Winter must be on the way, despite the current 20ºC , we ate our 1st choucroute of the season this lunchtime. All ingredients were purchased in my favorite shop in town and namely „La Ferme“.
What is choucroute exactly?
Choucroute (from the German Sauerkraut or “sour cabbage”, altered to “cabbage” and “crust”) is a dish made from finely chopped cabbage that is lacto-fermented in a brine and served with a side dish (meat, fish).
The fermented cabbage is usually cooked in white wine but can also be cooked in cider, beer or champagne. Other, more recent variants replace the meat and cold cuts with an assortment of fish, called “sauerkraut of the sea”, or soy sausages “vegetarian sauerkraut”.
It is a dish that is mainly eaten in Europe with local variations. In France, it is emblematic of Alsatian cuisine.
This way of preparing cabbage is said to have originated in China and was spread by the Huns during their conquests (Bavaria, Austria and Alsace). At that time, lacto-fermentation was one of the methods used to preserve vegetables such as turnips.
In France, the first references to the cooking of lacto-fermented cabbage date from the 15th century. In the 17th century it was called compost cabbage, and in the following century it became widespread in Alsace. In the 19th century, sauerkraut became the name for a dish of cooked cabbage and its accompaniment.
Current retail price is €995 but I am selling mine for €495 because the screen software / language is in German and cannot be changed. I could translate on paper the main menu in English or French. Clever way by the company to dictate prices in different countries. The bike was bought in Germany and brought down to France when we moved here and has not been used since.
Collect only
Do not hesitate to spread the word in the greater Carcassonne Agglo area.
🇫🇷
Je vends mon vélo d’exercice Life Fitness C1.
Comme neuf / peu utilisé
Le prix de détail actuel est de € 995 mais je vends le mien pour €495 parce que le logiciel / la langue de l’écran est en allemand et ne peut pas être changé. Je pourrais traduire sur papier le menu principal en anglais ou en français. Une façon intelligente pour la société de dicter les prix dans les différents pays. La moto a été achetée en Allemagne et ramenée en France lorsque nous avons déménagé ici et n’a pas été utilisée depuis.
Collection seulement
N’hésitez pas à faire passer le message dans la grande région de Carcassonne Agglo.
🇩🇪
Ich verkaufe meinen Life Fitness C1 Heimtrainer.
Wie neu / kaum benutzt
Der aktuelle Verkaufspreis beträgt € 995, aber ich verkaufe meinen für €495, weil die Software / Bildschirmsprache in Deutsch ist und nicht geändert werden kann. Ich könnte das Hauptmenü auf dem Papier ins Englische oder Französische übersetzen. Ein cleverer Weg für das Unternehmen, die Preise in verschiedenen Ländern zu diktieren. Das Fahrrad wurde in Deutschland gekauft und nach Frankreich gebracht, als wir hierher zogen, und ist seitdem nicht mehr benutzt worden.
Nur Abholung
Bitte verbreiten Sie diese Nachricht im Großraum Carcassonne Agglo.
It has been quite a busy, but enjoyable, week with our visitors from the UK. Loads of walking, trekking, eating and drinking. Things are back to normal today so I am catching up with the latest news. It is also time to update files and clear up obsolete ones. In other words long hours will be spent in front of the screen this weekend.
On the Covid front some are announcing the 5th wave some are more optimistic.
A little push rather than a fifth wave. This is what we can hope for in the coming weeks and months on the Covid front. This optimism is due to the good vaccination coverage in France. To maintain the dam, the government intends, through new communication campaigns, to insist in the coming days on the importance of maintaining the barrier gestures: frequent hand washing, wearing a mask in enclosed spaces, regular ventilation, etc. Reflexes that have been somewhat lost in recent weeks, as the curve of contaminations has fallen.
The authorities are also counting on the deployment of the third dose. If for the moment its pace is modest, it should accelerate from today thanks to the start of another vaccination campaign, that against influenza. In accordance with the opinion of the High Authority of Health, the over 65s will be able to receive a shot in each arm during the same appointment: the booster against the coronavirus and the single injection against influenza. Unfortunately, the message has not yet been well received. Among the eligible public, many are unaware that it is possible and even recommended to kill two birds with one stone. And when the information is known, the – unjustified – fear of side-effects sometimes makes those who are reluctant to take it waver. The value of this booster dose is also not always well understood. This is quite logical, insofar as the data arrive in dribs and drabs. The latest data could convince the undecided: a booster dose increases efficacy, including against the Delta variant, to 95.6% against symptomatic forms of the disease, according to the first results of a study published Thursday by Pfizer-BioNTech
✏️ Daily update
For several days, the contaminations have been increasing again. “The risk of a real epidemic resumption cannot be excluded,” said government spokesman Gabriel Attal on Wednesday. Here follows the daily update on the Covid epidemic in France, with figures from Santé Publique France and the Ministry of Health.
