Daily Post – April 30th

Posted on April 29, 2021 by JJS

Living through a pandemic

in the south of France

406 days since the 1st lockdown in March 2020

DAILY AND WEEKLY STATISTICS 📉 📊 📈 HERE .

● President Macron chose Le Parisien newspaper and the regional daily press to unveil his plan to reopen the country. The stages, the assessment of the vaccination, the strategic choices for France and the ambitions for the months to come, Emmanuel Macron puts everything on the table.

Emmanuel Macron has announced the “four stages” of the lifting of restrictions and closures imposed to combat the Covid-19 epidemic, as well as a gradual shift in the curfew, in an interview with several regional dailies.

An “emergency brake” is however foreseen, the President of the Republic specified. If in a department or a metropolis the incidence rate exceeds 400 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, that its increase is “very brutal” and that the resuscitation services risk “saturation”, the reopenings will be stopped there.

Here is what must change on each of the four dates selected:

⇢ May 3rd


The first step was already known: the end of daytime travel restrictions and the ban on travelling to another region, from 3 May, which will also see the return to class of secondary school pupils.

⇢ May 19th


After much speculation, 19 of May was finally chosen as the date for the second phase: the reopening of shops that are currently closed, the terraces of bars, cafés and restaurants (with a maximum of six people per table), and museums, cinemas, theatres and open-air sports facilities. In these cultural and sports venues, a visitor capacity must be respected: 800 people indoors, 1,000 outdoors.

The Head of State also confirmed that the starting time of the curfew will be changed from 7pm to 9pm on 19 May.

⇢ June 9th


On 9 June, bars, cafés and restaurants will also be able to reopen indoors, as will sports halls. The curfew will then start at 11pm.

On the same day, Emmanuel Macron announced that the instructions concerning the use of teleworking would be “relaxed”, “in conjunction with the social partners at company level”. Today, the instruction is to apply it at least four days a week for the posts where it is possible.

⇢ June 30th


Finally, on the 30th of June, the curfew will end. Cultural and sporting events will once again be authorised above the 1 000-person limit. But their access may be conditional on the presentation of a health pass, which Emmanuel Macron envisages for “stadiums, festivals, fairs or exhibitions”, but excludes restaurants or cinemas.

● VAT

From 1 July 2021, all parcels from outside the EU will be subject to VAT, which means a 20% price increase for all products sent especially from the Far East, which are sold en masse on many successful platforms. This new tax introduced by the European Commission will therefore make online consumption less cheap than it was.
Shipping costs or prices charged by platforms such as Amazon, Wish, Cdiscount, Darty or AliExpress, which offer many products sold outside the EU (especially from the Far East, particularly China), are therefore likely to increase. Indeed, these platforms host products put up for sale by third-party sellers (this is the case for 58% of the products sold on Amazon), and a large proportion of these sellers are based abroad (a third of the sellers on CDiscount).

● ELECTIONS

Would you like to make sure that you are registered to vote in the departmental, regional elections on Sunday 20 June 2021?

Check your electoral situation using the online service available on Service-Public.fr.

● Le Mans 24h

Our very nice young post lady has just been and delivered my latest acquisition to add to my budding collection. I am concentrating (but not only) at the moment on French cars which took part in the Le Mans 24h over the years.

This new supplier in Germany was a test and I am quite satisfied. The details are great and the 1:43 model is metal as I wished although that was not made clear in their advertisement.

On the subject, the 1st race of the WEC (World Endurance Championship) season is tomorrow Saturday with the 6 hours of Spa Francorchamp. I have renewed my WEC membership so that I can watch all the races on line.

● WEATHER

It actually looks much better outside than what the weather forecast predicts. The sun is actually shining.

● MUSIC

● VINTAGE

● SOME LINKS I LIKE TO USE

Bison Futé
Vigie Crues
Open Street Map

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Daily Post – April 29th

Posted on April 29, 2021 by JJS

Living through a pandemic

in the south of France

405 days since the 1st lockdown in March 2020

DAILY AND WEEKLY STATISTICS HERE .

📉 📊 📈

● The outline of the deconfinement timetable, already mapped out by the government, will become clearer. At the end of the council of ministers, Jean Castex announced that Emmanuel Macron will present on Friday “the perspectives” of exit from the restrictions imposed against Covid-19. They will be in an interview published Friday morning by the regional daily press, several regional media reported Wednesday evening. The head of state chose to speak in these daily newspapers and not in a televised address as he has done on several occasions since the beginning of the crisis.

