The ceiling in toilet in comedy pub 

Comedy Pub St. Malo branch 

Go Go Go Funky Blackberry.

http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=11372

I got me a free blackberry spelling checker – and

Google maps for Blackberry http://www.freek.ca/

Both available for OTA installs.

BBC - Radio 4 - Creative Genius

Enjoyed programme two of this driving back from Lookers yesterday. I found the stuff about the guy from Birkenhead who had become creative following a sub arachnoid haemorrhage.

Postcard Humour 

Thats Mussels on the menu then. 

Aquarium Toilet - ELSEWARE

made me smile

Home again.

Pretty good journey home breakfast in Winchester lunch at Stafford and coffee inbetween. The journey home was a great listen to Test Match Special. Many people sing its praises but for me it just means summer. The morning session shows the Aussies keeping us out and scoring few runs then making a quick few leaving us 130 to make a walk in the park some may say, but again I was on the edge of my seat by the end. Was glad we home to watch it. Should Geraint Jones be dropped? Hmm. 7 pages of coverage of the test in sport grauniad. Tres bon.
Monday morning wake up and its wet and cold but by lunchtime we are topping up tans in the back yard - that will do nicely.

1st day of holidays a fort on St Malo 

In the words of Robbie the Robot "Going Home"

Its a Fireball XL5 reference for those of you too young to know. It was a 60's monochrome supermationation affair - sort of supercar on speed. I wanted to be Steve Zodiac and I was in 8 year old boy lurve with Venus, (till I was unfaithful to her with Marina and Atlanta Shore from Stingray). Let's not even mention the angels from Captain Scarlet.
So monsiuer arrives at 10.30, he skins us for 80€ for utilities and we are away. A fairly easy journey to Le Havre stopping for lunch in Honfleur. On to the pride of portsmouth and we bag 5 couchettes and become British. Colin bag a place to watch the cricket where we have a top seat and beer. I reflect how a ferry would be a good place if you were manic, lots to see do and hundreds of others with odd behaviour. Remind me to stay away if I go high. The meal is poop. The beer worse. Delightful cruising up the Solent and seeing two aircraft carriers at the dock. The bright lights of portsmouth and other sea side places. I wave at Jenny and Chris Sudell on the isle of Wight. To the travel inn where the service is derisory and ito the plastic pub where it is worse. The draught bass is off and the staff can't be arsed changing it. Welcome home. The hotel gets me down. Smiley notices eg 60 ways to save the planet number 57 change your towels every other day. They seemed to have missed the fecking obvious like turn down their bloody heating. It must be 30plus in here. I am irritable the sun is shining but my poetic brother in law puts it succintly. Portsmouth is a shitheap (well the bit we can see and the service here).
On our way up the M275

The last night

Into town and we spy some places then go to the comedy pub for aperitif. I end up with an odd one containing brown ale raspberry and an unidentified aperitif. It was ok a bit like very expensive newcastle brown.
The places we had spied were all full and we ended up in the Asiatic palace a sort of chinese vietnamese number. Went down well if a bit pricey. I took the girls for an ice cream and chatted with a nice lady from Quebec. Home on the last bus and sit the garden drinking wine, watching bats and listening to noisy kids playing till near midnight.

Friday the last full day

Excellent sun in the garden in the early am take full advantage of it. Off to Dinan a medieval town kind of like Chester or Stratford bit too touristy for me. By touristy I mean catering for English. The fish and chip shop and its proud claim of english spoken here make me huff. We end up in the Cosy Café (wow I just learnt how to do an accent). I hope I don't become blasé about this gift. I have a seafood kebab tres bon. Then a mooch. Colin climbs the bell tower we acquire an international (cutdown) Grauniad 2.20€ and enjoy the sun. Home via Port Dinan. Going for our last meal out tonight. Think we have found a suitable gaff.

