Tuesday, 21 July 2026
United Dairies Milk Tank
Colline en juillet
Monday, 20 July 2026
Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife (Signature Weapon)
This is my new post in the Signature Weapons series, about weapons that are or could be, well, signature weapons for protagonists and/or antagonists, heroes and/or villains in crime fiction, spy fiction or adventure stories. So today we are talking about the Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife. Okay, so a knife is a knife is a knife, but this one was first used by the British army during World War II. It's a sleek knife with a slender blade, it looks deceptively simple and sober. It does not make it any less lethal. Because it was used by an Allied force in World War II, I would tend to think it is more suitable for a hero, either in historical fiction or in a more modern setting. Although I think the F-S fighting knife might have been the weapon of choice of one very nasty villainous character in one episode of a famous British TV series. It might have been another sort of knife, mind you. Be that as it may, for a hero with a military background, particularly a British hero, this could be his signature weapon.
Il y a trente ans, le Déluge
Bon, je suis en retard d'un jour dans les anniversaires, mais je me devais de le souligner: c'est depuis hier le trentième anniversaire du Déluge du Saguenay. Je l'ai vécu, ce qui ne rajeunit personne. Je m'en rappelle encore. Pour mes souvenirs, vous pouvez lire ce billet qui date de 2016, pour les anecdotes des membres de ma famille, vous pouvez aussi lire cet autre billet du vingtième anniversaire. Ah oui, et pour ce que je pense du journaliste maintenant politicien Louis Lemieux, vous pouvez lire ce billet de 2017. Le Déluge, c'est aussi son avènement comme célébrité journalistique ("Godzilla régional surgi des eaux," j'ai quand même parfois une belle plume bien acérée). Des fois la tragédie prend des allures de farce.
The Strangest Pizza
Un bateau vu de haut
Sunday, 19 July 2026
A promise of autumn
Yes, I know, I know, we are in the heart of summer and it's still hot. Not exactly the heatwave we've had, not the worst of it anyway, but it's hot during the day. Yet, to keep my sanity and get myself in an autumnal mood, and because I am attuned to seasonal changes, I have started noticing a few small signs of the autumn to come. It's in the morning and evening when we can feel them. During camp night for instance, in the evening. The sun had not even set yet and there was a breeze and a proper chill. We had arrived in the afternoon, it was hot, we had brought no coat or fleece. Well, in our summer clothes, we were a bit cold. Oh, not much, but enough to feel the chill in the air. Right after a hot day. Then some mornings recently have been much cooler than we would expect. The breeze cools things down a lot, and it smells does feel a bit, just a bit but still, autumnal. So I keep saying to myself: we are not there yet, but this is a promise of autumn. Things will get better.
L'Aristocrate (billet nostalgique)
J'ai blogué en 2020 à propos de L'Aristocrate, l'hôtel à Québec où nous séjournions lors de nos vacances dans la capitale nationale, quand nous étions enfants. Je crois que c'est le premier hôtel où nous avons séjourné. En tout cas, c'est sans doute mon premier. Comme les vacances d'été arrivent à grands pas ici (je sais, elles sont longues à arriver en Angleterre), ça m'a rappelé mes séjours à Québec enfant, ainsi que le temps passé à L'Aristocrate. Avant de voyager plus loin, nous passions souvent trois ou quatre jours à Québec par été. Pour moi, la ville a été LA destination de nos vacances et une ville exotique et lointaine. L'Aristocrate était à l'époque bien plus simple que bien des hôtels visités par la suite, mais pour moi c'était le gros luxe. Je regarde les photos sur le site, et je trovue qu'il n'a guère changé depuis mon enfance.
Saturday, 18 July 2026
Tarot Reader
La queue d'un dragon
Friday, 17 July 2026
Summer Staycation?
Okay, I am very late sharing and musing on this BBC article, which my wife sent me back in May, but here it is anyway. Apparently, because of international unrest, the Britons have been heading for a staycation this summer. Or rather, they will take their holiday within the UK. This seems to be the case for us. We considered going abroad, but for various reasons, one of them being the scorching heat that doesn't seem to leave and is even worse on the continent, we might actually stay in the country. If you have any suggestions, please let me know in the comments section. Preferably cool places.