CONTAMINATIONS This Friday 22 October, 6,366 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded in 24 hours, according to figures from Santé Publique France, bringing the total to 7,114,572 confirmed cases since the start of the epidemic.
The rate of positive tests is 1.3% (compared to 1.2% at the beginning of the week).
HOSPITALISATIONS The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised stands at 6,400 (-53 in 24 hours), including 1,010 in intensive care units.
DEATHS In 24 hours, 35 people died in hospital from Covid. The total death toll since the beginning of the epidemic is 117,440, of which 90,566 have died in hospital.
VACCINATION Since the beginning of the vaccination campaign, 50,987,174 people have received at least one dose of vaccine.
The health situation in the departments of Aude and Pyrénées-Orientales on Friday 22 October.
Slight rise in the incidence in the Aude… In the Aude, 42 people with Covid were hospitalised on Tuesday (-2 in 24 hours), a figure that has returned to its level of 26 July. Among these patients, only 4 are now treated in critical care services (resuscitation, intensive care or continuous monitoring), i.e. two less than the day before for an indicator that is also back to its level of 26 July.
Two hospital deaths due to Covid were reported in 24 hours, bringing the total to 410. The incidence rate has risen slightly over the last three days but remains below the alert threshold. It stands at 42.9 per 100,000 inhabitants in the sliding week from 13 to 19 October, a figure published on 22 October, compared to 38.1 for the sliding week from 12 to 18 October.
Since the beginning of the epidemic, 1,517 people have been discharged from hospital in the department.
In the Pyrénées-Orientales, 53 Covid patients are being treated in hospital (stable in 24 hours). Among them, 7 are in critical care (intensive care, intensive care or continuous monitoring), a figure that has remained unchanged for three days, after a “peak” of 11 on 17 October. This indicator has nevertheless been divided by three since 9 September. No Covid deaths have occurred in hospital since Tuesday. In total, 414 people have died from Covid in hospital in the department.
The incidence rate, which has stabilised at around 40 for several days, is falling again. It is 36.7 per 100,000 inhabitants in the rolling week from 13 to 19 October, a figure published on 22 October. It was 40.7 for the sliding week from 12 to 18 October, a figure published on Thursday.
Since March 2020, 1,789 people hospitalised have returned home, including one within 24 hours.
✏️ Mon espace santé
My Health Space (espace santé) will be available from 1 January 2022 Published on 21 October 2021 – Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Tested since July 2021 in three pilot departments, Haute-Garonne, Loire-Atlantique and Somme, the digital health space Mon espace santé will be available to all users from 1 January 2022, the Ministry of Health announced on 18 October 2021. Intended to facilitate users’ procedures and exchanges with health professionals for better care, it will replace the shared medical record (DMP).
From January to March 2022, if you are affiliated to the Health Insurance, you will receive a letter or an e-mail asking you to activate your Health Space. You will then have a period of one month to object to its creation. If you do not reply, your Health Space will be automatically created.
All users who already had a shared medical record (DMP) before 1 July 2021 will automatically find their record and their health data stored there as soon as My Health Space is activated.
▫️ ANOTHER DIG AT FACEBOOK
Companies that go online thinking they are promoting their products and services on FB are very much mistaken. When a customer or prospect sends you a like, FB sends that customer suggestions from companies that offer similar products to yours, thus promoting your own competitors. The result: you had loyal customers in “real life”, FB suggests they go elsewhere.
☞ The Pope and Scott Morrison (Oz Prime Minister) are on the same stage in front of a huge crowd, at the AFL Grand Final. The Pope leaned towards Morrison and said, “Do you know that with one little movement of my hand I can make every person in this crowd go wild with joy? This joy will not be a momentary display, like those believers in a football match, but go deep into their hearts, and they’ll forever speak of this day and rejoice!” Morrison replied, “I seriously doubt that. With one little wave of your hand? Show me.” So the Pope backhanded the prime minister.
☞ “Two years ago, if you’d asked me who my favourite epidemiologist was, I would have given you a strange look indeed.” Peter from Elsternwick.
☞ Some short jokes …………….
‣”I came from a real tough neighbourhood. In the local restaurant, I sat down and had broken leg of lamb.”
‣After we were wed my wife said to me, ‘Now that we’re married, you can give up playing that silly guitar’ I said, ‘You’re beginning to sound like my ex wife’. She said, ‘You didn’t tell me you were previously married!?’ ‘I said, I’m not’.
☞ Why is it when someone goes into a baby changing room with a baby they always come out with the same one?