● The epidemic situation is clearly improving in the Occitanie region

The epidemic situation is improving in the Occitanie region. After a mostly red or even scarlet map three weeks ago, the incidence rates are rapidly decreasing and now show green territories.

Carcassonne area is still around the 250 level

● EVENTS

And for the second year in a row, I shall miss that. Last year because it was cancelled and this year because Leucate is slightly further than the allowed 10km radius from home.

● HIGH SPEED TRAIN

Toulouse residents could soon reach Bordeaux in one hour instead of two, and Paris in three hours instead of four and a half.

Toulouse (Haute-Garonne) at three hours from Paris, a plan that is accelerating! The construction of this new TGV line is scheduled for 2024 instead of 2029.

● MUSIC

● SATIRE

I know which side I am on

● WEATHER

Even cooler than yesterday. It has not been a very good April.

● SOME LINKS I LIKE TO USE

Bison Futé
Vigie Crues
Open Street Map

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Souvenirs 1975

Posted on April 28, 2021 by JJS

I have been trying to reconnect with some friends from the army days in the Alpine Troops (Chasseurs Alpins) in Annecy.

I have come across a few photos on the internet which brought back memories and a few names.

Cameras were bulky in those days and we had enough to carry, so photos are fairly rare.

The one time I did not mind climbing somewhere
Posted in Memories and Nostalgia | Tagged | Leave a comment

Daily Post – April 28th

Posted on April 28, 2021 by JJS

Living through a pandemic

in the south of France

405 days since the 1st lockdown in March 2020

DAILY AND WEEKLY STATISTICS HERE .

📉 📊 📈

● Thanks to the figures communicated this Tuesday by Santé publique France, here is the balance sheet of the epidemic in the region, in the Aude and the Pyrénées-Orientales.

As of 27 April, the region had 1,859 patients hospitalised for Covid, 14 fewer than the previous day. Some 396 of them are being treated in critical care units (intensive care unit, intensive care unit or continuous care unit), 3 more in 24 hours. Of these 1,859, some 964 were cared for in conventional hospitals (-22), 482 in follow-up care or long-term care units (+2) and 17 in other institutions (+3).

In addition, 4,118 deaths due to Covid were recorded in health establishments in the region, i.e. 18 more than the previous day. And 18,749 people have been able to return home since the beginning of the epidemic, including 141 since the previous day. More than 1,000 people returned home in the Aude.


In Aude, the number of people hospitalised for Covid reached 152 on Tuesday (5 less in 24 hours). Of these 152 patients, 20 are in critical care (resuscitation, intensive care or continuous monitoring) (stable), 77 in conventional hospitalization (-5), 54 in follow-up or long-term care (stable) and 1 in another type of establishment (stable). In the department, 333 deaths due to Covid are to be deplored, including one in 24 hours. On Tuesday, the Aude region passed the threshold of 1,000 people returning home, with 1,005 people having left hospital since March, 7 more than the day before.


In the Pyrénées-Orientales on 27 April, 164 patients are being treated in hospitals in the department, 5 less than on Monday. Among these 164, some 22 patients are being treated in critical care (resuscitation, intensive care or continuous monitoring), i.e. 4 less in 24 hours. In addition, 76 patients were admitted to conventional hospitals (-8), 64 to follow-up or long-term care (s+7) and 2 to other structures (stable). One additional death has occurred since Monday. In total, 286 people have died in hospital in the department since March 2020. Finally, 1,187 patients were able to return home, i.e. +18 in 24 hours.

INCIDENCE RATE IN THE AUDE HAS GONE OVER THE 250 CRITICAL LEVEL

● What is known about the expected progressive re-opening

From May onwards, terraces, cultural venues, restaurants and sports halls, which have been closed for months because of Covid-19, should gradually reopen. Here are the elements already leaked by the executive, before a speech by Emmanuel Macron expected in the coming days.

On the sidelines of a trip to Melun on Monday to mark the start of the new school year, the president himself outlined several avenues for the weeks to come, insisting that the lifting of restrictions would be done “very slowly”.

Reopening in stages, towards gauges by region

The reopening will take place in several stages to “give visibility until July”, declared the Head of State. Firstly, on 3 May: at national level, the end of travel limited to 10 or 30 km around the home and the return of secondary school pupils to school.

Second stage, just before or just after the Ascension weekend (15/16 May): opening of terraces, places of culture and some shops. These reopenings should also be national. But the gauges will vary according to the regions, depending on the circulation of the virus.