"L'Objet du délit"
Bon, ben il y a un film français que je veux voir. C'est une chose qui m'arrive assez rarement, mais celui-ci m'intéresse. Vous devinerez facilement pourquoi. DOnc, le film a pour titre L'Objet du délit. Réalisé par Agnès Jaoui, il raconte une production troublée de l'opéra Les Noces de Figaro, de Mozart, alors que des allégations d'agression sexuelle éclatent. Une comédie dramatique inspirée du mouvement #MeToo, avec comme myse-en-abyme un opéra qui justement parle en des termes à peine couverts (sinon pas du tout couverts) de harcèlement sexuel. Vous pouvez voir la bande annonce plus bas.
Thursday, 16 July 2026
The crab apples are green
William Walter
Wednesday, 15 July 2026
St Swithin's Day
Tilleul?
Tuesday, 14 July 2026
To Watch The Invisible
I have some exciting (yet somewhat frustrating) crime fiction news. Yopu may remember that back in August 2025 I mentioned that South African crime writer Deon Meyer's novel Blood Safari, which I reread late last year and early this year, was being adapted into a TV series. It was being retitled The Invisible. Or Invisible, I'm not sure, I have seen both. Anyway, I have recently seen the trailer on social media. And it looks really exciting. The only problem is: I have no idea where, if anywhere, it will be available to watch in the UK. Story of my life for any adaptations of Meyer novels, and there are quite a few. Anyway, that's my new crime fiction aficionado mission: finding a streaming service where I can watch it.
Le congé du 14 juillet
Nous sommes le 14 juillet aujourd'hui. C'est donc la Fête nationale française, parce que c'est l'anniversaire de la prise de la Bastille. Je le souligne à chaque année sur ce blogue, parce que j'aime la Révolution française, notamment parce qu'elle a mené ultimement à l'abolition de la monarchie. Enfin, d'une monarchie. C'est un jour férié en France, mais pas ici en Angleterre, bien entendu. Sauf que, comme mes clients vivent en France, j'ai donc pour ainsi dire un congé forcé au travail. Je ne m'en plaindrai pas: avec d'autres employeurs, je m'étais tourné les pouces pendant tout le 14 juillet en m'ennuyant solide.
Monday, 13 July 2026
The "Bloke Coke"
Do you remember the time before Coca Cola Zero Sugar? I'm old enough, so I do. I know it has been introduced in the US in 2005, but I know it was first introduced in the UK in July 2006, so twenty years ago. I remember the date because I remember the exact time when I first drank Coke Zero: they were giving sample cans at a train station, to promote the new product. I was travelling back from a wedding that day, with my future wife and my future sister-in-law. Neither like colas (at least my wife doesn't) so I had their share (or maybe only my wife's share, but anyway). I like soft drinks, from time to time, albeit I prefer Pepsi to Coke. I was underwhelmed by Coke Zero: sugar might be unhealthy, but it sure makes a cola taste better than the ones with artificial sweeteners. I sometimes drink Coke Zero, when i feel a bit conscious about my sugar intakes. But it just doesn't taste as good. Oh, and one fun fact about the Coke Zero: here in the UK it was nicknamed the "Bloke Coke", because unlike other low calory soft drinks, it was more appealing to men than women. Apparently, the name Coca Cola Zero sounded more masculin than Diet Coke, but I suspect it was something to do with the black design of the label, and maybe the taste. Anyway, that's my experience of Coke Zero, what's yours?
Une girouette à Brighton
Sunday, 12 July 2026
More Man on Fire?
So I blogged last month about Man on Fire. It's a Netflix spy thriller series freely adapted from a novel by A.J. Quinnell. The book was also made into a movie about twenty years ago. Anyway, I finished watching the series and, while I don't think it's the greatest TV series of its genre, I was thoroughly entertained and it was solid. And I suspect (and hope) there will be more of it. Like many spy thrillers based on a novel, they decided to carry on the story when the source material finishes. Man on Fire ends with a sequel hook. So I guess if the series is a success (I have no idea how popular it is, streaming can be tricky), there will be more seasons commissioned. I sure hope so.
"Couper grossièrement le céleri"
Saturday, 11 July 2026
Seeing Carmilla
Smoothie costaud
Friday, 10 July 2026
Books and Tea
La Tour à Bières
Quelqu'un se rappelle de La Tour à Bières à Chicoutimi? Et quelqu'un peut me dire si ça existe encore? Sa page Facebook semble être inactive. Je n'ai jamais été un régulier, mais je l'ai visitée quelquefois. C'était d'abord, il y a des années, un restaurant de cuisine sur pierre volcanique, puis c'est devenu un bar et finalement un bar/microbrasserie. Elle a fermé en 2024, puis a réouverte en 2025, sauf qu'en ce moment, on dirait qu'elle est fermée à nouveau. Les temps sont durs pour les microbrasseurs, mais j'aimerais savoir ce qui se passe avec la Tour.