☞ Following some recent tests at the hospital I got a letter from my doctor. I read it and said to my wife the doctor says that I need to have daily s*x….She gasped and took the letter, read it and said… You idiot – he says you’re a dyslexic!
☞ A man went into a pub and asked for a pint of Guinness. “I’m sorry, we haven’t got any Guinness.” the barman replied. “OK,” the man said, “can I have a pint of Guinness then?” “We haven’t got any Guinness!” The man went out of the pub and came back in again. “Can I have a pint of Guinness please?” he asked. The barman said, “I haven’t got any G. U. I. N. N. E. F. S. !! “ “There’s no F in Guinness.” said the man. “Finally!” said the barman, “That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to tell you!”
☞ The Doctor told me if I had a vasectomy I wouldn’t have kids, so I went for it. So disappointed when I got home and they were still there.
☞ A pastor went to the dentist for a set of false teeth. The first Sunday after getting his new teeth, he preached for only 8 minutes. The second Sunday, he preached only 10 minutes. But the following Sunday, he preached non stop for nearly 3 hours…..until the congregation realised he couldn’t quit and finally helped him sit down…Concerned for his health, they asked, “Are you OK? What happened?” The Pastor explained , “Well the first Sunday with my new gums , my gums were so sore I couldn’t preach longer than 8 minutes. The second Sunday I felt I could go a little longer to 10 minutes. But, today I mistakenly put my wife’s teeth in, and discovered I couldn’t shut up.”
☞ Two Men were out hunting in the outback and came upon a huge hole in the ground. They approached it and were amazed at its size and depth. The first said, “Wow, that’s some hole. I can’t even see the bottom. I wonder how deep it is.” The second said, “There’s an old gear box over there. Let’s throw it in and see how long it takes to hit bottom.” Despite it being very heavy, they picked up the gear box, carried it over to the hole, counted one-two-three, and heaved it in. As they were standing there looking over the edge of the hole, a goat come crashing through the bushes, ran up to the hole and without hesitation, jumped in head first…
They were so mystified by this that they stood staring at each other in amazement and peered into the hole, trying to figure out what that was all about…
Just then an old farmer appeared. “Say, you fellers didn’t happen to see my goat?”
The first hunter said, “Funny you should ask. We were just standing here a minute ago, and a goat came running out of the bushes doing about a hundred miles an hour and jumped headfirst into this here hole!” The old farmer said, “Naw, that’s impossible! I had him chained to an old gear box.”
☞ I thought I would share a recent funny conversation with our 18 year old, who like all 18 year old, is very much into taking selfies and going through a stage of knowing everything. Recently my partner was taking a selfie when our 18 year old daughter came in. She asked her mother what she was doing, and she replied she was updating her profile picture on LinkedIn. Shocked our daughter replied, “I didn’t know you and dad had an open relationship and you were on a dating app!” We both couldn’t stop laughing as her mother explained what LinkedIn was about.
☞ I just read a news item that made me laugh.
This week, a man out drinking with his mates wandered off into a forest. The man later volunteered to join a search party he came across, hunting for hours in the dark. It was only when he heard someone calling his own name that he realised he had been looking for himself! Authorities gave him a lift home.
☞ A little known fact…. The first testicular guard “Cup” was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. It took 100 years for men to realise that the brain is also important.
☞ A husband and wife go to a counsellor after 15 years of marriage.
The counsellor asks them what the problem is and the wife goes into a tirade, listing every problem they have ever had in the 15 years they’ve been married. She goes on and on and on. Finally, the counsellor gets up, goes around the desk, embraces the woman, and kisses her passionately. The woman shuts up and sits quietly in a daze. The counsellor turns to the husband and says “That is what your wife needs at least three times a week. Can you do that?” The husband says, “I can bring her in on Monday and Wednesday, but on Friday I play golf.”
‣Q: Why did they have a funeral for the frog?
A: Because he croaked.
‣Q: Why did the ox lose his job on the farm?
A: Because he couldn’t take a yoke.
‣Q: Why are movie stars so cool?
A: Because they have so many fans.
‣Q: Who earns a living driving customers away?
A: A taxi driver.
‣Q: Why did the math book visit the doctor?
A: Because it had problems.
‣Q: Why are cakes similar to baseball teams?
A: They both need good batters.
‣Q: Why was the Energiser Bunny arrested?
A: He was charged with battery.
‣Q: There are 2 cowboys in the kitchen. Which one is the real cowboy?
A: The one on the range.
‣Q: Where do you learn to make ice cream?
A: Sundae school!
‣Q: That did the rug say to the floor?
A: Don’t move I’ve got you covered!
☞ And to finish the week…….
‣When I was a kid my parents bathed me in cheap Australian lager. It’s wasn’t until I was 18 that I realised I’d been Fostered!
‣I dropped a gold bar on my foot. Au!
