Pink Pilot or Puce Pilot?

August 6, 2010

tags: Cote D Azur, Currencies Direct, Food & wine, fr2day, La Tasse De Couleur, Living In France, Moving To France, Radish Events, Valbonne

Gremlins are at work as yesterdays missive failed to post again, so you get a double dose today, but if you think I have problems, spare a thought for those poor people in Pakistan, washed away in a flood of biblical proportions after monsoon rains. I hear from Peter Lynn that a charity single is planned called “Raindrops Keep Falling On Ahmed”

It was much the same for a time here yesterday. We left Golfe Juan after an interesting lunch at La Cigale on the port. It is a Lebanese restaurant and quite authentic. My moussaka and mixed grill were both very good, whilst that nice lady decorator tucked into Kebbe and taboule salad without complaint from her, a comparative rarity in restaurants, well anywhere actually, and about anything! Complaining is of course an art form, and the current Mrs France has managed to perfect her technique over the years by fastidious study of this form of expression. You will realise of course that she is not a regular reader of this column, otherwise I might receive a complaint….

Leaving Golfe Juan at around 2 30pm in bright sunshine and a strong breeze which made the 30 degree temperatures wonderfully bearable, we noticed that storm clouds had gathered over the mountains.

For us it was a refreshing thundery shower but nearby Cannes, was littered by golf ball sized hailstones, as my picture today shows.

a hail stone collected in Cannes yesterday

Tonight we shall allow Wayne many hats Brown from FR2day to entertain us at his summer apartment. I mention this only because it gives me another opportunity to use my picture of him from the last night we were in Cannes together tomorrow if I can find it.

Due to a dispute with an ex partner I have suddenly had to change my email address to chrs.france@gmail.com and have been sending out emails to everyone I know to ensure they delete the old one. I have asked all to respond to confirm they have it, but the Wing Commander merely sends an email (to the new address) saying that he cannot confirm receipt. I have re-sent it and asked again to confirm. He has replied that he definitly does not have it and does not want it. This could go on for some time.

Last night to Juan Les Pins (on the train) to meet relatively unknown friend Jo Caston. Jo is from Manchester, so I have to be extra polite as I have form when it comes to being brutally honest about conditions “up north”. Tundra, ox carts, no electricity, peat fires, that sort of thing. Also there was Calvin whose surname luckily for him I did not get. Known as “the pink pilot” this was clearly an in joke to which I was not privy, although apparently he prefers the description “puce pilot”. I will report more if I ever get to the bottom of it! Also there two wonderful attractive girls, Suzanne and Jackie who have opened a ceramic cafe called La Tasse De Couleur in Biot. This is an unknown commercial activity for me, it seems one can visit the cafe, design ones own piece of pottery and they fire it in their kiln. A somewhat bizarre enterprise but suddenly I can think of individual presents that could be made with rude or inapproriate references…

I have important Currencies Direct business in Nice. Work often encroaches on my leisure time, but this will be more pleasure than just business as I will meet my Friends In France, Janey and Mira to discuss the promotion of this clearly superior currency transfer business for all those poor ex-pats in Nice who are still paying their banks at least 3% more than they need to for forex.

Chris France

buying a house in France, moving money? www.currenciesdirect.net/chrisfrance

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Best Estate Agency in Valbonne? http://www.rivierarealty.net/

Best French Riviera Property Agent?

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rent my house in summer? http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/p412514

Best on line resource in Valbonne? http://www.valbonneonline.com/

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Valbonne Tourist Office http://www.tourisme-valbonne.com