Pre-Departure Blues: Thursday, June 27th

To die for an idea; it is unquestionably noble. But how much nobler it would be if men died for ideas that were true. -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (1880-1956)

P-Claudius, Thanks for the bridge night and the great dinner. Fun night was had by all. If you are looking for malt thieves I suggest you go no further than the local constabulary on the floor below. A citizen arrest would be apropos. 

Sorry I missed you today. Hope you got out. I finally got off my arse about 2:00 and it rained on me all 30 km. Weather looks more promising tomorrow. Let me know your plans. I will take the MT to friends sometime int he morning then will be available. W 

Hi Pat,  Story of my life lately but realize I've got a lot to do tomorrow plus the weather is a little iffy so I think I should pass on the ride tomorrow. I will be home next weekend however and would like to get out before you go so let's plan for an outing then if possible. Thanks, Al

I heard you might be going my way Saturday afternoon/evening. If you like a ride I'm driving. Janet

Hi Patrick,

Well, at last, after a lot of work and help from many people, Oboe is now available. At the moment, it is only for Kindle but will be available in paperback in a few days. The best way to access it, is to go into Amazon, select "Kindle Store" in the search box and search for "Robert P. French".

Although it has been a long time in coming, the struggle has been worth it as I believe that it is my best work so far. Enjoy. Cheers, Robert.

Hello Duhlink!

Just a quick note to let you know Jamie phoned to say he will be coming to Beau Soleil, 11th-17th of September! I know you want to be sure your visit coincides with him being in Languedoc as well! Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!




Thanks for your email Patrick and the great photos. Your place in Neffies sounds and looks delightful and the cycling should be terrific particularly since you will be in amongst all those vineyards! The rural roads in France are so free of traffic it's a real pleasure compared to the UK. If I had known about the Swedish Masseuses at Beau Soleil I would have changed my plans!

Spent the morning cycling with my nephew in Falmouth while Gayle did a spot of shopping. Not a large ride but very pleasant non the less. Cycled along the coast road with lovely views over Falmouth bay then headed inward to a local reservoir where we stopped and walked around the reservoir to a little cafe for a coffee which we found closed!  Ce la vie! Mike and his wife own a little apartment in Provence and go over whenever they can. Again he said the cycling is so pleasant there.

Yesterday Gayle and I had a visit to St Michaels Mount near Penzance. This is a 12th century castle on a mount in the bay which was originally a monastery and, although managed by the National Trust, is still home to the St Aubyn family but part of the castle is open to the public. It's only about 18 miles from here but the last time we visited it was 40 years ago! We don't get out much! Well worth visiting though.  It has a wonderful terraced garden full of unusual exotic sub tropical plants. At low tide you can walk to the mount along the causeway. At high tide you have to take a little boat. We can leave you are National Trust cards so you can make use of them while you are here.

Alberta Floods!

We are off in a few minutes to the local primary school for a talk on Cornish wild flowers. How exciting is that! Weather looks good tomorrow so hope to get a cycle in.

Guess you must be getting last things organized for your upcoming trip. The next 10 days will fly by I suspect. Gayle sends her best wishes.  All the best Derek 


Hi Ryan:

Thanks for quick reply! I'm delighted to hear you are pleased to send along one of your shirts. An XL would be wonderful, or a L, depending on availability. Thanks again and I'll spread the Montague word around Britain and France! Cheers, Patrick!