Travels with Forty Roses

Sunday, 2 December 2018

“Success depends upon previous preparation.” ― Confucius

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

― Benjamin Franklin

“When you are designing your plan, think not in terms of what you need to do, think in term of what you need to achieve.”

― T. Jay Taylor

It all began when the Captain began asking about the location of his peanut butter jars. Or rather the lack thereof. Having brought 4 or 5 large jars of Just Peanuts Blue Menu from home and knowing he had a couple of similar jars on board, I suppose he felt there was a goodly season supply. However, sometimes indulgence just can’t be modified.

The first hint of trouble was some mumbling about finding some “natural” peanut butter in a so called Bio store in Paris. I said I would give it a search. When that was not helpful to the supply (Peanut Butter is found in France with difficulty, but it contains salt and sugar. These additives go against the sophisticated taste buds of certain consumers). Next action by the Captain was to begin an online search for ready sources. Netherlands had been a satisfying purchase location, at the Plus markets, in past. But no opportunity of buying the crunchy variety that was craved online. A purchase would require a trip, ruled out immediately.

So, secretly I decided to take pre-Christmas action and sent off an email to my sister in Canada in search of the Just Peanuts Blue Menu product. The series of emails about “the problem” follow:

My sister’s reply to initial request for a Christmas surprise:

“The nuts” are ready to go out to the Squirrel anytime today or tomorrow. Shocking the costs of nuts these days.

Nuts $20

Mailing (by surface parcel with maybe a month or two hold up). $84

By Xpress International (supposedly 4 days) $139

Was so shocked I forgot to ask about taxes.

The question is, how badly does a Squirrel need nuts ??? Is there any other “nut” alternative.

I await further instructions.

My instructions are swiftly sent off:

The Nautical Nut has just read this, as I was falling down laughing, and he finally asked me (lifting his head from his Clive Cussler book) what I was laughing about? So I said, 'Read this'! I think we give up the Nut Plan.

Anyhow, even Nautical Nut was shocked and said No, Never, so I guess he just has to find his own peanuts. Actually he was so desperate today he used my hand blender to grind up some salted peanuts while I was out. It's a wonder it didn't break as he really does not know how to use it. I just told him to go get plain unsalted and I'll deal with the rest.

Thank you for the undertaking and investigation but that's just too much for an indulgence. After all, we are thrifty Canadians.

Next stage:

My sister expresses concern. . .

We are worried about the “Squirrel” as he has a long winter ahead of him. Does he know that a squirrel’s brain enlarges in the fall so that he/she is able to find all the nuts he/she has hidden in storage for the lean months ? I know that because I saw the Nature special on squirrels.

Action Aboard:

Dear S&J

The squirrel's brain grew extremely large today as he went online and located a “natural" food store, called and spoke coherent French to whomever answered. (Funny how some people can even lift a car in an emergency) They spoke about peanuts. . . cacahuètes grillées à sec, sans sel etc., etc., and shortly afterwards the Squirrel donned yellow rain gear (a bit dangerous today with Gilet Jaunes protests) and cycled through a downpour to a "wonderful store" to quote him, upon safe return. Possibly the thought of the postal expense has driven the Squirrel to such high levels of winter activity. But back at the nest he has offloaded a huge bag into plastic bins (all I have) to ensure they don't "spoil". I have been tasked with natural peanut grinding tomorrow.

Thank goodness I can rest up for it.

Just another night in Paris.

Photos of various non peanut related sights around the city follow for this week.

My Maigret at the AOP Cheese Festival carrying our purchases.

Great Labels and Stickers given away at the Festival

Recipes, recipes. . . have tried a few already

Wonderful place to have an introduction to French Fromage. Every Region represented... much tasting of generous samples!

The Girls on the way to huge Brocante

Great Street Art

Portrait Street Art

The Brocante had many things to love. But we live on a boat

A Series

Of Tiles

Fronting

A Delicious

Boulangerie

Big Boy

Christmas Decorations

at Le Bon Marché

Animated Music Box Display that Drew Children Like Bears to Honey

Creative Soap Display

Saturday Morning Dec 1

Gilet Jaunes Protesters

Police Barricades, Firecrackers, Agitated Protesters

No Violence Here. Only at Champs de Élysée

The Squirrel’s Dilemma

Sunday, 25 November 2018

Culture, Commemoration & Clashes

The Louvre Museum is an immense place. On a short trip to Paris you can decide to visit, or determine it's too exhausting and not buy a ticket. But, with an Amis du Louvre card, I have all winter to explore the place at leisure. And so, I am doing it slowly. It really is a treat to explore a section or exposition for a few hours, then leave and know that in a few days you can investigate something else. So far, I’ve managed an Exposition of Italian artifacts collected by Giampietro Campana, who created a huge collection of all things Roman. (It spanned from earliest Roman civilization to the 19th century.) With a friend, I visited the Petite Galerie area, noted for French sculpture, including wonderful things from Chateau Marly, which is no more. I am looking forward to my next outing and have planned a route that will take me through until April to navigate in full. As the French say; petit à petit.

The commemoration of World War I was solemnly acknowledged at the Arc de Triomphe and in each town and village throughout all of France, November 11. The bells tolled at 11AM across the city on a rainy and chilly day, which usually is the case for this day of remembrance. As a Girl Guide I recall standing in our little Ontario town with freezing legs, in a bitter wind, listening to the sorrowful sound of the Last Post and the wail of the bagpipes, as wreaths of red poppies were laid at our cenotaph. At the Paris City Hall, 94, 415 flowers were planted to acknowledge the deaths of the soldiers from this city. So many soldiers and civilians died in Europe it is almost unfathomable. The total number of military and civilian casualties in World War I was about 40 million: estimates range from 15 to 19 million deaths and about 23 million wounded military personnel, ranking it among the deadliest conflicts in human history. Armistice is so well remembered here; the city felt subdued and muffled with black coats and umbrellas predominating. Dozens of world leaders met in Paris and walked as a group to the Arc de Triomphe with the French President and following, attended the inaugural Paris Peace Forum, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. (of course, a particular leader did not attend and flew home).

Most recently, we have seen and experienced the Gilets Jaunes protesters, some 280,000 strong across France last weekend, but diminished today to about 23, 000. The original protest was over the price of diesel and the Yellow Vests blocked roadways and held up traffic but mostly in a good natured way. This weekend there seems to be a different profile to the protests and those people protesting. Last week it appeared to be professional people and working people with a common complaint. This week there is suspicion that Le Pen followers are stirring the pot. Accusations are being thrown right to left. We shall see how this evolves. We are simply steering clear like the majority of the population. But it’s all really about a tax on a carbon product. If all of us do not face the fact that carbon will eventually kill the planet and our very own grandchildren and great grandchildren will have to face the consequences of our terrible legacy, we are foolish and naïve. The piper must be paid at some point, in my view.