MooN

sameish here, we'd originally planned to visit my parents in the UK cos mum is slowly sinking into dementia (she is 90) but we too are loath to face all the travel palaver, plus i understand that to go 5 days we'd need 3 covid tests... each ( there's five of us) at 25£ a go that's £375 just for the neccessary tests IF you can get them that cheap which is far from certain and some cost as much as £80 each... not going to happen! So it'll be Christmas at home, and the first since we lost mother in law too. On the Up side Mrs Moon starts a new job next week so she won't have any holiday to spend moping around the house. I have 2 weeks off and so will be on here spouting mindless drivel at you lot.

A handheld VHF is alomost useless for you Tym. 3 feet is about the range you'll get I reckon. VHF is basically "Line of sight" communication, which is why its used at sea but not on land cos a tree or a house or a rise in the ground blocks the signal... or a wave crest. which is why boats and ships always have the antenna as high up as possible. I guess it's a 4w set too? a waterproof childs walkie talkie would be just as useful for less cash mate.

OOh I had a client , boat owner, a Texan, who said that to me once a few years back. I told him that that was a particularly stupid thing to say and that if he really believed that then he'd be better off keeping it to himself. He left about a week later, never to be seen again...

on the Brexit theme... British nationals resident in France without a valid residency permit are being refused entry and are considered, and treated as, illegal immigrannts I only know this because my boss went back to the UK for a lightning visit to his family and on his return he answered the question " place of residence" with his address here. Upon being asked to show his " titre de séjour" ( residence permit) he realised he'd left it behind and was refused entry into france as an illegal immigrant, having declared residency with no papers to prove it. Obviously he explained and they were able to verify his residency status on their systems, but if an "ex pat" with no residency paperwork goes back to the UK for a visit, they won't let him ( or her) back in. I would love to be a fly on the wall when some of the older and richer "Ex pats" who have "no truck with the French burocracy you kmow..." get deported back to dover as an illegal immigrant! On another note, my colleague who runs our base down near where Tango is at has just recieved a letter from M.Macron and his cronies congratulating him on his accession to French nationality. It has taken him 5 days short of 4 years...

France is imposing negative PCR test results in order to enter the country as from saturday. Unless you have a complete vaccin passport ( 2 or 3 doses depending where you're from) AND if you're coming from an EU Member State. NOT the UK then...

its funny how quickly you can go off some people...

well the weather here is set shitty

depends how much people are willing to pay you to vote for them. i'm open to offers...

a series of unconnected thoughts provoked by that @boboneleg Man, as in Mankind...? When the Fuck did we suddenly go politically correct? we'll be having the 'elf and safe tea inspectors in next! it's not about gender but species...? or are we not allowed to say Mankind anymore either? Vote MOTY and TOTY, if one of the girls wins it, then change it to POTY. ? I think the non male identifying persons on here are probably intelligigent enough to not be insulted ( lets face it, they wouldn't be on here otherwise)

You're gomg to Bob's?

leave it as BOTM. read the rules of submitting a BOTM pic; It has to be your BIKE pic has to be taken in the current MONTH. QED; BIKE of the MONTH. I agree with @Tango on this. the constant is the bike. Please don't make it anymore complicated then that.

good choice. Comic books are excellent for learning the language, as you say there's some slang in them and if you don't get it the picture explains it. In french and belgian comics there are almost always at least 2 and sometimes 3 levels of understanding; the basic language, the humoristic references and often enough political satire current at time of writing. I learnt masses of French idiom from Franquin's " Gaston Lagaffe" series when I first arrived here.

" Le petit Prince" is a french classic, standerd secondary school study here. I also have " Vol de Nuit" by him. You know he was a pioneer of the french aeropostal service in north africa right?

I love the way he looks at it, like "who put that kerb there?" picks it up and gets on with it.

yeah, I seem to remember when I took the picture I thouht about taking the box off but decided that " It's my bke, it's my ride, on my terms. I take a picture during the ride, I'm not an artist, or even a photographer trying to projetct some message or image. This is me, this is my bike, in this place, at this time. " I really don' care if others think it would be better somehow else, ( and besides, I couldn't be arsed)

I'm currently re reading my way through the Patrick OBrien collection ( series of books the first of which was made into a dissapointing film "Master and Commander".) possibly not of much interest unless interested in sailing aships and maritime history. though exceedingly well written.

104 metres ( 341 ft for the cave trolls among you)

Nope, couldn't be arsed to remove the topbox either.

There was a French comedian (Coluche) who asked the question " If a Frenchman is driving a mercedes, that's classy. If a German is deiving a citroen what's that, nostalgia?..." german tourist in a mercedes stopped by the police in paris for some minor traffic misdemeanor, Policeman says " you've not been to Paris before have you sir?" German tourist replies " Ja, Ja, Ja, bot ze last time I vos here, I vos driving tracked vehicle..." I'll get my coat...

I had a school friend who's grandfather was, or had been, "regional coordinator " fo the local administration in case of nuclear attack. if ever you asked him what would happen his reply was invariably " you're all going to die" Jolly bloke he was...

ooh not me, always been the same. At sea too when I was younger. I don't mind riding, driving or sailing in wind or snow or whatever but I hate fog.

Down at the southern end nearerethe dam it's much deeper, I could see about 20 or 25 meters of dqm wall clear of the water as I rode past but theres's still enough water in the deeps for there to be half a dozen fishermen out in boats.

yep. they drop the level every winter so they can absorb the winter rain and snowmelt. This year is exceptonall cos they have to inspect the Dam every 10 years I think and they need to empty the reservoir to do that.