Wild Orchids and Wild Cigar Smokers

After 10 holes, I was just 3 over par, 23 points on the card and then it happened, a spot of rain….regular readers will be well aware of my antipathy for rain, a completely unnecessary occurrence given the wet winter we have had, and with the day starting so brilliantly both in golfing and weather terms, couldn’t god have sent it over to Ethiopia or whichever part of the world is gasping for it? I know it was just a few drops, and that the sun returned within 10 minutes, but my concentration was broken and golfing disaster looming. But I digress, the start of the day was lit up by the splendour of the Opio Valbonnne golf course at Chateau de la Begude and Paul Duffy’s very fetching pink cashmere golf attire. I do like to see a man so in touch with his femine side although I suspect had the Wingco been there his moustache may have bristled and betrayed a different view. Dave the Fade had teamed me up with the charming Malcolm, Mick Pedley and the impossibly good looking and impossibly named yacht captain Chuck Tann. I mean what sort of name is that? I suggested to him that his real name might have been something like Reginald Molehusband, bit the look from those steely eyes caused me change the subject rather abruptly!  but I can say to Chuck now from the comfortable distance of this blog, 27 is a girls handicap whatever your name!  When I first met Mick Pedley at a Regs event about 4 years ago, he was wearing some shorts that looked a bit like leaderhousen which he claimed to be his German Shooting Trousers. I recall telling that the war was over and we should forgive and forget as shooting Germans might be rather anti EEC regulations, but was never sure if he got the joke…he is a lovely calm and relaxed man but I am afraid he is from Yorkshire. Pretty county that it can be in some places, I am disinclined to visit often as I like the comforts that electricity can provide and I have an aversion to tundra. His love of the outdoors (what else is there to do in Yorkshire) has at least imbued him with some knowledge rare in a Yorkshireman (you can tell a Yorkshireman by his accent, but you can’t tell him much) of the great outdoors, it was he who knew where on the golf course to find some rare wild red Orchids shown in one of my pictures today. You will notice that I haven’t mentioned golf much after the 10th, this is because of those spots of rain which clearly destroyed the last 8 holes for me, collecting just another 8 points to finish with 31, not on the leaderboard….which led me to the diversion of photographing flowers.

Wild Red Orchid at Opio Valbonne Golf Course

From golf to lunch with Bob and Juliet at the fantastic Villa Eagle – an apt name you may think given the mornings events where amongst the guests were John and the beautifully endowed Jude O’ Sullivan,  Paul Thornton and very beautiful Lisa Thorton- Allan. Both Paul and John paid their considerable respects to the contents of my travelling cigar humidor. Chaps, there is a very good tabac in Valbonne with a good range of Cigars including Montecristo No 2’s, my stock of which was once again seriously depleted yesterday. Pauls casual mention that he had been in the tabac that very day and had once again forgotten his promise of buying cigars was like a stab in the heart.

John O Sullivan determinedly reducing my cigar stock

Much wailing and gnashing of teeth yesterday from committed fans of this incisive insight into life in Valbonne because yesterdays episode did not publish at lunchtime as expected. This was due to the writer pre programming it to publish 12 hours later than intended, so my apologies to those hordes of regular followers who were bereft yesterday.

Chris France

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