The Norths in Lunel and elsewhere

May brings looser travel restrictions in France.  The 10 km radius we’ve been confined in was lifted this week, although night time curfews still remain, gradually starting later as we head towards midsummer.  This was the second time we’d had to stay within the circle, and after last time I lost the map, so I am keeping it to hand this time in case it pops up again!  As you can see it would not quite take us to Aigues Mortes or Mauguio, but St Christol was within range, and a corner of the Étang d’Or for flamingo-spotting, but no seaside – our nearest at La Grande Motte is at least 12 km away.

bye bye to one restriction

My life has been disturbed recently by Elvire the dog’s problem of peeing during the night.  It’s easy enough to deal with since we have tiled floors, but it has meant getting up early.  But she seems in good spirits all the same, and our vet has now diagnosed a hyperparathyroid problem which will need surgery – a delicate operation but one which will have to be done, so we are in touch with a surgeon.  Here’s the explanation if you’re interested.  We spend quite' a lot on vets' fees and treatments, but we feel very pleased to have two happy lively dogs, good companions who give us both cause to take a little more exercise than we otherwise might.  The tortoise at least (sadly only one who appears twice below - they are I keep reminding myself they are wild animals and the other escaped more than  a year ago)

As France approaches regional elections, and Presdiential elections are on the horizon, the perennial question 'will the far right make significant gains?' resurfaces.  President Macron is not popular everywhere and tries sometimes to face both ways.  Since France is celebrating the centenary of another controversial leader, Napoleon, this cartoon caught my eye.

Consensual commemoration of Napoleon - the rift between left and right is so out of fashion

Finally a couple of quotes from The Week:  'America innovates, China duplicates, and Europe regulates' (quoted in The Daily Telegraph); and 'At every party there are two kinds of people – those who want to go home and those who don’t. The trouble is, they are usually married to each other (Ann Landers, quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle).  

Despite gradual easing and more vaccinations, there's not much chance of parties to escape from just now...