‣As suspected, someone has been adding soil to my garden! The plot thickens!
‣Can you imagine the self-control needed to work at a bubble wrap factory?
The Halles celebrated wine last Thursday. This evening event, organised by the Halles Prosper-Montagné traders’ association and its president Marianne Billard, worked perfectly. To be reproduced absolutely. Ten wine growers from the region were associated with ten stallholders to promote their products. Naturally, the participants and visitors were able to eat on site. The aim was to associate the food of the Halles with local wines. The musical entertainment provided by the Convers’Band band delighted the public.
The plan was to go there and in fact we did queue for a while at one of the 2 entrance doors. We decided however that it was too crowded for the current health situation and we did not spot at the time any sign that the health pass was being checked. I have been told in the meantime that there was a check being carried out.
So to cut a long story short, all four of us went next door to the wine shop to pay a visit to my friend Dominique.
Her friend Anne from L’esperluette vineyard was there and we could taste one of her bottles of Mauzac.
On the way home we stopped Place Carnot where it was pleasant enough to sit outside and have another drink. It was 9pm when we left to go home not without stopping to order a pizza and another drink.
The evening carried on as it had started, in front of a bottle which in my case was whisky.
We had a beautiful sunny day yesterday here in south west France and we therefore decided to drive to the coast with our visitors and go for one of our favorite walk through the Plateau de Leucate.
We also decided to have a picnic and went to the place where we bought sandwiches previously but it was no longer the season. They offered to prepare a chicken & potatoes instead and pack it for us with wooden forks and knives. It only took a few minutes for them to get that ready.
So we immediately set off on foot following the yellow signs which would take us where we wanted.
At some point we turned left and it pointed us further away from the original expected destination. But not to worry, we could smell and feel the sea breeze and therefore knew we were heading in the right direction.
And indeed we reached the desired area and and usual, what a fantastic view of the sea and La Franqui beach.
We found our picnic spot and enjoyed the food and the excellent view.
Someone, who will remain nameless, expressed the desire to go for a swim… So when we were back on Leucate Village we drove to Port Leucate to one of the many beaches in the area. The place was deserted, I am tempted to say “as usual”. The swim consisted of a quick dip just ove the knees. The sea was a bit rough apparently.
We settled for a well earned drink at the port itself before driving home via the “Route des Vins” through the Corbière area.
All in all an excellent day which included a 10 km walk, the second one in so many days. The evening quite merry and I had to buy a new bottle of scotch whisky which I am sure will be tasted later this evening.
The latest Asterix comic book is available since this morning in the shops all over France. It is number 39 and fits very well in my collection.
I have of course read it immediately when I got home
The release of an Asterix album is always an event in France and in the world of comics, and the release of the 39th album in the saga, Asterix and the Griffin, is once again highly anticipated. In this new adventure, the little moustachioed man born more than 60 years ago will travel to the heart of Eastern Europe to meet the Sarmatians, a little-known people who really existed. Between his historical references, his humour that has become a cult and his truculent characters, the famous Gaul continues, year after year, to build an empire that is more or less well known by all generations.
Before diving into his new epic, here are 39 things you need to know about Asterix, his fathers and his colourful universe, by Toutatis!
The irreducible Gaul, created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, made his first appearance for the launch of Pilote magazine on 29 October 1959. He was imagined during a summer evening that same year in a Bobigny HLM where, according to Uderzo, the creators had consumed “a lot of pastis and cigarettes”.
Before appearing in album form for the first time in October 1961, the adventures of Asterix the Gaul were pre-published by episode in the first 38 issues of the weekly magazine Pilote (29 October 1959 to 14 July 1960). The first issue of the newspaper sold 300,000 copies.
The last Asterix pre-published in Pilote magazine was Asterix in Corsica (1973). For the occasion, the book was translated into Corsican and gave birth to the character with the longest surname in the series, Chief Ocatarinabellatchitchix.
Asterix and Obelix are inspired by the actors Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Both actors are among the creators’ influences. In fact, Uderzo inserted the two artists as Roman legionaries in Obelix and Company (1976).
As for the first Asterix album, only 6000 copies were published. And it is the only comic strip from the Goscinny-Uderzo era that has a panel not produced by Albert Uderzo. Due to lack of time, he entrusted the task to his brother Marcel Uderzo. His drawing can be found on page 35 of the first volume.
After colouring a horse green, Albert Uderzo realised that he was colour-blind. He entrusts the colouring of Asterix to his brother Marcel Uderzo. The latter took on this task until the twenty-fourth volume of the Gaul’s adventures, Asterix in Belgium (1979).
