What's Up D'Oc!

Sorry, but once a pun is in your head, its difficult to let it go...

Yes, we have just returned from a really great week in the Languedoc, initially huddling round a fire in our little gite, then sweltering by the pool, which is an impressive 24 hr climate u-turn (rather than climate change, that's just the wrong vibe...)

Anyway - here are some photos, so enjoy.

The little car (it really is little - remember how small Loz is!)

Our arrival.

This is our terrace, and you can just make out Le Cerisier by the door.

This is the view from the terrace.

The aforementioned fire.

The fire being put to good use!

Loz in the Market in Mirepoix.

Me in the market (with giant hands for the day, which was nice...)

Here we are enjoying the market produce in a random part of the surrounding countryside...

And here we are (or I am) enjoying it a bit more, back on the terrace!

This is a view from behind the pool, back towards our gite. This, and the following pictures are part of a number of excellent studies taken by Lauren which perfectly captured the sunny mood and surrounding natural beauty, I'm sure you'll agree.

This is a study in relaxation.

An intriguing tableaux. Its arty.

A wood nymph!

The happy couple after a few glasses of the local speciality, methinks.

Also, there was a giant lizard that lived on the terrace. Loz photographed it instantly, like Simon King. Well done Loz.

PS the more observant amongst you may have noticed that the Nadia Threat Level dial has changed setting. We now have, thanks to Agent Lozario's diligent through-the-floorboard intel a lot of information pertaining to a messy breakup, workplace romance, and a lot of loud not-so-much-crying-as-dying... We're in the red. Hence dispensing with the scale described below and skipping to "Nervous Breakdown" (her words, not ours!)

The Jersey Triangle

In a dramatic new development in my otherwise ambivalent view of the island of Jersey, I now hate Jersey. My main beef with Jersey is that it is prone to fog.












Jersey Fog. Spooky...







And it has no decent air traffic control.











A Jersey plane trying to take off...








This meant that I have been marooned on Jersey for the last two days, as my original flight at 5pm Tuesday was fogged and apparently on Jimbo, as were the two flights I was rearranged to after that... I eventually got back to the mainland at 2:40 on Wednesday... If anyone is interested as to what jersey is actually like its difficult to say with any fairness, so I may as well say without perhaps much fairness that it struck me as a parochial, isolated and rubbish. Liberation Day may well be an important day in the history of the islands of Jersey, but as I heard the local radio station proclaim in the taxi on my third journey to the airport "they don't seem to be all that bothered about it in England..."

Superhero to Superzero

This weekend saw the big rematch. Vern wanted bloody revenge for the painful defeat of '06, and pitilessly he exacted it. Despite having not slept for two straight days he cruised into victory. At least the Vern and Jon Non Competitive course record remains 48 minutes, but I was a long way off challenging for that or victory. Special mention has to go to Al Brown, who on debut elbowed me into third in the Race within a Race, with a strong final 200 metres, which frankly blew me away. Some select photos below. Passingiton had a good day, maximum exposure, Fatboy Slim turned up and raced, and there is footage on the Argus website (including a brief glimpse of a fading Spiderman, and a bizarre Nazi salute from Vern/Superman at the finish...)

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/videos/index.var.4398.0.0.php

Spiderman arrives. Brandishing a race-entry number. Scary...

However, he is shown how to run it in by Superboy, who although wearing a lesser costume, does not smile unnecessarily, he merely motors home...

They are friends afterwards though...
Its bloody hot in that mask...
Superman finished ages ago, but generously pauses from signing autographs for a photo with his defeated rival.

So, its better luck next year, the decider, when we will all be the wrong side of 30 and therefore be lucky to wheeze it home at all, let alone be worried about any competitive element!!