Thursday evening at L'Anchorage

We settle on this for our special meal out the two of us. The place is heaving and is predominant French diners which seems a good sign. Madame cuts an imposing figure and guide us to a nice table for two between two nice french couples who greet us pleasantly. Immediatly struck by the proximity of tables here what I thought were foursomes turn out to be couples. The food coming in and out looks brill. Huge assietes de fruits de mer. The gaff does simple grilled lobster and a choice of crabs. The assiete appeals in its presntation and elegance, byt I don't like oysters and whels seem a waste, winkles don't rate a mention. We opt for Kir Breton as aperitif, its a blackcurrant and cidre combo. A sort of sophisticated cider and black. The menu is awesome, we are truly spoilt for choice.
So starters Jean goes for saumon tartare. Which is a delicious mix of raw salmon, apple, onion and chives with a balsamic dressing. It is served with creme fresh and chive sauce for adding to it.
I head for petroncenelles force (sp) which is stuffed queen scallops. Wowser it was great. Mains gets better Jean does pan fried St Jacques and. I opt for gougonettes de st pierre (john dory) in a creme moules sauce. It was terrific we had some Muscadet and some Cointreau as a digestif. It came to a steep 110€ which would have been ok but over here puts it in the pricey end. But it was worth it for such a gastronomic delight.
Before Jim the editor starts wondering why I chose to post this to menshealth land, I would point out two reasons.
Firstly many people don't understand the effects of bariatric surgery. I won't people to know that at three years out I can sort of eat normally. I also need to remind myself to email a books pubblisher pointing that out.
My second reason for posting it here is about how my bi-polar affects me spending wise. When high I can (and do) go on spending sprees. With a passion for high tech gadgetry and accessible spending thro the web its a 24/7 thing even when you're the only one awake ebay and amazon are at work. Combined with ridiculous credit limits and fresh offers through the post its not hard to see the recipe for disaster. During my last manic phase I bid a few times on a 1972 Dennis pump escape ex Kent fire serices. Seemed like a good plan to me. The lack of storage space or mechanical savvy to maintain it meant nowt to me. When I am down I have delusions of poverty, even though I can see the money in the bank I don't believe its mine or spendable. I make jean acccount for every penny spent. I am racked with guilt about financial decisions and mistakes I have made in the past. I begrudge spending money on me, feeling unworthy of outlay. Last night I had a blip about the bill it shocked me that it was so much and I wondered whether I was worth it. Jean is worthy of more than that but within me, the self loathing doesn't see the worth.
Part of this week and this time of rest and relaxation has taught me I have to learn to give to me as freely as I give to others. I am a good person, though on the black days I feel far from that. Worries about my ill health retirement wll no doubt knock me again. I long ago stopped defining who I was by my status in the NHS, think it was about 1982 when I passed my finals, status is for jerks I always felt, but that was cause I had it. Wonder if I'll feel different soon.

The Sun has got his hat on.....

So we reschedule Dinan for a day in St..Malo with a potential beach for adults. We arrive in good time and split up. The girls go intra muros and we jean and I take a coffee at the golden lion. Then walk along the main drag, checking restaurants tryimng to find something for our meal tonight and everyone tomorrow. It seems to range from thr daft 70€ a head to the the doner and chips all within a 100 yards. We meet at 1 at charlys and take a cidre before lunch at a pizza pasta gaff. I wolf a seafood tagliatelle, leaving most of the pasta. We then split up again ally and I discover a cybercafe intamuros open 9-midnight. Then met again, jean and I find a sheltered spot and read., the sun is great but the wind can be harsh. We meet. Again then amble back home.

In the garden changing plans

The weather is unpredictable here it started off pretty miserable and has got better as the morning has gone on. I am now sat in the garden having breakfasted and bogged. Makes me realise I didn't menton bowels in the health update (fine if gassy and increased frquency).
Last night Colin had an abortive attempt to watch Everton in St.Malo, even the Irish bars (4) didn't have footy on. We listened to it live on Radio 5 heard duncans equaliser then his disallowed goal. UEFA cup here they come. So the plan for today beach find a sheltered spot and absorb rays. Lunch intramuros and cybercaff supermarche on the way home. Jean and I eating in St.Malo tonight.
My brother has commented he is finding a bit of trouble with the new colour scheme? Any views? I shall further experiment when I get home. I want to add some further pages images etc anyway. Anon the bath calls.

Health update and Wednesday generally.