Asterix in Belgium (1979) was the last book in which Goscinny was able to participate. And it was almost the last adventure of the warrior. Before his death, Goscinny was in dispute with Dargaud, his publisher at the time. The scriptwriter asked Uderzo not to finish the album. The cartoonist insisted on respecting his friend’s last wishes. But faced with pressure from the publishers, Uderzo completed the 8 missing pages of the script. He took the opportunity to pay tribute to his colleague in the last panel of the album with a rabbit that leaves crying. The rabbit is a reference to the nickname given by Goscinny’s wife to her husband.
Before his death, Goscinny was working on a last adventure, the draft of which he left behind, called Asterix in the Circus.
With the loss of Goscinny, Uderzo hesitated to continue the story of the Gaulish village alone. In order to continue the story, he was urged to do so by the fans, who did not hesitate to send him letters telling him to continue. One year after the publication of Asterix in Belgium (1979), Uderzo published his first solo Asterix with Le Grand Fossé (1980). The album sold 1,700,000 copies.
During the Goscinny-Uderzo era, the method of composing an Asterix was always the same. Goscinny wrote 44 paragraphs corresponding to the 44 pages of the album. Uderzo would then draw the first sketches before handing over to Goscinny so that he could develop the story. Finally, Uderzo would finalise the details before the book was published.
Albert Uderzo worked on 10 solo albums before handing over to Jean-Yves Ferri and Didier Conrad in 2013. The new duo released Asterix and the Picts (2013). The book sold 2 million copies in France.
Asterix and the Griffin is the fifth book by the duo Jean-Yves Ferri and Didier Conrad. It has been translated into 17 languages and has sold 5 million copies worldwide. The cameo in this latest opus is the writer Michel Houellebecq in the role of the Roman geographer Terrinconus.
The handover was a heartbreaker for Uderzo. But with age he had to resign himself to it. So to choose his successors, he organised a secret competition with the Albert René publishing house, of which he was the sole member of the jury. After an anonymous reading of the scripts and drawings, Albert Uderzo chose Jean-Yves Ferri and Didier Conrad.
The thirty-ninth album to be released this Thursday is the last album of which Albert Uderzo was aware.
In total, the stories of this irreducible Gaulish people have sold more than 380 million copies throughout the world. A figure that makes it the second best-selling comic strip behind the Japanese manga One Piece.
Asterix is one of the best-known French ambassadors abroad, as his adventures have been translated into 111 languages, including Korean, Russian and Latin.
The first translation of Asterix took place in 1961 with the release of Asterix the Gaul. The book was translated into Portuguese and then into English, Dutch, Castilian, German and Turkish.
Asterix’s first trip outside Gaul was to Germany with Asterix and the Goths (1963).
Asterix and the Goths is also the only album where a character other than Getafix knows the recipe for the magic potion. Claiming to want a Gallic soup as a last wish, the druid reveals the list of ingredients to the jailer. Among them are lobster and mistletoe.
This third album had a print run of 15,000 copies and its original plates were lost. But above all, there were “pirate” reprints in Germany that changed the work because of the political situation in the country in 1963. On learning of this, Goscinny and Uderzo went to court and won their case. They then contacted a publisher to ensure that their work would be faithfully translated. Since then, Asterix has been a great success in Germany, with over 120 million albums sold.
As far as Asterix’s travels are concerned, the album Asterix in Helvetia (1971) was suggested to Uderzo and Goscinny by Georges Pompidou.
In the first 38 albums, Obelix swallowed 104 boars.
Asterix has always made reference to current events or personalities. In Asterix and Cleopatra, we find the future obelisk that will be installed on the Place de la Concorde. In Le Combat des chefs, the Marsupilami appears. In Asterix and the Bretons, the cartoonists inserted the Beatles. The two authors also caricatured themselves in Asterix at the Olympic Games. They are present under the two characters called Despot and Tyrant.
Asterix and his companions
Asterix and Obelix’s first names come from typographic symbols. Asterix takes his name from the asterisk, the little star (*) used to refer to footnotes. As for his long-time friend, it comes from the obelisk, a dagger-shaped sign used to indicate the death of a person mentioned in a text.
As for Dogmatix, his first name is an invention of the readers. During a competition organised by the two creators of the comic book to find the name of the two warriors’ travelling companion, four readers sent in the name of Dogmatix. The name was chosen by Goscinny and Uderzo and allowed the senders of the letter to win a free subscription to Pilote magazine. Other names considered included Patracourcix and Papeurdurix!
Dogmatix appeared for the first time in the fifth volume of the adventures of the moustachioed boy, Asterix’s Tour de Gaule (1965). In this episode, the dog does not yet have a name and is taken in by Obelix at the very end of the story. Originally, the little animal was only intended for this chapter. However, the success of the story with readers led Goscinny and Uderzo to include him permanently.
