SALTY SEA DOG

Mikhail our Russian friend has suddenly found a love of the sea and all things nautical, so last week he went back to the UK to buy a boat for general cruising around the bays and a spot of fishing.

So Saturday morning he invites me and Marie's father to come and help launch the boat and have a bit of sea time. No problem!

Er..wrong!!!

The English have a combined 50 years of sea time..the Russian,,20 minutes. A quick show round Newhaven harbour when he bought the boat was his only experience.

The engine cut out when 1/2 mile from the shore as there was air in the fuel line. That got sorted. Mikhail's steering needs to be worked on a bit too as we hit the harbour wall with the speed of an Iraqi suicide bombers car.

All in all, a good morning in unseasonably hot weather for late September.

View of St Cast from the bay.

The boat Marlin....or if Mikhail doesn't take some seamanship lessons it will be renamed K19 - the widowmaker or even the Kursk

LONGEST DOG WALK SO FAR

Saturday, like the rest of the week, was scorching. So we decided to take the dogs down to the lake, a round trip of 4 miles, which is by far and away their longest walk to date.

We took a picnic down there and stayed for a couple of hours relaxing.

The two teams line up for a friendly game of punctured football!

Kip wants to take the free kick quickly, but Bella refuses to move the wall back 10 yards (or 9.144 meters as the French say).

Half time drinks.

FIELD OF FLOWERS.

Overlooking the lake is a stunning display of wild flowers, which adds to the scenery from the dining area.

ALL HOME GROWN.

Not a bad effort considering we didn't start till April.

Around the table from the left, Flagelot beans, tomatoes, baby aubergines, 6 fruit and veg chutney, red onions, lollo rosso, french golden delicious, sweet and sour courgettes, two other types of apple (speicies unknown), spuds, courgettes (loads of them), elderflower and lemon champagne (lovely with gin or vodka), vegetable and turmeric chutney, picalilli.

Also we had raspberries, blackberries, rocket lettuce.

Please dont sue Heinz..it was just a bit of fun!

Click on the picture below!

NEW GATES AND THE PLUMBERS BACK

The new front gates are up so the dogs are now comletely safe. No chance of jumping these. The blue van belongs to the plumber who is back to finish the job 6 weeks after he started it.

At least we will be warm this winter..if we can afford the fuel increases.

KIP & BELLA's FIRST BONE

Kip gets tucked in to his first bone..Finest parma ham bone.

Bella prefers hers under the tree.

The bones have been removed, too much for one sitting for 5 month old pups.

Erquy 3 St Potan 1

Sunday was the second league match of the season. Scorching hot day down on the coast and the biggest crowd I have seen for a divisional game over here, about 250.

Kick off and St Potan prepare to take another mauling. 2 games, 2 defeats, and 2 points (Yep, You get a point for turning up) Bottom of the league, but as we all know, "the tables count for nothing until after xmas".

(Quote Brian Clough circa 1972)

FIRST LEAGUE GAME OF THE SEASON,

First game was against Trevron, a council estate town near Dinan, and resulted in a 4-2 defeat.
Fans drift away to contemplate a long hard season.

Brutus the security dog keeps a check on the thugs from Trevron.

Over 120 arrests were made. 119 for public order offences, and 1 for carrying an extremely large and pointy baguette.

(N.B: That last paragraph is not entirely true)

I KNEW IT WAS BAD BACK IN BRITAIN.

I really didn't realise that the credit crunch had sunk in so bad back in Blighty.

Ah well, stiff upper lip everyone, we are British!

LEARN FRENCH WITH AL & MARIE

Ces huitres sont passees par moi comme une missile exosse

=

Those oysters have gone through me like an exocet missile

FRUITS DE MER

Well you have too don't you? At least once a year when it is peak seafood season, go out for a fruits de mer. Crab, langoustines, whelks, winkles,oysters, and a bottle of muscadet.

We went to Notre Dame de Guildo, a small fishing port where the food was delicious.

Paul and Liz tuck in. By the time I had put the camera away, most of it had gone.

Ah well..never go to lunch with the "anti weight watchers league"

And the view over the estuary whilst having lunch was pretty good too.

Where is Marie I hear you ask? At home with a baked spud as she doesn't like shellfish.

BBQ WITH MONSIEUR LE PROPRIATAIRE

Bloody good move this. Local bar wners Bruno and Marylene are on a 2 week holiday, so it seemed a good idea for us to have a BBQ to thank him for all his hard work in keeping us in ale/pastis/wine/etc.

Also invited..and from left to right.. Natalie (Russian), Me, John (English), David (French plumber and fellow darts team member), Bruno, Mikhail (Russian), Monique, Marylene and Maryhelene who is David's wife.

A good night was had by all. The French were introduced to tandori chicken which they liked, along with steak brochettes and bbq pork.

ST LORMEL

3 miles away is the picturesque village of St Lormel, another very friendly bar.

It is frequented by a great English guy who used to be a session drummer with many big names that toured in the 60's. Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra are some of his claims to fame. Was hoping to get a picture of him but missed by 10 minutes.

Not forgetting the church which is opposite the pub.

NONOE'S BAR

As the local village bar is shut for 2 weeks, we are using the pub in Pluduno which is run by a very friendly couple, Annie and Nonoe.

Popped in on Sunday and met the drunkest man in France who wanted to show us all his ballroom dance moves. Of course, in England he would have been punched into next week, but we tolerated it. Despite being as drunk as Oliver Reed at a stag party, I am told he managed the 20 mile drive home!!!

CUP DREAM OVER

The mighty St Potan crash out of the cup at home to Pleselin by 2 goals to 0. The dream is over. Sack the manager, sack the board..but don't employ Kevin Bond.

The league starts next Sunday with a home game against Trevron.