

Des fois, j'ai mal à mon Québec et à mon Montréal. Enfin bref, triste nouvelle: j'apprends dans la grosse Presse que les feux de forêt ont donné du smog à Montréal. L'horreur, l'horreur. L'ambiance (je n'ose pas dire l'atmosphère) était paraît-il apocalyptique. C'est vraiment triste de voir ma ville souffrir ainsi.

Missed Harvest Fair

 Is it too early to think of autumn? Is it? I hope not, because I am always in an autumnal mood, even in June. And I'm not the only one, according to what I gleamon social media. Anyway, I discovered yesterday, through my Facebook memories, that last year, the Finnings Wood Community Group (never heard of them before) were advertising a Harvest Fair and Treasure Hunt for the 15th of September 2024 in the village of Lane End. Not sure if their advertisement has been featured a lot since June 2024, because I did not remember it one bit when September came. Maybe we had other engagements, maybe I did not see the advertisement closer to that time, be that as it may, we did not go. And that is very sad, because I love all things harvest and Wolfie loves all things treasure hunts. And such event done in a quaint and pretty English village in the middle of September, well, it just adds to the charm. I hope the Harvest Fair was a success and that they will organise another one this year.

Les matins matinaux

 Bon, la semaine dernière, j'ai survécu à ma première semaine dans mon nouvel emploi. J'avoue que même si j'apprends tranquillement le métier, j'ai trouvé ça assez épuisant. Pour une simple raison: je dois me lever très tôt, même si je travaille de la maison. Comme je couvre surtout le marché français, mon horaire est calqué sur celui de la France, lequel est a une heure d'avance sur le nôtre. Alors je mets le réveil de bonne heure. Une collègue française m'a dit que je devrais m'y habituer assez rapidement. Je l'espère, parce que je ne suis pas atinal de nature, je suis plutôt un oiseau de nuit. Cela dit, tout le monde est très sympathique et accueillant.

What was the Beast of Gévaudan? | Monstrum

Monstrum recently made a video about the Beast of Gévaudan and I wanted to share it here. You cannot beat a real, historical horror story, that has been fascinating me since I watched a TV program about it, some thirty years ago. For your early countdown to Halloween, I hope you enjoy.

Deux fêtes

 C'est aujourd'hui la fête de mon plus jeune frère, Andrew. Le bébé de la famille, comme mes parents l'appellent encore, puisque c'est le plus jeune des trois frères, même si maintenant il est père de deux enfants et a 44 ans. Ce qui ne rajeunit personne. C'est aussi la fête de mon filleul, le fils de deux amis du cégep, qui a aujourd'hui.. 20 ans. Je me rappelle encore de son baptême. Morale de l'histoire: ça ne rajeunit vraiment personne et le temps passe vite.

The Book Lover's Bucket List

 I ahve been wanting to blog about this for a while: a few months ago, during our Christmas session, we had a gifts exchange. I received The Book Lover's Bucket List. Picture here. It's the kind of book you didn't know existed and you didn't know you needed, with a list of places in the UK associated to classic authors and/or their work. Perfect if you are planning a literary pilgrimage somewhere in the UK, or a more cultured holiday. It should come in handy, as I love to visit places featured in fiction.

La pluie, presque l'orage

Bon, la BBC l'annonçait, nous avertissait à son sujet avec une alerte jaune, nous le promettait presque: un orage s'en venait. Il a plu, des cordes, mais il n'a guère tonné. Je le dis sans aucune ironie, je préfère cette température à la canicule.

The (mysterious, iconic) Compleat Angler

I took this picture a few months ago, when one of our visit in the little town of Marlow. You can easily recognise The Compleat Angler, a posh hotel on the bank of the Thames. I have developed an obsession for it since I seen it briefly mentioned in John Le Carré's debut novel Call for the Dead. You can read the quote here, among other places in this blog. What got me obsessed about it is that I had visited the hotel a few times before I read the book. I have been wanting to revisit it since. I have seen it a couple of times, but I haven't been inside. At least I could take one snapshot. No sign of any spy, unfortunately. Maybe next time.