So I thought I should take a look at how my health has been affected by the holiday. So firstly happy birthday blog three years old today. Never thought it would last its surprised me. I think the blogging has helped from a health point of view too. Often looking back how I have been up and down it helps. Also helps to get it down on paper so to speak. So the holiday is good for me and good for Jean and Ally. I am eating well but exercise is up I find some of the situations quite difficult being deaf and not very good at French causes real awkward situations.
Physical health well let's analyse it.
I am not drinking enough water.
I am drinking too much alcohol cidre and wine.
I am taking a very good level of exercise.
I am sticking to pouch rules. (A rnyers essential mantra).
I am 100% compliant with psychtropics and about 80% compliant with supplements.
Last night I woke with a coughing fit that seemed linked to posture. Ie when I sat up it stopped. I was knakkered and it stuck with all day. I had a sore throat too, the coughing and spluttering had lef me with plueritic pain.
Mentally you can see I still have a strong psychosomatic element to my feelings. My mood is up and down, but still on the low side. I have very odd ideas with no strong basis. I speak to Jean she reminds me I am off on one and brings me down to earth.
The being away from worries and stuf helps.
So today I fulfilled an achievement and went to the top of the abbey at Mont St Michel. Last time I had been here I sat miserable in the carpark, today I have been up to the top and it feels great. We lunch in a pleasant place and I eat langoustines, delicious. Then back to the house wet and through a mess of people. Then Colin drops the girls and I at the cybercafe. Had a laff tring to upload my images on cf card ended up with them on cd - hey ho. Back home spag bog for tea and colins off into town to watch everton try to get into europe.

Wednesday health update.

This may be a game of two halves I am sat in st malo cybercafe and there are no empty desks. The nice man has burned my photos to a cd.

Replay tuesday quick.

Mooch round the garden in the morning reading in the sun. Off to cybercafe with girls while colinand jean. Hit le clerc. Good connection french keyboard didfficult work with. Off to Dinard, Kir breton at the beachside cafe and home to st malo. Bus into town and good meal at the golden lion. I opt for moule creme. Then its off to the ice cream shop for me n the girls home via comedy pub and bus

Monday from Malo

We wake up to a glum scene, it has rained heavily in the night and is trying to again. Ah well, I dissapear and blog listening to radio 4. I trot off to the boulangerie but its shut, I am not trying the hardware deli again. Back home Jean wakes up Colin had ben in thje garden all the time we had missed each other. Girls still a kip. We jump in the car for route Cancale in search of LeClerc Monsieur LeClerc has always been our favourite supermarche, but respect to intermarche who are close on their heels. There is also carrefour, some Lidl and Neto and Cosa which is a new one to us. In and scoot round for all we need and some we don't. On the way out we purchase a Magnetoscope for the girls to watch vids. Cost more for vhs than DVD. Have a croissant while waitng for Colin. Home via a circuitous route and breakfast and lunch sort of merge.
After lunch we implement our wet weather plan its off the Grand Aquarium for us. A sort of blue planet style gaff woith three maoin parts. The aquarium, the 15 minute show and the Nautibus. We do the Aquarium first. Its chocabloc everyone even the French do the same thing on a wet holiday Monday. Its heaving I don't like it, you can tell the Brits we queue and curse everyone else for not doing the same. Some of the fish are well impressive but less so the crowds. We empty into tented area with some touch pools wjhere you can stroke turbot most familes do the decent thing but one lot of french gits pester the poor turbot by pulling their tails and dragging them backward. Unimpressed we skip the show and the Nautibus and jean and I head into the cafe. Cidre of course, joined by Colinm and the girls we have a Kir Breton which is local cider and black.
Back to the house jean kips Ally and I play cards Colin and hannah spy out the local area. Not impressed with St. Servan. Spag bol for tea. Colin and I tasked to find cybercafe for girls. We discover two and then attempt to find a bar. We end up Intra-muros. We stumble on "Le cafe du coin d'en bas de la rue du bout de la ville d'en face du port. La java,". According to the card. It was weird and entertaining. Trapeze swings for seats at bar church seats for bar seats, all manor of dolls and signs and the best bit you reached the toilet through a confessional. Back home via the 10.14 number 3 and I was brave enough to ask the lady for a time table.

Out into the bay

So after a bit of the ramparts we are attracted to the islands, we shoot out along the causeway to petit baie. Beautiful in the sun especially out of the wind. Steep climb and well worth it for the view of the channnel.
So back to the land and its a cidre in the beach cafe tres bien.
Back into town and meet the girls. Off to seedy caff which so seedy its a betting shop.
Then we leave the girls writing postcards while we wander to the sea and being british we do what we must and paddle. Great stuff, the only people in the sea are Brits and a few indian lads.
Back into town. And look amongst the 150 retaurants for an eatery. Settle for cafe simon. We had been there two years ago we had another good meal. I had moules as did Ally.
After the meal its home to via the good offices of the number 3 bus.
Home have a game of badminton with Colin and sit watching bats in the garden. Then its into the house to play cards with the girls.