The next two stages, which will concern indoor restaurants in particular, should take place at the beginning of June, and then “in mid or late June”. They could be territorialised. “I don’t think we can reopen restaurants, say at the end of May or in June, in departments where it is still circulating a lot” but “in other (departments) where it has dropped a lot, I think we will have to open them”, he told residents of Melun. “For the theatre, cinema and others, we can see that if we limit the number, we will be able to reopen them in the first phases,” he added.

Each stage will depend on the evolution of the health situation (incidence and vaccination rates or presence of variants). According to the executive, the objective is not to “stop and go”, in other words to reopen and then close again.

Discussions on shops, sports halls and festivals

Discussions are still underway with Bercy, sector by sector, to determine the size of the shops that can reopen as well as the size of the stores, which could vary according to the territory. As for sports halls, the president mentioned an opening at the beginning of June but “not before”. The decision on festivals remains unknown. The only clue is that the Minister of Culture, Roselyne Bachelot, said she was confident that the Printemps de Bourges festival would be held at the end of June. If the capacity chosen is very low, for example in seats and with only one seat out of three, some organisers could give up.

The Minister of Public Transformation and the Civil Service, Amélie de Montchalin, also spoke of the possibility of a reduction in the number of people working from home on Tuesday, speaking on Europe 1. “Today we encourage the French to telework as much as possible, but there will come a day when we will stop saying that it is necessarily a minimum of four days a week,” she said, referring to a timetable that will be specified in order to “organise things”.

A lighter curfew?

The curfew, currently set at 7pm, is the main adjustment variable in the decontainment process and is considered to be very effective in containing the virus. It should remain at this time on 3 May. But Emmanuel Macron said Monday that the government would “try to shift it a little, because 7pm is very early”. Without giving a date. The subject is discussed within the government between the economic line and the health line.

As at each major turning point in the crisis, the President will announce this schedule to the French, probably before 5 May. The government spokesman, Gabriel Attal, indicated on Monday that the president would speak “shortly” to “give the stages of the reopening calendar”. Rather than an address, Emmanuel Macron could opt for a television interview or a press conference. 

● SETTING ALL THE WRONG RECORDS

  • India has sharply reversed course from its earlier success just a month ago in handling the coronavirus pandemic. The country just surpassed a devastating milestone — 352,991 new infections Monday, a world record for the fifth straight day that raised the country’s total number of cases past 17 million since the pandemic began. 195,123 people have died from the virus — a catastrophe not just domestically, but for the world.

  • 92 developing nations rely on India’s Serum Institute, the world’s largest vaccine maker, for the doses needed to protect their populations. The situation’s become so dire that the Institute, which manufactures the AstraZeneca vaccine, said it will not be able to meet its international commitments amid India’s shortage. Plus, the virus keeps mutating exponentially; India’s new variant called B.1.617 has already been identified in at least 10 countries, including the US and Britain.

    • 🇮🇳 🇮🇳 🇮🇳

    ● VACCINATIONS

    I had a quick check on the EU vaccination efforts compared to the other major blocks.

    ● MODEL CARS

    Almost evrytime I go to the Le Mans 24h race I purchase a model car as a souvenir. I have tried a few of the scales available 1:12 – 1:18 – 1:24 – 1:43 – 1:87 and have now decided that 1:43 suits me best.

    I have not yet found a shop in Carcassonne which specialises in such models. I am looking for 3 specific models right now:

    ● TALKING ABOUT CARS

    https://videopress.com/v/4YYRGW37?preloadContent=metadata

    ● MUSIC

    I clearly remember the film and buying the LP. Souvenirs, souvenirs. Great stuff.

    Thank you Philippe for reminding us of this master piece early this morning

    ● MADNESS

    ● STORK NEWS

    It looks like all eggs have now hatched and we have 5 healthy chicks

    https://www.sarralbe.fr/webcam.html

    ● WEATHER

    Not good at all today, in fact very chilly. Unfortunately it will remain the same for the next couple of days.

    ● FUN

    ● SOME LINKS I LIKE TO USE

    Bison Futé
    Vigie Crues
    Open Street Map

    Posted in Health and fitness | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

    Daily Post – April 27th

    Posted on April 27, 2021 by JJS

    Living through a pandemic

    in the south of France

    404 days since the 1st lockdown in March 2020

    ▫️ DAILY AND WEEKLY STATISTICS HERE .