Thursday, 9 July 2026
The Fig Tree
L'Opéra du Royaume
Wednesday, 8 July 2026
Another Bloody Heatwave
We had a heatwave in May, it was scorching hot. Then, we had one in June, which was even. Well, I guess we had to have a third one, this time in July. It's bad, really bad. At least we don't have amber and red warnings like for the last one, but it's really not good all the same. I am officially fed up with summertime. It started way too early, it's being way too hot for my own comfort. I am spending a lot of my free time just looking at the weather forecast and hoping the hot days will end. Anyway, that's my summer so far, hot, sticky and unpleasant, how is yours?
Question existentielle (406)
Cela faisait un bon bout de temps que je n'avais pas posé de question existentielle. Et il m'est venu en tête une question existentielle aussi brillante qu'érudite. Alors voici donc:
-Dans Don Giovanni de Mozart, en prenant en considération les chiffres donnés par Leporello lors de l'aria du Catalogue, de quelle grandeur et de quel format devrait être ledit catalogue donnant les conquêtes amoureuses de Don Giovanni?
Pour les amateurs d'opéra et les mozartiens parmi vous.
Tuesday, 7 July 2026
Thriller Writing Course
You may remember that I went to a Thriller Writing Workshop back in March. Well, more like a course anyway, but there are elements of workshop in it. Anyway, there was another course this month, pretty much the same, but since the first one has proven so useful and also given me some motivation to write, I have decided to go there again. At £25 for six hours, three weeks, that's a good investment, I think.
RIP Marc Messier
Triste nouvelle que je viens d'apprendre: Marc Messier est mort. Un grand acteur québécois, tant dans la comédie que dans les séries dramatiques. Je l'ai surtout apprécié dans Grande ourse et dans la seconde série d'Omertà, où il jouait Paul Spencer, un financier véreux (et homosexuel), pris dans un engrenage entre la mafia, les motards et d'autres groupes criminels, en plus d'être victime d'un chantage. Messier était brillant dans le rôle. Je sais que ce n'est pas son rôle le plus connu, mais pour moi c'était mon préféré. Enfin bref, c'est vraiment triste.
Harry Lime (can you hear the theme?)
Le whisky de McAuslan
Monday, 6 July 2026
Beretta (Signature Weapon)
This post is a new entry in my Signature Weapons series, weapons you find in crime fiction and spy fiction and that are used or could be used as signature weapons by protagonists and/or antagonists. So today I am blogging about the Beretta, an Italian gun. I have seen the brand showing up in many crime stories, including a novel I read recently. It's part of the arsenal of the Carabinieri and other police forces around the world. Conversely, it's been used by the mob and still is, whether Italian or not. It's also often featured in the spy thrillers, or at least I have seen the Beretta showing up in the spy novels I read recently. You may not know, but it was the service weapon of a certain British agent (guess who) until it was replaced by another brand (guess which one). Anyway, I'm not sure if the Beretta is in fiction more often held by a good guy or a bad guy, either way it can be a signature weapon.
Rémy Martin
Bon, ben parlons cognac pour un moment. J'ai blogué brièvement sur le Rémy Martin fin mai. Et je me demandais s'il y a quelqu'un parmi mes lecteurs quelqu'un qui en a déjà bu. Je ne m'y connais pas beaucoup en cognac, en fait pas du tout, j'aimerais en savoir plus, je veux éventuellement essayer le cognac, donc je tente de me renseigner. Je n'en fais pas une question existentielle, parce que ça demeure encore trop imprécis. Je ne sais même pas s'i le Rémy Martin est très coté ou non chez les connaisseurs. Alors donnez-moi votre opinion sur cette étiquette et dites-moi ce que vous savez).
Sunday, 5 July 2026
Chinese Dragons in Brighton
Jouer aux Bouquinistes
Saturday, 4 July 2026
Camp Night
We are going to a special evening tonight: Wolfie's school is holding its annual camp night. So families of the pupils go camping for one night, or others, like us, just spend the evening there. It is a sort of tradition. I'm never been a fan of camping, having only done it once or twice in my life, I don't really care about minimal comfort and early mornings after a late night, but I don't mind an evening. I actually enjoy the carefree atmosphere. Wolfie never wants to go there, yet once we are there, he doesn't want to go back home. I wonder if the same will happen this year.





