Dogmatix was not the first character to be acclaimed by the public. The integration of pirates with Redbeard in Asterix Gladiator (1964) was very popular. At the request of the fans, these characters were to return on a recurring basis.
Our heroes’ little pet even had its own animation studio called Studios Idéfix. During its four years of existence, it produced two animated films: Les Douze Travaux d’Astérix (1976) and La Ballade des Dalton (1978). The latter features the adventures of Lucky Luke and the Daltons.
The first appearance of Asterix and Obelix in a feature film was in Pierre Tchernia’s 1967 television film Deux Romains en Gaule. The two characters appeared in animated form. The film script was written by Uderzo and Goscinny.
The year 1967 also saw the arrival of the first full-length film of Asterix’s adventures in the cinema with the cartoon Asterix the Gaul by Ray Goossens. The film, made without the knowledge of Goscinny and Uderzo, was a great success with 2.4 million admissions.
While Asterix the Gaul is a big hit on the big screen, Goscinny and Uderzo learn that the adaptation of The Golden Serpent is in production, once again behind their backs. This time, they do not agree to a theatrical release and ask for the project to be destroyed.
Out of the ten animated Asterix films, the actor Roger Carel has lent his voice to the valiant Gaul nine times. For the last animated film, Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion, released in 2018, the dubbing actor was replaced by Christian Clavier, the first actor to have played Asterix in the cinema.
The first film in the Asterix saga was directed by Claude Zidi with Asterix and Obelix vs Caesar (1999). He called on Jean-Jacques Goldman and Roman Romanelli to sign the film’s soundtrack.
In all, Asterix and Obelix were shown on the big screen 14 times. Ten times in animated films, including two in 3D, and four times in film. Moreover, Alain Chabat’s Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (2002) still holds the record for the number of tickets sold for Asterix films, with 14,559,509 tickets sold. The next Asterix in the cinema has already been announced for 2022. Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdom will be directed by Guillaume Canet
Louis de Funès almost played Asterix in the cinema. According to Uderzo, the actor dreamed of playing the character but refused because of the moustaches he would have had to wear. The famous actor should have been accompanied by Lino Ventura in the role of Obelix.
The first French satellite sent into space was named Asterix, after the hero created by Goscinny and Uderzo. It was launched on 26 November 1965.
Although Parc Asterix was opened in 1989, it was not the first park bearing the name of the Gaul to open in France. In 1967, Uderzo and Goscinny authorised the creation of a Parc Asterix near Nice. But the project turned into a disaster and soon had to close its doors.
Just like Julius Caesar, Asterix’s face has found its way onto coins. The first time was in 2013 with three Asterix coins from three comic books. And then in 2015, with 24 types of €10 coins bearing his likeness, two silver ones worth €50 and one gold one worth €500. This is equivalent to 658 sesterces for the most expensive coin.
The character of Asterix has been adapted in several media. There are 39 video games based on the licence. The first one, in 1983, is darkly named Asterix, released on Atari 2600. The last one, entitled Asterix and Obelix: Baffle Them All, is scheduled for release on 25 November 2021.
This use to be the name of the house I grew up in. My friend Chris from the UK remembered that and had the sign made for my birthday last June. I waited for his visit so that we could put it up together.
There are no barriers, boundaries, or borders in our oceans, and although we often list the oceans separately, they are all interconnected to each other, forming one global ocean.
We spotted this morning that the new James Bond was playing in the original version today in one of our local theatre so we immediately decided to catch the 2pm showing. At this time of day, we were only 19 people in the movie theatre.
In my mind, out of the 25 films made, it is one of the best.
As a reminder here follows all 25 films to date
◦ Dr. No – Sean Connery – 1962
◦ From Russia with love – Sean Connery – 1963
◦ Goldfinger – Sean Connery – 1964
◦ Thunderball – Sean Connery – 1965
◦ You only live twice – Sean Connery – 1967
◦ On her Majesty’s Secret Service – George Lazenby – 1969
◦ Diamonds are forever – Sean Connery – 1971
◦ Live and let die – Roger Moore – 1973
◦ The man with the golden gun – Roger Moore – 1974
Still in the green The days are going by… and they are looking the same at the moment on the epidemic front. And that’s good! In our country, the indicators remain good. The resumption of classes in schools and most universities, the return of employees to the office after the summer holidays, have not caused the curve of contaminations to explode, as epidemiologists feared. The return of milder temperatures and even the cold in the morning – we have just experienced the first frosts – does not announce, at least for the moment, a clear revival of the virus. This morning, in 21 new departments, pupils are no longer obliged to wear masks in class. Restrictive measures persist but could be lifted gradually A sign, oh so revealing, that the situation continues to improve and that the restrictive measures, even if they are maintained with in particular the compulsory health pass, could be lifted gradually. Despite those who still stubbornly refuse to be vaccinated, this strategy is for the time being the way to resume “normal life”. There is a clear divide between the countries that have been able to implement this policy by buying millions of doses and the others, especially in Europe. The pandemic is still not a distant memory, but for once the news is good, why not rejoice!