    📉 📊 📈

    ● Will the Carcassonne Festival take place?

    Will the concerts and other summer shows organised in the heart of the city be maintained in 2021? These are the questions that everyone in Carcassonne is asking. “There will be no decision before the end of the week”, says Pascal Dupont, director and programmer of the festival.

    Pending an address by the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, normally on Thursday 29 April, and a meeting the following day with the Mayor of the City, Gérard Larrat, Pascal Dupont is waiting for “very precise instructions and concrete information” before announcing whether or not the 15th edition of the Festival will be held.

    As a reminder, the 2020 edition was purely and simply cancelled.

    ● The EU launches legal action against AstraZeneca.

    The European Union is accusing the Swedish-British laboratory of not having kept its commitments on the delivery of its vaccine. “The terms of the contract have not been respected and the company has not been in a position to implement a reliable strategy to ensure timely deliveries,” said a spokesperson for the EU executive.

    ● INSEE

    The provisional data of total deaths in France 🇫🇷 (all causes) for January & February 2021 is now available:

    ● TOURISM

    Vaccinated Americans 🇺🇸 will be able to travel to Europe, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced.

    Closed since January 29 to non-European citizens, Europe’s borders should reopen to American tourists.

    While the United States has advised its citizens against visiting most European Union countries for more than a year, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Sunday that tourists from the United States will be allowed to visit the European Union in the coming months on condition that they are vaccinated against Covid-19.

    “The Americans, as far as I can see, are using vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA),” she explained in an interview with the New York Times. “This will allow free movement and travel to the European Union,” she said, without revealing a precise timetable.

    ● Traffic restrictions eased from 3 May
    As of 3 May 2021, the daytime travel restrictions that have been in force throughout the country since the beginning of the month will be lifted. It will therefore be possible to travel freely more than 10 km from home. The curfew will be maintained.

    ● BLM

    I fail to understand why it is going to take so long to have a sentence. I believe not before mid-June has been announced!

    This cop has been found guilty, simple as that and justifiably so as far as I am concerned.

    Wether M. Floyd was a bad guy or not ( I cannot judge) is neither here nor there. In our so-called developped countries it is up to the police to bring delinquants to the justice and not do the justice themselves.

    On the subject I found this article:

    World pleasantly surprised as man filmed committing entire murder found guilty of it

    21st April 2021

    THE world has been pleasantly surprised that an American policeman who was filmed committing a murder, from start to finish, was actually found guilty of it. 

    The conviction of Derek Chauvin on counts of murder and manslaughter has surprised everyone who assumed that even though his cold-blooded murder of George Floyd was recorded comprehensively from several angles he might still get away with it.

    Will McKay of Birmingham said: “Well. Convicted on all three counts and spending the rest of his life behind bars. I have to admit I wasn’t expecting that.

    “Of course the man was clearly guilty and had no real defence, but he was a white cop and the victim was black and this is America, so there was plenty of room for doubt.

    “Perhaps this will even set a new evidential standard so the next policeman filmed blatantly murdering an innocent citizen on camera, not even trying to hide it, will also be convicted. I mean you can dream.

    “Then that’ll only leave all the cases that don’t happen on an open street in broad daylight, that aren’t filmed in their entirety, and where the victim isn’t unarmed and handcuffed throughout the whole thing.

    “In those the cop will obviously get off and return to the streets to kill again. Still, baby steps.”

    ● WEC – World Endurance Championship

    The season is opening this coming weekend with the 1st race in Spa Francorchamps. I wish I could be there but the travel restrictions forbid it. The SPA 6 hours race also serves as a major test bed in preparation for the Le Mans 24h race usually taking place in June. Of course this year it has been postponned till August and possibly no spectators.

    Photo Copyright 2021 Nico Mombaerts/AdrenalMedia.com
    Photo Copyright 2021 Nico Mombaerts/AdrenalMedia.com
    Photo Copyright 2021 Nico Mombaerts/AdrenalMedia.com

    ● ARE WE SURPRISED?

    ● WEATHER

    Very cloudy and somewhat wet for the coming days.

    ● FACT

    My credit card bill as a result is a mere fraction of what it was a few months ago

    ● SOME LINKS I LIKE TO USE

    Bison Futé
    Vigie Crues
    Open Street Map

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    Daily Post – April 26th

    Posted on April 26, 2021 by JJS

    Living through a pandemic

    in the south of France

    403 days since the 1st lockdown in March 2020

    ▫️ DAILY AND WEEKLY STATISTICS HERE .