Pâté chinois

Bon, ça faisait des mois que je n'en avais pas cuisiné, mais je me suis dit, il fallait bien que l'on mange du pâté chinois un de ces quatre. Pas de betteraves pour l'accompagner cette fois-ci, pas de maïs en crème (introuvable depuis des années), mais du maïs en grains parce que bon, faut bien faire avec. Outre cela, c'était pas mal réussi.

Reichenbach Falls

My recent posts (this one and that one, more specifically) about Sherlock Holmes reminded me that there is one place of pilgrimage every Holmes fan, or indeed every crime fiction fan should visit. I am talking of course of the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland, the place where the greatest detectivemet his"death" during the events of The Final Problem. It happened on the 4th of May 1891. Switzerland is in my list of countries to visit or, in this case, revisit, for many, many reasons. Maybe when or if it happens, we should make a stop there. It could be fun. Sometimes I find the association of places with legendary or fictitious events to be more interesting than historical ones. And if you have even been there, please tell me in the comments. I'd like to know about your experience.

Québécois, (nous sommes...)

Comme ce sera la Fête nationale du Québec bientôt, j'ai pensé mettre une chanson patriotique ici.

A Perfect Cup of Tea (according to Anthony Burgess)

If you have been following Vraie Fiction for a while, you probably know that Anthony Burgess is my favourite writer. I recently read a post from the Anthony Burgess Foundation about his opinions on how to make a perfect cup of tea. For any tea drinker, tea making is serious business. And I was shocked to say that this is one area where Burgess and I have different opinions. Because not only does he think one should add milk (jfrom what I understand just a bit of it, as he had his tea very strong), but he also thinks one should add sugar. That is borderline heresy for me. Nevertheless, I do agree that loose leaf tea is far better than teabags. And it is always interesting to read Burgess' talk about cultural staples such as tea, because of his wide knowledge on the subject (or, it seems, any subject he talks about). Anyway, my idea of a perfect cup of tea is the following: pour bpiling water into loose leaf tea, let it infuse for two or three minutes, according to your taste, let it cool down a bit, but not too much, the drink by itself or with something sweet (that's all the sugar you will need). What's your idea on the perfect cuppa?

Guille siempre!

 Photo prise sur la page Facebook officielle de Mafalda, qui célébrait le 2 juin l'anniversaire de son petit frère Guille. De toute la bande, il a toujours été mon préféré.

My Idea of Fun

 I found this meme a few days ago, at total and I wanted to share it. I think I never shared it before, I hope I didn't. In any case, here it is. A good book (sometimes even a bad one would do), a warm blanket (or two, or three), some tea, that's indeed my idea of fun. Chocolate is optional, I can do with or without.

Un temps pour les cerf-volants?

Ces temps-ci, il ne fait pas très estival (ce dont je ne plains pas): il ne fait pas très chaud et il vente. Pas tant que ça, mais ça m'a fait penser au temps où mon père nous amenait faire du cerf-volant sur le terrain de l'université (l'UQAC, pour être plus précis, dans le temps son terrain était immense et pas défiguré par un stationnement). Il ne vente sans doute pas assez fort pour que l'on puisse faire voler un cerf-volant, mais j'espère que l'on aura quelques jours plus venteux dans les prochaines semaines. Petit loup et moi avons essayé de faire voler des cerfs-volants en 2020, avec des résultats mitigés. Cette année, peut-être, on remettra ça...

First day at the "office"

 When you will be reading these lines, I will have started my first day at my new job. First day at the "office", although this is only technical: I work from home again. Which is one of the good sides of the new job. It has some drawbacks, however: mainly, long working hours and a ghastly early starting time. But it's an interesting company providing an interesting service (completely new to me), the team seems really nice and I will be required to use my French on a daily basis. In fact, I will be using French most of my working day, both with my colleagues and my clients. I think I might be able to get some flexibility regarding the starting time. In any case, I am employed again.

Mafalda contre la cigarette

Image prise sur la page Facebook officielle de Mafalda, lors de la Journée mondiale sans fumée Je savais qu'elle était contre le tabac, voir ce gag partagé l'année dernière, mais je ne me rappelais plus de celui-ci. Il est à la fois drôle et prophétique.