I shall be in Marseille in a couple of weeks or so, something to seriously look forward to. I have already reserved a lunch „Chez Pierrot“ au Vallon des Auffes.
Something to look forward to.
Got to make the most of it
Leucate Plage
Most important however is the forthcoming lunch. Which turned out to be excellent.
Followed by the obligatory nap facing Spain
Am already booked here again in a couple of days
Another excellent report from Bob… Shame I am in an abstinance mood at the moment. A visit to the Comptoir de la Cité would be good right now and it is only a 10 minutes walk from home.
During the Covid lockdowns when one of the few reasons we could leave the house was to make essential purchases, Bill discovered a way to easily take…
An Afterwork at the winery
This year’s Global Bicycle Index looked at 90 cities around the world and ranked them based on loads of factors, from bike lanes and rates of bike theft to the number of days of ‘cyclable’ weather per year.
I am not really surprised at the fact that 9 out 10 cities are in „northern“ Europe .
I am also quite pleased to see that the city where I have lived the longest time i.e Hannover is in the top 10. I must say I felt really safe riding my bike there. Something I would not do in my current town despite some efforst by the local administration to build some bike lanes.
MORE AGREED STAY in HOSPITAL
I am back in for the 4th consecutive visit in so many weeks. I have been here 90 minutes and although I have a room, the usual one, so far no one has been here to see me.
Not the experience I have had the past few weeks. My favorite nurse had warned me she would not be available today as she has administrative duties. As it happens her office for the day is right across the corridor from my room.
A mere 130km from home and not too far from the border with Spain lies the little Catalan village of Ortaffa.
This is where my dear cousin Dominique moved to a couple of weeks ago. An ideal opportunity for us to visit the area and obviously her new house as well.
So we set off earlier today in time to make it there for lunch and stay for a couple of days.
At the time of writing this, I am lying by the pool digesting the excellent “Côte de Boeuf” we enjoyed for the aforementioned lunch.
Back in hospital for my weekly scheduled transfusions.
I arrived, on purpose, early and was therefore looked after immediately.
Thank you Ludivine.
Strong psyschedelic stuff being injected today or is it the lack of sleep…
The hazelnut season has started in our part of of the world.
How nice to see fresh hazelnuts for sale at the market this morning. Of course I had to purchase a kilo.
Just checked in hospital as planned for a follow-up and supposedly a day of transfusions.
I left home at 8:02 precisely, walked into the hospital at 8:07, was greeted by Ludivine who is my extremely nice nurse for the day and who informed me my room was ready.
At 8:15, time of my appointment, I am hooked up for my first transfusion, blood sample is being analysed and will determine how many bags of blood and iron I am going to get.
It is all extremely efficient and friendly despite the reported and on-going staff shortages made worse by the current holidays. Nevertheless the staff is very nice and very attentive.
Now, how to get a coffee…
I am all hooked up and cannot go walk about.
Maybe Ludivine „Lulu“ can help.
As it turns out, my hemoglobine levels have gone up, still under the minimum level but above the crtical level so no blood transfusions today, only iron.
Ludivine booked me a room for next week and the week after for the same treatment as today.
I am going to reach Platinum Hospital Miles level very soon at this rate
If you grew up in France, you would be very familiar with the Shadoks‘ world. This cartoon was on TV about 50 years ago on a daily basis and delighted children and adults alike. The Shadoks‘ philosophy was to keep pumping to solve any problem which might arise.
It is somehow quite appropriate in our home as today we have had the 5th swimming pool water pump installed in almost the same number of months. Mind you this is only a temporary pump to repace the other temporary pump which was installed yesterday. The brand new pump we had to purchase and was installed 10 days ago was defective and is being sent back to the factory under guarantee.
I say, send me a few Shadoks. They would keep pumping and pumping and pumping.
Does anyone remember the Shadoks?
I do it my way 