    📉 📊 📈

    The situation of the epidemic in the region, in the Aude and the Pyrénées-Orientales this Sunday according to the figures of Santé publique France.

    In the Aude, this Sunday evening, 154 people are hospitalized (8 more than Saturday): 78 in conventional hospitalization (+7), 21 in intensive care (-1), 54 in follow-up care or long-term care (+2 compared to Saturday) and 1 in other structures.
    1 additional death was recorded on Sunday. In total, 330 people have died from Covid in the department.

    In the Pyrénées-Orientales, 166 patients are hospitalized this Sunday (+1 in 24 h): 81 in conventional hospitalization (+1), 27 in intensive care (the same total as Saturday), 56 in follow-up or long-term care (as much as Saturday) and 2 in other structures.
    No additional deaths were reported in the Pyrénées-Orientales on Sunday. The department counts 283 victims of Covid.

    In the Occitanie region, this Sunday evening, 1872 people are hospitalized because of the Covid (+19 in 24 hours): 975 in conventional hospitalization (+24), 402 in intensive care (-8), 481 in follow-up or long-term care (as much as Saturday) and 14 in other sectors (+3).
    In total, 4074 inhabitants of the Occitanie region have died from Covid-19, including 17 in the last 24 hours.

    ● PEANUTS

    ● Covid-19: are the South African and Brazilian variants really “trending backwards”?

    (© Le Parisien – Translation © J2S)

    Firm but rather reassuring. Jean Castex went to Roissy airport this Sunday morning, the day after the mandatory ten-day quarantine came into effect for arrivals from five countries (Brazil, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, India) and Guyana. The government wants to prevent the so-called “South African” and “Brazilian” variants of SARS-CoV-2 from circulating further on French soil.

    “All precautions are being taken” with regard to travellers, the Prime Minister guaranteed, before indicating that these two strains had “a tendency to regress”. “A risk of extension of the Brazilian P1 variant must be taken into account during the summer of 2021,” warned the Scientific Council in its latest opinion, sent to the government on 16 April and made public two days later.

    What Jean Castex said
    “We have begun the battle against variants, which are a threat against which we must protect ourselves,” insisted the Prime Minister in a brief statement to the cameras. According to him, “the variants, notably South African and Brazilian, are not only very few in number on the national territory, but have even tended to decrease in recent weeks”. Before insisting on the importance of the new measures and vaccination: “It is imperative to hold this line. “

    What the figures say
    These two variants 20H/501Y. V2 and 20J/501Y. V3 (or P1), known as ‘South African’ and ‘Brazilian’, are among the four most closely monitored variants because of their characteristics. Both escape immunity conferred by vaccination or by a previous infection, report Santé publique France and the National Reference Centre for Respiratory Infections in their latest analysis published on Friday.

    These two variants are tracked together during the “screening” of positive tests because a common mutation is sought. Their share among all samples screened in France has always remained fairly low, at around 5%, according to data from Santé publique France. From mid-March to mid-April, it even fell from 5% to less than 4%.

    However, for more than a week, this proportion has been increasing again. 4.7% of positive tests screened are now linked to one or other of these two variants, compared to 3.8% nine days earlier. This proportion is still low, as Jean Castex points out, but the increase is continuous day after day. So we can no longer talk about a downward trend.

    ● SAILING

    After an exceptional Vendée Globe in monohulls, which overshadowed the big Ultim multihulls, the latter are trying to regain their place in ocean racing. Armel Le Cléac’h is launching his new “Banque Populaire XI” on 27th April.

    I might go and see the boat in Lorient in June when I am supposed to go to Brittany

    ● MUSIC

    Only for Roger Waters (ex Pink Floyd) fans. I spent a major part of last evening listening with headphones 🎧 to this and other concerts from Mr Waters. Nice video too.

    ● WEATHER

    Today, in the afternoon, the weather in Carcassonne will be light drizzle showers. As for the temperature, we should expect a maximum of 17°C for 17°C felt. The wind in Carcassonne will be east-south-east with a maximum speed of 30km/h. As for rainfall, beware of the possible risk of rain with a rainfall of 0.3 mm. The humidity will be around 51%.

    ● SOME LINKS I LIKE TO USE

    Bison Futé
    Vigie Crues
    Open Street Map

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    Daily Post – April 25th

    Posted on April 25, 2021 by JJS

    Living through a pandemic

    in the south of France

    402 days since the 1st lockdown in March 2020

    ▫️ DAILY AND WEEKLY STATISTICS HERE .

