Prelude to a holiday
Sep. 29th, 2009 04:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shewhomustWe* are in Brittany - in Josselin, which is pretty much in the middle of Brittany, and has an impressive castle, and many old houses. And soon, I hope, we will go out and stroll along the canal in the sunshine, and after that maybe eat some crêpes - so I'll try to keep this brief.
We* came to Brittany on a whim, pretty much (yes, I know, most people prefer the ferry, I know). Back in the spring, Ann Cleeves was booked to appear at a Franco-British Crime Fiction Festival in Saint Malo in September, and we congratulated her, "Ooh, in Saint Malo in September, very nice!" The more we thought about it, the more envious we became, and in the end we thought we might as well come along. Then the festival was cancelled, but it was too late, we had so much sold ourselves on the idea that we went ahead regardless - and here we are.
We* drove down on Saturday, hammering down the M1 until an amber light appeared on the dashboard. Despite which, we were in time to accompany the Bears to the Cellar, where the guest was Michael Marra: look for him on YouTube, he does some wonderful stuff, verbally very clever, musically a delight, warm-hearted and funny (his first number was Doctor John's visit to Blairgowrie and his last Green Grow the Rashes O and that should give you some idea).
Sunday was eaten up by trying to deal with the amber light on the dashboard. Eventually we located a man with a diagnostic kit, who agreed to meet us at the Dartford Crossing services (ie halfway round London). And he did, and was helpful and thorough, explained what the light meant, and what was probably causing it (having a nine-year-old car), switched it off and told us not to worry when it came on again (which it did this morning). After which we were fit for little but eating pizza and drinking wine with Bears.
Thanks to the tolerance and flexibility of Sunday's lunch date, we were able to lunch with her on Monday, and catch up on - well, since she had spent Saturday at a reunion at the school we both attended, it felt like forty years worth of gossip!
On Monday evening we were at the Cartoon Museum in London for the launch party of Bryan Talbot's Grandville - so I have holiday reading: steampunk and Belle Époque anthropomorphism, according to the publishers (and not just any old anthropomorphism but Inspector LeBrock the badger). Great party, surrounded by wonderful Rowland Emett machines and interesting people, including![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rozk whom have know for so long by reputation and LJ, but never met before, and sbisson who, to my regret, we ran into just as we were saying our farewells.
But we had to go, because we had an overnight ferry waiting for us in Portsmouth.
And I think that's where I came in.
*I hope the rules against starting every paragraph with 'I' don't apply to 'We'.
We* came to Brittany on a whim, pretty much (yes, I know, most people prefer the ferry, I know). Back in the spring, Ann Cleeves was booked to appear at a Franco-British Crime Fiction Festival in Saint Malo in September, and we congratulated her, "Ooh, in Saint Malo in September, very nice!" The more we thought about it, the more envious we became, and in the end we thought we might as well come along. Then the festival was cancelled, but it was too late, we had so much sold ourselves on the idea that we went ahead regardless - and here we are.
We* drove down on Saturday, hammering down the M1 until an amber light appeared on the dashboard. Despite which, we were in time to accompany the Bears to the Cellar, where the guest was Michael Marra: look for him on YouTube, he does some wonderful stuff, verbally very clever, musically a delight, warm-hearted and funny (his first number was Doctor John's visit to Blairgowrie and his last Green Grow the Rashes O and that should give you some idea).
Sunday was eaten up by trying to deal with the amber light on the dashboard. Eventually we located a man with a diagnostic kit, who agreed to meet us at the Dartford Crossing services (ie halfway round London). And he did, and was helpful and thorough, explained what the light meant, and what was probably causing it (having a nine-year-old car), switched it off and told us not to worry when it came on again (which it did this morning). After which we were fit for little but eating pizza and drinking wine with Bears.
Thanks to the tolerance and flexibility of Sunday's lunch date, we were able to lunch with her on Monday, and catch up on - well, since she had spent Saturday at a reunion at the school we both attended, it felt like forty years worth of gossip!
On Monday evening we were at the Cartoon Museum in London for the launch party of Bryan Talbot's Grandville - so I have holiday reading: steampunk and Belle Époque anthropomorphism, according to the publishers (and not just any old anthropomorphism but Inspector LeBrock the badger). Great party, surrounded by wonderful Rowland Emett machines and interesting people, including
rozk whom have know for so long by reputation and LJ, but never met before, and sbisson who, to my regret, we ran into just as we were saying our farewells.But we had to go, because we had an overnight ferry waiting for us in Portsmouth.
And I think that's where I came in.
*I hope the rules against starting every paragraph with 'I' don't apply to 'We'.
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no subject
Date: 2009-09-29 04:47 pm (UTC)Damn! A belated and retrospective hullo won't get through, I suspect, alas...
no subject
Date: 2009-09-29 07:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-29 05:00 pm (UTC)(and have a great time in Josselin - one of my favourite places)