May 15th 2016

Sent 15^th May 2016

Hi guys,

Well it started raining not far beyond Calais on Monday and we've had torrential rain, thunder and lightning  and local flooding here in Burgundy ever since, while the sun shone in England, annoyingly.

The river rose to with in 3 inches of the top of the dockside and flooded the port yesterday before subsiding slowly but with very fast current. Had to break out the wellies to walk Laddie.

A duck went past at 20 miles an hour looking bemused. Hey guys look at me!

Woke to 8 degrees this morning but SUNSHINE!

Festival weekend here for long weekend celebrations (Pentecost) and rows of white marquees/ small tents on the opposite bank hold purveyors of every gastronomic delicacy known to (French) man, plus alcoholic beverages naturally Once we've sampled I'll report back when I've sobered up and had a snail sandwich or a duck hot dog.

Jean-Philippe the port technician and I have already consumed half a large bottle of pastis (Pernod51 his favourite) quite productively, as the first session was spent reading the instructions and looking at a bag of bits which came with the new Bimini (a I kind of big white folding pram hood which covers the back deck where we steer and eat unless it's raining) from Italy. 

'Can't do that it's in Italian' 'It's also in English' Still can't understand it' 'Another pastis?'   No it's upside down' 'Well with your technical expertise and my translation into French what could possibly go wrong.?

OK I'll come on Saturday on my day off' ' Sue will cook a Coq au Vin for dinner and we'll have a pastis first at 6 o clock' .Formidable.' Result.

The screws were wrong sort and wrong size so off to Monsieur Bricolage for stainless steel screws. Then the drill bit went blunt 'Ah, c'est impossible!' and everywhere is now shut until Tuesday when work, and pastis consumption, will recommence. But we have a wonderful white roof temporarily held with 2 screws.

It will fold forwards as well as backwards- I can tell you're impressed. Photos will follow as soon as the technology has been defeated.

Laddie has already several girlfriends including Gigi a black Lab from San Francisco whose owner is happy to throw the ball and screams Go Laddie gogogo! and a local caller Echo whose young attractive female owner obviously calls to see me (and practice her English), while Sue makes wonderful soup in her special machine and is gaining fluency daily buying Lieu noire (Pollock) in the Leclerc supermarche and pan frying with dauphinoise potatoes on Thursday night. More delicacies to follow as we explore the cheese counter.

Have to go now as midi, and a visitor, approaches.

Au revoir

John and Sue (I'm John as I said to one of my new neighbours, a Chesterfeldian strayed off course