    📉 📊 📈

    Covid-19 – One more death in the Pyrenees-Orientales on Saturday, hospitalisations on the rise again in the Aude. The number of patients in intensive care in the region has increased over the past 24 hours.

    The results of the epidemic in the region, in the Aude and Pyrénées-Orientales on Saturday, according to figures from Santé publique France.

    In the Aude, this Saturday evening, 146 people are hospitalized (8 more than Friday): 71 in conventional hospitalization (+8), 22 in intensive care (+1), 52 in follow-up care or long-term care (-1 compared to Friday) and 1 in other structures.
    No additional deaths were reported on Saturday. In total, 329 people have died from Covid in the department.

    In the Pyrénées-Orientales, 165 patients are hospitalized this Saturday (-2 in 24 h): 80 in conventional hospitalization (-2), 27 in intensive care (the same total as Friday), 56 in follow-up or long-term care (as much as Friday) and 2 in other structures.
    1 additional death was recorded in the Pyrénées-Orientales on Saturday. The department counts 283 victims of Covid.

    In the Occitanie region, this Saturday evening, 1853 people are hospitalized because of Covid (-37 in 24 hours): 951 in conventional hospitalization (-47), 410 in intensive care (+11), 481 in follow-up care or long-term care (-2 compared to Friday) and 11 in other sectors (+1).
    In total, 4057 inhabitants of the Occitanie region have died from Covid-19, including 19 in the last 24 hours.

    ● PRESS CONFERENCE

    I made a comment on Friday on my disappointment with the Prime Minister’s press conference the evening before. Apparently I am not the only one who feels that way. Here follows an extract of an article in the Figaro Newspaper this morning.

    “We already knew the Saturday night fever, the Sunday night blues, here is the Thursday night weariness. Jean Castex’s last press conference on the evolution of the health situation plunged the viewer into a subtle mixture of doubt and deep boredom. A cathodic high mass lasting one hour and fourteen minutes, during which the Prime Minister even took the time to wish his Health Minister, Olivier Véran, a happy birthday. The viewer raised an eyebrow.

    This is not to neglect the need for transparency and pedagogy, well identified in public opinion. It was to meet this need that Édouard Philippe launched this new press conference format in March 2020: ministers, health administration officials and virologists taking turns at the podium, armed with curves and maps on the evolution of the epidemic. The exercise was already long, sometimes a little too self-congratulatory, and took place in the middle of a long, drawn-out conference.”

    ● STORK NEWS

    Three eggs have hatched, two to go.

    I remind you of the webcam link https://www.sarralbe.fr/webcam.html

    ● WEATHER

    Looks like a not so pleasant day today

    Not as nice as yesterday out there. Quite cloudy and it will get much worse during the day as behind the clouds coming up from Spain, this Sunday, comes a new episode of rising sand from the Sahara. This could once again cover a large part of southern France with an orange veil.

    ● TIP

    When in London next (God knows when that will be)

    Thank you Lesley for the tip

    ● SOME LINKS I LIKE TO USE

    Bison Futé
    Vigie Crues
    Open Street Map

    Posted in Health and fitness | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

    Walk near Villemoustaussou

    Posted on April 24, 2021 by JJS

    Had a pleasant enough walk despite a lot of wind. As said, it is pleasant but there was too much to be done on the actual roads. There are some spectacular views of the Pyrenees and a few beautiful houses, old and new) to be seen on the way.

    I do not need to do it twice though

    Posted in Hikes | Tagged | Leave a comment

    Decision taken

    Posted on April 24, 2021 by JJS

    Further to the difficulties faced earlier this week for the planned acquisition of this piece of equipment, we have now ordered it directly from the manufacturer in Germany. Delivery is not expected before the end of May / beginning of June.

    Now, space has to be found and made for it

    Posted in Health and fitness | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

    Weekly Post – April 24th

    Posted on April 24, 2021 by JJS

    Living through a pandemic

    in the south of France

    401 days in Carcassonne since

    1st lockdown in March 2020

    ▫️ DAILY AND WEEKLY STATISTICS HERE .

    ▫️ The situation of the epidemic in the region, in the Aude and the Pyrénées-Orientales this Friday according to the figures of Santé publique France.

