Confit de Canard

Nothing like having the best of French duck confit without having to set foot in France itself... Thanks Benoit, it was bloody good!

Frog legs: tastes just like chicken

Apparently frog legs are an exotic Chinese and French cuisine. Not sure about the exotic part, but even Jennifer loves it. We had a barbecue at the seafront today and Benoit had frog legs, which he brought over from France (although the legs originated from Indonesia). I had my first taste today... tastes just like chicken actually. But shan't be having it anymore.

Winter and France

Brr. Winter is officially here. It is fucking freezing. London's temperature will finally touch the big 'O' this Thursday night. It will slowly improve from there on but the doom prediction of this year's coldest winter in a decade will probably come true this January. I marvel at the way my flatmate, who works for CNN as a reporter, dresses up non-chalantly in his pressed suit and cycles to work.

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We cancelled our December trip to Paris. All those riot really exposed how corrupt the French elites really are. I am far from anti-frogs - I have loads of mates from France - but politically I am torn. France is half a model socialist democratic country governed by an elite group of people with fascist ideals (much like in the early 1920s). Flame me if you will but I am deeply cynical - you can't be liberal and right wing at the same time.

As far as boycott goes I expect loads of people to be cancelling/postponing their trips across the channel. They, the French that is, had it coming. Jennifer had to apply for a Visa to enter the country and twice the French consulate in South Kensington, were rude to her, and in my opinion exhibited racist tendencies. An Iranian colleague of hers who also applied for a Visa some months ago, was told in the face that "you, definitely won't be able to enter" without so much of a glance of his passport.

A shame really because I have always wanted to visit the Sewers at place de la Resistance and the Pere-Lachaise cemetery. Maybe next year to the South of France. Jennifer has a mate there who could probably put us up.

After all that, truthfully, I am actually rather glad. I rather spend Christmas in cold Britannia watching crap reruns (maybe auntie Beeb could rerun Jerry Springer: The Opera) on the telly - than running round Paris trying to figure the Metro (whose maps are baffling compared to Harry Beck's LU diagram) and then having to spent the night in the hotel due to half measure curfews.

World's tallest bridge opens

The World's highest road bridge has been inaugurated in France by President Jacques Chirac. The Millau bridge which towers over 340m is even taller than the Eiffel Tower, and its spans over the River Tarn in the Massif Central mountains. The bridge, designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster, will provide a new motorway link between Paris and the Mediterranean. Vehicles will travel on it at the height of 270m and will cost motorists about 4.6 euros a trip.



Source: BBC News