✏️ Daily update
Here is what you need to know about the figures relating to the Covid-19 epidemic released this Sunday evening by Santé Publique France.
In the Aude, 46 Covid patients were hospitalised this Sunday evening (a stable figure over the last 24 hours), including 5 in intensive care. No additional deaths have been recorded in the department since 7 October (405 deaths in total). And the incidence rate is continuing to fall and is approaching the alert threshold set at 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (52.1 over the sliding week from 1 October to 7 October).
In the Pyrénées-Orientales, 51 Covid patients were hospitalised (stable figure), including 8 in intensive care (stable figure). Here again, no deaths have been recorded since 8 October (411 in total). And the incidence rate is 27.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
In France, 6737 Covid patients were hospitalised (+31), including 1132 in intensive care (+5). Eight deaths have been recorded in the last 24 hours (90,174 in total).
✏️ Automotive
As of 1 January 2022, a new scale of car malus will apply to new vehicles registered from this date. This change was already provided for in Article 55 of the Finance Act for 2021. This ecological malus is a tax to be paid when certain particularly polluting vehicles are registered. In addition, a new “weight-based malus” will be introduced for new vehicles weighing more than 1.8 tonnes.
The malus on the most polluting vehicles From 1 January 2022:
The malus will apply from 128 grams of CO2/km (instead of 133 grams of CO2/km in 2021) with for this level of pollution a taxation of €50. The €1000 threshold will be reached from 151 grams of CO2/km (€1074), instead of 156 grams of CO2/km in 2021. The last bracket of the scale will be €40,000 for vehicles with a CO2 level of more than 223 grams of CO2/km (instead of €30,000 in 2021 for vehicles with more than 218 grams of CO2/km). The amount of the malus may not exceed 50% of the price of the vehicle including tax.
Note: A change in the scale of the penalty is already planned for 2023:
it will apply from 123 grams of CO2/km; it will rise to €50,000 in 2023 for vehicles with CO2 emissions of more than 225 grams/km.
A new weight-related penalty In addition, a new ‘weight-based penalty’ will be introduced from 1 January 2022. It will apply to new vehicles weighing more than 1.8 tonnes (1,800 kg). The unit rate will be €10 per kilogram. A large family (at least three dependent children), including a foster family, may benefit from a reduction in this penalty under certain conditions. Electric and rechargeable hybrid vehicles will be exempt from this tax.
08/10: St Kitts and Nevis has reduced its quarantine for vaccinated people from 4 days to 24 hours. 08/10: Argentina will reopen its borders to vaccinated people on 1 November. They will have to present a PCR test less than 72 hours old, perform a 2nd test on arrival and probably a 3rd test between days 5 and 7. 08/10: India has confirmed that it will reopen its borders to charter flights on 15 October and to non-charter flights on 15 November.
07/10: International tourists can now apply for an electronic visa to travel to Mongolia. 07/10: Vaccinated people will no longer have to undergo quarantine to enter Chile from 1 November. 07/10 : Vietnam to reopen Halong Bay, Hoi An, Dalat and Nha Trang in December, plus Phu Quoc already scheduled to open in November. Source. The country plans to fully reopen by June 2022.
06/10: China may reopen its borders when vaccination rates reach at least 80% by the end of the year.
05/10: The Philippines plans to reduce quarantine time for vaccinated people. 05/10: Australia to reopen its borders to workers and students first. International tourists will have to wait until 2022. 05/10: Venezuela reopens land border with Colombia. 05/10: The 2022 Winter Olympics in China will be held without foreign spectators. 05/10: Bali International Airport in Indonesia will reopen for passengers from South Korea, China, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Dubai and New Zealand on 14 October. Source 05/10: When New Zealand reopens its borders, only vaccinated people will be admitted.
04/10: Vaccinated people no longer need a PCR test to travel to the following territories: St Barts, St Martin, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion, Mayotte and Guyana. 04/10: Vaccinated people no longer need a PCR test to travel to England or Scotland. 04/10: Singapore may reopen its borders to new European countries before the end of the year. 04/10: Malaysia aims to reopen its borders in December. 04/10: China begins to talk about a possible reopening of its borders.
▫️FUN/ SATIRE
▫️THE FABULOUS FRIDAY (FUNNIES) GROANS from Paul
Another week just went by. Trust that it was a good one.