    In Aude, this Friday evening, 138 people are hospitalised (5 less than Thursday): 63 in conventional hospitalisation (-1), 21 in intensive care (-1), 53 in follow-up care or long-term care (-3 compared to Thursday) and 1 in other structures. 1 additional death was recorded on Friday. In total, 329 people have died from Covid in the department.

    In the Pyrénées-Orientales, 167 patients are hospitalised this Friday (+2 in 24 h): 82 in conventional hospitalisation (-2), 27 in intensive care (the same total as Thursday), 56 in follow-up or long-term care (+4) and 2 in other structures. 3 additional deaths were recorded in the Pyrénées-Orientales on Friday. The department counts 282 victims of Covid.

    In the Occitanie region, this Friday evening, 1890 people are hospitalized because of the Covid (+16 in 24 hours): 998 in conventional hospitalisation (+16), 399 in intensive care (-8), 483 in follow-up care or long term care (+8 compared to Thursday) and 10 in other sectors. In total, 4038 inhabitants of the Occitanie region have died from Covid-19, including 13 in the last 24 hours.

    ▫️ Covid-19: Johnson & Johnson injections start today in France
    France has received a first shipment of 200,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine.
    The vaccine can be stored at 2-8°C for easier distribution and storage. People over the age of 55 will be able to receive Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine “as of this Saturday,” Health Minister Olivier Véran announced on Thursday.

    ▫️ SPACE STATION

    Multi tasking again as I am watching live the imminent docking of Dragon to the ISS this Saturday morning. The picture quality is absolutely stunning.

    ▫️ MUSIC OF 1967

    I watched a very interesting program last night about the Kinks on ARTE TV. Very interesting and it brought back a lot of memories as well.

    🎶 / 🎶 / 🎶

    ▫️ FOOD & DRINKS

    The Burgundian winegrowers are beginning to make the first estimates of losses following the exceptional frost episode which took place at the beginning of April and which affected the entire vineyard.
    Behind the magnificent spectacle of candlelit vines lies a sad reality… The work of a whole year, reduced to nothing. “I am stunned! In thirty years of farming, I have never experienced this! “Thiébault Huber, president of the Confédération des Appellations et des Vignerons de Bourgogne (CAVB), admits. In 2016, the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais had been spared and the temperatures had not fallen as low as this year, with sometimes -7 or -8 degrees. This time, the whole of Burgundy was affected by the frost: from Chablis to the Grand Auxerrois to the Mâconnais.

    “That there are frost episodes in April is not surprising. The concern is the summer temperatures of the last week of March, which caused the buds to open”, explains Thiébault Huber. The Chardonnay and Aligoté, which were further ahead, seem to have been much more affected than the Pinot Noir. “The destruction within the plots can range from 20% to 80% of the buds, and even 100% in some areas,” notes the Bureau interprofessionnel des vins de Bourgogne (BIVB). This observation is quite serious and some situations are likely to be complicated for individuals.

    ▫️ ANCILLARY NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND from our correspondent in Britain

    I am afraid our correspondant is too busy practising his new hobby

    Archery

    ✏️ ✏️ ✏️

    ▫️ SATIRE

    ▫️ NEWS FROM ACROSS THE POND 🇺🇸

    ▫️ THE FABULOUS FRIDAY (FUNNIES) GROANS from Paul

    A decent bunch of funnies this week. Enjoy!

    ■ A starter pack……

    ・I wanted to post  a joke about sodium but then I was like, Na, people wouldn’t understand!

    ・Q: What do you call someone who can’t stick to a diet?
    A: A deserter.

    ・I saw Michael J Fox at a garden centre the other day. Recognised him straight away, he had his back to the fuchsias!

    ・I couldn’t work out how to fasten my seat-belt. Then it clicked.

    ・My girlfriend said if I don’t do page 7 of the Kama Sutra she will leave me. It put me in a very difficult position.

    ・I look after plant pots and hanging baskets for celebrities, which means I tend to shrub holders with the rich and famous.

    ■ We are nearing the end of the BBQ season here. Let me refresh your memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking activity. When a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion:

    (1) The woman buys the food.
    (2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert.
    (3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill – beer in hand.
    (4) The woman remains outside the compulsory three meters exclusion zone where the exuberance of testosterone and other manly bonding activities can take place without the interference of the woman.
    Here comes the important part:
    (5) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.
    (6) The woman goes inside to organise the plates and cutlery.
    (7) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is looking great. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he flips the meat.

