les Davey de France

and it might even be navy blue. The problem is that often delivery firms refuse to deliver to people who live in apartment blocks in France. Well they don't refuse to deliver, but instead they take your delivery to a Post-Office or other delivery point and claim you were out when they called. You were not out. They did not call. But still you can do nothing. You want your delivery. You go and get it. That's one... hang on, my mobile's ringing... Would you believe it, it's the man from DHL saying he'll be here "een feefteen meeneets" ! My passport is maroon, but has no EU symbol.

When we came back from London on 1 January we met on bus 1a young American asking for directions to the Grand Theatre.  We told him how to get there, but then he added that really he needed to find Rue Cancera. That's where our church used to meet, so we know it well, but to give directions to it is not easy. In addition visitors to Bordeaux from non-EU countries often find that Google Maps won't work because they don't have automatic international data roaming included in their standard monthly payment - let the reader understand. So Pat and I looked at each other and said, "We'll take you there". It was a foggy evening as we wound our way through the narrow streets of the Saint Pierre area. Our new friend explained that he is an opera singer come to sing at the Grand Theatre in a production of the Demon, by Artur Rubinstein. "What voice?" "Soprano." He's a high counter-tenor. We delivered him to Rue Cancera where we saw in the...

Accompanied by a gang of five friends, one friend driving her father's large car, Catrin has moved out of our flat and into her own. Soon the work of moving my study up to her old room will begin.

Yes, I know... Today our daughter moves out. She's rented an apartment on the west side of the city centre (we're on the south side) just about 4km away. It's furnished so we thought it would be a great idea to dig out our spare mattress cover for her. Was it under her bed? No. Was it in the bed settee? No. Was it in the bed-linen drawer? So off I went to Ikea to get a new replacement mattress cover for the one we have lost. To keep it quick I went in through the exit (you're allowed) and swam against the tide till I got to the bedding. They didn't have the one I wanted in the size I wanted, but I found another that would do and hot-footed it home. Then the tram broke down. Ikea is at the other end of line C, so we can take just one tram and travel quite quickly, but when the tram broke down we were in Grand Parc. I knew of various ways of getting home, all far slower than the tram. The phone apps were not helpful. They all said, "Why not take the...

I've requested an appointment for my colonoscopy online!

Hearing the "din din" of the tram as it starts running again after a demonstration.

Like finding a way out of the railway station when the nice policemen told you all the doors were locked because of the demonstration outside. (I sneaked through the underground carpark and went out of the in ramp...)