➤ The situation is getting worse. This morning a flying saucer landed at a local petrol station
The two space aliens inside seemed completely unconcerned about detection; in fact, the letters “UFO” emblazoned in big, bold letters on one side of their shiny craft:
As the station owner stood and gawked in silence, paralysed with shock, his young attendant nonchalantly filled up the tank and waved to the two aliens as they took off. “Do ye realise what just happened?” The station owner finally uttered. “Yeah.” Said attendant. “So?” “Didn’t ye see the space aliens in that vehicle?” “Yeah.” Repeated the attendant. “So?”
“Didn’t ye see e letters ‘UFO’ on the side oh at the vehicle?” “Yeah.” Repeated the attendant. “So?” “Don’t ye know what ‘UFO’ means?”
The attendant rolled his eyes. “Good grief! I’ve been working here for six years. Of course,
I know what ‘UFO’ means ‘Unleaded Fuel Only.'”
➤ Sammy Snail saved his money and bought a little sports car. He was so proud of it. Even customised it with a big S on both doors and the hood.
Driving around he pulled up to a stop light next to a pair of rabbits in a Corvette.
The rabbit revved his engine. Then Sammy gunned his. The light changed and Sammy took off.
The rabbit driver turned to his passenger and said, “Wow! Did you see that S car go?”
(Groan)
➤ Some topical humour
In the Library I asked the Librarian where the Travel books were located. She said “Oh they’re in the Fantasy section now!”
Showing travel photos taken in Bali four years ago she suggested I should give them to the National Trust to add to their historic records!!
➤ Some quotes of wisdom from Alan
• “Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” ~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
• “Laughter is an instant vacation.” ~ Milton Berle
• “Oh, take your time, don’t live too fast. Troubles will come and they will pass…” ~ Lynyrd Skynyrd
• “Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.” ~ Erma Bombeck
• “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” ~ Oscar Wilde
•”Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.” ~ Edgar Allan Poe
• “We need much less than we think we need.” ~ Maya Angelou
➤ More bad puns ……..
• I lost my girlfriend’s audiobook, and now I’ll never hear the end of it.
• Why is ‘dark’ spelled with a k and not c? Because you can’t see in the dark.
• Why is it unwise to share your secrets with a clock? Well, time will tell.
• When I told my contractor I didn’t want carpeted steps, they gave me a blank stare.
• Bono and The Edge walk into a Dublin bar and the bartender says, “Oh no, not U2 again.”
• Prison is just one word to you, but for some people, it’s a whole sentence.
• Scientists got together to study the effects of alcohol on a person’s walk, and the result was staggering.
• I’m trying to organize a hide and seek tournament, but good players are really hard to find.
• I got over my addiction to chocolate, marshmallows, and nuts. I won’t lie, it was a rocky road.
• What do you say to comfort a friend who’s struggling with grammar? There, their, they’re.
•I went to the toy store and asked the assistant where the Schwarzenegger dolls are and he replied, “Aisle B, back.”
• What did the surgeon say to the patient who insisted on closing up their own incision? Suture self.
• I’ve started telling everyone about the benefits of eating dried grapes. It’s all about raisin awareness.
➤ Some short Jokes… • I couldn’t undo the buttons on my sweater so I tried pulling it over my head but it got stuck…… I’m at the hospital now, waiting to see a cardyologist…….
•I went round my mates house earlier and the first thing he said was, “make yourself at home”… So I threw him out….. “I hate visitors”….
•I once got into so much debt that I couldn’t even afford to pay my electricity bills. They were the darkest days of my life.
•…And then alcohol said, “put that on Facebook, it is hilarious!” But alcohol was wrong, so very wrong.
➤ And a few gems of abnormal knowledge to see out the week….
*_DO YOU KNOW ?_* 🤔
1. *Hot water will turn into ice faster than cold water.*
2. *The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows.*
3. *The sentence, “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” uses every letter in the English language.*
4. *The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.*
5. *Ants never sleep!*
6. *“I Am” is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.*
7. *Coca-Cola was originally green.*
8. *The most common name in the world is Mohammed.*
9. *When the moon is directly overhead, you will weigh slightly less.*
10. *Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from the blowing desert sand.*
11. *There are only two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order:
“abstemious” and “facetious.”*
12. *The name of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with.*
13. *There are two credit cards for every person in the United States.*
14. *TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.*
15. *Minus 40 degrees Celsius is exactly the same as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.*
16. *Chocolate can kill dogs, as it contains theobromine, which affects their heart and nervous system.*
17. *Women blink nearly twice as much as men!*
18. *You can’t kill yourself by holding your breath.*
20. *The Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from Public Libraries.*
21. *People say “Bless you” when you sneeze because when you sneeze, your heart stops for a millisecond.*
22. *It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky*
23. *The “sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick” is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language.* (Try it!!)
24. *“Rhythm” is the longest English word without a vowel.*