    Important again:
    (8) THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.
    (9) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces, and brings them to the table.
    (10) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes. And most important of all:
    (11) Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.
    (12) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed ‘ her night off’,and, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there’s just no pleasing some women

    ■ Some short jokes …………..

    ・What did the drummer name her twin daughters? Anna One, Anna Two.

    ・I never wanted to believe that my Dad was stealing from his job as a road worker.  But when I got home, all the signs were there.

    ・A priest, a Pastor and a Rabbit entered a clinic to give blood. The nurse asked the Rabbit for his blood type. “I’m probably a type O” replied the rabbit

    ・I hate it when people act all intellectual and talk about Mozart while they’ve never even seen one of his paintings.

    ・Told my mum I was opening a theatre she said “you’re having me on” I said “well not necessarily, but we’ll give you an audition!”

    ■ One day while he was at the track playing the ponies and all but losing his shirt, Mitch noticed a priest who stepped out onto the track and blessed the forehead of one of the horses lining up for the 4th race. Lo and behold, that horse – a very long shot – won the race. Before the next race, as the horses began lining up, Mitch watched with interest the old priest step onto the track. Sure enough, as the 5th race horses came to the starting gate the priest made a blessing on the forehead of one of the horses.

    Mitch made a beeline for a betting window and placed a small bet on the horse. Again, even though it was another long shot, the horse the priest had blessed won the race.

    Mitch collected his   winnings, and anxiously waited to see which horse the priest would bless for the 6th race. The priest again blessed a horse. Mitch bet big on it, and it won. Mitch was elated. As the races continued the priest kept blessing long shot horses, and each one ended up coming in first.

    By and by, Mitch was pulling in some serious money. By the last race, he knew his wildest dreams were going to come true. He made a quick dash to the ATM, withdrew all his savings, and awaited the priest’s blessing that would tell him which horse to bet on. True to his pattern, the priest stepped onto the track for the last race and blessed the forehead of an old nag that was the longest shot of the day. Mitch also observed the priest blessing the eyes, ears, and hooves of the old nag. Mitch knew he had a winner and bet every cent he owned on the old nag.

    He then watched dumbfounded as the old nag come in dead last. Mitch, in a state of shock, made his way down to the track area where the priest was. Confronting the old priest he demanded, ‘Father! What happened? All day long you blessed horses and they all won. Then in the last race, the horse you blessed lost by a Kentucky mile. Now, thanks to you I’ve lost every cent of my savings – all of it!’.

    The priest nodded wisely and with sympathy. ‘Son,’ he said, ‘that’s the problem with you Protestants, you can’t tell the difference between a simple blessing and last rites.’

    ■ There were these 2 blondes standing outside in a parking lot next to their Mercedes. They were locked out so they were trying to get the door open with a closet hanger. The 1st blonde said to the second one, “You need to try harder. It’s starting to rain and the top is down!”

    ■ Many years ago on a long trans-continental flight, an elderly lady asked if she could visit the cockpit. When she got up there, she found four crew. She asked the first what he did, and he explained that he was the Navigator and his responsibilities were to keep the aircraft on its track across the earth. She turned to next one and asked what he did. He explained that he was the Flight Engineer and his job was to monitor and troubleshoot any aircraft or engine system problems to keep the aircraft operating smoothly. She turned to the next one and asked what he did. He explained that as the Captain he was responsible for everything in the aircraft and to fly and direct everyone in it. She turned to the First Officer and asked, “Well young man, what is your job? “He replied “Ma’am, I am the captain’s s*xual advisor.” Somewhat shocked, she said, “I beg your pardon young man, but what do you mean by that?” “Very simple ma’am. The captain has told me on a number of occasions that when he wants my effing advice, he’ll ask me.”

    ■ Once upon a time in their marriage, my Dad did something really stupid. My Mom chewed him out for it. He apologized, they made up. However, from time to time, my mom mentions what he had done. “Honey,” my Dad finally said one day, “why do you keep bringing that up? I thought your policy was ‘forgive and forget.'” “It is,” she said. “I just don’t want you to forget that I’ve forgiven and forgotten.”

    ・Q: What do you get when you bless an avocado?
    A: Holy guacamole!


    ・Q: What did the snake say to his girlfriend?
    A: C’mon, let’s hiss and make up.


    ・Q: Why did the projector blush?
    A: It saw the filmstrip.

    ・Q: What does the word “benign” mean?
    A: Benign is what you will be after you be eight.

    Catch y’all later….

    ▫️ FUN

    ▫️ WEATHER

    Very pleasant day out there today

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