Saturday – Sunday 25/26 October 2025

Saturday is market day and a cool but pleasant walk into the town market for some bread, fruit and vegetables from the outside vendors and inside for cheese, fresh fish and meat from the permanent stalls. A coup of Champagne on the way home and left over fish pie for dinner. Always better second time around.

Sunday is cold and overcast, so soup and household chores in the morning, remembering to turn the clocks back one hour. Nurse P applies the ear syringe to Flashy, removing a plug the size of an almond. And on the subject of things medical, is the story of the pissing cat. The owner did tell us that Soko sometimes pisses on the front door. Lady P’s great plan is to soak a piece of kitchen paper with eucalyptus oil and put it down by the door. Flashy thinks this is a very clever idea.

Soko was observed sneaking over to the door, sniffing the paper, then rubbing her nose on nearby shoes. As the evening progressed she displayed unusual behaviour. Climbing on furniture, stumbling about and generally looking not much like an quiet, ageing cat.

Some quiet research indicated that eucalyptus oil is toxic to cats. A sleepless night followed with the nightmare of possibly awakening to a dead cat. If so, put her in the freezer, I guess. She didn’t die. Good as gold next morning. And - no more pissing on the front door!

Monday 27 October 2025

A cold and blustery morning walk to the cathedral to meet Catherine, a sprightly older woman who was our greeter for the morning. Almost raining and not many people about. It’s Monday, you see the French hereabouts not only close for a long lunch, but often close on Mondays and Tuesdays. Anyway, we did enjoy a good two hour walk, mostly in the eastern part of the town, where we hadn’t spent much time.

The difference between greeters and a paid tour, is that greeters usually have lived in the town or suburb for a long time and do it for love, not money. As a result, the walks are often full of personal  anecdotes and can be as politically incorrect as they like, to a point.

Tuesday 28 October 2025

Yesterday was day 21 since the disastrous London flat episode. Lady P gave booking.com another serve and we are still awaiting the promised full refund. She departed early in the morning for the train to Paris/Surgeres/LPR, leaving Soko in the care of Flashy. The meeting with the builders is on this afternoon, so that will give us some clarity on the 2026 schedule for the les Petites Rivieres kitchen extension and thus, our potential return date to France.

The Troyes memorial to the French defeat by the Prussians in 1870-71 and the French victory over the West African noble savages in 1890.