Our good weather seems to have returned except for some morning mist. We had a nice lunch outside by the pool and the thermometer was reading 30 degrees. Even though the weather didn't completely cooperate I think we have made converts of Susan and Alan for the way of life in France and they will be back. It really is such a good value too compared to the prices in the U.K.
We were very pleased to buy a wonderful coffee table book on Carquieranne that had been recently published. It has amazing pictures and text and everything about it is extremely well done. Rather surprising that a small village would produce such a book. Obviously a labour of love for the many people involved and will make a super memento of our time here. They describe the numerous winds here in great detail...lots of names for the various winds...rather like the Inuit and all their names for snow.
I went to buy a package of Gaullois cigarettes the other day so we would have some ammunition when people light up beside us. We do rather like the smell of Gaullois but not these other horrible American cigarettes that everyone smokes now. I was amazed to see a number of different types of Gaullois in fancy American packaging. When I asked the difference I was told they were 'light', 'extra light', extra,extra light' etc. The old vets would be turning in their graves! When I asked if you could get the original Gaullois, the clerk warned me that it was 'brown tobacco' and produced the package from under the counter...i felt like I was buying illegal drugs.
